Joe Wilson

Black Music Sunday is a weekly series highlighting all things Black music, with over 250 stories covering performers, genres, history, and more, each featuring its own vibrant soundtrack. I hope you’ll find some familiar tunes and perhaps an introduction to something new. The month of April may mean many things to many people, like spring and showers, but as a jazz fan, I’m elated to once again welcome the advent of “Jazz Appreciation Month,” which is also known as JAM. It was created by the National Museum of American History in 2001 “to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz for the entire month of April.”During April, special events, concerts, and performances are being held across the nation, showcasing the multiple genres of jazz—and its history.You can head over to their website and download this year’s poster:Lester Young and his “Cool School” This year’s poster artwork features a portrait of jazz legend Lester Young (1909-1959). The portrait comes from LeRoy Neiman’s brilliantly colored 2005 Big Band painting depicting notable jazz musicians in performance. Nicknamed “Pres”—short for President, Lester Willis Young is among the most respected saxophonists of the 20th century. With an innovative playing style, a slick fashion sense, and his cool cat slang, Lester Young’s influence on jazz music and culture is profound.Young was raised in a musical family, and from a young age he would perform and tour all over the United States. In 1933, Lester Young settled in Kansas City and rose to prominence playing with the Count Basie Orchestra. His relaxed, free-floating approach set him apart from other sax players at the time. By 1936, the Basie Orchestra moved to New York City to cut their teeth full time in the city’s thriving jazz scene. Young continued performing with Basie and others, sitting in on recording sessions, and joining jam sessions with a host of Harlem’s best jazz musicians including Billie Holiday. Young’s musicianship continues to inspire generations of saxophonists who experiment with the “cool school” sound of jazz.That’s the cue to play a little Prez, salute April and Sunday too:xYouTube VideoTeddy Wilson And His Orchestra Harry James (tp), Benny Morton (tb), Edgar Sampson, Benny Carter (as), Lester Young, Herschel Evans (ts), Teddy Wilson (p), Al Casey (g), Walter Page (sb), Jo Jones (d), Billie Holiday (vcl). “Sunday”:xYouTube VideoFor more on Lester Young, check out my 2023 Black Music Sunday tribute to “Prez”:Black Music Sunday: On President's Day, Lester Young will always be 'The Prez' of jazzDisturbingly, there’s no telling what the future will be for our venerable institutions that preserve and promote the music that is our heritage, but jazz will continue to be alive and well across this nation and around the globe, no matter what the bitter orange menace manages to do to desecrate and eliminate its place in our history.xNew Trump Executive Order Targets Smithsonian FundingThe executive order claims Smithsonian advanced narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently “harmful and oppressive.”www.ebony.com/new-trump-ex...[image or embed]— Denise Oliver-Velez (@deniseoliver-velez.bsky.social) March 31, 2025 at 4:53 PMRashad Grove at EBONY reported:President Donald Trump issued a new executive order on Thursday evening (March 27) seeking to overhaul the Smithsonian Institution, targeting funding for programs that advance “divisive narratives."Under Trump’s order, Vice-President Vance, who serves on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, will lead the White House budget office to ensure that the institution's funding is not spent on programs that “degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with federal law and policy.“Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth. This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light. Under this historical revision, our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed," the executive order reads.In the order, Trump takes aim at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Women’s History Museum, which is under construction, and the American Art Museum.I hope our readership will have loud and active pushback about this, and contact their elected officials. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at some of the available materials we can enjoy and share not only during this designated month but also all year round.This “Jazz Appreciation Month” cartoon video from the Fleischer Studios archives, featuring the late great Cab Calloway and Betty Boop, brought a smile to my face. xYouTube VideoSince Jazz Appreciation Month was inaugurated, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History has featured both musicians and visual artists, like this 2021 tribute to Nina Simone:xYouTube VideoNational Museum of American History video note:Featured on this year’s official 2021 poster is pianist, singer, songwriter, storyteller and civil rights activist Nina Simone. This year, Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) recognized the historical legacy of pianist, singer, songwriter, storyteller, and civil rights activist Nina Simone. The annual JAM poster is an illustration of Nina Simone by Duke Ellington School of the Arts sophomore visual arts student Naa Anyele Sowah-de Jesus. Bassist and composer Israel “Cachao” López was the featured musician for Jazz Appreciation Month 2022—highlighting Afro-Caribbean Music and Latin jazz:“The artist for the 2022 JAM poster is Francis Henry Cuadro, a senior visual arts student at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington, D.C.”As a 1964 graduate of New York’s illustrious High School of Music & Art, I am delighted to see the museum selecting the work of young artists from D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts. I was fortunate to have lived in D.C. at the time of its co-founding by my friend Peggy Cooper-Cafritz, who joined the ancestors in 2018.xYouTube VideoWe covered the 2023 celebration here in “Black Music Sunday: Jazz Appreciation Month 2023 features trumpeter extraordinaire Miles Davis.”Though I’m not a fan of “greatest lists,” speaking of Miles, I just saw this post, and it’s hard to believe 55 years have passed since he recorded “Bitches Brew.”xMiles Davis' 'Bitches Brew' turns 55 today. 💿The album sits on Rolling Stone's list of Greatest Albums of All Time ⬇️www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...[image or embed]— rollingstone.com (@rollingstone.com) March 30, 2025 at 9:39 AMIf you’ve never heard it—or love it and want to revisit, here’s the full album:xYouTube VideoBack to Jazz Appreciation Month. We jazz fans have got an exciting month ahead of us. The Music Performance Trust Fund made this announcement:xThe music non-profit MPTF will distribute over $1mil in free concerts for their annual #Jazz Across America campaign during Jazz Appreciation Month in April. Over 750 concerts in the USA and Canada will be live streamed on MPTF's Facebook page too.Tune in!#weekend #goodvibes #Jazz[image or embed]— Joel Fan Music (@joelfanmusic.bsky.social) March 21, 2025 at 5:01 PMAllAboutJazz reports:The annual campaign, themed by the MPTF as “Jazz Across America,” features the support of website partners All About Jazz and Jazz Near You, where performer and event location information for most of the performances are being listed.These websites boast the world’s largest jazz events calendars and reach a combined 240,000 viewers per month.All live stream events will be featured on the MPTF Facebook page. Beck added, “Tuning in to live stream performance events as they happen is a unique way the public can experience jazz musicians from various locales throughout the U.S. and Canada.”Jazz performances have been supported by the MPTF since it began more than 75 years ago, and over 1,600 regional jazz concerts have been funded since the end of the pandemic. With this year’s projections, the fund will have distributed more than $3.1 million in Jazz Across America grants to compensate these fine musicians. Events will be organized by American Federation of Musicians locals to ensure fair compensation for all performers. Here a sampling of some of the April events being held around the country:In New Orleans, there’s Jazzfest, which runs from April 24 through May 4.xYouTube VideoIn New York City, there’s “Jazz at Lincoln Center.” Check out the schedule: “Jazz at Lincoln Center Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with Performances for All-Ages Honoring the Legacies of Jazz Icons.”The Kennedy Center in D.C., with the National Endowment for the Arts, will be streaming a tribute concert on April 26. xYouTube VideoHeading west to Arizona:xYouTube VideoJazz Day AZ video notes:SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Mark your calendars for an unforgettable evening of music, culture and community as the Scottsdale Jazz Festival returns on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Scottsdale Civic Center.Now in its 14th year, the Scottsdale Jazz Festival aligns with UNESCO’s International Jazz Day, this time paying a special tribute to legendary musician and producer Quincy Jones, who died in November. Organized under the visionary leadership of William “Doc” Jones, the festival continues to cement Scottsdale’s reputation as a vibrant cultural destination.“Several years ago, at the request of the legendary Herbie Hancock, I founded the Scottsdale Jazz Festival to support UNESCO's International Jazz Day,” Jones said. “Our mission has always been clear: to unite our state around this incredible genre and celebrate its rich history and cultural significance.”The Arizona Legislature has officially proclaimed April as Jazz Appreciation Month and recognized April 30 as International Jazz Day.In Los Angeles:xCelebrate Jazz Appreciation Month at Union Station with KJazz Tracks Concert #USA #Los_Angeles #KJazz #Union_Station #Kiefer_Trio[image or embed]— Thiard News@F4F (@newsen.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 12:18 PMThird News reports:Los Angeles is set to come alive with music as Metro Art collaborates with KJazz 88.1 FM to bring back the KJazz Tracks concert at Union Station on April 5, 2025. This event marks the kickoff of Jazz Appreciation Month, celebrating the vibrant culture and artistry of jazz with a free, public concert held in the station's historic Ticket Concourse from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. The concert will feature the headlining act, Kiefer Trio, along with performances from talented supporting artists Salami Rose Joe Louis and David Binney Action Trio. This exciting lineup promises a night filled with refreshing tunes and cultural connection, showcasing the rich diversity of jazz music. For our friends and jazz fans in the U.K.:xApril is Jazz Appreciation Month! #jazzmonthHere are just some of the performances happening in London, courtesy of the London Jazz Festival. #ldnont #ldnontjazz www.londonjazzfestival.ca[image or embed]— London Ont Jazz (@ldnontjazz.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 3:17 PMIn case you missed some of the earlier Jazz Appreciation Month posts in this series, here are links:Put some swing into your April quarantine—it's Jazz Appreciation MonthBlack Music Sunday: It's Jazz Appreciation Month!Jazz Appreciation Month: Celebrating the birth of Latin jazzIt's April in jazzland and spring is in the airThis Jazz Appreciation Month, we celebrate sisters from the one and only Howard UniversityRemembering pianist and jazz composer extraordinaire Geri Allen for Jazz Appreciation MonthBlack Music Sunday: Jazz Appreciation Month 2023 features trumpeter extraordinaire Miles DavisBlack Music Sunday: Celebrating Harry Belafonte on International Jazz DayI hope you have plans to listen to some live jazz this month and join the annual celebration. Please let us know in the comments section below what’s going on in your area.Campaign Action

Area legislative special elections on Tuesday sent two candidates through to May 13 general elections while two others are headed for a runoff on the same date.

A judge in Boston is holding an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in contempt after he detained a suspect while he was on trial.

House Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) lead a press conference to relaunch the bipartisan Victims of Communism Caucus and announce the priorities for the 119th Congress, at 3 p.m. ET on April 1.

Cities with first-time fire zone designations include Santa Monica, La Cañada-Flintridge, South Pasadena, Alhambra, Huntington Beach and Laguna Hills.

Republicans are dying to impeach lower court judges who have ruled against the Trump administration, an unprecedented attack on the judiciary. Meanwhile, over at the judiciary, Chief Justice John Roberts is utterly unable to meet the moment. There’s a tiny problem with the Republican impeachment plan. Much like the president, federal judges can only be impeached for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” It’s right there in Article II of the Constitution. But Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas, cares nothing for your silly constitution and wants to impeach Judge James Boasberg for the high crimes and misdemeanors of issuing a ruling the administration doesn’t like. Gill is not a paragon of legislative accomplishment. Before coming to Congress this year, Gill was mostly known as an election denier and the son-in-law of fellow election denier Dinesh D’Souza. Gill has desperately tried to distinguish himself in the crowded field of GOP legislators willing to do unhinged things to get Trump’s attention. Hence, he introduced a bill that would remove Founding Father Benjamin Franklin from the $100 bill and replace it with President Donald Trump. Too bad that Rep. Joe Wilson, famous for yelling “You lie!” at President Barack Obama during the State of the Union, already introduced a measure to create a new $250 bill and slap Trump’s face on that. Just as he was not the first legislator who suggested debasing U.S. currency, Gill also wasn’t the first House member to call for impeachment of a lower court judge. That honor goes to Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona, who introduced articles of impeachment against Judge Paul Engelmayer nearly a month ago because Engelmayer blocked the Department of Government Efficiency teens from burrowing into Treasury Department records. But Gill did win the race to demand Judge James Boasberg be removed from the bench because Boasberg blocked—or tried to block—the administration from summarily deporting over 200 Venezuelans who Trump alleged are members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Boasberg’s order to stop those deportations was met with outright defiance by the administration, which did it anyway. While Gill’s articles of impeachment say that Boasberg committed high crimes and misdemeanors, Gill’s appearance on Newsmax on Wednesday gave away the game. When asked what crime the judge committed that would fit under “high crimes and misdemeanors,” Gill came up with, “This is for usurping the executive’s authority.”xNEWSMAX: For impeachment you have to have "high crimes and misdemeanors." What crime did the judge commit?REP. BRANDON GILL: This is for usurping the executive's authority — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-03-19T15:46:46.502ZEven if it were true, which is definitely not the case, it’s unclear how that would count as a high crime or misdemeanor for which impeachment is appropriate. First, intruding upon the executive's authority, however that might irritate Trump, is not actually a crime. The remedy for Boasberg exceeding the bounds of his authority is that the administration gets to appeal to a higher court and argue about it there. By the time Gill drafted his impeachment articles, he had reworked his theory into a claim that Boasberg had “willfully use[d] his judicial position to advance political gain” and “attempted to seize power from the Executive Branch and interfere with the will of the American people.” Gill then said Boasberg had created a “created a constitutional crisis.”The House has rarely impeached judges, but usually, it does so when a judge is convicted of an actual crime, made false statements, shown improper favoritism, was drunk on the bench, or abused the power to hold someone in contempt. None of that happened here. All that happened is that Boasberg made a ruling in which he interpreted the Constitution and United States law to determine whether the administration should be temporarily blocked from deporting people. This was based on what can charitably be called a novel legal theory about the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, which gives the president wide latitude to deport non-citizens during times of war. Prison guards transfer deportees from the U.S., alleged to be Venezuelan gang members, to the Terrorism Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 16, 2025.Trump says he has the sole authority to designate non-state actors, like Venezuelan gangs, as enemy aliens who have invaded, and we are therefore at war. Then, he can deport any migrant who he believes falls in that category without any due process. Judge Boasberg’s ruling, despite being spun by the right as massive overreach, was appropriately cautious. All Boasberg did was issue a 14-day temporary restraining order, freezing deportations for just two weeks while the parties continued to litigate. The notion such a minimal restriction on the administration’s actions constitutes a judicial overreach so outrageous is absurd. While Gill is doing the president’s dirty work over in the House, Trump is whipping the MAGA faithful into howling for Boasberg’s removal. Meanwhile, Elon Musk is bribing, er, donating to GOP legislators who back impeachment, just to remind them who really runs the show. All of this adds up to a pretty comprehensive assault on the integrity and authority of the judiciary. However, the man who has been head of the judiciary for nearly 20 years, Chief Justice John Roberts, could not muster even a few strong words about it. Here is the entirety of Roberts’ weak sauce statement:"For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."This is a nothingburger. It doesn’t specify who is yelling for impeachment. It says nothing about how attacks on individual judges are beyond the pale. It doesn’t address the administration’s belief it is not bound by lower court orders. But the news media always grades Roberts on a curve, eager to pretend he is evenhanded rather than a staunch partisan who invented complete immunity for Trump. So they are calling this statement so short that it could fit in a tweet, a “rebuke” of Trump and an “extraordinary display of conflict” between the two branches. Trump certainly didn’t see it as a rebuke, gloating on Fox that, “Well, he didn’t mention my name in the statement. I just saw it quickly. He didn’t mention my name.” This is not the behavior of someone who is chastened, who intends to respect the federal courts, or who will stop calling for the impeachment of judges. Roberts has a front-row seat to the administration’s destruction of the constitutional order. He has the unique power to call this out in a meaningful way. Whether he’s unable to do so because he’s feckless or because he has no problem with the administration’s approach doesn’t matter. Either way, he’s helping deepen the real constitutional crisis we’re facing. Campaign Action

New York’s highest court ruled on Thursday to block a law allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections.

South Carolina's congressional Republicans are dismissing constituent requests for in-person town halls as a leftist conspiracy, with U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace resorting to name-calling.

Countries that received more deportation flights don't see major changes and predict that the year will end with fewer deportees than previous years.

Democratic lawmakers are against efforts to remove Rep. Al Green from his committee position, while Republicans tell Fox they disagree with his disruption of Trump's joint address.

Boy, do I miss Joe Biden. I especially miss the former president when President Donald Trump and his bobbleheads unfairly blame him for everything that's gone wrong since Inauguration Day.

A formal House reprimand didn't contain the fallout from Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) interrupting President Trump’s speech to Congress, showing how petty fights and demands for retribution have become an increasingly prominent part of business on the House floor. The House Freedom Caucus is asking Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to hold a vote next week on [...]

A Washington congressman has introduced a resolution to censure Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas for standing up and protesting during Donald Trump’s long-winded speech to Congress on Tuesday night.Dan Newhouse, one of only two remaining House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021, beat the far-right Freedom Caucus and Troy Nehls of Texas to the punch after they announced plans to push for Green’s censure. Newhouse introduced his resolution as "privileged," which requires the House to vote on the resolution within two days.“Whereas, the conduct of the Representative from Texas disrupted the proceedings of the joint address and was a breach of proper conduct;” the resolution reads. “[A]nd whereas, after numerous disruptions the representative from Texas had to be removed from the chamber by the Sergeant-at-arms; Now, therefore, be it resolved that Representative Al Green be censured.”Rep. Al Green disrupted Donald Trump’s addresses a joint session of Congress on March 4, 2025. Green stood up and shouted, “You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid” after Trump boasted about his nonexistent electoral mandate. Strangely enough, Newhouse and his fellow Republicans had nothing to say about the crass theatrics during former President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address in 2022, when GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia stood up and heckled with glee. You might even remember the “proper conduct” of Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who shouted “You lie!” during President Barack Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress in 2009. Speaking of “proper,” it bears mentioning that Congress revised its 181-year-old hat ban in 2018 to allow religious headwear and head coverings worn for medical reasons. That didn’t stop notorious troll Marjorie Taylor Greene from sporting a MAGA-inspired red cap during Tuesday night’s snoozefest. So unless Greene claims she needs to wear the hat because her conspiracy-filled brain is a medical condition—she violated the rules of the chamber, too.“The president said he had a mandate, and I was making it clear to the president that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green told reporters in the hallway after his protest. “I have people who are very fearful. These are poor people, and they have only Medicaid in their lives when it comes to their health care.”“I've said, I'll accept the punishment,” he added. “But it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.” xxYouTube VideoJust two minutes after Green was removed from the chamber for speaking out, Trump made an ironic claim.“I’ve brought back free speech,” he crowed.Green’s protest and subsequent removal were impactful in comparison to other Democrats’ choices to hold up signs and wear pink suits. He garnered the most headlines and once again exposed Republicans’ utter hypocrisy. Campaign Action

In past years, several lawmakers have raised their voices to shout at presidents during addresses to Congress. But those protests didn't lead to ejections.

The lawmaker aired her claims on the House floor, speaking of "some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable."

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., took to the House floor on Monday night to accuse four men — including her ex-fiancé — of rape, sex trafficking and other sex crimes against other female victims and herself, what she called “some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable.”

Mace said her home state’s top prosecutor didn’t take action after she alerted investigators.

President Trump's freeze on federal spending has halted a $20 million project for new trees, including in Altadena.

A ballot initiative asking Californians if they would like to secede from the United States was cleared to gather signatures late last month.

Jones announced Thursday that he would be partnering with Power to the Patients to take on hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers, and insurance companies, which he says have "refuse[d]" to be transparent with their prices in order to rake in more profit.

Administration officials are chasing soundbites — not sustainable changes — and leaving real harm in their wake.

The annual exhibit opens Wednesday, March 5, and will highlight significant developments in country music over the past year NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will offer perspective on country music's latest chapter with the opening...

President Donald Trump has ordered the development of an "Iron Dome" defense system to shield the United States from an intercontinental missile attack.

The New York Jets' lengthy searches are over, and they're pairing a first-time general manager with a first-time head coach to try to turn things around.

It’s not immediately clear whether the firings are legal, as the Trump administration is required to give a 30-day notice.

Lies went all the way around the world, but the truth has its boots on now.

Among the roughly 1,500 people pardoned by Trump were more than 200 who pleaded guilty to assaulting police.

Less than 24 hours into his second term, Donald Trump is already trying to settle scores with his perceived enemies, taking multiple petty actions to stroke his giant and fragile ego.Less than two hours after being sworn in, Trump had a portrait of Gen. Mark Milley—the former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who called Trump a “fascist” and a "dangerous" person—removed from the Pentagon, The New York Times reported. The portrait had been unveiled just 10 days ago.xUpdate: this Milley portrait is no longer up in the Pentagon hallway, just 10 days after it was unveiled... h/t @OrenCNN https://t.co/ji77T3Np6l pic.twitter.com/DdUeEEZ9zR— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 20, 2025Milley is one of the people Trump put on his enemies list.Trump's hatred of Milley runs so deep that former President Joe Biden gave Milley a preemptive pardon to prevent Trump from ordering his administration to prosecute Milley for whatever made-up crimes they could conjure up.Milley said he was grateful for Biden's pardon. “I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights," he said in a statement. “I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety.”Trump also announced that he removed four people Biden appointed, including Milley.Trump wrote in a post on X:Our first day in the White House is not over yet! My Presidential Personnel Office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees from the previous Administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again. Let this serve as Official Notice of Dismissal for these 4 individuals, with many more, coming soon: Jose Andres from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars, and Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President’s Export Council—YOU’RE FIRED!Andres is a humanitarian who has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit he founded that feeds people suffering from natural disasters, war, and poverty.Andres wrote in a post on X that he couldn't be removed from his position because he already resigned a week ago.Andres wrote: I submitted my resignation last week...my 2 year term was already up. I was honored to serve as co-chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. My fellow council members - unpaid volunteers like me - were hardworking, talented people who inspired me every day. I’m proud of what we accomplished on behalf of the American people...like a historic partnership between the White House and every major sports league to increase access to sports and health programs for kids. I hope @realdonaldtrump exercises his presidential authority so the Council can continue to advocate for fitness and good health for all Americans. These are bipartisan issues...nonpartisan issues. May God give you the wisdom, Mr. President, to put politics and name calling aside...and instead lift up the everyday people working to bring America together. Let’s build longer tables....Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta and later worked in the Biden White House as the director of the Office of Public Engagement.Like Andres, Bottoms said she already left her position so Trump's "firing" was moot."A day late and a dollar short ... My resignation from the President’s Export Council was submitted January 4, effective yesterday,” Bottoms said. “You can’t fire someone who has already resigned. Of all the things happening in the world, not sure why I’m on Donald Trump’s mind at 1:30 am following his inauguration, but I count it as a badge of honor.”And it’s unclear why he targeted Hook, who actually served in Trump's first administration as an envoy to Iran.As for other pettiness, following Trump's dark and low-energy inaugural address, he gave rambling 30-minute remarks in which he complained about his 2024 victory and lied about voter fraud, falsely saying he “would have won the state of California” in 2024 were it not for fraud.In those remarks, Trump also falsely accused Milley as well as the members of Congress who investigated the Capitol insurrection of being guilty of “very, very guilty of very, very bad crimes”—making Biden’s preemptive pardons look well justified.Ultimately, Trump’s first day in office was an abject disaster that proved his detractors right when they warned that his second term would be four years of Trump going after anyone who he deems insufficiently subservient. Amid Trump’s pettiness, Jose Andres’ team is on the ground in California providing crucial aid and support. That’s leadership. Donate now to support World Central Kitchen and other organizations’ Southern California relief efforts.

"I submitted my resignation last week," the chef responded with a laughing emoji.

Among those Trump fired: chef and humanitarian Jose Andres from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

From the column: "If issued under a valid claim of authority and published, executive orders have the force and effect of law."

You've got to go.

President Joe Biden will leave the Oval Office next week without once visiting Nebraska while president.

California State Assemblymembers spoke out on varying aspects of the LA wildfires and emergency preparedness, with one sending letters to Washington for investigatory help.

Pete Hegseth said during his confirmation hearing Tuesday that he was focused on increasing the military’s lethality.

Applications for protest permits have been slow. The hotline for tickets has been loud.

Palisades Charter High School and the Getty Villa have been destroyed—as were homes owned by these big-name celebrities.

Throughout his presidency, Jimmy Carter was faced with allegations that his brother Billy took $200,000 from a Libyan dictator as a 'loan.'

Missouri’s senior senator and H.W. Crocker III have similar views on America’s moral challenges, embracing calls for a revival of Christian faith.

The federal judge who presided over the seditious conspiracy case against Oath Keepers members says it would be “frightening” if the anti-government group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, is pardoned for orchestrating a violent plot to keep Donald Trump in t...

Rhodes is serving an 18-year prison sentence for his seditious conspiracy conviction.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta argued that President-elect Donald Trump would be putting democracy at risk if he pardons Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes for crimes committed on Jan. 6, 2021."The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country," Mehta said Wednesday during the sentencing of one of Rhodes' former allies, according to Politico.Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2023 for seditious conspiracy and other crimes. Prosecutors accused Rhodes and his accomplices of trying to "violently disrupt" the peaceful transfer of power after Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. During sentencing, Mehta described Rhodes as "an ongoing threat and a peril to this country, to the republic, and to the very fabric of our democracy." The judge insisted Wednesday that the Oath Keepers founder still presents a threat.ALSO READ: New Trump foreign affairs pick has history of forging ties with right-wing authoritariansMehta made the remarks about Rhodes while sentencing former North Carolina Oath Keeper William Todd Wilson to a year of home detention followed by three years of supervised release. Wilson admitted participating in seditious conspiracy but received leniency after cooperating with the government to convict Rhodes.In the coming days, Mehta was expected to sentence other former Oath Keepers who cooperated with the government's prosecutions of Jan. 6 crimes.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was grilled by the incoming chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee on "billions" of U.S. dollars sent to Taliban.

Both House Republicans and Democrats have sidestepped senior members when choosing some committee leaders. Republicans picked Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) on Dec. 9 to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The GOP Steering Committee, which recommends committee chairs, selected the four-term congressman over veteran Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). [...]

Reaction from Manchester school board members to Phase II of the school district’s Long Range Facilities Plan — which includes new construction and renovation work totaling more than $2 billion — was mostly positive, while some members of the public...

Many heartfelt thanks to all of the volunteers and attendees that helped make the 13th Annual Holiday Party for Town of Verona residents on Sunday, Dec. 8, a success. Fabulous volunteers worked together to make this event happen and festive...

The concern is not hypothetical.

A House Republican running for the top spot on the Foreign Affairs Committee is giving pieces of the Berlin Wall to fellow lawmakers to boost his bid.