Looks like we could use an open thread!
Excellent Read: What Exactly Does Trump Think Is *In* the Smithsonian?
What exactly does Trump think is in the Smithsonian?https://t.co/W70JjM9Xxf
— Anders Carlgren (@AndersCarlgren) April 2, 2025
Novelist / Washington Post columnist Monica Hesse [gift link]:
A few days ago, I spent 14 minutes standing in front of a single piece of artwork, a 1998 installation called “Las Twines.” Life-size, hyperrealistic sculptures of two little girls — the twins — sharing a swing. They were dressed identically in communion dresses and wore boxing gloves featuring Puerto Rican flags, but one had blonde hair and light skin and the other was dark-skinned with dark hair. They stared placidly ahead, while museum visitors like me were left to stare back and ponder how the world might treat these two girls with shared DNA and different complexions. It was uncanny, it was thought-provoking, it was beautiful and sad. I wasn’t sure whether I liked it, I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to. It’s art, after all.
It was part of an exhibit that Donald Trump had cited by name the day before, in an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The president had declared that federally run museums such as the Smithsonian were promoting a “corrosive ideology” that needed to be course-corrected. “Under this historical revision,” the order read, “our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.”
This is, of course, a ready-made column idea — Let’s go see the corrosive art in person — but it turns out this is easier said than done: Trump cited an alleged exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, but some googling revealed that the offending verbiage was actually part of an online infographic that hadn’t been displayed since 2020. He dinged the forthcoming American Women’s History Museum for celebrating transgender athletes, but how would he or I know what curators planned to include? The museum is still 10 years away. Ground hasn’t even been broken yet.
There was, however, one exhibit that seemed to be causing Trump particular consternation that I could go visit. The American Art Museum is eight blocks from my office, and is currently hosting “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture,” which includes “Las Twines” and 81 other artworks created between 1792 and 2023.
So, I walked over on a Friday morning. I hadn’t been in years. I spent about four hours there; I could have spent 40 more. I planned to write — oh, you can probably guess what I planned to write. This order is asinine, this president is terrible, blah blah blah. Whatever you wanted that column to say, it probably would have said.
But here’s the thing: the “The Shape of Power” is just one exhibit, on the museum’s third floor. To get to it, you have to walk past everything else, which, if you keep stopping and looking at things, as museums intend for you to do, will take you hours. And when I was done, what I wanted to share more than anything else wasn’t a screed about Donald Trump, but instead what I saw at the museum….
Excellent Read: <em>What Exactly Does Trump Think Is *In* the Smithsonian?</em>Post + Comments (182)
War for Ukraine Day 1,135: There Will Be No Truce, Ceasefire, or Real Negotiation Because Putin Is Only Interested in All of Ukraine

Russia murdered five people in Kharkiv last night and at least twelve (I fear the number will rise) in Kryvyi Rih just now. Where are the headlines? I’m so sick and tired of the world press treating Russia’s murder of Ukrainians as something unworthy of mention.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) April 4, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Putin’s/Russia’s continual pounding on civilian targets, largely in but not limited to eastern and central Ukraine, is the best evidence that there will be no real truce, no ceasefire, no real negotiation because Putin isn’t interested in those things. His only interest is taking Ukraine. It has been his only interest since he started the genocidal re-invasion. He has repeatedly made it clear that if he cannot have Ukraine than no one can, especially the Ukrainians. This is why he is trying to break Kharkiv. This is why the Russians bombard Kryvyi Rih, President Zelenskyy’s hometown, several days a week. It is why the Russians use their drones for the humans safaris in Kherson and other places.
Trump: “Zelensky’s ready to make a deal, and I think Putin is too. There’s a lot of progress—they want to stop the killing of thousands of young people every week. Good talks are happening about Ukraine and Russia.”
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) April 4, 2025 at 2:22 AM
This is just delusional thinking on Trump’s part.
Russia escalated its drone attacks on Ukraine by 50% following the initiation of peace talks, indicating clearly that they do not want to pursue peace. Just yesterday, they killed 5 people in Kharkiv, including a 12-year-old girl.
Thanks to @telegraphnews.bsky.social for the infographic.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) April 4, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Those who want peace do not bomb children!
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) April 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
It’s Too Bad My Friday Night Music Thread Posted on Wednesday (Open Thread)
It used to be that I could check Weather Underground and maybe 1 time out of 10 or 20 there would be some sort of active weather WATCH. High winds, tornado, flooding, etc.
Now it seems like every other day. Today it’s a flood watch. Global warming, or the universe saying fuck it, everything else is fucked up, let’s do that with the weather, too?
The weather here does not look good for the protest events tomorrow.
Open thread.
It’s Too Bad My Friday Night Music Thread Posted on Wednesday (Open Thread)Post + Comments (76)
This May Be Our Most Critical Day Yet – Call Every Office Your Elected Official Has – Today!
We need to call, call, call our elected officials today. Call every office they have. I think Durbin has about five!
I’m gonna outsource most of this post to Simon Rosenberg.
Call/Contact Your Senators And House Member Today, Demand They Fight To End These Terrible Tariffs, Help Little Cracks Become Big Cracks
The new Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday captures it well:
- Trump Week 1 – 47% approve, 41% disapprove (+6)
- Trump April 3 – 43% approve, 53% disapprove (-10)
This is a 16 point swing against him even before the terrible events of the last 36 hours.
His undeniable madness and Russian-backed wrecking ball government are loosening his grip on the public, and Washington.
All of us have one job today – we must call/contact our Senators and House Member and demand they work to roll back these deeply destructive tariffs and rein in our madman leader.
As we discussed in yesterday’s post, Republicans are showing signs of an increased willingness to buck Trump as the economy craters, his numbers plummet, they lose elections and his madness becomes impossible to ignore. 9 Rs voted with Dems to block the House leg package this week. Senator Tim Kaine helped bring 4 Senate Rs along to vote with Dems on Wednesday night to override Trump’s Canada tariffs. Yesterday Republican Senator Grassley teamed up with Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell to introduce a bill that would establish a Congressional review of Trump’s tariffs.
As we’ve say here little cracks can become big cracks and this week we’ve begun to see much bigger cracks in Trump’s Congressional support. Note this new Tweet this morning from Trump enthusiast and Senior Fox Business Correspondent Charles Gasparino. It’s another big crack.
Twitter will not let me see this tweet – now I understand the jumble of tweets you guys talk about where nothing is chronological and all the dates are scrambled – so all I’ve got is this screen capture from Simon Rosenberg
Actually scratch that. 2/3 of the tweet makes me puke with the Trump admiration. But even Trump’s guy wrote this before he went back to boot-licking:
Wall Street’s pretty large contingent of True supporting Republicans is doing a lot of soul searching these days as Trump goes all in on trade. They can’t believe he’s blowing up the economy and the markets and he isn’t in office three months. They’re right on this: The markets are reeling and the economy will suffer if this trade war persists. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Back to Simon Rosenberg:
Why we need to be loud today, as loud as we can be, and put as much pressure on Ds to fight with everything they got and on the Rs to keep challenging Trump.
Trump is breaking things that will be very hard, if not impossible to repair, and we need to leave it all out there on the playing field today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When you call, let us know in the comments.
Open thread.
TGIF! Oh, wait…
It’s shaping up to be another day NOT to look at your stock portfolio, if you’re lucky enough to have one.

Will Trump keep punching the economy in the dick? His sycophants fanned out on TV and right-wing social media platforms last night to assure us that yes, he will, because “pain” (yours, not his) is necessary to usher in the Golden Age.
But according to CNBC, Trump undercut that message, expressing openness to tariff negotiations. So who the fuck knows?
***
To make up for possibly ruining your breakfast with nonsense from the Dunning-Kruger circus, here’s a pair of river turtles making their way through the swampy muck. I believe they are Florida Cooters.

Stop snickering! That’s really the name! In fact, my little town has an annual Cooter Festival, and for some reason, they sell more t-shirts online with that logo than sell tickets to attend the event.
Open thread!
What’s Everybody Up to This Weekend? (Open Thread)
Anybody have plans for this weekend?
What’s Everybody Up to This Weekend? (Open Thread)Post + Comments (79)


