Monday, April 13, 2026

Weekend Box Office and Ruby Rose talks about Katy Perry assault

Via THENUMBERS.COM, here's the weekend box office:

1 (1) The Super Mario Galaxy Movie $68,083,645 -48% 4,284 $15,893 $307,200,780 12
2 (2) Project Hail Mary $24,140,604 -24% 3,817 $6,324 $256,218,578 24
3 (3) The Drama $8,707,406 -39% 3,151 $2,763 $30,849,251 10
4 (new) You, Me & Tuscany $7,753,150 3,151 $2,461 $7,753,150 3
5 (4) Hoppers $4,163,061 -29% 2,850 $1,461 $157,185,920 38
6 (new) BTS World Tour Arirang: Live Viewing $2,440,000 1,189 $2,052 $2,440,000 2
7 (new) Faces of Death $1,647,717 1,600 $1,030 $1,647,717 3
8 (new) The Exit 8 $1,435,789 495 $2,901 $1,435,789 3
9 (6) A Great Awakening $1,283,479 -37% 1,279 $1,004 $4,900,750 10
10 (5) Reminders of Him $999,195 -55% 1,407 $710 $47,454,335 31


If you haven't seen PROJECT HAIL MARY yet, there was that.  Otherwise nothing really worth noting.  The number one film was SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE which is disappointing at best.  In its second weekend, it lost over half the audience from the week prior.  Hopefully, it will be out of the top spot this coming weekend.  



This was one of the most disappointing weekends of the year when it came to films.  That's why I offered a book review on Friday "FONDA ON FILM: THE POLITICAL MOVIES OF JANE FONDA."  

 

In other news, Benjamin VanHoose (PEOPLE) reports:


 Ruby Rose is alleging that Katy Perry sexually assaulted her in a nightclub nearly 20 years ago, a claim the singer's rep denies as "categorically false."

The Australian model-actress, known for roles in Orange Is the New Black and John Wick: Chapter 2, made the claims in posts shared on Threads on Sunday, April 12.

Rose, 40, replied to an article shared by Complex about Perry reacting to Justin Bieber's Coachella performance. She claimed in the comment section: "Katy Perry sexual assaulted me at spice market nightclub in Melbourne. Who gives a s--- what she thinks."

In a subsequent reply, Rose added that she was "only in my early 20s" at the time of the alleged incident and "It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly."


Leyla Mohammed (BUZZFEED) adds that Ruby says it happened in public, there are witnesses and there are photos:

Ruby Rose also played BATWOMAN in the first season (the best season) of THE CW series.  

Based on what's been said, I believe Ruby Rose.  And that's only partly due to the fact that Katy was married to sexual assaulter Russell Brand. 

Going out with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"


Monday, April 13, 2026.  Chump attacks Pope Leo, the peace talks fall apart over the weekend, Chump makes boasts he can't back up, the administration's well known pattern of lying continues, Senator Tammy Baldwin calls on Chump to address the latest avian flue outbreak, and much more.



Further developments today in Chump's war on Pope Leo.  So that we're all on the same page, let's drop back to Friday's snapshot:


Chump is a terrorist.  And among those targeted outside this country?  The Pope.  Troy Matthews (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) reports:

The Vatican has cancelled a papal visit to the U.S. for the 250th anniversary celebration after Pentagon officials appeared to threaten the leader of the Catholic Church for speaking out against Trump's foreign policy.

Pope Leo XIV—the first American Pope in history—strongly condemned U.S. actions in Iran though not by name in his Easter message, stating that God "does not listen" to world leaders who wage war. 
Leo had already criticized Trump's actions on Venezuela and his threats against Greenland and Canada in a speech on January 9th stating, "a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force."

In response, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre—the Vatican ambassador to the U.S.—to a meeting. In diplomatic parlance, an ambassador being summoned to meet with government officials for a lecture is the first stage in disciplinary action that can lead to a break off of diplomatic ties. 

It is being reported by The Free Press that in the meeting Colby told Pierre, "The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side."

Someone in the meeting then reportedly mentioned the Avignon Papacy to Pierre. This refers to a 14th century attack on the Vatican by the French king, in which Pope Boniface VIII was murdered by assassins and the Vatican was forced to relocate to Avignon where it could be controlled by the French crown for the next 67 years. 



The controversy surrounding the meeting is likely to further inflame religious pushback to an unusual wave of spiritual saber-rattling by President Donald Trump’s administration — particularly surrounding the U.S. government’s military actions in Iran, which the president himself has suggested are the will of God. Combined with his other incendiary remarks about the war, the increase in faith-filled militaristic rhetoric is pitting Trump and his administration against a growing list of faith leaders, ranging from local clergy to the pope.
Faith leaders have reacted with frustration to the administration’s penchant for invoking the divine when discussing the Iran war, which was on full display earlier Wednesday when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a press briefing at the Pentagon on the five-week-long war with Iran. After insisting Tuesday evening’s fragile ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran was evidence of a broader military victory, the secretary intimated the pause in fighting was the result of divine intervention.


 Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) notes that the story was addressed Thursday on MS NOW's MORNING JOE:



After MS NOW host Willie Geist reported on the exchange, contributor Mike Barnicle, a lifelong Catholic, made a compelling case that the president and his underlings created a massive and enduring problem for themselves.

“What do you make of what you're hearing here?” Geist prompted his guest.
“I make that they are once again clowning the atmosphere up, the Trump administration, the idea that they would try to intimidate Pope Leo, the first American-born pope, is just absurd,"the incensed Barnicle replied.“The idea that they would have anything to say critical of the Catholic church or the pope itself, the pope himself is absurd, especially given the Easter morning tweet from the president of the United States, which was so deeply offensive to any breathing, thinking human being that it's outrageous for the Trump administration to pose any problems they allege they have with the Vatican.”
“I went to parochial school for eight consecutive years, and I got thrown out nearly every year by the nuns. You know, every grade — you deserve early stuff like that,” he recalled. But the one thing that you get to, to hold on to when you're raised Catholic, born Catholic, raised Catholic, especially by my mother, we used to call her 'my mother, the nun.' The one thing you retain, I would think, is that the theory of the Catholic church is rooted in a simple phrase: the least among us.”

“So if you look at the Trump administration's behavior toward the least among us, it is almost criminal,” he accused. “It is certainly a sin because they don't care for the least among us, and that we should all care for the least among us. Because when we care for them, we care for ourselves.”


Graig Graziosi (INDEPENDENT) notes:

In the wake of the meeting, the Pope reportedly refused Trump's invitation to attend the nation's 250th anniversary events.

Instead of spending July 4th in the U.S., the Pope will instead visit Lampedusa, a small Mediterranean island that has become an entry point for African migrants attempting to reach Europe.

A Vatican official speaking to The Free Press said the Pope has no plans to visit the U.S. while Trump is in office.

“The Pope may well never visit the United States under this administration," the official reportedly said.



Pope Leo has called out the war on Iran and he has called out the US war on immigrants. 


60 MINUTES, last night, did a segment on the Catholic Church and the war on Iran and on immigrants. 



When President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran this past week, it came after a chorus of world leaders called for an end to the war. One of those voices belonged to Leo XIV, the first-ever U.S.-born pope in the history of the Catholic Church. The 70-year-old pope was born Robert Prevost and grew up in Chicago. For many years he was known simply as Father Bob. Leo is measured, deliberate and soft-spoken. But the American pope has become increasingly outspoken against certain policies of the American president. So we asked three influential American cardinals who know him well, why Pope Leo's church has emerged as a voice of moral opposition to the war in Iran and the crackdown on immigration.

"Peace be with you:" those were the first words that Pope Leo uttered as the new leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. 

His selection was a surprise, celebrated by many of the 53 million that make Catholicism the largest Christian denomination in the United States.

Norah O'Donnell: What do you think having an American pope has done for the Catholic Church here in the U.S.?

Cardinal Joseph Tobin: I think it's put Chicago on the map.

Cardinal Blase Cupich: Finally. We're proud - we're proud that we produced a pope. Chicago can say that. 

The archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, as well as Cardinals Robert McElroy of Washington D.C., and Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, agreed to their first ever joint interview. Their candor surprised us, about the new pope and what they're hearing in the pews.

Cardinal Joseph Tobin: We're the three American cardinals that are actively serving dioceses right now. So we listen to a lot of people. It's part of the job description. And I think we're aware of the anxieties of people about the threats to peace at all different levels.

Norah O'Donnell: Would you like to see this first American pope be more outspoken on issues that he disagrees with? 

Cardinal Joseph Tobin: He's the pastor of the world. He's not a pundit. So the distinction is he's not going to pronounce on everything. But he's going to pronounce on what's important.

He started in January with a speech criticizing U.S. military action in Venezuela.

After that, the Vatican's ambassador in the U.S. was called to the Pentagon for a meeting, which two church officials described to 60 Minutes as unpleasant and contentious. Both the Pentagon and the Vatican have said since in multiple statements that it was routine and provided an opportunity for an exchange of ideas.

In March, we traveled to Italy and managed to ask Pope Leo a question about the war in Iran.

Norah O'Donnell: Holy Father, can I ask you what your hopes are for the Middle East?

Pope Leo XIV: I am praying for peace, I hope that ceasefire would be the most effective way to work together to find peace for all parties, to respect all parties and to come to a solution, which is too many years, and you know, creating problems for everyone, so … Work for peace.

Since our visit, the pope's tone has sharpened; this past week he issued a rare condemnation of President Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization. The pope called it, quote "truly unacceptable."

He also took the unusual step of issuing a call to action.

Pope Leo XIV: "Contact the authorities — political leaders, congressmen — to ask them, tell them to work for peace and to reject war always."



On Sunday evening, Mr. Trump attacked Leo after several influential American cardinals appeared on “60 Minutes” to discuss why they had followed the pope in speaking out against the global and domestic conflicts created by the Trump administration.

“It’s an abominable regime, and it should be removed,” Cardinal Robert McElroy said during the “60 Minutes” appearance, referring to the leadership in Iran. “But this is a war of choice that we went to, and I think it’s embedded in a wider moment in the United States that’s worrying, which is this: We’re seeing before us the possibility of war after war after war.”

Several prominent Catholics have come to the pope’s defense after the president’s attack.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement: “I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father. Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

James Joseph Martin Jr., an American Jesuit priest and writer, wrote on social media: “I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor?”


Katie Rogers also notes that in his post, Chump claimed credit for Pope Leo becoming Pope, alleging that it was done -- the choice made -- to appease Chump.  His ego is out of control.  He trashed the Pope as "weak on crime" and other nonsense.  


Chump's post was the posting of a tiny boy who can't grow up.  


Motoko Rich (NEW YORK TIMES) notes the Pope's reaction:


Pope Leo XIV said on Monday that he was not afraid of the Trump administration, hours after President Trump lashed out at the pontiff on social media.

Leo, speaking to reporters on a flight to Algeria ahead of a 10-day tour of several African nations, said: “I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.” Asked directly about Mr. Trump’s comments on Truth Social, Leo said: “It’s ironic — the name of the site itself. Say no more.”


Over the weekend, talks between the US and Iran came to an end.   THE NEW YORK TIMES' Tyler Pager, Farnaz Fassihi, Elian Peltier and Aaron Boxerman reported:


Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that 21 hours of peace talks in Pakistan, between the United States and Iran had failed to produce an agreement to end the war, leaving the question of what happens after the current two-week cease-fire up in the air.

“They have chosen not to accept our terms,” Mr. Vance said in a brief news conference in Islamabad, though he left open the possibility that terms could still be reached. “We leave here with a very simple proposal: a method of understanding that is our final and best offer,” he added. “We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.”


Nicole Charky-Chami (RAW STORY) reports the news was not received well:

President Donald Trump was booed while entering a UFC event on Saturday night with his family walking behind him, just as news broke that negotiations between the United States and Iran had failed.

Vice President JD Vance announced the negotiations had stalled without reaching any agreement over the ongoing war during a speech in Islamabad, Pakistan, while Trump was walking next to Dana White at UFC 327 in Miami.



Unable to quickly remove Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s most important oil transit corridor—with its current equipment, the US is switching tack: President Trump announced Sunday in two Truth Social posts that the Navy will launch its own blockade of “any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave” the passage, and intercept those that have paid Iran’s tolls to cross.

The announcement will almost certainly mean a further spike in oil prices when markets open on Monday, and it’s a move that does little to help Trump’s sagging domestic approval, leaving much of Iran’s hold on the global oil supply intact Gasoline costs will keep rising. Military commitments and expenses, will keep growing. The MAGA coalition will continue to crack.

Meanwhile, Trump’s two main promises on Hormuz this weekend, to clear Iranian sea mines from the strait—efforts he said were “starting” in another Truth Social post Saturday—and to detain “every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” are dubious.

That’s first and foremost because the US doesn’t have the resources to get rid of the sea mines. State-of-the-art demining vessels, if left alone by Iran, could clear the strait in a matter of weeks or months. But the Navy has no “significant mine clearing capability,” the Wall Street Journal reported in March, and its unmanned anti-mine vessels are unreliable even in clear waters that pose far less of a challenge than Hormuz. 


So many lies from this administration.  They lie about everything.  For example, Julia Ornedo (THE DAILY BEAST) reports:


Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s chest-thumping claims about Iran’s losses don’t appear to line up with intelligence assessments.

Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles that could be pulled out of hiding or dug up from underground storage sites, officials familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments revealed to The Wall Street Journal.

The report undercuts the self-proclaimed secretary of war’s claims that Iran’s missile program has been obliterated.


Hegseth is only one liar in the administration.  Kristi Noem headed a whole department of liars when she was the Secretary of Homeland Security.  And there's Doctor Oz.  Ali Swenson (AP) reports:


President Donald Trump's administration this week acknowledged it made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe into New York’s Medicaid program, a glaring mistake that undercuts a federal campaign to tackle waste, mostly in Democratic-led states.

The error, which the administration admitted first to The Associated Press, prompted health analysts to question how many of the Republican administration’s sweeping anti-fraud efforts around the country were based on faulty findings. One of a few mischaracterizations it made about New York's Medicaid program, it also reflected a common criticism that’s been made of Trump’s second administration — that it tends to attack first and confirm the facts later.

“These numbers could have been cleared up in a phone call, so it’s really slapdash,” said Fiscal Policy Institute senior health policy adviser Michael Kinnucan, whose recent analysis called attention to the Trump administration’s inaccurate claim.

The mistake appeared in comments made last month by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in a social media video and in a letter to New York’s Democratic governor announcing the fraud investigation.


And you can't talk lies from the administration and leave out the Justice Dept, right?  Daniel Hampton (RAW STORY) reports:


An eye-popping detail buried in a new Bloomberg report may explain why the Justice Department keeps getting caught making errors in federal court: Pam Bondi told her lawyers to treat the president as their client — and now they're afraid to push back on anything.

A February 2025 memo from Bondi directed DOJ attorneys to "vigorously" defend Trump's policies and referred to them as "his" counsel, according to a former Justice Department attorney who spoke anonymously to Bloomberg. The result, sources say, is a culture where lawyers are wary of pressing federal agencies about the accuracy of information they receive, because challenging it feels like challenging the boss.

The consequences are now playing out in courtrooms across the country.

In March, DOJ lawyers admitted to using incorrect information to defend migrant arrests in Manhattan, made inaccurate statements in a Rhode Island hearing about voter records, and missed a key deadline in Washington state due to unfamiliarity with local procedures.


Again, the entire administration lies.  But it's the lies about the Iran war that really register as Americans suffer daily.  Robert Reich notes:


Trump gas — like Trump shoes, Trump cologne, the Trump Bible, Trump shoes, Trump NFTs, Trump crypto, Trump resorts, Trump University, and everything else he’s tried to sell as a good deal — is turning out to be a ripoff.

The average cost of gas tracked by the AAA was $4.17 a gallon yesterday. The station at the end of my street is selling it for over $5 now. If you drive a Mini-Cooper, as I do, which demands premium grade, you’re shelling out over well over $6.

To put this in perspective, the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. the day before Trump launched his war was $2.98. Between then and today, the U.S. has experienced the largest increase in gas prices in 60 years.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Tammy Baldwin's office:


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) urged the Trump Administration to make good on its promise to address avian flu outbreaks and deliver much-needed support to Wisconsin farmers and their workers. Baldwin warns that without urgent action, egg prices could again spike to 2025 levels, when they hit $6 per dozen. Baldwin’s call follows three recent avian flu outbreaks in commercial egg-laying facilities in Wisconsin, which have impacted more than 4.3 million birds and resulted in over 80 layoffs at local Wisconsin farms.

“I write again regarding the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that continues to devastate our nation’s poultry flocks and dairy herds,” wrote Senator Baldwin in a letter to United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “The disease has repeatedly disrupted domestic and global agricultural markets and strained household budgets since 2022.”

“These recent outbreaks could potentially repeat the alarming egg prices seen in 2025, which peaked at $6 per dozen. Repeated supply shocks to markets have increased grocery costs across the country, hurting American consumers when affordability concerns are at an all-time high,” Baldwin continued.

Since March 2022, Wisconsin has lost 11.6 million birds across 50 commercial and backyard flocks. Between late February and March of this year, Wisconsin has experienced three major outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks, affecting more than 4.3 million egg-laying hens. As a result, two Wisconsin farms have been forced to temporarily lay off more than 80 employees.

In her letter, Senator Baldwin urged the Trump Administration to move forward with finalizing and implementing a national avian influenza vaccination strategy, as included in United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Five-Pronged Approach from February 2025.

In December 2025, Senator Baldwin pushed the Trump Administration to ramp up its avian flu response as the first dairy herd in Wisconsin tested positive for avian flu. Last year, Senator Baldwin also led her colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration release funding for labs that are dedicated to early detection, response, and control of animal diseases and outbreaks like avian flu. Additionally, she called on President Trump to quickly develop a plan to contain the avian flu outbreak that is devastating the nation’s poultry flocks and dairy herds and driving egg costs to reach record highs.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rollins,

I write again regarding the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that continues to devastate our nation’s poultry flocks and dairy herds. The disease has repeatedly disrupted domestic and global agricultural markets and strained household budgets since 2022. Emergency disease response has been expensive for American farmers and taxpayers, and down the chain, American consumers have been burdened by high costs at the grocery store. The Administration must follow through with its promises in “USDA’s Five-Pronged Approach to Address Avian Flu,” including by finalizing an avian influenza vaccine policy that maintains markets for American farmers. These actions must include strong agency coordination with agricultural, animal health, environmental and public health industries.

Continued outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have resulted in the loss of over 200 million birds nationwide since February 2022, including 11.6 million birds on Wisconsin farms. In the last two months, Wisconsin has experienced three major outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks, affecting more than 4.3 million egg-laying hens. This past December, Wisconsin reported its first confirmed case of the disease in dairy cattle through the National Milk Testing Strategy. Exposures typically tied to poultry and dairy operations have resulted in 71 human cases of avian influenza across the U.S., including one confirmed case in Wisconsin and two deaths nationwide.

Despite USDA-backed biosecurity measures, migrating wild birds continue to infect domestic poultry flocks and dairy cattle across the U.S., making clear that existing containment strategies are insufficient. Spring migration patterns are expected to increase cases through May, often impacting poultry flocks with egg-laying hens. These recent outbreaks could potentially repeat the alarming egg prices seen in 2025, which peaked at $6 per dozen. Repeated supply shocks to markets have increased grocery costs across the country, hurting American consumers when affordability concerns are at an all-time high.

Farmworkers also take financial hits from these outbreaks. Just this past month, 87 employees have been laid off at two Wisconsin farms following the depopulation of their flocks due to avian influenza. It is estimated that these individuals will be without work for five to seven months while the farms repopulate their flocks. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Wisconsin farmers have had to temporarily close their doors and lay off workers, and if the USDA continues to slow walk its approach in addressing avian influenza, this will certainly not be the last.

The Administration has yet to make meaningful progress towards the avian influenza vaccine response called for in USDA’s Five-Pronged Approach to Address Avian Flu. While the USDA funded $100 million for its “HPAI Poultry Innovation Grand Challenge,” which included investments to develop novel vaccines, in the fourth year of the avian influenza outbreak, there has been no movement to stand up a vaccine pilot program. At the same time, USDA has spent roughly $2.5 billion compensating farmers for their extensive losses. Payments for outbreak response snowball while the status quo continues. American farmers, taxpayers and consumers cannot continue to absorb these costs.

I once again urge the Trump Administration to deliver on its pledge to address avian influenza, including by following through on a nationwide avian influenza vaccination policy. Agriculture and public health stakeholders are calling for a comprehensive and coordinated response to avian influenza. As the outbreak continues, farmers and consumers deserve a response that matches the rising scale and pressing urgency of this outbreak.

Sincerely, 

###



The following sites updated:

Saturday, April 11, 2026

FONDA ON FILM: THE POLITICAL MOVIES OF JANE FONDA

Nelson Pressley's FONDA ON FILM: THE POLITICAL MOVIES OF JANE FONDA came out last month.  Is it worth reading?


Yes, it is.  


Pressley argues that Jane's activism has garnered the focus and has resulted in a lack of focus on Jane's acting.  He focuses on her films that are activist films to demonstrate how Jane managed to combine the two.  So he's focusing on FTA, TOUT VA BIEN, A DOLLS HOUSE, FUN WITH DICK AND JANE, JULIA, COMING HOME, CALIFORNIA SUITE, COMES A HORSEMAN, THE CHINA SYNDROME, 9 TO 5 and ROLLOVER.  He touches on other films -- including BAREFOOT IN THE PARK -- but that's really his focus.


He makes a strong argument for the need to celebrate Jane's amazing performances -- such as in THE CHINA SYNDROME -- and that her acting was so much deeper than some synopsis make clear.  He also points to her as part of New Hollywood as an actress and a producer.  And I agree with that as well.  When I read Peter whatever's EASY RIDERS AND RAGING BULLS, my question was, "Where's Jane Fonda?"  She was New Hollywood.  

I've noted here before Jane's importance such as back in October when she restarted The Committee for the First Amendment:


See, that's why Jane Fonda matters politically.  Without this, she's a great actress and she delivered the finest film acting performance of the second half of the 20th century with KLUTE.  And that's great.  But this boss move is why she is political and should be remembered as such.

I didn't hate Robert Redford.  But he was a pretty boy who delivered the same shtick in film after film and he robbed it from Warren Beatty who actually came up with it.  And in terms of politics?  If you know about him and 'politics' it's really just the environment.  And I don't mean the dedication on that one issue that Jane has shown with her Fire Drill Fridays.  Warren and Jane are artists and they're political and they make boss moves as did Paul Newman. 


I didn't take Redford seriously as an actor, I didn't take him seriously as a 'political' person. 

Jane you take seriously.


Or from "Redford Part II:"


He was faux political, by the way.  Superficial.  He didn't really help Utah as an environmentalist.  Though Leo shows up to insist he and Redford were big environmentalists.  Leo doesn't seem to realize that most of us don't see him as an environmentalist. As he privated jetted off to Jeff Bezos' recent wedding, I remember real enviros calling Leo out.  

Jane Fonda is political.  Barbra Streisand is political.  Paul Newman was political.  

Stop pretending that Redford was.

Here's some more garbage from Leo:


He was one of the first guys to do political thrillers - “Three Days of the Condor,” “All the President’s Men” — ... he paved the way for films like this but more so than anything


Really?  Let's see Gene Hackman did THE CONVERSATION years before either of those two films. And ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN was not a programmer (a film they shove a star into).  It was a director's film.  Alan J. Pakula directed it (and KLUTE and THE PARALLAX VIEW).  Warren's political film THE PARALLAX VIEW comes before Redford acts in a 'political thriller' as well.  And if we're going to pass 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR off as a political thriller -- it's not -- then let's not forget the film classic BLOWUP from 1966.  Or what about another sixties classic?  Z from the director of political thrillers Costa-Gavras.  

The stupidity on display is something to marvel over.

Do I agree with everything in the book?


No.  FUN WITH DICK AND JANE is a comedy classic.  The remake with Jim Carrey is not funny and it is not on par with the original.  The author feels the original is not that funny nor that political.  Really?  Did he miss the scene where Dick makes a rude remark about a transgender character and the guy at the unemployment agency corrects him?  Did he miss that Jane is the reason that they finally succeed at robbery?  

Otherwise, I agreed with most of his calls.  Glad to see him praise COMES A HORSEMAN because that's a film that really is overlooked and Jane really delivers in that film.  

In May, there's another book coming out -- Marilyn S. Greenwald's JANE FONDA: THERE"S A GREAT DEAL TO SAY -- that's also going to try to argue for Jane's importance as an actress and an activist.  

I hope this results in an increased appreciation of Jane's talents.  

Nelson does praise 9 TO 5 but feels it's not an accomplishment for the actress Jane.  I would disagree and argue that he's on stronger ground when noting that the character is similar to her 60s characters in ANY WEDNESDAY and SUNDAY IN NEW YORK.  That's because that's what she was playing.  In those movies, her character wants to get married.  And that's it.  In 9 TO 5, Judy -- her character -- is that character.  A decade or so later.  Having married that man and started that life together only to find out that he is having an affair and leaving her for that woman.  

Judy is that character and Jane plays her perfectly.  

Anyway, it's a solid read so make a point to check it out. 

Going out with C.I.'s "The Snapshot:"


Friday, April 10, 2026.  Melania Trump steps into The Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth is accusedof misrepresenting an attack on US service members, speculation continues to grow that Hegseth my be the next Cabinet member fired, the White House made a not-so-veiled threat against Pope Leo, Kristi Noem caught in yet another lie, and much more. 


Justine Fernandez (BLUSHER ME) reports, "New data is raising concerns about the strength of the US labor market, delivering a stark warning for Donald Trump as confidence among workers continues to decline. Surveys and economic indicators suggest that Americans are growing increasingly uneasy about job security and future employment prospects."

And guess what?  That's about as close as Chump comes to good news.  

"Lies!" proclaimed First Lady Melania Chump from the White House yesterday.   "Lies!'   Donald Judd (CNN) reports:

First lady Melania Trump blasted “lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein” in remarks from the White House Thursday, attempting to distance herself from the convicted sex offender while calling on Congress to hold hearings allowing his victims to testify on Capitol Hill.
“I have never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach,” the first lady said in remarks to reporters. “To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell.”


Her call for allowing the survivors to testify?  A good call.  Would have been better to have called for Pam Bondi to honor her subpoena and appear before the House Oversight Committee.  As for her relationship with Epstein and Maxwell?  There are many photos of her with Epstein.  All have Donald in them as well.  So maybe she was the reluctant girlfriend going out on a foursome with someone she didn't care for and ignored during dinner.  Could be.  But she and Maxwell?  We do have the e-mail.  Where she wrote Maxwell a gushing note and called her "G."  And if she truly was avoiding Epstein, that would mean she'd be talking to Maxwell when the foursome was out on the town.

"Lies"?  It appears there are lies -- even at least one coming from Melania's mouth.


Trump also said “Epstein was not alone,” hinting at other potential abusers. She noted that several prominent executives resigned over their relationships with Epstein.
“Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt,” Trump said. “But we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth.”





THE DAILY DIGEST notes, "On March 17th, The Telegraph reported that recent findings from the left-leaning, new media organization Zeteo found that over half of people in the United States believed that Trump started the war with Iran to distract the country from the Epstein files scandal."

Turning to the Iran War,  David Edwards (RAW STORY) reports:

U.S. military service members claimed the Pentagon was not telling the truth about Iran's deadliest attack on America's troops during President Donald Trump's most recent war.

CBS News reported that survivors of the attack that killed six and wounded 20 were "left dangerously exposed" when they were attacked in Kuwait.
According to the surviving members, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was wrong when he said they were attacked by a drone "squirter," which squirted through defense systems.

"Painting a picture that 'one squeaked through' is a falsehood," one injured soldier told the network. "I want people to know the unit … was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position."
Before the March 1 attack, soldiers said they received an all-clear alert declaring that there were no incoming attacks. Only 30 minutes later, "everything shook," one service member recalled.

Was Pete drunk?  Is he back on the sauce?  He promised, during his confirmation hearing, that he'd lay off the booze if confirmed.  Has he not done that?  Or is this just another example of him lying?  Treating the American people like one of his wives he cheated on?  



Adding to Pete's troubles -- and maybe to his return to drinking -- Filip Timotija (THE HILL) notes:

A simmering battle for influence between Pete Hegseth and the Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has reached new heights with the Defense secretary’s purge of senior Army officials last week. 
Tensions flared when Driscoll was picked last year by President Trump to negotiate with Ukrainian officials in hopes of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, according to two former U.S.  officials familiar with the dynamics. A current U.S. official said Hegseth’s “paranoia” has been heightened in recent weeks as the president has fired two Cabinet officials.
“He’s just really uncomfortable with anyone who could potentially be outshining him,” the current official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal dynamics, told The Hill about Hegseth.
[. . .]
Hegseth’s firing of Driscoll’s widely respected chief of staff, Gen. Randy George, along with two other senior military officials last week, stunned defense officials as the U.S. is engaged in a war against Iran, the current official said. The firing came on the heels of the Pentagon chief ending the suspension of the Army crew who flew a pair of military helicopters near Kid Rock’s house in Tennessee, undercutting an Army investigation into the incident.  
The ouster of George prompted some Republicans to rally behind the decorated general, who deployed in support of Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. On Capitol Hill, it has shaken some GOP lawmakers who have largely backed Hegseth despite a series of scandals during his tenure, according to the first former U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. 

Or maybe Pete's panicking over the possibility that Chump just wants to fire him? Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) notes:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s continuing over-the-top press conferences about the Iran war are not doing Donald Trump any favors due to his childish behavior, leading MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough to suggest the president may want to put an end to Hegseth's "humiliating" antics.
Reacting to the Wednesday Pentagon press conference, where the former Fox News personality boasted about the president’s ceasefire agreement that was already in the process of falling apart, the “Morning Joe” host compared Hegseth repeatedly to a grossly immature elementary school student.
Speaking with co-hosts Willie Geist and Mika Brzezinski, Scarborough exclaimed, “To see [Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General] Kaine have to stand there while Pete Hegseth is doing all of this, like third-grade chest thumping, like he's out on the back on the playground –– and then General Kaine having to say, ‘Well, you know, we're still still basically at war and Americans could still die here,’ it's just, again, I just, I'm just shocked.”
“I really am, that Donald Trump, at this late stage with Pete Hegseth humiliating him and the administration every day with his stupid routine,” he added. “Third-grade routine; I'm just shocked he's still allowed to go out there in front of a microphone because he just embarrasses himself and he sets Donald Trump and this administration and this country up for continued humiliation at the hands of the Iranians.”


He's still allowed to go out there in front of a microphone?  He just embarrasses himself?  He sets Donald Trump and this administration and this country up for continued humiliation?  Maybe not for much longer if he gets fired.  Christopher Sharp (THE MIRROR) reports on speculation as to who might be the next person Chump gives a pink slip to:


Michael J Montgomery, a former US diplomat and lecturer at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, identifies two potential candidates – United States Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, reports the Mirror.
This speculation emerged after Trump's threats to eliminate a "whole civilisation" on his Truth Social platform earlier this week, prior to agreeing to the ceasefire.
Explaining why these two officials could face termination next, Michael told Reach: "If this goes bad as I suspect it will, Tulsi Gabbard will be next out the door because Trump is much more prone to firing women than men
"Hegseth is likely to follow shortly thereafter - especially if the career military people don't implement each and every Trump order no matter how illegal or deranged."
While Trump ultimately didn't bring about the end of civilization, Michael maintained his belief that Hegseth and Gabbard would be the next to exit.
He elaborated: "Trump takes the blame for nothing himself and those two are the logical fall people in the event of poor intelligence or poor execution undermining his war on Iran."


Trump takes the blame for nothing himself?  True.   On MEIDASTOUCH NEWS this morning, Ben notes how Chump's cease-fire is crumbling and how Chump spent the night on social media attacking everyone he could.  



Chump is a terrorist.  And among those targeted outside this country?  The Pope.  Troy Matthews (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) reports:

The Vatican has cancelled a papal visit to the U.S. for the 250th anniversary celebration after Pentagon officials appeared to threaten the leader of the Catholic Church for speaking out against Trump's foreign policy.

Pope Leo XIV—the first American Pope in history—strongly condemned U.S. actions in Iran though not by name in his Easter message, stating that God "does not listen" to world leaders who wage war. 
Leo had already criticized Trump's actions on Venezuela and his threats against Greenland and Canada in a speech on January 9th stating, "a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force."

In response, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre—the Vatican ambassador to the U.S.—to a meeting. In diplomatic parlance, an ambassador being summoned to meet with government officials for a lecture is the first stage in disciplinary action that can lead to a break off of diplomatic ties. 

It is being reported by The Free Press that in the meeting Colby told Pierre, "The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side."

Someone in the meeting then reportedly mentioned the Avignon Papacy to Pierre. This refers to a 14th century attack on the Vatican by the French king, in which Pope Boniface VIII was murdered by assassins and the Vatican was forced to relocate to Avignon where it could be controlled by the French crown for the next 67 years. 



The controversy surrounding the meeting is likely to further inflame religious pushback to an unusual wave of spiritual saber-rattling by President Donald Trump’s administration — particularly surrounding the U.S. government’s military actions in Iran, which the president himself has suggested are the will of God. Combined with his other incendiary remarks about the war, the increase in faith-filled militaristic rhetoric is pitting Trump and his administration against a growing list of faith leaders, ranging from local clergy to the pope.
Faith leaders have reacted with frustration to the administration’s penchant for invoking the divine when discussing the Iran war, which was on full display earlier Wednesday when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a press briefing at the Pentagon on the five-week-long war with Iran. After insisting Tuesday evening’s fragile ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran was evidence of a broader military victory, the secretary intimated the pause in fighting was the result of divine intervention.


 Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) notes that the story was addressed Thursday on MS NOW's MORNING JOE:




After MS NOW host Willie Geist reported on the exchange, contributor Mike Barnicle, a lifelong Catholic, made a compelling case that the president and his underlings created a massive and enduring problem for themselves.

“What do you make of what you're hearing here?” Geist prompted his guest.
“I make that they are once again clowning the atmosphere up, the Trump administration, the idea that they would try to intimidate Pope Leo, the first American-born pope, is just absurd,"the incensed Barnicle replied.“The idea that they would have anything to say critical of the Catholic church or the pope itself, the pope himself is absurd, especially given the Easter morning tweet from the president of the United States, which was so deeply offensive to any breathing, thinking human being that it's outrageous for the Trump administration to pose any problems they allege they have with the Vatican.”
“I went to parochial school for eight consecutive years, and I got thrown out nearly every year by the nuns. You know, every grade — you deserve early stuff like that,” he recalled. But the one thing that you get to, to hold on to when you're raised Catholic, born Catholic, raised Catholic, especially by my mother, we used to call her 'my mother, the nun.' The one thing you retain, I would think, is that the theory of the Catholic church is rooted in a simple phrase: the least among us.”

“So if you look at the Trump administration's behavior toward the least among us, it is almost criminal,” he accused. “It is certainly a sin because they don't care for the least among us, and that we should all care for the least among us. Because when we care for them, we care for ourselves.”


Graig Graziosi (INDEPENDENT) notes:

In the wake of the meeting, the Pope reportedly refused Trump's invitation to attend the nation's 250th anniversary events.

Instead of spending July 4th in the U.S., the Pope will instead visit Lampedusa, a small Mediterranean island that has become an entry point for African migrants attempting to reach Europe.

A Vatican official speaking to The Free Press said the Pope has no plans to visit the U.S. while Trump is in office.

“The Pope may well never visit the United States under this administration," the official reportedly said.



Pope Leo has called out the war on Iran and he has called out the US war on immigrants.   Earlier this week, we noted Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez:



The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Sacramento was launching a probe Tuesday after a shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers near San Jose, California.

KNTV reported that the Tuesday morning shooting shut down on- and off-ramps on Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue in Patterson, California.  Lauren Mascarenhas (CNN) adds, "Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were involved in a shooting that sent one person to the hospital while they were conducting a targeted traffic stop in California’s Central Valley, the agency said Tuesday."  Uwa Ede-Osifo (GUARDIAN) reports that the man shot was Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez:


Hernandez was hospitalized after the shooting. A spokesperson for the Stanislaus county sheriff’s office, which has jurisdiction over Patterson, declined to comment on Hernandez’s condition.


We ignored the assertions made by DHS because DHS has a known history of lying.  And now the things DHS claimed?  Not seeming very accurate at all.   Terry Chea and Christopher Weber (AP) report:

An attorney for a man shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an arrest in central California said Wednesday that his client did not try to run over officers with his car and disputed claims that he has a warrant out for his arrest in El Salvador.
[. . .]
Attorney Patrick Kolasinski, who is representing Mendoza and his family, said during a news conference that his client has been stopped for minor traffic infractions but has no criminal record in the U.S. and is not the subject of an arrest warrant in El Salvador, where he was acquitted of murder.

Kolasinski said he has found no evidence his client was part of any street gang but he added he has not had the chance to talk to him to confirm that.
“If he was released after being acquitted, with no other holds on him, he cannot have a warrant,” Kolasinski said. “So that information must be either erroneous or completely made up. And only DHS knows what they’re looking at.”

According to a Oct. 25, 2019 court document from a judge in El Salvador, Mendoza, who was 29 at the time, was acquitted after being accused of murder and ordered immediately released. The document lists 10 others who were convicted of various crimes from aggravated robbery to murder, and mentions at least one of them was a member of the 18th Street Gang. But there is no mention of Mendoza belonging to a gang or being accused of carrying out gang activity in the document.


As we noted before, DHS has a history of lying to the public and to the courts.  This has taken place for over a year now.  We do not take DHS seriously in their statements as a result of their repeated lies.  Whether they will get honest under the new Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Mulllin remains to be seen but their reputation is bad and they earned it.  Matthew Chapman (RAW STORY) notes how 

A federal judge has paused the Trump administration's decision to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Ethiopians who came to the United States, ruling that former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem didn't follow the legal procedure for doing so.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts penned a scathing analysis of the decision to eliminate TPS under the Trump administration, finding that it certainly wasn't appropriate in the case of Ethiopia, where people would still face substantial danger if forced to return there.
"As of the date of the executive order, entitled 'Protecting the American People Against Invasion,' seventeen countries had TPS designations. In the twelve months between the issuance of the order and filing of this suit, Secretary Noem announced the termination of twelve TPS countries — every single TPS country for which she conducted a periodic review during that period," wrote Murphy. "Perhaps it has been a banner year for disaster recovery and geopolitical stability worldwide. The evidence, and common sense, suggests otherwise."

Indeed, he wrote, "The administrative record is replete with evidence, including reports by DHS itself from as recent as August and September of 2025, that armed conflict and natural disasters continue to create dangerous conditions in Ethiopia."

So you get it? Kristi lied.  That's what the judge is saying.  Kristi, as Secretary of Homeland Security, lied.  As she did daily.  As her spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin did. 


Let's wind down by noting this from Senator Patty Murray's office:

ICYMI: Murray on Trump’s Budget Request: “Imagine how many families we could help if, instead of giving the Pentagon more money than they can even figure out what to do with, we cut people’s heating bills in half and made child care affordable for every family in America… Donald Trump might be happy to spend more money on bombs in the Middle East than on families here in America—but I am not.”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement the day after a ceasefire deal was announced between the United States and Iran:

“The President of the United States cannot threaten genocide. That kind of brinksmanship is catastrophically dangerous and goes against everything we stand for as Americans.

“I am relieved that American servicemembers were not asked to commit war crimes in this President’s name, but none of us should forgive the unacceptable escalation and erratic behavior of this President—or the lasting damage he has already done to America’s standing across the globe. Nor should we assume he has fully abandoned his pattern of reckless escalation that puts our servicemembers—and millions of innocent civilians’—lives at risk. We have to put him in check, before he ever pushes us so close to the brink again.

“This President made the unilateral decision—without Congress or the American people—to plunge this country into a costly foreign war of choice. Trump’s actions have already cost us tens of billions in taxpayer dollars, left our international credibility in shreds, and left thirteen servicemembers dead with hundreds more wounded. America is poorer, weaker, and less respected thanks to Trump’s recklessness. Congress needs to immediately vote to put a permanent end to this war and rein in this president—and I will keep pushing to ensure that happens.  

“Where Congress should be a natural check on Trump’s every abuse of power—this Republican Congress is shamefully absent, even when he threatens to wipe out an entire country. Americans will vote in the fall, and our democracy is desperately counting on a new Congress that will hold this President accountable. Every American should recognize—your voice and your vote matter and that’s exactly why this administration wants you to believe you are powerless.

“As a voice for Washington state in the United States Senate, I intend to use my vote to oppose this President’s warmongering and destructive agenda every step of the way.”

###


And let's note this from THE BLACK COMMENTATOR:


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