The Week that Was ...
Ending Sunday, May 11, 2025
Welcome to the latest edition of The Week that Was, my rundown of what happened last week, curated, in the loosest sense of the word, for your reading pleasure, or displeasure.
For this week, and weeks to come, I have revamped the structure of the newsletter to break the events down by topic, with the headings of: Photo of the Week; U.S. Politics and the American Scene; Foreign Affairs and the World Outside of the Bubble; The Economy and Business, Real and Otherwise; Media Watch; Disasters and Such; Positive Developments; Book Recommendation; Watch This; Listen to This; and Bonus Video(s). And with less text extracted from the articles, but more topics covered under each main heading.
As for what just happened:
The Trump Administration continued to display rapacity and cluelessness, in equal measure. Shocking scenes from Worcester, Mass. Fetterman melts down. Musk’s high high school thinking. The Israeli government goes in deeper. Shocking scenes of infant malnutrition in Gaza. Europe moved away from us. Germany hiccupped. The U.S. media continued to non-report. We’ve got a new Pope. And some nice videos and music at the end. Oh, and Trump, inspired by Jon Voigt, is going to save Hollywood. From a problem it doesn’t have.
1. Photo of the Week: Residents of Gaza in Search of Food
2. U.S. Politics and the American Scene
3. Foreign Affairs
4. The Economy and Business, Real and Otherwise
5. Media Watch
6. New Pope Elected
7. Positive Developments
8. Book Recommendation: The Dawn of Everything
9. Watch This: The Great Desi Lydic
10. Listen to This: La Llorona Performed by a Wonderful Oaxacan Ensemble
11. Bonus Video: Larry David and Gina Gershon in Curb Your Enthusiasm
1. Photo of the Week: Residents of Gaza in Search of Food
© AP Photo Abdel/Kareem Hana
For a truly shocking video of the starvation in Gaza, skip down to The Israeli Military Goes in Deeper; Starvation in Gaza in 3. Foreign Affairs.
2. U.S. Politics and the American Scene
In what must be one of the more unwelcome possibilities in a world full, at the moment, with unwelcome possibilities, or looming disasters, Stephen Miller, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, opines that Marco Rubio will be the next Henry Kissinger. Chile, Cambodia, Argentina, Bolivia, Indonesia, and more, beware!
For the truth about Kissinger’s supposed diplomatic genius, along with Nixon’s supposed shrewdness, one of the great false narratives of our time, Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America, by Rick Perlstein, is the perfect source for dispelling that myth.
Stephen Miller: Marco Rubio Will Be the ‘Kissinger of Our Time’
Tariffs on Movies?
Jon Voigt visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and, in a world where, on Sunday, Trump announced 100% tariffs on foreign movies. That’s right: Joe Buck is making economic policy.
How a visit from actor Jon Voight led Trump to post about movie tariffs
Trump orders a 100% tariff on foreign movies
Except that, maybe not.
Stephen Miller Says Suspension of Habeas Corpus Under Consideration Because of “Invasion.”
Presumably to avoid citizens asserting their rights, as in Worcester.
Trump team mulls suspending the constitutional right of habeas corpus to speed deportations. Can it?
Tulsa Gabbard Issues a Directive to Spy on Greenland
In an effort of a nation of 340 million people to gather information on a territory of another nation mostly covered in ice and with a population of 57,000, Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. National Security Advisor, ordered spying on Greenland. But not very discreetly, and the spying was soon made public.
Much to Gabbard’s dismay:
“’The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information,….” [President Trump] “’We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that.’”
The population of Greenland is 89% indigenous, and they may be a bit skeptical of assurances from American leaders about being cherished.
Tulsi Gabbard Freaks Over Damning Report U.S. Is Spying on Greenland
ICE Capades Go to Worcester Massachusetts
ICE conducted some brutal raids in Worcester, Massachusetts, to make sure that a teenage girl didn’t invade the U.S.
GRAPHIC VIDEO: MA police hold girl's face to the ground as ICE arrests her mother
Fed Up Neighbors Swarm ICE Agents Arresting Mother, Cops Slam Her Teen Daughter to Pavement
John Fetterman Needs Help, Which He Refuses
John Fetterman, Senator from Pennsylvania, is outdoing Earl Long in off-the-charts behavior. This is tragic, of course; we’re talking serious mental health issues. New York magazine broke the story.
This has now devolved into serious concerns about a Senator who has endangered his family with reckless driving. Fetterman has also delivered off-the-hook rants buttressed with self-pity. And he recently purchased a gun. And he’s not taking his medication, nor he is following the other protocols recommended by his doctors.
Fetterman doubts explode into Capitol Hill firestorm
An isolated John Fetterman clashes with colleagues and staff as he skips his Senate duties
John Fetterman Reportedly Blew Up in Recent Meeting, Shouted ‘Everybody Is Mad at Me’
PA Gov Shapiro and NY Senator Schumer Support Fetterman
Now real concerns are being overtaken by political maneuverings, ranging from genuine concern to defense self-pity and politically motivated defenses.
Josh Shapiro: Fetterman is best judge of his own health, ability to do his job
Republicans Support Fetterman
Because Republicans are not disturbed by irrational, self-centered ravings, not to mention a pervasive persecution complex, Republican Senators are rallying to Fetterman’s side.
GOP rallies around embattled Democratic Sen. John Fetterman
DeSantis Empties Soul, to No Avail
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has lost the trust of his fellow travelers in rightwing politics.
Inside DeSantis' "made-for-TV" fall in Florida
FAA Suspends the Panel Investigating Air Safety Amid Slightly Chaotic Situations at Our Airports
The FAA, the Federal Aviation Administration, whose job it is to keep flying safe, is cutting back on those costly measures to save lives.
FAA suspends work of independent panel reviewing air traffic control
This is while air travel is getting visibly worse and less safe.
Newark airport hit by another radar blackout as chaos continues
Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Ras Baraka Arrested; Trump Administration Threatens to Lock ‘Em All up
There has been some serious misinformation, or, rather, disinformation, dished out about this series of events.
It all started with Mayor Baraka simply joining an ongoing protest at a large facility operated by one of America’s largest private prison companies, the GEO Group (The Geo Group, Inc.), who were mentioned in the March 30 edition of The Week that Was.
Tense Standoff at New ICE Detention Center as Mayor Joins Protest
Then Mayor Baraka was arrested.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka arrested at ICE detention facility in NJ
As it turns out, ICE may have engineered the arrest.
Trump officials ‘created confrontation’ that led to arrest of Newark mayor
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka ‘shocked by lies’ about his arrest at ICE detention center
And now the Department of Homeland Security wants to arrest more people.
3 Lawmakers Involved in Newark Protest Could Be Arrested, D.H.S. Says
It seems they want to arrest anyone who irritates them.
AOC Rips Trump Border Czar for Empty Threats: ‘Come For Me’
Musk Has the Knowledge of Astronomy of a High School Kid Doing Bong Hits
Remember philosophizing while stoned out of your gourd while still a high school student? Well, Elon Musk is still doing that.
NYC Mayor: Cuomo Redux? Say It Ain’t So
Mayor Cuomo. Depressing. But his groping for a political comeback is going well. Fueled in part by housing plans developed with the help of ChatGPT, which, if you ask me, is not too smart.
Seven Weeks and Counting: The N.Y.C. Mayoral Primary Is Heating Up
3. Foreign Affairs and the World Outside the Bubble
The Israeli Military Goes in Deeper; Starvation in Gaza
The Israeli military’s embargo of Gaza, a total embargo, is now over two months old. Hamas is still there, and babies are starving. The below-linked video is hard to watch.
Takeaways from AP's reporting on child malnutrition in Gaza
Meanwhile, the government of Israel seems to be moving toward outright annexation of the West Bank.
The Huge, Under-the-Radar Shift Happening in the West Bank
Trade Deal with the U.K., Announced at Least
Amid great fanfare, the Trump administration and government of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was announced on Thursday. The US government trumpeted the deal “as historic,” which is technically true, and just about everything is historic. In reality, it didn’t amount to much, and seems to be more about creating positive publicity for the two politicians, both of whom sorely need some good news. Trump, for his part, possesses an unparalleled genius at creating publicity, quite often by creating problems and then pretending to solve them.
USTR Fact Sheet: U.S.-UK Reach Historic Trade Deal
U.S.-U.K. Trade Deal to Build on Close Ties but Leave Some Tariffs in Place
Trade Talks with China
The Trump Administration announced trade talks with China. It was our idea.
US and China to start talks over trade war this week
The Chinese government says it was their idea.
China says U.S. asked for trade meeting in Switzerland
Meanwhile, shipping from China to the U.S. has ceased.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Meets with Trump at the White House
The Canadian Prime Minister visited the White House, having won the election because of Trump’s attacks on Canada. However, PM Carney was not in town to thank Trump. He was in town to have a meeting with the president of the large country to the south, the U.S.
PM Carney ended up delivering a different message to Trump: No, Canada will not be the fifty first state. Or, as Desi Lydic of The Daily Show put it, the U.S. is now officially in the friend zone.
Canada PM Carney Friend-Zones Trump & Real ID Brings Out the Karens | The Daily Show
Carney tells Trump that Canada 'won't be for sale, ever'
Merz Stumbles
The hope for Germany, allegedly, Friedrich Merz, failed to get elected Chancellor on the first ballot in the Bundestag. Parliamentary leaders need to be able to count votes.
Merz Fails to Clear First Vote to Become German Chancellor
However, he succeeded on the second try.
Who is Friedrich Merz, the man who has been elected Germany’s next chancellor?
European Consumers Buying Even Fewer U.S. Goods
Europeans are cutting back on their purchases of American goods just because the Trump Administration hates them.
Buy American? No Thanks, Europe Says, as Tariff Backlash Grows.
There Is Even an App for That
Defying Europe’s reputed aversion to innovation, European tech entrepreneurs even created an app to help them buy European.
The EU States Decrees Its Final Exit from Russian Gas
Europe is finally really going to stop buying Russian gas.
EU Set to Propose Banning Russian Gas Imports by End of 2027
Agreement with the Houthis
The administration announced a deal with the Houthis. No more attacks. On U.S. aircraft carriers, which are supposed to be impregnable, but are vulnerable to drones
Collapsing Empire: Ansar Allah Defeats US Again
F-18s Keep Falling off Aircraft Carrier Decks Even as Houthi Drones Get Through Their Impregnable Defenses
F/A-18C Hornets, price tag $60M, keep rolling off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman. This is happening because the Houthis are attacking the aircraft with drones they built themselves. Okay, maybe not that primitive, but still, cheap. But effective.
F-18 rolls off US carrier as it turns to avoid Houthi fire
USS Harry S. Truman Loses Third F/A-18 Super Hornet
India and Pakistan Get More Hostile than Usual
It was looking like India and Pakistan, two nuclear armed powers, were on the brink of war. A ceasefire was reached, for which Donald Trump took credit, and, despite violations, let’s hope it sticks. Ifran Noorudin can explain it well. His extensive discussion of the crisis and its background starts at around 23:51 in the below segment from The Majority Report.
India-Pakistan's Dangerous Standoff Intensifies w/ Irfan Nooruddin
President Sheinbaum Lays Out Principles for the MORENA Party
On May 4, President Claudia Sheinbaum
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Letter to Morena Leadership & Militants
Mexico Increases Its Exports to the U.S.
In the first quarter of 2025, Mexican exports to the U.S. reached record highs.
Mexico’s Exports to US Surge to a New Record High Despite, or Largely Because of, Trump’s Tariffs
Ecuador’s Stolen Election Becomes Obvious
Banana billionaire, or rather, son of banana billionaire, Daniel Noboa stole reelection on April 13, and, despite the endorsement of the alleged free election by neoliberal press, the outlines of that theft are now clear: media capture; use of the military; use of financial aid contingent on Noboa’s return to power; the declaration of a state of emergency; and more.
The result is the increasing impoverishment of a large number of Ecuadorans; increasing infrastructure degradation amid power outages across the country; deepening corruption; and a strong U.S. military presence.
4. The Economy, Real and Otherwise
Everyone Is Freaking Out. Or at Least Pretending to Freak Out
Despite the talk and fear of recession, business leaders at the “Milken Global Conference,” founded by Micheal Milken, were publicly worried, furrowed brows abounding, but upbeat in private, partying their asses off in inane displays. Michael Milken, you will recall, was the “junk bond” king who did time for financial fraud. The prosecutor was none other than Rudy Giuliani, decades before the runny hair dye in the parking lot of a gardening store.
We went to Milken, where the rich were worrying in public — and partying in private
Recession? Probably Not Yet
Current indications are not suggesting a recession. Fortunately! But there is no doubt that President Trump can turn that around.
Recession Watch: Time to Dig Out Our Favorite Recession Indicator Again
Rare Earths: China Has ‘Em, We Don’t
For a brilliant example of why industrial policy is so important, China’s rise to dominate the rare earths industry is a fantastic case study.
How the United States Lost the Rare Earth Materials War to China
Argentina Received a Sweetheart Deal from the World’s Number One Predatory Lender: The IMF
First of all, IMF staffers had their doubts about the loan. The Republic of Argentina is a world champion at defaulting.
El FMI reconoce en el nuevo acuerdo que la deuda de Argentina es prácticamente impagable
But, the U.S. wants to support and, presumably, hobble the anarcho-capitalist president of Argentina, Javier Milei, a kindred spirit to our own Trump.
And the U.S. military wants to keep an eye on the sea passages south of Tierra del Fuego, given that the Panama Canal is drying up.
Washington Is Once Again Weaponising the IMF to Try to Reclaim Its “Back Yard”
Saks Falls
Saks Fifth Avenue, the iconic (sorry) New York department store, looks like it’s going broke. Just like Barney’s did.
5. Media Watch
The Financial Times Outdoes Itself
The Financial Times has weighed in with a remarkably fact-free panegyric to the Latin American right. Wrong about Lula. Wrong about Milei. Wrong about Perú, confusing the leader of a reactionary coup against a left-leaning president with a leftist leader. And devastatingly wrong about Ecuador. And, unable to comprehend Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico, the FT completely mischaracterizes her government.
The one region where the traditional right is on the rise
Is There a Sell-Buy Date for Wishful Thinking?
Meanwhile, over at The Guardian, they’re saying Trump’s unpopularity in Canada and Australia points a way forward for center-left parties. Please engage your brain, Guardian.
After Canada and Australia, could Donald Trump really be the saviour of centre-left politics?
The Washington Post Does It Again
The North American press continues to distort the reality of Mexico through the means of opinion pieces purporting to report news written by persons politically opposed to MORENA and President Sheinbaum. The telecommunications bill referenced in the Washington Post article arose in part in response to a commercial televised on Grupo Televisa in Mexico, paid for by the Trump administration, in which attacked Mexico and Mexicans and vowed to “hunt down” undocumented immigrants.
The article consists primarily of discussing other opinion pieces about Claudia Sheinbaum, followed by attacks from political opponents of Sheinbaum, reported without reference to the political background. Most astounding of all, the author, Léon Krauze, approvingly quotes former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo (1994-2000), the last Mexican president elected under the undemocratic one-party rule of the PRI. He was the man who put through the transition to a “managed” democracy, in large part as part of a deal with then U.S. President Bill Clinton to bail out the Mexican banking sector, which had fallen into crisis after privatization and deregulation.
Truth be told, the ad seems to be primarily designed as publicity for Trump and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
Mexico’s democracy is fast eroding under Sheinbaum’s rule
Foreign governments broadcasting propagandas was illegal in Mexico until 2014, when then President Enrique Peña Nieto (PRI) pushed a law through the Mexican Congress repealing a provision of the Mexican Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting law prohibiting “radio and television networks from transmitting political, ideological or commercial propaganda sponsored by foreign governments and foreign agencies.”
Sheinbaum moves to ban foreign government propaganda after US anti-immigration ad airs on Mexican TV
Televisa, for its part, operated a special secret division known as “Palomar,” which is dedicated to concocting stories to advance its political and business interests. The network is also renowned for its bias toward the PRI.
Televisa's fake news team - Aristegui Noticias
Televisa Leaks | La fábrica de mentiras, manipulación y guerra sucia
The real issue is this: the neoliberal press treats democracy as electing the administrators of the state on behalf of the investor class. For the neoliberal press, all the real questions are already settled. Anyone who challenges that is automatically defined as anti-democratic.
I cannot think of a viewpoint which is less democratic than that.
6. New Pope Elected
The college of cardinals elected a new pope. He’s a polyglot, holds dual American/Peruvian nationality, and tweeted criticism of J.D. Vance.
Robert Prevost, first pope from US in history of the Catholic Church, takes the name Leo XIV
7. Positive Developments
Rumeyesa Ozturk Released from Custody
Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk gained release from custody by order of U.S. District Judge William Sessions in Burlington.
Turkish Tufts University student released from Louisiana immigration detention center
CitiBike Adds a Few Charging Stations
Okay, this may not be that positive. First of all, not very many new charging stations are being added.
Manhattan, Brooklyn Getting New E-Bike Charging Dock Locations, DOT Says
Sorry I don’t have more good news.
8. Book Recommendation: The Dawn of Everything
The Dawn of Everything really is remarkable. Quite simply, it overturns, using very extensive primary sources from every continent except Antarctica, the narrative that has prevailed in Western historiography since the Enlightenment: the idea that human societies were more or less the same before the advent of agriculture. This gigantic misconception is buttressed by the false dichotomy of the viewpoints of Jacques Rousseau on the one hand and Thomas Hobbes on the other.
The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow.
9. Watch This
The Great Desi Lydic
Who is “Florida Man”? Desi Lydic Investigates | The Daily Show
Desi Lydic’s Top 10 Moments | The Daily Show
The Best of Desi Lydic as Guest Host | The Daily Show
10. Listen to This: La Llorona Performed by a Wonderful Oaxacan Ensemble
This is a wonderful performance, beautiful and soulful, of the classic Mexican folksong La Llorona, performed by the Banda Filarmónica del Centro de Capacitación Musical y Desarrollo de la Cultura Mixe and singer Susana Harp.
11. Bonus Video: Larry David and Gina Gershon in Curb Your Enthusiasm
This is funny.
Curb Your Enthusiasm - Anna from the dry-cleaners (Gina Gershon in a smoking performance)