Notes for the Perplexed

Notes for the Perplexed

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Yet Another Example of Trump Weaponizing the Criminal Justice System
Yesterday, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) director William Pulte posted on social media a criminal referral he had sent the Department of Justice…
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Charles Blanchard
2
The Truly Radical Nature of the Trump Attack on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Given the rhetoric during the campaign, I fully expected the Trump Administration to take a hard line on racial and ethnic preferences in hiring and…
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Charles Blanchard
1
The Alaska Summit Showed the World that Trump is a Weak Leader
In any negotiation, it is always a bad sign when your adversary’s team is high-fiving each other as they leave the negotiation table.
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Charles Blanchard
1
The Potemkin Presidency: The DC Police "Takeover"
After Russia took over Crimea from the Ottoman Empire in 1783, Empress Catherine the Great lead a delegation of Ambassadors down the Dnieper River to…
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Charles Blanchard
The Politicization of the Justice Department
I find that rules of thumb based on experience are a useful way to make sense of the world—at least as a starting point.
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Charles Blanchard
2
The AMD and NVIDIA "Revenue For Export Licenses" Deal is Unlawful
Perhaps it is my legal training, but the first question I have when the Trump Administration announces a new action is: “What is the legal authority for…
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Charles Blanchard
Give to Your (Non)Local PBS and NPR Station
My wife and I are huge fans of our local PBS and NPR stations.
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Charles Blanchard
Making America Unhealthy Again
One of the great success stories about America has been the great strides we have made in our health.
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Charles Blanchard
The Trump Tariffs: The Current State of Play
The August 1 deadline has passed and for the most part Trump has landed on country-specific tariffs—either by agreement or fiat.
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Charles Blanchard
Trump Didn't Like the Unemployment Numbers So He Fired the Statistician
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the unemployment report for July.
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Charles Blanchard
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July 2025

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