The New York Times reports (Gift link!) that the United Nations announced it was “facing imminent financial collapse and would run out of money by July” because the United States had not paid its annual dues for 2025. If the situation isn’t rectified, the U.N. will be forced to shut down its New York City headquarters this summer. Also in jeopardy: the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “which responds to global emergencies like conflicts and natural disasters.”
U.N. secretary general, António Guterres, sent a letter to all 196 member states warning of “imminent financial collapse.” “The crisis is deepening, threatening program delivery and risking financial collapse,” he wrote. “And the situation will further deteriorate in the near future. I cannot overstate the urgency of the situation we now face.”
What has the U.N. done for “peace and security” lately? “Sustainable development”…sound like “climate change” to me. Human rights? The U.N. criticizes the United States for alleged human rights violation, while letting actual human rights atrocities.
The United States is entirely responsible for the current crisis, because 95% of the money owed to the United Nations is our share. And this is because the United States pays a ridiculously excessive share of the expenses of an organization that has increasingly done this nation little good and a great deal of harm for decades.
My theory? They hate Trump so, so much that they were willing to risk their own being blown to bits for the faint chance there would be something devastating in the Epstein Files that would blow him to metaphorical bits. Or their Trump Derangement is so extreme that they were sure something damning and irrefutable would be revealed, even though everything we know indicated there wouldn’t be. Whatever the reason,
KABOOM!
And also, GOOD. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving gang.
Former Obama White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler’s emails with and regarding Epstein show that he showered Ruemmler with expensive gifts over several tears. The evidence in the recent mass Epstein Files dump comes after CNN reported last month that Ruemmler advised Epstein on media strategies. She insisted to the outlet that she “did not represent him and was not compensated by him.” Hmmm. A $9,400 Hermes handbag, a Hermes-branded Apple watch, and a spa treatment package at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington sure seem like compensation to me. The gifts revealed in the documents released yesterday by the Department of Justice came years after allegations of Epstein’s sex crimes became public knowledge.
Ruemmler is now the top lawyer for Goldman Sachs. The Washington Free Beacon found emails ranging from 2014 to 2019 in which Ruemmler routinely corresponded with Epstein’s associates to accept gifts or express her gratitude to the sex trafficker. In some cases, she even asked for specific items.
In 2016, when Epstein purchased Ruemmler a $9,400 handbag from the French luxury brand Hermes, he took particular care to ensure Ruemmler received the gift, directing one of his associates to “confirm receipt with Kathy” and “follow up to make sure it happens.” When Ruemmler received the bag, she wrote in response, “OH MY GOD!!!!! He is in so much trouble!!!! I am dying. It is so beautiful!” A second-hand version of the same bag now sells for around $5,000.
And here I am, living in cardboard box by the docks. I just have to find richer friends….
Two years later, in November 2018, Epstein bought Ruemmler a Hermes edition of the Apple Watch, which retails for $1,300. Emails show that Ruemmler asked for a specific model and said the gift was “so sweet of Jeffrey!”
“If truly okay with him to do the Hermes, I would love the 40 mm, stainless Hermes with bleu indigo swift leather double tour,” Ruemmler wrote at the time. “I’ll wear that one every day, whereas the sportier ones I would likely only wear on weekends or when exercising, etc.”
Also in 2016, two years after she left the White House staff, Epstein booked a “full half day” spa appointment for Ruemmler at the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown. He wrote to an associate, “she won her case and needs some pampering.” Gee, why was the convicted sex trafficker sucking up to the lawyer? His associate responded with a credit card authorization form and said, “Kathy will go either today or tomorrow she says…” A massage and facial at the luxury hotel can cost $1,000 or more.
Wait a sec…Frank Drebbin has something to say:
Epstein appeared to provide other gifts of unknown value to Ruemmler. In December 2014, an Epstein associate emailed Ruemmler that Epstein planned to send his housekeeper to “deliver your ring to you!!” In February 2019, an Epstein associate sent an email to an unidentified individual reading, “Reminder: Bottle of wine and note card to be delivered to Ruemmler today. Let me know once it has been delivered so I can tell Jeffrey.”
Democrats truly are addicted to “It isn’t what it is,” or Yoo’s Rationalization. It is this characteristic that has led them so deep into George Orwell territory and why the 21st Century mutation of the party is so untrustworthy. “War is Peace,” and an open border was a secure border, according to Biden’s Secretary of Homeland Security. “Slavery is Freedom,” and President Biden was sharp as a tack even as he descended into gibberish on national TV. And, as we all know, “Ignorance is Strength,” and Kamala Harris was the most qualified Presidential candidate ever, ran a perfect campaign, and only lost because Americans are sexists and racists.
Maura Healy, the Democratic governor of my original home state (which has always been a little bit nuts) really opted in to Yoo’s Rationalization big time this week. She submitted a radical pro-illegal immigration bill to designate schools, hospitals, churches, and courthouses as official “ICE-free zones,” which would have the effect of sharply (and I believe illegally) limiting where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can operate in the Bay State.
Healy’s bill would require ICE agents to obtain a judicial warrant before making civil immigration arrests in so-called “sensitive locations,” effectively placing some of the most common public spaces off-limits to routine federal enforcement. I.C.E. agents would have to obtain a judicial warrant before making civil immigration arrests in so-called “sensitive locations,” effectively placing some of the many public spaces off-limits to routine federal law enforcement. The bill would direct state agencies not to allow I.C.E. to use state-owned property for enforcement operations and restrict cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. And the proposed legislation does not distinguish between non-violent illegal immigration cases and criminal offenders: apparently in the Bay State, any illegal immigrant is a Good Illegal Immigrant.
Why not start off the day with a humiliating confession? Nothing else has been working lately…
Back in May, I wrote about that ad above in which a goofy pitchman for the Allied Injury Group nicked or squashed a couple of legal ethics rules in the course of exactly the kind of lawyer advertising the profession was afraid would result when it had to eliminate the unconstitutional ban on the practice. It was a harsh post and should have been. I wrote in part,
“…the spokesperson calling himself “Your Favorite Attorney” is an actor, indeed a stand-up comic named Shaun Jones. All of the jurisdictions prohibit lawyer advertising in any form that is misleading or that includes false information. A sole practitioner can’t call her firm “X & Associates,” for example, if she’s the only lawyer in the firm. Putting a non-lawyer in front of a camera and calling having him call himself an attorney is an undeniable violation, and an intentional one… Jones also says that if the client doesn’t make money, “I” don’t make money. That is deceit. The firm will argue that the actor is only saying that if the firm doesn’t win its cases, the actor won’t get paid. But his statement is intended to refer to contingent fees for attorneys, and he isn’t one. “
Having done my duty to flag these hacks, I then proceeded to put the wrong law firm name in the headline! I have a typo and proofreading problem, as even casual visitors here know; I’ve gotten better, but the fact that these posts are usually written in fits and starts while I try to complete actual income-relating work [Thank you, by the way, to those of you who sent me generous contributions or gifts over the holidays, or kind words of encouragement that I appreciated just as much.] means that I sometimes miss glaring errors. That’s not an excuse. But it’s true.
This one was a doozy, made worse by my obstinate habit of proofing everything but the headlines. And so it was that The Allied Law Group, a distinguished and, based on my research, an impeccably professional and trustworthy firm that specializes in civil appellate law, media and First Amendment law, open government laws, regulatory litigation, legislation and general litigation, but not personal injury law, was unjustly and wrongly impugned.
That firm’s clients include lawyers, public interest groups, trade associations and media organizations. Their website is impressive and professional; I would even say, as one who is often asked to review the content of lawyer websites for ethics violations, exemplary.
So this was a really bad mistake on my part, and I could not be more sorry, embarrassed, contrite and remorseful. I apologize to the firm, its lawyers, its staff and clients. The post has been corrected, and let us never speak of it again.
I want to note that the firm attorney I spoke with was thoroughly civil, respectful, and, frankly, nicer than I might have been in a similar situation. She did not threaten me, as many lawyers are wont to do. She did inform me of the undeserved abuse that her firm has been getting—even death threats!—from people who have confused the firm with Allied Injury Group. People want to kill unethical lawyers now? I did not see that coming. I do have a hard time believing that anyone inclined to send death threats reads an ethics blog, but never mind: I accept responsibility for contributing to the confusion.
The Allied Law Group’s representative also didn’t make any demands during our conversation, because before she finished her second sentence I said: “I’ll fix that post immediately.” Nor did not instruct me to post this: I told her that I would compose an apology and get it up as soon as possible, because that’s my policy when I screw up.
Finally, I want to thank commenter Ric, who sent in a comment flagging the error last November. As Herman Kahn said, unlikely disasters occur when there’s a 1% confluence of bad management and bad luck. I try to read all reader comments. I missed that one.
A few final notes after a crappy day, culminating in a defamation suit threat:
1. Today DOJ released more than 3 million pages, 2,000 videos and 180,000 images from the Epstein files, after staff sorted through more than 6 million records. What a ridiculous waste of time and resources. Now the Axis will either claim that the Trump DOJ protected the boss by destroying those damning videos of Trump being covered in Bosco and licked clean by a bevy of 13-year-olds, or it will scream about rumors, hearsay, and unsubstantiated accusations that have no evidentiary value. The latter has already started; “Woman Told FBI Trump Abused Her at 13, Epstein Files Reveal,” is the “bombshell” headline at the gutter-dwelling Daily Beast. This was one of many uncorroborated tips, with no names attached and no way to investigate further. But, of course, they must be true, because Trump. Remember, the Biden Justice Department had four years to release all this, but was too busy concocting other ways to put Donald Trump in jail. lest he win the election.
2. This is the kind of legal accountability our Leftist states think is appropriate, at least when the miscreants are “of color.” District Court Judge Angel Kelley said, in sentencing Monica Cannon-Grant, a non-profit fraudster, “Ms. Cannon-Grant’s actions were crimes of greed and opportunity but will not go unpunished thanks to the law enforcement community, who have dedicated their mission to uncovering and putting an end to such devious schemes. This case illustrates that anyone who defrauds state programs and exploits their position in the community, will be held accountable for their actions.” Then she pronounced a slap on the wrist: four years’ probation, with six months of home detention and 100 hours of community service. Cannon-Grant was also ordered to pay restitution of $106,003 as well as forfeiture of an amount to be decided at a later date.
Once again, I was torn what to use to introduce a post. This choice was especially tough. You see, AI-produced fake conjoined twins Valeria and Camila are gaining the status of web “influencers” despite the fact that they don’t exist. The only possible explanation for why anyone, never mind 280,000 (and rising) followers, would care what this imaginary creature would have to say is that two heads are better than one…but that only applies if they are real heads.
Their (wait…what are their pronouns?) Instagram page tells you they are digital creations not real people but apparently that doesn’t matter to their fans. The fans seem to like being lied to. “Our spines were dangerously fused together, so we had to undergo several surgeries and operations throughout our lives after birth, and that’s why we have these beautiful scars,” Valeria and Camila revealed in one post.
It’s too bad Doublemint gum doesn’t have TV ads these days.
Oh, I almost forgot. The losing nomination to kick-off this post? This old stand-by, from Sheriff Bart and the Waco Kid, which applies exactly to anyone who would spend more than a nanosecond paying attention to the musings of imaginary—but sexy!— freaks:
Among the dozens of immediately likes, “hearts” and LOL emogis, right at the top, was the name of a long-time dear friend, usually wise, kind, and rational, a religious woman who believes in the Golden Rule. But she is hopelessly Trump Deranged, so all of those qualities go AWOL when the President is the topic.
I thought a lot of the attacks on Michelle Obama from the Right were vicious and indefensible, but her conduct was being criticized on its own terms rather than simply consisting or contempt for having the bad taste to marry Barack. Michell also kicked the bees nest more than any previous First Lady and had more than her share of well-earned ridicule…
….but no First Lady has ever been savaged like Melania. (Rachel Jackson’s treatment by her husband’s opponents was the closest.)
If she were not a public figure, a public statement that Melania was a sex worker would be per se defamation. But she’s the President’s wife, and apparently even to good Christians when they are Trump Deranged, Melania is fair game, just as David Letterman (who is scum, in case you have forgotten) thought it appropriate to suggest on national television in 2009 that Sarah Palin’s 14-year-old daughter had sexual relations with Alex Rodriguez, the Yankee All-Star steroid cheat.
[ I rate that meme as “mostly true.” There were no sanctuary cities and states arrayed against Obama. His I.C.E. operations were not as sweeping, but that’s because his predecessor hadn’t deliberately stopped enforcing immigration laws. Obama and Trump both employed Tom Homan to oversee I.C.E. operations, something the Axis media notes as seldom as possible.]
I have rarely made one of my replies to commenters a “Comment of the Day,” and I’m not about to today but one of my long retorts this morning made me realize how absolutely tangential and non-substantive the arguments being made by the Mad Left to support defunding or metaphorically castrating I.C.E are. I challenged an intrepid and respected commenter to justify the dishonest and misleading lyrics sung by a Bruce Spingsteen wannabe, genuinely hoping that he could enlighten me.
But the esteemed Democrat contrarian had nothing; just repurposed “Off the pigs!” and “Fry ’em like bacon!” -inspired stuff, as I suspected. When you begin an inquiry having already decided that one side is evil because, you know, they just are, it does not tend to generate an objective analysis. (The exchange is here.)
Notably absent from the courageous response was a feasible suggestion of a better policy to effectively and quickly remove millions and millions of illegal aliens from our land. Without that, the clear message is, “Ha Ha! We opened the borders, and now there’s nothing you can do about it with being compared to the Nazis hunting down the Frank family!”
I’ll be happy to see lively inquiries today on other topics, of course.
Nah, I don’t want to post the song itself because it’s hacky crap and sloppy virtue signaling. I like Judy singing “Stormy Weather” better. That’s a classic.
The Boss seems might proud of himself for spitting out this junk in time to attract some hate-buying. “I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” the well over-the-hill pop star said. State terror! Funny, none of the states that aren’t proto-Confederate nullification fans, which is what “sanctuary” states and cities have been allowed to get away with for far too long, have experienced any “terror.’
Through the winter’s ice and cold Down Nicollet Avenue A city aflame fought fire and ice ‘Neath an occupier’s boots King Trump’s private army from the DHS Guns belted to their coats Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law Or so their story goes
[Verse 2] Against smoke and rubber bullets In the dawn’s early light Citizens stood for justice Their voices ringin’ through the night And there were bloody footprints Where mercy should have stood And two dead, left to die on snow-filled streets Alex Pretti and Renee Good
[Chorus] Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice Singing through the bloody mist We’ll take our stand for this land And the stranger in our midst Here in our home, they killed and roamed In the winter of ’26 We’ll remember the names of those who died On the streets of Minneapolis
[Verse 3] Trump’s federal thugs beat up on His face and his chest Then we heard the gunshots And Alex Pretti lay in the snow dead Their claim was self-defense, sir Just don’t believe your eyes It’s our blood and bones And these whistles and phones Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies
[Chorus] Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice Crying through the bloody mist We’ll remember the names of those who died On the streets of Minneapolis
[Harmonica Solo]
[Verse 4] Now they say they’re here to uphold the law But they trample on our rights If your skin is black or brown, my friend You can be questioned or deported on sight In our chants of “ICE out now” Our city’s heart and soul persists Through broken glass and bloody tears On the streets of Minneapolis
[Chorus] Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice Singing through the bloody mist Here in our home, they killed and roamed In the winter of ’26 We’ll take our stand for this land And the stranger in our midst We’ll remember the names of those who died On the streets of Minneapolis We’ll remember the names of those who died On the streets of Minneapolis
[Outro] ICE out (ICE out) ICE out (ICE out) ICE out (ICE out) ICE out (ICE out) ICE out (ICE out) ICE out
I don’t have the energy to bother deconstructing that doggerel. I do like the call for “mercy.” Sounds nice, yet completely meaningless in context. Mercy to illegals who are facing accountability? Mercy for the criminals who breached our borders? Mercy for militant protesters who are breaking the law and assaulting officers?
Maybe I should be merciful to poor Bruce. One of the most embarrassing things about folk singers was that their anthems were usually hysterical and revealed the singers as none-too-bright. Dylan stood out because he dealt in irony and self-reflection. But even Bob: “too many people have died”? Gee, that’s profound.
As I stated in the first installment, today I’m forced to post piecemeal what would normally be an ethics warm-up with 4-6 items.
2. I suggest that if Republicans are sick of the Axis “autocracy” trope, they should persuade the President to have his cabinet meeting feature less egregious boot-licking.
The first Cabinet meeting of 2026 was just partially broadcast, and like the previous 2025 installments, it was wall-to-wall happy-talk by Trump’s appointees, all telling everyone around the table and, of course, TV viewers how successful, bold and brilliant “this President” has been.
Yecchh.
This is neither credible, admirable, or professional. The ostentatious obsequiousness naturally raises questions: Are they afraid? Have they been ordered to act like lackeys? Why? Is the President’s ego so fragile and in need of affirmation that he has to be told how wonderful he is?
The revolting display reminds me of how the Politburo would stand and applaud when Stalin entered the room and everyone was afraid to stop because the first member who did was frequently shot. Eventually they had to install a bell to signal when the applause should commence and when it should cease.
I think the Cabinet’s sucking-up is insulting to Americans. I certainly am insulted by it. I am quite capable of deciding whether “this President” is doing a good job or not.
Ethics Alarms 