The Biggest Loser

lousubcap

Thursday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal judge yesterday found probable cause to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt of court over what the judge described as “willful disregard” of an order to stop transferring deportees to a notorious El Salvador prison. Hassan Ali Kanu, Erica Orden, and Josh Gerstein report for POLITICO.

A federal judge late on Tuesday ruled that the Trump administration cannot scrap the contracts awarding billions for a “green bank” to finance clean energy and climate-friendly projects. Michael Phillips reports for AP News.

The ACLU on Tuesday sued the Defense Department’s school system for children of military families, arguing the removal of race- and gender-related books and curricula violated students’ First Amendment rights. Olivia Diaz reports for AP News.

California’s Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and state Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) yesterday filed a challenge against the Trump administration’s tariff regime, arguing Trump unlawfully escalated a trade war that has caused “immediate and irreparable harm” to the state’s economy. Shawn Hubler and Soumya Karlamangla report for the New York Times.

The Trump administration yesterday sued Maine over state policies that allow some transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports, claiming they violate a federal law intended to prevent discrimination based on sex. Glenn Thrush reports for the New York Times.

The White House had defied a federal judge’s order requiring the administration to restore the Associated Press’s full access to presidential events, the wire service alleged in a court filing yesterday. Tim Balk reports for the New York Times."

GrateEggspectations

fishlessman said:

.

johnmitchell said:

To state the obvious JIC is taking a hit on the Dislikes 😂

johns disapproval rating is higher than the donalds.......

Literally made me LOL. 

GrateEggspectations

Watching the Canadian federal leaders’ debate for the upcoming election. First question is about trust in the U.S. Cole’s notes from all those who answered: there is no trust. 

JohnInCarolina

DoubleEgger

JohnInCarolina said:

Cheaper to buy off the Supreme Court with couple of RVs and some fishing trips. 

GrateEggspectations

DoubleEgger

I’ll just leave this here. 

JohnInCarolina

lousubcap

Friday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"A federal appeals court yesterday unanimously rejected the Trump administration’s request to pause the steps a lower judge is seeking to take in Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s case, opining that the DOJ’s assertions in the case “should be shocking” and “would reduce the rule of law to lawlessness.” Tierney Sneed and Devan Cole report for CNN; Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.

The Supreme Court yesterday announced it would hear arguments over the Trump administration’s request to lift a nationwide pause on Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship on May 15. The hearing will focus on the administration’s argument that lower courts had erred in imposing a nationwide pause on the policy. Abbie VanSickle reports for the New York Times.

An appeals court late on Wednesday temporarily halted a lower court’s order that directed the Biden-era green climate funds to be released to the grant recipients, substituting it with a ruling maintaining the status quo. Rachel Frazin reports for the Hill.

A federal judge yesterday granted a preliminary injunction extending a ban on DOGE’s access to U.S. citizens’ private information held in the Social Security Administration's systems, ruling that the government had failed to show the need for the “unprecedented, unfettered” access sought by DOGE. Nathan Layne reports for Reuters.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) yesterday announced he would sue the Trump administration over the reported dismantling of the AmeriCorps service program by DOGE. Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios."
 

caliking

JohnInCarolina said:

The Chinese may have picked up on something...

https://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/about-the-collection/collection-highlights/the-great-seal/

Botch

caliking said:

The Chinese may have picked up on something...

https://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/about-the-collection/collection-highlights/the-great-seal/

Back in my nuclear weapon days I worked in a SCIF that didn't quite meet code, the room did have windows; the guys had put up paper to cover them up so no one could "look in".  Turns out there's tech out there where a laser beam can be shined onto the glass, the glass could act as a microphone for any discussions in the room and vibrate that laser dot, almost imperceptibly.  Then, expensive optics and S/W could convert those tiny vibrations back into sound, so the inspectors shut that SCIF down (we got moved into a proper room one building over).  Pretty amazing what the spook world can do.    

GrateEggspectations

Proof that the claims that microplastics make their way into the brain are entirely true.

"We're going back to plastic straws," Trump told reporters at the White House as he signed the order (banning paper straw). "I don't think plastic is going to affect a shark very much, as they're munching their way through the ocean," he added. 

In 2019, Trump's presidential campaign sold Trump-branded plastic straws as an alternative to "liberal" paper straws (and reportedly raised half a million dollars for Trump's re-election effort in the process).

From https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-scrap-plastics-ban-1.7514037

Canugghead

Wow, didn't watch news all day, what an a*s. Defund the CBC too? sounds familiar eh?

GrateEggspectations

Canugghead said:

Wow, didn't watch news all day, what an a*s. Defund the CBC too? sounds familiar eh?

This is not about political affiliation at all, but I would not mourn the loss of the CBC - at least, not in its current form. We’ll see what it would be like under a Carney government, were he to win. 

Canugghead

To me it's about Trumpy wannabe, which is scary, couldn't care less what happens to CBC.

GrateEggspectations

Canugghead said:

To me it's about Trumpy wannabe, which is scary, couldn't care less what happens to CBC.

Even the conservative outlets are reporting that his Trump-like tactics are hurting him (and have been reporting that for some time). It’s surprising he hasn’t altered the course more sharply.

We watched the leaders’ debate last night and he was unquestionably the participant who interrupted others most frequently. I was surprised and disappointed ol’ Steve didn’t lay down the law. 

lousubcap

This has nothing to do with CHEETO other than his influence on f'ing us all.  

Gotta enjoy the GWN politics as it plays out.  If you are somewhat of a political junkie, here's a good summary about what's going on in the GWN (albeit from a Yank):

Canada elections: who are the key players and what is at stake?

Justin Trudeau’s resignation as prime minister came amid deep anxiety prompted by Trump’s tariffs threats

Canadians will head to the polls on 28 April to decide who will form the next government. Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre are the most likely candidates to become the next prime minister.

What is the story and why does it matter?

In early January, Justin Trudeau announced a decision that many in his party had long hoped for: he was resigning after nearly a decade as Canada’s prime minister.

Party infighting and the prime minister’s personal unpopularity had made it nearly impossible for him to face off against his political rivals, especially the Conservative party which had polled as many as 25 points ahead of Trudeau’s Liberal party.

Trudeau’s resignation came amid deep anxiety prompted by Donald Trump’s threats to impose potentially devastating tarrifs and even annex Canada and make it the 51st US state.

The prime minister’s decision to stand down kicked off a leadership race within the Liberals. Mark Carney, the former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, won a decisive victory and was sworn in as prime minister days later. But Carney, a political novice who had never held political office, was in the role for only nine days when he called a snap election.

Carney faced two problems: Trump’s economic threats and the uncomfortable fact that he didn’t have a seat in the House of Commons, meaning he risked becoming a political punching bag for opposition parties – with no chance to hit back.

For months, the Conservatives had been the sure bet to win any election. But sensing a rapidly shifting national mood prompted by Trump’s aggression Carney calculated a snap federal election was his best option.

Who are the key players and what have they promised?

Five political parties were represented in parliament before the election was called. But in most voters’ minds, there are two main choices for prime minister: Liberal leader Mark Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Amid the broader concerns over Canada’s economic security and sovereignty, opposition voices such as the leftwing New Democratic party, the sovereigntist Bloc Québécois and the Green party have struggled to remain relevant.

There is little daylight between the federal leaders on issues of Canada’s relationship with the United States. Both have rejected the idea Canada would ever cede its sovereignty. But while both acknowledge a cost of living crisis and housing unaffordability have left Canadians feeling worse off, they have divergent solutions.

Poilievre has promised to cut regulations, diminish the role and size of government in order to facilitate homebuilding. Carney, in contrast, is leaning government as a key figure in any wide-scale building effort.

Poilievre, a brash populist and seasoned parliamentary “attack dog”, has inspired a fervent response from his supporters, who say he has given a voice to those who feel ignored and mocked by political elites. The Tory leader has told supporters he will crack down on crime, toughening sentences for the worst offenders in a move that he admits would breach the country’s charter of rights and freedoms – but promising to use an arcane constitutional mechanism that permits him to do so anyway.

Carney has largely run a campaign on his economic and business credentials, tacking the party towards the political centre in an attempt to lure in disaffected voters from both sides of the political aisle. Conservatives have used his CV in their attacks, alleging he used tax loopholes when chair of the investment firm Brookfield. Carney has also faced criticism from the Conservatives for adopting their own policy proposals, including removing a controversial carbon tax.

How does the system work?

Canada’s federal election is really 343 separate elections across the country held simultaneously. Those parliamentary elections in Canada are normally held every four years and under federal law, an election is required by October 2025 at the latest. Using a parliamentary system stems from the British or Westminster tradition, the party with the most seats typically forms government. If either the Liberals or the Conservatives win 172 or more seats, they will have a majority government. Anything less than that and they will be required to work with other parties to pass legislation.

In 2021, the Liberals failed to win a majority and later struck a deal with the New Democratic party, known as a confidence and supply agreement, to help them form a government. The Liberals have indicated that they are campaigning to win a majority government because under a minority government scenario, opposition parties have the opportunity of defeating the governing party in a vote of no-confidence and triggering another election.

What do the polls say and what is the likely outcome?

Until February, the Conservatives enjoyed a 25 point lead over the Liberals. Pollsters gave the Tories a 99% chance of winning if an election were called at the time with one of the largest parliamentary majorities in decades. But Trump’s aggressive posture towards Canada has scrambled the stakes of the election: the Conservative’s dominant lead has disappeared and now they find themselves trailing in the twilight of the campaign.

Of the 12 polling firms in Canada surveying voters, all of them show the Liberals leading to the extent that a majority government is the most likely outcome. The math looks even more dire for the Conservatives, with the Liberals enjoying a domain lead in the most vote-rich parts of the country.

Canadians will vote on 28 April, but advance voting opens in the coming days."

JohnInCarolina

GrateEggspectations

Thanks for shining a spotlight on our nook of the globe, @lousubcap. Indeed, Poilievre was being touted “Canada’s next Prime Minister” by one of our biggest national news outlets until the monumental shift that came with Trudeau’s departure and Carney’s arrival. I believe Carney’s calling of the snap election so early was largely a function of his political inexperience, with a longer lead time having left more room for gaffes (he’s had a few in his short time as PM) and scrutiny. Many see Poilievre’s approach as being more akin to that of Trump (just last week, Poilievre was referring to Carney’s “banker’s haircut”), which isn’t doing him any favours in light of current Canadian sentiment towards the U.S.A. and of the lack of diplomacy there. 

As per your post above, the relationship with our Southern neighbour has become the major focal point of the election, with a very large portion of the population wanting to distance themselves significantly from a once great ally. Despite this, I have not heard anyone expressing animosity for the American people; absent perhaps some minor contempt and major bafflement for the choice of leader whose character had already been rendered quite clear. 

DoubleEgger

Alito and the “Bought One” are always on the wrong side of history. True scoundrels. 

lousubcap

DoubleEgger

I present to you, the yellow skinned Cowfish. 

Canugghead

I miss the traditional Truth Social holiday rants.

lousubcap

From a friend of mine in Australia-perhaps a disease  going around with F'tards?

JohnInCarolina

lousubcap

Monday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION:

At the same time as ICE buses were nearing their approach to the airport exit in North Texas on Friday night, Justice Department lawyer Drew Ensign told U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said that he understood there would be no flights Friday night, and that he was “not aware of any plans” for flights Saturday. A video shows the buses abruptly turning around to a detention facility on Friday night before the Supreme Court ruled that the deportations under the Alien Enemies Act must be effectively paused “until further order.” Vaughn Hillyard, Julia Ainsley, Kayla McCormick, Sarah Dean, and Rebecca Cohen report for NBC News.

Trump administration lawyers urged the Supreme Court in a court filing Saturday to reject an emergency request by the American Civil Liberties Union to temporarily halt the deportations of Venezuelan migrants. The deportations remain paused while the justices consider the matter. Abbie VanSickle reports for the New York Times.

The Supreme Court intervened “literally in the middle of the night” and without adequate justification for halting efforts to deport detained Venezuelan nationals, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in a dissent criticizing the seven-justice majority. The Associated Press reports. 

One day after the Trump administration sent layoff notices to nearly 1,500 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s workers, a federal judge halted the move until at least April 28, and scheduled a hearing to assess whether the mass layoffs violated an injunction she had imposed the previous month. Stacy Cowley reports for the New York Times.

A federal judge in Boston ruled on Friday that the Trump administration must issue passports reflecting the self-identified gender of six transgender individuals, rather than requiring the passports to display the sex listed on their original birth certificates. The ruling came after a group of transgender plaintiffs sued Trump and the State Department over a new policy that barred passports from reflecting a gender different from the one on the applicant’s original birth certificate. Amy Harmon and Maya Shwayder report for the New York Times."

lousubcap

Donald Trump sent the US stock market plummeting again, this time with social media snark and derisive playground nicknames aimed at the Chair of the US Federal Reserve. The president, under increasing pressure for singlehandedly destabilizing global markets with his trade war, has turned his attention to interest rates in a bid to avoid what economists increasingly fear is a recession dead ahead. Trump’s public mulling over whether he can legally fire Powell have market watchers eyeing a potential broad-based loss of confidence in the US economy if he were to try it.  The 78-year-old Republican’s taunts came before he met with executives of major retailers at the White House—those whose businesses are set to bear the brunt of tariffs the White House has temporarily suspended. The Monday meeting was said to have included representatives from Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Target.  By the time markets closed, the S&P 500 and other major US stock indexes had dropped around 2.5% while a gauge of the dollar weakened to a 15-month low. The benchmark 10-year Treasury fell with the yield reaching 4.4%. As investors turned away from US securities, haven assets climbed. Gold jumped to another record, above $3,400 an ounce, while the Swiss franc gained around 1% against the dollar. Here’s your markets wrap. —Natasha Solo-Lyons and David E. Rovella

lousubcap

And this from the Clown Show:

MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2025

David A. Graham STAFF WRITER

A set of scandals and turnover at the Pentagon undermine the already flimsy case for Pete Hegseth’s leadership.

Mixed Signals

Of course Pete Hegseth had other Signal chats. When Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg revealed last month that top Trump administration officials, including the defense secretary, were using the messaging platform to discuss highly sensitive information, such as specific war plans, the fact that they had added a journalist somewhat overshadowed the chat’s existence. The casual tone in the messages that Goldberg received, however, implied that circulating classified details in this way was not surprising or unusual to the people involved. Indeed, The New York Times now reports that Hegseth also shared sensitive attack details in a second Signal chat, this one including his brother, a Pentagon employee surely hired on merit alone, something that Hegseth cares deeply about; his personal lawyer, also on the Pentagon payroll; and his current wife, a former Fox News producer. As the Times dryly noted, “It is not clear why either would need to know about upcoming military strikes aimed at the Houthis in Yemen.” Aides had warned Hegseth not to have sensitive discussions on Signal or on his personal phone, according to the Times’ reporting. At this point, does anyone believe that the two Signal chats we know about are the only Signal chats? The latest article, like Goldberg’s, raises questions about whether highly classified information is really safe. Members of the military expressed anger after the first leak, noting that breaches could put them in danger, and that if they had handled such material the same way, they would have received serious discipline. The broader takeaway is about how dysfunctional the Pentagon already is, just three months into the Trump administration. One of the most quietly stunning phrases of the latest scoop could easily escape notice: “according to four people with knowledge of the chat.” The fact that four separate people were willing to speak about this to the Trump-detested New York Times is an indication of dysfunction, just as the constant stream of leaks from within the first Trump White House laid bare the internecine warfare there. Only last week, three top aides to Hegseth were placed on leave and then fired amid an investigation into other alleged leaks. (The Pentagon has not made clear what, if anything, the men are accused of doing, nor what evidence exists.) Meanwhile, Hegseth’s chief of staff is being reassigned. And yesterday evening, the former Defense Department spokesperson John Ullyot published a column in Politico describing “a month of total chaos at the Pentagon” and “a near collapse inside the Pentagon’s top ranks.” You don’t have to take Ullyot at face value. (In fact, given that he claims that “President Donald Trump has a strong record of holding his top officials to account,” you probably shouldn’t.) He resigned earlier this month, after being the point man defending the removal of a Pentagon webpage devoted to the pioneering Black baseball player (and Army veteran) Jackie Robinson. Whatever motives, ulterior or not, that Ullyot has, his decision to air his complaints publicly is both an indicator and a likely driver of dysfunction. It also puts the lie to Hegseth’s attempt to write off the controversy as a media creation driven by “anonymous sources.” Hegseth was always manifestly unqualified for the job of defense secretary. Set aside the serial infidelity, the accusations of alcohol abuse (which he has denied), and the questions about extremist views: Even without these, he had nowhere near the résumé to run the armed forces. Though he is a veteran, Hegseth had not otherwise worked in government, and the organizations he had run were tiny, especially compared with the Department of Defense. He was picked because he looked good on TV, where he’d been a Fox News personality, and was loyal to the president. Hegseth’s apologists argued that this would be okay. What he needed to do to succeed at the Pentagon, they said, was set broad goals and then leave it to other staffers to implement them. His job was to manage that. (One flaw in that logic was that Hegseth had been accused of mismanagement at two separate nonprofits; Hegseth has denied any accusations.) The rate of turnover at the Pentagon shows that Hegseth is unable to keep the kind of top staff around him necessary to actually run the place. We’ve become accustomed to Keystone Kops routines at the White House, but seeing them crop up at the Pentagon is disturbing. The country can run with a bumbling White House; can it keep itself safe with an inept Defense Department? (Elsewhere in heavy-handed metaphors, a bag belonging to the secretary of Homeland Security was swiped from a restaurant this weekend.) Trump remains outwardly supportive of Hegseth and said today that the new Signal story was a “waste of time.” A secretary facing the scandals that Hegseth has might well have been forced out by now in any other administration—though, to be fair, they might also never have been confirmed or even nominated in the first place. The president’s reluctance to get rid of Hegseth apparently stems from his belief that he let the media push him around too much during his first term, and that if he cans any official who’s under fire, he will only encourage and empower the press. This is a dangerous game to play with national security, though. If Trump is unwilling to take a political loss now, what kind of geopolitical loss does he risk later?"

Botch

I normally avoid this kind of write up anymore, but this was just too on-point.  From fb.
 

On Easter Sunday 2025, two men addressed the world. One had trouble breathing, the other had trouble shutting up. One clung to life long enough to offer a final blessing. The other clung to grievance like a toddler with a toy he’d already broken. And in the space between their words—between grace and bile, between resurrection and resentment—we found the chasm that defines this era.

THE LAST BLESSING

Pope Francis, just days before his death, emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica with the breath of a dying man and the spirit of a giant. Unable to read his own Urbi et Orbi address, he still insisted on standing before the faithful, waving to the crowd, blessing children, offering joy.

“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” he said.

“All of us are children of God.”

His message, read aloud on his behalf, pleaded for peace in Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, and Congo. He called for aid instead of arms, compassion instead of cruelty. He asked the world not to close its doors to migrants and those in need.

He died the next day.

This is what courage looks like. This is what faith sounds like. And this is what a final sermon should be: selfless, human, hopeful.

THE PETTY TYRANT’S PARADE

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic and deep inside his own echo chamber, President Donald Trump spent Easter Sunday spraying venom on Truth Social like a skunk with a grudge.

His opening post tried for warmth:

“Melania and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter!”

But the illusion didn’t last. Soon came the bile:

“Happy Easter to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics who are fighting and scheming so hard to bring Murderers, Drug Lords, Dangerous Prisoners, the Mentally Insane, and well known MS-13 Gang Members and ... .”

And, of course, he couldn't resist revisiting the 2020 election, accusing his opponents of fraud and wishing them a sarcastic "Happy Easter."

No mention of resurrection. No nod to Christ. No humility, no mercy, no grace. Just recycled lies, tired blame, and a Hallmark card dipped in acid.

He didn’t stop there. He attacked Biden. He attacked judges. He called immigrants criminals. He declared himself “the greatest friend that American capitalism has ever had.”

And then, as if it were all normal, he went golfing.

THE RUBRIC: HUMANITY VS. HUBRIS

It would almost be funny if it weren’t so blasphemous. But the contrast doesn’t stop there—it gets louder the closer you listen.

If we grade them on compassion, Francis passes while Trump tantrums.

If we grade them on truth, Francis pleads for it while Trump buries it.

If we grade them on the spirit of Easter—hope, forgiveness, love—Francis embodied it with his final breath. Trump mocked it with his thumbs.

One man spent his last day calling for peace.

The other spent his yelling into the void he created.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO GRIFT

What Francis gave away—blessing, kindness, dignity—Trump has only ever tried to sell. Every Easter post is a sales pitch in a tinfoil halo. Every “God bless” is a dog whistle to the paranoid. And every “Happy Easter” is followed by another tantrum against a judge, a migrant, or a ghost from the 2020 ballot box.

This isn’t faith. It’s performance art for the spiritually bankrupt.

You can’t preach resurrection while fantasizing about revenge.

You can’t invoke Christ while mocking the crucified.

And you sure as hell can’t call yourself a servant of God while suing the prophets and golfing through plagues.

HISTORY TAKES ATTENDANCE

Francis’s final appearance was a moment history will remember—a weak body held upright by moral strength. Trump’s Easter outburst was one more smear on an already stained record.

The Pope asked the world to imagine peace. Trump asked the world to imagine him on the throne again.

One gave his last breath. The other won’t stop breathing threats.

We do not confuse noise with meaning. We do not mistake a megaphone for a message.

One gave a blessing.

The other gave a middle finger.

And one of them had the decency to die with dignity.

TO THE CATHOLICS WHO STILL WORSHIP TRUMP

You don’t get to hide behind “God uses imperfect people.” That line is for those who repent. That’s for sinners who kneel, not tyrants who tweet. You think Jesus would’ve stormed the Capitol in a red hat? You think the man who flipped tables in the temple would pose for a Bible photo op after gassing a crowd?

You call yourself pro-life while cheering on mass deportations.

You take communion while swallowing conspiracy theories whole.

You ignored every single Gospel passage about humility, compassion, and the dangers of wealth—and replaced them with Trump’s golden toilet.

Pope Francis begged us to remember the poor. Trump called them criminals.

And you still chose the guy with the spray tan and a grudge.

Pick a side. Because one of them followed Christ.

And the other thinks he is Christ—minus the love, the sacrifice, or the spine.

lousubcap

Tuesday TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION

"Harvard University yesterday filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s threat to more than $2.2 billion in grants for the school’s research, an escalation of the ongoing fight between the higher education sector and Trump. Michael Casey and Jocelyn Gecker report for AP News.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) yesterday asked the Supreme Court to broaden its weekend order that temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting dozens of Venezuelan migrants using the Alien Enemies Act authority, arguing the court should take up the broader question of whether the administration can lawfully invoke the Act if the United States is not actually at war with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. Ann E. Marimow reports for the Washington Post.

The American Oversight watchog group yesterday broadened its lawsuit against several top national security officials in the Trump administration,asking the court to order the officials to preserve all messages they have sent as part of their official business on Signal following new reports of Defense Secretary Hegseth’s use of the communications app to share detailed military information. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.

In a court filing, the Trump administration yesterday said the Salvadoran government told the U.S. Ambassador for El Salvador that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held at the Centro Industrial facility in Santa Ana, “in good conditions and in an excellent state of health.” Joshua J. Friedman reports.

In his first remarks on the issue since the Supreme Court’s Saturday order blocking summary deportation of migrants, Trump yesterday complained about being “stymied at every turn” by the courts, claiming that it was “not possible” to hold trials for all migrants the administration wants to deport. Rebecca Beitsch and Brett Samuels report for the Hill."