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Courts, Daily Bread, Elections, Musk, Schimel, Sen. Ron Johnson, Susan Crawford, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.25.25: Ron Johnson’s Right (Truly) About Musk & Schimel

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Good morning.

Tuesday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 46. Sunrise is 6:48 and sunset is 7:13, for 12 hours, 25 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 19.5 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Finance Committee meets at 5 PM.

On this day in 1655, Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens.

It’s a week from Election Day, and Ron Johnson’s correct in his recent observation on Brad Schimel’s campaign for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court:

His comments came as he and Schimel joined Musk in a live, half-hour discussion on the social media platform X, which the tech billionaire owns. The conversation took place less than 24 hours after Trump waded into the race with a long-sought endorsement of Schimel.More: All our reporting on the Wisconsin Supreme Court race between Susan Crawford, Brad Schimel

“This is entirely winnable, and you know, if we do win it, again, we have to thank Elon for all the support he’s given this race, and I was really glad to see President Trump throw in his endorsement as well,” Johnson told the 10,000 people on the livestream…..

….

A statement from Crawford’s campaign described the X event as “Elon Musk’s check-in with his $12 million investment.”

“Musk wants a lackey on the Supreme Court who will rule in his company’s favor on their lawsuit against the State of Wisconsin,” said Crawford campaign spokesperson Derrick Honeyman. “Wisconsinites don’t want this slimy and corrupt billionaire running our Supreme Court.”

See Alison Dirr, Elon Musk will be to thank if Brad Schimel wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Ron Johnson says, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 22, 2025.

Crews in the Carolinas fight multiple wildfires:

Business, Daily Bread, Economics, Economy, Free Markets, Tariffs, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.24.25: Retaliatory Tariffs Target Wisconsin Industries

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Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 45. Sunrise is 6:50 and sunset is 7:12, for 12 hours, 22 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 28.7 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Urban Forestry Commission meets at 5:30 PM and the Police and Fire Commission at 6 PM.

On this day in 1603,  Tokugawa Ieyasu is granted the title of shogun from Emperor Go-Yozei, and establishes the Tokugawa shogunate in Edo, Japan.

Sowing, reaping:

Farm and construction equipment manufacturers started the year with high hopes for the economy, bolstered by President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to cut taxes on domestic producers and slash government regulations.

But that optimism has given way to fears of a possible recession, sparked by Trump’s international trade war, said Kip Eideberg, senior vice president for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, a national trade group based in West Allis.

“If we are dragged or pushed into a recession as a result of the tit for tat tariffs, that’s a whole ’nother level of pain,” he said. “That’s the biggest fear right now.”

….

China, Canada and the European Union plan to hit Wisconsin’s two largest industries, agriculture and manufacturing, with retaliatory tariffs. The moves come in response to Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum and his broader threats and use of tariffs.

Almost 10 percent of Wisconsin’s jobs — or nearly 300,000 — were in industries those countries are targeting. That’s the largest share of any state in the country, according to an analysis from The New York Times. 

See Joe Schulz, Retaliatory tariffs target Wisconsin’s top industries, Wisconsin Public Radio, March 21, 2025.

From the New York Times, here’s the portion of the story to which the WPR story refers:

Rural parts of the country are once again at risk from retaliation. Agriculture is a major U.S. export and farmers are politically important to Mr. Trump. And rural counties may have one major employer — like a poultry processing plant — that provides a big share of the county’s jobs, compared with urban or suburban areas that are more diversified.

The retaliatory tariffs target industries employing 9.5 percent of people in Wisconsin, 8.5 percent of people in Indiana and 8.4 percent of people in Iowa. The shares are also relatively high in Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky and Kansas.

See Lazaro Gamio and Ana Swanson, Trade War Retaliation Will Hit Trump Voters Hardest, New York Times, March 15, 2025.

Why humans have puzzle-shaped cells:

The shapes of these cells are puzzling. They have wavy edges and protrusions and fit together a bit like puzzle pieces. But what is it for? New research looking at the lymph capillary cells, found throughout human tissues, has determined how exactly these tiny vessels are able to let fluid and immune cells pass through between them while also being strong enough to resist rupturing under pressure. Their unusual shape seems to be key…

Courts, Daily Bread, Elections, Musk, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.23.25: Musk to Pay $100 for Each Wisconsin Petition Signature

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Good morning.

Sunday in Whitewater will see afternoon showers with a high of 47. Sunrise is 6:52 and sunset is 7:11, for 12 hours, 19 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 38.8 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1933,  the Reichstag passes the Enabling Act of 1933, making Hitler dictator of Germany.

Musk has the money, and says he’ll pay one-hundred dollars for each Wisconsin signatory on a petition his political action committee is circulating:

A political action committee associated with Elon Musk is offering Wisconsin voters $100 if they sign a petition “in opposition to activist judges” and another $100 if they refer another person who signs the petition. The petition requires people to provide a name, address, email and phone number — information that will help the group make further contact with voters.

The group, America PAC, has reported spending more than $7 million in support of Waukesha County Judge Brad Schimel’s campaign for state Supreme Court. Musk himself has contributed more than $13 million to pro-Schimel efforts.

During the campaign, Schimel’s opponent, Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, has accused Musk of trying to buy a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Musk’s company, Tesla, recently filed a lawsuit against the state seeking to change Wisconsin’s law about who can operate car dealerships within the state.

Schimel himself has portrayed himself as a “support network” for President Donald Trump if elected to the Court.

See Henry Redman, Musk PAC offers Wisconsin voters $100 for signing petition against ‘activist’ judges, Wisconsin Examiner, March 21, 2025.

The payment is for a signature in exchange for contact information. The contact information is only useful if those contacted then vote Musk’s way. Those voting Musk’s way are only valuable to Musk if they would not have voted Musk’s way otherwise.

(There might be an opportunity here for people to sign Musk’s petition — whether they choose to ignore any follow-up contact or sign it although they already intend to vote his way — and get paid on Musk’s tab.)

Trekking the blue ice of Perito Moreno in Argentina as world marks World Glacier Day:

Friday marks the first-ever World Glacier Day, an international observance established by the United Nations to raise awareness about the rapid retreat of glaciers worldwide. As experts warn of accelerating ice loss, visitors at Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier watch in awe as massive ice chunks break away and crash into Lake Argentino—a process both natural and symbolic of broader climate concerns. (AP Video/Sara España).

Daily Bread, Faraway Places, Food

Daily Bread for 3.22.25: Pizza Cooked in a Volcano

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Good morning.

Saturday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 43. Sunrise is 6:54 and sunset is 7:09, for 12 hours, 16 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 48.9 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1993, the Intel Corporation ships the first Pentium chips (80586), featuring a 60 MHz clock speed, 100+ MIPS, and a 64 bit data path.

This Pizza is Cooked in a Volcano:

Domino’s, Papa John’s, Pizza Hut… how about Pizza Pacaya? Cue Beryl Shereshewsky. On Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano, Pizza Pacaya offers a unique cooking and dining experience. Chef Mario David García uses the heat from active lava vents to bake pizzas at over 1,800°F, creating a one-of-a-kind cooking method that only a few lucky tourists can experience.

Euclid dark universe detector delivers ‘spectacular new views of the Cosmos’:

Euclid has spotted 26 million galaxies and more in new observations.

Daily Bread, School District

Daily Bread for 3.21.25: Whitewater Superintendent Accepts Position at Pennsylvania School District

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Good morning.

Friday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 54. Sunrise is 6:55 and sunset is 7:08, for 12 hours, 13 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 60.1 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1965,  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leads 3,200 people on the start of the third phase of the successful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

On Wednesday evening, this libertarian blogger posted Manheim Township School Board to Vote on Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty as Next Superintendent. See also Ashley Stalnecker, Manheim Township school board to vote on new superintendent Thursday, Lancaster Online, March 18, 2025.

Last evening, that Pennsylvania school district, located outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania, issued a statement after accepting Caroline Pate-Hefty as their next superintendent.

That full statement appears below:

Manheim Township School District Announces Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty as New Superintendent 

Lancaster, PA – The Manheim Township School District (MTSD) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty as the district’s next Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1, 2025. The Board officially approved her appointment during its regular meeting on March 20, 2025. Dr. Pate-Hefty will lead MTSD under a five-year contract, ensuring continuity and stability as the district continues its commitment to academic excellence and student success. 

The Board’s decision follows an extensive search and selection process that engaged staff, students, parents and guardians, and community members in identifying the qualities most essential in the district’s next leader. 

Dr. Pate-Hefty brings a wealth of experience in educational leadership, having served as Superintendent of the Whitewater Unified School District (WUSD) in Wisconsin for the past five years. During her tenure, she successfully expanded programming for English Language Learners and improved student achievement in reading and math, ensuring all students received the highest quality education. 

Prior to her time at WUSD, Dr. Pate-Hefty served as Executive Director of Student Services in District #89 in Chicago, where she spearheaded legislation to reintegrate 125 students with disabilities into their home schools, ensuring the most inclusive setting. This initiative not only enhanced educational opportunities for students but also resulted in significant cost savings for the district. She was also part of the leadership team that established the Washington Dual Language Academy, which was later recognized as a “commendable school” by the state of Illinois. 

 Dr. Pate-Hefty holds a Doctor of Education degree from National Louis University of Chicago, a Master of Educational Leadership from Concordia University, and a Bachelor of Special Education degree from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. She will be relocating to Manheim Township with her husband and two daughters and looks forward to being closer to her oldest son, who will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall of 2025. 

“I’m truly honored to accept the role of superintendent in Manheim Township,” said Dr. Pate-Hefty. “My family and I are excited to join this incredible community—and we can’t wait to become proud Blue Streaks! Together, we will build on the district’s strong tradition of excellence and remain committed to the achievement of each individual’s potential by providing the opportunities, support, and inspiration every learner deserves!” 

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Pate-Hefty as the next Superintendent of Manheim Township School District,” said Ms. Sara Woodbury, President of the MTSD Board of School Directors.  “Dr. Pate-Hefty is an experienced, data-driven, and strategic superintendent who leads with empathy.  Her proven track record of serving all students and her commitment to excellence make her the right leader for our district.  We are confident that under her guidance, MTSD will continue to thrive and will innovate in ways that challenge and nurture all of our students for success.”

The MTSD Board of School Directors expresses its gratitude to all those who participated in the search process and looks forward to welcoming Dr. Pate-Hefty into the Blue Streaks community.

A reminder to those who will remain in Whitewater, in self-stated public service to the community — Stewart Brand’s famous observation about information is still true:

On the one hand information wants to be expensive, because it’s so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information [almost] wants to be free, because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time. So you have these two fighting against each other.

Choose free.

Cats, Science/Nature

Friday Catblogging: Building the World’s Largest Feline Genetic Database.

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As was earlier completed with dogs’ data, scientists are now building a vast database of cats’ genetic information:

Cat owners are being asked share their pet’s quirky traits and even post researchers their fur in an effort to shed light on how cats’ health and behaviour are influenced by their genetics.

The scientists behind the project, Darwin’s Cats, are hoping to enroll 100,000 felines, from pedigrees to moggies, with the DNA of 5,000 cats expected to be sequenced in the next year.

The team say the goal is to produce the world’s largest feline genetic database.

“Unlike most existing databases, which tend to focus on specific breeds or veterinary applications, Darwin’s Cats is building a diverse, large-scale dataset that includes pet cats, strays and mixed breeds from all walks of life,” said Dr Elinor Karlsson, the chief scientist at the US nonprofit organisation Darwin’s Ark, director of the vertebrate genomics group at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and associate professor at the UMass Chan medical school.

….

Participants from all parts of the world are asked to complete a number of free surveys about their pet’s physical traits, behaviour, environment, and health.

However, at present, DNA kits – for owners to submit fur samples – can be sent only to US residents, and a donation of $150 (£120) for one cat is requested to cover the cost of sequencing and help fund the research.

Karlsson added the team had developed a method to obtain high-quality DNA from loose fur without needing its roots – meaning samples can simply be collected by brushing.

See Nicola Davis, Cat owners asked to share pets’ quirks for genetic study (‘Scientists hope project will shed light on how cats’ health and behaviour are influenced by their genetics’), The Guardian, March 19, 2025.

City, Film

Film: Tuesday, March 25th, 1:00 PM @ Seniors in the Park, A Different Man

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Tuesday, March 25th at 1:00 PM, there will be a showing of A Different Man @ Seniors in the Park, in the Starin Community Building:

Drama/Thriller

Rated R (language, violence)

1 hour, 52 minutes (2024)

This unusual transformation of an “Elephant Man” into a handsome actor earned Sebastian Stan a Golden Globe award for Best Male Performance; it was also Oscar nominated for Best Makeup/Hair. It is an unusual, harrowing film.

One can find more information about A Different Man  at the Internet Movie Database.


Conspiracy Theories, Courts, Daily Bread, Elections, Schimel, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.20.25: Schimel Remixes Yesteryear’s WISGOP Conspiracy Theories

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Good morning.

Thursday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 40. Sunrise is 6:57 and sunset is 7:07, for 12 hours, 10 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 68 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Community Development Authority meets at 5:30 PM.

On this day in 1815,  after escaping from Elba, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule.

Look who’s pushing with yesteryear’s bogus claims:

The Republican-backed candidate in Wisconsin’s closely watched state Supreme Court race has resurfaced long debunked concerns about voting fraud because of the late reporting of ballots in Milwaukee just two weeks before the April 1 election.

Brad Schimel, a former Republican attorney general, spoke of the possibility of “bags of ballots” and fraud in Milwaukee during an interview Tuesday on conservative talk radio. Schimel faces Democratic-backed Susan Crawford in the April 1 election with majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court at stake.

Schimel, in an interview on WISN-AM, said his supporters need to “get our votes banked, make this too big to rig so we don’t have to worry that at 11:30 in Milwaukee, they’re going to find bags of ballots that they forgot to put into the machines.”

Schimel said that happened in 2018 and in November “when (U.S. Senate candidate) Eric Hovde was ahead all night, and then all of a sudden, Milwaukee County changed that.”

What’s the plain truth about how ballots are processed? It’s this:

Milwaukee’s absentee ballots are counted at a central location and reported all at once, often well after midnight on election day. Elections officials for years have made clear that those ballots are reported later than usual due to the sheer number that have to be counted and because state law does not allow them to be processed until polls open.

See Scott Bauer, Republican-backed Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate resurfaces unproven fraud concerns, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 19, 2025.

When the WISGOP loses, it screams against voting counting; when the WISGOP wins, it holds its tongue.

These ‘unproven fraud concerns’ are the work of excuse-makers.

A Baraboo Circus Artist:

Artist Joan Stevens helps preserve Circus World Museum’s historic wagon collection.

School District

Manheim Township School Board to Vote on Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty as Next Superintendent

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Lancaster Online reports that the Manheim Township School Board will vote on the appointment of Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty as its next superintendent on Thursday, 3.20.25.

See Ashley Stalnecker, Manheim Township school board to vote on new superintendent Thursday, Lancaster Online, March 18, 2025.

See also Manheim Township School District, Agenda, Item 8 B, March 20, 2025.

The Manheim Township School District is a suburban district of about 5,000 students located outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Lancaster is a city of about 60,000 residents, located 70 miles west of Philadelphia and about 50 miles southeast of the state capital, Harrisburg.)

Courts, Daily Bread, Elections, Musk, Susan Crawford, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.19.25: Musk’s Fraud on Wisconsin

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Good morning.

Wednesday in Whitewater will be rainy with a high of 42. Sunrise is 6:59 and sunset is 7:06, for 12 hours, 7 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 75.9 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Parks and Recreation Board meets at 5:30 PM.

On this day in 1918,  Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.

The editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes of Musk’s fraudulent mailers attacking Judge Susan Crawford:

If billionaire Elon Musk wants to dump millions on the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race, that’s his prerogative — we’ve come to expect that sort of thing from both sides in a battleground state where control of the court seems to be perpetually in the balance. But, in the interest of voters here, we ask one thing: Be honest about it.

And, above all, do not spread false and malicious information disguised as facts.

Reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Daniel Bice shows we’ve crossed into dangerous territory. A political group funded by Musk manufactured a disinformation campaign against Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge running for a seat on the court April 1.

The disinformation stems from ads, posted on Facebook and delivered in text messages, that are false on two fronts. First, Progress 2028 casts itself as a progressive alternative to the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025. It’s not. Progress 2028 is a front for Building America’s Future, a Musk-funded political nonprofit.

Second, it purports to address things Crawford is supposedly committed to, which are actually hot button issues many voters oppose at the gut-level. This makes it doubly specious, because it cynically tries to create a cloak of authenticity when its real mission is to muddy the waters, then dip into the mud to throw it. 

See Editorial Board, Elon Musk’s despicable disinformation tampers with WI Supreme Court election (‘A political group funded by Elon Musk manufactured a disinformation campaign against Susan Crawford, a Dane County judge running for a seat on the court April 1’), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 19, 2025.

When Elon Musk call for free speech, he calls for his right to lie; when he calls for free speech absolutism, he calls for his right to lie with abandon.

Susan Crawford for Wisconsin:

City, Daily Bread, Elections, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.18.25: Early Voting in Wisconsin Begins

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Good morning.

Tuesday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 63. Sunrise is 7:01 and sunset is 7:05, for 12 hours, 4 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 84.3 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Alcohol and Licensing Committee meets at 5:30 PM. The Whitewater Common Council meets at 6:30 PM.

On this day in 1990, Germans in the German Democratic Republic vote in the first democratic elections in the former communist dictatorship.

Early voting begins today:

Republicans and Democrats fighting for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court will get a sense Tuesday of how energized their sides are with the start of early in-person voting for the hotly contested race.

Voting begins two weeks before the April 1 election between Republican-backed Brad Schimel and Democratic-supported Susan Crawford in a race for an open seat that will determine whether liberals will continue to have a slim majority on the highest court in a crucial presidential battleground.

The race, which has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk and attracted tens of millions of dollars in spending, is seen as a litmus test of how voters are responding to the first months of Trump’s Republican presidency.

See Scott Bauer, Start of early voting in Wisconsin Supreme Court race will test enthusiasm on both sides, Associated Press, March 18, 2025.

In the City of Whitewater, in-person early voting is available at the City Clerk’s Office, 2nd Floor, 312 W Whitewater Street:

When an English speaker likes a German song:

Barbaras Rhubarb Bar (feat. Marti Fischer) — Catchy, very catchy:

Daily Bread, Immigration, Nativism, Trumpism, Wisconsin

Daily Bread for 3.17.25: Nativism Will Rationalize Anything for the Cause

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Good morning.

Monday in Whitewater will be windy with a high of 49. Sunrise is 7:02 and sunset is 7:04, for 12 hours, 1 minutes of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 90.4 percent of its visible disk illuminated.

The Whitewater School Board’s Policy Review Committee meets at 5:30 PM, and the full board goes into closed session shortly after 6 PM, returning into open session at 7 PM. Whitewater’s Library Board meets at 6:30 PM.

On this day in 1776, the British Army evacuates Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, after George Washington and Henry Knox place artillery in positions overlooking the city.

Lauren Villagran reports This Wisconsin man voted for Trump. Now his wife sits in an ICE detention center:

Bradley Bartell and Camila Muñoz had a familiar small-town love story, before they collided with immigration politics.

They met through mutual friends, had a first date at the local steakhouse, married after two years and were saving to buy a house and have kids. Muñoz was already caring for Bartell’s now 12-year-old son as her own.

But last month, on their way home to Wisconsin after honeymooning in Puerto Rico, an immigration agent pulled Muñoz aside in the airport.

“Are you an American citizen?” asked the agent. She answered no, she wasn’t. She’s from Peru. But she and her husband had taken the legal steps so that one day she might get U.S. citizenship.

….

Before agents led her away, Muñoz pulled off her wedding ring, afraid it might get confiscated. She shoved it into her backpack and handed it to Bartell.

He shook as he watched her disappear. He thought, “What the f— do I do?”

Bartell, however, still supports Trump’s overall immigration policy, while his wife is held in detention:

The money the couple saved for a down payment on a home has evaporated into attorneys fees and savings to pay a bond for her release, if she’s given that chance.Both of them have been thinking a lot about Bartell’s vote for Trump.

“I knew they were cracking down,” he said. “I guess I didn’t know how it was going down.”

He imagined the administration would target people who snuck over the border and weren’t vetted.

But his wife, “they know who she is and where she came from,” he said. “They need to get the vetting done and not keep these people locked up. It doesn’t make any sense.”

See Lauren Villagran, This Wisconsin man voted for Trump. Now his wife sits in an ICE detention center, USA Today, March 16, 2025.

Take a Wisconsin nativist’s new bride, hold her detention in Louisiana (for four weeks so far), in a room with eighty others, and let him talk to her by phone now and again.

How does Bartell feel about all this?

“They need to get the vetting done.”

Bradley Bartell is still supportive of Trumpism, while futilely describing a vetting process that now means nothing to the second Trump Administration. Bartell might simply have said that he wants to see his wife again, and said no more. Instead, he endorsed the general deportation policy.

Nativism will rationalize anything for the cause.