From Rush Limbaugh to Jesse James, Missouri has a history of supporting conservatives, but a "No Kings" traffic jam revealed widespread resistance to Trump

"No Kings" protests in St. Louis, MO (See more below.)

Our Legal Schnauzer family had a Saturday unlike anything we had ever experienced. We got stuck in a traffic jam and wound up having a blast. 

How did that happen? It started with a late-morning lunch at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Our route home takes us by one of the major shopping malls in the region, but that doesn't normally cause a bottleneck on a lazy Saturday. But as we approached the mall this time, traffic started slowing down and eventually came to a halt.

As impatient drivers started cutting through side streets, we couldn't figure out what was happening. Finally, we could see that the traffic light ahead was changing, but nobody was moving. As devoted liberals, we knew it was No Kings Day, but in this conservative part of conservative Missouri, we figured that would be a pretty sleepy event. We were delighted to be proved wrong about that.

Why were our expectations low for a day that was all about protesting the policies and incompetence of the Donald Trump administration? Missouri has voted solidly for Trump all three times he has been on a presidential ballot -- 56.8 % to 38.1 % over Hillary Clinton in 2016, 56.8 % to 41.4 % over Joe Biden in 2020, and  58.5 % to 40.1 % percent over Kamala Harris in 2024. In other words, national elections here are as uninteresting as they are in Alabama and most of the Deep South -- with the occasional exception of Georgia or Florida. 

You might say Missouri comes by its conservatism honestly. Right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh grew up in Cape Girardeau in the southeast corner of the state, and upon his death in 2021, his home state moved to establish an annual Rush Limbaugh Day. The legislation passed the Missouri House, but in a sign that state Democrats still have a spine, was removed during negotiations.

In my post about the Limbaugh Day issue, I noted the state also produced a couple of other notorious conservatives -- the outlaw pair of Frank and Jesse James. Heck, I wrote, why not honor them as products  of the state's "Little Dixie" region. This is from my post that essentially drew comparisons between Rush Limbaugh and the James brothers:

Based on the words of [Limbaugh Day supporters], there seem to be two primary reasons for honoring Limbaugh: He gained a certain level of notoriety  in his field, and he was conservative. Is that really the standard for statewide celebrations in Missouri?

If so, why not honor Jesse James? The bank robber and outlaw is from Missouri, and he was good at what he did, earning him notoriety. If he were alive today, he almost certainly would be a Republican; he might be on Trump's cabinet. Let's consider this background info about Jesse James, from his Wikipedia entry:

Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847 – April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and             train robber, guerrilla, and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie" area of         western Missouri, James and his family maintained strong Southern sympathies. He and his                     brother Frank James joined pro-Confederate guerrillas known as "bushwhackers" operating in                 Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. As followers of William Quantrill and                     "Bloody Bill" Anderson, they were accused of committing atrocities against Union soldiers and             civilian abolitionists, including the Centralia Massacre in 1864.

       After the war, as members of various gangs of outlaws, Jesse and Frank robbed banks,                         stagecoaches, and trains across the Midwest, gaining national fame and often popular sympathy            despite the brutality of their crimes. The James brothers were most active as members of their own         gang from about 1866 until 1876, when as a result of their attempted robbery of a bank in                     Northfield, Minnesota, several members of the gang were captured or killed. They continued in crime for several years afterward, recruiting new members, but came under increasing pressure from law enforcement seeking to bring them to justice. On April 3, 1882, Jesse James was shot and killed by Robert Ford, a new recruit to the gang who hoped to collect a reward on James' head and a promised amnesty for his previous crimes. Already a celebrity in life, James became a legendary figure of the Wild West after his death.

Today, we would call Jesse James a "domestic terrorist." But he was "a celebrity in life and a legendary figure in death." And as a Confederate sympathizer and product of "little Dixie," he almost certainly was a conservative -- likely a racist. Heck, sounds like he needs to be honored in his home state.

If Jesse Jesse and Frank James were alive today, Trump probably would make them honorary members of ICE. We saw firsthand evidence on "No Kings Day" that Trump's presidency is not going over so well in Missouri these days.

As we approached the mall on Saturday, my wife Carol (in the passenger seat) could see groups of people holding signs on the sidewalk. Then, she saw people driving pickups with pro-Trump signs in the back. This appeared to be an attempt to harass peaceful protesters, exercising their First Amendment rights -- just what you would expect from Trumpers.

As we passed through the intersection, we could see that sidewalks on both sides of the street were packed with protesters as far as our eyes could see. As we drove slowly ahead, we got a laugh out of numerous signs -- especially those that noted Republican support for pedophiles. As I tried to keep my eyes on the road, Carol waved and spoke with several protesters, including a veteran in uniform. She wanted to make sure they knew we were on their side and appreciated their efforts to stand against glorified fascism. I tried to do my part by letting out a few shouts of "Down with Pedos!" 

According to multiple news reports, perhaps the No. 1 theme of "No Kings Day" 2026 was that it crossed ideological boundaries, with almost half of events held in conservative strongholds, such as this area of Missouri. Based on the throngs we saw packing sidewalks in what has been a Trump-supporting state, it seems unlikely that all of those folks were liberals. We suspect the libs were joined by a sizable number of Republicans who have grown dissatisfied with the chaos and corruption of Trump 2.0.

Might that spell disaster for the GOP in the 2026 midterms, assuming Trump is unable to rig the elections? We certainly hope so. 

"No Kings" protests in Springfield, MO

From liberal enclaves to Republican strongholds, 'No Kings Day' protests were a mix of comedy, exuberance, resistance, and hope -- crossing ideological boundaries

Top signs from "No Kings Day" (Meidas Touch Network -- See more below.)

Attendance estimates from  Saturday's "No Kings Day" protests from around the country paint a hopeful sign for Democrats. But perhaps the most hopeful signs came from evidence that sizable numbers of Republicans joined liberals to voice their displeasure with the policies and incompetence of the Donald Trump administration. This is from a "No Kings" summary at The Other 98%, a progressive Facebook page:

The third No Kings protest just happened. It was the most massive one yet. By far. More than 3,300 events in all 50 states. From New York City, with its 8.5 million residents, to Driggs, Idaho, a town of fewer than 2,000 people in a state Trump won with 66% of the vote.

Almost half the protests took place in Republican strongholds. Texas, Florida, and Ohio each had more than 100 events. Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah were in the double digits. People showed up in places where showing up takes guts.

We will take a closer look at signs the left and right joined hands for this event. But The Other 98% does an  excellent job of describing the exuberance and ideological breadth that has come to define a movement of those willing to fight back against the excesses of the Trump White House and the cowardice of the Republican Party, especially in Congress:

Bruce Springsteen played the flagship rally at the Minnesota State Capitol, the state where ICE agents killed two American citizens and sparked the entire movement. He performed his new single about those killings and told the crowd: "Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America. And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand."

"It's time to say no to kings. It's time to say no to Donald Trump," Robert De Niro told the crowd in New York.

In Washington, hundreds marched past the Lincoln Memorial carrying signs reading "Put down the crown, clown" and "Regime change begins at home." Providence, R.I., alone drew an estimated 20,000. Massachusetts had more than 160 events. Philadelphia shut down roadways. Chicago packed Grant Park.

And it went global. Thousands marched in Rome. Paris had its own rally. Protests popped up across more than a dozen countries.

Estimated attendance for "No Kings Day" events in the United States was 8 to 9 million. Why did people show up in such numbers? That question was posed to a number of individuals at sites around the country:

One protester in Minneapolis kept it simple when asked why he came out: "Democracy is under threat." Another held a sign that said "So bad, even introverts are here."

The White House dismissed it all as the product of "leftist funding networks" with little real public support. Millions of people in the streets across all 50 states and a dozen countries. Little real public support.

They're scared. They should be. This movement started last summer. It grew in the fall. And yesterday it got bigger than anyone predicted. That's not fizzling. That's building.

Red towns showed up. Blue cities showed up. Small towns in Alaska showed up. Rural Montana showed up. This isn't a coastal elite thing anymore. This is everywhere. This is everyone.

What about the bipartisan nature of Saturday's protests? On the surface, it appears to be bad news for Republicans. Nina Giraldo, of CNN, takes a closer look at the issue:

“No Kings” protesters marched through suburbs, major cities and small towns across the US, carrying signs and showing off inflatable costumes. Almost half of protests took place in GOP strongholds, according to event organizers.

Texas, Florida and, Ohio each had more than 100 events scheduled, and states like Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah had events in the double digits, organizers said. One of the most far-flung demonstrations took place in the Alaskan community of Kotzebue.

A litany of rural, red-leaning communities participated in the “No Kings” movement for the first time -- from Seward, Alaska, to East Glacier Park, Montana.

Here were some other red states that saw protests today:

• Texas: Protesters marched in Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth, many listening to music, chanting and holding signs over their heads. CNN saw thousands gather near Dallas City Hall, where speakers denounced Trump administration policies from a stage. Officers detained one person in Dallas, according to the city’s police, although it is unclear why -- or whether they were a counter-protester.
• Georgia: Protesters lined the road leading into Jekyll Island on the state’s coast, waving American flags and carrying signs. The protest received mostly positive feedback.
• Florida: The crowd of “No Kings” protesters in Boynton Beach, Florida, was “very enthusiastic” and “for the most part pretty peaceful,” said the city’s vice mayor, Thomas Turkin. In neighboring city West Palm Beach, about 50 supporters of President Donald Trump engaged in verbal altercations with protesters, some flashing “Proud Boys” caps, T-shirts and flags.

 

Officials keep Donald Trump entertained by spoon-feeding him "war porn" that features "stuff blowing up," while president blames Pete Hegseth for Iran war

America's war-time "leadership," in the form of President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, is woefully unprepared for the conflict it started with Iran, according to a post at Facebook from longtime Alabama attorney and entrepreneur Donald V. Watkins. It is titled "Trump and Hegseth were unprepared for war." Trump is such a dazed warrior that he allows his staff to spoon-feed him daily videos of war highlights that apparently are designed to give our president the false impression that he is winning the war.

Watkins long has been known in legal circles as one of the nation's leading practitioners in a variety of areas, especially criminal defense and civil rights. He is retired from law and now lives in California, but he remains engaged with the public on a number of fronts. One is investigative journalism, where he has broken dozens of important stories on corruption in the American South, especially in regards to  Southern Company -- the second largest utility in the U.S., and its affiliates in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.  

The public especially should be aware of Watkins' in-depth reporting on cost overruns and shoddy workmanship at Southern Company facilities in Georgia and Mississippi. Watkins describes the Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in Waynesboro, GA, as a "nuclear radiation and contamination deathtrap." Construction of the Kemper coal gasification plant in Mississippi was so far over budget and behind schedule that Southern Company abandoned the project and demolished what had been built. 

Beyond journalism, Watkins remains active in business, especially in the energy sector, where he has far-flung interests in Africa, with experiences in the Middle East. Watkins cites these connections as the basis for his reporting on the U.S.-Israel joint attack on Iran, which includes multiple reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dead, killed by an Iranian missile strike on his home early in the war. 

Watkins recently reported on his introduction to intelligence gathering in the Middle East, which has helped inform his journalism on Netanyahu's death and related stories. We will have more on these subjects in upcoming posts. 

For now, let's report on the pitiful state of America's haphazard war effort in Iran. Watkins writes:

The New York Times reports that many of the 13 military bases in the Middle East that were used by American troops are all but uninhabitable. The ones in Kuwait, which is next door to Iran, have suffered perhaps the most damage.

Iranian officials have even accused the U.S. military of using civilians as human shields by putting American troops in hotels.

President Donald Trump is not getting the full picture of how badly this war is going for him. Instead, Trump is getting a highlight reel of war porn, as he watches our tax dollars blow things up for two minutes every day.

After two decades of watching America uncontestedly bomb the poorest people in the world, Trump and Pete Hegseth couldn’t even conceive of an enemy with a sophisticated military and the ability to fight back, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Trump and Hegseth took no preparations and expected no reprisals. They didn't evacuate anyone from the Middle East until AFTER the war had started. They didn't bother to prepare current U.S. officials, and a former official told the news outlet that the president is being fed a daily video mash-up summarizing the most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours of the military operation in the Middle East, now in its fourth week. 

The footage depicts “stuff blowing up,” one official revealed, while others said Trump’s allies are concerned that the clips may not fully capture the overall situation on the ground.  

Trump and Hegseth attacked Iran because they are cowards and bullies. They thought that they could impose their will on Iran by simply killing one old man.

They were wrong, and now they’ve started a fire that they cannot put out with lies and bombs.

As for the war porn that apparently keeps Trump entertained and ill informed, The Daily Beast and Yahoo! News, in a jointly published report, provide more details under the headline "Childish Way Trump's Officials Brief Him on War is Leaked": 

Donald Trump’s top war goons are briefing the president with two-minute-long highlight reels showing front-line victories in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, U.S. officials told NBC News.

Three current U.S. officials and a former official told the news outlet that the president is being fed a daily video mash-up summarizing the most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours of the military operation in the Middle East, now in its fourth week.

The footage depicts “stuff blowing up,” one official revealed, while others said Trump’s allies are concerned that the clips may not fully capture the overall situation on the ground.

A current official said Trump is shown a condensed video montage because “we can’t tell him every single thing that happens.” The official added that the videos tended to emphasize U.S. successes, as those segments typically received a better response from the president’s aides.

The revelation comes at a time when the Trump administration faces backlash for sharing bizarre video-game mashups of the Trump administration’s lethal strikes on Iran. Trump’s team has dished out countless clips that verge on the gamification of real-life combat since launching coordinated strikes with Israel on Iran on February 28. 

The use of edited combat footage reflects a broader trend in modern warfare, where curated clips of battlefield victories are used to shape public perception. In the Ukraine-Russia war, both sides have circulated visually compelling videos of strikes and front-line operations to showcase battlefield success, generate clicks and social media buzz, support recruitment efforts, and project strength to adversaries.

According to Politico, one senior official bragged that the Trump administration’s videos racked up more than 3 billion impressions within four days. 

The U.S. war effort sounds like a combination of "Gamer" and "Weekend at Bernie's." At first thought, that hardly is comforting. But upon further review, Americans might be better off with Trump kept in the dark. After all, when is the last time he showed he can run anything with some semblance of competence? I'm not sure that has ever happened.

(To be continued)

The curious timing of oil stock trades related to Trump announcement on the war in Iran could spark a White House scandal driven by "mind-blowing corruption"

(India Today)

A large oil stock trade that happened just before President Donald Trump announced a pause on energy-related strikes in Iran shows signs of being insider trading and "mind-blowing corruption," one U.S. senator says. 

The Hill reports on what could be a brewing White House scandal under the headline "Murphy on $1.5-billion stock trade before Trump Iran announcement: 'Mind blowing corruption.'" Ashleigh Fields writes:

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Monday drew attention to an unusually large oil stock trade that occurred moments before President Trump announced a five-day pause on previously threatened energy infrastructure strikes in Iran, indicating it appeared to be a case of insider trading.

In an X post highlighted by Murphy, a stock market watcher said, “In one move, $1.5 billion in S&P 500 (ES) futures was bought while $192 million in oil (CL) futures was sold.”

“$1.5 BILLION. Let me say it again – a $1.5 BILLION BET. Bigger than any futures purchases made at the time. 5 minutes before Trump’s post,” Murphy wrote in his own post. 

“Who was it? Trump? A family member? A White House staffer? This is corruption. Mind blowing corruption,” he added.

Much remains unknown about what transpired, but for now, the story revolves around numbers -- those in the stock market and those on the clock. Activity in a 16-minute window likely will become the focus of Senate investigators. What might Trump's own Department of Justice (DOJ) do about a trade emitting foul odors right under their noses. Attorney General Pam Bondi has shown she is more interested in breaking the law than enforcing the law -- so we don't look for federal "crime fighters" to do anything. Fields writes:

At least 6 million barrels of Brent and West Texas Intermediate were sold between 6:49 a.m. and 6:51 a.m. on Monday, according to Bloomberg. Trump’s post was made at 7:05 a.m. 

International markets including Germany’s DAX Index Futures and the Euro Stoxx 50 Index Futures also saw unusual spikes in trades, Bloomberg reported. 

Oil and gasoline prices had been rising globally since the U.S. and Israel began their strikes on Iran, but they dropped quickly in the wake of Trump’s Monday announcement.

Insider trading has drawn the bipartisan attention of Congress for several years. But proposed legislation largely has focused on members of Congress and their family members. Meanwhile, the best-known case of insider trading came in 2004 and involved famed "domestic diva" Martha Stewart, who was convicted on three charges related to insider training and served five months in federal prison. 

What will happen in the evolving Trump-related case? That is an unknown at the moment, but Sen. Murphy appears to be taking it seriously, and the thought of a presidential administration seeking to profit off its own war is, to use Murphy's term, "mind blowing." Could a president and/or his associates really be that reckless and greedy? From day one, especially in its second term, the Trump administration has been about breaking norms -- and usually getting away with it. Could somebody finally pay a price? We hope you will stay tuned. Let's close with final words from The Hill, and Ashleigh Fields writes:

Murphy’s post draws attention to a broader concern among lawmakers about politicians and their families using their access to make more informed trades.

Earlier this year, House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) introduced a bill seeking to ban members of Congress from buying new stock but allow them to keep what they already own.

It would also require lawmakers to file a public notice with the clerk of the House at least seven days before they choose to sell an existing stock. 

Last year, Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) introduced a bill that would prohibit lawmakers, their spouses, dependent children and trustees from owning, buying or selling individual stocks.

Democrats have also pushed specifically for legislation that would prevent the president and vice president from insider trading. 

President Trump urged Congress to pass legislation on the matter during his State of the Union address.

On Monday, Kalshi and Polymarket said they will roll out new insider trading restrictions that preemptively “block politicians, athletes, and other relevant people from trading in certain politics and sports markets.”

Andy Borowitz is a funny guy -- especially when it comes to roasting Trump -- but his take on aviation safety shows there is risk to putting the GOP in charge

Andy Borowitz

Andy Borowitz's comedy credentials are lengthy and impressive. The Washington Post has called him "America's finest fake-news creator and one of its sharpest political satirists." I have the good fortune to count Borowitz among my Facebook friends, and I can confirm that The Post nailed it on both counts.

It turns out that Borowitz also has a keen eye for serious subjects, providing incisive analysis on current events, public affairs, and politics. In fact, his commentary this week on aviation safety is one of the smartest takes I've seen on Sunday's fatal runway crash at New York City's LaGuardia Airport.

We will have more on that in a moment, but let's take a closer look at Borowitz's flair for the comedic, which has fueled his rise in the literary firmament.

One of my favorite activities each day is to scroll through the news feed on my Facebook page in search of the latest from Borowitz. Invariably, I am rewarded with several LOL-inducing gut-busters. In an age when many of us are fighting off Trump-induced PTSD, Borowitz's contributions to mental health are deeply appreciated. Here are some of his classics:

* The Baby Jesus was the last homeless person Republicans liked.

* Maybe this is crazy, but I think the right to own a gun is trumped by the right not to be shot by one.

* Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day; give a man Twitter, and he will forget to eat and starve to death.

When it comes to skewering Donald Trump, nobody does it better than Borowitz. In fact, the only good thing about the Trump presidency is getting to revel in the almost-daily beatdown Borowitz administers to our "Putrid Pumpkin of a President." For example:

* The 30% who still approve of Trump are either in a coma or in his cabinet.

* Of all the heinous things Trump has done, I will never forgive him for making me side with Rupert Murdoch.

* So despite what Trump has been saying, Iran has not been talking to him about ending the war. You have to feel sorry for him. Usually when he wants to get out of a war he just visits a podiatrist

* Think about it . . . The Republicans have gone from Abraham Lincoln to Sarah Palin to Donald Trump. No wonder they don't believe in evolution.

Borowitz is a funny guy, but he has serious comedy cred. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and was president of Harvard Lampoon, the university's 150-year-old undergraduate humor magazine. Alumni of Harvard Lampoon founded National Lampoon, which spawned a series of classic comedy movies, including Animal House, Vacation, and Caddyshack.

He created the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched Will Smith's career, and wrote for The Facts of Life TV series. In 1998, Borowitz became a contributing writer for The New Yorker magazine, and his essay -- "Emily Dickinson, Jerk of Amherst" -- was selected as one of the funniest pieces in the magazine's history.

In 2011, Library of America chose Borowitz to edit a book of American humor, The 50 Funniest American Writers: An Anthology from Mark Twain to The Onion. It was a best seller on the date of publication and became the No. 1 humor book in the United States, reaching the best-seller lists at The New York Times and  The Wall Street Journal.

As for Borowitz's serious side, his Facebook post dated 3/23/26 reflects his ability to tackle a subject straight off the front pages. It is so good, in fact, that I'm going to run it in full, with no additives from me. It includes a tad of humor, mostly in the form of well-timed digs at Donald Trump. But this is a work that would fit on any newspaper op-ed page. I learned a lot from it, and I think you will come away with a deeper appreciation for events leading to a tragedy on a New York runway. The basic theme: There are life-and-death costs to putting Republicans in charge. Borowitz writes:

Since airline safety is on the minds of many Americans traveling right now, it’s worth examining Donald Trump’s actions regarding it.

On the second day of his second term, Donald Trump fired the entire membership of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.

You might wonder why Trump thought eliminating people who keep the skies safe was a good idea.

To the extent that Donald Trump has thoughts, they’re not original. His anti-immigrant rhetoric, for example, owes a debt to a prominent German political leader of the 1930s and '40s. And his decision to axe air-safety advisors calls to mind the wrecking ball that Ronald Reagan wielded on August 5, 1981, when he fired 11,345 air traffic controllers in one fell swoop.

For decades, anti-union Republicans have hailed Reagan’s draconian response to the strike by members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) as the beginning of the end of the American labor movement. But it was also the beginning of a crisis in air safety.

Joseph A. McCartin, a Georgetown professor and author of Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike That Changed America, writes, “Reagan’s decision to ban all strikers meant that it took years for the system to come back to its pre-strike staffing levels.” That system is still reeling.

According to a 2023 report, “Ensuring adequate staffing and training for air traffic controllers—an essential part of maintaining the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS)—has been a challenge for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), especially at the Nation’s most critical facilities.”

Who issued this alarming report? The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General. Trump purged more than a dozen inspectors general early in his second term. Department of Transportation Inspector General Eric Soskin was among them.

There you go again.