There’s a pattern forming here, confirming (partially) my assertion last month that it was just a matter of time before Trump slaps on some tariffs, quickly declares victory and then ends them. … He’s not declaring victory today with his latest round of tariffs, but he is quickly ending/postponing/modifying them amid typical chaos. 

In a WSJ column headlined ‘Snap out of it, Democrats,’ here’s Peggy Noonan’s opening line: “Democrats looked like fools Tuesday night.” … And they did. What idiot thought the insult paddles were a good idea? They looked like something out of a Rexulti television commercial. And don’t get me going on Rep. Al Green’s tirade that got him thrown out of the chamber.  … Unfortunately, I think Noonan is right: Dems are going to be in the political wilderness for a long time if Tuesday night was any indication.

Update – In the battle to move the party to the center on key issues, it looks like Seth Moulton isn’t so alone anymore: “Newsom says trans athletes playing in women’s sports is ‘deeply unfair.’ 

Congressional Republicans had much better things to do yesterday, like, oh, defending the Constitution of the United States of America against a rampaging authoritarian king wannabe. Instead, they chose to go after four lowly Blue State mayors over their sanctuary-city policies. For that reason alone, I was rooting for Mayor Michelle Wu to stuff ‘em at yesterday’s GOP three-ring committee hearing – and that’s precisely what she did. … The Globe’s Joan Vennochi notes Wu’s effective deployment of motherhood, religion and loyalty to blunt the GOP lines of attacks. The holy trinity strategy worked. … And don’t forget the $650K the city spent on lawyers and consultants to prep Wu before yesterday’s testimony. That worked too, for Wu  that is, not taxpayers. 

How sure am I that Wu more than held her own yesterday? The Herald’s coverage downplays Wu’s stage performance, emphasizing instead how Wu and Boston could yet legally and financially suffer as a result of her testimony yesterday. From the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld: “While Wu will come out of the hearing high-fiving with her sycophantic supporters in the media and at City Hall, in the end it won’t be a victory if she or the city doesn’t escape legal trouble.” … Ah, yes. The same Republicans who won’t lift a finger to defend the constitution and congressional prerogatives are determined to make sure Democrats follow the letter of the law when it comes to immigration issues … 

It’s every liberal’s fondest dream and secret hope: Righteously putting down a villain on national television, indignantly shaming the cad before millions and winning moral plaudits far and wide. … It’s what Joseph Welch famously did to Joe McCarthy in 1954 (“Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”) and it’s been part of the liberal catechism ever since. … Mayor Wu used the now-familiar shaming tactic at yesterday’s congressional hearing (“Shame on him …”) – and it seemed to work. Though it did come across as a little stiff and scripted. Maybe the $950/hour prep lawyers suggested she use it?

Just in time for this weekend’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference at the Hynes Center, along comes a Washington Post article on how the “NBA is facing an analytics-fueled crisis,” similar to what Hub Blog was saying last month. … One of the panel discussions at this weekend’s Sloan summit: “Have the Nerds Ruined Basketball?” The short answer: yes. …  The NYT and the Herald’s Bill Speros have more on the upcoming summit 

They’ve unilaterally slashed agency payrolls. Now they’re unilaterally eying the sale of federal buildings across the nation, including nine properties in Greater Boston. … It’s like they’re burning bridges, effectively reducing the chances of rebuilding agencies after Trump is long gone. They’re saying: there’s no going back. … Banker & Tradesman, the BBJ, Contrarian Boston and Universal Hub have more on the latest Trump shock.

Update – What a surprise. More confusion. The Washington Post reports the GSA has suddenly taken down its list of fed buildings to be sold, though officials claim a new list will be “coming soon.”

Via the Atlantic, Marty Baron on his former Washington Post boss, Jeff Bezos:

“For a long while, he fulfilled his promise to the paper and its readers, exceeding my expectations. Then he faltered badly. Now we know that Bezos is no Katharine Graham. It has been sad and unnerving to watch Bezos fall so terribly short of her standard as he confronts the return of Donald Trump to the White House.”

The tariff wars have begun – and the 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy is going to hurt New England, which receives a large chunk of its electricity from hydroelectric facilities in Quebec.… 

Update – Gov. Healey is warning energy bills could ‘skyrocket’ as a result of the new tariffs, WCVB reports. … But when might consumers see higher energy prices? Electric rates don’t change in real-time according to daily price fluctuations. They’re heavily regulated and set on a seasonal basis. There will be a delayed reaction.

Update II – 3.5.25 – From WBUR: “5 ways tariffs on Canada could affect New England energy prices”

The entire letter from Lech Wales to President Trump is devastating, as reported by the NYT. But these lines really stood out to me, regarding Volodymyr Zelensky’s rude treatment last week in the Oval Office:

“Gratitude is due to the heroic Ukrainian soldiers who shed their blood in defense of the values of the free world. We do not understand how the leader of a country that is a symbol of the free world cannot see this.” 

How will the Trump groupies spin this?  … They’ll probably dismiss Walesa as a has-been and ignore it. But you never know. They’re pretty resourceful when it comes to blaming others for the president’s behavior.

Update – From CNN: “Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine.”

I got a kick out of the headline at MassterList.com. … Speaking of the audit resistance, CBS Boston has a story on Beacon Hill’s chief audit resister, Ron Mariano.