The LuLac Edition #5, 618, April 2nd, 2026

 

AMERICA IN SPACE 

@ 53 YEARS LATER 

When I first started this blog, the last thing I was ever expecting to write was about a trip to the moon. I was in high school the last time we went there.  NASA's long-awaited Artemis II mission has launched four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon. The rocket lifted off at 6:35 p.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The crew — NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — are the first people to launch toward the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, more than 50 years ago. They are also first astronauts that NASA's giant Space Launch System rocket has ever launched into space.

The mission does not include a lunar landing; rather, it is designed as a step toward a landing in 2028, and eventually, toward NASA’s goal of establishing a long-term presence on the moon and building a base there. When they circle the moon, the Artemis II crew members could reach a greater distance from Earth than anyone has before.

NBC News' Denise Chow, Tom Costello, Aaron Gilchrist, Tom Llamas, Ryan Chandler and Jesse Kirsch are on the ground for the launch in Cape Canaveral.  (LuLac, NBC) 

 

THE TRUMP 

SPEECH

NOTHING NEW

 

Donald Trump has a problem. He wants to GIVE UP but doesn’t know how.  Trump tells nation that Iran is no longer a threat.  President Trump reiterated that the U.S. is nearing completion of its objectives in Iran and that the country is no longer a threat. He emphasized the need for regime change and promised to hit Iran "extremely hard" in the coming days. Trump's speech was a continuation of his previous statements, where he had indicated that the war in Iran was "nearing completion" and that the U.S. would bring Iran back to the "stone ages" where they belong. The speech was a significant update on the ongoing conflict and the administration's strategy moving forward.

Two takeaways. We are not getting control of the strait. More importantly it was a Schizophrenic talk where he told the nation that we were going to bomb Iran into the stone age but have peace talks with them too.

WHAT HE DON’T KNOW ABOUT HUMAN NATURE! Every goal he set, he’s Bcked away from. TACO is the defining word in this case.

  

TRUMP SAYS HE DOESN'T "CARE ABOUT" ENRICHED NUCLEAR MATERIAL IN IRAN

 

In a phone interview with Reuters, President Trump said he doesn't "care about" the enriched nuclear material in Iran, insisting the U.S. can monitor the situation from a distance.

Asked about Iran's enriched uranium it still has, Mr. Trump said, "That's so far underground, I don't care about that."

"We'll always be watching it by satellite," he added.

Iran's enriched uranium, hidden in deep underground tunnels, would likely require further enrichment to be able to be used for nuclear purposes.

The president and his top administration officials have repeatedly said a goal of the war is preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

Securing Iran's enriched uranium would likely require a risky and dangerous operation of U.S. troops. The White House hasn't ruled out putting U.S. boots on the ground but also  hasn’t been clear as to what he is doing.

 

TRUMP GOES TO COURT IN

INTIMIDATION TRY

The Supreme Court is casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship in a consequential case that was magnified by Trump’s unparalleled presence in the courtroom.

Conservative and liberal justices on Wednesday questioned whether Trump’s order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens comports with either the Constitution or federal law.

Trump, the first sitting president to attend arguments at the nation’s highest court, spent just over an hour inside the courtroom for arguments made by the Republican administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General D. John Sauer. The president departed shortly after lawyer Cecillia Wang began her presentation in defense of broad birthright citizenship.

Trump rode to the Court to attend the oral arguments. It kind of reminded me of a gang boss going to court to intimidate a witness.

The case frames another test of Trump’s assertions of executive power that defy long-standing precedent for a court that has largely ruled in the president’s favor — but with some notable exceptions that Trump has responded to with starkly personal criticisms of the justices. A definitive ruling is expected by early summer.

Perhaps the most cogent question came from the most junior justice Jackson who asked “Is this happening in the delivery room?” Justice Brown-Jackjson, drilling down into the logistics of how the government would actually figure out who’s entitled to citizenship and who’s not.

Trump heard his legal advocate face one skeptical question after another. Justices asked about the legal basis for the order and voiced more practical concerns. (LuLac, AP)

 

TRUMP SHOCKER! NOT!

ON THE WRONG SIDE OF GOD

 

As the Supreme Court is weighs a challenge to the protected principle that virtually every child born in the United States is a U.S. citizen. Birthright citizenship offers individuals the chance to be fully recognized as part of this nation and is central to who we are as a country. Without birthright citizenship, babies born 30 days after the President’s executive order would be denied citizenship, legal identity, and basic protections if their parents are in the U.S. temporarily or are undocumented.

We, as faith-based organizations, affirm support for birthright citizenship and the belonging and security it means–for children, their families, and our country going back more than a century. Leaders across faith traditions  shared these responses:

“At the core of birthright citizenship is who we are as a nation. For over 150 years our Constitution has provided full citizenship for anyone born in this nation,” said Rev. Noel Andersen, National Field Director of Church World Service and Co-Chair of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition. “As a Christian, I remember the sacred text of Mark 10:14 in which Jesus says, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ Our society will be judged on how we treat the children and how we value those placed on the margins. Each child deserves the right of full citizenship and the opportunity to stay united with their parents. Faith communities are united across traditions to ensure these rights continue to be the law of the land.” (Interfaith Immigration Coalition, LuLac)

 

 

BRESNAHAN VOTES TO DEPORT BENEFIT FRAUDSTERS, PROTECT TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND CRACK DOWN ON ABUSE

This week, U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08) voted in favor of H.R. 1958, the Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026, legislation to crack down on fraud and abuse in federal benefit programs by ensuring individuals who illegally exploit these systems are held accountable and removed. The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 231-186. 

“These programs are here to help our most vulnerable, and they are being exploited by individuals who are here illegally and committing fraud, plain and simple,” said Rep. Bresnahan. “This bill sends a clear message: if you come to this country and abuse taxpayer-funded programs, there will be real consequences. I’m fighting to protect taxpayer dollars, restore integrity to these programs, and make sure resources go to the hardworking families in Northeastern Pennsylvania who follow the rules.”

The Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026 closes a dangerous loophole in current law that has allowed individuals convicted of benefit fraud to stay in the country and continue receiving immigration benefits. This bill makes sure federal agencies work together and that those who commit fraud face real consequences.

For families in Northeastern Pennsylvania who rely on programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and other safety net services, protecting these resources is critical. Allowing fraud and abuse to go unchecked threatens the long-term stability of these programs and undermines trust for those who depend on them.

“Families across NEPA play by the rules, and they rightfully expect their government to do the same,” continued Bresnahan. I will not tolerate a system where bad actors game the system while honest families struggle to make ends meet. This legislation is about accountability, fairness, and making sure federal programs serve the people they were created for, not those looking to exploit them.”

Editor’s note: The fact that 186 people voted no on this tells me this legislation was a MAGA stunt. I know Bresnehan never had to get food stamps or benefits but it is a rigorous process and takes time. If you are an American citizen, it is a daunting process. Once and for all, illegals CAN’T GET BENEFITS. Do scammers need to go to jail? Absolutely but show me proof of fraud for illegals.

 

 

AMERICA250PA CELEBRATES WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WITH CONVERSATION FEATURING PENNSYLVANIA'S FIRST LADIES AND DR. JILL BIDEN

 

First Lady Lori Shapiro participates in America250PA's Women's History Month luncheon and panel for a conversation on leadership, legacy, and women's contributions to the story of America's 250th anniversary with former First Ladies of Pennsylvania and former First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden.

Former First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden joins First Lady Lori Shapiro and former First Ladies of Pennsylvania in America250PA's Women's History Month luncheon and panel for a conversation on leadership, legacy, and women's contributions to the story of America's 250th anniversary.

 

America250PA hosted a special Women's History Month Luncheon and Panel at the Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts, featuring distinguished women in public life discussing service, leadership, and the civic values guiding Pennsylvania's future.

The event brought together Pennsylvania's First Ladies-past and present-Lori Shapiro, Frances Wolf, and Michele Ridge, along with Dr. Jill Biden, former First and Second Lady of the United States and a proud Pennsylvania native. The conversation was moderated by actress and author Melissa Fitzgerald, another Pennsylvania native best known for her role on The West Wing.

"I was honored to join this incredible group of First Ladies who have served our Commonwealth and our country. Pennsylvania women have made a huge impact on our communities and been driving forces for positive change-going back to the founding of Pennsylvania and Hannah Penn, who played a major role in building and leading this Commonwealth," said Pennsylvania's First Lady Lori Shapiro. "During Women's History Month, we honor the generations of Pennsylvania women who laid the foundation for the work we do today. As First Lady, I'm inspired by the women I meet all across the Commonwealth who are bringing people together and making a difference in their communities."

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WVIA PUBLIC MEDIA

WALN

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River.

 

THE LAURIE CADDEN SHOW

Tune in every Saturday morning at 9am for The Laurie Cadden Show on WILK FM 103.1 and AM 980 and 910. Laurie’s program has been a northeastern Pennsylvania mainstay every Saturday. Tune in to hear her insights and take on local issues as well as entertaining and informative interviews.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

 

 

 

BEATLE EDD’S FAB FOUR MUSIC HOUR

Tune in every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.

 

THE LULAC TIME MACHINE

KING SHOT, DIES

April 1968

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, was a tragic event that shocked the nation and the world. King, a prominent civil rights leader, was shot while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. '' The shooter, James Earl Ray, was later arrested and confessed to the crime. Despite Ray's confession, there have been ongoing discussions and investigations into the possibility of a conspiracy involving the U.S. government, the mafia, and the Memphis police. The King family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Loyd Jowers, who alleged involvement in the assassination. The case remains unresolved, with the jury's finding in 1999 being disputed by the United States Department of Justice in 2000 due to a lack of evidence.  

The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most significant events in the history of the civil rights movement and continues to be a subject of debate and study and this week in 1968 the number one song in LuLac land and America was 1 (Sittin’ On) the dock Of the Bay” by Otis Redding.

 

 

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 617, Aoril 1st, 2026

 

 

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

Our “Write on Wednesday” logo

This week we look at the terrible leadership of the Republican party-controlled Congress and their refusal to do the basic stuff of governing. IKt seems like they are on a suicide mission to destroy themselves. When their counterpart majority in the Senate voted unanimously to pay the airport workers. But the pipsqueak Speaker Mike Johnson said ir was a joke. But as this columnist indicates, Johnson took the hard way instead of the easy route.

MIKE JOHNSON

 

 OWNS THE DHS SHUTDOWN

THE SPLIT BETWEEN HOUSE AND SENATE REPUBLICANS SHOWCASES HOW ILL-EQUIPPED THE MODERN GOP IS TO GOVERN.

Last week should have brought an easy win for congressional Republicans. An end was in sight to the partial government shutdown that has left the Department of Homeland Security without funding for more than six weeks. The Senate approved a deal that would reopen DHS without yielding to Democrats’ demand for new limits on President Donald Trump’s deportations efforts. Small wonder that GOP senators felt comfortable flying home for a two-week-long break.

But then Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The House snubbed the Senate’s bill and passed its own before likewise skipping town. In doing so, Johnson managed to intensify the pressure on Republicans to find some way out of the ongoing stalemate. Moreover, the speaker gave voters another reason to doubt that Republican lawmakers even remember how to govern after decades of letting those skills ossify.

The speaker gave voters another reason to doubt that Republican lawmakers even remember how to govern

The deal that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., crafted was a subtle acknowledgement from both parties that an exit strategy was needed. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had held his caucus together in vote after vote as lines at airports stretched longer and longer. The White House had moved only slightly toward Democrats during weeks of negotiations over new guardrails for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Something had to give.

The Senate-passed bill acted as a face-saving measure for all sides involved, funding all of DHS except ICE and portions of Border Patrol. Had the House not revolted, Republicans could have moved past a partial shutdown that was now very much in the spotlight. ICE and Border Patrol could still draw funding from the massive pot of money the agencies received last year. And Democrats would be able to tell their voters that they had added no new money to Trump’s deportation efforts.

After the deal passed the Senate by unanimous consent early Friday morning, it could have been quick work for the House to take up the measure. Instead, Johnson refused to bring the bill to the floor. “I have to protect the House, and I have to protect the American people,” he told reporters before putting forward the exact same short-term funding bill that Democrats have already rejected repeatedly.

An open vote would probably have produced a bipartisan majority ready to bring this whole affair to a close. As Punchbowl News noted, “this episode illustrates how adrift the GOP-run Congress is when Trump remains on the sidelines.” The internal politics of Johnson’s minuscule majority means that backing down on his demands that ICE and Border Patrol receive full funding could prompt a right-wing revolt. One round of calls from the president could have been enough to seal the deal — but those calls never came.

Rather than taking the off-ramp present, the House has chosen to careen headlong towards a dead end

Left to his own devices, Johnson opted to follow the lead of his most conservative bloc, throwing a tantrum and setting up a needless struggle with colleagues across the Capitol. Despite his calling the Senate’s measure a “joke,” the only laughter is coming from relieved Democrats. In rejecting Thune’s compromise, Johnson has reframed the fight from one between the parties into an intraparty struggle. Rather than taking the off-ramp present, the House has chosen to careen headlong toward a dead end.

A memo Trump signed Thursday ordering DHS to find the funds to pay Transportation Security Administration staffers may reduce some of the pressure on Republicans. It’s unclear, however, exactly which pool that money is coming from and how many rounds of paychecks will be covered. Without a bill to guarantee more funding, the backlash to leaving about 50,000 TSA workers in the lurch again could be substantial.

Meanwhile, White House immigration czar Tom Homan said Sunday that ICE agents deployed to busy airports may remain in place despite Trump’s order. The ongoing security theater only serves as a constant reminder to travelers of what’s at stake with this shutdown and why Democrats refused to fund DHS in the first place.

It’s hard to see what other proposal beyond the one Thune and Schumer assembled could break the impasse at this point. Democrats will not back unconditional new funding to Trump’s deportation forces, not without fettering their lawlessness. Too many House Republicans have grown used to being an opposition party, no matter who controls the chamber, to take a clear win.

Johnson likewise is too worried about staving off his right-flank to lead them to accept it. The status quo is unlikely to change before the end of Congress’ spring break, at which point all eyes will be on Johnson and his caucus to come up with a solution to a problem that could have been solved already.

 

Hayes Brown

Hayes Brown is a writer and editor for MS NOW. He focuses on politics and policymaking at the federal level, including Congress and the White House.

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 616, March 31st, 2026

 

 

DOESN’T THIS GUY LIKE ANYBODY?

Jamie Walsh voted AGAINST Black History Month.  Okay, not a big constituency there. Not inclusive either but  a move that seems to border on America first to the extreme. After all, we did have to import the help and then instead of thanking them, we bought and sold them until ironically enough a non MAGA Republican by the name of Lincoln set them free.

But now he voted against Irish celebrations. Wait a minute! Walsh. Somewhere the late Scranton Mayor James Walsh and Common Pleas Judge of Lackawanna County is scratching his head.

But in HR 395 St. Patrick’s Day Pennsylvania House Resolution 395 (HR 395) is a ceremonial resolution that recognizes and honors St. Patrick’s Day and Irish heritage in Pennsylvania.

What it does:

•      Designates March 17, 2026, as “St. Patrick’s Day” in Pennsylvania.

•      Celebrates Irish-American contributions to the state’s history, culture, and economy.

•      Acknowledges the importance of Irish heritage, including traditions, community impact, and historical influence.

•      Often highlights parades, cultural events, and civic pride tied to the holiday.

Bottom line:

HR 395 doesn’t create law or regulations—it’s a symbolic measure used by the legislature to officially recognize and celebrate Irish heritage and St. Patrick’s Day across the state. 

 House Roll Call Vote Summary #855 | 2025-2026 Regular Session - PA House of Representatives

First it was Black History Month, then the Irish folks favorite month, next is April and holy shit, Earth Day. Unless he of course wants to dislike Passover and Easter! 

Walsh is running in the 117th for another term. He won by 3 votes last time. Bill Jones is running against him.  

 

RICK GAZENSKI

Wilkes-Barre lost a good man last week and he was buried yesterday. Rick Gazenski was a well respected businessman, politico, music lover (he never missed a Rockin’ the River concert) or a baseball game for his children and grandchildren. Rick was the city administrator in the last year of Mayor Tony George’s term. It was there that I got to see firsthand the measure of the professional and person. He’d stop in my office and we’d talk about politics and music. One day we were talking about a Temptations concert in 1989 when all the band members were reunited. Rick was in row 2 at the Kirby and I was in row 4. The late David Ruffin announced that as a special treat, he was going to invite the first guy up on the stage to sing “My Girl” with him and the Temps. I was ready to make my move but by the time I got my (at the time) 300 pound ass up, Rick was on the stage with Ruffin. I reminded him of that many, many times.

At Rick’s wake at McLaughlin’s, the Turtles and 1960 music was playing in the background.  And I’d like to believe that somewhere in musical heaven, Melvin Franklin is calling out to David Ruffin, “Hey Ruff, there’s that  righteous dude from Wilkes-Barre  you sang with, want me to send him over?” 

RIP sir!

 

SINCE ITS HOLY WEEK

Here’s  snapshot of Trump’s approval ratings

Catholics & Protestants: Trump’s approval has turned negative among Catholics (48% approve vs. 52% disapprove) and Protestants (47% approve vs. 53% disapprove), signaling a decline in support compared to earlier polls.

White Evangelicals: Support among white evangelicals has strengthened, rising from 60% to 64% approval, widening his net positive to 28 points.

Political Implications: Changes in religious voter sentiment may indicate shifting political pressure ahead of the midterms, highlighting the importance of these groups in Trump’s coalitions. The White Evangelists are beyond redemption.  

rump's polling stands at 33% approval.  

 

DEM EVENT NEXT MONTH