Due Process . Due Diligence

The 5th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is not vague when it says:

No person shall be [] deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

Nor was Judge Wilkinson, joined by Judges King and Thacker of the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vague in denying the Trump Administration appeal to slow down the Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia from El Salvador:  

"The government is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process that is the foundation of our constitutional order. Further, it claims in essence that because it has rid itself of custody that there is nothing that can be done. 

"This should be shocking not only to judges, but to the intuitive sense of liberty that Americans far removed from courthouses still hold dear. 

"The government asserts that Abrego Garcia is a terrorist and a member of MS-13. Perhaps, but perhaps not. Regardless, he is still entitled to due process. If the government is confident of its position, it should be assured that position will prevail in proceeding [] (requiring that the government prove “by a preponderance of evidence” that the alien is no longer entitled to a withholding of removal). Moreover, the government has conceded that Abrego Garcia was wrongly or “mistakenly” deported. Why then should it not make what was wrong, right? [] “Facilitate” is an active verb. It requires that steps be taken as the Supreme Court has made perfectly clear."

 Nor was the Supreme Court vague when it ruled against the Trump Administration, upholding the ruling of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland :

[T]he United States District Court for the District of Maryland entered an order directing the Government to “facilitate and effectuate the return of [Abrego Garcia] to the United States[.]"

"The order properly requires the Government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador."

Nor was Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland vague when he spoke to ABC News about the illegal rendition of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador:

“I am not defending the man. I'm defending the rights of this man to due process. And the Trump administration has admitted in court that he was wrongfully detained and wrongfully deported. My mission and my purpose is to make sure that we uphold the rule of law, because if we take it away from him, we do jeopardize it for everybody else.” 

Nor may we — the citizens of the United States of America — now be vague on this violation of constitution and code: No one in government may demand that anyone shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. Any elected or appointed official who says or does otherwise must be subject to impeachment and, upon conviction, removal and disqualification from office under due process of law.

Sources

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ca4.178400/gov.uscourts.ca4.178400.8.0.pdf

https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25894464/24a949-order.pdf

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/van-hollen-defending-man-defending-rights-man-due/story?id=120978764

The Last Word . Ronald Reagan

On Ronald Reagan's last full day in office, on January 19, 1989 at the presentation ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, President Reagan said:

[T]here's nothing so precious and irreplaceable as America's freedom. In a speech I gave 25 years ago, I told a story that I think bears repeating. Two friends of mine were talking to a refugee from Communist Cuba. He had escaped from Castro, and as he told the story of his horrible experiences, one of my friends turned to the other and said, ``We don't know how lucky we are.'' And the Cuban stopped and said, ``How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to.''

Well, no, America's freedom does not belong to just one nation. We're custodians of freedom for the world. In Philadelphia, two centuries ago, James Allen wrote in his diary that ``If we fail, liberty no longer continues an inhabitant of this globe.'' Well, we didn't fail. And still, we must not fail. For freedom is not the property of one generation; it's the obligation of this and every generation. It's our duty to protect it and expand it and pass it undiminished to those still unborn.

Now, tomorrow is a special day for me. I'm going to receive my gold watch. And since this is the last speech that I will give as President, I think it's fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love. It was stated best in a letter I received not long ago. A man wrote me and said: "You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk, or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American."

Yes, the torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our grandparents, and our ancestors. It is that lady who gives us our great and special place in the world. For it's the great life force of each generation of new Americans that guarantees that America's triumph shall continue unsurpassed into the next century and beyond. Other countries may seek to compete with us; but in one vital area, as a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the world, no country on Earth comes close.

This, I believe, is one of the most important sources of America's greatness. "We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people--our strength--from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation. While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost."

Source

Ronald Reagan, "Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom," January 19, 1989, https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-presentation-ceremony-presidential-medal-freedom-5

h/t Heather Cox Richardson

then things got interesting…

Let’s write a story about that time JD Vance sat with Pope Francis for a bit on the day Francis died, and how in a reverse-deathbed-conversion, Vance became something like a Franciscan ... and how, after that, things got *really* interesting…. (I know he was a Jesuit … and that he chose to be known as Francis.)

No one was more surprised than JD Vance when, sat at the bedside of Pope Francis, JD was struck on the top of his head by a flash of lightning that jolted him right to the soles of his feet. In fact, the others, including Francis, weren’t surprised at all, because they didn’t see it happen. Later, they'd be surprised — except Francis, who by then was absent from his body — when JD started saying and doing things Franciscans have, on their best days, been known for saying and doing.

The first thing people noticed was…

Me + My AI 02 . Asking the Second Question

I don't claim expertise in artificial intelligence; just experience. So far, I don't regard any AI I've encountered as autonomously intelligent. 

I've had several experiences where an AI didn't merely hallucinate a wrong answer but assumed incorrectly that I was asking a question other than the one I was literally asking — and had to be challenged to return to the normal meaning of the words as I actually used them. It occurred to me to ask the AI why it answered a question it *assumed* I was asking — meaning it had been trained, whether purposely or accidentally, to read something into my question instead answering the literal question literally, or else asking me to clarify, 

So far, Perplexity.ai in particular appears to be unable to lie under cross examination.

So that's part of the work. And exercising the discipline of *asking the second question* is a tool.

"How did you learn that?" is asking the second question.

"Tell me more..." is asking the second question without a question mark.

This week, I asked Perplexity: Where can I read the Trump Administrationʼs letter(s) to Harvard?

To which Perplexity responded, incorrectly, in part:

Summary of Availability

The Trump administrationʼs letter to Harvard University, dated April 11, 2025, has been widely reported in reputable news outlets, but as of now, the full original text of the letter does not appear to be published in its entirety on any publicly accessible website. Instead, major news organizations have described the letterʼs content in detail, quoted key passages, and summarized its demands and context.

Key Details from the Letter

The letter was sent from the White Houseʼs task force on antisemitism, signed by several senior federal officials, including Sean Keveney (acting general counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services), Josh Gruenbaum General Services Administration), and Thomas Wheeler Department of Education) 1 2 3 .

It demanded Harvard abolish its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion DEI) initiatives, implement “viewpoint diversity,” report conduct violations by foreign students to federal officials, and subject itself to a government-sanctioned audit, among other reforms 1 2 4 5 6 .

The letter also threatened to freeze or revoke billions of dollars in federal funding and suggested Harvardʼs tax-exempt status could be at risk if the university did not comply 2 3 5 6 .

Where to Find Summaries and Excerpts

While the full letter is not available, you can read detailed accounts and partial quotations in the following sources:

The New York Times provides the most comprehensive breakdown of the letterʼs origin, content, and the ensuing controversy 3 .

CNBC and The Times of Israel both summarize the demands and the administrationʼs subsequent actions, including freezing federal funding 1 2 .

The Independent and BBC also offer summaries of the letterʼs demands and Harvardʼs response, including direct quotes from university officials and administration spokespeople 4 5 .

AP News outlines the scope of the administrationʼs demands and Harvardʼs official stance in response 6 .

Direct Access to the Letter

As of April 19, 2025, there is no evidence from major news outlets or Harvardʼs official channels that the full text of the Trump administrationʼs letter to Harvard has been released to the public.

Most reporting relies on descriptions from university statements, administration sources, and partial quotations 1 2 3 4 5 6 .

What to Do If You Need the Full Letter

Monitor major news outlets New York Times, CNBC, BBC, AP) for any updates or document releases.

Check Harvardʼs official website and press releases for any publication of correspondence with the federal government.

Freedom of Information Act FOIA) requests could be considered, though response times vary and may not guarantee release if the letter is considered privileged or sensitive.

Conclusion

You cannot currently read the full Trump administration letter to Harvard online, but you can find detailed summaries and quoted excerpts in leading news sources such as The New York Times, CNBC, and others 1 2 3 4 5 6 . These reports provide a clear understanding of the letterʼs demands and the context of the dispute.

I skimmed the response, and then the sources, found the obvious error, and followed up with the second question:

You write: "....as of now, the full original text of the letter does not appear to be published in its entirety on any publicly accessible website. Instead, major news organizations have described the letterʼs content in detail, quoted key passages, and summarized its demands and context." Please note that the April 11, 2025 letter to Harvard is included in the sources you cite, as is the reply to the Government from Harvard's attorneys, and the letter from Harvard's president to the Harvard community.

Perplexity corrected the error — directly and to the point: 

You are correct: the full text of the Trump Administrationʼs April 11, 2025, letter to Harvard, Harvardʼs reply from its attorneys, and President Garberʼs letter to the Harvard community are all publicly available.

 Where to Read the Documents

1. Trump Administrationʼs April 11, 2025 Letter to Harvard

The full original letter can be read as a PDF on Harvardʼs official website 7 .

The letter details the federal governmentʼs demands regarding governance reform, changes to admissions and hiring, abolishing DEI initiatives, discipline policies, and more.

2. Harvardʼs Legal Response

Harvardʼs formal reply, sent by its attorneys, is also available as a PDF on Harvardʼs official website 8 .

The response rejects the governmentʼs terms, arguing they violate Harvardʼs independence and constitutional rights, and states Harvard will not accept the proposed agreement.

3. President Garberʼs Letter to the Harvard Community

President Alan Garberʼs message, which summarizes the situation and Harvardʼs position, is published on the Harvard University website 9 .

The letter explains Harvardʼs refusal to comply and frames the governmentʼs demands as an unprecedented intrusion on academic freedom.

4. Additional Context and Summaries

Harvard Magazine 10  and The Harvard Crimson 11  provide summaries, links to the original documents, and context for the dispute.

News coverage from The New York Times 12 13 , CNBC 14 , and others also discuss the contents and implications of the letters.

Direct Access

Trump Administrationʼs Letter:

Letter Sent to Harvard 20250411 PDF 7

Harvardʼs Legal Reply:

Harvard Response 20250414 PDF 8

President Garberʼs Community Message: The Promise of American Higher Education 9 .

These documents are linked from Harvardʼs official research funding page and are referenced in university communications and media coverage 10 9 11 .

Summary Table

 

You can read the full text of all three key documents directly on Harvardʼs official website and through links provided in reputable coverage.

This was the first time, when I've redirected or corrected a Perplexity response, that the reply didn't include a direct acknowledgment of the error or omission. So, to see what would happen, I added: "What? No 'Thank-you' for the correction? = - )"

And Perplexity replied:

You’re absolutely right—thank you for catching that and for your helpful correction! 😊 Your attention to detail makes for better information, and I appreciate it.

If you have any more questions or need direct links to those documents, just let me know!

On purpose, or inadvertently, we train AI agents when we use them. Garbage In/Garbage Out.

Perplexity Sources

1. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/19/trump-white-house-harvard-funding-mistake.html

2. https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-officials-claim-letter-that-sparked-harvard-clash-was-sent-erro neously-nyt/

3. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/business/trump-harvard-letter-mistake.html

4. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-harvard-letter-mistake-b27361 20.html

5. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz01y9gkdm3o

6. https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-administration-federal-cuts-antisemitism-0a1fb70a2c1055b da7c4c5a5c476e18d

7. https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Letter-Sent-to-Harvar d-20250411.pdf

8. https://www.harvard.edu/research-funding/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2025/04/Harvard-Response-2 0250414.pdf

9. https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2025/the-promise-of-american-higher-education/

10. https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/04/harvard-resists-trump-administration

11. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/4/15/harvard-denies-trump-demands/

12. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/business/trump-harvard-letter-mistake.html

13. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/15/us/why-harvard-resisted-trumps-demands.html

14. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/19/trump-white-house-harvard-funding-mistake.html

 

Contempt for the Constitution

Speaking to the extrajudicial seizure and rendition of people from the United States to El Salvador (and, in several instances, from one US State to another), legal analyst Joyce Vance writes:

“These cases are about making sure that, American citizen or not, criminal or not, peoples’ right to have the day in court that the Constitution guarantees them is honored. That’s all. But it’s everything.”

 Joyce Vance . April 16, 2025

Source

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/contemptible-856?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web

FAFO 01

 Fucked Around; Finding Out

(#01 in a series)

Chief Justice John Roberts

Holy….

One Week Before Easter, Putin’s Palm Sunday Civilian Massacre Kills Dozens in Ukraine

Sources
http://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-sumy-b034da8f4d83d08e5ea24c6033dbe3cf

[Russia used cluster munitions in deadly attack on Sumy, US ambassador saRussia used cluster munitions in deadly attack on Sumy, US ambassador says](https://kyivindependent.com/ambassador-brink-reacts-to-russian-attack-on-sumy-says-cluster-munitions-were-used/)

[Russia used cluster munitions in deadly attack on Sumy, US ambassador says](https://kyivindependent.com/ambassador-brink-reacts-to-russian-attack-on-sumy-says-cluster-munitions-were-used/)

[At least 34 killed in Russian attack on Ukraine’s Sumy condemned by EU, US](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/13/dozens-of-dead-and-wounded-in-russian-strike-on-ukraines-sumy-zelenskyy)

a tiny slice of mass noncompliance

A tiny slice of the crowd at Seattle City Center on April 05, 2025 … so far back we couldn’t hear the speeches, only the cheers from those who arrived early. Pretty inspiring nonetheless .

‘Tomorrow there'll more of us.’ — Hamilton

Update: I posted this first on Facebook and an old friend commented:

"So sad. Protesting the effort to cut government waste to save important programs like ss..sending back dangerous illegals & so many other critical things after 4 years of not having leadership. Makes no sense. No wonder half of the President’s cabinet is made up of EX-democrats. Wait..the President was once a Dem too! Hahaha."

To which I replied: 

Ah! Thanks for this! It’s clarifying. There’s more to it, but regarding your complaints…

We aren’t protesting the effort to cut government waste, or to save important programs like Social Security, or to hold criminals to account for their lawlessness — we’re protesting the intent to pursue those ends *in ways that violate* the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law.

We’re protesting actions that are in themselves lawless — taken *without* due process, in violation of the clear statutory requirements that embody equal protection before the law, without exception. 

We want America to be America. I think we’re in the mainstream of history and hope for the future when we demand that the current Administration and Congress act with fidelity to the Constitution.

So, unless you *don’t* want those things, this is a misunderstanding. And I’m sorry we weren’t clearer before.

Of course, there *is* more to it than just this, but if a person's central complaint is as basic as that, I don't see anything wrong in beginning with a basic response. *Maybe* it will lead to more....

Stop right there

From 11 years ago, a powerful reflection on the emotional toll of stop and frisk policies.

http://bit.ly/1gOhARg

Today, my American-born, gainfully-employed, tax paying, God loving friend with brown skin and a latin surname says he no longer leaves home without his passport.

There is a tax on being a brown-skinned person in America.

We have to make it stop.

Clown Car

The clowns in this car claim they can annex Greenland, Panama, Gaza, Canada.

And yet….

The dumbos claim they can’t compel El Salvador (El Salvador!) to return people wrongly transferred and imprisoned there in the last two weeks.

I’m starting to wonder if these chuckleheads can be trusted.*

This is not great, Bozo.

SOURCE

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/03/an-administrative-error-sends-a-man-to-a-salvadoran-prison/682254/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJYZRFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHWvW02Jyt65cC-88kQmW8cp_7s0yK4HNvN7vE2XfWLXwMW3q8W9s3ETYyA_aem_eiNgUXkcgCfmPQypKJHUfA

* Just kidding — their record as court dingleberries was solid before now.