Trump's Ceasefire Has Already Fallen Apart

Pam Bondi is refusing to testify about Epstein, the federal government wants access to your medical records, and Trump-voting farmers are watching their workers get deported

Good afternoon. I’m Ryan Rose, and this is AlterNet America.

Trump threatened Iran’s entire civilization at 8 a.m. and brokered a ceasefire by 8 p.m. Pam Bondi is apparently too fired to testify about Epstein. The federal government wants to read your doctor’s notes. And Trump-voting farmers in Washington State are watching their workers get deported and asking, with genuine bewilderment, what’s happening.

Before we get into it: We don’t have a network. We don’t have a parent company on good terms with the White House. We don’t have advertisers nudging us toward the comfortable story. What we have is readers, which is the only position in American media that can’t be quietly pressured into looking away. A paid subscription to AlterNet America is a direct investment in journalism that doesn’t owe anyone anything. If you haven’t yet, please consider upgrading yours today.

Now let’s go.

Trump’s Ceasefire Is Already Under Fire

Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran last night, declaring it “a big day for World Peace!” This morning, the ceasefire was technically in effect.

Also this morning: attacks took place on oil facilities in Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait in the first 12 hours following the announcement.

Trump’s core condition for the deal was the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Ship traffic has not picked up above the handful of daily vessels that have made the trip throughout the war. Iran’s foreign minister clarified that ships wishing to pass would need to coordinate with Iranian armed forces, with limitations on the number. Tehran is also planning to demand ship owners pay tolls in cryptocurrency to transit the Strait.

Israel struck 100 targets across Lebanon in a span of just 10 minutes on Wednesday. Pakistan’s prime minister had declared the ceasefire applied “everywhere,” including Lebanon. Trump told PBS NewsHour that Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire because of Hezbollah, calling Israel’s latest strikes “a separate skirmish.”

The U.S. military, for its part, stressed it is “prepared to restart in a moment’s notice.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard offered a matching statement, saying its hands were “on the trigger, ready to respond to any attack with more force.”

So to review: the Strait is not open. Lebanon is still being bombed. Both sides have their fingers on the trigger. The cryptocurrency toll booth is pending.

Pam Bondi Refuses to Testify About Epstein Files After Firing

Trump fired Pam Bondi. Bondi, in the great tradition of this administration, is now passing the problem to someone else.

The former Attorney General was set to appear April 14 before the House Oversight Committee to give a deposition on the Justice Department’s investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. She is now refusing to do so.

The Department of Justice argued that Bondi was subpoenaed in her official role as attorney general and not in a personal capacity. As such, she won’t appear on Capitol Hill on April 14 to discuss her role overseeing the release of the Epstein Files.

The DOJ’s website, as of Wednesday, still listed Bondi as attorney general. The administration’s legal argument and its own website are therefore in active disagreement.

The top Democrat on the committee threatened contempt charges. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said he would leave the whole matter “to Chairman Comer and others to figure out.”

The fired attorney general won’t testify about Epstein, and the acting attorney general won’t weigh in. The Epstein files, which were legally required to be released months ago, remain unreleased. Congress is in recess until April 14. Everything is moving at precisely the speed you’d expect.

The U.S. Government Would Like to See Your Prescriptions

A brief notice from the Office of Personnel Management could dramatically change which personally identifiable medical information the agency obtains. The new rule would grant it the power to see prescriptions employees had filled or what treatment they sought from doctors.

The regulation would require 65 insurance companies covering more than 8 million Americans — including federal workers, retired members of Congress, mail carriers, and their immediate family members — to provide monthly reports to OPM with identifiable health data on their members. The stated purpose is cost analysis and plan improvement.

Among the specific concerns raised: how the administration might use information about employees who have sought abortions or gender-affirming care.

The proposal is also raising red flags among insurers. CVS Health urged OPM to reconsider, arguing that the request raises “substantial HIPAA compliance issues” and that insurers could be liable for breaches of consumer health information “outside of our control.”

Meanwhile, OPM spokespeople did not respond to repeated requests for comment. This agency, it’s worth noting, suffered a massive breach in 2015 in which the personal records of roughly 22 million Americans were stolen. The attack has been blamed on the Chinese government.

The administration wants your medical records. The agency that wants them lost 22 million Americans’ personal files a decade ago. They have not explained what guardrails would apply, which probably means there’s none.

Farmers Who Voted for Trump Are Now Watching Their Workers Get Deported

A surge in immigration enforcement is occurring on Washington farms, leaving some agricultural workers facing deportation. Some Trump-supporting farm owners are questioning the president’s promises, despite getting exactly what they voted for.

Randy Kraght owns Barbie’s Berries in Ferndale, Washington. He describes himself as a “right-winger.” He believed Trump when the president said ICE would only go after the “worst of the worst.” Kraght recently had two longtime workers picked up by immigration agents and deported, both hardworking family men he’s known for more than a decade.

“As far as I can tell from what comes out of Trump’s mouth, they’re not supposed to be taking innocent people,” Kraght said. “I’ve been knocked on my butt, I’ll admit it. I’m really disappointed.”

Elsewhere in Whatcom County, a detained worker with specialized skills has been prevented from seeing his wife or his newborn child. The remaining staff are working “triple time” to compensate. Agricultural advocates warned that if the workforce is scared to come to work, the whole supply chain could suffer.

The promise was “dangerous criminals only,” so either Trump lied then, or he’s lying now. Either way, the crops aren’t going to pick themselves.

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Thanks for reading. We’ll see you tonight.

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