SPECIAL UNITS: Furthering his crackdown on perceived crime, President Trump yesterday signed executive orders creating special police and military units “dedicated to ensuring public safety and order in the Nation’s capital that can be deployed whenever the circumstances necessitate.” 

  Trump also ordered the National Guard in every state to create civil disturbance units “resourced, trained, organized, and available to assist Federal, State, and local law enforcement.”

  Among other specific orders, he tasked the attorney general  with reviewing the general orders of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington and requesting “such updates and modifications to such orders as the Attorney General determines are necessary to address the crime emergency.” 

  Trump also signed orders intended to eliminate cashless bail for criminal defendants by withdrawing federal funding from states and municipalities that do not cease the practice.

  Trump said in his order, “When these individuals are released without bail under city or State policies, they are permitted — even encouraged — to further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced.” 

LA MIGRA: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran immigrant wrongly deported to prison in his home country before being brought back to the US, was  re-arrested yesterday and was being processed for deportation.

  A federal judge hours later sternly barred the Justice Department from sending Abrego Garcia out of the country.

  The Justice Department has threatened that if Abrego Garcia does not plead guilty to charges of immigrant smuggling he would be deported to Uganda, where he has no connections and doesn’t speak the language.

  Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, said outside the immigration office in Baltimore that his client had appeared merely for a check-in with immigration police.

  Before entering the building, Abrego Garcia said in Spanish to a small crowd, “Regardless of what happens here with ICE, promise me this that you will keep fighting, praying, believing in dignity — not only for me but for everyone.”

SELF APPROVAL: Disapproval of Donald Trump’s presidency has hit 53 percent in the daily average of polls, according to The NY Times. Obviously, polls vary and some have Trump in positive territory. But some are worse than the average. American research group; 59 percent disapproval; Ipsos, 54 percent disapprove; YouGov, 56 percent disapprove.

  Despite reality, Trump posted on his Truth Social that, “Except what is written and broadcast in the Fake News, I now have the highest poll numbers I’ve ever had, some in the 60’s and even 70’s.” 

  There are no polls in which Trump is higher than 54 percent approval.

THE REGIME:

— The President yesterday ordered the removal of Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve board in a legally questionable move that undermines the independence of the Fed. Cook has consistently voted against lowering interest rates along with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, infuriating Trump.

  Trump is looking to install a majority of political loyalists at the Fed.

  Trump posted a letter to Cook on his website saying, “In light of your deceitful and potentially criminal conduct in a financial matter” he was removing her.

  Trump claims Cook committed mortgage fraud by declaring two homes as her primary residence. The Fraud finding against Trump in New York was similar to that … falsifying records to get favorable terms on mortgages and insurance. Cook says that’s not what she did and she won’t leave the Fed.

— President Trump suggested that he will likely change the Department of Defense to “The Department of War,” the name it had during World War II. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have talked about restoring the Pentagon’s “warrior ethos.”

  When “we won World War I, World War Two, it was called the Department of War. And to me, that’s really what it is,” Trump said at a press event with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. “Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War.” 

— Trump also yesterday signed an order to prevent and prosecute burning of the American flag, even though the Supreme Court long ago ruled that it is an act of free speech. Trump ordered that, “the Attorney General shall vigorously prosecute those who violate our laws in ways that involve desecrating the American Flag.” 

THE SPIN RACK:  The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the estate of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein seeking any “client list” as well as “any document or record that could be reasonably construed to be a potential list of clients involved in sex, sex acts or sex trafficking.” The committee said that documents released to them last week by the Justice Department were already public and revealed nothing new. — Ismael Zambada García, a founder of the Sinaloa Cartel known as “El Mayo,” pleaded guilty yesterday to drug trafficking and will be sentenced to life in prison. “I recognize the great harm that illegal drugs have done to the people of the United States and Mexico and elsewhere,” the 75-year-old said in a prepared statement.

BELOW THE FOLD:  One of the biggest controversies in the country right now is not anything about the cast of Vanderpump Rules or Kanye West’s wife appearing nearly-naked in public, but the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain changing its logo. They got rid of the man in an apron sitting next to a barrel and the slogan “Old Country Store,” reducing it only to a sign saying only “Cracker Barrel.” It’s what’s called “modern minimalist.”

  This is similar to Coca Cola introducing “New Coke” when no one thought there was anything wrong with Coke as it was. Cracker Barrel loyalists are outraged and the company’s stock tanked on the news. 

  The chain has been revamping and somewhat modernizing its restaurants. An apology statement in fluent corporatese said, “At the end of the day, our promise is simple: you’ll always find comfort, community, and country hospitality here at Cracker Barrel.”

  Cracker Barrel hoped the change would bring new customers. They may end up begging the old ones to come back.

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