Good Evening, this is the Commonwealth Report. News for the public, not the powerful.
Did Trump Just Lie to Your Face About His Own Ceasefire?
The ink was barely dry on Trump’s so-called Iran ceasefire when Iran’s foreign minister went on the air and accused the United States of violating it — not once, but three times. Iran says the U.S. broke the framework agreement while Trump was busy declaring total victory. And then it got worse. Iran re-closed the Strait of Hormuz hours after the deal was announced, pointing to Israel’s massive assault on Lebanon — a war Trump himself is confused about whether it’s covered by the ceasefire. That’s right. Trump brokered a deal is now confused on the war his own ally is fighting. Lebanon’s health ministry reported hundreds killed or wounded in just one day as Israel struck over a hundred targets. At least 1,530 people have died in Lebanon during this war. Meanwhile, both sides are claiming victory, and the terms of the deal are still being disputed. This isn’t peace. It’s chaos with a press release stapled to it.
Enough Is Enough — Democrats Demand Trump Be Impeached
Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts isn’t mincing words. He’s calling for impeachment. Now. He went on CNN and said flat out that what Trump and Hegseth were planning was a war crime — the deliberate destruction of Iranian civilian infrastructure, power plants, bridges, water systems. “That’s why Trump should be impeached,” Markey said. “That’s why Democrats should file impeachment articles against Trump. That’s why the 25th Amendment should be invoked.” Representative John Larson of Connecticut already did it — he filed 13 articles of impeachment charging Trump with circumventing Congress on war powers, militarizing domestic law enforcement, and targeting people based on race and political opposition. More than 50 House Democrats are openly discussing impeachment — a dramatic shift from just weeks ago. Markey put it bluntly about his Republican colleagues. “The Republican party,” he said, “is morally bankrupt, spineless, and wants to be in a witness protection program.” He’s right. When the President threatens genocide, silence is complicity.
Is Trump About to Blow Up the Entire NATO Alliance?
Trump didn’t just start an illegal war with Iran without telling his allies — he then had the nerve to demand those same allies send warships to help him clean up his mess. They said no. Germany said it plain. “This is not our war, we have not started it.” Spain denied U.S. warplanes access to its bases. Italy barred them from Sigonella. France refused. So now Trump is musing openly about pulling the United States out of NATO — the 77-year-old alliance that has been the cornerstone of global security since the end of World War II. He called it a “paper tiger.” His NATO ambassador said the U.S. is “reevaluating” its membership. Secretary of State Rubio told Fox the U.S. will reexamine the alliance after the war. Poland is now treating a U.S. exit as a “possible scenario.” Think about what that means. Trump started a war no one asked him to start, then threatened to abandon the alliance that kept the peace for generations — because his allies refused to join his disaster. Putin is smiling.
What Were Pentagon Lawyers Ready to Do Before the Ceasefire Saved Them?
Here’s a story that should terrify every American. Before the Pakistan-brokered ceasefire was announced — right up until the deadline — a group of Pentagon lawyers were reportedly prepared to refuse orders. That’s right. According to journalist David Rohde, multiple lawyers inside the Department of Defense were committed to not signing off on some of the targets the White House wanted to strike. Civilian infrastructure. Power plants. Bridges. Things that legal experts say constitute war crimes under international law. When Trump posted that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” the Pentagon’s own lawyers apparently drew a line. They were ready to defy Pete Hegseth rather than approve what they considered illegal orders. A Pentagon revolt against the civilian leadership. That’s how close we got. And Hegseth himself admitted it — he said the U.S. had a “target set locked and loaded” that included power plants and bridges. Those lawyers may have helped prevent a war crime. They deserve recognition. Hegseth does not.
Why Is the American Pope Refusing to Come Home?
Here’s something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. The first American-born Pope in history is refusing to set foot in America. Pope Leo XIV — born in Chicago — will not visit the United States under this administration. A Vatican official put it plainly. “The Pope may well never visit the United States under this administration.” Why? Because the Trump administration’s Pentagon actually called in the Vatican’s ambassador for a dressing-down after the Pope gave a speech in January. Pentagon brass picked apart the pontiff’s words line by line, outraged that he’d challenged what they call the “Donroe Doctrine” — Trump’s assertion of unchallenged American power over the Western Hemisphere. At one point, a U.S. official reportedly mentioned the Avignon Papacy of the 14th century — the period when the Church was under the thumb of French kings. That’s not a subtle message. Instead of visiting his homeland on July 4th, Pope Leo will travel to Lampedusa — the tiny Mediterranean island where migrants risk their lives to reach Europe. He chose that date deliberately. When even the Pope is sending a message, maybe it’s time to listen.
While Washington Burns, New York City Is Actually Helping Working People - Mom and Pop!
Let’s end with something that works. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani just appointed the city’s first-ever mom-and-pop czar. That’s not a joke — it’s a real job with a real mission. Delia Awusi, a veteran small business adviser, will now sit at the highest levels of city government with one job — make it easier for the city’s smallest businesses to survive. Small businesses make up more than 90 percent of New York’s businesses and employ nearly half of all private-sector workers. But for years they’ve been crushed by red tape while corporate giants walked straight to the front of the line. Awusi will cut through the maze of permits, inspections and fines. Mamdani’s already signed an executive order targeting a 50 percent reduction in fees and fines on small businesses. He’s put small business under the portfolio of his deputy mayor for economic justice — not economic development. That difference matters. While Trump hands the country to billionaires, Mamdani is proving government can still work for people who actually work.
And that’s the way it is. Tonight Wednesday, April 8th, 2026. I’m Thom Hartmann.
