Members phkrause Posted February 2 Author Members Posted February 2 Trump puts tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, spurring trade war as North American allies respond President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, drawing swift retaliation and an undeniable sense of betrayal from the country’s North American neighbors as a trade war erupted among the longtime allies. Read more. Trump wants to undo diversity programs. Some agencies react by scrubbing US history and culture The Army pulled its sexual assault regulations off websites and the Defense Intelligence Agency said it was pausing special observances that included Black History Month. The wide sweep of reactions to Donald Trump’s DEI order alarmed those who have fought for inclusion for decades and who now fear the directive risks whitewashing parts of the nation’s history. Read more. Direct primary care cuts out insurance companies. Could it gain traction under Trump? Direct primary care is an increasingly popular health care option. Some doctors and patients say they love how much simpler it is to get routine medical care and how some services can be cheaper. But public health experts caution not to think of direct primary care as a replacement for insurance. Read more. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 3 Author Members Posted February 3 Musk's wrecking ball Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images ⚡ Breaking: Elon Musk, during an hourlong Spaces conversation on X that began just after midnight this morning, said President Trump has "agreed" to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which Musk called "beyond repair" — "a bowl of worms" with no apple. "We're shutting it down," Musk said. Trump, talking to reporters last night, suggested a final decision hasn't been made. He said USAID is "run by radical lunatics. And we're getting them out, and then we'll make a decision." Shortly before 1 a.m. ET today, "agency employees in Washington got an unusual staff-wide email telling them to work from home on Monday rather than come into the headquarters," the N.Y. Times reports (gift link). Headquarters employees have been told to attend a staff meeting tomorrow "at which they are expecting to be informed of a significant reduction in the workforce," The Times adds. It's just the latest example of Musk and his cost-slashing allies taking a hammer to the massive bureaucracy that staffs the U.S. government — and a scalpel to any senior officials who dare put up a fight, Axios' Zachary Basu and Marc Caputo write. Why it matters: Musk isn't the only force driving the Trump administration's escalating purge of civil servants. But his fingerprints are everywhere, and his methods are unlike anything the federal government has ever seen. 🔎 Zoom in: Musk and his lieutenants — many of them Silicon Valley transplants, some as young as 19 — have been tied to a series of high-profile departures and ousters at the top of key federal agencies. The Treasury Department's highest-ranking career official announced his retirement Friday after a dispute with Musk allies who sought access to a sensitive system for government payments, The Washington Post scooped. By late Friday, Musk's allies at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had been granted full access to the payment system by newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to the N.Y. Times. The pattern repeated itself at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — which has become the epicenter of a vicious debate over foreign aid — openly defying a congressional statute. On Saturday, two top security officials also were put on leave after trying to stop Musk allies from physically accessing USAID headquarters and personnel files, including classified information. Via X Behind the scenes: So far, the White House appears pleased with Musk's foray into the inner workings of the government, seeing his efforts as aligned with Trump's broader goals of disrupting D.C.'s status quo. "Elon's top interest outside of DOGE is making sure the president's orders are acted upon," a senior White House official told Axios. "Elon is the ultimate command-and-control guy. He's making sure there's a sense of urgency in the agencies." 🥊 Reality check: Political risks are inherent in Musk's whirlwind takeover of federal agencies, especially when they intersect with his business interests. Democrats have accused Musk of pressuring former FAA head Mike Whitaker to resign on Jan. 20 over $600,000 in fines the agency levied against Musk's SpaceX. Whitaker's departure left the FAA without a leader during Wednesday night's in-air collision near Reagan National Airport — the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001. Trump named Chris Rocheleau as FAA acting administrator the next day. 👀 What we're watching: Musk paid a visit last week to what's likely to be his next target: the General Services Administration, which oversees thousands of government leases as part of its massive budget. "Deleted," Musk responded bluntly to an X post highlighting the billions of dollars and thousands of federal workers under GSA's control. ps:What a great administration!! They're really looking out for the people who voted for them!!! Wow what geniuses we have running this country!!!!! Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 3 Author Members Posted February 3 And it just continues: 🥁 Trump drumbeat for Canada as 51st state When President Trump suggested at a Mar-a-Lago dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Nov. 29 that Canada should become the 51st state, some guests thought he was joking, quipping or trolling. But Trump keeps saying Canada should buckle. He declared it again yesterday, less than 16 hours after announcing tariffs on the United States' northern neighbor. Why it matters: At first, lots of people also thought Trump was joking about acquiring Greenland from Denmark. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed after the inauguration: "This is not a joke." 🇨🇦 Trump's annals of Canadian annexation: At the Mar-a-Lago dinner, when Trudeau raised concerns that Trump's threatened tariffs would damage Canada's economy, Trump "suggested to Trudeau that Canada become the 51st state, which caused the prime minister and others to laugh nervously," Fox News reported. Truth Social on Dec. 18: "Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State." Mar-a-Lago news conference on Jan. 7: Trump suggested he could use "economic force" to make Canada the 51st state. Truth Social yesterday: "We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why? ... We don't need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable Country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada — AND NO TARIFFS!" 🍁 Canada confronts Trump trade war Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios President Trump's bombshell tariff strike on Canada — which could plunge our northern neighbor into recession — has already united Canadians in indignation, Axios' Dave Lawler writes. Why it matters: Aided by a 25% tariff (10% on oil), Trump is proving that even the closest of friendships can turn frosty. Neither President Trump's rationale for the tariffs, nor his preferred outcome — Canada's annexation as the 51st U.S. state — make much sense to Canadians. One sign of that sentiment: Canadian sports fans have started booing the U.S. national anthem. Another: Canada's previously Trump-friendly opposition leader and likely future prime minister, Pierre Poilievre, demanded yesterday that Canada "Retaliate with dollar-for-dollar tariffs," "defend our sovereignty" and "never back down" to Trump. Data: U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Chart: Axios Visuals 🧮 By the numbers: Trump justified the tariffs on Canada and Mexico on national security grounds — namely that migrants and fentanyl are pouring across the northern border. But less than 1% of fentanyl seized in the U.S. last year entered through Canada. The number of undocumented migrants detained at the U.S.-Canada border has been rising, but only to around 6% of all such encounters reported by Customs and Border Patrol since 2022. Particularly galling for Canadians: Trump invoked national security to invoke 10% tariffs on a U.S. adversary, China, and 25% on arguably its closest ally. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared more than $100 billion in retaliatory tariffs in a televised address on Saturday night. 🔮 What's next: Trump plans to speak with Trudeau and Mexican officials today. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 3 Author Members Posted February 3 🚢 Rubio's Panama Canal push Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama officials yesterday that Chinese influence over the Panama Canal must be curbed or the U.S. will take retaliatory actions, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: Rubio's warning to Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha is another pressure point on the country since President Trump said he intended to regain control of the Panama Canal. The trip to Panama is Rubio's first abroad since being sworn in as secretary of state. 🎨 The big picture: Since winning a second presidential term last November, Trump has tripled down on his demands regarding the Panama Canal, and hasn't ruled out using military force to obtain control of it. His demands include U.S. ships paying lower rates to use the canal — after claiming that Panama charges American ships more than other nations. Trump's complaints are partially based on the fact that a Hong Kong-based company has a contract for running the canal, which has been under Panama's control since 1999. Tit for tat Out of the many tariffs that President Trump promised on the campaign trail, those he announced over the weekend are the most likely to affect U.S. consumers. The three countries he targeted — Canada, China and Mexico — are America’s biggest trade partners, making up about four in 10 U.S. imports. The tariffs, up to 25 percent on Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on China, have shaken markets and angered allies. They will also likely raise prices on these countries’ goods, including gasoline, avocados and car parts. (See what prices could rise.) Source: Census Bureau | Countries with at least a 2 percent share in 2024, through November, are shown, accounting for about three-quarters of imports. | By The New York Times Canada, China and Mexico have promised to retaliate. Leaders said that they didn’t want a trade war but that they felt forced to act. Canada announced 25 percent tariffs on U.S. products to match Trump’s. They target goods like American-made honey, tomatoes and whiskey. Mexico said it would impose retaliatory tariffs, too. China said that it would file a case against the United States at the World Trade Organization and take “corresponding countermeasures.” Today’s newsletter will look at Trump’s goals for tariffs and what could come next. Trump’s goals Why has Trump imposed tariffs? He and his allies have offered three main explanations. 1. National security: Trump has argued the tariffs address national security concerns. China is a major geopolitical rival, and Trump says Canada and Mexico haven’t done enough to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking. 2. Competition: Trump has said tariffs could make American manufacturers more competitive. U.S. products are typically more expensive than those from other countries, a result of higher labor costs and stricter regulations. Tariffs could help level the playing field. 3. Revenue: The tariffs, which are effectively taxes on foreign goods, will raise government revenue. Trump has often spoken favorably of tariffs for this reason, as my colleague David Sanger explained. Trump has suggested that tariffs can help reduce or replace income taxes. The case against tariffs Economists on the left and the right are particularly skeptical of the second and third claims. While tariffs can help level the playing field, they can also lead to a trade war. Retaliatory tariffs and a stronger dollar could cause American manufacturers to lose business because their products would become more expensive, and less desirable, internationally. And the money raised by these tariffs amounts to just 2 percent of federal revenues. The prospect of higher prices has made some of Trump’s Republican allies critical of his actions, although most stayed silent. “We won the last election by complaining about Democrats’ policies, which gave us high prices,” Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky wrote. “Tariff lovers will be forced to explain the persistence of high prices.” Companies passed the cost of Trump’s first-term tariffs on to American consumers, studies found. Poor and middle-class Americans stand to feel the effects more because the day-to-day stuff they buy represents a bigger share of their income. The case for tariffs Trump’s defenders, including his top economist, argue that his critics overestimate the negative effects of tariffs. They say that markets will adjust and that other policies can mitigate bad outcomes. When Trump imposed tariffs during his first term, some suppliers in China cut their prices to offset part of the cost. Trump’s allies also say that imports from Canada, China, and Mexico are too small, at only 5 percent of the U.S. economy, for tariffs on them to seriously hurt Americans. Meanwhile, U.S. exports to Canada and Mexico make up a larger share — around 15 to 20 percent — of those countries’ economies. So they could suffer more from a trade war and capitulate to Trump’s demands. Uncertain future A major question remains: Will Trump leave his tariffs in place for long? Some of Trump’s allies have suggested that he will use the threat of tariffs as a negotiating tactic. If Trump just wants Canada and Mexico to do more on illegal immigration and drug trafficking, he may have imposed these tariffs only to show that he’s serious about national security. Once the three countries negotiate, Trump may rescind the tariffs. Still, Canada and Mexico already cooperate with the United States on immigration and drug trafficking, and illegal immigration and overdose deaths fell in the last year. Trump has yet to explain what, specifically, he would like America’s neighbors to do. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, said he had tried to reach out to Trump since Inauguration Day but had not heard back. If Trump cares more about his other goals — American manufacturing and revenue — then the tariffs need to remain in place to achieve their main objectives. The permanent outcome is the most likely to hurt American consumers. In the short term, companies might eat the cost of tariffs that they believe to be temporary to avoid disrupting consumer demand for their products. But if they believe the tariffs are permanent, companies are more likely to pass the costs on to consumers through higher prices. As a result, you could pay more at the pump, the grocery store and the car dealership. International response Asian and European stock markets fell. The tariffs threaten to upend the global economic order. While they hurt China, they also give Beijing diplomatic opportunities. More countries, including America’s closest allies, are creating their own economic partnerships without the United States. The premier of British Columbia announced that the province would stop sales of alcohol produced in red states. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 3 Author Members Posted February 3 Tariffs President Donald Trump has fulfilled his promise to impose steep tariffs on America's three largest trading partners — Canada, China and Mexico — citing a national emergency regarding the flow of fentanyl and undocumented immigrants into the US. The action, which is expected to take effect on Tuesday, includes a 25% duty on all imports from Mexico and most goods from Canada — and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods. The leaders of all three countries quickly announced they would take retaliatory measures. On Sunday, Trump acknowledged what economists and some members of Congress have been saying all along: Americans may find themselves paying the costs. Analysts have warned that such tariffs could increase the price of gas, groceries, automobiles, toys, clothing, lumber, beer and other goods. Elon Musk says President Trump has ‘agreed’ USAID should be shut down The U.S. Agency for International Development is on the cusp of being shuttered, according to the Trump administration’s billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk — who has been wrestling for control of the agency in recent days. “You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair … We’re shutting it down,” he said early Monday. Read more. Why this matters: Musk’s comments come after the administration placed two top security chiefs at USAID on leave after they refused to turn over classified material in restricted areas to Musk’s government-inspection teams, a current and a former U.S. official told The Associated Press on Sunday. Members of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, eventually did gain access Saturday to the aid agency’s classified information, the former official said. Musk formed DOGE in cooperation with the Trump administration with the stated goal of finding ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations. USAID, whose website vanished Saturday without explanation, has been one of the federal agencies most targeted by the Trump administration. The Trump administration and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have imposed an unprecedented freeze on foreign assistance that has shut down much of USAID’s humanitarian, development and security programs worldwide. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Tracking Trump's Cabinet nominations: 8 confirmed out of 22 announced Rubio says Panama must reduce Chinese influence around the canal or face possible US action Venezuela frees 6 Americans after meeting between President Maduro and Trump’s envoy Trump fires the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau FBI employees questioned about involvement in Jan. 6 cases as Justice Dept. weighs firings Second federal judge orders temporary pause to Trump administration efforts to freeze funding Trump says he and Putin could do something ‘significant’ toward ending Russia’s war in Ukraine In win for Trump, oil giant Shell walks away from major New Jersey offshore wind farm Pentagon prepares to deploy 1,000 more troops to bolster Trump’s immigration crackdown Trump’s second week in office delivers jolts and chaotic orders with a mix of politics and tragedy Republicans crafting Trump’s big bill hit a familiar roadblock: How to pay for it Democrats elect Ken Martin, the party leader in Minnesota, as their national chair Former Federal Reserve adviser indicted for alleged espionage in dealings with China Woman who wanted to kill GOP leaders said she was inspired by CEO’s slaying, prosecutors say Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 3 Author Members Posted February 3 Trump says Americans could feel ‘some pain’ from his new tariffs President Donald Trump said Sunday that Americans could feel “some pain” from the emerging trade war triggered by his tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China, and claimed that Canada would “cease to exist” without its trade surplus with the United States. Read more. Why this matters: Trump on Sunday night returned from Florida and threatened to impose steeper tariffs elsewhere, telling reporters that the import taxes will “definitely happen” with the European Union and possibly with the United Kingdom as well. “WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!),” Trump said in a social media post. His administration has not said how high that price could be or what improvements would need to be seen in stopping illegal immigration and the smuggling of fentanyl to merit the removal of the tariffs that Trump imposed under the legal justification of an economic emergency. The tariffs are set to launch Tuesday. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Here are some goods in the crosshairs of Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China WATCH: Shoppers at a supermarket in rural Pennsylvania react to Trump's tariff order Fans at Toronto Raptors game boo US national anthem Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 Trump’s Tech Donors Have Big Plans For Greenland A Trump takeover of Greenland could open the door to tech moguls’ mineral interests and their utopian aspirations. https://www.levernews.com/trumps-tech-donors-have-big-plans-for_greenland/? Trump agrees to pause tariffs on Canada and Mexico after they pledge to boost border enforcement WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday agreed to a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada as America’s two largest trading partners took steps to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking. https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-china-sheinbaum-trudeau-017efa8c3343b8d2a9444f7e65356ae9? Tariff threats take aim at fentanyl trafficking. Here’s how the drug reaches the US President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China is partly aimed at combating the illicit flow of fentanyl into the U.S., where the opioid is blamed for some 70,000 overdose deaths annually. https://apnews.com/article/fentanyl-border-mexico-trump-tariffs-drug-canada-3b7f4b39aaa1c9e2ca9a2b1c4cb40715? Elon Musk tightens grip on federal government as Democrats raise alarms WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is rapidly consolidating control over large swaths of the federal government with President Donald Trump ’s blessing, sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases and dismantling a leading source of humanitarian assistance. https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-21153a742fbad86284369bb173ec343c? What is USAID? Explaining the US foreign aid agency and why Trump and Musk want to end it WASHINGTON (AP) — Dozens of senior officials put on leave. Thousands of contractors laid off. A freeze put on billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance to other countries. https://apnews.com/article/usaid-foreign-aid-freeze-trump-peter-marocco-8253d7dda766df89e10390c1645e78aa? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 Trade war on pause Vehicles wait to cross the U.S.-Mexico border today. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images President Trump delayed new tariffs today on both Mexico and Canada, after both countries agreed to toughen their border security. Both countries agreed to send 10,000 troops to their respective borders with the U.S. The big picture: The moves are big wins for Trump, and vindicate the view that he was more interested in leverage than in actual import taxes. Yes, but: Provoking a trade war can still do lasting damage, Axios Macro co-author Neil Irwin writes. Many Canadians' open hostility toward the U.S. during this saga is an example of the longer-term economic risks at play — and points to a new era in which businesses cannot count on any country to be a permanent partner of the U.S. Between the lines: As the U.S.-China relationship has become more hostile over the past decade, Western companies have looked for ways to decrease dependence on China. A frequent solution was "friendshoring" — shifting supply chains toward countries with deep, stable relationships with the U.S., like Canada and Mexico. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 🥊 Trump: Musk won't act alone Protesters gather outside USAID headquarters in Washington today. Photo: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images Elon Musk "can't do and won't do anything without our approval," President Trump said today at the White House. "We'll give him the approval where appropriate. Where not appropriate, we won't," Trump said. ⚡ Breaking: With Musk and Trump moving to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and fold it into the State Department, some Democrats sought to enter the humanitarian agency's headquarters. They were blocked by officers from even broaching the lobby. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he's the acting administrator of the agency, despite it being an independent body for six decades. Keep reading. Trump named Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Bessent ordered the staff of the consumer-finance watchdog to pause much of its work. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 Trump orders creation of US sovereign wealth fund, says it could own part of TikTok WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the U.S. to take steps to start developing a government-owned investment fund that he said could be used to profit off of TikTok if he’s successful at finding it an American buyer. https://apnews.com/article/trump-tiktok-wealth-fund-saudi-arabia-b71c92cb0deb1eb39352cd1cd4db4b98? 🇮🇱 Bibi's second-chance meeting Benjamin Netanyahu will enter the Oval Office this afternoon for a second-chance meeting with President Trump — an opportunity for the Israeli prime minister to reset their frosty alliance and map out relations for the coming years, Axios' Barak Ravid writes. Why it matters: Although they buried the hatchet during the presidential campaign, Netanyahu will seek to avoid reminding Trump why he developed an extremely negative attitude toward him during his first term. "A lot of time has passed and their relations have improved," a U.S. source close to Trump told Axios. "But Trump still does not like Bibi, does not trust Bibi, and has more sympathy for the Palestinians than one might think." 🔬 Zoom in: The main issue in the meeting between Trump and Netanyahu is expected to be the future of the Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal. Netanyahu wants to convince Trump not to force him to implement the deal's second phase, so he can have more time to dismantle Hamas. 🖼️ The big picture: Netanyahu is likely the world leader who has spent the most time in the Oval Office. Trump gave Netanyahu the honor of being the first foreign leader to get a visit to the Trump II White House. Keep reading. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 Trump's vanishing guardrails Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images President Trump and Elon Musk promised to break Washington. No one thought it would look this easy, Axios' Zachary Basu writes. Why it matters: Trump 2.0 has already laid waste to democratic norms, precedents and even some laws. Paralyzed by the breadth of disruption, many of the president's demoralized critics have been left sputtering: "He can't do that." And yet he is. 🖼️ The big picture: With a popular mandate, unified control of Congress, a pliant Republican Party, a struggling opposition and the resources of the world's richest man, there are few guardrails to curb Trump's maximalist agenda. Short of a court order, Trump's opponents have so far failed to stop him from bending and breaking the limits of presidential authority. State of play: The extraordinary empowerment of Musk, who spent at least $288 million to help elect Trump, has triggered new fears over the administration's lack of accountability to Congress. This weekend, Musk's allies orchestrated a physical takeover of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), ousting security officials who tried to stop them from accessing classified spaces. With USAID employees locked out of their accounts and Musk vowing to shutter the "evil" agency, Secretary of State Marco Rubio took over as acting administrator and notified Congress of a "potential reorganization." Beyond rhetoric, Democrats have limited recourse to slow Trump's agenda — especially with the party still grappling with an identity crisis in the wake of the disastrous 2024 election. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) unveiled a plan yesterday to try to stop Trump from freezing or diverting congressionally appropriated funds, namely by using leverage in government funding negotiations. But Democrats are fundamentally limited by life in the minority. Even if they reclaim a majority in the 2026 midterms, history suggests Trump officials will have no qualms about blowing off subpoenas. Congressional Democrats were denied entry to USAID headquarters yesterday. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Reuters 🔎 Zoom in: In Trump's first two weeks in office, his administration has: Temporarily frozen all federal grants, loans and financial assistance, signaling a desire to challenge Congress' power of the purse. Offered "deferred resignations" to roughly 2 million federal workers, promising to pay them through September even though the government hasn't been funded past March 14. Fired at least 17 independent agency watchdogs, openly defying a statute requiring an explanation to Congress 30 days in advance. Fired federal prosecutors involved in Trump-related investigations, and hinted at an additional purge for thousands of FBI agents. Signed an executive order directing the attorney general not to enforce the law Congress passed requiring TikTok to be sold by its Chinese parent company or face a U.S. ban. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 🎥 Trump's border cinematography President Trump is backing his border crackdown with choreography — complete with wardrobe changes — to discourage undocumented people from wanting to be in the U.S., Axios' Marc Caputo, Russell Contreras and Brittany Gibson report. Why it matters: The underbelly of Trump's immigration strategy is, as a White House official put it to Axios, "the visuals" — showing force and creating a sense of urgency through viral videos and photos of top officials at the border and on raids. That's why a casually dressed Pete Hegseth, Trump's new Defense secretary traveled to El Paso yesterday to meet with some of the 1,500 active-duty troops deployed to the southern border by a Trump executive order. 🔭 Zoom in: The Department of Homeland Security last week released three photos of Secretary Kristi Noem wearing an "ICE/POLICE" vest as she joined a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in New York City. On Sunday, Noem posted a video of herself on X, riding horseback with Border Patrol agents in the Southwest and wearing an olive green Border Patrol jacket and a cowboy hat. Trump-supporting "Dr. Phil" McGraw embedded with ICE agents and border czar Tom Homan in a Chicago immigration raid, boosting media coverage (and drawing ridicule from Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show.") The White House's feed on X is amplifying images of military airplanes ready to deport illegal immigrants. Keep reading. Inside Musk blitz Elon Musk is delving deep into the government's real estate portfolio, managed by the General Services Administration, and is already moving to terminate leases, The New York Times reports in a 3,300-word deep dive, led by Jonathan Swan, Teddy Schleifer and Maggie Haberman. GSA leaders have started to discuss halving the agency's budget. Why it matters: Musk, shaping policy and personnel, has told friends he considers "the ultimate metric for his success to be the number of dollars saved per day, and he is sorting ideas based on that ranking," per The Times. Other nuggets: 🦾 Musk wants to centralize databases of contracts so AI can help identify cuts. 💻 Many Musk lieutenants "are working on multiple projects at different agencies simultaneously, using different email addresses and showing up at different offices." 🛏️ Musk "has moved beds into the headquarters of the federal personnel office a few blocks from the White House ... so he and his staff, working late into the night, could sleep there, reprising a tactic he has deployed at Twitter and Tesla." 👕 "Some of the young workers on Mr. Musk's team share a similar uniform: blazers worn over T-shirts. At the G.S.A., some staff members began calling the team 'the Bobs,' a reference to management consultant characters from the dark comedy movie 'Office Space' who are responsible for layoffs." Keep reading (gift link). Rupert in the Oval Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Rupert Murdoch (right) sits in the Oval Office while President Trump signs executive orders and talks to the press yesterday with Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick (center). Trump called Murdoch "legendary," but said he was "going to have to talk to him" about a Wall Street Journal editorial calling tariffs against Mexico and Canada "the dumbest trade war in history." Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 Trade war China slapped retaliatory tariffs on some American imports today, not long after President Donald Trump's 10% tariffs on Chinese goods took effect. China has also levied a 10% tariff affecting US crude oil, agricultural machinery, and certain cars and pickup trucks. Some types of American coal and natural gas will face a 15% tax. The measures will roll out on February 10. This comes after Trump said on Monday he agreed to "immediately pause" tariffs on Mexico and Canada after speaking with those countries' leaders. He had previously warned that 25% tariffs on goods made in the two countries would come into force today at midnight. Deportation deal El Salvador has offered to house violent US criminals and deportees of any nationality in an unprecedented deal. The controversial agreement was unveiled Monday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio after meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. "[Bukele] has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those of US citizenship and legal residents," Rubio said, alarming critics and rights groups. Any effort by the Trump administration to deport incarcerated US nationals to another country would likely face significant legal pushback. US-Israel relations Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington today, where he will become the first foreign leader to have a formal meeting with President Trump at the White House. US and Israeli officials say the two will hold a joint news conference after their talks. The meeting will take place against the backdrop of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement — and as uncertainties remain about the technical details of the second phase of the deal. The ceasefire, in place for about two weeks, is set to expire on March 1. Wasted water About 2.2 billion gallons of water flowed out of reservoirs in Central California on Friday after President Donald Trump ordered the release with the misguided intent to send water to fire-ravaged Southern California. Trump celebrated the move in posts to Truth Social, declaring, "the water is flowing in California," and adding the water was "heading to farmers throughout the State, and to Los Angeles." However, Los Angeles' water sources are completely separated from the reservoirs that were tapped. This means that instead of saving the water for the upcoming dry summer months, experts say it was wasted by being released during the wet winter season. TikTok ban TikTok is under pressure to find a new owner by April after President Trump signed a 75-day extension to the law that requires the app to be sold off from its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned in the US. Trump said Monday that TikTok could be acquired by a newly proposed US sovereign wealth fund to ensure the app remains accessible to its 170 million American users. But standing up a sovereign wealth fund and then using that fund to acquire the platform is unlikely to happen anytime soon, analysts say. It's also not clear who would run the fund or whether it could gather the tens of billions of dollars estimated to be needed to buy the platform. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 Rubio says El Salvador offers to accept deportees from US of any nationality, including Americans U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Monday that El Salvador’s president has offered to accept deportees from the U.S. of any nationality, including violent American criminals now imprisoned in the United States. Read more. Key points: President Nayib Bukele “has agreed to the most unprecedented, extraordinary, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world,” Rubio said after meeting with Bukele at his lakeside country house outside San Salvador for several hours. “We can send them and he will put them in his jails,” Rubio said. Bukele said his country would accept only “convicted criminals” and would charge a fee that “would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.” After Rubio spoke, a U.S. official said the Trump administration had no current plans to try to deport American citizens, but said Bukele’s offer was significant. The U.S. government cannot deport American citizens and such a move would be met with significant legal challenges. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Texas National Guard can now arrest and detain people who illegally enter the US ACLU sues over Trump shutting down asylum access at the southern border California Assembly approves $50M to defend immigrants and protect state policies from Trump Trump says he wants Ukraine’s rare earth elements as a condition of further support President Donald Trump on Monday indicated that he wants to reach an agreement with Ukraine to gain access to the country’s rare earth materials as a condition for continuing U.S. support for its war against Russia. Read more. Why this matters: Trump suggested he’s received word from the Ukrainian government that they’d be willing to make a deal to give the U.S. access to the elements critical to the modern high-tech economy. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Russian attacks near Ukrainian nuclear infrastructure heighten scrutiny of Kyiv’s preparedness EU and Moldova agree on an energy security plan to wean the country off Russian supplies Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 No Evidence Hamas Used US-Funded Condoms for Bombs as Trump Claimed Snopes previously found no proof the U.S. had funded $50 million worth of condoms for Palestinians. https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/01/31/hamas-condoms-bombs-trump/? Yes, Musk Once Posted It Would Take Airplane Crash To End 'Crazy' DEI Hiring Policy Users resurfaced the year-old post after U.S. President Donald Trump baselessly blamed DEI for a deadly midair collision in January 2025. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/musk-airplane-crashing-dei/? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 Well isn't this interesting: 🔎 Musk is targeting the agency that’s inspecting his company’s equipment. Elon Musk’s crusade to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development comes months after the agency announced a probe of his company’s Starlink terminals, according to pages that still remain on the agency’s website. An archived 2022 USAID press release — now inaccessible on the agency’s website — said the agency had delivered 5,000 of the terminals to the Ukrainian government “through a public-private partnership with the American aerospace manufacturer, SpaceX.” In September, the agency’s inspector general told Congress the probe was reviewing “USAID’s oversight of Starlink Satellite Terminals provided to the Ukrainian government, and USAID’s efforts to protect against sexual exploitation and abuse in Ukraine.” Other USAID webpages mentioning SpaceX and Starlink seem to have disappeared from the agency’s website, though some remain available at the Internet Archive. Musk runs into Watergate-era privacy law. As Elon Musk and his minions reportedly rifle through federal workers’ personnel files and other private records, groups representing those workers are now suing the Trump administration under the Privacy Act of 1974 — a longstanding Watergate-era measure. That law makes clear that “no agency shall disclose any record which is contained in a system of records by any means of communication to any person, or to another agency” unless special conditions are met. A statute with a private right of action. The law creates criminal penalties for illegally accessing federal personnel records, but Trump’s own prosecutors get to decide whether to bring those charges. However, the statute also empowers individuals to “bring a civil action against the agency” that is unlawfully disclosing records. In this case, they are bringing their case against Trump Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who reportedly gave Musk’s acolytes access. The Privacy Act was designed to stop what Musk appears to be doing. The Congressional Research Service notes that the privacy law at issue is a “product of and response to scandals eroding public trust in the government’s handling of personal information, including Watergate” and FBI surveillance. Put another way: It was created to stop presidents from weaponizing their special access to federal records against their political opponents. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 4 Author Members Posted February 4 FBI turns over details of 5,000 employees who worked on January 6 cases to Trump Justice Department, as agents sue FBI officials have complied with demands to provide the Justice Department with details of thousands of employees who worked on investigations related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot, according to people familiar with the situation. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/04/politics/fbi-employees-tuesday? ps:And I thought that Patel said that this wasn't going to happen? And yet he's not even in charge yet!! Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 5 Author Members Posted February 5 Trump and Musk demand termination of federal office leases through General Services Administration One of the next moves in President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s sweeping effort to fire government employees and curtail operations is using the agency that manages thousands of federal employee worksites around the country to cut down on office space. https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-gsa-terminate-office-leases-f8faac5e2038722f705587c8dd21ab26? ps:Must be another agency they need to close down!!!!! Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 5 Author Members Posted February 5 Families and doctors sue over Trump’s order to halt funding for gender-affirming care Seven families with transgender or nonbinary children filed a lawsuit Tuesday over President Donald Trump’s executive orders to narrowly define the sexes and halt federal support for gender-affirming health care for transgender people under age 19. https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-gender-affirming-care-lawsuit-19-cf1467fd53ebb8a125a863c345508e4c? Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 5 Author Members Posted February 5 Trump's Cabinet sweep Chart: Axios Visuals All of President Trump's nominees for the most senior positions in government are on track to get confirmed — a rarity for any modern president, and a particular coup for Trump and his cast of "destroyers." RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard each cleared key Senate committees today, signaling that the full Senate will most likely vote to confirm them both. 🏛️ Before Inauguration Day, Trump advisers saw Kennedy, Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the toughest confirmation battles. But the GOP senators who could have blocked them have ultimately gotten in line. Another controversial nominee, Kash Patel for FBI director, won't be part of the Cabinet but is expected to be confirmed. "Tulsi's getting confirmed. RFK's getting confirmed. [Attorney general nominee Pam] Bondi's getting confirmed. Kash is getting confirmed," a Trump adviser involved in the confirmation process told Axios' Marc Caputo. "All this stuff about how they're not is D.C. bullsh*t." A Trump ally tells Mike: "The team effort has been impressive, with Vice President JD Vance in particular deserving praise. The untold story, however, is just how hard these nominees worked to earn it, and how supportive the Senate committee chairs have been." 🗄️ Yes, and: Roughly 20,000 federal workers have taken Trump's deferred resignation ("buyout") offer, Marc scoops. That's about 1% of the federal workforce — shy of the administration's target of 5–10%, but still a lot of people. The deadline is Thursday. ⚡️ The bottom line: Trump got what he wanted from Canada and Mexico. He's getting the team he wants in every major agency. And nothing, at least so far, has slowed down his efforts to purge the bureaucracy. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 5 Author Members Posted February 5 An Unhelpful Binary (Chip Somodevilla / Getty) View in browser ps:I'm posting this because I don't have a account Over the first two weeks of the second Donald Trump presidency, the narrative has swung back and forth abruptly. A flurry of executive orders to start the term: proof of a newly disciplined, regimented administration. The quick retreat from a federal funding freeze: evidence of the same chaos that dogged Trump’s first stint as president. Elon Musk’s blitzkrieg against USAID: Who can even be sure? The first Trump administration conditioned many people to discount the seriousness of any effort. No matter what Trump promised, he was too mercurial a president and ineffective a manager to make it happen. He really did want to repeal Obamacare and build a border wall, but he just didn’t have the attention span to execute, and his staff was too consumed with internecine feuds to be useful. The result was perpetual disorder and underachievement. More recently, Trumpworld has cultivated an impression of greater control. Trump’s 2024 campaign co-manager Susie Wiles was credited with keeping him on track during the lead-up to the election (with some notable exceptions), and she’s now White House chief of staff. Project 2025, an outside effort led by past, current, and likely future White House staffers, also demonstrates careful thought about how to better execute during a second term. When Trump signed a series of executive orders along many fronts on January 20 and 21, it seemed to prove that something had changed, although sharp rebukes from federal judges and sloppy drafting errors have raised doubts since then. But chaos versus strategy is a misleading and unhelpful binary for understanding this presidency. Chaos certainly helps Trump, because it makes coordinated resistance from Congress, outside advocates, or the public challenging. Many White House actions appear to be usurping legislative authority, but the speed of the moves has left members of Congress in both parties looking stunned and indecisive. His goal, however, is not simply to create confusion. Trump likes keeping his aides siloed—it allows him to play them off one another, and prevents any one faction from getting too strong. (His appreciation for checks and balances does not appear to extend to Congress and the courts.) Internal feuding isn’t a downside for Trump: It’s his way of settling disputes. Moreover, the chaos does not evince a lack of strategy. As I wrote last week, the grant freeze by the Office of Management and Budget wasn’t some ad hoc move, but instead part of a long-running plan by conservative ideologues to challenge the law that prevents the president from withholding money that’s appropriated. That’s also why the White House’s retreat from the freeze is almost certainly only temporary. Elon Musk’s moves, through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, appear to be more improvisational. Unlike the OMB wonks, Musk has little knowledge of how the federal government works and little interest in the risk of his actions; his team reportedly includes inexperienced aides as young as 19. Nonetheless, the transformation of Twitter into X serves as a good model for how this might play out. After Musk’s aggressive takeover, refugees from the company made dire warnings about it collapsing entirely. More than two years later, the site is overrun with racist trolls, but it is still functional and has become a powerful political weapon for Musk. If Musk is left to his own devices, we might expect something similar from DOGE. He’s already gotten nearly 1 percent of the federal workforce to resign, almost single-handledly brought USAID to the verge of death, and reportedly acquired access to reams of government data. As my colleague Charlie Warzel wrote yesterday, “It is nothing short of an administrative coup.” A Muskified federal government might not serve the public very well, but it could become an effective political tool for Musk and his allies. And that might not be the only administrative coup in action. New staffers are joining the administration every day, and many of them have ties to Project 2025, the scheme to overhaul the federal government. Russell Vought, the intellectual leading light of Project 2025, passed a procedural vote yesterday and could be confirmed to lead OMB this week. Adam Candeub, another Project 2025 contributor, was just named general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission. This group is far more methodical than Musk, preferring a careful and quiet plan to his blunt, noisy tack. What unites Musk and the ideologues is a commitment to do whatever they can, and see what they can get away with it. If that looks like chaos, so be it. They know what it is they’re trying to do. ps:If you have an account with "the Atlantic" you'll be able to read the 2 articles listed here. I don't otherwise I would post them. If I get access to them I'll post them. Related: There is a strategy behind the chaos. Trump’s campaign to dismantle the government Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 5 Author Members Posted February 5 Trump's wild Middle East vision President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last evening. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP On the 15th day, he proclaimed Gaza ours, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column. Why it matters: There are two ways to view President Trump's epic, historic, shockingly unexpected declaration last evening that the U.S. should seize, control, develop and hold "a long-term ownership position" in war-destroyed Gaza. It was a wild bluff — or bluster — to gain leverage in the Middle East. It's like threats of trade tariffs against Canada and Mexico — all-consumingly controversial, yet instantly ephemeral. This strikes most Republicans as the right interpretation. The other: It fuses several Trump obsessions — his hope for a grand Middle East peace deal, his belief Gaza will be a hellhole for decades to come, and his genuine intrigue about developing the seaside land. U.S. officials tell us Trump's words were premeditated, and mirror ideas he floated to some staff and family members privately. 💭 What he said: "The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip," Trump said, reading from notes in the East Room during the first formal news conference of his presidency, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side. "We'll own it, and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site." Asked later who he envisions living in a rebuilt Gaza, Trump replied: "I envision the world people living there — the world's people. I think you'll make that into an international, unbelievable place." Trump, channeling his inner developer, added: "We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don't want to be cute, I don't want to be a wise guy, but: the Riviera of the Middle East. ... This could be so magnificent. ... We'll make sure that it's done world-class — it'll be wonderful for the people." A view of an area in Gaza City yesterday that was destroyed during fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas. Photo: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP 🖼️ The big picture: Like everything with Trump, his views and motivations are gray despite being expressed in stark black and white. "He's moving the goalposts of crazy," a longtime adviser told us. "This time around, he's not intimidated by headlines or pundits: He's gonna throw out there whatever he feels like throwing out there." Trump's message to the Middle East, in the words of this adviser: "I can make it a lot worse for you guys, or you can come up with a better plan." 🥊 Reality check: There are massive obstacles to Trump's vision. The human toll would be staggering: 2 million Palestinians call Gaza home and haven't consented to being forced out of their territory, despite the colossal destruction from 16 months of war. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have vehemently rejected Trump's plan to resettle those Palestinians on their territory. Not to mention the broader regional consensus, including in Saudi Arabia, that Gaza should be part of a Palestinian state — not an American one. Human rights groups have already condemned the proposal as ethnic cleansing. Trump campaigned on ending foreign wars, but he left the door open last evening to sending U.S. troops to Gaza "if necessary." Left unmentioned was what would be done about Hamas, which remains a force in Gaza and has recruited 10,000-15,000 fighters since the start of the war, according to U.S. intelligence. Trump's "America First" allies in the Republican Party are quietly raising their eyebrows, especially with his administration actively in the process of dismantling USAID for using taxpayer dollars overseas. ps:These two genises deserve each other!! Column continues below. 🧠 Part 2: What Trump's thinking President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in the Oval Office yesterday. Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images People want to put a frame around Trump's most dramatic moves or public statements, Jim and Mike write. But everyone on the inside knows it's Trump being Trump — feeling wholly confident, unrestrained, liberated to say and propose whatever pops into his mind. The Gaza idea is a collision of three private Trump views: He believes a big peace deal, with the Saudis at the center, is doable. He was genuinely moved by the scope of the destruction of Gaza, and the realization it could take decades to rebuild. He and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, see this as authentic prime real estate — "waterfront property" that could draft off all the power and money flowing through the Middle East. But Trump seemed to undermine his hopes for a broader Middle East deal. The Saudis were furious with both Trump's idea, and his claim they would accept a deal that does not include a Palestinian state, sources tell Axios' Barak Ravid. 🔎 Behind the scenes: A source close to Trump said the Gaza overture was Trump's own idea, and he had been thinking about it for at least two months, Barak reports. A U.S. official said Trump presented the plan because he came to the conclusion that no one else had any new ideas for Gaza. The bottom line: Chaos isn't an accident. Trump and his aides know that the tsunami of ideas, executive orders and proclamations makes it hard for opponents to unite around a single message. Think about you or your friends: Are you more intrigued or worked up by all his controversial nominees ... or Greenland ... or trade wars ... or USAID ... or Elon Musk ... or Ukraine ... or South Africa ... or TikTok ... or a new sovereign wealth fund ... or Trump's own crypto? No human can process this much he-did-what news this fast. Zachary Basu contributed reporting ... 🤯 Trump stuns world President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak during a news conference in the East Room of the White House last evening. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP President Trump's declaration that the U.S. could "take over" Gaza surprised many of his own advisers, thrilled right-wing Israelis, and deeply alarmed the governments in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, sources in Washington and around the region tell Axios' Barak Ravid. Trump's plan to displace 2 million Palestinians came at a very sensitive point of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal. It could even embolden both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume the war. 🎤 Being there: The sense of shock was palpable among the 150 journalists in the East Room. Very few people on Trump's team knew in advance that he would go so far as to pronounce the U.S. would "own" the war-scarred enclave — a highly interventionist endeavor for a long-time critic of U.S. nation-building around the world. 🇮🇱 Some members of Netanyahu's delegation left the room almost jubilant. The visit was "truly historic" and "exceeded all of our expectations and dreams," one senior Israeli official gushed. "Trump raised genius solutions to problems that Israel has faced since its establishment." Trump's displacement plan was praised by members of the Israeli far-right as a "green light" for full Israeli occupation of Gaza and the building of settlements. A source close to Trump said that's not his intention. 🔭 Zoom out: Leaders in Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority were already horrified by Trump's repeated comments over the last two weeks about expelling Palestinians from Gaza. They will be even more nervous now. Trump's comments also shocked Saudi Arabia — a country which the president described Tuesday as a key partner in implementing his plans in the region, a U.S. source close to the Saudis told Axios. The Saudis were also upset about Trump's claim at the top of his meeting with Netanyahu that the kingdom won't condition normalization of relations with Israel on Palestinian statehood. 🇸🇦 Although it was around 4 a.m. in Riyadh, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded statement rejecting that claim and opposing Trump's plan for displacing Palestinians. The U.S. source said: "The Saudi crown prince doesn't want to be seen as being part of what Trump is talking about." 💡 Between the lines: Trump sees the Gaza Strip as prime real estate that could be at the center of a regional deal involving Saudi Arabia, Israel and other countries. But his plan doesn't grapple with the deep historic trauma of displacement for the Palestinians and for countries in the region. "He is a disruptor. He wanted to challenge the discourse," a source close to Trump said. 🔮 What's next: King Abdullah II of Jordan will arrive in Washington next week, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi the week after that, for what should be dramatic meetings with Trump. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 5 Author Members Posted February 5 🌐 Trump pulls most USAID workers worldwide Image: USAID.gov The Trump administration is placing most of the U.S. Agency for International Development's 10,000 staffers around the world on leave, effective Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Why it matters: Yesterday's directive, posted online, means the vast majority of overseas workers will rapidly return home, Axios' Andrew Freedman and Rebecca Falconer write. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have heavily targeted USAID in the early days of the second Trump presidency. Musk tweeted Monday: "We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper." The agency and the State Department are preparing a plan for USAID personnel currently posted overseas that would arrange and pay for return travel to the U.S. within 30 days. Go deeper. Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 5 Author Members Posted February 5 How Trump’s EPA Threatens Efforts to Clean Up Areas Affected Most by Dangerous Air Pollution In just two weeks, Donald Trump has made drastic changes to the Environmental Protection Agency. Here’s how they could impact efforts to reform toxic hot spots across the U.S. and who will be left to safeguard these communities. https://www.propublica.org/article/donald-trump-epa-toxic-air-pollution? ps:Of course he did!! Has to keep his billionaire buddies polluting the country!!!!! Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Members phkrause Posted February 6 Author Members Posted February 6 Trump won't rule out deploying US troops to support rebuilding Gaza, sees 'long-term' US ownership President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the war-torn territory and proposed the U.S. take “ownership” to redevelop the area into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” Read more. Key points: Trump insists the Palestinians “have no alternative” but to leave the “big pile of rubble” that is Gaza. Trump wants to push roughly 1.8 million people to leave the land they have called home and claim it for the U.S., perhaps with American troops. Trump may be betting he can persuade Egypt and Jordan to accept displaced Palestinians because of the significant aid that the U.S. provides Cairo and Amman. Egypt, Jordan and other U.S. allies in the Mideast have cautioned Trump that relocating Palestinians from Gaza would threaten Mideast stability, risk expanding the conflict and undermine a decades-long push by the U.S. and allies for a two-state solution. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump announces withdrawal from UN human rights body and halt to funding for Palestinian refugees WATCH: Trump suggests displaced Palestinians in Gaza be 'permanently' resettled outside territory Trump’s suggestion the US ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip is rejected by allies and adversaries alike Quote phkrause Read Isaiah 10:1-13
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.