Members phkrause Posted February 9, 2025 Author Members Posted February 9, 2025 Judge blocks Trump from placing thousands of USAID workers on leave and giving them 30-day deadline WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday dealt President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk their first big setback in their dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, ordering a temporary halt to plans to pull thousands of agency staffers off the job. https://apnews.com/article/usaid-foreign-aid-trump-rubio-48f8460804d33bdaa18d7765c4b24f9e? Kash Patel had a roster of foreign clients. Their interests could clash with FBI he hopes to lead WASHINGTON (AP) — Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, holds more than $1 million of stock in a fashion company founded in China. He established a nonprofit that spent big on promotion but little on its mission. And he advised a roster of foreign clients, including a Czech arms maker that top Republicans have criticized for being too tight with U.S. adversaries. https://apnews.com/article/kash-patel-shein-vance-trump-fbi-aa1e678c283017fb3a9dd3b9de613939? GOP state attorneys general campaign group brings back leader who resigned in aftermath of Jan. 6 An organization with the mission of electing Republicans to state attorney general positions is bringing back a former executive director who resigned in the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. https://apnews.com/article/republican-attorneys-general-raga-adam-piper-37d4c4a18d24d9c94de8c9431669dca0? Are Americans paying attention to Musk and Trump’s DOGE? Here’s what people in Iowa had to say URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst has hailed Elon Musk and the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency as a necessary force in Washington, D.C., calling it “a storm that is headed this way that will sweep over this city and forever alter the way it operates.” https://apnews.com/article/trump-doge-iowa-elon-musk-joni-ernst-29c2756648bc889a33dbc0a0fd9cc05d? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 9, 2025 Author Members Posted February 9, 2025 ? Tariffs fuel inflation fears Republicans, Democrats and independents all expect to see higher inflation pretty soon, Axios' Courtenay Brown reports from new, closely watched data out of the University of Michigan. The spike in inflation fears followed President Trump's imposition of new tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. He quickly suspended the first two. ? Why it matters: If jitters persist, consumers could hold back the type of spending that has bolstered the economy. Consumer sentiment fell by nearly 5 points in early February — the second straight monthly decline Americans' expectations for their personal finances also fell across all political parties, reaching the lowest levels since October 2023. Go deeper. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 The Tariffs Were Never Real Donald Trump does not appear eager to follow through on one of his biggest campaign promises. By Rogé Karma Some presidents spend their first few weeks in office trying to make good on their central campaign promise; Donald Trump has instead done everything he can to avoid having to follow through on his. A controversial campaign pledge to enact big, universal tariffs that would transform the global-trade system and usher in American prosperity has been whittled down to a set of hollow threats designed to extract mostly symbolic concessions from America’s neighbors. Trump is behaving like a man who has lost the appetite for aggressive tariffs—if he ever had it in the first place. Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump vowed to enact the most sweeping trade restrictions since the Great Depression: a 10 to 20 percent tariff on all goods coming from foreign countries, plus a special 60 percent tariff on goods from China. Trump and his key trade advisers argued that the plan would revive American manufacturing, enrich the U.S. government, and keep America’s economy ahead of China’s. Following Trump’s victory in November, however, some of his economic advisers began offering a pared-down proposal in an effort to assuage business leaders and investors who worried about tariffs’ inflationary consequences. Tariffs, they argued, were really a negotiating tool that would allow Trump to win economic and geopolitical concessions from America’s trading partners. Howard Lutnick, who is now Trump’s secretary of commerce, claimed that the mere threat of tariffs could be used as leverage to rewrite the rules of the international trading system in America’s favor. “We’ll make a bunch of money on the tariffs, but mostly everybody else is going to negotiate with us,” he said on CNBC. Scott Bessent, now Trump’s treasury secretary, argued that tariffs could have noneconomic benefits as well; they would, he said, be “a useful tool for achieving the president’s foreign-policy objectives.” Upon taking office, Trump narrowed the logic of his proposed trade restrictions even further. The economic rationale disappeared entirely, and even the political goals tied to his tariff threats appeared oddly small-bore. In the first two weeks of his presidency, Trump threatened tariffs against Colombia for refusing to take in flights carrying deported migrants, against the European Union for running trade surpluses with the United States, and against Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (collectively referred to as “BRICS”) for considering the creation of a new reserve currency. Then, this past Friday, Trump announced his first official round of tariffs: a 10 percent levy on all goods from China and 25 percent on nearly all goods from Mexico and Canada. According to a document announcing the tariffs, their purpose would be to “hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country.” “WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN?” Trump posted on Sunday on Truth Social. “YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!).” Then, almost as quickly as Trump had announced the tariffs, he reversed course. Yesterday morning, he decided to pause the tariffs on Mexico after its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced that she would deploy 10,000 troops to the border to curb immigration and drug trafficking. Later that afternoon, the tariffs on Canada were also paused following two phone calls between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who agreed to implement a $1.3 billion plan to reinforce America’s northern border, appoint a “Fentanyl Czar,” and launch a $200 million “intelligence directive” to crack down on organized crime and fentanyl. Trump took the opportunity to declare victory. “I am very pleased with this initial outcome,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. “FAIRNESS FOR ALL!” In reality, Trump’s tariff threats accomplished next to nothing beyond political theater. Canada’s $1.3 billion border plan sounds like a big concession—but it had already been announced before Trump took office. Moreover, last year, just 1.5 percent of illegal border crossings took place and just 0.2 percent of the fentanyl seized by U.S. border authorities was found at the Canadian border. Crossings at the southern border, meanwhile, have been plummeting since March and, by the end of last year, had reached a lower point than when Trump left office the first time. Fentanyl entering into the U.S. from Mexico remains a problem, but sending more Mexican troops to the border is unlikely to fix it; Mexico already sent 15,000 troops to the border in response to Trump’s tariff threats in 2019, and the scale of trafficking has only increased. Maybe political theater was the point all along. The appeal of tariffs has as much to do with the signal they send as with their concrete benefits. In fact, a widely discussed economics paper published last year found that although Trump’s 2018–19 trade war with China failed to boost employment in areas that had been most undercut by Chinese exports, it still boosted vote share for Trump and other Republicans in those places. Trump seems to have intuited this dynamic on his own. By proposing a set of tariffs that he likely had no intention of following through on, Trump could appear tough on trade, declare a victory, and claim to have fulfilled a key campaign promise—all without having to risk political backlash over the higher prices that come with actual high tariffs. Of course, whether voters will view Trump’s actions in this way, rather than as a transparent charade, remains to be seen. What is clear is that the averted tariffs had essentially nothing to do with economics. For years, Trump’s intellectual supporters, notably his former trade representative Robert Lighthizer and his current senior trade adviser, Peter Navarro, have promoted a heterodox economic theory in support of major tariffs. Enacting such restrictions, they argue, would turn America into a manufacturing powerhouse, ensure its lead in the crucial technologies of the future, and deliver prosperity to Middle America. Perhaps the most striking thing about the tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose so far is that they don’t even pretend to further that vision. Trump voters were promised a manufacturing revival, and what they got was a Canadian fentanyl czar. The partial exception is the 10 percent tariff on China that went into effect this morning and, as of this writing, remains intact. There, the economic and geopolitical case for restrictions is far more coherent: Liberalized trade relations with China has been empirically linked to the decline of America’s manufacturing base, and depending on a great-power rival for crucial technologies poses national-security risks. Yet even here, Trump has not justified the tariff in those terms—and he implemented it at a level far below the 60 percent that he promised on the campaign trail. Trump’s second term is still in its infancy. Perhaps draconian trade restrictions remain in the offing. The available evidence, however, suggests that Trump favors steep tariffs only so long as they are theoretical. Most experts have argued that Trump’s tariff plan would inflict severe economic pain domestically. The president’s most recent moves suggest that he has come to believe them. Support for this project was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 USAID paid $44K to Politico, not over $8M as White House claimed. It was for subscriptions Claim: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided over $8 million in funding to the news and policy media company Politico LLC. Rating: False https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/usaid-payments-to-politico/? ps:Of course it's false!!!!! Mexico also sent troops to border during Biden administration U.S. President Donald Trump said he would delay imposing tariffs for a month as Mexico agreed to send troops to the border in 2025. Claim: In 2021, during former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, Mexico increased numbers of troops at its borders an effort to reduce migration. Rating: True In early February 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was delaying imposing tariffs on Mexican goods for a month as part of an agreement with his Mexican counterpart to increase border enforcement. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government agreed to send 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in an effort to prevent the trafficking of drugs, particularly fentanyl. "Mexico agreed to maintain 10,000 troops at the US border. In 2021. Yep. Trump is taking credit for 10,000 troops that Biden got Mexico to put there four years ago. And Biden did it without any threats." https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mexico-troops-border-biden/? ps:Of course he took credit!! It's the only thing he knows how to do!!!!! Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 Trump's never-ending campaign Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios It's not just wild 5 a.m. tweets from President Trump anymore. Three weeks into his second term, Trump's White House is pumping out personal insults to his political enemies, provocative videos and flame-throwing social media attacks like no administration before it, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Why it matters: During Trump's first term, he was something of a lone wolf on Twitter. In Trump 2.0, it's like the 2024 campaign never ended. An entire team is his avatar — a smash-mouth, 24-7 PR operation that seems bent on juicing political divisions. ? Zoom in: Much of Trump's offensive plays out through a "Rapid Response 47" account the White House has set up on X, aimed at "supporting POTUS's America First agenda and holding the Fake News accountable." Last week, the Rapid Response account posted a message portraying House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as violent for promising that Democrats will "fight" Trump's agenda "legislatively… in the courts, and … in the streets." This week, the account derided Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as "the weirdest man in Washington, D.C." ? Between the lines: White House staffers also are using their personal government accounts on X to bash Trump opponents, sometimes in personal ways. Those posts often are amplified on the White House account. White House communications director Steven Cheung on Wednesday said of Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett: "Jasmine Crock-o–Sh*t wants men to play in women's sports." That was after Crockett criticized Trump for signing an executive order banning transgender women from participating in women's sports. Alex Pfeiffer, the White House's principal deputy communications director, on Friday called Democratic Rep. Darren Soto not "too bright" after Soto called the January jobs report "WEAK" under Trump. ? The big picture: Past administrations used official government social media accounts and surrogates to spread their messages, typically in the official-speak of Washington. That's not the formula with this White House, which is stocked with former campaign advisers who say the political, media and social media environment has changed. White House officials say their brass-knuckle approach reaches more people than duller, more traditional White House messaging of the past. One White House official said posts on the new Rapid Response team's X account have generated more than 60 million views. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 ? Musk's X army Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Getty Images Elon Musk is enlisting the help of his X army as he seeks to hack away at the U.S. government: He is responding directly to users who recommend specific cuts, and posted an X poll to justify reinstating a staffer who resigned over racist tweets. Why it matters: Musk is leaning not only on access to sensitive government systems, but also on his legions of fervently loyal, often-anonymous X followers as he weighs the fate of billions of dollars in spending, Axios' Neal Rothschild writes. ? The big picture: Donald Trump broke new ground in his first term by carrying out the nation's business via tweet decrees. Musk, who typically posts between 50 and 100 tweets per day, is taking the bottom-up approach by letting foot soldiers supply suggestions that get seen — and acted on — by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). ? Last weekend, Musk elevated posts decrying USAID uses of money in his push to gut the agency. Then during an overnight conversation on X early Monday, he declared that Trump "agreed" to shut it down. Media became a target when users initially claimed erroneously that Politico had received millions from USAID. In fact, federal agencies were paying for subscriptions to specialized Politico products. After users shared screenshots highlighting that spending, Musk agreed it was "wasteful." Within a few hours the White House announced the Politico subscriptions were being canceled. DOGE has since announced that subscriptions to The New York Times and other outlets are being scrapped. Via X ⚡ The latest: After The Wall Street Journal uncovered blatantly racist tweets apparently written by one key DOGE staffer, Marko Elez, the White House announced Elez had resigned. Then X users responding to Musk's poll (including Vice President Vance) overwhelmingly supported reinstating him, and Musk announced he'd be back. Keep reading. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 ? Trump pulls Biden clearance Red, white and blue lights on the outside of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts mark the 100th birthday of President John F. Kennedy on May 26, 2017. Photo: J. David Ake/AP President Trump is revoking former President Biden's security clearance and stopping his daily intelligence briefings. "There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information," the president said on Truth Social. Catch up quick: Citing the special counsel report from last year into Biden's handling of classified documents, Trump alleged the former president suffers from "poor memory" and can't be trusted with sensitive information, Axios' Sareen Habeshian reports. Biden cut Trump's access to intelligence briefings shortly after he took office in 2021, citing Trump's "erratic" behavior. Via Truth Social ? Trump yesterday named himself head of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C., and said he's dismissing several of its board members. David Rubenstein has chaired the Kennedy Center's board of trustees for 14 years. He'd announced he was going to retire in January 2025 but said after the presidential election that he'd stay on until September 2026. Zoom out: The board, which has three dozen members, each appointed for six-year terms, is roughly split by appointees from Trump and Biden. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 Feds turn to local jails to hold immigrants The Trump administration's scramble to find more detention space for unauthorized immigrants has led the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin holding some of those who've been arrested, Axios' Stef Kight and Brittany Gibson report. Why it matters: Arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have ramped up under President Trump, but immigration detention facilities are already packed — and top Trump aides are getting impatient. ⚡ Catch up quick: Congress has given ICE enough money to hold roughly 40,000 immigrants in detention, and the average number detained last month was already near capacity. Trump's plan to deport "millions and millions" of unauthorized immigrants is leading to as many as 1,000 arrests a day — below the administration's goals but far more than the system can hold in detention. Border czar Tom Homan has asked sheriffs across the country to rent out space in their local jails to detain immigrants. Keep reading. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Gustave Posted February 10, 2025 Posted February 10, 2025 Trump is presently in the process of giving America a much-needed enema - of course there are elements within the Govt and Country that are flailing around and indignant, however, Trump is remaining firm, he's putting the tube in and STOMPING on that enema bag. America will be better off after he's done. Quote
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 Scoop: Inside Trump's Iran fear Iran's threat to assassinate Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign was far more serious than publicly known — and led to extraordinary precautions by his team that included using a decoy plane to avert a feared attempt on his life, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Alex's upcoming book, "Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power," reveals the depth of U.S. authorities' concerns about an Iranian attack on Trump — and how it impacted him. ✈️ Behind the scenes: For the book, which will be out March 18, Alex had extensive access to Trump's inner circle during his campaign. Law enforcement officials warned Trump last year that Tehran had placed operatives in the U.S. with access to surface-to-air missiles, Alex writes. Trump's team worried that the Iranians could try to down his easily recognizable personal jet — better known as "Trump Force One" — as it was taking off or landing. The concern intensified after a foiled assassination attempt of Trump at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Sept. 15. Iran hasn't been linked to that incident or the shooting in Pennsylvania two months earlier, in which a bullet nicked Trump in the ear. But at one point soon after the Florida incident, Trump's security detail was concerned enough about the Iran threat that it had Trump travel to an event on a decoy plan owned by Steve Witkoff, who's now Trump's envoy to the Middle East. Many aides on Trump's jet didn't learn about the hush-hush plan until just before takeoff, when they realized Trump's window seat was empty. "The boss ain't riding with us today," co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita told the group. "We had to put him into another plane. This is nothing but a sort of test for how things may happen in the future." Campaign leaders tried to assure Trump aides they weren't being used as bait. But if Iranian operatives had access to surface-to-air missiles, several aides wondered, why were they put on board? The flight was a surreal experience, with "gallows humor galore," three aides later told me. "This was some serious sh*t," they said those onboard realized. ? Other scares for Trump's campaign: The Secret Service warned campaign leaders after a Sept. 18 rally on Long Island, N.Y., that they had intelligence that someone might be looking to shoot up his motorcade. "Don't f**king hang out the window and take photos, because you're a f**king target," LaCivita darkly joked to Trump social media guru Dan Scavino. Co-campaign manager Susie Wiles, now White House chief of staff, reclined her seat back. During a trip to Pennsylvania the next week, Secret Service agents noticed a drone following Trump's motorcade. Officers in one of the cars opened up the moonroof and shot it with an electromagnetic gun, disabling it. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 ⚖️ Trump media lawsuits spike Data: Axios research. Chart: Axios Visuals Since President Trump began his political career in 2015, the number of media and defamation lawsuits involving him or his businesses as either the plaintiff or defendant quadrupled compared to the prior three decades, according to an analysis of public databases by Axios' Kerry Flynn. Why it matters: Trump has become bolder about using the courts in media and free speech cases. ? Sign up for Axios Media Trends Executive membership, your guide to navigating and shaping the future of media, from Axios' Sara Fischer & Kerry Flynn. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 ? DOGE's security threat Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Silicon Valley's speed-over-safety mindset is colliding with Washington's reality: Messing with government IT can open the door for China, Russia, and other adversaries to infiltrate critical U.S. systems. Why it matters: On-the-fly overhauls of government IT systems are putting Americans at risk, lawmakers and former officials tell Axios' Sam Sabin. ⚡ State of play: DOGE has reportedly either already gained access or is eyeing access to sensitive federal systems, including those handling Social Security, Medicare, and national infrastructure. Agencies affected include the Treasury Department, Energy Department and the Office of Personnel Management — and others handling classified and highly sensitive data. One member of Musk's team has connections to a Telegram-based cyberattack-for-hire service, Wired reported. That person was fired from a cybersecurity internship for disclosing company secrets to a competitor, Bloomberg reports. Via X Between the lines: Typically, major IT modernization decisions are made through a lengthy interagency process where officials get feedback and weigh the benefits and consequences of such decisions. That process is "all these really boring things that everybody hates that makes us feel slow, but it also makes us not start World War III," said Jake Braun, a former White House deputy national cyber director. Trump’s 3rd week saw more executive orders, a trade war that wasn’t and a Mideast jolt Three weeks in, President Donald Trump keeps cranking out executive orders designed to remake the government while billionaire Elon Musk hunts for more ways to upend the federal workforce. Here are some Week 3 takeaways. Read more. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 How the tactics Musk brought to Washington backfired at Twitter The world’s richest man has brought a slash-and-burn strategy to the federal government, and some people who experienced Elon Musk’s takeover at Twitter have a warning: Expect chaos, cuts driven by ideology as much as by cost concerns, intimidation and plenty of lawsuits. It’s unclear whether his push for “extremely hardcore” changes at Twitter has paid off. Read more. Trump says he wants to negotiate about Ukraine. It’s not clear if Putin really does Russian and Western analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin is closer than ever to achieving his objectives in Ukraine, with little incentive to come to the negotiating table, no matter how much U.S. President Donald Trump might cajole or threaten him. Read more. Trump repeats pledge to take control of Gaza even as pressure mounts to renew ceasefire MUGHRAQA, Gaza Strip (AP) — New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure Sunday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase, even as U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his pledge that the U.S. would take control of the Palestinian enclave. https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-02-09-2025-9c36734cd5175fbb86e6d1dabe3cfc07? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 10, 2025 Author Members Posted February 10, 2025 Trump says he’s firing Kennedy Center board of trustees members and naming himself chairman WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is firing members of the board of trustees for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and naming himself chairman. https://apnews.com/article/trump-kennedy-center-board-chairman-firings-21cd0018c6e9f591d59becea8573d8c0? ps:What a great choice!!!! In Breaking USAID, the Trump Administration May Have Broken the Law It was the week President Donald Trump had signed a sweeping executive order shutting off the funding for foreign aid programs. Inside the U.S. Agency for International Development, his political appointees gathered shell-shocked senior staffers for private meetings to discuss the storied agency’s new reality. https://www.propublica.org/article/usaid-trump-musk-destruction-may-have-broken-law? Trump says he’ll announce yet another new tariff Monday President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One Sunday, said he planned on announcing a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States Monday. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/09/business/trump-tariffs-steel-aluminum/index.html? The Far-Right Group Building a List of Pro-Palestine Activists to Deport On January 29, Palestinian organizers in New York City gathered at a park for a vigil to mourn the one-year anniversary of the death of Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old killed last year alongside her family and paramedics by the Israeli military in Gaza. At Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan, attendees laid candles, alongside photos and art of Rajab. https://theintercept.com/2025/02/06/betar-palestine-school-activists-target-deport-trump/? Marco Rubio’s USAID “Humanitarian Waiver” Isn’t Helping Restart Lifesaving Programs Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s humanitarian waiver for foreign aid is a “performative” bit of “lip service,” said former contractors with the U.S. Agency for International Development who worked on programs to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and Ebola. https://theintercept.com/2025/02/06/marco-rubio-usaid-humanitarian-waiver/? “You Don’t Own Gaza, Donald Trump”: Palestinians Vow to Remain and Rebuild Mansour Abo Kareem stood in front of piles of rubble where his home used to be and condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to permanently expel all Palestinian from Gaza. “I am against migrating,” he said, staring into his nephew’s camera. “This is our land and we want to live in peace.” https://theintercept.com/2025/02/08/trump-gaza-palestinians-displace/? Trump’s Attacks on USAID Spark Fear That Lifesaving Care Will Become “Transactional” If the State Department takes over USAID, experts fear foreign assistance will stop unless it has a perceived benefit for Trump. https://theintercept.com/2025/02/06/trump-rubio-usaid-state-department/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 11, 2025 Author Members Posted February 11, 2025 Trump's penny purge Via Truth Social About 30 minutes after leaving the Super Bowl in New Orleans last night, President Trump declared the penny dead. He said on Truth Social that he instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to "stop producing new pennies," Axios' Kelly Tyko writes. Why it matters: Elon Musk's DOGE has railed against the penny. The cost-cutting team's X account made the case last month that they cost more to make than they're worth. The U.S. Mint's annual report cites the cost of making a penny was 3.69 cents in Fiscal Year 2024. The cost of the coin has "remained above face value for the 19th consecutive fiscal year." "For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," Trump wrote. "This is so wasteful!" "Let's rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it's a penny at a time." ? The U.S. also spends 13.78 cents to make a nickel, the report said. President Trump speaks to reporters next to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Kathryn Burgum aboard Air Force One yesterday. Photo: Ben Curtis/AP On his way to the game, Trump declared yesterday "Gulf of America Day" as Air Force One flew over what has been known for centuries as the Gulf of Mexico. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 11, 2025 Author Members Posted February 11, 2025 ⚡Trade escalation coming today President Trump said aboard Air Force One en route to the Super Bowl that today he'll announce 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico, and "reciprocal tariffs" later this week. "Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25% tariff," he said. When asked about aluminum, he responded: "Aluminum, too." Trump said he'll announce reciprocal tariffs on Tuesday or Wednesday, to take effect almost immediately, applying them to all countries and matching the tariff rates levied by each country, per Reuters. "And very simply, it's: If they charge us, we charge them," Trump said of the reciprocal tariff plan. ? The big picture: China's tit-for-tat duties on U.S. imports took effect today. The rapid-fire shots of tariffs and import curbs hearken back to Trump's first term in office, when the U.S. and China engaged in a trade war, AP notes. The largest sources of U.S. steel imports are Canada, Brazil and Mexico. Canada is the largest U.S. supplier of primary aluminum metal. ?? Doug Ford, the premier of Canadian steel-producing hub Ontario, on X accused Trump of "shifting goalposts and constant chaos, putting our economy at risk." Get the latest. Psychological chaos The Trump administration's "shock and awe" strategy was meant to overwhelm opponents. But it's also sweeping up ordinary Americans who find they can't detach from the barrage of news, Axios' Tina Reed writes. Why it matters: Political anxiety has been building for years as the 24-hour news cycle, social media and algorithms create endless outlets for strife. Trump's pugnacious style and the breakneck series of changes he and Elon Musk unleashed have ratcheted everything up, delighting his supporters and leaving critics panicked and without a single rallying point. Mental health professionals say even people who don't see themselves as directly affected by administration actions are feeling frazzled by the dizzying pace and Trump's enduring ability to command attention. "There is an element of chaos right now," said Andrea Bonior, a Georgetown University psychology professor who sees patients in the D.C. area. "A sense of not knowing what's coming, and not being able to control what's coming, is really hard on the stress response." Keep reading ... Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 11, 2025 Author Members Posted February 11, 2025 Aggressive FTC picks Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios President Trump's Federal Trade Commission is beefing up its staff with a string of new hires who are skeptical of Big Tech, Axios' Marc Caputo writes. Why it matters: Trump has support from several Big Tech leaders — Elon Musk chief among them. But the president's new FTC chair, Andrew Ferguson, is a critic of Big Tech and is signaling the panel won't be stacked with pro-industry quislings. The FTC is still moving forward with cases against Amazon and Meta, and it's investigating Microsoft. ? Between the lines: "Big Tech and anyone else who seeks to engage in anticompetitive or illegal behavior have been put on notice," a commission source told Axios in announcing the new hires... Chief technology officer Jake Denton: He's a former researcher for the Heritage Foundation's Center for Technology Policy who wrote in one essay that "Big Tech companies have abused the government's anemic enforcement of antitrust law to kill competition, cozy up to hostile foreign actors and consolidate power at the expense of the American consumer and citizen." General counsel Lucas Croslow: Virginia's former deputy solicitor general was involved in actions against Big Tech that included support for Texas and Florida laws that targeted social media censorship. Bureau of Competition director Daniel Guarnera: He led the Justice Department's Anti-Monopoly and Collusion Enforcement under President Biden. Bureau of Consumer Protection director Chris Mufarrige: Currently the acting director of the bureau, he said at a recent legal workshop that "Big Tech represents the issue of our generation." Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
bonnie1962 Posted February 11, 2025 Posted February 11, 2025 12 hours ago, Gustave said: Trump is presently in the process of giving America a much-needed enema - of course there are elements within the Govt and Country that are flailing around and indignant, however, Trump is remaining firm, he's putting the tube in and STOMPING on that enema bag. America will be better off after he's done. Gustave, Ever wonder if the same intense, obsessive scrutiny had been given Biden for four years what the result would have been. Every word, every look between Trump and his wife, every article of clothing has someone trying to attach a meaning and always negative. Post something positive and it is buried under a barrage of negative. Gets almost funny sometime. Dems have themselves in a twist over Trump going against the Supreme Court, haven't followed it enough to know if he did or is planning to. But wonder where the Dem hand wringing was when Biden bragged the Supreme Court didn't stop him. Situational ethics comes in so handy at times. What was pleasing a few weeks ago can suddenly become a matter of grave concern. Be interesting to see where this ends Quote
Gustave Posted February 11, 2025 Posted February 11, 2025 4 minutes ago, bonnie1962 said: Gustave, Ever wonder if the same intense, obsessive scrutiny had been given Biden for four years what the result would have been. Every word, every look between Trump and his wife, every article of clothing has someone trying to attach a meaning and always negative. Post something positive and it is buried under a barrage of negative. Gets almost funny sometime. Dems have themselves in a twist over Trump going against the Supreme Court, haven't followed it enough to know if he did or is planning to. But wonder where the Dem hand wringing was when Biden bragged the Supreme Court didn't stop him. Situational ethics comes in so handy at times. What was pleasing a few weeks ago can suddenly become a matter of grave concern. Be interesting to see where this ends That's an accurate summary! Fortunately, enough of the country saw things for what they actually were and voted accordingly. By the time Trump is done with woke politics the Democrat party will either adapt / change or go extinct. Quote
Members phkrause Posted February 11, 2025 Author Members Posted February 11, 2025 Trump says he will announce 25% steel and aluminum tariffs President Donald Trump said he will announce on Monday that the United States will impose 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada and Mexico, as well as other import duties later in the week. Trump’s comments are the latest example of his willingness to threaten, and in some cases to impose, import taxes. Read more. Key points: Trump also reaffirmed that he would announce “reciprocal tariffs” — “probably Tuesday or Wednesday” — meaning that the U.S. would impose import duties on products in cases where another country has levied duties on U.S. goods. Financial markets fell on Friday after Trump first said he would impose the reciprocal tariffs. Stock prices also dropped after a measure of consumer sentiment declined on Friday, largely because many respondents cited tariffs as a growing worry. The survey also found that Americans are expecting inflation to tick up in the coming months because of the duties. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming the 51st state Trump administration orders consumer protection agency to stop work, closes building Trump says he has directed US Treasury to stop minting new pennies, citing rising cost Trump says he’s ending Biden’s classified intelligence briefings in payback move State Department lays out plans for $7 billion-plus arms sale to Israel as Netanyahu visits DC Egypt announces emergency Arab summit after Trump’s Gaza plan infuriates key allies Why conservative American evangelicals are among Israel’s strongest supporters Trump says US Steel will get investment from Nippon Steel, instead of being bought by it Claims about USAID funding are spreading online. Many are not based on facts Musk team’s access to student loan systems raises alarms over personal information for millions What has Donald Trump not done yet? Here are some policy areas where he might act next Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
bonnie1962 Posted February 11, 2025 Posted February 11, 2025 4 minutes ago, Gustave said: That's an accurate summary! Fortunately, enough of the country saw things for what they actually were and voted accordingly. By the time Trump is done with woke politics the Democrat party will either adapt / change or go extinct. 4 minutes ago, Gustave said: That's an accurate summary! Fortunately, enough of the country saw things for what they actually were and voted accordingly. By the time Trump is done with woke politics the Democrat party will either adapt / change or go extinct. I personally think the Democrats have only themselves to thank for helping Trump win the presidency. Their rabid hatred and legal antics always made me think of a bear you keep poking in the eye. Pretty soon you are going to be his lunch. Everytime they took a shot or leveled another charge he became more popular and came out swinging The funny thing is they still don't seem to get that Quote
Members phkrause Posted February 11, 2025 Author Members Posted February 11, 2025 Vance and Musk question the authority of the courts as Trump’s agenda faces legal pushback Top Trump administration officials are openly questioning the judiciary’s authority to serve as a check on executive power as the new president’s sweeping agenda faces growing pushback from the courts. Read more. Why this matters: Officials ranging from billionaire Elon Musk to Vice President JD Vance have not only criticized a federal judge’s decision early Saturday that blocks Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department records, but have also attacked the legitimacy of judicial oversight, a fundamental pillar of American democracy, based on the separation of powers. “I think this is the most serious Constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly since Watergate,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on ABC’s “This Week.” “This is a red alert moment when this entire country has to understand that our democracy is at risk.” Murphy expressed concern that the courts are ill-prepared for the onslaught they are facing. Republicans have largely stood in lockstep behind the president since he was sworn in for a second term, and did so again on Sunday. Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan blasted the court ruling for the Treasury Department case while arguing that the president should be able to implement his agenda as he sees fit. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A federal judge won’t immediately block DOGE access to the US Labor Department Supreme Court that Trump helped shape could have the last word on his aggressive executive orders What is the International Criminal Court and how will Trump’s sanctions impact it? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted February 11, 2025 Author Members Posted February 11, 2025 Trump's agenda Ahead of Sunday's big game, President Donald Trump laid out several new policy plans set to take effect this week. Trump said that he'll announce new tariffs today, including a 25% duty on all imported steel and aluminum. The president also announced that he will soon unveil reciprocal tariffs, which could match other countries' tariffs on US goods. Separately, Trump on Sunday doubled down on his plans to redevelop the Gaza Strip, telling reporters aboard Air Force One to "think of it as a big real estate site." He again suggested that other Middle Eastern countries would house displaced Palestinians, though most regional leaders have rejected that proposal. Immigration sweeps Educators in the US are grappling with fear among students and parents that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will show up at schools — or their homes — as the Trump administration vows to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The White House and ICE, among several other federal agencies, have splashed multiple photos and videos of their enforcement actions on social media in a PR blitz intended to showcase the administration's deportation push. There have been no confirmed reports of ICE agents at US schools, but educators said widespread alarm over deportations appears to have contributed to a recent drop in classroom attendance in some communities. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
bonnie1962 Posted February 11, 2025 Posted February 11, 2025 50 minutes ago, phkrause said: Vance and Musk question the authority of the courts as Trump’s agenda faces legal pushback “I think this is the most serious Constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly since Watergate,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on ABC’s “This Week.” “This is a red alert moment when this entire country has to understand that our democracy is at risk.” Murphy expressed concern that the courts are ill-prepared for the onslaught they are facing. Situational ethics are the most convenient tool. MSN https://www.msn.com › en-us › news › politics › biden... Biden brags Supreme Court 'didn't stop' him from canceling ... - MSN President Biden asserting that the Supreme Court couldn’t stop him from canceling student debt set off social media users for his "assault on democracy." On Wednesday, Biden spoke at the... Tags: Joe Biden Student loan The Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com › articles Biden’s Student Loan Boast: The Supreme Court ‘Didn’t Stop Me’ Then there’s President Biden, who, while canceling more student debt this week, boasted about ignoring the Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 ruling that his previous loan forgiveness plan was... Quote
Members phkrause Posted February 11, 2025 Author Members Posted February 11, 2025 With billions at stake, Trump administration scrubs federal chips contracts for words like ‘diversity’ and ‘immigrant’ The Trump White House is demanding that government workers hunt for words like “immigrant” and “diversity” in billions of dollars worth of federal contracts with American companies to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, raising concerns among staff that the contracts could modified or voided. https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/11/politics/trump-chips-contracts Chemical Companies Ask Trump’s EPA To Hide Potential Disasters Biden increased transparency around the risks of chemical disaster — industry lobbyists just asked Trump’s new EPA chief Lee Zeldin to roll that back. https://www.levernews.com/chemical-companies-ask-trumps-epa-to-hide-potential-disasters/ Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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