Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Zelensky's five moves that set off Trump
Axios | Marc Caputo | 02/21/25

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky angered Donald Trump so much during the peace talks with Russia that Trump was on the verge of withdrawing American military support from Ukraine, three U.S. officials familiar with the discussions tell Axios.

Why it matters: The conflict between Trump and Zelensky escalated into a war of words between the two that scared European allies who are worried about emboldening Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and rewarding his brutal expansionism.

"President Trump is obviously very frustrated right now with President Zelensky," National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Thursday at the White House press briefing. ... ... ... Read more

Schumer battles Thune in Senate "vote-a-rama" all-nighter
Axios | Stephen Neukam | 02/21/25

For Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the overnight session on Thursday is about proving Democrats have a path - and the guts - to get out of the political wilderness.

Why it matters: Schumer sees the budget "vote-a-rama" as his shot to convince voters that President Trump's GOP serves billionaires, not the working-class people who make up the new MAGA coalition. Axios scooped Schumer's thinking earlier this week.

Democrats are expected to offer about 40 amendments as part of the debate over the Senate GOP's $300 billion budget reconciliation package.

The amendments - which aren't expected to pass — are designed to pin Republicans between what's good for their reelections and what could infuriate Trump. ... Read more

Critics say Trump's executive orders to reshape the NIH 'will kill' Americans
The Guardian | Jessica Glenza | 02/20/25

Academics and scientists who work with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said the Trump administration’s orders have severely disrupted work - delaying projects and casting the future of research funding and jobs into doubt as chaos in the agency reigns.

An array of orders seeks to fundamentally reshape the NIH, the world's largest public funder of biomedical and behavioral research, in the Trump administration's image. The agency's work is the wellspring of scientific advancement in the US, and helped make the country a dominant force in health and science.

"They will have drastic effects on all of us - this is not hyperbole, this is fact," said Todd Wolfson, the president of the American Association of University Professors and an anthropologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey. ... Read more

Looking for the stupidest man, Look for the person who is cruelest | zen_by_beanatta | 01/30/25 | 1:21

IRS reportedly set to fire 6,000 workers at the height of tax-filing season
The Guardian | Leonie Chao-Fong | 02/20/25

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is expected to fire thousands of its probationary employees as early as today, according to reports on Wednesday.

About 6,000 IRS employees are reportedly slated for termination, with further reductions in the size of the agency expected as part of the Trump administration's push to downsize the federal work force.

The terminations will reportedly target relatively recent hires who do not enjoy as much job protection. They are described as largely auditors and support workers involved in compliance work, CNN reports.

The move would come during peak tax-filing season in the US. ... Read more

Trump's mega-MAGA month transforms America
Axios | Zachary Basu | 02/20/25

President Trump's first month in office has exceeded the wildest dreams of his most loyal supporters, and the darkest nightmares of his fiercest detractors.

Why it matters: Both groups can agree: The America that Joe Biden left behind on Jan. 20 is no longer recognizable, erased in four frenetic weeks by an empowered, implacable and historically popular MAGA presidency.

Like Trump 1.0, the firehose of news and norm-busting behavior is - and will continue to be - the defining feature of this administration.

Unlike Trump 1.0, the chaos is calculated - and explicitly designed to institutionalize MAGA, paralyze the president's enemies and permanently break the Washington establishment. ...

Polar vortex-tied Arctic blast to break dozens of cold weather records
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Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/18/25

An Arctic blast tied in part to the polar vortex is driving record frigid air south from the Northern Plains toward the Gulf Coast Tuesday in a cold snap that will last the entire week.

Threat level: This event is forecast to set records for the coldest temperatures on record for this late in the season, and bring below-zero Fahrenheit wind chills as far south as Texas and Arkansas.

By the numbers: The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting wind chills as cold as minus-35degrees F to minus-60degrees F across the northern Plains for multiple days.

Conditions this cold can cause frostbite to exposed skin in just a few minutes. ... Read more

What Trump, Musk moves on USAID could mean for other government agencies | 60 Minutes | 02/17/25 | 13:22

A legal look at Trump's executive sprint | 60Minutes | 02/17/25 | 6:25

U.S. and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia on Ukraine war
Axios | Barak Ravid | 02/18/25

What they're saying: "The talks went well," Ushakov told Russian media on Tuesday.

1. He said the parties discussed the conditions for a Trump-Putin summit but stressed there is no date set.
2. Ushakov added that the parties agreed to start negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine.article

Waltz said in a briefing with reporters that during the meeting the U.S. side discussed its core principles for any future deal between Russia and Ukraine.

1. "This should be a permanent end to the war and not a temporary one as it was in the past," he said.
2. Waltz added that any future negotiations will have to include talks on territory and security guarantees.

... Read more

Trump 2.0: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 02/17/25 | 34:51

DOGE seeks access to IRS system with sensitive taxpayer data
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 02/17/25

An Internal Revenue Service employee connected with the Elon Musk-led DOGE team is set to seek access to an IRS system that includes sensitive taxpayer data, the Washington Post first reported Sunday and Axios can confirm.

Why it matters: President Trump has given DOGE powers to oversee government agencies and the federal workforce with the goal of cutting bloat, but his administration is facing several lawsuits accusing it of violating privacy laws in regards to accessing sensitive data.

The big picture: The Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS) enables certain IRS employees "to have instantaneous visual access to certain taxpayer accounts," per an agency post.

It can be used for researching "account information and requesting returns" and automatically "generating notices, collection documents and other outputs," according to the IRS. ... Read more

This Winter Pattern Is About To Get A LOT Worse... | Max Velocity - Severe Weather Center | 02/16/25 | 8:45

U.S.-Russia meeting on Ukraine war to take place in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday
Axios | Barak Ravid | 02/17/25

The meeting between senior U.S. and Russia officials to discuss a possible agreement on ending the war in Ukraine and prepare for a Trump-Putin summit will take place on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios Sunday.

Why it matters: The meeting will be another significant step in improving U.S.-Russia relations since the breakthrough that happened last week with the phone call between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The meeting created a lot of anxiety and frustration in the Ukrainian government, which is concerned about a U.S.-Russian deal behind Kyiv's back. ... Read more

The conservative delemma to unpacked by Samuel Perry | philosifind | 01/07/25 | 54s

Why Trump targets AP
Axiios | Marc Caputo | 02/17/25

One of the big reasons President Trump is limiting AP reporters' White House access is to protest what aides see as years of liberal word choices that the wire service's influential stylebook spread across mainstream media, according to top White House officials.

Why it matters: The trigger was the announcement by The Associated Press that it would continue using the 400-year-old "Gulf of Mexico" rather than switch to "Gulf of America," as declared by Trump in a Day 1 executive order. But it turns out that broader underlying grievances made AP a target.

The big picture: By spotlighting AP, Trump is amplifying Republican and conservative criticisms that the AP Stylebook, a first reference for most U.S. news organizations, shapes political dialogue by favoring liberal words and phrases concerning gender, immigration, race and law enforcement. ... Read more

Trump's split screen: Orchestration amid chaos
Axios | Mike Allen,Marc Caputo | 02/14/25

As President Trump nears his term's one-month mark next week, a White House adviser is keeping a calendar tracking daily wins, losses and "jump balls" - and loves the result so far.

Why it matters: Insiders tell us Trump, who came into office feeling ebullient and empowered, is just getting more confident - fueled by his expected clean sweep of Cabinet confirmations, plus a CBS News poll showing 53% approval amid his aggressive "flood the zone" opening actions.

The big picture: The midterm map has gotten more favorable for the GOP with the retirement announcements Thursday by Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) a week into Trump's term - two more hot battleground seats for Dems to defend in an already tough cycle.

Privately, there's an undercurrent of worry in Trumpworld that political gravity could weigh him down — especially if inflation rises. The looming debt ceiling and government-funding fights could be messy. ... Read more

Trump administration fires thousands of federal workers as purge deepens
Axios | Emily Peck | 02/14/25

The Trump administration over the past two days has fired thousands of federal workers with jobs reportedly ranging from wildfire prevention to medical research.

Why it matters: A mass firing on this scale is unprecedented - and will likely vastly reshape the way the federal government works, or doesn't, for many years to come.

State of play: The White House has not released a tally yet of how many employees were fired and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Axios.

Agencies have been given until 8pm on Tuesday to fire probationary workers, according to a source familiar with the process, though they can make case-by-case exceptions.

There are around 200,000 probationary workers - those who have been at agencies for less than one to two years - across the government.

The firings come after around 75,000 workers accepted a deferred resignation offer engineered by Elon Musk's DOGE. ... Read more

Trump called the press 'the enemy of the people'
TheGuardian | Jodie Ginsberg | 02/14/25

In 1971, the Nixon administration asked for a court order to stop the New York Times from publishing further stories about the so-called Pentagon Papers – documents that showed the US government had escalated its Vietnam war efforts even as it was acknowledging privately that it could not win the war. A temporary restraining order - the first time the US press had been restrained prior to publication - was granted.

But that defiance and solidarity now appears under strain as outlets cave to politically motivated threats from the new administration.

In December, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump for $15m, a case that many media law experts said they should have fought given the high threshold traditionally required for a public figure such as Trump to prove defamation.

Now CBS looks like it might settle a lawsuit over edits it made to a 60 Minutes interview with the presidential candidate Kamala Harris, which Trump's team allege had been deceptively edited to cast Harris in a more favorable light ahead of the election. (Editing interviews is standard practice in news reporting to avoid repetition.) Initially, CBS refused to hand over the transcripts but following pressure from the FCC, it sent the raw footage and all transcripts to the agency, now led by the Trump appointee Brendan Carr. ... Read more

Major SoCal storm triggers evacuation orders in LA County amid flood threats
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 02/13/25

With the worst of the "significant storm system" set to hit Thursday with heavy rains and gusty winds, Santa Barbara County said on X an evacuation order was also issued for properties associated with a burn scar from the 2024 Lake Fire due to the potential for "flash flooding, debris flow."

In LA County, evacuation warnings were also set to take effect from 7am Thursday through 2pm Friday "due to high mudslide and debris flow risk," according to a statement posted on the LA Fire Department's website.

Among the recently burned areas that the LAFD notes are "especially susceptible to heavy rain" are those affected by the destructive Palisades Fire, including around the Getty Villa art museum, the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills and the Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley. ... Read more

Our Water Crisis Is WAY WORSE than You Think...Here's Why | PBS Terra | 02/12/25 | 25:40

The Emperor's New Tariffs: Small, Ugly and Stupid
Substack | Paul Krugman | 02/12/25

Many people expected Donald Trump to begin a global trade war soon after taking office. Many people in business, however, believed that after all the huffing and puffing he wouldn’t actually impose much in the way of tariffs.

What we actually have so far is Schrödinger's trade war: Is it alive? Is it dead? Yes.

It's hard to believe that just last week Trump seemed dead set on imposing 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, with similar tariffs likely soon against other trading partners. Then, suddenly, he put the whole thing on ice for 30 days. Trump tried to spin it as a victory, claiming falsely that he had won big concessions from our neighbors. But if you looked at what they actually agreed to - basically nothing they weren’t doing already - it was an ignominious retreat. ... Read more

BlackRock: The Company that Owns the World | Jake Tran | 08/10/21 | 14:48

Who ACTUALLY runs the world? | Jake Trans | 2024 | 12:36

Why economists got free trade with China so wrong
NPR | Greg Rosalsky | 02/11/25

By now, many economists are hoarse screaming that higher tariffs and a trade war will raise prices and hurt the U.S. economy.

But many Americans aren't listening. A recent poll by Quinnipiac University, conducted in late January, found that 42% of Americans believe tariffs will help the U.S. economy. The United States' recent history with free trade might help explain the disconnect between economists and a large swath of the American public.

For decades, mainstream economists claimed that free trade would be a clear win for the United States. Sure, they said, there would be some losers. But those losers would get new jobs in a growing economy and basically everything would ultimately be fine. ... Read more

DOGE plans for NOAA, FEMA could have big climate impacts
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/12/25

Elon Musk's budgetary chainsaw is looming over U.S. disaster prediction and response agencies - just as climate change is making certain types of extreme weather events more common and intense.

Why it matters: Cutting the Federal Emergency Management Agency - possibly entirely - and slashing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s budget and mission amid a parade of climate disasters could have disastrous consequences.

Between the lines: NOAA's mission is broad and intricately linked with FEMA and state emergency management agencies.

Appearing With Trump, Musk Makes Broad Claims of Federal Fraud Without Proof
NYT | Maggie Haberman, Theodore Schleifer, Zolan Kanno-Youngs | 02/11/25

The billionaire Elon Musk said in an extraordinary Oval Office appearance on Tuesday that he was providing maximum transparency in his government cost-cutting initiative, but offered no evidence for his sweeping claims that the federal bureaucracy had been corrupted by cheats and officials who had approved money for "fraudsters."

The goal is to "restore democracy," Mr. Musk said. "If the bureaucracy's in charge, then what meaning does democracy actually have?"

Among Mr. Musk's claims, which he offered without providing evidence, was that some officials at the now-gutted U.S. Agency for International Development had been taking "kickbacks." He said that "quite a few people" in the bureaucracy somehow had "managed to accrue tens of millions of dollars in net worth while they are in that position," without explaining how he had made that assessment. He later claimed that some recipients of Social Security checks were as old as 150.

"We are actually trying to be as transparent as possible," Mr. Musk said, referring to postings by his team on his social media site, X. "So all of our actions are maximally transparent." ... Read more

Elon Musk's gutting of US agencies is illegal, experts say. How do you muzzle Doge?
The Guardian | Ben Makuch | 02/10/25

Now in 2025, as a "special government employee" heading up the "department of government efficiency" (Doge), Musk is going to war with those kinds of government diversity and inclusion programs and slashing whatever he sees as a "waste" of public coffers.

But legal resistance is mounting, as Doge faces countless lawsuits alleging everything from privacy concerns to free speech violations, which all leads to one important question: is any of this even legal?

Laurence Tribe, one of the nation's leading and preeminent constitutional scholars and a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, has already argued that much of Trump's blitzkrieg of executive orders on the day of his inauguration disregards the US constitution. He told the Guardian he saw Musk's actions as furthering that culture. ... Read more

WE ALREADY HAVE THE GAO -> Government Accountability Office. WHY ISN'T MUSK USING IT!!

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan government agency within the legislative branch that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress.[2] It is the supreme audit institution of the federal government of the United States. It identifies its core "mission values" as: accountability, integrity, and reliability.[3] It is also known as the "congressional watchdog".[4] The agency is headed by the Comptroller General of the United States. The comptroller general is appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate.

GAO = Government Accountability Office

Government Accountability Office (FULL) - Wikipedia.pdf

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), Wikipedia (link)

Tracking Trump's executive actions by category
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Axios | Avery Lotz,Sareen Habeshian | 02/11/25

President Trump has signed more than 75 executive orders, memos and proclamations during his first few weeks in office at a pace that surpasses his most recent predecessors'.

The big picture: The executive actions reflect much of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail: reducing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; cracking down on immigration; and formalizing "America First" foreign policy.

Trump's executive actions - many of which have direct links to Project 2025 - have already had far-reaching impacts, triggering a rapid shakeup of the federal bureaucracy.

Last week, his administration froze humanitarian programs across the globe by empowering the new Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to take control and make cuts.

The orders Axios has identified and grouped illuminate how the Trump administration is carrying out its agenda, though his actions have raised constitutional questions about the reach of his authority that courts will now weigh in on. ... ... ... Read more

Trump signs order to bring back plastic straws claiming paper ones 'explode' Click to enlarge

Where unemployment is rising and falling
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Axios | Alex Fitzpatrick | 02/11/25

Nearly 70% of metros ended 2024 with higher unemployment compared to how they began the year.

Unemployment dropped in 95 metros and held steady in 28 others.

Zoom in: Dalton, Georgia (+3.5 percentage points); Asheville, North Carolina (+2.6); and Muskegon, Michigan (+2.1), had the biggest increases in metro-level unemployment.

Kahului, Hawai'i (-2.2); Waterbury, Connecticut (-1.7); and Bridgeport, Connecticut (-1.4), had the biggest decreases. ... Read more

Trump's shock and awe tests Americans' response to chaos
Axios | Tina Reed | 02/10/25

Political anxiety has been building for years as a 24-hour news cycle, social media and algorithms create seemingly endless outlets for strife.

But President Trump's pugnacious style and the breakneck series of changes he and Elon Musk unleashed has ratcheted everything up, delighting his supporters and leaving his 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.

They may feel it through the venting of a spouse, the distress of a neighbor with a trans child or an anxious friend who works for a government contractor. ... Read more

Union sues Trump admin over CFPB shutdown attempt and DOGE access
Axios | Avery Lotz | 02/10/25

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought was hit with two union lawsuits on Sunday after he issued directives freezing much of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) work.

Why it matters: The CFPB has become the latest target of President Trump's Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), threatening a critical oversight agency that safeguards consumers from unfair business practices.

Vought, who is the acting head of the CFPB, directed employees in a weekend email to halt much of their work, including issuing rules and conducting investigations, multiple outlets reported.

Employees were also informed the agency's headquarters would be closed this week, a move that mirrors how DOGE shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters last week.

CFPB employed some 1,600 people in fiscal year 2023. ... Read more

Homeland Security Secretary Noem says DOGE team has access to agency data
--> CNN | Aileen Graef and Veronica Stracqualursi | 02/09/25

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday acknowledged that Elon Musk's government efficiency team, which has been tasked with slashing federal spending, has access to her agency's data, including that of federal disaster aid recipients' personal information, as part of an "audit" she welcomes.

Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Noem said that President Donald Trump had "authorized" Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team to gain access to DHS' network, adding that she was "absolutely" comfortable with that.

The Washington Post first reported that members of DOGE, who do not have security clearance, gained access to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's network, which has the private information of Americans who received disaster relief grants. ... Read more

Trump touts 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 02/10/25

President Trump said he'll announce 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Monday and "reciprocal tariffs" later this week.

The big picture: Trump campaigned on using tariffs to boost the economy and revive the domestic industry, which economists have warned would hit U.S. consumers, though he's so far mostly quickly pulled back on such threats.

Tariffs of 10% remain in effect on Chinese imports, a move that sparked China's government to announce tariffs of 15% on U.S. coal and LNG and 10% on U.S. crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars and pickup trucks. ... Read more

Bill Gates on Trump, Musk, U.S.-China and More | WSJ | 01/21/25 | 11:37

The Guardian | David Smith | 02/07/25

Apitiless crackdown on on illegal immigration. A hardline approach to law and order. A purge of "gender ideology" and "wokeness" from the nation's schools. Erosions of academic freedom, judicial independence and the free press. An alliance with Christian nationalism. An assault on democratic institutions.

The "electoral autocracy" that is Viktor Orban's Hungary has been long revered by Donald Trump and his "Make America Great Again" (Maga) movement. Now admiration is turning into emulation. In the early weeks of Trump's second term as US president, analysts say, there are alarming signs that the Orbánisation of America has begun. ... Read more

Congressional Democrats denied entry to EPA headquarters
Axios | Andrew Solender | 02/07/25

A group of House and Senate Democrats said they were denied access to the Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Why it matters: It is the third time this week that Democratic lawmakers were blocked from an agency that has been targeted by President Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

On Monday, a large group of Democrats tried to enter the U.S. Agency for International Development - which the administration has moved to shut down - but were refused.

The following day another cohort of Democrats were denied access to the Department of the Treasury, where DOGE staffers have accessed a payment system that doles out funds for federal agencies. ... Read more

In photos: Thousands across the U.S. protest Trump and Musk's policies
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Axios | Sareen Habeshian | 02/06/25

Thousands gathered in front of state capitols across the U.S. on Wednesday to protest against the Trump administration's aggressive moves to reshape the federal government and American society.

The big picture: Demonstrators nationwide rallied against a slew of policies instated by the president less than three weeks into his term, with protesters denouncing his comments on a U.S. "take over" of Gaza, his immigration crackdown, anti-trans orders and Elon Musk's role in the White House. ... Read more

Confessions of an Economic Hitmen | | 1:54 |

Exclusive: Inside Trump's Gaza takeover stunner
Axios | Marc Caputo,Barak Ravid,Alex Isenstadt | 02/06/26

"This can't go on like this," President Trump said as he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat in the Oval Office on Tuesday, discussing Gaza's rebuild from the rubble.

"Here's what I want to do...," Trump said, according to two officials briefed on the meeting, which included Cabinet members and Trump senior advisers.

Trump then laid out a plan far more ambitious than what he and his aides had discussed earlier in the day: "The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip ... we will develop it."

The White House has cast Trump's takeover plan as an idea worth discussing, but it has walked back one highly controversial part of Trump's plan by saying Palestinians would be relocated from Gaza only temporarily, not permanently as he indicated. ... Read more

What will Trump 2.0 mean for the global world order (multipolar-world)?
The Guardian | Stephen Wertheim | 02/06/25

If the administration is embracing a multipolar world, does that mean the end of American primacy?

Many assumed that Donald Trump's second term as president of the United States would turn out like his first. But this time looks to be different. In his opening weeks, the US president has taken a flurry of actions he never attempted before, wielding sweeping tariffs against the US's neighbors, upending portions of the federal workforce, and attempting to change constitutionally enshrined citizenship laws through executive order.

The early signs on foreign policy are no exception. In his inaugural address, Trump said next to nothing about the issues that have dominated US foreign policy for decades - matters of war and peace in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Instead, he spoke of expanding US territory in the western hemisphere (and going to Mars), harking back explicitly to the 19th-century tradition of manifest destiny. Astoundingly, Trump mentioned China solely for the purpose of accusing it, inaccurately, of operating the Panama Canal. When he turned beyond the Americas, Trump's most telling line signaled restraint: "We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end - and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into." ... Read more

MSNBC Highlights - Feb. 4 | MSNBC | 02/04/25 | 43:30

Trump's Gaza shock wave stuns Middle East and some in White House
Axios | Barak Ravid | 02/05/25

President Trump's stunning 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.

Friction point: Trump's plan to displace two 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.

Driving the news: After an Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu, Trump presented his proposal to turn Gaza - largely destroyed by Israel in its war with Hamas - into what he called the "Riviera of the Middle East" and invite "the world's people" to move there.

The sense of shock was palpable among the 150 journalists in the room. ... Read more

GOP at its finest

Doge staffers enter Noaa headquarters and incite reports of cuts and threats
The Guardian | Michael Sainato | 02/04/25

Staffers with Elon Musk's "department of government efficiency" (Doge) reportedly entered the headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Department of Commerce in Washington DC today, inciting concerns of downsizing at the agency.

"They apparently just sort of walked past security and said: 'Get out of my way,' and they're looking for access for the IT systems, as they have in other agencies," said Andrew Rosenberg, a former Noaa official who is now a fellow at the University of New Hampshire. "They will have access to the entire computer system, a lot of which is confidential information."

Project 2025, written by several former Trump staffers, has called for the agency to be "broken up and downsized", claiming the agency is "harmful to US prosperity" for its role in climate science. ... Read more

Trump Backs Off of Tariffs, Senate Advances RFK Jr & We Send LA Firefighters to the Super Bowl | Jimmy Kimmel | 02/05/25 | 16:02

20,000 federal workers take "buyout" so far, official says
Axios | Marc Caputo | 02/04/25

About 20,000 federal workers have accepted the "buyout" offer put forward by the Trump administration last week, a senior administration official tells Axios.

Why it matters: It's a significant number of people - about 1% of the federal workforce - but still substantially less than the White House's target of 5% to 10%.

The offer is open through Thursday, meaning the total could rise, despite heavy opposition from unions and others.

"We expect more to come. If you see what's happening at USAID, it's just one piece of the puzzle," the official said, referring to the rapid restructuring of the federal agency that oversees foreign aid programs. ... Read more

January surprises with a global temperature record
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Axios | Andrew Freedman | 02/04/25

The planet just had its hottest January on record by a considerable margin, in a surprise finding (seriously) to climate scientists.

Why it matters: A La Nina event is ongoing in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which would typically be expected to cool the globe slightly. Yet that doesn't appear to be the case - at least not yet.

Zoom in: That the opposite is occurring suggests either a fluke or - combined with the record hot conditions in 2023 and again last year - something more mysterious.

So far, there's been no way to explain the 2023 and 2024 records, but the expectation is that this year will be a top 5 hottest year - just not first place. ... Read more

Mass Deportations: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | MSNBC | 02/03/25 | 19:09

Musk intensifies government spending attack with push to cut all regulations
The Guardian | Robert Tait | 02/04/25

Elon Musk has proposed a "wholesale removal of regulations" in an intensification of his crusade to slash US federal government spending.

On a call aired on X, the social media platform he owns, the multibillionaire entrepreneur said regulations should be "gone" as vocal opposition grew against his mission as Donald Trump's enforcer as the head of a newly created "department of government efficiency" (Doge).

"Regulations, basically, should be default gone," Musk said in call joined by Vivek Ramaswamy, until recently the joint head of Doge, and two Republican senators, Joni Ernst and Mike Lee.

"Not default there, default gone. And if it turns out that we missed the mark on a regulation, we can always add it back in."

He also said the early days of Trump's presidency, combined with a Republican-controlled Congress, presented a unique chance of implementing a radical overhaul of US government.

"If it's not possible now, it'll never be possible. This is our shot," he said. "This is the best hand of cards we're ever going to have. And if we don't take advantage of this best hand of cards, it's never going to happen." ... Read more

How Climate Change Could Upend the American Dream
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Propublica | Abrahm Lustgarten | 02/03/25

Houses in the Altadena and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods were still ablaze when talk turned to the cost of the Los Angeles firestorms and who would pay for it. Now it appears that the total damage and economic loss could be more than $250 billion. This, after a year in which hurricanes Milton and Helene and other extreme weather events had already exacted tens of billions of dollars in American disaster losses.

As the compounding impacts of climate-driven disasters take effect, we are seeing home insurance prices spike around the country, pushing up the costs of owning a home. In some cases, insurance companies are pulling out of towns altogether. And in others, people are beginning to move away. ... Read more

Trump administration gives Musk allies access to Treasury payment system
Politico | Michael Stratford | 02/01/25

The Trump administration has approved plans to grant Treasury officials affiliated with Elon Musk's team access to the federal system that handles trillions of dollars in payments, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has signed off on a plan to give access to the payment system to a team led by Tom Krause, the CEO of Cloud Software Group, who is now working for the Treasury Department and serves as a liaison to Musk’s DOGE group that operates out of the United States Digital Service. One person familiar with the effort said Krause’s role will be subject to safeguards that would not allow any ability to make changes to the system and that no one outside Treasury would have access. ... Read more

We Are Living in Unprecedented Times | Bernie Sanders | 02/01/25 | 7:48

Why are the Democrats so spineless?
The Guradian | Moira Donegan | 02/03/25

What does the Democratic party believe in? It's difficult to tell. In 2024, Joe Biden and then Kamala Harris ran a campaign of moderation, reconciliation and emphasis on restoring institutional norms. This failed to capture much public attention when compared with the Trump campaign's carnival of grievance. In the months since their defeat, the Democrats have been confused, conflicted and internally contentious over how to best proceed.

The results have been contradictory and ineffectual. The Democrats have alternated between declaring Trump a fascist and a would-be dictator, and congratulating themselves on peacefully handing over the reins of power to him; they have railed against his corruption and his subordination to the unelected South African billionaire Elon Musk, but have also made themselves available to cooperate with Musk's project to gut the federal bureaucracy and reshape it in his own interests, the initiative that has been moronically termed "Doge". ... Read more

Republicans move to repeal lead limits imposed by Biden-era rules
The Guardian | Tom Perkins | 02/03/25

Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration are attempting to repeal the Biden administration's groundbreaking rules that require all the country's lead pipes to be replaced over the next 13 years and lower the limit on lead in water.

Environmentalists expressed alarm about the moves, which, if successful, would in effect prohibit the government from ever requiring lead line replacement in the future, or lowering lead limits.

The Trump administration is also working to kill a recently implemented ban on TCE, a compound that is among the most toxic and common water pollutants, and particularly a risk on military bases. ... Read more

Trump Blames DEI for Tragic Plane Crash, Kookie Kash Patel & Jimmy Chats with RFK Jr. JUNIOR | Jimmy Kimmel | 01/31/25 | 14:56