Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats
- Thread starter GasBandit
- Start date
I wonder if the average Fox Viewer has enough in common with the Shapiro viewer to also wake some of the up:
Just a smol bean scared of the scary mean black homeless guy. He’s really upset about what happened.
It is disturbing that the far-right takes delight in Neely's death and is using Penny as a prop. That said, I highly doubt Penny was motivated by racism. He stepped up when a reasonable person would have concluded Neely was a threat to everyone. Again, there have been some recent high-profile fatal incidents where homeless people have pushed commuters onto the tracks. For all anyone knew, he could have had a shiv on him. The public in NYC has gotten fed up. I'm looking at the NY Times comments on the verdict (subscriber here) and most of the subscribers are liberal if not progressive. They overwhelmingly agree with the verdict because they've run out of patience. The jury was also unanimous.
If Penny had been black too, the city's Progressive Caucus and Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus would not be protesting the verdict and Vance would not have invited him to the football game.
One thing I am worried about is that a wannabe Paul Kersey will take a gun onto the subway and go looking for trouble. Penny happened to be on the spot and acted in the heat of the moment. An imitator might actively seek out anyone deemed suspicious and flat out murder them.
GasBandit
Staff member
His motivation is actually kinda irrelevant. He's going to be held up as a symbol of it being OK for a white man to kill a black one. That's the message JD Vance is trying to convey, regardless of any facts of the case.
The jury deliberated for 10 days. They were so gridlocked that the judge dismissed the most serious charge. This doesn’t strike me as an overwhelming agreement about the facts of the case but of the people who believed he was guilty were worn down and just weren’t willing to spend another week in jury duty.
And even if there was overwhelming agreement about how you can use deadly force against the homeless that doesn’t make it right.
Now that much is true. The Republican party is largely a white party and with that comes white resentment and white anxiety. They put Zimmerman and Rittenhouse up on a pedestal even though those two were actively looking for an excuse to inflict violence. They couldn't celebrate the Ahmad Arbery murder because those three hicks were a bona fide lynch mob. I think Penny was justified in subduing a public menace, but many Trumpsters might see it as an invitation to look for trouble or to escalate a situation so trouble arrives.
1) Make abortions illegal. Population skyrockets.
2) Outlaw polio vaccine. Population back under control, baybEE!!
Honestly, every change they enact just makes me wonder whether that possibility I suggested a while back might be less hyperbolic than I originally believed.
--Patrick
I wonder if they took Swift’s Modest Proposal seriously.
OpenAI whistleblower found dead at 26 in San Francisco apartment | TechCrunch
A former OpenAI employee, Suchir Balaji, was recently found dead in his San Francisco apartment, according to the San Francisco Office of the Chief
techcrunch.com
LA Times owner reportedly killed op-ed that was critical of Trump’s cabinet picks
Patrick Soon-Shiong’s intervention comes after the billionaire owner blocked the editorial board’s endorsement of Kamala Harris
www.independent.co.uk
...nothing to see here, just another perfectly ordinary day in a perfectly functioning democracy...
--Patrick
You think by that point our own awful parodies of the worst of your politics won't have done the same here?
Whistleblowers sure seem to die of natural causes a lot eh?
GasBandit
Staff member
I missed a couple days
1/ FBI Director Christopher Wray will resign at the end of Biden’s term. Wray’s resignation comes seven years into his 10-year term and follows Trump’s announcement that he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director. Although Trump picked Wray to head the FBI in 2017 after firing then-Director James Comey, Trump called Wray’s resignation “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.” Wray announced his plans at a town hall with the FBI workforce, telling employees: “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / NPR / CNBC / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / NBC News)
3/ Trump nominated Kimberly Guilfoyle to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece – hours after a British tabloid published photos of her fiancée, Trump Jr., holding hands with socialite Bettina Anderson. Trump called Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality, “a close friend and ally,” making no mention of her relationship with Trump Jr. The two started dating in 2018, got engaged in 2020, and the status of their relationship is currently unclear. Guilfoyle, meanwhile, said she accepts the nomination. (New York Times / NPR / CNN / CBS News / NBC News)
5/ The consumer price index increased 2.7% in November from a year earlier – a bigger increase than the prior month. On a monthly basis, inflation increased 0.3% from October to November – the biggest gain since April. While inflation has cooled significantly since it peaked at 9.1% in 2022, it remains above the Fed’s goal of 2%. (Axios / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Washington Post)
poll/ 30% of Americans say they trust Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on issues of health. RFK Jr. is Trump’s pick to lead Health and Human Services. (Axios)
poll/ 47% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his transition, while 39% disapprove, and 14% are unsure. (Washington Post)
poll/ 22% of Americans approve of Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter. Overall, 51% say they disapprove of the pardon, while another 18% say neither approve nor disapprove. (Associated Press)
1/ FBI Director Christopher Wray will resign at the end of Biden’s term. Wray’s resignation comes seven years into his 10-year term and follows Trump’s announcement that he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director. Although Trump picked Wray to head the FBI in 2017 after firing then-Director James Comey, Trump called Wray’s resignation “a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.” Wray announced his plans at a town hall with the FBI workforce, telling employees: “My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.” (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / NPR / CNBC / ABC News / Wall Street Journal / NBC News)
- Trump’s proposed agenda for his second term relies on authoritarian tactics, including loyalty purges, expanded surveillance, and militarized enforcement, threatening democratic norms and civil liberties. Trump’s plan includes reviving “Schedule F” to remove job protections for federal employees deemed disloyal, transforming the civil service into a politically driven operation. His mass deportation agenda would require paramilitary enforcement, creating a climate of fear and suspicion. Expanding presidential powers, Trump aims to use federal agencies, surveillance, and the military to suppress opposition, control regulatory bodies, and investigate rivals. These actions would fundamentally reshape the U.S. government, undermining its impartiality and risking authoritarian governance. (Mother Jones)
3/ Trump nominated Kimberly Guilfoyle to be the U.S. ambassador to Greece – hours after a British tabloid published photos of her fiancée, Trump Jr., holding hands with socialite Bettina Anderson. Trump called Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality, “a close friend and ally,” making no mention of her relationship with Trump Jr. The two started dating in 2018, got engaged in 2020, and the status of their relationship is currently unclear. Guilfoyle, meanwhile, said she accepts the nomination. (New York Times / NPR / CNN / CBS News / NBC News)
- Trump’s second presidency appears poised to deepen conflicts of interest as he incorporates family members and associates into key government roles while maintaining extensive business entanglements. During Trump’s first term, family members occupied prominent positions, and the pattern continues with appointments of relatives and in-laws to influential roles. Legal and ethical norms against nepotism and conflicts of interest appear sidelined as his businesses expand operations in foreign markets, disregarding prior commitments to minimize such dealings. (The Atlantic)
5/ The consumer price index increased 2.7% in November from a year earlier – a bigger increase than the prior month. On a monthly basis, inflation increased 0.3% from October to November – the biggest gain since April. While inflation has cooled significantly since it peaked at 9.1% in 2022, it remains above the Fed’s goal of 2%. (Axios / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / Washington Post)
poll/ 30% of Americans say they trust Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on issues of health. RFK Jr. is Trump’s pick to lead Health and Human Services. (Axios)
poll/ 47% of Americans approve of how Trump is handling his transition, while 39% disapprove, and 14% are unsure. (Washington Post)
poll/ 22% of Americans approve of Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter. Overall, 51% say they disapprove of the pardon, while another 18% say neither approve nor disapprove. (Associated Press)
GasBandit
Staff member
1/ Trump pledged to use the first hours of his second presidency to pardon most individuals convicted in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. “I’ll be looking at J6 early on, maybe the first nine minutes,” he said in an interview with Time. “We’re going to do it very quickly, and it’s going to start in the first hour that I get into office […] A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely.” Trump suggested that the pardons would go to “nonviolent” people who were at the Capitol, which was overrun after he encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell” to stop Congress from certifying Biden as president. In response, Trump was impeached for “incitement of insurrection” for his role in the riots at the Capitol that left five people dead. Trump is the only U.S. President to have been impeached twice. (New York Times / ABC News / NPR)
3/ Trump admitted that bringing down grocery prices will be “very hard” despite repeatedly promising during his campaign that “prices will come down.” During a speech in August, Trump told rallygoers “you just watch: They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.” And in September: “Vote Trump, and your incomes will soar. Your net worth will skyrocket. Your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down.” And earlier this week: Trump said he “can’t guarantee anything” when asked whether his promised tariffs would increase prices for Americans. Trump, nevertheless, said that while he’d like to bring down grocery prices, “It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up. You know, it’s very hard.” When asked whether his presidency would be a “failure” if grocery prices don’t come down, Trump responded that it was the Biden administration’s fault, saying “Look, they got them up.” (NBC News / Washington Post / USA Today / Rolling Stone / HuffPost)
4/ Mitch McConnell warned that Trump’s re-election puts Americans “in a very, very dangerous world” that’s “reminiscent of before world war two.” He added: “Even the slogan is the same. ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.” McConnell, who called Trump “stupid” and a “despicable human being” in his new biography, nevertheless admitted that he voted for Trump last month. The 82-year-old Republican orchestrated three conservative Supreme Court confirmations, blocked Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland, and filled over 230 federal court vacancies as the Senate Republican leader. Earlier this week, McConnell fell and sprained his wrist and cut his face while walking out of a Republican luncheon. (Financial Times / New Republic / HuffPost)
5/ Time magazine named Trump — the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, twice-convicted, and now twice-elected president — its “Person of the Year” for a second time, despite his record of 34 felony convictions, 88 criminal charges, allegations of insurrection to overturn the 2020 election, over half a billion dollars in civil judgments, claims of unfitness from his first-term cabinet, openly fascist intentions, responsibility for overturning Roe v. Wade, at least 26 allegations of sexual misconduct, a failed Covid-19 response resulting in 400,000 deaths, promises to prosecute political opponents, his family separation immigration policy, autocratic handling of Black Lives Matter protests, unprecedented meetings with North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un, withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, and repeated attacks on the press as “fake news.” To celebrate, Trump rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. (Politico / Time / Associated Press / Washington Post / CNBC)
Notables.
- A Justice Department inspector general report found no evidence that the FBI used undercover agents or authorized illegal activities during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. The report debunked conspiracy theories alleging FBI orchestration of the Capitol attack, noting that among 26 informants present, none were directed to incite violence or enter restricted areas. It criticized the FBI for not thoroughly canvassing sources to assess threats and for misstatements to Congress about pre-attack intelligence. (Politico / Associated Press / ABC News / CNN)
3/ Trump admitted that bringing down grocery prices will be “very hard” despite repeatedly promising during his campaign that “prices will come down.” During a speech in August, Trump told rallygoers “you just watch: They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.” And in September: “Vote Trump, and your incomes will soar. Your net worth will skyrocket. Your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down.” And earlier this week: Trump said he “can’t guarantee anything” when asked whether his promised tariffs would increase prices for Americans. Trump, nevertheless, said that while he’d like to bring down grocery prices, “It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up. You know, it’s very hard.” When asked whether his presidency would be a “failure” if grocery prices don’t come down, Trump responded that it was the Biden administration’s fault, saying “Look, they got them up.” (NBC News / Washington Post / USA Today / Rolling Stone / HuffPost)
4/ Mitch McConnell warned that Trump’s re-election puts Americans “in a very, very dangerous world” that’s “reminiscent of before world war two.” He added: “Even the slogan is the same. ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.” McConnell, who called Trump “stupid” and a “despicable human being” in his new biography, nevertheless admitted that he voted for Trump last month. The 82-year-old Republican orchestrated three conservative Supreme Court confirmations, blocked Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland, and filled over 230 federal court vacancies as the Senate Republican leader. Earlier this week, McConnell fell and sprained his wrist and cut his face while walking out of a Republican luncheon. (Financial Times / New Republic / HuffPost)
5/ Time magazine named Trump — the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, twice-convicted, and now twice-elected president — its “Person of the Year” for a second time, despite his record of 34 felony convictions, 88 criminal charges, allegations of insurrection to overturn the 2020 election, over half a billion dollars in civil judgments, claims of unfitness from his first-term cabinet, openly fascist intentions, responsibility for overturning Roe v. Wade, at least 26 allegations of sexual misconduct, a failed Covid-19 response resulting in 400,000 deaths, promises to prosecute political opponents, his family separation immigration policy, autocratic handling of Black Lives Matter protests, unprecedented meetings with North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un, withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, and repeated attacks on the press as “fake news.” To celebrate, Trump rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. (Politico / Time / Associated Press / Washington Post / CNBC)
Notables.- Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people and pardoned 39 nonviolent offenders in the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement. The announcement comes two weeks after Biden issued a pardon for his son Hunter, who had been convicted of gun possession and pleaded guilty to income tax evasion. (NBC News / New York Times / Associated Press)
- Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov pleaded guilty to fabricating allegations that Biden and his son Hunter accepted bribes from Burisma, and to additional tax-related charges, closing the special counsel’s probe into Hunter Biden. Smirnov, a confidential informant, falsely claimed in 2020 that the Bidens received $5 million each from the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, leading to an FBI document that fueled congressional Republican investigations. Prosecutors charged him with creating a false federal record and three tax-related crimes, to which he agreed to plead guilty. (CBS News / Politico / New York Times / CNN)
- Trump nominated Kari Lake, a loyalist and former journalist known for spreading conspiracy theories, to lead the federally funded Voice of America news outlet. Lake previously referred to journalists as “monsters.” (New York Times / Reuters / CNN / Politico)
- Trump suggested he’ll end some childhood vaccinations following “big discussion” with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the nation’s leading vaccine skeptics and Trump’s pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services. “It could if I think it’s dangerous, if I think they are not beneficial, but I don’t think it’s going to be very controversial in the end,” Trump said about working with RFK to review evidence on them. “The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible,” Trump said. “If you look at things that are happening, there’s something causing it.” Trump recently said he plans to have RFJ investigate the repeatedly debunked conspiracy theory that vaccines cause autism despite hundreds of studies repeatedly finding childhood vaccines to be safe. (Axios / Politico / Reuters)
People are finally starting to realize that the state (and by extension the corporations) own a monopoly on violence and oh no I'm quoting the communist manifesto again...
Let's just play D&D
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.
For what it’s worth they pretty much immediately dropped all charges against this woman.
GasBandit
Staff member
1/ Trump downplayed concerns that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services – will revoke the polio vaccine despite reports that RFK Jr.’s personal attorney previously lobbied the FDA to suspend its approval of the polio vaccine. Trump said he is a “big believer in the polio vaccine […] You’re not gonna lose the polio vaccine. That’s not gonna happen.” Trump added that RFK Jr. is “going to be much less radical than you would think.” Trump then cited a discredited theory that vaccines cause autism and suggested that Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine crusader, is “going to find out about it […] Something bad’s happening.” When asked whether schools should mandate vaccines, Trump responded: “I don’t like mandates. I’m not a big mandate person.” (New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News / CNN / Associated Press / Politico / The Guardian / Axios / The Hill)
2/ ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump. In March, Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos after the news anchor said Trump was found “liable for rape” in a civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll. Although the jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, it didn’t find him liable for rape because New York law defines rape as forcible penetration with the penis. The judge who oversaw the case later clarified that because of the narrow legal definition of rape, the jury’s verdict didn’t mean that Carroll had “failed to prove that Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’” Trump was ordered to pay Carroll damages of $83.3 million. He is appealing the verdict. As part of the settlement, ABC News posted an editor’s note online expressing regret over Stephanopoulos’ statements and the network will pay $1 million in legal fees. The money will be transferred to “a Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for” Trump. News organizations anticipate that the Trump administration will target journalists’ sources and pursue legal actions to curb critical media coverage. Discussions among Trump and his allies included subpoenaing news outlets, prosecuting journalists and their sources, revoking broadcast licenses, and cutting funding for public radio and television. (New York Times / Associated Press / NBC News)
3/ Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman each donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Apple CEO Tim Cook (aka “Tim Apple”), meanwhile, had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, while Google CEO Sundar Pichai will meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago later this week. Trump previously claimed that Google was “rigged” to hide positive coverage about him. Zuckerberg once banned Trump from Facebook. And in his first term, Trump often made false and misleading attacks against Amazon and the Washington Post over factual reporting, conflating the two as the “Amazon Washington Post” because they’re both owned by Bezos. Amazon has also committed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund and plans to stream Trump’s inauguration on Prime Video. (NPR / New York Times / The Hill)
4/ Trump’s transition team has outlined plans to roll back Biden’s electric vehicle and emissions policies, including cutting EV subsidies, imposing tariffs on battery materials, and loosening pollution standards. The Trump team has also proposed repealing the crash-reporting rule requiring automakers to disclose accidents involving automated-driving technologies, a regulation Tesla CEO Elon Musk has criticized as disproportionately targeting its vehicles. Trump’s appointed Musk to head the so-called Department of Government Efficiency with the goal of cutting government spending. (Reuters / Reuters)
5/ Trump tapped loyalist Devin Nunes as chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, a group in the Executive Office that oversees the U.S. intelligence community’s compliance with the Constitution. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Nunes accused the FBI and Justice Department were biased against the Trump campaign and abused their power during its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Nunes resigned from Congress in 2021 to become the CEO of Trump Media and Technology Group, which runs TruthSocial. He’ll continue leading Trump Media. (Reuters / NBC News / Politico / ABC News)
6/ Trump has discussed privatizing the U.S. Postal Service, citing financial losses and inefficiencies. Overhauling the Postal Service would significantly impact business shipping, reduce reliable delivery in rural communities, and push hundreds of thousands of federal workers out of government jobs. Trump reportedly said the government shouldn’t be subsidizing the organization, despite the fact that the USPS operates under a constitutional authorization to ensure postal services across the U.S. The Postal Service lost $9.5 billion last year and has not been profitable since 2006. However, in 2022 Congress passed a $107 billion bipartisan package to provide financial relief and help modernize its operations – the largest reform in nearly two decades. The USPS America’s second-most liked federal agency behind the National Park Service, according to Pew Research Center. (Washington Post / Axios)
7/ Trump called for ending daylight saving time, saying the century-old practice is “inconvenient, and very costly” and that the Republican Party would try to “eliminate” it. In 2019, however, Trump posted on social media that “making Daylight Saving Time permanent is OK with me!” Nevertheless, ending daylight savings time would require action from Congress. In 2022, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protect Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. It died in the House. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, has also repeatedly called to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. All but two U.S. states – Hawaii and most of Arizona – observe daylight saving time and instead remain on permanent standard time, which is allowed under the Uniform Time Act. (NBC News / Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times)
poll/ 27% of Americans have high confident in Trump’s ability to appoint qualified people for his Cabinet, while 55% are not confident. (Associated Press)
poll/ 54% of Americans are “comfortable and prepared to support” Trump as president – down 2 points from when he took office in 2016. 41% are not comfortable with Trump as president – up 5 points from 2016. (CNBC)
poll/ 52% of Americans said they are enthusiastic or optimistic about Trump’s second term, while 48% said they are pessimistic or afraid. (CNN)
2/ ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump. In March, Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos after the news anchor said Trump was found “liable for rape” in a civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll. Although the jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, it didn’t find him liable for rape because New York law defines rape as forcible penetration with the penis. The judge who oversaw the case later clarified that because of the narrow legal definition of rape, the jury’s verdict didn’t mean that Carroll had “failed to prove that Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’” Trump was ordered to pay Carroll damages of $83.3 million. He is appealing the verdict. As part of the settlement, ABC News posted an editor’s note online expressing regret over Stephanopoulos’ statements and the network will pay $1 million in legal fees. The money will be transferred to “a Presidential foundation and museum to be established by or for” Trump. News organizations anticipate that the Trump administration will target journalists’ sources and pursue legal actions to curb critical media coverage. Discussions among Trump and his allies included subpoenaing news outlets, prosecuting journalists and their sources, revoking broadcast licenses, and cutting funding for public radio and television. (New York Times / Associated Press / NBC News)
3/ Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman each donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Apple CEO Tim Cook (aka “Tim Apple”), meanwhile, had dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, while Google CEO Sundar Pichai will meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago later this week. Trump previously claimed that Google was “rigged” to hide positive coverage about him. Zuckerberg once banned Trump from Facebook. And in his first term, Trump often made false and misleading attacks against Amazon and the Washington Post over factual reporting, conflating the two as the “Amazon Washington Post” because they’re both owned by Bezos. Amazon has also committed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund and plans to stream Trump’s inauguration on Prime Video. (NPR / New York Times / The Hill)
4/ Trump’s transition team has outlined plans to roll back Biden’s electric vehicle and emissions policies, including cutting EV subsidies, imposing tariffs on battery materials, and loosening pollution standards. The Trump team has also proposed repealing the crash-reporting rule requiring automakers to disclose accidents involving automated-driving technologies, a regulation Tesla CEO Elon Musk has criticized as disproportionately targeting its vehicles. Trump’s appointed Musk to head the so-called Department of Government Efficiency with the goal of cutting government spending. (Reuters / Reuters)
5/ Trump tapped loyalist Devin Nunes as chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, a group in the Executive Office that oversees the U.S. intelligence community’s compliance with the Constitution. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Nunes accused the FBI and Justice Department were biased against the Trump campaign and abused their power during its investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Nunes resigned from Congress in 2021 to become the CEO of Trump Media and Technology Group, which runs TruthSocial. He’ll continue leading Trump Media. (Reuters / NBC News / Politico / ABC News)
6/ Trump has discussed privatizing the U.S. Postal Service, citing financial losses and inefficiencies. Overhauling the Postal Service would significantly impact business shipping, reduce reliable delivery in rural communities, and push hundreds of thousands of federal workers out of government jobs. Trump reportedly said the government shouldn’t be subsidizing the organization, despite the fact that the USPS operates under a constitutional authorization to ensure postal services across the U.S. The Postal Service lost $9.5 billion last year and has not been profitable since 2006. However, in 2022 Congress passed a $107 billion bipartisan package to provide financial relief and help modernize its operations – the largest reform in nearly two decades. The USPS America’s second-most liked federal agency behind the National Park Service, according to Pew Research Center. (Washington Post / Axios)
7/ Trump called for ending daylight saving time, saying the century-old practice is “inconvenient, and very costly” and that the Republican Party would try to “eliminate” it. In 2019, however, Trump posted on social media that “making Daylight Saving Time permanent is OK with me!” Nevertheless, ending daylight savings time would require action from Congress. In 2022, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protect Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. It died in the House. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, has also repeatedly called to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. All but two U.S. states – Hawaii and most of Arizona – observe daylight saving time and instead remain on permanent standard time, which is allowed under the Uniform Time Act. (NBC News / Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times)
poll/ 27% of Americans have high confident in Trump’s ability to appoint qualified people for his Cabinet, while 55% are not confident. (Associated Press)
poll/ 54% of Americans are “comfortable and prepared to support” Trump as president – down 2 points from when he took office in 2016. 41% are not comfortable with Trump as president – up 5 points from 2016. (CNBC)
poll/ 52% of Americans said they are enthusiastic or optimistic about Trump’s second term, while 48% said they are pessimistic or afraid. (CNN)
Dave
Staff member
You forgot one:
newrepublic.com
Pelosi Won. The Democratic Party Lost.
In sabotaging Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s bid for leadership of the Oversight Committee, party elders have doubled down on a failed strategy.
newrepublic.com
Anyone over the age of 80 should be ineligible to be in any role to take decisions that will have long lasting consequences or consequences that will only be measurable in the future.
They don't have any reason to care anymore. Giant Meteorite destroys the earth in 2030? Who cares, I'll be dead by then. I won't pay a dime to divert its course.
They don't have any reason to care anymore. Giant Meteorite destroys the earth in 2030? Who cares, I'll be dead by then. I won't pay a dime to divert its course.
Dave
Staff member
I say 65. That's generally the retirement age. I mean, this paragraph alone shows how out of touch these fucking people are:
GasBandit
Staff member
1/ A judge rejected Trump’s effort to have his felony conviction dismissed on presidential immunity grounds. Judge Juan Merchan, addressing the Supreme Court’s decision to grant presidents “absolute immunity from criminal prosecution” for “official acts,” ruled that Trump’s actions were “decidedly personal.” Merchan wrote that it was “logical and reasonable to conclude that if the act of falsifying records to cover up the payments so that the public would not be made aware is decidedly an unofficial act, so too should the communications to further that same cover-up be unofficial.” Merchan also rejected Trump’s argument that he’s protected by presidential immunity because of his election win. Trump was convicted in May of 34 counts of orchestrating an illegal conspiracy to influence the 2016 presidential election by falsifying business records. It’s unclear if the case will proceed to sentencing, and Trump’s lawyers now claim they have evidence of misconduct by a juror. (CNN / New York Times / Bloomberg / NBC News / NPR / Axios / CBS News / Associated Press)
2/ Trump filed a civil lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, accusing them of engaging in “brazen election interference” and consumer fraud over a poll shortly before the election that showed Harris leading Trump by three points. Selzer’s prediction, however, was wrong, and Trump won Iowa by 13 percentage points. Two weeks after the election, Selzer retired from the polling business after three decades. “I’m not doing this because I want to. I’m doing this because I feel I have an obligation to,” Trump said. “We have to straighten out the press. Our press is very corrupt, almost as corrupt as our elections.” The lawsuit comes days after ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit Trump brought against them over anchor George Stephanopoulos’ using the word “rape” rather than “sexual assault” of writer E. Jean Carroll. The network agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library. Trump is also suing CBS News for $10 billion over the network’s “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, claiming the editing amounted to “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference” intended to “mislead the public and attempt to tip the scales” of the election in her favor. Separately, Trump is suing journalist Bob Woodward, who published the audio tapes of their 19 interviews he permitted Woodward to record for his book “Rage.” Trump is seeking at least $49 million in damages. (CNN / Puck / NBC News / CNN / Politico / Axios)
3/ Trump threatened to fire federal employees who refuse to return to the office, despite existing labor contracts that secure remote work arrangements for thousands of workers. “If people don’t come back to work, come back into the office, they’re going to be dismissed,” Trump said. A recent contract between the Social Security Administration and the American Federation of Government Employees union requires its 42,000 members, depending on their role, to work in the office between two and five days a week through 2029. Trump called the agreement “ridiculous […] like a gift to a union.” (Bloomberg / NBC News / USA Today)
4/ Congress reached a bipartisan deal to prevent a government shutdown. The continuing resolution pushes the government funding deadline to March 14, and includes $10 billion in aid for farmers and more than $100 billion in emergency aid for disaster relief. Speaker Mike Johnson said the bill could be released Tuesday, and he expects to honor the 72-hour review rule between the release of text and a vote – meaning the package could land in the Senate just before the Friday night government shutdown deadline. One member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, however, called the package “a total dumpster fire. I think it’s garbage,” while another said “we get this negotiated crap, and we’re forced to eat this crap sandwich.” Johnson and the Republicans hold a narrow 219-211 majority in the House. Republicans have relied on Democrat support to pass the past five continuing resolutions. (Politico / CNN / ABC News / NBC News / The Hill / Politico / Washington Post / Reuters)
Notables.
2/ Trump filed a civil lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer, accusing them of engaging in “brazen election interference” and consumer fraud over a poll shortly before the election that showed Harris leading Trump by three points. Selzer’s prediction, however, was wrong, and Trump won Iowa by 13 percentage points. Two weeks after the election, Selzer retired from the polling business after three decades. “I’m not doing this because I want to. I’m doing this because I feel I have an obligation to,” Trump said. “We have to straighten out the press. Our press is very corrupt, almost as corrupt as our elections.” The lawsuit comes days after ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit Trump brought against them over anchor George Stephanopoulos’ using the word “rape” rather than “sexual assault” of writer E. Jean Carroll. The network agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s presidential library. Trump is also suing CBS News for $10 billion over the network’s “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, claiming the editing amounted to “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference” intended to “mislead the public and attempt to tip the scales” of the election in her favor. Separately, Trump is suing journalist Bob Woodward, who published the audio tapes of their 19 interviews he permitted Woodward to record for his book “Rage.” Trump is seeking at least $49 million in damages. (CNN / Puck / NBC News / CNN / Politico / Axios)
3/ Trump threatened to fire federal employees who refuse to return to the office, despite existing labor contracts that secure remote work arrangements for thousands of workers. “If people don’t come back to work, come back into the office, they’re going to be dismissed,” Trump said. A recent contract between the Social Security Administration and the American Federation of Government Employees union requires its 42,000 members, depending on their role, to work in the office between two and five days a week through 2029. Trump called the agreement “ridiculous […] like a gift to a union.” (Bloomberg / NBC News / USA Today)
4/ Congress reached a bipartisan deal to prevent a government shutdown. The continuing resolution pushes the government funding deadline to March 14, and includes $10 billion in aid for farmers and more than $100 billion in emergency aid for disaster relief. Speaker Mike Johnson said the bill could be released Tuesday, and he expects to honor the 72-hour review rule between the release of text and a vote – meaning the package could land in the Senate just before the Friday night government shutdown deadline. One member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, however, called the package “a total dumpster fire. I think it’s garbage,” while another said “we get this negotiated crap, and we’re forced to eat this crap sandwich.” Johnson and the Republicans hold a narrow 219-211 majority in the House. Republicans have relied on Democrat support to pass the past five continuing resolutions. (Politico / CNN / ABC News / NBC News / The Hill / Politico / Washington Post / Reuters)
Notables.- Kamala Harris urged young leaders to “stay in the fight” as Trump prepares for a second term. (NBC News / New York Times)
- House Democrats selected 74-year-old Gerry Connolly – who is battling esophagus cancer – over 35-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the top spot on the Oversight Committee. In a closed-door Democratic caucus vote, Connolly defeated Ocasio-Cortez 131 to 84. After the vote, Connolly said the most “capable” candidate won. (NBC News / ABC News / Washington Post)
- A federal appeals judge reversed his decision to retire from active service on the bench, denying Trump’s ability to fill that court seat with someone younger and more ideologically conservative. (HuffPost / Reuters)
- Trump’s pick for secretary of defense justified the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and promoted debunked election fraud claims. Pete Hegseth also advocated for deploying U.S. troops to respond to domestic unrest, supported waterboarding, and opposed women and openly gay individuals serving in combat roles. (CNN)
- Thirteen Republicans who participated in the 2020 “fake electors” scheme to reverse Trump’s loss in 2020 will cast real Electoral College votes for Trump. Some are still facing felony charges from their actions four years ago. (CNN / NPR)