Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Zelenskyy: 'President Trump is living in this disinformation space' | DW News | 02/19/25| 19:24

Key takeaways from Trump and Musk's "Hannity" interview
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 02/19/25

President Trump and Elon Musk defended the DOGE-led overhaul of the federal workforce and agencies during an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" that aired on Tuesday night. The big picture: The pair praised each other during the interview as they pushed back against Democrats' criticism of DOGE, Trump declared "inflation is back" and the president revealed how much X paid him to settle a lawsuit, while Fox News' Sean Hannity noted: " I feel like I'm interviewing two brothers."

1. Trump says X paid him $10 million to settle lawsuit
2. "Inflation's back. ... I had nothing to do with that"
3. Trump and Musk on conflict of interest concerns
4. Defending criticism of DOGE
5. DOGE's $1 trillion goal

Sean Hannity 2/18/25 FULL HD | FOX BREAKING NEWS TRUMP | How to Trading in Crypto Currency Bitcoin | Amarnath Rai | 02/18/25| 1:05:38

There are many ways Trump could trigger a global collapse. Here's how to survive if that happens
The Guardian | George Monbiot | 02/19/25

Though we might find it hard to imagine, we cannot now rule it out: the possibility of systemic collapse in the United States. The degradation of federal government by Donald Trump and Elon Musk could trigger a series of converging and compounding crises, leading to social, financial and industrial failure.

There are several possible mechanisms. Let's start with an obvious one: their assault on financial regulation. Trump's appointee to the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Russell Vought, has suspended all the agency's activity, slashed its budget and could be pursuing Musk’s ambition to "delete" the bureau.

But the hazards extend much further. Musk, calling for a "wholesale removal of regulations", sends his child soldiers to attack government departments stabilising the entire US system. Regulations, though endlessly maligned by corporate and oligarchic propaganda, are all that protect us from multiple disasters. In its initial impacts, deregulation is class war, hitting the poorest and the middle classes at the behest of the rich. As the effects proliferate, it becomes an assault on everyone's wellbeing. ... Read more

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

The new AI trade emerging after DeepSeek shock
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Axios | Felix Salmon | 01/31/25

The AI bubble didn't burst on Monday.

Why it matters: What initially looked that morning like a broad selloff in AI stocks turns out in hindsight to have been a more measured recalibration of where the market thinks AI profits are going to flow in the future.

The big picture: The consequences of AI becoming the dominant driver of the global economy are impossible even for a super-intelligence to model, but are certainly more complex than the naive yet highly profitable belief that "Nvidia will be able to retain 90% gross margins more or less indefinitely."

Nvidia was the defining meme stock of 2024, powered by an army of retail investors working hand-in-glove with their momentum-trade brethren.

Profitable trades don't last forever, however. The traders always move on eventually, often after having made enormous sums of money. ... Read more

Trump's blame game returns after deadly plane crash
Axios | Zachary Basu | 01/31/25

In his first national tragedy, President Trump posted like a pundit, speculated needlessly, and blamed Democrats and DEI without any evidence to suggest either were involved.

Why it matters: The traditional presidential playbook is boring by design - pray for the lost and their families, reassure the public, promise a swift investigation. That has never been Trump's style.

The big picture: Trump has responded to the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation with a similar approach that he took to COVID - which produced arguably the lowest moments of his first term. ... Read more

Meta settles Trump lawsuit over Facebook ban for $25 million
Politico | Josh Gerstein | 01/29/25

Social media giant Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump and others who claimed their Facebook accounts were unlawfully shut down or blocked at the urging of the U.S. government.

The deal followed direct negotiations between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the president, Trump lawyer John Coale said Wednesday.

"There were talks between the two of them, Zuckerberg and Trump, with me and other lawyers in the room, of course," Coale said.

Asked what prompted the settlement at this particular juncture, Coale said: "I've been working to get people to the table for two years now. Of course, the election helped."

Under the deal, Meta will pay $22 million to a fund to support the construction of Trump’s presidential library, while another $3 million is going to four people who joined Trump in the lawsuit filed in 2021. ... Read more

Scoop: Sam Altman to unveil new tech to D.C. power players
Axios | Maria Curi | 01/30/25

OpenAI's Sam Altman is making the rounds in D.C. on Thursday in an attempt to show unity with President Trump and announce a new initiative to make sure the government has the most capable AI.

Why it matters: Tech companies see an opportunity in the new Trump administration to shape AI policy.

Driving the news: Altman is in D.C. to give lawmakers, their staff, White House personnel and federal agency officials a first look at new technology, a source familiar told Axios.

Infrastructure investors and advocates will also see the tech before it's released publicly. ... Read more

The Elon-ification of the federal government
Axios | Dave Lawler | 01/30/25

A workforce discombobulated by chaotic recent events receives an email with the subject line "Fork in the Road." Inside, a deadline to quit or commit to the new mission.

That's the scenario Twitter employees faced in November 2022 - and the one now confronting some 2.3 million government workers.

Why it matters: If Musk's takeover of Washington is anything like his takeover of Twitter, federal workers - and Americans more generally - had better buckle up. His "slash first, ask questions later" management style has already been reflected in some of President Trump's biggest moves. ...

If you elect a clown... | | 01/30/25 | 1:20

Trump's funding freeze awakens the "Resistance"
Axios | Zachary Basu,Erin Doherty | 01/29/25

... The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent shockwaves through Washington on Monday night with a memo directing agencies to "temporarily pause" grants, loans and federal financial assistance programs to ensure they align with Trump's priorities.

"This is not a blanket pause," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stressed as she was bombarded with questions about the freeze in her first press briefing Tuesday.

"Social Security benefits, Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits, assistance that is going directly to individuals will not be impacted by this pause," she said.

Leavitt then told reporters she would check into whether Medicaid - the nation's largest health insurance program, covering 72 million mostly low-income Americans - would be affected. ... Read more

Charted: Trump's unprecedented executive order blitz
Click to enlarge
Axios | Erin Davis | 01/29/25

Trump's reshaping the federal government with a shock-and-awe campaign of unilateral actions that push the limits of presidential power.

By the numbers: Only President Biden and President Truman have issued more than 40 executive orders in their first 100 days in office.

So far, Trump has signed 38 after less than two weeks. He has issued more than any predecessor this early in their presidency. ... Read more

DeepSeek's great news for the corporate world
Axios | Felix Salmon | 01/28/25

The markets have started pricing in an AI future that's going to be cheaper and more accessible than they had previously assumed.

Why it matters: The less money that companies need to spend on the AI equivalent of picks and shovels - Nvidia chips and the electricity needed to power them - the more profitable they will be.

Follow the money: What looked like a broad-based rout early on Monday turned out to be much more selective by market close.

Each index generally fell in direct proportion to the weighting of Nvidia. The Dow, which Nvidia joined in November with a relatively small weight, went up.

While Nvidia lost $600 billion of market value in a single day, for instance, Apple gained more than $100 billion. ... Read more

Mass-school-shootings-in-America | | 01/28/25 | 1:20

The Theory of STUPIDITY | Dietrich Bonhoeffer | MindMoneyFusion | 01/25/25 | 9:56

The Roots of The Stupidity Pandemic | MR. BRAIN | 2024 | 9:10

Stunning breakthroughs from China's DeepSeek AI alarm U.S. rivals
Axios | Scott Rosenberg | 01/27/25

Breakthroughs from Chinese AI startup DeepSeek have stunned Silicon Valley and could bring turbulence to Wall Street, as they were accomplished at a fraction of what the U.S. giants are spending and despite export bans on top-of-the-line chips.

Why it matters: China's rapid advances suggest America's strategy of withholding technology from China might just be speeding up the evolution of its rival's AI knowhow.

DeepSeek's rise is alarming the likes of Meta, which announced Friday that it plans $60 billion-$65 billion in capital investment this year as it scales up its own AI projects.

But it could potentially also be bad news for Nvidia, which designs the world's most advanced AI chips, because DeepSeek is proving that rapid advances are possible even with fewer and less sophisticated chips. ... Read more

Magnificent 7 stocks set for $1 trillion rout on DeepSeek panic
Axios | Ben Berkowitz | 01/27/25

Investors worldwide stand to lose more than $1 trillion on Monday because of the sudden fear that the market-sustaining AI spending boom might have been for nothing.

Why it matters: The so-called Magnificent 7 stocks are heavily leveraged to hundreds of billions of dollars in planned AI investment - and the entire market, in turn, hangs on their performance.

Catch up quick: There's a global rout in tech stocks Monday, caused by a panic linked to the new Chinese AI platform DeepSeek.

Last week the company released its R1 model, which competes with the world's very best from the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic - but it's free, open-source, and was developed at a tiny fraction of rivals' costs. ... Read more

Making sense of January's wild weather
Click to enlarge
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/24/25

January's icy weather demonstrates the differences between regional weather and climate conditions.

Why it matters: The former is governed by disturbances in the jet stream and other factors, while the latter is more driven by influences such as human emissions of greenhouse gases.

Driving the news: January has been cold, if not downright frigid, across much of the Lower 48 states.

A polar vortex-linked Arctic blast has engulfed much of the country, while a series of deadly extreme weather events have struck.

Zoom in: The most unusually cold air on the planet has been parked over the Lower 48 states this week, leading to a deadly, record snowstorm along the Gulf Coast.

1. Ten to 12 inches of snow fell in southern Louisiana, while all-time record snowfall also occurred in Mobile, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla.
2. The cold spilled so far south that the snow that fell in New Orleans' French Quarter was light and fluffy, and prone to drifting. In short, an alien phenomenon for that location.
3. Typically during Arctic outbreaks, the Gulf Coast stays dry or receives a wintry mix. But this time, a storm formed along a frontal zone and tapped into unusually warm Gulf of Mexico waters.
4. The comparatively warm and humid air was vaulted northward, where it overran the cold, dry and dense air, producing snow. ...

Key planks of US government grind to halt under hail of Trump orders
The Guardian | Robert Tait | 01/24/25

The wheels of the US government have ground to a halt in parts under a hail of new orders from Donald Trump that have left vital services paralysed and raised alarm about damaging disruption to key sectors such as health, roads and tax collection.

Meetings on cancer research to discuss federal funding and reports on how to fight bird flu were cancelled after the incoming administration placed a halt on all external communication at the health department. ... Read more

Trump vs. the Fed 2.0
Axios | Neil Irwin | 01/24/25

Catch up quick: Speaking virtually to the World Economic Forum, Trump said he'll "demand that interest rates drop immediately."

Later, taking questions in the Oval Office, he added that "when oil prices come down, everything's going to be cheaper for the American people," and that lower energy prices are "going to knock out a lot of the inflation. That's going to automatically bring the interest rates down."

He said he will speak to Fed chair Jerome Powell about rates policy "at the right time." Compared to the Fed, he said, "I think I know interest rates much better than they do, and I think I know it certainly much better than the one who's primarily in charge of making that decision."

"If I disagree, I will let it be known," he added, a statement nobody who has paid any attention would doubt. ... Read more

Thousands evacuate Hughes Fire near LA as California faces fresh threats
Axios | Rebecca Falconer,Andrew Freedman | 01/24/25

A fresh California wildfire ignited north of Los Angeles Wednesday during critical fire weather and triggered evacuations as it quickly exploded in size across two counties on Wednesday - and forecasters warned conditions would worsen overnight.

The big picture: The Hughes Fire ignited north of Santa Clarita, just before 11am Wednesday local time and grew across 5,000 acres in LA and Ventura Counties in just over two hours - making it the biggest and fastest-spreading wildfire since the still-burning Eaton and Palisades Fires erupted on Jan. 7.

The fire that's near the popular water reservoir Castaic Lake some 40 miles from those blazes had grown to an estimated 10,176 acres at 14% containment just before 10pm, as Southern California faced more Santa Ana winds and red flag warnings were in effect. ... Read more

Presidential Payola: The Evolution of Political Bribery
HartmannReport.com | Thom Hartmann | 01/22/25

Both Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon took cash bribes while in the White House and before. Agnew’s dated back to shakedowns he did as Maryland governor, while Nixon helped Jimmy Hoffa get out of a prosecution and allegedly ran interference for a group of milk producers.

Since then, bribing politicians has gotten a lot easier thanks to five Republicans on the US Supreme Court. Their Citizens United decision, decided 15 years ago this week, legalized political bribery so long as it is done through campaign, PAC, or SuperPAC funds.

But for some people there’s just never enough money.

Donald Trump had been running small-time hustles to make money for decades, selling sneakers, bibles, steaks, vodka, water, etc., and he expanded these schemes when he became president in 2016 to let his followers give him money in exchange for what they thought were collectable assets. ... Read more

Trump says China is 'operating' the Panama Canal - here are the facts
The Guardian | Helen Davidson | 01/23/25

The 82km (51-mile) canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, was built and owned by the US in the early 1900s before being ultimately given to Panama in 1977 under a treaty that guaranteed its neutrality. In 2021 the agreement allowing Panama Ports Company to continue as operator was extended by 25 years.article

What influence or presence does China have?

There is a port at either end of the canal that is operated by a Hong Kong-based company. This is presumably what Trump was referring to when he said: “China is based at both ends of the Panama Canal”. A total of five ports are adjacent to the canal, with others owned by foreign companies, including US ones.

In 1996, Panama granted a Hong Kong company, then called Hutchison-Whampoa, a concession to operate the Balboa port, on the Pacific side, and Cristobal port, on the Atlantic side. The contract did not give Hutchison-Whampoa ownership of the ports but allowed it to operate them on behalf of the government of Panama.

The port operator is today known as Hutchison Ports, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, owned by billionaire Li Ka-shing. ... ... ... Read more

Trump's Week 1 revenge tour rips through Washington
Axios | Zachary Basu | 01/23/25

President Trump's threats of retribution are rapidly materializing in policies across the U.S. government, an early warning to Trump critics that bygones will not be bygones.

Why it matters: Trump is flexing his vast new powers to target what he's described as "the enemies from within" - enforcing loyalty tests, purging career officials and attempting to rewrite the history of the last eight years.

Trump has at times downplayed his thirst for revenge - but his first moves back in office suggest resentment against Democrats, former allies, prosecutors and the media will be a driving force in his second term.

"For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution," the president promised supporters on the campaign trail. ... Read more

Deaths reported as rare winter storm sweeps southern U.S.
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 01/22/25

A rare winter storm that's slamming the southern U.S. with "dangerously cold temperatures," historic snow and icy conditions has been linked to at least 10 deaths as it disrupts travel across the region.

The big picture: Schools, government offices and roads across the region closed and thousands of flights were delayed or canceled due to the cold weather that's brought record snowfall to places including New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida.

Lake Charles, La., saw its first-ever blizzard warning on Tuesday due to heavy snow and high winds from the extreme weather that's tied to the polar vortex event across the Lower 48 states, as it left some 300 million people under cold weather alerts. ... Read more

'Catastrophic': Great Barrier Reef hit by its most widespread coral bleaching, study finds
The Guardian | Graham Readfearn | 01/21/25

More than 40% of individual corals monitored around a Great Barrier Reef island were killed last year in the most widespread coral bleaching outbreak to hit the reef system, a study has found.

Scientists tracked 462 colonies of corals at One Tree Island in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef after heat stress began to turn the corals white in early 2024. Researchers said they encountered "catastrophic" scenes at the reef.

Only 92 coral colonies escaped bleaching entirely and by July, when the analysis for the study ended, 193 were dead and a further 113 were still showing signs of bleaching. ... Read more

The new judge and jury
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 01/22/25

Over just eight hours on Inauguration Day, Presidents Trump and Biden forever stretched the immense public and private power of the presidency to once-unimaginable dimensions:

1. Presidents can preemptively pardon family and friends in case of any accusation of grift or crimes.
2. Presidents can pardon violent criminals convicted of sedition and violence in defense of their politics.
3. Presidents and their families can start businesses - or even currencies - and profit without restriction or outcry.
4. Oh, and they can do this with the presumption of presidential immunity.
5. America doesn't have a king. But we're dancing close to king-like power. ... Read more

Historic winter storm hits Gulf Coast as Calif. fire risk continues
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/21/25

A once-in-a-generation snowstorm, tied to the polar vortex event across the Lower 48 states, is plastering the Gulf Coast with record-setting snow and ice on Tuesday.

Why it matters: This region isn't equipped to cope with heavy snow, particularly when it is accompanied by continued cold following the storm.

Threat level: Up to 4 to 6 inches of snow is falling in the Houston metropolitan area, and both the city's major airports are shut down, as are city schools.

On Monday night, the NWS forecast office in Houston-Galveston described the storm as a "generational event" that is likely to eclipse the city's second-largest snowstorm on record.

The NWS forecast office in Lake Charles, La. issued its first-ever blizzard warning on Tuesday, for the combination of heavy snow and high winds. ... Read more

Trump pardons most Jan. 6 defendants
Axios | Ivana Saric,Erin Doherty | 01/21/25

President Trump signed an executive order on Monday granting a "full, complete and unconditional pardon" to the vast majority of Jan. 6 defendants charged with participating in the Capitol riot four years ago.

Why it matters: Among the roughly 1,500 pardoned and 14 others whose sentences were commuted were leaders of the extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who were convicted of the seditious conspiracy for their roles in the attack.

Trump made pardoning Jan. 6 rioters a key campaign pledge, repeatedly extolling them as "patriots" and "hostages" of the justice system and claiming they'd been treated unfairly. ... Read more

Trump signs slew of sweeping energy executive orders
Axios | Andrew Freedman, ... | 01/21/25

President Trump signed a blitz of first-day energy-related executive orders on Monday, establishing a national "energy emergency" and setting in motion actions that heavily favor expanding fossil fuel production and generation.

Why it matters: The moves amount to policy whiplash for the energy industry, segments of which had chafed under former President Biden's policies aimed at igniting the renewable sector.

Zoom in: The executive orders include a declaration of a "national energy emergency" aimed at increasing domestic energy production and lowering costs to the consumer. ... ... ... ... Read more

Trump the wrecking ball brings chaos to order, executing a parade of grievances
The Guardian | David Smith | 01/21/25

When the obituary of planet Earth is written, there may be a prominent slot for what took place in a basketball and ice hockey arena in downtown Washington on 20 January, 2025.

It was here that, with a wry head shake and gleeful twirl of the pen, Donald Trump again withdrew the US from the Paris climate agreement, to the joy and jubilation of 20,000 spectators apparently indifferent to fate of the pale blue dot they live on.

"We're going to save over a trillion dollars by withdrawing from that treaty," gushed an aide at Trump's prompting, implying that watching the world burn is a small price to pay.

This was the moment it really hit home. Trump is back. The human wrecking ball who left a trail of chaos and division in his first four years has returned with a vengeance. America voted for this. People will get hurt. ... Read more

Stories About Wildfires | 60 Minutes | 01/18/25 | 1:07:42

Yes, Trump is back. Yet I remain hopeful about America
The Guardian | Robert Reich | 01/20/25

Even before Trump, we were on the way to losing our democracy - but we did not pay attention. Now, we have no choice but to attend to it

If you're feeling despair over Trump's second regime, which begins today, I understand.

Yet I remain hopeful about America. Let me explain why.

Trump hoodwinked average working Americans into believing he's on their side, and convinced enough voters that Kamala Harris and Democrats were on the side of cultural elites (as exemplified by Trump bogeymen the "deep state", "wokeism", and "coastal elites").

But his hoax will not work for long, given the oligarchy's conspicuous takeover of America under Trump's second regime.

That regime has barely begun but it's already exposing a reality that has been hidden from most Americans for decades: the raw, stinking power of the American oligarchy, and its use of obscene wealth to gain and increase this power. ... Read more

Trump's return to D.C. gets official
Axios | Avery Lotz | 01/20/25

President-elect Trump will be sworn in as the 47th U.S. president later Monday - culminating a stunning political comeback and putting the MAGA movement at the heart of power in Washington.

The big picture: Trump and the Republican party have the wind in their sails with full control of Congress, a MAGA-friendly media ecosystem and big inaugural donations from the most valuable U.S. companies.

Trump is expected to take executive action shortly after retaking office on key issues including immigration and tariffs. ... Read more

Day 1: Trump to revoke security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials
Axios | Mike Allen | 01/20/25

We're told Day 1 will bring about 200 executive actions of various sorts, including executive orders. Day 1 actions are expected to include declaring an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, Jan. 6 pardons, a TikTok reprieve, and executive orders to increase fossil fuel development and reduce civil service protections for federal workers. Why it matters: The action on security clearances is a Day 1 sign that Trump plans to use his formidable tools of office in his war with what he calls the "intelligence apparatus," which he blames for the "Russia collusion hoax." ... Read more