The WØRD — “Celebration” (Guest: Women’s Progressive Caucus Chair Laurie Pohutsky)
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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”


✹ Chairperson Barnes
Gary Peters’ Selfless Service
Black History Month
✹ Representative Laurie Pohutsky
The GOP’s War on Diversity
✹ This week’s Trump/GOP outrages
America at risk: National Security, Law Enforcement, Public Health
In the News
VIDEO – Gary Peters – Thank You! (Full announcement on not seeking reelection)
Ken Martin elected next DNC chair – The Hill
The GOP War on Transgender People
- Progressive Women’s Caucus Condemns Republican Anti-Transgender Discrimination, Marginalization – housedems.com
- Trump Tells DOJ to Prosecute Teachers Who “Unlawfully” Support Trans or Nonbinary Students – Mother Jones
- Trump order targets transgender troops and ‘radical gender ideology’ – The Washington Post
- “Pure Ignorance”: Veterans Slam Trump’s Trans Military Ban – Mother Jones
Michigan Politics and Policy
- Michigan faces new Senate battle as Gary Peters opts against reelection – Bridge Michigan
- Dems say nearly 1M Michiganders could be impacted by proposed cuts to Medicaid – Michigan Advance
- Potential ballot proposal seeks proof of citizenship for Michigan voters – Bridge Michigan
- Trump claims Buttigieg ‘was a disaster mayor’ of South Bend – IndyStar.com
- Newly arrived Michigan refugees at risk of losing rent, housing support – Detroit News
- Dana Nessel’s office probing $2M rocket plan that failed to launch – Bridge Michigan
- Michigan House adopts new pet project rules as Senate OKs FOIA expansion – Detroit News
- Michigan will eliminate Medicaid work requirements – mlive.com
- Canada Braces for Two-Step Trade War – The American Prospect
- Whitmer pitches education ‘transparency’ plan as Michigan test scores lag – Bridge Michigan
- UAW members at GM could get up to $14,500 in profit-sharing checks – Detroit Free Press
- Trump halts key Michigan immigration court program – Detroit News
- ‘Uncertainty’ for Michigan health officials amid Trump messaging blackout – Bridge Michigan
- Democrat Aghogho Edevbie to run for Michigan Secretary of State – Detroit Free Press
- Lansing Project to Add 560 Housing Units – Lansing State Journal
- New MIGOV Poll Shows U.S. Rep. John James Leading GOP Primary for Governor – Harbor Strategic
Purging the Government in Trump’s Image
- Trump Just Broke the Law. Blatantly. And He Might Get Away With It. – The New Republic
- Trump’s fake crime wave – Rebecca Crosby/Popular Information
- Trump said he hadn’t read Project 2025 – but most of his early executive orders overlap with its proposals – CNN Politics
- With Sweeping Executive Orders, Trump Tests Local Control of Schools – The New York Times
- Trump Officials Target Agents, Prosecutors Who Worked on Jan. 6 Investigations – Wall Street Journal
- FBI considering mass purge of agents involved in Trump investigations – The Washington Post
- Public health information pulled offline in response to Trump orders – POLITICO
- Exclusive: Musk aides lock Office of Personnel Management workers out of computer systems – Reuters
- Trump executive orders target indoctrination, vouchers and antisemitism – The Washington Post
- Trump Administration Issues Its Pettiest Order Yet—on Email Signatures – The New Republic
- The Trump administration has declared a war on words – Symone Sanders-Townsend/MSNBC
- Opinion | Trump’s punishment of Mark Milley is chilling – Eugene Robinson/The Washington Post
- MAYDAY AT DOJ – Harry Litman/Talking Feds Substack
- Five Takeaways from Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel hearings – BBC News
- White House faces decision on Tulsi Gabbard after shaky confirmation hearing – The Hill
- Trump rocks FBI by telling senior officials to resign or be fired as fears grow over retribution under Kash Patel – The Independent
The Dangerous Clown-Car Cabinet
- R.F.K. Jr., in His Own Words: Flu, Diabetes, Autism and More – The New York Times
- It Took RFK Jr. Just Six Minutes to Lie to Congress – Mother Jones
- RFK Jr. disparaged vaccines dozens of times in recent years and made baseless claims on race – The Washington Post
- Hegseth pulls Mark Milley’s security clearance and protective detail – AP News
- Trump to build mass detention camp for deportees at Guantánamo Bay – The Washington Post
- Howard Lutnick’s real estate firm touts virtues of Mexican manufacturing – The Washington Post
The Transition
- Trump Tax Cuts Not Just Good For Billionaires, Say Billionaires – Mother Jones
- Trump Responds to Washington Plane Crash With Racist, Ableist Diatribe – Mother Jones
- Trump gutted aviation safety committee days before National Airport crash – Daily Kos
- Trump moves to fire members of EEOC and NLRB, breaking with precedent – The Washington Post
- Exclusive | Meta to Pay $25 Million to Settle 2021 Trump Lawsuit – WSJ
- $50 million for condoms in Gaza? There’s no evidence of the White House claim – The Washington Post
The Nation
- 180 Republicans Voted Against Funding the FAA, the Agency That Keeps Planes from Crashing – Meidas+
- Tariff Threat Prompts Automakers to Find New Suppliers, Consider Higher Prices – Wall Street Journal
- N.Y. doctor charged with prescribing abortion pills to Louisiana girl – The Washington Post
- GOP Congressman Andy Ogles investigation: Federal prosecutors withdraw from case – Nashville Tennessean
- Trump’s Water Plans Won’t Help L.A. Fight Fires. They’ll Help Big Ag. – The New Republic
- Exclusive | Ted Cruz Leads Republican Charge to Defund Consumer-Protection Agency – WSJ
- Bill to add Trump to Mount Rushmore introduced in House – Axios