Party on the Peninsulas

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes
The Trump-Musk Reign of Lawlessness
The New DNC Leadership

✹ Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
Candidate for Governor of Michigan

✹ This week’s Trump/GOP outrages
Bringing back the Spoils System

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Whitmer’s $84B plan for Michigan schools, housing and more: What to know – Bridge Michigan
• Whitmer unveils $83.5B Michigan budget: Here are the main focus points – ClickOnDetroit.com
• Senate Majority Leader Brinks Files Lawsuit Against Republican Speaker Hall for Violating Constitution, Failing to Send Passed Legislation to Governor  – Michigan Senate Democrats
• Fact check: Gretchen Whitmer has made big promises. Here’s how she’s done – Bridge Michigan
• Report card: Gretchen Whitmer’s 48 promises during State of State speeches – Bridge Michigan
• In New Court Filing, Attorney General Nessel: Trump Administration Not Complying with Court Order to Unfreeze Funding Cuts to Federal Programs – Attorney General
• Attorney General Dana Nessel Issues Guidance to Michigan Healthcare Providers and Patients – Attorney General
• Michigan transgender youths to continue high school sports, despite Trump order – Bridge Michigan
• MSU apologizes for canceling Chinese student event after Trump order – Bridge Michigan
• Matt DePerno faces another threat to law license over firefighter case – Detroit Free Press
• Chamber of commerce alleges Michigan senator’s wife stole $32,000 – Detroit News
• Ranked choice voting: Michigan group plans 2026 ballot proposal. What to know – Bridge Michigan
• Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announces run for Michigan governor – AP News
• Video – Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson enters Michigan governor race
• Republican Mike Rogers to again run for Senate in Michigan, AP sources say – AP News

Trump/Musk’s Assault on Government

• Elon Musk donated $288 million to 2024 election, final tally shows – The Washington Post
• VIDEO – ‘Unprecedented’: Musk team given access to private data of government employees for political purge – Musk Watch via MSNBC
• Trump Brazenly Defies Laws in Escalating Executive Power Grab – The New York Times
• 25-Year-Old Elon Musk Crony Has Total Control Over Treasury Payments – The New Republic
• Musk DOGE agents access sensitive personnel data, alarming officials – The Washington Post
• As Trump carries out Project 2025, here’s how we Democrats are fighting back – Representative Gerald Connelly via MSNBC
• Opinion | Trump and Musk are crushing the Constitution as Congress watches – Karen Tumulty/Washington Post
• Opinion | GOP senators who know the issues well still fall in line to Trump – Eugene Robinson/The Washington Post
• Trump executive orders have chilling effect on Ann Arbor VA staff – Detroit Free Press
• The White House’s wildly inaccurate claims about USAID spending – The Washington Post
• Lawmakers are getting flooded with calls about Elon Musk and DOGE – The Washington Post
• Michigan Dems raise alarm over Musk team’s access to personal data – Detroit News
• The Doormat Congress: Republicans react to Trump’s overreach with shrugs – Maddow Blog
• 19 states sue to stop DOGE from accessing Americans’ personal data – AP News
• Unions Sue to Block Elon Musk’s Access to Treasury Payment Data – The New York Times
• NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately – The Washington Post
• Trump administration orders halt to national EV charger program – The Washington Post
• Trump administration moving to fire FBI agents involved in investigations of Trump, AP sources say – AP News

The Grifter in Chief

• Trump’s moves across the federal government set up a looming legal battle – POLITICO
• Federal judge in Md. issues injunction on Trump’s birthright citizenship order – The Washington Post
• The Gleeful Profiteers of Trump’s Police State – Mother Jones
• Two Grifters Off to Seize the World – The American Prospect
• Illegal Trump-Musk Power Grab at USAID Suddenly Becomes Bigger Scandal – The New Republic
• Trump White House Moves to Allow for a Musk Takeover of Government IT – Mother Jones
• Trump says he’s firing Kennedy Center board of trustees members and naming himself chairman – AP News
• Editorial: ‘Sovereign Wealth’ for Politicians – Wall Street Journal
• Why Trump’s sovereign wealth order demands attention – MSNBC
• Trump says he wants US to take ownership of Gaza Strip – AP News
• Mideast Powers Reject Trump Proposal to Take Over Gaza – Wall Street Journal
• Trump’s revenge campaign is eroding the FBI’s ability to protect America – Frank Figluizzi/MSNBC
• Scientists Lay Into Trump’s ‘Disturbing’ Decision to Remove Public Health Data – Daily Beast
• Trump Calls for 60 Minutes to be ‘Terminated’ And Tries to Rope CBS Into Politico Conspiracy Theory – Daily Beast
• CBS Reveals Truth About ‘60 Minutes’ Kamala Harris Interview Donald Trump Is Suing Over – Daily Beast
• Transforming the VOA into a Trump Propaganda Agency – POLITICO
• VIDEO – Maddow: Trump’s dismantling of independent news media is happening before our eyes
• Trump’s mobster media shakedowns – Lisa Needham/Public Notice
• UPDATE: The “deferred resignation” scam – Judd Legum/Popular Information
• Patrick Mahomes Calls BS on Trump and Tommy Tuberville’s Bizarre Claims – Daily Beast

The Clown-Car Cabinet

• Key Trump Cabinet members refuse to acknowledge Trump lost in 2020 – The Washington Post
• Kash Patel had a roster of foreign clients. Their interests could clash with FBI he hopes to lead – AP News
• Trump considering a fellow convicted criminal for ambassador to Serbia – POLITICO
• Why Pam Bondi’s first day as attorney general was such a mess – MSNBC
• Trump’s New Attorney General Targets ‘Weaponization’ of Justice on First Day – Wall Street Journal
• Bove memo promises no FBI revenge as Bondi becomes attorney general – The Washington Post
• Trump administration hires hardcore pro-Trump ideologue to run public diplomacy at State Department – AP News
• Senate confirms fossil fuel CEO Chris Wright as energy secretary. He vows to ‘unleash’ US resources – AP News
• Rubio taps Pete Marocco to run USAID, despite his Jan. 6 past – MSNBC

The Nation

• Climate Change to Wipe Away $1.5 Trillion in U.S. Home Values, Study Says – Wall Street Journal
• Mass deportations haven’t arrived but Trump’s PR blitz has – POLITICO
• The Biden economy adds jobs in January, a slower but solid gains – The Washington Post
• Who Is Ken Martin, the New Leader of the D.N.C.? – The New York Times
• New DNC vice-chair David Hogg on reaching young voters: ‘We need to be a tsunami of content’ – The Guardian
• Second type of bird flu detected in US dairy cows – AP News
• Trump signs executive order intended to bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports – AP News
• NCAA bans trans athletes from competing in women’s sports after Trump order – The Washington Post

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:50 — 27.6MB)

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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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:49 — 26.3MB)

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes
Trump’s First Week: Executive Orders, A Multi-Billion-Dollar Grift and Petty Revenge

✹ Representative Mai Xiong
The GOP’s Unconstitutional 9-bill Hostage Ploy

✹ This week’s Trump/GOP outrages
Risking Another Pandemic Through Intentional Inaction

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• States including Michigan sue to stop Trump’s order blocking birthright citizenship – AP News
• These 400 promises Trump made in Michigan now loom over his 2nd term – Detroit News $$
• Trump revoked Biden EV ‘mandate,’ but immediate impact not clear – Detroit Free Press
• Michigan Senate Dems threaten to sue GOP-run House over bills in limbo – Bridge Michigan
• Whitmer approves new Michigan gun, school safety laws – Detroit Free Press
• Michigan’s transgender community terrified about Trump executive order – Detroit Free Press
• Michigan data centers get tax break over some Dem opposition – Detroit Free Press $$
• A million Michigan workers may lose sick leave guarantee under House plan – Bridge Michigan
• First major Democrat enters race for Michigan governor – The DownBallot
• VIDEO – Jocelyn Benson Campaign Launch

Felonious Trump

• Early evidence suggests Trump will keep his grifts going from the White House – MSNBC
• Trump meme coin: How the president’s new cryptocurrency sparked outrage in the crypto world. – Slate
• The s**tcoin presidency – by Stephen Robinson/Public Notice
• Even Conservatives Think $MELANIA Memecoin is a Downright ‘Scam’ – The Daily Beast
• Trump pardons anti-abortion activists who blockaded clinic entrances – AP News
• Jared Kushner and Dubai billionaire to partner on Trump hotel in Serbia – Semafor
• A new Trump Tower of corruption – Popular Information
• Trump Administration Temporarily Mutes Federal Health Officials – The New York Times
• Trump administration orders all federal DEI workers put on leave – The Washington Post

The Clown-Car Cabinet

• Trump Stocks E.P.A. With Oil, Gas and Chemical Lobbyists – The New York Times
• As Trump and Biden teams convened on pandemics, RFK Jr. lobbied lawmakers – The Washington Post
• ‘Unfit’ Drunk Hegseth Got Lap Dances in Uniform: Ex-Relative – Daily Beast

The Transition

• 26 executive orders signed by Trump on Day 1: How do they stack up against past administrations? – MSNBC
• Trump threatens to withhold aid for California wildfires in first TV interview since inauguration  – The Washington Post
  

  

• Trump undercuts enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Popular Information
• Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order – The Washington Post
• Trump administration abruptly cancels scientific meetings, panels – STAT
• Trump hits NIH with ‘devastating’ freezes on meetings, travel, communications, and hiring – Science.org
• Republicans look at Medicaid cuts to fund tax cuts for the rich – Punchbowl News
• Trump’s Immigration Threats Are Already Wrecking the Food Industry – The New Republic
• Trump’s gusher of misleading economic statistics at Davos – The Washington Post
• Trump fires at least 12 independent inspectors general in late-night purge – The Washington Post
• Withdrawing The United States From The World Health Organization – The White House
• Hunter Biden laptop: Trump to revoke clearances of ex-officials who signed letter – AP News
• Musk’s straight-arm gesture embraced by right-wing extremists regardless of what he meant – AP News
• Portrait of General Milley Is Removed From Pentagon – The New York Times
• Trump ends Fauci’s security detail and says he’d feel no responsibility if harm befell him – AP News

The Nation

• Americans want action on border security but are divided on mass deportations – AP News
• North Carolina’s Republican Justices Signal Support for Overturning Democratic Judge’s Election – Mother Jones
• Mississippi lawmaker introduces ‘Contraception Begins at Erection Act’ – NBC News

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:17 — 31.5MB)

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes
    Government of the Billionaires, by the Billionaires and for the Billionaires

✹ Governor Gretchen Whitmer
    The Road Ahead  

✹ This week’s Trump/GOP outrages
    Putting National Security at Risk

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Governor Whitmer Delivers Road Ahead Address, Laying Out Commonsense, Bipartisan Vision to Grow the Economy and Save Michigan’s Auto Industry – Governor’s Office
• ‘Michigan’s economy is on the line,’ Gretchen Whitmer warns at Detroit Auto Show – Bridge Michigan
• WATCH: Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks on the road ahead at Detroit Auto Show – WXYZ TV via YouTube
• Whitmer vetoes 13 bills passed by Democratic-led Legislature – Detroit News
• Michigan House GOP leader on FOIA reform: ‘Don’t get your hopes up’ – Bridge Michigan
• A DNC For The People: People, Not Billionaires Pledge
• House GOP fast-tracks Michigan minimum wage, paid sick leave bills – Detroit News
• Republicans launch Michigan ‘election integrity’ panel – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan Democrats passed bills which haven’t been sent to Whitmer – Detroit Free Press
• Michigan 2026 governor’s race: Senate GOP Leader Aric Nesbitt jumps in – Bridge Michigan
• Top targets for Michigan GOP reps: EV rules, China, Ed Dept. – Detroit News $$
• Fact check: Trump promised a ‘Michigan miracle.’ Now comes the hard part – Bridge Michigan
• State Police Pilots First Battery Electric Vehicle in Patrol Fleet – Michigan State Police
• Pete Buttigieg on Post-Truth Politics: ‘The Biggest Problem of Our Time’ – POLITICO

The Transition

• Inauguration Day: The pinnacle of a Second Gilded Age – Eugene Robinson/Washington Post
• Team Trump Begins Menacing Loyalty Tests – The New Republic
• Team Trump Suddenly Backtracks on Key Campaign Promise – The New Republic
• Trump tax cuts, if made permanent, stand to benefit highest income earners, Treasury analysis shows – AP News
• Trump Spit on Our Faces…Ready to CRUSH HIM?! – Meidas+

Felonious Trump

• Full Special Counsel Report – Trump’s January 6 Attack on Democracy
• Special counsel defends decision to bring criminal charges against Trump – AP News
• Live updates: Donald Trump spared prison or fine as judge sentences him in historic NY case – BBC News
• Trump Unveils His White House Blacklist – Daily Beast
• Support for Trump’s Policies Exceeds Support for Trump – The New York Times
• Voters Want MAGA Lite From Trump, WSJ Poll Finds – Wall Street Journal
• How Trump’s political and business interests overlap – AP News
• Canada Prepares for Trump Tariff Threat With Three-Stage Plan – The New York Times
• Despite Trump’s win, ‘election integrity’ activists still seek sweeping voting changes – NPR
• Pay (Donald) to Play: Inside Mar-a-Lago, by Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary – Daily Mail Online

The Clown-Car Cabinet

• RFK Jr. Sought to Stop Covid Vaccinations 6 Months After Rollout – The New York Times
• RFK Jr. Admits He Didn’t Come Clean on Anti-Vax Fortune – Daily Beast
• 4 takeaways from Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing – The Washington Post
• The critical question Pete Hegseth dodged in his confirmation hearing – MSNBC
• Trump’s Defense Pick Proudly Admits the Rules Won’t Apply to Him – The New Republic
• VIDEO – Slotkin Questions Hegseth on Following ‘Illegal’ Orders – Wall Street Journal via YouTube
• Patel’s résumé, vows of retribution spark concern among national security veterans – The Washington Post
• Who is Kash Patel? – ACLU
• Trump’s EPA nominee stays vague on plans as senators press him on climate views – AP News
• Trump’s EPA Pick Flunks Science Quiz in Confirmation Hearing – The New Republic
• Trump’s Treasury Pick Vows to Give Back to the Rich in Bleak Hearing – The New Republic
• 4 takeaways from Pam Bondi’s confirmation hearing – The Washington Post
• Pam Bondi doesn’t rule out probes of Trump foes as attorney general – AP News
• After Trump’s Pardon, Paul Manafort Is Back and Looking for Foreign Work – The New York Times

The Nation

• Why Costco Isn’t Joining the Backlash Against DEI – Wall Street Journal
• Inside the Plan to Funnel Taxpayer Dollars to Religious Schools — ProPublica
• Virginia House passes resolutions protecting abortion, voting rights, marriage equality – AP News
• Arkansas governor says professors should be fired if they are ‘indoctrinating’ students – AP News
• Trump Said He’d Solve Ukraine on Day One. Republicans Say He Didn’t Mean ‘Day One.’ – NOTUS (Allbritton Journalism Institute)
• Opinion | Republicans in North Carolina Are Treading a Terrifying Path – Frank Bruni/The New York Times $$
• The GOP plot to bankrupt Planned Parenthood – Slate
• Republicans eye conditions on California wildfire aid after Trump criticism – Reuters
• Calif. Republicans weigh in on Trump allies’ calls for fire aid conditions – The Washington Post
• Medicare to Negotiate Lower Prices for Weight-Loss Drugs – The New York Times
• Speaker Johnson removes Rep. Turner as House Intelligence chairman – CBS News

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:07 — 20.9MB)

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes
    Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump – The Yin and Yang of the Presidency

✹ Senator Kevin Hertel
    Raising Michigan’s Minimum Wage  

✹ This week’s Trump/GOP outrages
    The 2nd Term Corruption Begins
    A Hyper-Partisan Start for 2025 in the Michigan House

In the News

RSVP: Democratic National Committee Officer Candidate Forum

Opinion | Joe Biden: What to remember about Jan. 6 – The Washington Post

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Feds finalize $325 million mid-Michigan semiconductor grant – Detroit News
• Senate Fiscal Agency says Michigan’s revenue forecast may be stronger than expected – WEMU-FM
• Experts: Wealthy Michiganders fueling boom in state tax revenues – Detroit Free Press
• Michigan wants to become a hub for hydrogen production, fueling stations – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan Democrats’ pension, retirement bills in limbo amid GOP ‘legal review’ – Bridge Michigan
• Nessel vows to fight Trump if he violates rights of Michigan residents – Detroit Free Press
• Transparency time? Michigan House plans oversight, Senate pushes public records – Bridge Michigan
• The Case for Subsidizing Electric Vehicles – Wall Street Journal
• Climate change, erratic weather taking toll on Michigan cherry industry – Bridge Michigan
• Insider: How the ‘PAC man’ would tackle transparency reform in Lansing – Detroit News $$
• The Uncertain Future of Two U.S. Border Towns That Thrived Off Trade – Wall Street Journal
• These EV ‘Battery Belt’ Towns Are Betting Trump Won’t Ditch Them – Wall Street Journal
• Trump and Republicans Cannot Stop Electric Vehicles, Experts Say – The New York Times

Felonious Trump

• Trump Inauguration, Awash in Cash, Runs Out of Perks for Big Donors – The New York Times
• Inaugural Cash Diverted Straight To Trump’s Leadership PAC – Crooks and Liars
• A judge finally faced down Donald Trump’s disdain for the legal system. – Slate
• Exclusive | The Trumps Are in Talks to Reclaim Their Prized D.C. Hotel – Wall Street Journal
• Corrupt Trump Opens the Door for International Bribes — The New Republic
• Trump Officially Sentenced Just Days Before Becoming President – The New Republic
• Trump promises to replace national archivist after the agency’s role in documents case against him – AP News
• Greenland, Panama and Faucets: Trump Conference Shows Hints of Chaos to Come – The New York Times
• Trump camp was fed questions for Fox News town hall in advance from person inside network, new book says – CNN Business
• Fact check: Trump promised a ‘Michigan miracle.’ Now comes the hard part – Bridge Michigan
• How Democrats should talk about Trump’s corruption – Public Notice

Across the Nation

• Trump Sees the U.S. as a ‘Disaster.’ The Numbers Tell a Different Story. – The New York Times
• Economy adds 256,000 jobs in December, reflecting stronger growth toward the end of 2024 – The Washington Post
• Donald Trump Jr.’s Ridiculous Greenland Trip Just Took a Dark Turn – The New Republic
• Democrats’ new push to stop RFK Jr.: Highlight Samoa’s measles outbreak – The Washington Post
• Opinion | Hawaii Governor Dr. Josh Green: Robert F. Kennedy Is Unfit to Be HHS Secretary – The New York Times
• A college athletics association banned transgender women from women’s sports. Now all eyes are on the NCAA – CNN
• Fewer than 1 in 1,000 US adolescents receive gender-affirming medications, researchers find – AP News
• Trump Gets New Propaganda Machine as Mark Zuckerberg Caves on Meta – The New Republic
• Judge largely blocks Tennessee’s porn site age verification law as other states enforce theirs – AP News

Los Angeles and Climate Change

• As Los Angeles Burns, We’re Seeing a Conflagration of Lies and Disinformation – Mother Jones
• Trump’s Truth Social response to the deadly California wildfires got almost nothing right – MSNBC
• James Woods Blasts Troll Mocking Him For Losing His Home In Pacific Palisades Fire – Yahoo News

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes: Holding Trump to His Promises

✹ Two Michiganders Honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom 

✹ Endangering Our Health

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Data Breaches: What to do Next – Attorney General Nessel
• Michiganders George Romney, Earvin “Magic” Johnson among Biden’s Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients – The Washington Post
• Detroit on pace for fewest killings since 1965, fewest carjackings ever – Detroit News $$
• Michigan moms get cash each month to ease financial troubles. Does it work? – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan landlords can’t deny renters based on source of income – Detroit News
• DNR’s possible lease of Michigan forest land for solar farm rankles lawmakers – Detroit News $$

Trump Grifting

• Trump Fans Are Finding Out How Much He Actually Cares About Them – The New Republic
• Trump Eyes Axing These Key Programs to Help His Friends Get Richer – The New Republic
• As Musk gains influence, questions hover over US probes into his empire – Reuters
• Judge sets Donald Trump’s sentencing in hush money case but signals no jail time – AP News
• Appeals court upholds $5 million award in sexual abuse verdict against Donald Trump – AP News
• Dr. Oz Has a Checkered Health Care Record: What to Know About Key Issues – The New York Times
• Trump Insists He Was ‘Right About Everything’ After Wrongly Tying New Orleans Attack to Immigration – Daily Beast
• Trump Backers, Including Elon Musk, Clash With Far Right Over Immigrant Workers and H-1B Visas – The New York Times
• Trump Skewered After His Wildest Canada Post Yet – The New Republic
• Trump demands end to North Sea ‘windmills’ in swipe at UK energy policy – Reuters

Across the Nation

• Jimmy Carter’s anti-corruption legacy is being desecrated – Public Notice
• Trans rights to be marquee fight for House Republicans – POLITICO
• Stocks on Pace for Best Two Years in a Quarter-Century – Wall Street Journal
• US poised to see dramatic drop in homicides for 3rd straight year – ABC News
• E.V. Demand Leads Automakers to a Strong 2024 Finish – The New York Times
• Texas sues to impose bigotry on the rest of the country – Public Notice
• When a Kansas law forced voters to prove citizenship, a fiasco followed – AP News
• Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg runs for Democratic committee post: ‘We can’t win without young voters’ – The Guardian

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:02 — 24.5MB)

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes:
Lansing Democrats: a two-year record of historic achievements

✹ Governor Jim Blanchard:
The threat to Michigan from Trump’s Canada trolling

✹ Trump’s corruption agenda

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Minimum wage in Michigan going up twice in 2025 – Detroit Free Press
• Stabenow ending ‘unprecedented’ half century run in Michigan politics – Detroit News
• Timeline of Debbie Stabenow’s career in Michigan politics – Detroit News
• Housing squeezes bustling Traverse City. Are rehabbed warehouses an answer? – Bridge Michigan
• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signs expansion of unemployment benefits – Detroit News
• New Medicaid benefit for some Michigan patients: Better food – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan Senate passes dozens of bills in 29-hour-long marathon session – Detroit News $$
• Michigan Senate OKs hate crime, birth control access bills in marathon final push – Bridge Michigan
• Former Michigan AG Mike Cox considers GOP gubernatorial run – Detroit Free Press
• Finley: Ex-ambassador to seek state GOP party chair – Detroit News $$
• Trump’s Tariff Plan Will Raise Prices of Affordable Cars – Wall Street Journal
• The Democrats Have a Crime Problem. Blame the Media. – The New Republic
• Insider: Thanedar calls for decriminalizing sex work after Gaetz report – Detroit News $$

Trump Grifting

• Trudeau’s government in disarray as Canada prepares for Trump’s return – The Washington PostTrump’s post about how we ‘subsidize’ Canada is nonsense – MSNBC
• Panama’s President Trashes Trump’s “Nonsense” Lies – The New Republic
• Trump calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal – AP News
• Trump campaign won’t pay $49,000 in bills for Grand Rapids rallies – WOODTV.com
• Just the incoming president, hawking Bibles in an ad on Fox News – The Washington Post

Across the Nation

• MAGA Crisis Could Mean No Trump Inauguration on Jan. 20 – The Daily Beast
• Trump’s ‘border czar’ says he’ll bring back family detention – The Washington Post
• Former FBI and CIA Head Pushes Senate to Reject Two Trump Nominees – The New Republic
• Biden gives life in prison to 37 of 40 federal death row inmates – AP News
• Trump was poised to inherit a strong economy. Then things got rocky and he added to the uncertainty – AP News
• Fed begins to think about inflation after Trump’s White House return – The Washington Post
• These MAGA farmers could be ruined if Trump follows through with mass deportations – POLITICO
• Republicans Quietly Axed IRS Funding Amid Government Shutdown Chaos – The New Republic
• These low-income Trump voters hope he doesn’t slash their benefits – The Washington Post
• Trump’s suit against Ann Selzer is textbook authoritarianism – Public Notice
• Senate review details more luxury travel by Justice Thomas – Associated Press
• Matt Gaetz Ethics Report Is as Damning as It Gets – The New Republic
• Senate Democrats render a verdict on Supreme Court ethics – POLITICO
• US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many – AP News

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:30 — 18.0MB)

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes:
Republican government = Chaos

✹ Governor Jim Blanchard:
The legacy of the “Mother of the ERA”, Congresswoman and Lt. Governor Martha Griffiths

✹ Trump’s Bogus Revenge Lawsuits

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Trump Threatens to Shut Down Government and Rip Away Michiganders’ Disaster Relief Funding   – Michigan Democratic Party
• Michigan Senate passes dozens of bills in 29-hour-long marathon session – Detroit News $$
• New Medicaid benefit for some Michigan patients: Better food – Bridge Michigan
• Consumers Energy seeking a nearly 11% increase in residential gas bills – Bridge Michigan
• Nessel to Review, Contest Consumers Energy’s Latest Rate Hike Request – Attorney General
• Michigan Senate OKs hate crime, birth control access bills in marathon final push – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan lawmakers OK $247M in spending for 3 economic projects – Detroit News

Trump Grifting

• Trump sues Des Moines Register, Gannett over Iowa election poll – Des Moines Register
• Des Moines Register Responds to Trump’s Deranged Lawsuit – The New Republic
• Trump’s Billionaire Cabinet Is Unprecedented  – Mother Jones
• Opinion | What if Trump Doesn’t Need to Keep Any of His Promises? – Frank Bruni/The New York Times $$
• Pretending he has an electoral mandate, Trump keeps making stuff up – Maddow Blog
• DA Fani Willis Disqualified From Georgia Trump Prosecution – Mother Jones
• Judge Declines to Toss Trump’s New York Hush-Money Conviction – Wall Street Journal

Trump’s Band of Billionaires, Felons, Cronies and Buffoons

• Trump’s Billionaire Cabinet Is Unprecedented  – Mother Jones
• Trump Roasted for Letting “President Musk” Call Spending Bill Shots – The New Republic
• Elon Musk and SpaceX Face Federal Reviews After Violations of Security Reporting Rules – The New York Times
• Trump taps Herschel Walker for ambassador to the Bahamas – CBS News
• The Wrath of Trump: House Republicans Map a Case Against Liz Cheney – The New York Times

Across the Nation

• Bidenomics Was Wildly Successful – The New Republic
• Joint DHS/FBI Statement on Reports of Drones in New Jersey — FBI
• Majority of Americans oppose Trump’s proposals to test democracy’s limits – The Washington Post
• MAGA Rep. Baffles Everyone by Dropping All Responsibilities But One – The New Republic
• President Biden Secures Confirmation of 235th Federal Judge
• Immigration agency deports highest numbers since 2014 – AP News
• Senate Democrats render a verdict on Supreme Court ethics – POLITICO
• Trump’s debt ceiling loss foreshadows challenges he faces with Congress – The Washington Post
• Donald Trump jokes Canada becoming 51st state is ‘great idea’ – The Hill
• Archivist says Equal Rights Amendment can’t be certified – AP News

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes:
President-elect Trump backs away from Candidate Trump’s promises

✹ Speaker Joe Tate:
A final burst of legislative action as Republicans walk out

✹ Democratic State Convention February 22 to elect new party leaders

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• 2025 State Convention – Michigan Democratic Party
• Opinion: Trump’s tariff threats against Canada will whomp Michigan -John Lindstrom/Detroit Free Press
• Michigan House GOP storms off floor in protest during lame duck – Detroit Free Press
• Michigan Senate bans sales, possession of ‘ghost guns’ – Lansing State Journal
• Michigan Senate OKs unemployment boost with expanded, extended benefits – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan Dems, business groups at odds as family leave plan advances – Detroit News
• Senate OKs plan to bar income-based housing discrimination in Michigan – Detroit Free Press
• Gun reforms among measures approved in marathon Michigan lame-duck meetings – Bridge Michigan
• Four years after George Floyd, Michigan lawmakers push police reforms in lame-duck – Bridge Michigan
• Recount confirms Steve Frisbie’s GOP win in Battle Creek House race – Detroit Free Press
• This Ohio-Hating Michigan Democrat Has Thoughts on Why Her Party Lost – The New York Times
• ‘Momentous occasion’: FOIA for Michigan governor, lawmakers clears hurdle – mlive.com

Trump Grifting

• Trump’s $50 Billion Tax Giveaway to the 100 Largest Corporations – Center for American Progress Action
• Trump set for $1 million ‘candlelight’ donor meetings after last campaign – The Washington Post
• When it comes to grocery prices, Trump suddenly changes his tune – MSNBC
• Trump’s Corruption Business Officially Expands in Saudi Arabia – The New Republic
• Trump Organization leases brand to 2 new projects in Saudi Arabia – AP News
• Trump’s Perfume Line Hits the Market With Jill Biden Photo – The New York Times
• Dr. Jill Biden Should Sue Trump for $100 Million…Here’s How – Meidas+
• Trump Advisers Seek to Shrink or Eliminate Bank Regulators – Wall Street Journal
• Trump’s Perfume Line Hits the Market With Jill Biden Photo – The New York Times
• Michigan Republicans to push constitutional amendment requiring ID to vote – Bridge Michigan
• Trump promises to end birthright citizenship: What is it and could he do it? – AP News
• Trump Names Top Targets in Chilling Revenge Threat – The New Republic
• Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Linda McMahon, Trump’s Education Secretary Pick, Is Paused – The New York Times
• Trump’s Desperate Fight to Erase His Convictions / Harry Litman
• Donald Trump gets a fact-check from Time magazine – AP News

Trump’s Band of Billionaires, Felons, Cronies and Buffoons

• Want a Job in the Trump Administration? Be Prepared for the Loyalty Test. – The New York Times
• Trump’s billionaires set to take government by storm – Axios
• Trump’s Plan to Turn the IRS Into a Grifter’s Paradise – The New Republic
• Trump taps family ties to key administration roles. Who are they? – USA Today
• A comprehensive review of the revolving door between Fox and the second Trump administration – Media Matters for America
• Fox Stars Are Personally Contacting Senators to Push for Pete Hegseth – Daily Beast
• What Americans think about Hegseth and key Trump picks: AP-NORC poll – AP News
• Threatened With Jail, Liz Cheney Condemns Trump’s ‘Assault on the Rule of Law’ – The New York Times
• Trump’s Energy Secretary Pick Preaches the Benefits of Climate Change – Wall Street Journal
• Trump says he wants Kari Lake to helm Voice of America – NBC News
• RFK Jr.’s Lawyer Has Asked the FDA to Revoke Polio Vaccine Approval – The New York Times
• Polio survivor Mitch McConnell criticizes efforts to undermine vaccine – The Washington Post
• RFK Jr. pushes his daughter-in-law for CIA deputy director – Axios
• Musk escalates SEC feud as Wall Street regulator pushes for settlement – Politico $$

Across the Nation

• Interactive Daylight Saving Time County Map – Washington Post
• Voters Want Biden to Adopt the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution – Data for Progress
• President Biden Announces Clemency for Nearly 1,500 Americans – White House
• Majority of Voters Approve of Pardons for Victims of Drug War and Abuse – Data for Progress
• New Florida sex education curriculum excludes almost all information about sex – Judd Legum/Popular Information
• Montana Supreme Court upholds ruling allowing gender-affirming care for minors – AP NewsNorth Carolina GOP lawmakers enact a law eroding the incoming Democratic governor’s powers – AP News
• Florida lawmakers propose rolling back gun control laws passed after Parkland shooting – AP News
• New Jersey becomes latest state to prohibit bans on books in school, public libraries – AP News
• Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors – AP News
• Bank Overdraft Fees Overhauled by Biden Administration – Wall Street Journal
• Trump Prepares for Legal Fight Over His ‘Birthright Citizenship’ Curbs – Wall Street Journal
• Interstate abortion fights will take off in 2025 – Slate
• Texas sues New York abortion provider – The Texas Tribune
• Trump calls for ending daylight saving time. It’s ‘inconvenient,’ he says. – The Washington Post
• Mitt Romney’s Senate exit might create vacuum of vocal, conservative Trump critics – AP News
• The Oil Industry Is Helping to Spread Misinfo About Whale Deaths – The New Republic

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Three of Michigan’s Best Say Farewell to Capitol Hill

✹ Representative Jason Morgan:
Attacking LGBTQ+ Americans; Exposing “Dark” Money; The Next MDP Chair

✹ Chairperson Barnes:
SCOTUS says bribing the President is ‘legal’, and Trump’s already collecting

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• VIDEO: Debbie Stabenow Delivers Her Farewell Address On The Senate Floor – YouTube
• VIDEO: Congressman Dan Kildee’s farewell address on the House floor – WNEM TV via YouTube
• VIDEO: Mitt Romney Final Senate Speech – C-Span
• How one swing-state Democrat <Garlin Gilchrist> is preparing for a second Trump term – The Washington Post
• Citing COVID sticker shock, Michigan Dems push emergency price gouging cap – Bridge Michigan
• VIDEO – Slotkin, Curtis Talk Bipartisan Cooperation in the new Senate – Punchbowl News
• Lawmakers advance Michigan Voting Rights Act. Election clerks still concerned – Bridge Michigan
• Sodomy, adultery bans latest ‘zombie’ laws under scrutiny in Michigan – Bridge Michigan
• Why Duggan’s independent bid for governor faces array of obstacles – Detroit News $$
• Macomb Co. congressman buys ‘vacation home’ near Grand Rapids – Detroit News

Attacks on LQBTQ+

• Michigan GOP lawmaker says gay marriage should be ‘illegal again’ – Detroit News
• United States v. Skrmetti: Trans rights are being tested at the Supreme Court – Slate
• I’m a trans traveler. I’m may need to start carrying “papers.”
• Lame duck Michigan Legislature must pass anti-hate crime law | Opinion – Detroit Free Press
• GOP representatives in Montana help block measure on Capitol bathrooms – The Washington Post
• Supreme Court takes center stage in debate over health care for trans minors – The Washington Post

RightsTrump’s Band of Billionaires, Felons, Cronies and Buffoons

• Opinion: Trump’s cabinet will be an embarrassment of wretches – Frank Bruni/New York Times $$
• Want a Job in the Trump Administration? Be Prepared for the Loyalty Test. – The New York Times
• What Trump’s New Cabinet and Administration Picks Have in Common – The New York Times
• The Who’s Who on Kash Patel’s Crazy Enemies List – The New Republic
• Trump Rewards Convicted Loyalist Peter Navarro With Administration Role – Daily Beast
• Trump selects Jared Kushner’s father and convicted felon Charles Kushner, for ambassador to France – CNN Politics
• Elon Musk spent $277 million backing Trump and others, FEC filings show – The Washington Post
• Trump Gives Elon Musk’s Buddy Total Control Over NASA – The New Republic
• Fossil fuels enriched Trump’s DOE pick – Politico $$
• Is Kristi Noem ready to run FEMA? South Dakota flood victims doubt it. – The Washington Post
• Trump Picks Former Senator David Perdue to Be Ambassador to China – The New York Times
• Trump Names Fox Personality Monica Crowley for White House Role – Daily Beast

The New Administration is All About Trump

• The First Corruption Scandal of Trump’s Second Term Is Already Here – The New Republic
• Chinese entrepreneur invested $30M in Trump’s crypto project after election – The Washington Post
• Trump Business Plans Ethics Policy Without Banning Foreign Deals – The New York Times
• Trump Donors Who Give at Least $1 Million or Raise $2 Million Get Inaugural Access – The New York Times
• Can Trump actually cut Social Security benefits? – MSNBC
• Trump v. Clinton: The media double standard on the influence of foreign cash – Judd Legun/Popular Information

Across the Nation

• US Jobs Report November 2024: Payrolls Rebound With 227,000 Growth – Bloomberg $$
• Statement from President Joe Biden on the November 2024 Jobs Report – The White House
• Biden White House Weighs Preemptive Pardons for Potential Trump Targets – POLITICO
• North Carolina Republicans are using disaster relief as a brazen excuse to steal power – MSNBC
• Fact Check: Cutting $2-trillion from the federal budget can’t happen without raising taxes – Washington Post
• What really happened after California raised its minimum wage to $20 for fast food workers – Judd Legum/Popular Information