Party on the Peninsulas

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Hertel
Trump’s Tariffs Punish Michigan Farmers, Michigan Tourism

✹ Representative Phil Skaggs
Our Universities Join the Resistance

In the News

Cognitive Decline? Trump Goes on Bizarre Rant About His Enemies
The New Republic

Egg Prices Continued to Rise in March
The New York Times

Michigan Politics and Policy

• MSU faculty join call for Big Ten ‘mutual defense compact’ against Trump administration – MSU State News
• MSU president pushes back on Trump administration’s student visa revocations – The State News
• Harvard pushes back against Trump administration’s demands for changes – The Washington Post
• MSU student suing Trump administration to restore visa record – The State News
• Elissa Slotkin: How Democrats Can Play Offense Against Trump – TIME
• AG Nessel Supports Challenge to Trump Administration’s Unconstitutional Ideological Deportation Policy – Attorney General
• AG Nessel Joins Multistate Effort to Protect Affordable Health Coverage from Federal Attack – Attorney General
• AG Nessel Joins Multistate Coalition Opposing Drastic Staffing Cuts to Social Security Administration – Attorney General
• Thanedar calls for Trump impeachment over immigration saga – Detroit News
• Trump’s anti-trans push changes Michigan’s transgender community – Detroit Free Press
• Longtime House Republican weighs run to flip Dem-held Senate seat in key battleground – Fox News
• Republican Mike Cox enters Michigan governor’s race – Detroit Free Press
• Abdul El-Sayed on US Senate run: ‘If you want a fighter, I’ve got receipts’ – Bridge Michigan
• Former U.S. Attorney Mark Totten launches campaign for Michigan Attorney General – Michigan Public Radio
• Adam Hollier to challenge Rep. Shri Thanedar for 3rd time

Trump’s Economic Meltdown

• VIDEO – Chaos, confusion, reversals: The story of Trump’s second term so far – NBC News
• Travel to U.S. is falling under Trump. It could cost billions in tourism. – The Washington Post
• Trump’s Order to Cut Drug Prices Would Raise Drug Prices – The American Prospect
• Elissa Slotkin cosponsors bill to crack down on large pharmaceutical price increases – The Michigan Independent
• Elon Musk’s DOGE “Savings” Aren’t New. Here’s Where They Come From – The New Republic
• Trump’s auto tariffs led Stellantis to lay off 370 employees in Kokomo, Indiana – The Washington Post

Trump/Musk Administration’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• Trump’s Wildly Unconstitutional Plot to Banish U.S. Citizens to Gulags – The New Republic
• DOGE Is Building a Master Database to Surveil and Track Immigrants – WIREDTrump admin plans to eliminate federal health programs, including Head Start – Axios
• The White House is starting a new media policy that restricts wire services’ access to the president – AP News
• Trump’s order could force states to buy costly new voting machines – The Washington Post

Trump/Musk/GOP Lawlessness and Corruption

• Exclusive: Musk’s SpaceX is frontrunner to build Trump’s Golden Dome missile shield – Reuters
• Trump Has Eyewateringly Corrupt Scheme to Get Rich Off Tariffs – The New Republic
• U.S. intelligence contradicts Trump rationale for mass deportations – The Washington Post
• Trump appointee asked IRS to review audit of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell – The Washington Post

Climate Change

• Trump’s Order Targeting State Climate Laws Is Probably Unconstitutional – Mother Jones
• Trump boosts dying coal industry, environment be damned – Daily Kos
• Voters Want to Make Polluters Pay, Oppose Efforts to Grant Oil and Gas Companies Immunity for Climate Damages- Data for Progress
• Trump boosts dying coal industry, environment be damned – Daily Kos
• Trump plan would eliminate NOAA climate research, slash agency budget – The Washington Post
• New Trump EO Would Punish States for Combating Climate Change – Mother Jones
• Trump’s new energy order puts states’ climate laws in the crosshairs of the Department of Justice – AP News
• Trump’s Dumbest Order Is Hiding His Most Dangerous Rule Change Yet – The New Republic
• Trump moves to hobble major US climate change study – POLITICO
• The Dubious Legal Theory Republicans Are Using to Kill Climate Progress – Mother Jones
• EPA Plans to End Greenhouse Gas Reporting for Most Polluters — ProPublica
• USDA order paves way for clearing of federal forests, including Michigan lands – Detroit News

The Nation

• Biden, breaking his silence, slams Trump on Social Security cuts – The Washington Post
• Some Democrats in Congress are starting to talk about impeachment. They’re right. – MSNBC
• Riggs v. Griffin North Carolina election fight judge should heed Bush v. Gore – Slate
• Trump administration cancels program to protect Alabamans from raw sewage – Popular Information Substack

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Hertel
Trump’s one-person Economic Meltdown
The non-citizens-are-voting myth
Reaching out to rural Michigan

✹ Senator Mallory McMorrow
Candidate for United States Senate

In the News

We Are All Living in George Orwell’s World Now – The New York Times

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Non-citizens voting in Michigan: 0.00028% of the total vote – Michigan Secretary of State
• Peters blasts ‘crazy’ daily cost of detaining migrants at Guantanamo Bay – Detroit News
• Michigan’s top court says police can’t search cars solely because of marijuana odor – AP News
• Two laws in 90 days: Michigan’s new divided Legislature off to slow start – Bridge Michigan
• ‘Slap in the face’: Black legislators condemn University of Michigan’s DEI cuts – mlive.com
• Michigan Democrats vow to focus on ‘results’ in bid to bounce back – Detroit News
• Democrat Mallory McMorrow jumps into Michigan’s open U.S. Senate race – Detroit News

Trump’s Economic Meltdown

• Trump Stomps Workers – The American Prospect
• U.S. Stocks Post Worst Quarter Since 2022 on Threat of Trade War – Wall Street Journal
• Stellantis idling some plants in Canada, Mexico; impact on US, too – Detroit Free Press
• Trump’s pitch on tariffs was built on a foundation of strange lies – Maddow Blog
• Trump’s tariff hikes raise fears of impact on schools, economy: Whitmer – Detroit News
• Trump administration ramps up farm aid discussions amid tariff fallout – POLITICO
• Trump Left a Key Country Out of His Extreme Tariffs – The New Republic
• Stable Genius Trump Just Put Tariffs on a U.S. Military Base – The New Republic
• Trump Tariffs Hit Antarctic Islands Inhabited by Zero Humans and Many Penguins – WIRED
• Trump Picks Golf Dinner Over Dignified Transfer of U.S. Troops’ Bodies – The Daily Beast

Trump/Musk Administration’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• Trump claims a Michael Jordan tattoo is evidence of Venezuelan gang membership – Popular Information Substack
• Top FDA Vaccine Official Resigns, Citing Kennedy’s ‘Misinformation and Lies’ – The New York Times
• RFK Jr.’s Bogus Vitamin A Claims Are Making Some Measles Patients More Sick — And Medical Experts Have Thoughts – HuffPost Life
• The CDC Has Been Gutted – WIRED
• Tuberculosis is the world’s top infectious killer. Aid groups say Trump’s funding freezes will cause more deaths – CNN
• With his choice for drug czar, Trump adds to his team of Fox-affiliated amateurs – Maddow Blog
• SSA acting chief faces calls to resign over decision to cut Maine contracts – AP News
• Dozens of free measles vaccine clinics close in Texas as federal funding is cut – NBC News
• Trump touted their ICE arrests. Half of these immigrants were already in prison. – Washington Post
• Cybersecurity Professor Mysteriously Disappears as FBI Raids His Homes – WIRED
• Leaked Emails Expose Trump’s Devastating Revenge Plot on Dem. Governor – The New Republic
• Princeton Says Trump Administration Is Halting Research Grant Funding – Wall Street Journal
• Waltz and staff used Gmail for government communications, officials say – The Washington Post
• Trump administration fires 50 attorneys and deputies in Justice Department – AP News
• ‘Mission South Africa’: How Trump Is Offering White Afrikaners Refugee Status – The New York Times

Trump/Musk/GOP Lawlessness and Corruption

• States sue to block Trump’s election order, saying it violates the Constitution – AP News
• As Musk buys votes, it’s time to answer which shall rule: Wealth or the people? – WI Dem Chair Ben Wikler via Daily Kos
• Trump Family Starts Bitcoin Mining Venture in Further Push Into Crypto – The New York Times
• Justice Department instructed to dismiss legal challenge to Georgia election law – AP News

The Nation

• VIDEO – Amber Ruffin Defends Both Sides After Her Cancelled White House Correspondents’ Gig
• VIDEO: Jon Stewart on Which Speech Is Free and Which Will Cost You in Trump’s America – The Daily Show
• How North Korea Cheated Its Way to Crypto Billions – Wall Street Journal
• Indiana transgender collegiate sports ban sent to Mike Braun’s desk – IndyStar
• Indiana Sen. Jim Banks won’t apologize for comments to federal employee – IndyStar

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Hertel
    The Macomb County Town Hall:
Frustration, Anger, John James MIA

✹ Representative Matt Koleszar
   The Inane House Elections Integrity Committee

In the News

Trump says he ‘couldn’t care less’ if auto prices rise because of his tariffs – The Washington Post

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Wooden, Koleszar Denounce Republican Weaponization of House Elections Integrity Committee – housedems.com
• Why many Americans don’t have documents to prove citizenship to vote – The Washington Post
• Tariffs threaten to cut US auto sales by 700,000 in 2025 – Detroit Free Press
• Trump’s Tariffs Leave Automakers With Tough, Expensive Choices – The New York Times
• Trump Warned U.S. Automakers Not to Raise Prices in Response to Tariffs – Wall Street Journal
• Fact check: Donald Trump’s tariff claims on auto industry – Detroit Free Press
• Travel from Canada to Michigan dips 10% amid boycotts, border security fears – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan farmers facing ‘uncertain future’ amid funding freezes, tariff tensions – Bridge Michigan
• Increased unemployment benefits and added weeks go into effect April 2 – DLEG
• DOGE lays out $394M in Michigan health cuts. But what does it mean? – Bridge Michigan
• USDA cancels $4.3M in poultry, cheese, eggs to Michigan food banks – Detroit Free Press
• McDonald Rivet Introduces Bill to Increase Transparency for Prescription Drug Prices – Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet
• Opinion | Michigan’s Kristen McDonald Rivet should inspire Democrats – Karen Tumulty/The Washington Post
• VIDEO – ‘Unheard of’: Slotkin says Trump war plans breach endangers ‘human beings’ – MSNBC “All In with Chris Hayes”

Trump/Musk’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• VIDEO: Jon Stewart on Which Speech Is Free and Which Will Cost You in Trump’s America – The Daily Show
• Trump and Musk’s New Corruption Scandal: DOGE is a Scheme to Gut Social Security – Meidas+
• Trump’s promise to preserve Social Security may not survive DOGE – Michele Norris/MSNBC
• U-M halts DEI plans as Trump administration takes aim at diversity efforts – Bridge Michigan
• Two law firms targeted by Trump sue over executive orders that sought to punish them – AP News
• Three Michigan law school deans say Trump’s sanctions on law firms violate the Constitution – mlive.com
• Trump order on Smithsonian targets programs with ‘improper ideology’ – AP News
• “A Sicker America”: RFK Jr.’s HHS Will Lay Off 10,000 Staff – Mother Jones
• FDA’s Top Vaccine Official Forced Out – Wall Street Journal
• Kansas measles cases double to 23 and new Ohio outbreak sickens 10 – AP News
• FCC Chair Opens Investigation Into Walt Disney Co. Over DEI Programs – Deadline.com
• Texas lawmakers advance bill that makes it a crime for teachers to assign “Catcher in the Rye” – Popular Information Substack

Trump/Musk/GOP Lawlessness and Corruption

• Taxpayers’ Tab For Trump’s Second-Term Golf Excursions Crosses $26 Million Mark – HuffPost
• Taxpayers helped finance Kristi Noem’s extensive travel and political rise – AP News
• Using Starlink Wi-Fi in the White House Is a Slippery Slope for US Federal IT – WIRED
• Musk’s SpaceX Could Secure Billions in New Contracts Under Trump – The New York Times
• Trump Blurts Out Revealing Aim of Law Firm Shakedown Right to Media – The New Republic
• Trump’s hostile takeover of big law – Lisa Needham/Public Notice Substack
• Law firm Paul Weiss agrees to deal with Trump, prompting criticism – The Washington Post
• Trump pumps eponymous meme coin – Judd Legum/Popular Information
• Dr. Oz’s health benefits company sparks conflict of interest concerns – The Washington Post

The Nation

• SignalGate Isn’t About Signal – WIRED
• All the laws flouted during SignalGate – Lisa Needham/Public Notice Substack
• Opinion | Hillary Clinton: This Is Just Dumb – The New York Times
• DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse – WIRED
• To boost banks, Republican restore one of the ‘junk fees’ targeted by Biden – Maddow Blog

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Hertel
    Contest Every Race

✹ Representatives Erin Byrnes, Julie Brixie
and Jason Morgan
   Exposing Dark Money in Politics

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Michigan Sets New Record for Food, Ag and Forestry Exports – Michigan Department of Agriculture
• House Dems Re-Introduce Government Transparency Bills – House Democrats
• Voters Agree K-12 Education Is Off Track, Oppose Eliminating the Department of Education – Data for Progress
• Lawmaker targeting voter fraud ran in different precinct than wife – Detroit News
• Mitchell Poll: Gubernatorial race – MIRS
• People Are “Terrified.” Mallory McMorrow Has a Democratic Blueprint for Hope – Vanity Fair
• The list: The 26 House Dems the NRCC is targeting – Punchbowl News
• DCCC announces 26 vulnerable members for Frontline program in 2026 – Roll Call
• How Elissa Slotkin, a Moderate Michigan Democrat, Is Fighting Trump Tooth and Nail – Vanity Fair

Trump/Musk’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• Trump Goes to DOJ for Bonkers Rant Berating his ‘Illegal’ Media Enemies – The Daily Beast
• Memo details Trump plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration – Judd Legum/Popular Information Substack
• Musk group offers $100 to Wisconsin voters ahead of pivotal state Supreme Court election – AP News
• With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left – The New York Times
• In Deportations, Trump Tied Gang to Venezuela’s Government. Intelligence Contradicts Him. – The New York Times
• French Scientist Reportedly Denied U.S. Entry Due to Trump Criticism – The New Republic
• As Powerful Law Firms Roll Over for Trump, One Lawyer Has Had Enough – Mother Jones
• White House rescinds executive order targeting prominent law firm – AP News
• CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ is unflinching in its White House coverage in the shadow of Trump’s $20B lawsuit – AP News

Trump/Musk/GOP Lawlessness and Corruption

• US taxpayers have shelled out tens of millions of dollars for Trump’s golf trips – The Guardian
• Trump moves to destroy Columbia University – Public Notice Substack
• Decades Ago, Columbia Refused to Pay Trump $400 Million – The New York Times
• Trump administration freezes federal funding for Penn over transgender swimmer – AP News
• Trump Ban on Transgender People Serving in Military Blocked by Federal Judge – Wall Street Journal
• Elon Musk’s DOGE Uses Police to Seize Independent Nonprofit – The New Republic

The Nation

• ICE Barbie Kristi Noem Is Sure Enjoying a Wild Week of Cosplay Stunts – The Daily Beast
• Exclusive | Trump Administration Weighing Major Cuts to Funding for Domestic HIV Prevention – Wall Street Journal
• Appeals court blocks Ohio’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors – AP News
• IRS Retreats From Some Audits as Agency Slashes Workforce – Wall Street Journal
• Minnesota Republicans seek to codify ‘Trump derangement syndrome’ as mental illness – Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Keeping With Kennedy’s Advice, Measles Patients Turn to Unproven Treatments – The New York Times
• RFK Jr. touts french fries and casts doubt on vaccines in first month – AP News

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Hertel
 Republicans Hide from the Voters

✹ Representative Penelope Tsernoglou
Another GOP Voter-Suppression Proposal

In the News

Republicans in Hiding

• Town hall takes place without Bergman – Escanaba Daily Press
• Protesters again demand in-person town hall from Rep. Huizenga – Fox 17 Grand Rapids
• Barrett stays silent as pressure mounts for a town hall – Lansing City Pulse
• More than two-thirds of Rep. Barrett town hall attendees say they don’t support DOGE – WKAR Public Media
• Technical difficulties plague Barrett’s telephone town hall – Lansing City Pulse
• North Carolina GOP town hall gets rowdy as attendees hurl scathing questions on Trump – AP News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Senator Peters Statement on Vote to Prevent Government Shutdown
• Whitmer blasts Trump’s tariffs, education department cuts – Detroit Free Press
• Republican Medicaid cuts could shutter rural hospitals, maternity care – Detroit News
• What Trump’s pledge to repeal EV, climate regulations mean to Michigan – Bridge Michigan
• Buttigieg won’t run for Michigan US senator or governor in 2026 – Detroit Free Press
• Garlin Gilchrist, who’d be Michigan’s first Black governor, launches bid – The DownBallot Substack
• Poll: Jocelyn Benson Dominates Mike Duggan in Governor’s Race – Deadline Detroit
• Elissa Slotkin Is a Voice of Reason. She Can’t Save the Democrats Alone – The Daily Beast
• Takeaways, fact-checks: Vance defends tariffs, urges patience in Michigan – Bridge Michigan
• Tax relief, road projects competing for dollars in Lansing – Detroit News
• Help wanted: Michigan election clerks willing to face workload, harassment – Bridge Michigan
• Insider: Michigan lawmaker says he’s prepping proposal to ban porn – Detroit News
• Voters Oppose Deportations of Undocumented Immigrants — Regardless of Their Job or Years in the U.S. – Data for Progress

Trump/Musk’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• Musk eyes Social Security and benefit programs for cuts – AP News
• Trump and Musk’s Plan to Destroy Social Security Started Tuesday Night – The New Republic
• Trump Goes to DOJ for Bonkers Rant Berating his ‘Illegal’ Media Enemies – The Daily Beast
• Trump calls his opponents ‘scum’ and lawbreakers in bellicose speech at Justice Department – POLITICO
• Trump Orders Gutting of 7 Agencies, Including Voice of America’s Parent – The New York Times
• A Free White House Press Corps is In Peril. I Demand to Meet Trump – April Ryan via The Daily Beast
• Hundreds of federal offices could begin closing this summer at DOGE’s behest – AP News
• Education Department layoffs: Cuts leave civil rights cases in limbo – AP News

Lawlessness and Corruption

• Donald Trump is speedrunning the history of presidential scandals – MSNBC
• Justice Department is expected to slash public corruption unit, AP sources say – AP News
• Exclusive | Trump Family Has Held Deal Talks With Binance Following Crypto Exchange’s Guilty Plea – Wall Street Journal
• Inside Trump’s War on the I.R.S.: Dropped Audits and a Skeleton Staff – The New York Times
• Inside Elon Musk’s ‘Digital Coup’ – WIRED
• Critics say Trump threatens free speech amid arrest of Mahmoud Khalil – AP NewsEx-Tennessee lawmaker says Trump pardoned his 21-month prison sentence – AP News
• Trump’s FBI Moves to Criminally Charge Major Climate Groups – The New Republic
• USPS Reaches Cost-Cutting Deal With Elon Musk’s DOGE Team – The New York Times
• Jeff Bezos takes another pathetic step in his march toward MAGA – Daily Kos
• How the White House launched its anti-migrant ad campaign – AP News

The Nation

• Bernie Sanders takes leadership of the anti-Trump resistance – AP News
• VIDEO – AFT ad singles out Musk – YouTube
• Senate GOP’s Tax-Cut Wishlist Heads North of $5 Trillion – Wall Street Journal
• New CNN poll: Americans are negative on Trump’s handling of economy – CNN Politics
• Consumer Sentiment Tanks as Americans Expect More Pain Ahead – Wall Street Journal
• Trump’s fantastical claim of a $200 billion ‘subsidy’ to Canada – The Washington Post
• Johns Hopkins cuts 2,000 jobs after USAID cuts under Trump – The Washington Post
• The Trump EPA’s Baffling New Agenda Consists of Throttling Major Environmental Rules – Mother Jones
• EPA administrator announces huge rollback of environmental regulations – NBC News
• As measles cases soar, RFK Jr. declares war on science – Popular Information Substack
• Supreme Court rejects Republican-led effort to halt climate change lawsuits in Democratic-led states – AP News

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Welcome to version 2.0 of our podcast:
“Party on the Peninsulas with Curtis Hertel”!

This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Hertel
 Dangerous GOP Budget Games in Lansing

✹ Representative Jason Morgan
Protecting marriage equality

✹ Senator Elissa Slotkin
Full video: where Trump got it wrong

In the News

Elissa Slotkin Trolls Donald Trump From First Line of Democratic Rebuttal Speech – The Daily Beast

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Gary Peters: Trump’s Latest Tariffs Are Bad for Michigan – Wall Street Journal
• Trump Tariffs Set to Send Car Prices Soaring Up to $12,000 Higher – The Daily Beast
• Tariffs: Trump’s trade wars threaten US auto industry – AP News
• VIDEO: AG Nessel Files Suit Against Trump, Federal Agencies to Stop Mass Firings
• 318,000 inactive voter registrations to be removed in Michigan – Detroit News
• Morgan Introduces House Joint Resolution to Repeal Michigan’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban – Representative Jason Morgan
• Far-right campaign to overturn gay marriage ruling hits statehouses – The Washington Post
• Dozens fired from Michigan veteran care facilities as Trump cuts continue – Bridge Michigan
• Trump cuts hit Forest Service in Michigan; critics fear ‘catastrophic’ loss – Bridge Michigan
• Republican lawmakers hold telephone town halls as protesters demand more – AP News
• Michigan lawmakers consider more subsidies, incentives for nuclear power – Bridge Michigan
• Trump calls for CHIPS Act cuts, sparking economic concerns in Michigan – Michigan Now
• Great Lakes scientists among latest round of Trump cuts in Michigan – Bridge Michigan
• Attorney General: Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel Launch New Podcast ‘Pantsuits and Lawsuits’ – Attorney General
• Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist takes step to run for Michigan governor – Detroit Free Press
• Pete Buttigieg met with Chuck Schumer to discuss potential Senate bid – POLITICO

Trump/Musk’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• Trump and Musk’s Plan to Destroy Social Security Started Tuesday Night – The New Republic
• Opinion: Trump is dismantling the free press. We all must fight back. – Dana Milbank/The Washington Post
• Trump breaks promise not to cut Social Security – The Michigan Independent
• Email shows Trump officials are lying to federal court, directing CFPB staff to ignore law – Popular Information Substack
• Opinion | The MAGA War on Speech – The New York Times Editorial Board

Fact-Checking Trump’s 99-minute Performance

• Fact Checker from The Washington Post – Trump’s 99-minute speech to Congress
• Fact-Checking Trump’s Address to Congress – The New York Times
• CNN Fact Checker: Trump Speech Made These ‘Dishonest’ Claims
• Did Donald Trump mistake transgenic mice for ‘transgender mice’ in his speech? – The Times of India
• Trump speech fact check: 12 lies he told during his joint address to Congress – Maddow Blog
• Trump’s false claim that Stacey Abrams headed a group that got $1.9 billion – The Washington Post
• AOC called out Trump’s biggest weakness in her speech rebuttal on Instagram – MSNBC

Lawlessness and Corruption

• Trump’s “Crypto Reserve” is a world historical grift – Public Notice
• Strategic corruption reserve – Popular Information Substack
• BREAKING: SEC halts fraud prosecution of Chinese national who sent Trump millions – Popular Information Substack

The Clown-Car Cabinet

• As Measles Spreads, Kennedy Embraces Remedies Like Cod Liver Oil – The New York Times
• Pete Hegseth Banned Images of ‘Enola Gay’ Plane in DEI Crackdown – Daily Beast
• Trump administration plans to cut 80,000 employees from Veterans Affairs – AP News
• Here’s a Map of the For-Sale Government Properties the GSA Pulled From Its Website – WIRED

The Nation

• Trump Takes the Dumbest Tariff Plunge – Wall Street Journal
• GOP must cut Medicaid or Medicare to achieve budget goals, CBO finds – The Washington Post
• Exclusive | U.S. Suspends Costly Deportation Flights Using Military Aircraft – Wall Street Journal
• Officials knew Trump’s order would waste water in California, memo shows – The Washington Post
• The Words Federal Agencies Are Discouraged From Using Under Trump – The New York Times
• Social Security Workers Aren’t Allowed to Read This Story – WIRED
• Supreme Court rules Clean Water Act doesn’t require clean water. – Slate Plus
• Democrats Block Bill to Bar Transgender Girls From Female Sports Teams – The New York Times
• China dominates the world in renewable energy, including solar and wind – The Washington Post
• A Right-Wing Group Accused NASCAR of Discrimination Against White Dudes. It’s a Blueprint for Trump. – Mother Jones

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Governor Whitmer delivered her 7th annual update on Michigan’s progress and needs this last week. We have extended highlights of her presentation.

But there’s also important work from the 2024 session hanging over Lansing: the refusal, to date, of newly elected Republican Speaker Matt Hall to send 9 bills enacted by the Legislature to the Governor for signing or vetoing. The state Senate has taken the unusual step of suing the state House and Speaker Hall to force the Speaker to comply with the state constitution’s requirement that the bills go down the hall to the Governor’s office for final action. The lead attorney for the state Senate is former MDP chair Mark Brewer, commenting on the ruling this past week by Court of Claims judge Sima Patel:

“We had a great decision from the judge. People should understand the context of this lawsuit.

It’s very difficult for legislators to bring lawsuits. particularly against the other house. There’s always questions where they have what’s called standing to even be in court. And then people always throw up, well, this is just a political fight, political dispute, court doesn’t have any business doing that.

And so we had to cut through all of that. The judge rejected those defenses. Hall had also thrown up a lot of objections about the quality of the bills and other kinds of things. She would cut through all of that. And she said she set a deadline. She said the Constitution requires that these nine bills be presented to the Governor.

And the House has until March 19th to do that. It’s a very strong decision. It applies not just to these nine bills, but to all bills going forward. She was very clear. If bills pass the legislature, they have to go to the Governor. In this case, by March 19th, so the Governor has enough time.

To consider them before they’re supposed to take effect, which will be April 2nd, if the governor signs them. So, it was a great victory. We’re not there yet. I’ve been telling people, if you use a football metaphor, we executed an option play. We got to the red zone. We got to the red zone. And we’re gonna keep pushing.

We’re not gonna let the Speaker off the hook here. And I know there is and should be lots of public pressure on him. To obey the Constitution, which is what the judge told him to do yesterday.

There were parts of the judge’s decision yesterday that she disagreed with us. For example, she said the speaker is immune from liability here. We’ve got other defendants. We’re suing the house and the clerk. So we’ve got other ways to get. Get those bills presented. My clients, the Senate, could appeal that.

The House and the Speaker and others could appeal the judge’s decision, that they only have until the 19th. Both sides have 21 days from yesterday to decide whether to appeal. But you’re right, Jeff, this could quickly be resolved by the Speaker simply doing the right thing, and Sending those bills to the governor.”

House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri added: “Holding these nine bills hostage came at the cost of Michigan taxpayers. The bills, if signed into law, would lower health care costs, add pension benefits for corrections and conservation officers, help to financially protect struggling workers and more. I applaud the ruling today and call on Speaker Hall to comply with the court’s decision.”

In the News This Week…

Governor Whitmer’s 7th Annual State of the State Address

• FULL VIDEO – 2025 Michigan State of the State
• FULL TEXT – Gov. Whitmer’s 2025 State of the State Address as Prepared for Delivery
• Highlights from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State – Detroit Free Press
• State of the State: Takeaways, fact-checks from Gretchen Whitmer’s big speech – Bridge Michigan
• Gretchen Whitmer: I want to find ‘common ground’ with Donald Trump – Bridge Michigan

Michigan Policy and Politics

• A fired federal worker grapples with her vote for Trump in Michigan – The Washington Post
• Polling shows strong support for clean energy among Michiganders amid state and federal GOP pushback – Michigan Advance
• As a Michigan Republican made his case to ban same-sex marriage, a gay Democrat stole the show • Michigan Advance
• Walberg: Schools should ‘suffer consequences’ if trans kids play sports – Detroit News
• 7 Michigan Republicans push to ban gay marriage. It’s likely going nowhere – Bridge Michigan
• Rep. James, Republicans prep effort to cancel California ‘EV mandate’ – Detroit News
• Barrett stays silent as pressure mounts for a town hall – Lansing City Pulse
• House Republicans hit the brakes on town halls after blowback over Trump’s cuts – NBC News
• Chatfield case reveals ‘erratic’ movement of secret money in Lansing – Detroit News
• Judge says 9 delayed bills should be sent to Whitmer, but won’t order it – Detroit News
• Michigan lawmaker bashes federal worker ‘sob stories’ amid Musk cuts – Detroit News
• Livengood: GOP House Speaker Matt Hall’s FOIA flip-flop doesn’t add up – Detroit News
• AG Nessel Re-issues Tax Season Consumer Alerts – Attorney General

The Musk/Trump Administration’s Assault of Democracy

• 2/19/25 – Majority Say System Of Checks & Balances Not Working Well, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Congressional Job Approval: Democrats Hit All-Time Low, Republicans Hit Record High – Quinnipiac University Poll
• Woman Dragged Out of Republican Town Hall After Asking Question – The New Republic
• Bolton on Trump’s mental fitness: “his mind is full of mush” – The New Republic
• Donald Trump and Elon Musk are ushering in a new age of bribery, graft, and corruption to American politics. – The New Republic
• FAA close to canceling $2.4 billion Verizon contract in favor of Musk’s Starlink – The Washington Post
• Elon Musk’s business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding – Washington Post
• Uncovering Conflicts of Interest and Self-Dealing in the Executive Branch – Brennan Center for Justice
• What Can House Republicans Cut Instead of Medicaid? Not Much. – The New York Times
• DOGE Gains Access to Confidential Records on Housing Discrimination — ProPublica
• Democratic National Committee Files Lawsuit Against Trump – The New York Times
• Mattis, former defense secretaries denounce Trump’s Pentagon firings – The Washington Post
• 23 Dem AGs think they’ve cracked the code to fighting Trump – POLITICO
• USAID cuts: Here are 20 projects that have closed – AP News
• Judge finds mass firings of federal probationary workers to likely be unlawful – AP News
• DOGE touts billions in canceled government contracts. Where are the numbers coming from? – PolitiFact
• Trump White House Takes Over Press ‘Pool’ From Nonpartisan Media Group – Wall Street Journal
• The White House takeover of the press pool is a brazen attack on the First Amendment – Simone D. Sanders/MSNBC
• Jeff Bezos Reveals Sick MAGA Takeover of Washington Post – The New Republic
• Jeff Bezos’ Directive for Washington Post Opinion Pages Leads to Editor David Shipley’s Exit – The New York Times
• Kash Patel Wants to Work From Home for FBI. But Who Does He Live With? – The New Republic
• Hundreds of weather forecasters and NOAA staff fired in DOGE cuts – AP News

The Trump/GOP Assault on Americans

• VIDEO: Health Insurance – House Majority Forward
• The FY2025 House Budget reconciliation and Trump Administration Tax Proposals: Budgetary, Economic, and Distributional Effects — Penn Wharton Budget Model
• Michigan will be hit hard if Trump restarts Canada, Mexico tariffs – Detroit Free Press
• MSU professors, international food security programs in limbo amid USAID freeze – MSU State News
• U-M squeezed by Trump cuts; Social Security research project halted – Bridge Michigan
• RFK Jr. Has Horrific Response to Measles Death – The New Republic
• Judge blocks Trump order threatening funding for trans youth care – AP News
• Voters Do Not Approve of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown When Confronted With Real-World Examples. – Data for Progress
• Iowa governor signs bill removing gender identity protections – AP News

The Trump Assault on Ukraine

• ‘The insolent pig finally got a proper slap’: Russia celebrates Trump’s Zelenskyy takedown – POLITICO
• Vladimir Putin’s Investment in Donald Trump Pays Off Bigly – Mother Jones
• European leaders renew support for Ukraine after Zelenskyy’s stormy meeting with Trump – NPR

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes
     — Trump puts the nation and world at risk
— Moving on…

✹ Lt. Governor Garland Gilchrist
— Danger: Musk takeover of federal computer systems

Chairperson Curtis Hertel Jr.
     — Building on Lavora Barne’s Six Years of Success

In the News

Hertel to lead Michigan Democratic Party into pivotal 2026 elections – Detroit News

Trump Friends-and-Family Corruption

• One-third of Trump’s first month spent playing golf – The Washington Post
• Inside Trump’s Million-Dollar Dinners With Healthcare Executives – Wall Street Journal
• A look at Trump’s crypto-related ventures – AP News
• Memecoin Scandal Threatens Argentine President Javier Milei – WIRED
• Here’s How Much Money Trump Has Made Off the Presidency So Far – The New Republic
• Can Jared Kushner’s investment firm connect Gulf money to Trump’s Gaza plan? – Middle East Eye

Michigan Politics and Policy

• VIDEO – AG Nessel Touts CFPB, Cautions Residents Will Miss Their Efforts if White House Shuts Down Bureau – YouTube
• VIDEO – Elissa Slotkin on MSNBC – Ukraine
• How Michigan would be affected by closing the U.S. Education Department – Detroit News
• Research grant cuts would ‘devastate’ Michigan hospitals, universities – Detroit Free Press
• Opinion | How state attorney generals built the first line of defense against Trump – Karen Tumulty/The Washington Post
• Livengood: Michigan’s Trump country would get hit hard in a Canadian trade war – Detroit News
• Michigan lawmakers see promise in aid program. Where it’s expanding. – Detroit Free Press
• Federal agencies prodding MSU on DEI, top lawyer says – The State News
• Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Beth Clement stepping down – Bridge Michigan
• Army Corps eyes Line 5 tunnel for ‘emergency’ designation; foes sound alarms – Bridge Michigan
• Why not put Michigan solar farms on parking lots instead of farmland? | Bridge Michigan
• Michigan Republicans reject Trump’s choice for state party chair – Detroit Free Press

Trump/Musk’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• Inside Democratic attorney generals’ push against Trump orders, policy – The Washington Post
• Trump’s Incompetence Is Botching His Own Deregulation Spree – The New Republic
• Trump Clashes With Maine’s Governor, Janet Mills, Over Trans Athletes – The New York Times
• Trump’s IVF executive order is worthless. What comes next could be worse. / MSNBC
• Mike Pence is among few Republicans willing to challenge Trump – AP News
• Thursday Night Massacre II – Harry Litman/Substack
• Many of Trump’s early actions are unpopular, Post-Ipsos poll finds – The Washington Post
• Inside the Trump administration’s error-plagued federal firing spree – The Washington Post
• A look at Musk team’s government overhaul – Los Angeles Times
• DOGE Claimed It Saved $8 Billion in One Contract. It Was Actually $8 Million. – The New York Times
• Elon Musk’s DOGE Wants Longer Airport Lines to Save Them Money – Daily Beast
• No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits – WIRED
• DOGE Now Has Access to the Top US Cybersecurity Agency – WIRED
• IRS plans to lay off 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday, AP source says – AP News
• In botched DEI purge, OSHA trashes workplace safety guidelines – Popular Information Substack
• Trump’s Purge Hits Nuclear Weapons Agency—Setting Off National Crisis – The New Republic
• Trump fires FAA air traffic control staff, just weeks after DC crash – AP News
• Farmers still missing USDA funds get little help from Republicans in Congress – The Washington Post
• Musk and Trump Are Cutting Popular Programs. That’s Deliberate. – The New Republic
• Trump administration ends legal representation for unaccompanied minors – The Washington Post
• FEMA fires hundreds of employees in destructive purge – The Washington Post
• Trump signs executive order challenging independence of FCC, FTC and SEC – The Washington Post
• State Department orders cancellation of news subscriptions – The Washington Post
• The Washington Post Caves to Elon Musk – The New Republic

Lawlessness and Corruption

• IRS: The tax $606-billion tax gap – Internal Revenue Service
• DOGE employee cuts fall heavily on agency that regulates Musk’s Tesla – The Washington Post
• Officials Are Fired at Traffic Safety Agency Investigating Musk’s Company – The New York Times
• Tom Homan’s obsession with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a political miscalculation – MSNBC
• Jan. 6 Rioters Argue Pardons Apply to Charges Including Murder Plot, Child Porn – Wall Street Journal

The Clown-Car Cabinet

• This New Drug Could Help End the HIV Epidemic—but US Funding Cuts Are Killing Its Rollout – WIRED
• As measles outbreak rages in Texas, RFK Jr. pushes anti-vaccine message – Popular Information Substack
• Trump’s FBI Pick Kash Patel Stands to Make Millions From Fashion Brand Shein – Wall Street Journal
• Trump has already weaponized the Department of Education – Public Notice Substack

The Nation

• AP sues 3 Trump administration officials, citing freedom of speech – AP News
• Some Very Bad News for Elon Musk – The Borowitz Report
• Trump’s flurry of false claims about Ukraine – The Washington Post
• The Party of Reagan Is Selling Out Ukraine – The Atlantic
• Transgender man Sam Nordquist tortured, killed in New York state, police say – The Washington Post
• Citing federal order, MD National Guard to skip Frederick Douglass event – The Washington Post
• New York City Congestion Pricing Squashed by Trump Administration – Wall Street Journal
• Tesla Sales Are Tanking Across The World – InsideEVs.com
• Republican bill would make Trump’s birthday a federal holiday – Maddow Blog
• Every Ridiculous Thing Republicans Want to Rename After Trump – The New Republic

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Chairperson Barnes
Trump policies a direct threat to Michigan’s economy

✹ Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson
Candidate for Governor of Michigan

✹ This week’s Trump/GOP outrages
Corruption is now legal if Trump likes you

In the News

2025 State Convention – Michigan Democratic Party

Trump Friends-and-Family Corruption

• Editorial | Trump shows tolerance for corruption with executive order and pardon – The Washington Post
• How Trump Is Gutting Regulatory Agencies Like the SEC, CFPB and EEOC – The New York Times
• Trump and Bondi are breaking America’s anti-corruption safeguards – MSNBC
• What to Know About the Trump Family’s Deals in the Middle East – The New York Times
• How the Trumps Turned an Election Victory Into a Cash Bonanza – Wall Street Journal
• Early Crypto Traders Had Speedy Profit on Trump Coin as Others Suffered Losses – The New York Times
• Here’s How Much Money Trump Has Made Off the Presidency So Far – The New Republic
• Jared Kushner builds a business empire off his father-in-law’s back – Financial Review
• Can Jared Kushner’s investment firm connect Gulf money to Trump’s Gaza plan? – Middle East Eye
• Jared Kushner defends his equity firm getting $2 billion from Saudis after he left White House – CBS News
• With firings and lax enforcement, Trump moving to dismantle government’s public integrity guardrails – AP News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Swanson launches campaign for governor, proposes sheriffs network for constituent services – Michigan Advance
• VIEDO – Senator Slotkin Speaks on Senate Floor on how Tulsi Gabbard will make Americans less safe – YouTube
• Trump tariffs creating “costs and chaos” for automakers, CEO says – Axios
• Republican senator introduces bill to kill EV subsidy – Detroit Free Press
• Trump tries to block EV charger money — again. Michigan impact ‘clear as mud’ – Bridge Michigan
• Trump steel, aluminum tariffs likely to drive up car costs, industry leaders say – AP News
• Michigan’s largest health care system resumes gender-affirming care for youth – The ‘Gander
• Deal close on minimum wage for tipped workers, key lawmaker says – Detroit News
• Gov. Whitmer: Tax ‘big tech,’ marijuana to improve Michigan roadways – Detroit News
• Trump grant money cuts could cost Michigan universities $200 million – Detroit Free Press
• MSU doubles down on DEI defense amid Trump administration hostility – The State News
• Michigan poll: Democrats face uncertain road in 2026 races – Detroit Free Press
• Follow the dough to know who’s leading the race for mayor of Detroit – Detroit Free Press
• Michigan ‘red flag’ gun law, year 1: 287 confiscation orders, 84 denials – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan leaders blast Trump’s plans for public education – Detroit Free Press

Trump/Musk’s Assault on Government and the Constitution

• Danielle Sassoon and Other Officials Resign After Order to Drop Eric Adams Case – The New York Times
• Opinion | Robert Rubin, Lawrence Summers, Timothy Geithner, Jacob Lew, Janet Yellen: DOGE Is a Threat to U.S. Democracy. – The New York Times
• ‘Who the Hell Voted for… Big Balls?!’ CNN Panel Melts Down Over Musk Hires – Daily Beast
• 19-year-old Musk surrogate has State Department email address – The Washington Post
• At Oval Office, Musk Makes Broad Claims of Federal Fraud Without Proof – The New York Times
• Trump preparing executive order to abolish the Education Department – NBC News
• Elon Musk is waging war on the CFPB, a key check on his business empire – CNN Business
• Right-Wing Crusade Against USAID Has Been Fueled by Falsehoods – The New York Times
• White House says it has the right to punish AP reporters – AP News
• The NSA’s “Big Delete” Word Purge – Popular Information
• Trump orders immediate dismissal of military academy boards of visitors – Axios

Lawlessness and Corruption

• Everything Elon Musk Touches Is a Conflict of Interest – Mother Jones
• How Tesla could benefit from Musk’s government dismantling efforts – AP News
• ‘People are just flipping out’: Billions in federal funding remain frozen despite court orders to keep the taps open – CNN Politics
• “Armored Tesla” (was) forecast to win $400 million State Department contract after Trump’s election – Drop Site
• Trump taps oil industry advocate for public land agency – AP News
• Exclusive | Musk’s X Agrees to Pay About $10 Million to Settle Trump Lawsuit – Wall Street Journal
• Trump takes aim at agencies that police wrong-doing, protect federal workers – The Washington Post
• Trump to pardon Rod Blagojevich – Axios
• DOJ moves to dismiss federal charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams – Fox News
• Steve Bannon pleads guilty in New York ‘We Build the Wall’ case – NBC News

The Clown-Car Cabinet

• VIDEO – Senator Slotkin Speaks on Senate Floor on how Tulsi Gabbard will make Americans less safe – YouTube
• The cowards in the Senate bow down to Trump – Frank Bruni/The New York Times $$
• ‘Loyalty tests’ in Trump administration hiring reportedly take a ridiculous turn – MSNBC

The Nation

• Laughing Kremlin Insiders Say Trump Has Given Putin Greenlight to Expand the War – The Daily Beast
• Trump assumes Kennedy Center chair, ousts longtime president – POLITICO
• AP White House reporter blocked from Trump and Modi news conference – AP News
• The AP provides a model of effective press resistance – Public Notice
• Trumponomics and Rising Inflation – Wall Street Journal
• Christian aid groups receive millions in USAID funds. Now their humanitarian work is collapsing – AP News
• FACT FOCUS: FEMA funding to New York City to assist migrants is misrepresented – AP News
• Canada’s Trump Card in a Tariff War: Turning Off the Oil Taps – Mother Jones
• Nearly two dozen states sue the Trump administration to halt cuts in medical research funding – AP News
• Trump says no right of return for Palestinians in Gaza under his plan for US ‘ownership’ – AP News
• The Most Dangerous DOGE Cut – The Bulwark
• Dozens of Clinical Trials Have Been Frozen in Response to Trump’s USAID Order – The New York Times
• Since Trump’s ‘Emergency,’ What Is Actually Happening on the Border? – The New York Times

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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