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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”
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✹ 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
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- 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