Category: Uncategorized

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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

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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

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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

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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

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Trump Betrays the Voters

✹ Representative Betsy Coffia:
Surviving in a Swing District

✹ Chairperson Barnes:
Government By and For the Billionaires

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• Local governments take aim at Michigan’s wind, solar law in new lawsuit – Bridge Michigan
• AG wants to shut down charity connected to thefts from retired priests – Lansing State Journal
• Proposal would expand Michigan’s bottle deposit law. Some want to put a cork in it – Detroit News $$
• American Agriculture Can’t Afford Another Trade War with China – MSU Professor David Ortega via Newsweek
• Canada and U.S. Prosperity at Risk in the Shadow of New Tariffs, Says Canadian Chamber Report  – Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• How Trump Could Upend Electric Car Sales – The New York Times
• Experts: Under Trump, GM faces volatile future with more job cuts – Detroit Free Press $$
• Whooping cough cases surge in Michigan. Health officials point finger at what’s fueling them – Detroit News $$
• Michigan AG’s prosecution of false electors continues after Trump win – Detroit News $$
• Blue States Are Bracing for Legal Clashes With Trump – Wall Street Journal

Trump’s Incomprehensible Band of Incompetents

• Multiple Trump picks for Cabinet have faced sexual misconduct allegations – The Washington Post
• Trump’s Fans Suddenly Realize How He Picks Nominees—and They’re Pissed – The New Republic
• Several Trump White House picks have ties to Project 2025 – MSNBC
• Meet the billionaires working with Trump on his second term – Yahoo! News
• Some Arab Americans who voted for Trump say they are concerned about his picks for key positions – PBS News
• Who is John Phelan? Financier With No Military Experience Tapped to Run the Navy – The Daily Beast
• Trump taps Jay Bhattacharya, critic of Covid lockdowns, to lead NIH – Maddow Blog
• Trump A.G. Pick Pam Bondi Is About to Regret What She Signed Up For – The New Republic
• Trump aide sought payments from job seekers, internal legal review found – The Washington Post

The New Administration is All About Trump

• Trump Disavowed Project 2025 During the Campaign. Not Anymore. – The New York Times
• Devoted Aide Who Keeps Good News Flowing Will Follow Trump to the White House – The New York Times
• Trump hoodwinked voters about his worst policy commitments – Public Notice
• Trump vows tariffs over immigration. What the numbers say about border crossings, drugs and crime – AP News
• Trump’s tariffs could mean higher inflation on groceries, gas and cars – The Washington Post
• Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico preview the corruption to come – Paul Waldman via MSNBC
• Canada examining tariffs on certain US items following Trump’s tariff threat – AP News
• Special counsel moves to dismiss election interference and classified documents cases against Trump – AP News
• Steve Bannon Reveals New List of Trump’s Targets in Grim Rant – The New Republic
• Trump’s ‘mandate’ stretch may snap back hard – MSNBC

Across the Nation

• Opinion | Democrats need ‘shortcuts’ to reach low-information voters – Jennifer Rubin/The Washington Post
• A Trump Judge Just Nixed Overtime Pay for Millions—and Media Yawned – The New Republic
• Ohio Governor Signs Bathroom Restrictions for Transgender Students – The New York Times
• Porsha Ngumezi Died After Not Getting a D&C in a Texas Hospital — ProPublica
• Donald Trump to kick transgender troops out of US military – The Times
• Get Ready for Total Chaos as House GOP Wins Historically Puny Majority – The New Republic
• EV Project to Get $6 Billion in Federal Loan – The New York Times

Climate Change

• Trump Vowed to Kill Biden’s Climate Law. Republicans Say Not So Fast. – Wall Street Journal
• Atlantic hurricane season, a stream of damage in its wake, comes to an end – AP News
• As Earth passes 1.5C warming goal, the Paris Agreement is at a plateau – The Washington Post
• Musk Says He Wants to Save the Planet. Tesla’s Factories Are Making It Dirtier. – Wall Street Journal
• Donald Trump’s call for ‘energy dominance’ is likely to run into real-world limits – AP News
• Utilities build flow batteries big enough to oust coal, gas power plants – Washington Post
• A Climate Change – The New York Times

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Trump’s “Mandate” Isn’t What He Thinks It It

✹ Representative Julie Brixie:
Gun Safety on Election Day, and “Dark Stores”

✹ Chairperson Barnes:
Mandating Religious Studies in Public Schools

In the News

Michigan Politics and Policy

• House Dems Pass Firearm Safety Legislation – housedems.com
• Tax loophole leads to revenue shortage – WLNS TV
• Dems eye cash bail, ‘second look’ criminal justice reforms in Michigan lame-duck – Bridge Michigan
• With McDonald Rivet heading to Congress, who will fill her open Michigan Senate seat? – Michigan Advance
• McDonald Rivet congressional win leaves Michigan state Senate seat vacant – The Michigan Independent
• Democrat Bahar-Cook appears to win second MSU board seat – Lansing State Journal
• Michigan Senate Loser Is Out of the Running to Be FBI Director – The Daily Beast
• Michigan ER doctor outlines how a second Trump term could affect reproductive rights – The Michigan Independent
• Michigan women who broke political barriers say White House is next – Detroit Free Press $$
• Slotkin: A vote for Trump doesn’t mean someone isn’t ‘a worthy person’ – Detroit Free Press $$
• Some Arab Americans who voted for Donald Trump growing concerned by his picks – Bridge Michigan

Trump’s Incomprehensible Band of Incompetents

• Editorial | Trump’s Reckless Choices for National Leadership – The New York Times
• Defense pick Pete Hegseth paid woman but denies sexual assault, attorney says – The Washington Post
• Dr. Oz Has a Checkered Health Care Record: What to Know About Key Issues – The New York Times
• Trump Picks Russell Vought, Key Figure in Project 2025, to Lead OMB – The New York Times
• Linda McMahon, Trump’s Education Secretary Pick, Named in Sexual Abuse Lawsuit – The New York Times
• Sebastian Gorka will return to Trump White House – POLITICO
• John Bolton Slams Trump’s Choice of ‘Con Man’ Seb Gorka as Counterterrorism Director – The Daily Beast
• Trump picks Scott Bessent for Treasury and Scott Turner for HUD – The Washington Post
• Motivational speaker Scott Turner tapped to lead HUD – POLITICO

The New Administration is All About Trump

• The ‘Landslide’ That Wasn’t: Trump and Allies Pump Up His Narrow Victory – The New York Times
• It wasn’t a landslide, media reports notwithstanding – by Andy Borowitz
• Donald Trump’s Mandate Is a Myth – The New Republic
• Trump’s New Oligarchy Is About to Unleash Unimaginable Corruption – The New Republic
• Trump plans to fire Jack Smith’s team, use DOJ to probe 2020 election – The Washington Post

Across the Nation

• Florida surgeon general wants to stop fluoride in water, echoing RFK Jr. – The Washington Post
• Texas education board approves Bible-infused curriculum – AP News
• OK Schools Chief Orders Teachers to Show Video of Him Praying for Trump – Meidas+
• The North Carolina GOP Snuck an Outrageous Antidemocratic Power Grab Into a Hurricane Relief Bill – Mother Jones
• House Speaker Johnson Announces Transgender Bathroom Ban—on Trans Day of Remembrance – Mother Jones
• Rep. Nancy Mace says new bill would limit bathroom use for transgender people – Scripps News

Climate Change

• A $300B a year deal for climate cash at UN summit sparks outrage for some and hope for others – AP News
• The House Just Made it Easier to Target Climate Groups – The New Republic

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This Week’s “Party on the Peninsulas”

✹ Trump’s Reckless, Incompetent and Craven Cabinet

✹ Representative Rachel Hood:
Updating Sex Education Curriculum

✹ Chairperson Barnes:
It is time to begin a new chapter

In the News

Letter from Chair Barnes on Not Seeking Re-election – Michigan Democratic Party

Michigan Politics and Policy

• House Democrats Elect Minority Leader, Floor Leader – housedems.com
• In Michigan House, time for Democrats is running out. What to expect – Bridge Michigan
• With McDonald Rivet heading to Congress, who will fill her open Michigan Senate seat? • Michigan Advance
• Michigan local governments getting $87 million from marijuana sales – Bridge Michigan
• Ohio helps make Michigan No. 1 in weed sales — but perhaps not for long – Bridge Michigan
• Michigan House lawmakers introduce minimum wage, paid sick leave bills – Detroit Free Press
• New legislation would update Michigan’s public school sex education curriculum • Michigan Advance
• Man testifying against gun ban drops racist slur in Michigan Senate testimony – WLNS News
• Mike Rogers in consideration for FBI chief after meeting in Mar-a-Lago with Trump transition team, sources say – Fox News
• Arab Americans in Dearborn who met Trump ask for ceasefire in letter – Detroit News
• Who will run to replace Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan? ‘The floodgates have opened’ – Detroit News
• Morning Digest: It’s game on for one of the biggest races of 2026 – The Downballot
• Has Michigan governor race begun? Duggan spurs speculation. Here’s who might run – Bridge Michigan

Trump’s Incomprehensible Band of Incompetents

• VIDEO: Dr. Sanjay Gupta on RFK Jr. – CNN
• VIDEO – ‘Terrifying’: Ex-HHS Secretary calls RFK Jr. pick ‘life or death situation’ – MSNBC
• 10 RFK Jr. conspiracy theories and false claims, in his own words – The Washington Post
• Vaccines, Fluoride and More: RFK Jr.’s Wildest Public Health Ideas – The Daily Beast
• Is Matt Gaetz ‘an accomplished attorney’? Digging into Trump AG pick’s record as a Florida lawyer – Politifact
• “She Was a High School Student and There Were Witnesses.” – The New Republic
• Tulsi Gabbard Questioned U.S. Intelligence. Now She Is Trump’s Pick for Top Intelligence Role. – Wall Street Journal
• Tulsi Gabbard Is a Uniquely Bad Choice for Director of National Intelligence – Mother Jones
• ‘Who the f–k is this guy?’: Defense world reacts to Trump’s surprise Pentagon pick – POLITICO
• Trump’s New Defense Secretary Is a Total Nightmare – The New Republic
• Trump’s New Border Czar Championed Family-Separation Policy in First Term – Wall Street Journal
• White Nationalist and Ex-Trump Aide Stephen Miller to Make White House Return – The Daily Beast

The New Administration is All About Trump

• MAGA Launches Deranged Campaign to Replace Marco Rubio With Nepo Baby Lara Trump – The New Republic
• Jared Kushner’s $3 billion conflict of interest – Popular Information
• How Trump Will Profit From the Presidency (Again) – The New Republic
• In Trump’s second term, evidence suggests corruption will be worse, not better – Maddow Blog

Across the Nation

• Opinion: Trump can ‘fix’ the economy by doing nothing – Catherine Rampell/The Washington Post
• Can Trump avoid screwing up what he’s inheriting from Biden? – Maddow Blog
• Trump is about to take credit for Biden’s accomplishments as president – MSNBC
• Trump’s call for mass deportation could affect grocery prices – Detroit Free Press
• Instant Regret: Trump Voters Already Feeling Pain of Trump’s Tariff Plan – Meidas+
• It wasn’t a landslide, media reports notwithstanding – by Andy Borowitz
• The 3-year Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – The White House
• The Biden economy’s best salesman: Donald Trump – POLITICO
• Trump repeated 2016 promises in 2024 that he failed to fulfill the first time – The Michigan Independent
• Musk’s PAC spent an estimated $200M to help elect Trump, AP source says – AP News
• Democratic Governors Form a Group to Oppose the Trump Administration – The New York Times
• How a right-coded media environment helped Trump win – Public Notice

Climate Change

• The Renewable Energy Revolution Is Unstoppable – Mother Jones
• Trump’s Win Threatens U.S. Clean-Energy Boom – Wall Street Journal
• Trump Chooses Lee Zeldin to Run E.P.A. as He Plans to Gut Climate Rules – The New York Times
• Donald Trump’s energy czar, Interior Department pick Doug Burgum: What to know – The Hill