05, I hope all is well with your job. I continue to believe that at the end of the day we want good employees so you are gonna be fine. I did want to comment on your “where besides the border” is he doing well question. That is a bit like where is Ohio State football doing well besides winning the first 12 team college football playoff. In both cases that accomplishment is huge!! The border was one of the top issues in the election ! I think four years of Americans seeing mobs at the border and reading about the millions of unvented illegals Biden was dumping into our country went a long way towards electing DJT.
That said I will offer a couple of other positive issues for this administration. First, while administrations and politicians have for years waxed eloquent about the need to eliminate graft and waste, no one til now has actually taken a crack at doing it. I do not know yet how it will turn out but I hope we can save a trillion or two from future budgets. I consider this a noble effort that I hope shows results.
I consider it a different issue, though similar, that the Trump administration has tried to get federal spending under control. This is another of those elusive “everybody says they want to do it but nobody actually does it” issues. I would love it if the would take spending levels back to pre Covid levels + 1.5 trillion or so. That would allow about 35% growth over 5 years which seems ample.
I like that this administration has begun the process, and placed an emphasis on, weeding DEI out fo the government vocabulary. That stuff is donkey dung and needs to go!!
Finally I like that this administration is serious about getting males out of female sports. Keeping males out of female restrooms and locker rooms. It is weird to me that a policy supported by 80% of Americans is fought so vociferously by the dems!
Now 05, looking at those items and where we are I guess it is important to remember that Trump is 80-90 days into his administration. So a little patience is in order.
05, one more that is more a projection based upon his previous four years than on what we have seen thus far. From 2017-2020 the bottom 25% of wage earners saw increases in real wages of about 35%. This was the first real increases these folks had seen in decades. I am optimistic those folks will see that again.
05, right now the focus is on the tariffs and what they will do. I know what I hope they accomplish but we will have to see. Interestingly tariffs have historically been a democrat party policy favorite. They wanted to protect union jobs from cheap overseas labor. It is funny listening to democrats bemoaning the tariffs the see tapes of pelosi and Schumer in the 90’s decrying the Chinese taking advantage of us with tariffs and calling for us to respond. I guess what goes around comes around!
Well,05, I hope you are having a great day at work and that the move back into the office has worked out ok for you.
That said I will offer a couple of other positive issues for this administration. First, while administrations and politicians have for years waxed eloquent about the need to eliminate graft and waste, no one til now has actually taken a crack at doing it. I do not know yet how it will turn out but I hope we can save a trillion or two from future budgets. I consider this a noble effort that I hope shows results.
That said I will offer a couple of other positive issues for this administration. First, while administrations and politicians have for years waxed eloquent about the need to eliminate graft and waste, no one til now has actually taken a crack at doing it. I do not know yet how it will turn out but I hope we can save a trillion or two from future budgets. I consider this a noble effort that I hope shows results.
The vast majority of the cuts so far have not shown to be graft or waste. Nobody else has actually taken a crack at doing it?.....................
Fact Check: Clinton initiative cut over 377K federal jobs in the 1990s. It's not comparable to Trump's effort
Claim:
During his time in office, U.S. President Bill Clinton oversaw the termination of 377,000 federal employees.
Rating:
True
Context:
According to testimony from Elaine Karmarck, the director of Clinton's initiative, it eliminated 426,200 federal roles between January 1993 and September 2000.
Looking back on the 1990s, it's strange to imagine a time when a presidential campaign was won on a promise to balance the federal budget. Bill Clinton did it, too — the U.S. federal budget had a surplus between 1998 and 2001, the only time there's been a surplus since 1970. (The government's debt is $36.22 trillion at the time of writing).
In January and February 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump began giving Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) increasing control over government services in an effort to eliminate federal government programs and dramatically slash spending.
Some media outlets claimed Trump and Musk's methodology was unprecedented. In response, social media posts appeared pointing back to a Clinton-era initiative that "oversaw the termination of 377,000 federal employees," as evidence that Trump and Musk had simply "learned from the master."
On February 7, 2000 The Washington Post reported that between 1993 and 1999, the Clinton Administration reduced the size of the federal work force by 377,000 full time employees according to the budget. Reported tonight on Fox News.
— CAB (@SDMan02) February 7, 2025
It's true that during his presidency, Clinton reduced the federal government's workforce by more than 377,000 employees as part of an initiative called the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (initially called the National Performance Review, or NPR). However, there's a key difference between how Clinton's NPR cut jobs and what Trump and Musk are trying.
In March 1993, just two months into his presidency, Clinton announced the creation of the National Performance Review, led by his Vice President, Al Gore. Its goal, according to Clinton's announcement, was "to make the entire Federal Government both less expensive and more efficient, and to change the culture of our national bureaucracy away from complacency and entitlement toward initiative and empowerment."
The review lasted six months, and made 384 recommendations to improve the federal bureaucracy. The implementation of those policies took a lot longer, and some required legislation to be passed through Congress. For instance, in 1994, Clinton signed a bill that offered federal workers buyouts of up to $25,000 in an effort to reduce the workforce by 272,000 employees. According to an April 1995 statement from Clinton, the buyouts were largely offered to management positions in an effort to "reduce the layers of bureaucracy and micromanagement that were tying Government in knots." That statement said that about 70 of the buyouts in non-Department of Defense agencies went to managers and other individuals "at higher grade levels."
The initiative continued to make recommendations for government reform. According to a 1999 article on an archived version of NPR's website, it reduced the federal workforce by 351,000 between 1993 and 1998. An archived FAQ page from 2000 said 377,000 jobs were cut between 1993 and 1999. In a 2013 appearance before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, former National Performance Review leader Elaine Karmarck said the agency cut 426,200 jobs by September 2000.
But the buyouts offered by Clinton's NPR and Trump and Musk's Department of Government Efficiency are not the same. Clinton's buyout plan had overwhelming bipartisan support from Congress, and the law was signed after a review period. Meanwhile, Trump and Musk offered the buyouts just one week into Trump's term, with no review process.
Federal employee labor unions have sued, questioning the legality of the buyout, and a federal judge has temporarily blocked the offer in order to review the lawsuit. Sources:
Of course as was mentioned in the article, a study was actually done by experts in the field to find where these job cuts should be made. It was a process. Nobody just walked in on day one with a chainsaw and started hitting departments that helped the most vulnerable like we're seeing today.
I'm not sure of your age so I'm not sure if you were unaware of this because of your age or if the places you get your news simply refused to inform you of this. But either way, there you go.
And to add, republicans in congress are trying to pass a budget that will greatly increase the deficit, not balance it.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
Yes I had forgotten BC “ending welfare as we know it”. I do not specifically remember who helped pass the stuff he did, but I am pretty sure the lefty dems of today would fight him tooth and toenail.
Of course I love what he did and I hope this administration does something even more impressive!!
FEMA will stop matching 100% of Helene recovery money in North Carolina
Gov. Stein: ‘I am extremely disappointed and urge the President to reconsider FEMA’s bad decision, even for 90 days.’
FEMA has denied North Carolina’s request to continue matching 100% of the state’s spending on Hurricane Helene recovery.
In a letter to Gov. Josh Stein on Friday, acting FEMA administrator Cameron Hamilton wrote that the agency had determined the full cost share was “not warranted.”
“The need in western North Carolina remains immense — people need debris removed, homes rebuilt, and roads restored,” Stein said in a statement.
“I am extremely disappointed and urge the President to reconsider FEMA’s bad decision, even for 90 days. Six months later, the people of western North Carolina are working hard to get back on their feet; they need FEMA to help them get the job done.”
FEMA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The agency’s decision means that North Carolina will lose a critical share of federal assistance in what’s expected to be a years-long rebuild process.
After Helene struck in late September, the Biden administration gave the green light for FEMA to reimburse North Carolina on 100% of disaster relief assistance — particularly with debris removal and emergency protective services. The cost-share allowed state officials to plow ahead on time-sensitive needs more quickly.
In December, FEMA also set the federal cost-share for all other categories of assistance at 90%. But the 100% period for debris cleanup and other services was set to end after six months.
Local and state officials have requested repeatedly that it be extended — preferably another six months — in order to speed up recovery from the deadliest hurricane in state history. But the agency, now under the authority of a president who has floated the idea of dismantling it altogether, will no longer shoulder full costs for that work.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, the Republican congressman who represents western North Carolina, told the Asheville Citizen-Times that an extension was “unprecedented.”
“Instead, I’m focusing on other ways I can make a tangible difference in helping the citizens of western North Carolina recover more quickly,” he said in a statement to the newspaper.
“This includes continuing to assist survivors with FEMA casework and working with the administration to find additional avenues to alleviate the financial stress our communities and the state of North Carolina are facing.”
The state can appeal FEMA’s ruling within 30 days.
Actual denial letter from FEMA posted here at the link
05, I hope all is well with your job. I continue to believe that at the end of the day we want good employees so you are gonna be fine. I did want to comment on your “where besides the border” is he doing well question. That is a bit like where is Ohio State football doing well besides winning the first 12 team college football playoff. In both cases that accomplishment is huge!! The border was one of the top issues in the election ! I think four years of Americans seeing mobs at the border and reading about the millions of unvented illegals Biden was dumping into our country went a long way towards electing DJT.
That said I will offer a couple of other positive issues for this administration. First, while administrations and politicians have for years waxed eloquent about the need to eliminate graft and waste, no one til now has actually taken a crack at doing it. I do not know yet how it will turn out but I hope we can save a trillion or two from future budgets. I consider this a noble effort that I hope shows results.
I consider it a different issue, though similar, that the Trump administration has tried to get federal spending under control. This is another of those elusive “everybody says they want to do it but nobody actually does it” issues. I would love it if the would take spending levels back to pre Covid levels + 1.5 trillion or so. That would allow about 35% growth over 5 years which seems ample.
I like that this administration has begun the process, and placed an emphasis on, weeding DEI out fo the government vocabulary. That stuff is donkey dung and needs to go!!
Finally I like that this administration is serious about getting males out of female sports. Keeping males out of female restrooms and locker rooms. It is weird to me that a policy supported by 80% of Americans is fought so vociferously by the dems!
Now 05, looking at those items and where we are I guess it is important to remember that Trump is 80-90 days into his administration. So a little patience is in order.
05, one more that is more a projection based upon his previous four years than on what we have seen thus far. From 2017-2020 the bottom 25% of wage earners saw increases in real wages of about 35%. This was the first real increases these folks had seen in decades. I am optimistic those folks will see that again.
05, right now the focus is on the tariffs and what they will do. I know what I hope they accomplish but we will have to see. Interestingly tariffs have historically been a democrat party policy favorite. They wanted to protect union jobs from cheap overseas labor. It is funny listening to democrats bemoaning the tariffs the see tapes of pelosi and Schumer in the 90’s decrying the Chinese taking advantage of us with tariffs and calling for us to respond. I guess what goes around comes around!
Well,05, I hope you are having a great day at work and that the move back into the office has worked out ok for you.
Thanks for the kind words, Keith, and I always hope you are doing well. I'm still chugging along.
I do get that Trump is brief into the administration, but I am skeptical of the spending. He spent like a drunken sailor in his first admin, but that's not really just a knock on him, as the previous two admins also did the same, and so did the one after. It's a pervasive problem spanning both parties.
With what I see on a daily basis, I do think DOGE is doing a terrible job. They have already walked back their goal very significantly from where they initially preached it would be, and there appears to be no significant savings. They also have been inaccurate in what they say they have saved. Based on spending trends, I don't hold out much hope that savings will actually hit. I think it's all talk and no action basically. Well, there has been action, and it's been to remodel a house with a chainsaw. Now we have a mess and morale has really gone down for those of us on the inside.
I think what frustrates me most is that there are some rather easy things that could be done in order to save significant funds, but none of those have actually been implemented. I don't think they will be implemented either until a political appointee (from either party) is actually someone who understands the inner workings, organically. Not some donor who doesn't really care at all, and not some hot shot who thinks they know everything either. That's not pointed at any one person, but pretty much everyone who has come in. And like we've talked about before, it really will take an act of Congress. You can eliminate entire agencies, departments, etc. but if you still have Congress appropriating funds, as is their power, they will find a way to appropriate wastefully. It should be the third leg of the stool: Death, taxes, and Congress wasting money.
Even with the amounts that are to be expended, if we expended them in better ways, there are huge amounts of sums we could save, such as doing things like fixed price incentive firm contracts vs firm fixed price. That would go a loooooooong way into putting money back in the treasury for major acquisitions.
I think what I'm getting at is that I'm tired of a lot of form and no substance. I actually do think POTUS' admin has diagnosed a lot of problems correctly...it's the "how do they fix it" part that leaves me scratching my head often.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
i wonder how much is spent on these pony shows they call 'cabinet meetings'. It's obvious nothing productive is actually being done. That's something you see on NK and Russian state media.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
House Republicans outspent their Democratic counterparts in taxpayer-funded travel expenditures by nearly $8 million since the start of 2023, a new OpenSecrets analysis found.
Eight out of the top ten biggest spenders between the start of 2023 to March 2024 were Republican members of Congress. They accounted for 7% of total taxpayer-funded travel spending by GOP members of Congress and with each of the top spenders spending two to five times more than the average House office.
The total travel spending reported by House Republicans’ offices exceeded $23 million from January 2023 to March 2024 — nearly $8 million more than House Democrats spent on travel during the same period. Despite having only a seven-member majority, House Republicans have significantly outspent Democrats. Congressional offices of House Republicans spent around $102,000 on average for travel during that period, while the average spent by House Democrats sat around $70,000, according to the House Statement of Disbursements.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
Wall Street Journal defends Powell from Trump attacks
The Wall Street Journal editorial board has Jerome Powell’s back following President Trump’s blistering social media criticism of the Federal Reserve chair this week after he offered negative economic predictions over Trump’s tariffs.
“The problem for Mr. Trump is that Mr. Powell spoke the truth,” the conservative-leaning board wrote in an editorial published Friday. “The main lesson from Trump vs. Powell is that the central bank can’t make up for the economic policy errors of politicians.”
Trump bashed Powell, whom he appointed to the position during his first term in 2018, in a Truth Social post early Thursday morning, writing “Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!”
“If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me,” Trump told reporters later that day. “I’m not happy with him. I let him know it.”
Powell drew Trump’s ire after he offered a grim assessment Wednesday of the economic outlook in light of Trump’s massive tariff overhaul announced April 3. The remarks prompted a steep drop in securities markets.
“The level of the tariff increases announced so far is significantly larger than anticipated,” Powell told the Economic Club of Chicago. “The same is likely to be true of the economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.”
Ahead of Powell’s speech, Trump pushed for the Federal Reserve to quickly lower interest rates, but Powell said the independent body needs “greater clarity” on the impact of Trump’s policies before it acts.
The Wall Street Journal board agreed with Powell’s assessment but wasn’t surprised Trump lashed out against him.
“President Trump’s tariff war isn’t going well, with market ructions and evidence of a slowing economy. So it was probably inevitable that Mr. Trump would demand that the Federal Reserve ride to his rescue by cutting interest rates,” the board wrote. “The hard decision for the Fed is whether to look past that one-time increase and assume it won’t become part of consumer inflation expectations.”
Trump accused Powell of being “too late and wrong” in the Fed’s interest rate decisions.
The editorial board acknowledged that the central bank, under Powell’s leadership, has been wrong in the past — notably fostering “a gusher of federal pandemic spending” that led to sky-high inflation, but cosigned Powell’s cautious approach this time.
“The Fed has been trying to claw back from that mistake, with some success,” the board wrote in its editorial. “But the Fed hasn’t reached its target inflation rate of 2%, so Mr. Powell is right to be wary of trying to offset the impact of tariffs by easing money too much or too soon.”
Real talk, that’s part of the reason I left the party. They constantly have been running on a campaign of reduction in spending and lower taxes, which is a conservative ideal, but the end result has been sharp increases in spending with lower taxes that benefit the wealthy more than others.
If you’re conservative, then freaking act conservative. Republicans have not acted that way in a long time.
Blue ostriches on crack float on milkshakes between the sidewalk titans of gurglefitz. --YTown
Real talk, that’s part of the reason I left the party. They constantly have been running on a campaign of reduction in spending and lower taxes, which is a conservative ideal, but the end result has been sharp increases in spending with lower taxes that benefit the wealthy more than others.
If you’re conservative, then freaking act conservative. Republicans have not acted that way in a long time.
Some of my same pet peeves with the Party. They no longer pledge to support the constitution. They pledge to support one criminal
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
US FDA suspends food safety quality checks after staff cuts
Cuts of as many as 20,000 HHS staff upend public health research FDA's program to improve bird flu testing in food also suspended Suspension affects tests for Cyclospora in spinach, glyphosate in barley Trump aims to cut $40 billion from HHS budget
WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) - The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for its food testing laboratories as a result of staff cuts at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to an internal email seen by Reuters.
The proficiency testing program of the FDA's Food Emergency Response Network is designed to ensure consistency and accuracy across the agency's network of about 170 labs that test food for pathogens and contaminants to prevent food-borne illness.
The firing and departure of as many as 20,000 HHS employees have upended public health research and disrupted the agency's work on areas like bird flu and drug reviews. President Donald Trump hopes to slash as much as $40 billion from HHS.
"Unfortunately, significant reductions in force, including a key quality assurance officer, an analytical chemist, and two microbiologists at FDA's Human Food Program Moffett Center have an immediate and significant impact on the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Proficiency Testing (PT) Program," says the email sent on Tuesday from FERN's National Program Office and seen by Reuters.
The program will be suspended at least through September 30 and means the agency will be unable to do planned quality control work around lab testing for the parasite Cyclospora in spinach or the pesticide glyphosate in barley, among other tests, the email says.
"These PTs and Exercises are critical to demonstrating the competency and readiness of our laboratory network to detect and respond to food safety and food defense events," the email says. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Food safety laboratories rely on these types of tests to meet standards for accreditation, said a source familiar with the situation, who was not aware of other ready alternatives to the FDA to provide such testing.
The FDA in early April suspended an effort to improve its testing for bird flu in milk, cheese and pet food, as a result of staff cuts.
1. Close the southern border. Still open. 2. Inflation….Higher than ever. Gas prices up. Grocery bills up. New clothing and automobiles unattainable for the lower and middle classes. 3. No more paying taxes on SS and tips…The US is still paying taxes on SS and tips. 4. Unemployment%….going up up up. After an all time low % under Biden. 5. Stock market down down down. 6. The Putin war is still raging. 7. Israel is still bombing the ish out of Gaza.
Thank you trump supporters!
MAGA…..Making America Gag Again.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
The border isn't closed. There's still illegals crossing over, though the number dropped significantly. and you gotta remember: that doesn't include ports of entry, just the crossings along non-ports of entries.
besides, they found easier targets: teenagers on student and tourist visas.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
There are a LOT of issues with how the southern border is being handled right now. "border isn't closed" is REALLY far down the list to the point I was honestly confused why it was point #1 on the list.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
There are a LOT of issues with how the southern border is being handled right now. "border isn't closed" is REALLY far down the list to the point I was honestly confused why it was point #1 on the list.
because that remains the #1 reason he got elected, twice. I'm not sure if PS put those in order or not. But immigration being #1 on any list dealing with Trump and "promises" makes all the sense in the world.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Yet it was the first issue on the list during the election as SWISH pointed out. And it’s the only issue you focused on. What about the economy and inflation? The second issue Goper’s voted for? Unemployment? What happened about Goper’s caring about the poor and homeless as they did during the election. Pfft Goper’s forgetting them the minute trump was re-elected was a forgone conclusion from the get go. But….Biden right?
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
US marshals were mobilized to warn fired DOJ lawyer over congressional testimony, attorney says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department dispatched armed U.S. marshals to deliver a letter warning a fired career pardon attorney about testifying to congressional Democrats, her lawyer said in a letter seen by Reuters on Monday.
“This highly unusual step of directing armed law enforcement officers to the home of a former Department of Justice employee who has engaged in no misconduct, let alone criminal conduct, simply to deliver a letter, is both unprecedented and completely inappropriate,” Michael Bromwich, a lawyer representing fired pardon attorney Liz Oyer, wrote to the Justice Department.
The Marshals were called off on Friday only after Oyer acknowledged receiving the letter, once she located it in a secondary email that she had not been using to communicate with the department's human resources officials, Bromwich wrote.
While U.S. Marshals deputies are sometimes used to serve congressional subpoenas or protect witnesses, dispatching them to deliver a letter from the Justice Department is unusual, one former official said.
A Justice Department spokesman did not comment.
Oyer, who served as the pardon attorney during President Joe Biden's tenure, was one of several career officials fired by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on March 7.
Oyer has since told U.S. media outlets that her firing came shortly after she declined to recommend restoring gun rights to actor Mel Gibson, a supporter of President Donald Trump.
She was one of several Justice Department officials who testified on Monday afternoon before a hearing organized by Democrats in the House of Representatives and Senate about the Trump administration's treatment of the Justice Department and law firms who act in cases disliked by the Republican president.
"I was in the car with my husband and my parents... when I got the news that the officers were on their way to my house where my teenage child was home alone," Oyer told lawmakers.
"Fortunately, due to the grace of a very decent person who understood how upsetting this would be to my family, I was able to confirm receipt of the letter to an email address, and the deputies were called off."
DEMOCRATS BLAST MOVE
Democratic U.S. Senator Adam Schiff of California called the mobilization of the Marshals to deliver a letter an effort to "intimidate and silence" Oyer, while U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland compared it to a move "ripped straight from the gangster playbook."
In the letter to Oyer, Associate Deputy Attorney General Kendra Wharton said the department has "significant confidentiality interests."
These were particularly strong in Oyer's case because of the role Oyer played in making clemency recommendations for the president, Wharton said, referring to the executive privilege doctrine that shields some presidential communications from disclosure to Congress.
"Should you choose to appear before Congress, the department expects that you will abide by your obligations under the law, Department policy, and the applicable rules of professional responsibility," Wharton wrote.
"Those matters include the deliberative processes that underlie pardons, clemency, the restoration of firearm rights, and related decisions."
Bromwich, in his letter to Blanche, said the claim that Oyer's testimony is barred by executive privilege is "baseless" and that she is entitled to certain legal protections for whistleblowers.
Oyer testified on Monday that the Justice Department's letter did not deter her from speaking the truth, saying, "I will not be bullied into concealing the ongoing corruption and abuse of power at the Department of Justice."
Democratic lawmakers question Justice Department over warning to fired official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday pressed the U.S. Justice Department to explain its decision to dispatch armed agents to deliver a letter warning a fired employee about her planned testimony before members of Congress.
Three Democrats condemned the move as an attempt to intimidate Liz Oyer, the Justice Department's former pardon attorney, and other career officials who may want to speak about President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Sending armed officers to Ms. Oyer’s residence is a clear abuse of the Department of Justice’s authority and resources, which exist to serve and protect the public, not intimidate congressional witnesses,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to a top Justice Department official. The letter was signed by Senators Adam Schiff of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey and Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee.
A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.
U.S. Marshals were mobilized on April 4 to deliver a letter to Oyer, whom the Trump administration had fired weeks earlier, warning her against revealing information about internal discussions, Oyer said.
Law enforcement was called off only after Oyer acknowledged receiving the letter by email.
The episode came days before Oyer spoke at a Democratic-run hearing examining the Trump administration’s treatment of the legal profession.
Oyer has said she was fired shortly after she declined to recommend restoring gun rights to actor Mel Gibson, a supporter of Trump.
The Justice Department has denied the Gibson dispute was the reason for Oyer's firing. She was terminated on the same day as several other career Justice Department officials.
The Democrats’ letter seeks the names of the officials involved in the planned deployment of Marshals to Oyer’s home, as well as other records.
So is he kicking out Latino gangs because of violence, or competition? Cause having law enforcement show up to deliver a letter is nothing less than intimidation. that's classic thug behavior, especially relating to gang activity.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
It's really not hard to see it for what it really is. It's a consistent pattern with this administration. Punish and intimidate anyone who speaks out against you. From the press to law firms. From judges to potential witnesses. From the fed chief to our allies.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
The Trump administration wants women to have more babies
Baby boom. The Trump administration has been soliciting ideas for ways to entice Americans to have more children, according to a report in the New York Times, in an effort to combat what it sees as a crisis of falling birth rates in the U.S. Some of the proposals reportedly being floated: a $5,000 cash "baby bonus," government-funded educational programs on menstrual cycles, and a "National Medal of Motherhood" awarded to mothers with six or more children.
The idea generation is the clearest example yet of the Trump administration's embrace of "a new cultural agenda pushed by many of its allies on the right to reverse declining birthrates and push conservative family values," the Times reports.
Indeed, Trump, who has described himself as the "fertilization president," is surrounded by folks like tech billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, who could be described as pro-natalist. Project 2025, the ultra-conservative blueprint for Trump's second term, calls for the promotion of heterosexual marriages and restricting reproductive rights and health care.
Critics have been quick to point out that structural changes that could actually help families long term—paid parental leave, affordable housing and childcare—are not among the ideas listed in the story. And when the average out-of-pocket costs for giving birth in the U.S. total $2,854 for those with insurance while part-time childcare costs $6,000 a year on the low end, any baby bonus won't go very far.
"Proposals like 'baby bonuses' or 'menstrual cycle classes' don’t just miss the point, they leave millions of women unheard, yet again," says Erin Erenberg, CEO and cofounder of Chamber of Mothers, a nonpartisan 501c3 organization advocating for maternal and parental rights. "Most women we hear from aren't opting out of motherhood—rather, they simply can't afford it. That’s not a cultural crisis. That's a policy failure."
Countries across Asia and Europe are also struggling with falling birth rates, and many have tried similar incentives. South Korea, which has the lowest birth rate in the world, has introduced a baby bonus, as has Singapore. At least in South Korea, the generous government benefits are so far not enough: The fertility rate in 2024 was 0.75, a small increase from the previous year.
Back in the U.S., critics point to other moves made by the Trump administration that seem to belie its stated desire for a "baby boom." It recently made large cuts to the Department of Health and Human Service's Division of Reproductive Health, which handles issues related to maternal and infant health. Republicans also opposed the extension of the expanded child tax credit, which helped significantly reduce child poverty under President Joe Biden. The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration and deportation strategies are counter to the goal of growing the population. And in many red states, anti-abortion legislation is actively harming women and mothers who miscarry. Overall maternal mortality rates in the U.S. almost doubled between 2014 and 2021.
"Parenthood doesn’t need to be incentivized—it needs to be supported every step of the way," says Erenberg. "If we want a thriving nation, we start by making sure its mothers are healthy, supported, and whole."
Mother’s Crosses came in three classes; third class (bronze) awarded to mothers who birthed and raised four to five children; second class (silver) awarded to mothers of six to seven children; and first class (gold) awarded to mothers of eight children or more. The crosses were awarded to 'honour German mothers for their services to the German people' and formed part of a propaganda campaign to promote large families, thereby increasing the population of the Third Reich. Only women fulfilling Nazi racial ideals were eligible for a cross; to receive one both parents of the children had to be 'German blooded' in line with Nazi ideas of racial purity, and mothers had to be considered 'worthy'. Crosses could be withdrawn if officials decided a woman had become 'unworthy' for example by not raising her children in line with Nazi ideals. The first crosses were presented in 1938 and the last in 1944, by which time approximately 4.7million had been awarded.
It's really not hard to see it for what it really is. It's a consistent pattern with this administration. Punish and intimidate anyone who speaks out against you. From the press to law firms. From judges to potential witnesses. From the fed chief to our allies.
The fascist slope to dictatorship.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
lol … US automakers. Pffft. The only automobile completely built in the US worth its weight in gold was the Ford GT40. These days all autos are built from mfg sources all over the world. Tariffs will kill trump’s presidency if he continues to go forward with them. His approval rating is going down down down.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
US cancels hundreds of grants for police, crime victims, Justice Dept documents show
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department has canceled hundreds of ongoing grants that funded everything from mental healthcare for police officers to support programs for victims of crime and sexual assault, according to internal records and four people familiar with the matter.
At least 365 grants from the Office of Justice Programs, the department's largest grant-making arm, were terminated late Tuesday, said two of the people, who were granted anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public.
That office awarded $4.4 billion worth of grants in the fiscal year ended October 2023, according to the Justice Department's website.
Reuters could not immediately determine a total dollar value for the canceled grants, though records indicated it was at least tens of millions of dollars.
In notices sent to the affected grantees, the Justice Department offered a 30-day window to appeal its decisions, and several of the recipients told Reuters they intended to pursue that option.
Targeted programs on a partial list seen by Reuters included: grants that supported crime victims, including for transgender victims; hotlines used by crime victims; grants to fight human trafficking that have gone to organizations working with immigrants; programs to curb juvenile delinquency and safeguard incarcerated youth; and funding for state-run hate-crime reporting.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the changes reflected the priorities of President Donald Trump's administration.
"Grants for programs that do not align with the administration’s priorities were rescinded but this Department of Justice will continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted and any recipient will have the ability to appeal and restore any grant if direct impact on victims can be thoroughly established," Bondi said in a statement to Reuters.
Justice Department grants typically run for three years. New administrations often change the focus of grants awarded, but the department seldom cuts funding for previously awarded grants that support ongoing programs.
The leaders of multiple groups whose grants were cut said the lost funding would take a toll on their programs.
The National Center for Victims of Crime said it lost nearly $3 million to fund crime-victim hotlines and initiatives to provide support and counseling, such as guidance on finding safe housing and referrals to victims' compensation programs.
“The hotlines are going away,” its CEO, Renee Williams, said in an interview.
Richard Morales, executive director of the Latino Coalition for Community Leadership, which helps communities develop re-entry, crime prevention and health programs, said he learned on Tuesday the Justice Department had canceled two grants worth about $6 million.
The cuts will affect 22 organizations that work with the group across 10 states.
'YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN'
Jean Bruggeman, who leads the non-profit Freedom Network USA which assists human trafficking victims, said abruptly canceling funding without warning could leave vulnerable victims of domestic abuse on the streets without access to housing.
For instance, some grants on the list help fund pet-friendly housing assistance to domestic violence victims who might not be willing to leave their homes without their animals. The Justice Department restored the pet-related shelter program after Reuters reported on its cancellation, an official said.
"We know that with domestic violence, it's when survivors leave that the risk of mortality is the highest," she said.
In an email sent to Office of Justice Programs staff on Tuesday, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg said that canceled grants "no longer support the department's priorities."
She added that the new funding priorities will focus on "certain law enforcement operations, combating violent crime, protecting American children, supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault, and promoting coordination of law enforcement efforts at all levels of government."
A Justice Department official said the department carefully reviewed the grants to ensure victim services would not be affected, instead targeting grants that funded what it considered to be ambiguous programs that did not directly help crime victims.
Many Justice Department employees who work on managing and awarding the grants did not learn about the cancellations until the grantees were notified on Tuesday, the people said. The department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, a separate grant-making office, has so far not been hit, one person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear whether the Office of Violence Against Women, a third separate Justice Department grant-making office, was affected.
Trump's nominee for NASA administrator was once arrested, accused of passing bad checks to casinos
(Reuters) - President Donald Trump's nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, was arrested on fraud charges in 2010 and faced lawsuits in two states for writing $2 million in bad checks to casinos, according to government records and court filings.
Isaacman is a billionaire pilot and astronaut who founded the Shift4 Payments company as a teenager and commanded the first civilian space crew in 2021 aboard a SpaceX capsule.
Isaacman's nomination is scheduled for a vote by the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday.
In a February 22, 2010 press release titled, "Nevada Fugitive Captured at Canadian Border," U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it arrested Isaacman on a warrant for alleged fraud at the Washington state line. He was taken to a county jail for extradition to Nevada, where Clark County, home to Las Vegas, had issued the felony warrant. No further detail on the alleged fraud was provided.
According to jail records, he was released the next day.
In a questionnaire in connection with his nomination to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Isaacman said he was returning from the Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, in February 2010 when he was detained by CBP for "drawing and passing checks without sufficient funds."
He said the arrest stemmed from a dispute with the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas over a travel reimbursement the resort promised and failed to honor. Isaacman said he resolved the matter in less than 24 hours and the charges were dismissed. The court records were sealed, he said.
A spokesperson for the Palms Casino declined to comment. A spokesperson for Isaacman declined to comment.
“Jared Isaacman is exceptionally qualified to advance President Trump’s bold agenda to restore American leadership in space science, technology and exploration," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement. "We look forward to the Senate’s swift confirmation of him."
Court records from New Jersey and Connecticut filed in 2009 and 2010, respectively, allege the New Jersey native failed to pay casino debts.
Civil cases were brought against him by Trump's now-defunct Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, according to court documents.
The Trump Taj Mahal sued Isaacman in July 2009 in connection with a line of credit he got in November 2005. Isaacman wrote four checks in 2008 for a total of $1 million but his bank account did not have the funds for them to be cashed, according to the complaint.
The case was settled in 2011 for $650,000.
In a 2010 complaint filed in Connecticut, the Mohegan Sun said Isaacman had written four bad checks totaling $1 million. That action was eventually resolved and withdrawn, according to a court filing.
In a subsequent filing for his nomination, Isaacman disclosed four civil casino cases: the two described above, plus another from the Taj Mahal and one from the Trump Plaza, a source familiar with the matter said.
The other two cases, from 2008, could not immediately be retrieved, according to New Jersey court personnel.
In a written question submitted after his April 9 nomination hearing, Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell asked Isaacman about being detained at the border and sued four times between 2008 and 2010 in connection with casino debts and allegations of fraudulent checks.
"In my early 20s, I was fortunate to experience business success at a young age, and I spent time in casinos as an immature hobby," Isaacman answered. "The legal matters referenced were, in fact, forms of negotiation and were all resolved promptly. The incident at the border, following my return from the Olympics, stemmed from a payment issue that had already been resolved, which is why I was detained for only a few hours."
Isaacman assured the committee that the behavior was in his past.
Still, while orbiting Earth in a SpaceX capsule in 2021, he placed the first sports bet in Las Vegas from space.
Trump pardons Nevada lawmaker who used slain officer memorial funds for plastic surgery
By Austin Williams Published April 24, 2025 9:37pm CDT
The Brief
Michele Fiore, a former Nevada lawmaker and Las Vegas city councilwoman, was convicted of wire fraud after spending memorial funds on personal expenses. President Donald Trump issued her a full pardon, which she announced on Facebook Thursday. Fiore was awaiting sentencing and had faced decades in prison after prosecutors said she spent donations on cosmetic surgery and rent.
LAS VEGAS - President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Michele Fiore, a controversial Nevada Republican politician convicted of using funds meant for a slain officer’s memorial on personal expenses, including cosmetic surgery. Fiore announced the pardon Thursday via Facebook, calling herself the target of a decade-long conspiracy.
Fiore had been awaiting sentencing after being found guilty in October of six counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. Prosecutors said she raised over $70,000 to honor Las Vegas police officer Alyn Beck—killed in the line of duty in 2014—but diverted the money to pay for rent, wedding costs for her daughter, and plastic surgery.
A history of controversy
The backstory: Fiore, 54, has long been a polarizing political figure in Nevada. She served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016 and then as a Las Vegas city councilmember until 2022. That same year, she lost a bid for state treasurer before being appointed as a judge in Nye County, despite not having a law degree.
She gained national attention for her vocal support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his followers during armed standoffs with federal agents in 2014 and 2016. Most recently, Fiore had been suspended without pay from her judicial post due to her legal troubles. In her statement, she said she plans to return to the bench next week.
Reaction to the pardon
What they're saying: The White House confirmed Trump signed the pardon but did not comment further. Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the move "reckless" and "a slap in the face" to law enforcement.
The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline said it is aware of the pardon but offered no update yet on Fiore’s suspension status.
Trump says he's bringing back Columbus Day, but it never went anywhere
President Trump said Sunday that he plans to reinstate Columbus Day as a federal holiday, and blamed Democrats for its absence.
The big picture: A president cannot unilaterally erase or declare federal holidays — Congress is required for such a move — and Columbus Day is still a federal holiday, though Indigenous Peoples Day has replaced it in over 200 cities and multiple states as of last year.
Maine, Vermont, New Mexico and Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle are among those celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October, the same date as Columbus Day. Three states, New York, Rhode Island and Nebraska, recognize both holidays.
In October 2024, Axios staff research determined that over half of U.S. states don't recognize either day as a state holiday.
What they're saying: "I'm bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes. The Democrats did everything possible to destroy Christopher Columbus, his reputation, and all of the Italians that love him so much," Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social.
"They tore down his Statues, and put up nothing but 'WOKE,' or even worse, nothing at all! Well, you'll be happy to know, Christopher is going to make a major comeback," he said. Trump added that he was reinstating the holiday "under the same rules, dates, and locations, as it has had for all of the many decades before!"
Reality check: Congress is required to create a federal holiday by using the same process as to pass any law. Presidential powers to create federal holidays are limited, such as issuing an executive order for a National Day of Mourning.
Any presidential executive order would apply for one time only and would need to be reissued each ensuing year to remain active. New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich presented a bill and multiple representatives did the same in the House in Fall 2023 to make Indigenous Peoples Day a federal holiday instead of Columbus Day. Neither bill made it to a floor vote.
Zoom in: Indigenous Peoples Day began in the 1990s and has gained momentum since, including in 2001 when President Biden became the first president to formally acknowledge the holiday with a proclamation.
The Biden administration also continued to acknowledge Columbus Day, and issued proclamations throughout Biden's presidency about the holiday. Christopher Columbus has long been a controversial figure, with many objecting to celebrating a day in honor of the 16th-century explorer given his history with colonization, as well as torture and genocide of indigenous peoples.
Zoom out: Protests over the explorer and his namesake holiday most recently came to a head in summer 2020 when several statues of Columbus were vandalized or damaged during the Black Lives Matter movement.
At least 33 statues were removed or in the process of being taken down in September 2020, according to a report from CBS News.
Hegseth ‘proud’ to end Women, Peace and Security program
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday declared he had begun to shutter a Pentagon program meant to advance women’s participation in peace-building and conflict prevention, a law written by GOP lawmakers that President Trump signed in his first term.
“This morning, I proudly ENDED the “Women, Peace & Security” (WPS) program inside the [Defense Department],” Hegseth wrote in a post on X.
He said the program was “yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.”
Hegseth also called WPS a “UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists,” claiming that “troops HATE it.”
As the program is under federal statute and can’t be outright killed by Hegseth alone, he said the Pentagon would comply with the minimum requirements of the WPS and fight to end the program during DOD’s next appropriations process.
Hegseth’s move to dismantle the program is particularly notable given that Trump signed the program into law in 2017, after it was backed by multiple members of his current Cabinet while they were members of Congress.
The 2017 Women, Peace and Security Act was penned by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, then a member of the House representing South Dakota, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).
The Senate’s version of the law was co-sponsored by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then a Florida senator. Rubio on April 1 had lauded the Women, Peace and Security Act, saying it was “the first law passed by any country in the world focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society.”
And Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, a former House member for Florida, was a founding member of the WPS Caucus when he was in Congress.
The Trump campaign website even cited the initiative as one of its top accomplishments for women during his first term.
The law was intended to promote the participation of women in all aspects of overseas conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as post-conflict relief and recovery efforts, to be implemented at the State Department, Pentagon and other government agencies.
The Biden administration later issued several action plan memos for how the Pentagon would implement the program in the building, including most recently in December.
Hegseth later pushed back on those who had pointed out the law had been signed under Trump, claiming the Biden administration had “distorted & weaponized the straight-forward & security-focused WPS initiative launched in 2017,” though he did not provide examples.
Democrat lawmakers quickly bashed Hegseth for the move to end WPS, with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) – a top member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who helped usher the bipartisan legislation through Congress – saying the Defense secretary is weakening country’s global standing and “has absolutely no idea what he’s doing.”
“Every combatant commander who comes through my office highlights the strategic advantage WPS gives U.S. forward deployed forces,” she said in a statement.
“This follows a dangerous and disturbing pattern from the Secretary, who clearly does not listen to advice from senior military leaders. He also continues to ignore the invaluable role women play in our national security. It’s startling that just because the word ‘women’ is in the title, this evidence-based security program has been reduced to a DEI program,” Shaheen added.
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), the co-chair of the WPS Caucus, called Hegseth’s move “outrageous and reckless.”
“The Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) initiative isn’t ‘woke’—it’s smart, strategic policy grounded in decades of research and bipartisan law, signed by President Trump in 2017,” Frankel said in a statement. “Dismissing WPS as a ‘UN feminist plot’ is not just ignorant—it’s dangerous. It denies the reality on the ground, ignores our own defense and diplomatic priorities, and weakens our national security.”
Hegseth has sought to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within the military, attacking any initiatives as “woke.” As Pentagon chief, he has ended any commemorations of identity celebrations such as Black History Month, removed certain books from the U.S. Naval Academy – including those on the Holocaust, histories of civil rights, racism and feminism – and ordered Army and Air Force libraries to identify books related to DEI.
