Elect a Clown, Expect the Circus

Tuesday Clown Show summary:

"Trump signed three executive orders yesterday. One order directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to release a list of state and local jurisdictions that the Trump administration views as “sanctuary cities” — areas that restrict cooperation with federal officials’ efforts to arrest undocumented immigrants, and to pursue enforcement efforts. A second order directs the Trump administration to support police officers facing misconduct allegations by providing legal assistance; to review and potentially revise existing limitations on law enforcement, including federal consent decrees; to supply local law enforcement with military-grade equipment; and to take action against local officials who “unlawfully” prevent officers from performing their duties. A third executive order aims to enforce current regulations mandating that professional truck drivers demonstrate English proficiency. It instructs the Transportation Department to remove from service any driver who cannot read or speak English. Luke Broadwater and Zolan Kanno-Youngs report for the New York Times; Michelle Hackman and Tarini Parti report for the Wall Street Journal.  

The new head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division has been redirecting staff to focus on combating antisemitism, anti-Christian bias, and what she terms “woke ideology,” prompting the departure of about half of the division’s lawyers in recent weeks, sources say. The division also revised the mission statements to shift focus away from addressing racial discrimination and toward opposing diversity initiatives. Hundreds of lawyers and other staff members are leaving the division en masse, with section chiefs — who had been responsible for cases involving police brutality, disability rights, and voting rights — being reassigned to roles outside their areas of legal expertise. Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck report for the Washington Post. 

A team of DOGE personnel yesterday went to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) headquarters to evaluate the agency’s performance and alignment with Trump’s agenda, sources say. As one of the last remaining foreign aid agencies that has not yet been drastically impacted by the Trump administration, the DFC was established during the first Trump administration with bipartisan backing from Congress to support development projects in low- and middle-income countries through private sector investment. Robbie Gramer and Sophie Cai report for POLITICO. 

National security agencies within the Trump administration are intensifying investigations into suspected leaks to the media, with some using polygraph tests, which current and former officials say are fostering a climate of fear and harming national security. Under the direction of FBI Director Kash Patel, the bureau has recently started administering polygraph tests to track down the sources of leaks, according to an FBI spokesperson. Ellen Nakashima and Hannah Natanson report for the Washington Post. 

The Trump administration has dismissed hundreds of scientists and experts who had been working on publishing a flagship report on how climate change is affecting the country. The future of the report, which is required by Congress and known as the National Climate Assessment, is now at risk, experts say. Brad Plumer and Rebecca Dzombak report for the New York Times. "

Thursday Clown Show summary:

"Federal Election Commission employees will soon be required to report their work location in a daily questionnaire, as part of the Trump administration’s effort to track compliance with return-to-office policies and identify “unused space potentially available for disposal,” according to an email sent to FEC employees obtained by The Washington Post. “Unlike the ‘5 bullets’ this is not a strong encouragement … All employees are required to submit this daily information,” the email said. Olivia George, Aaron Weiner, and Hannah Natanson report. 

The FBI has reassigned several agents photographed kneeling with protesters in Washington during the 2020 racial justice demonstrations following George Floyd’s death, sources say. The photo, taken during Trump’s first term, has been cited by conservatives as proof the FBI harbors a liberal agenda. The reassignments have sparked backlash from current and former agents, who argue that FBI personnel are not trained for riot control and that these officers were unfairly penalized for attempting to defuse a volatile situation. Ellen Nakashima and Perry Stein report for the Washington Post.

The White House has launched a new website, ‘White House Wire,’ designed to promote pro-Trump news stories, similar to the Drudge Report. The site marks the administration’s latest attempt to bypass mainstream media and present itself more favorably. Alex Isenstadt reports for Axios."

Monday Clown Show summary:

"Trump yesterday said he has directed his administration to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz, a former California prison-turned-tourist attraction. Alcatraz housed prisoners before it was closed as a prison in 1963 when the government decided its continued operation was not cost-effective. Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will investigate voter fraud and focus on ensuring elections are not marred by “suspicion,” according to a recent mission statement memo seen by AP News. The unit’s activities previously focused on ensuring compliance with voting rights laws. Nicholas Riccardi reports.

The Trump administration has scrapped more than $800 million worth of research into the health of LGBTQ+ people, a group that comprises nearly 10% of U.S. adults, according to the New York Times’ analysis of federal data. Benjamin Mueller reports.

The National Endowment for the Arts on Friday began withdrawing and cancelling grant offers to numerous arts organizations around the country,hours after Trump proposed eliminating the agency in his next budget. Michael Paulson reports for the New York Times.

At least 15,000 U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) employees have taken the Trump administration’s offers to resign, amounting to 15% of USDA’s total staff numbers, according to a readout of a congressional briefing shared with POLITICO. Marcia Brown reports.

The head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, Harmeet K. Dhillon, on Saturday said she was investigating a new policy in Minnesota’s Hennepin County to determine whether it illegally considers race as a factor in plea deals. Hennepin County’s attorney’s office last week issued a memo telling prosecutors to be aware of racial or age considerations in plea negotiations and sentencing. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.

The Trump administration and Maine have reached an agreement to restore federal funding for school children after the federal government threatened to freeze it over the state’s policies on transgender athletes, Maine’s attorney general said Friday. Tim Balk reports for the New York Times."

Thursday Clown Show summary:

"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard both reused simple passwords across multiple personal accounts, according to reviews of the leaked records by WIRED and the New York Times, raising further questions about the security practices of top U.S. defence and intelligence leadership. Tim Marchman reports; Christiaan Triebert, Julian E. Barnes, Helene Cooper, and Greg Jaffe report.

The Trump administration plans to rescind a Biden-era rule that curbed the export of sophisticated AI chips and replace it with a “much simpler rule” that would “ensure American AI dominance,” a Commerce Department spokesperson said yesterday. Karen Freifeld and Arsheeya Bajwa report for Reuters.

Trump yesterday announced he plans to nominate wellness influencer Dr. Casey Means to serve as Surgeon-General after withdrawing the nomination of his previous pick, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. Tyler Pager reports for the New York Times.

The Voice of America will be offered content from the right-wing One America News Network, Kari Lake, the Senior Advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, said yesterday. Tim Balk reports for the New York Times.

The State Department is “reviewing the visa status” of pro-Palestinian Palestinian protesters who occupied Columbia University's main library yesterday evening, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Rebecca Falconer and Russell Contreras report for Axios."

Friday Clown Show summary:

"Trump yesterday said he would name Jeanine Pirro as his new pick for the interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. after announcing he will withdraw the nomination of Ed Martin, the post’s current occupier, to hold the post full-time. Republican support for Martin faltered in recent days, particularly after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced he would not support Martin’s nomination. Pirro, the former Republican District Attorney of Westchester County, N.Y., and a Fox News personality, has previously backed challenges to federal judges who questioned the legality of Trump’s immigration policies. Her false statements about the 2020 election were also part of Dominion Voting Systems’ lawsuit against Fox News. Hailey Fuchs and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO; Maggie Haberman, Glenn Thrush, and Charlie Savage report for the New York Times.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into real estate transactions involving N.Y. Attorney General Letitia James, sources say. The move would be the first known criminal probe of a law enforcement official who acted against Trump. Shayna Jacobs, Salvador Rizzo, Jeremy Roebuck, and Perry Stein report for the Washington Post.

Trump yesterday fired the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, according to a library spokesperson and an email obtained by POLITICO. Nicholas Wu, Lisa Kashinsky, and Katherine Tully-McManus report.

The Trump administration yesterday removed Cameron Hamilton as the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to an internal email seen by the Washington Post. Hamilton on Wednesday told Congress that he does not believe FEMA should be eliminated. Jake Spring and Brady Dennis report.

The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission on Wednesday placed Karen Ortiz, an administrative judge who spoke out against a Trump administration directive for the agency to pause investigations into discrimination against transgender people, on leave pending termination over “conduct unbecoming of a federal employee” and failing to follow the agency’s email policy, according to letters reviewed by the New York Times. Nikole Hannah-Jones reports.

National Science Foundation staff were told yesterday the agency’s 37 divisions are being abolished and the number of programs within those divisions will be drastically reduced, with the consolidation appearing to be driven in part by Trump’s proposal to cut the agency’s budget by 55%. Jeffrey Mervis reports for Science.

Transgender U.S. Army troops will have between 30 and 60 days to leave voluntarily or be forced out, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yesterday after the Supreme Court handed down an order permitting the Trump administration to enact the ban. Alex Horton and Casey Parks report for the Washington Post.

Trump yesterday nominated Mary Anne Carter, the head of the National Endowment of the Arts during the first Trump administration, to lead the agency again, Senate records show. Trump previously proposed eliminating the NEA altogether. Zachary Small reports for the New York Times. 

Education Department officials yesterday accused the University of Pennsylvania of submitting incomplete, inaccurate financial disclosures about its foreign ties and demanded that the school provide a raft of documents related to its foreign ties. Michael C. Bender reports for the New York Times."

Tuesday Clown Show summary:

"Trump yesterday named his former attorney and current Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, as acting Librarian of Congress, the Justice Department said. Two other senior DOJ officials appointed to positions at the Library of Congress, Paul Perkins and Brian Nieves, were yesterday denied access to the U.S. Copyright Office as they did not have the appropriate badges, a source added. Hillel Italie and Seung Min Kim report for AP News; Paula Reid, Casey Gannon, and Michael Williams report for CNN.

The Trump administration is considering a large-scale deal that could send hundreds of thousands of U.S.-designed AI chips to an Emirati AI firm that the U.S. government has scrutinized in the past for its ties to China, sources say. Ana Swanson and Tripp Mickle report for the New York Times.

The Defense Department has spent $21 million transporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay on military aircraft between January 20 and April 8, according to U.S. military figures provided to Congress. The detention facility at the base currently holds 32 migrants, a defense official said. Courtney Kube reports for NBC News.

Trump will likely have to waive existing security specifications to be able to use the free luxury jet offered by Qatar, according to current and former U.S. military, defense, and Secret Service officials, who say retrofitting the aircraft to current Air Force One requirements would take years of work and billions of dollars. Natalie Allison, Ellen Nakashima, Dan Lamothe, Derek Hawkins, and Warren P. Strobel report for the Washington Post."

Thursday Clown Show summary:

"State Secretary Marco Rubio is expected to significantly scale down the size of the National Security Council and make major changes to its operations in his new role as a National Security Advisor, sources say. The new NSC would operate in a more top-down manner, with Trump directing the council on what actions to take, the sources add. Olympia Sonnier, Julie Tsirkin, Courtney Kube, and Carol E. Lee report for NBC News.

The White House is considering a two-year runway plan to codify DOGE cuts or launching a court fight over the President’s power to shut down spending as it runs out of options to get the cuts approved by Congress, according to a White House official. Sophia Cai reports for POLITICO.

The Homeland Security Department is planning to acquire a new Gulfstream V jet, an agency official confirmed yesterday. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) yesterday questioned the plan during a House Appropriations Committee hearing, contending the aircraft would be purchased for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s use with funds taken from the Coast Guard budget. Marianne LeVine and Dan Lamothe report for the Washington Post.

Ed Martin, the former interim U.S. Attorney for the D.C. and the incoming Director of the DOJ’s “Weaponization Working Group” yesterday revealed he was under investigation by D.C.’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel for alleged ethics violations. In a staff email seen by NBC News, Martin accused the office of “systemic abuse” and “weaponizing” its regulatory role. Ryan J. Reilly reports; Sarah N. Lynch reports for Reuters.

The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel approved Attorney General Pam Bondi’s memo endorsing the legality of Trump accepting a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family, a DOJ official said yesterday. Bondi, who has lobbied on behalf of Qatar, also consulted with ethics officials to find out whether she should recuse herself, the official added. Hannah Rabinowitz reports for CNN."

Monday Clown Show summary:

"The Justice Department is considering a proposal to allow federal prosecutors to indict members of Congress without approval from lawyers in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section, according to a DOJ spokesperson and sources. The proposal would also remove the requirement for prosecutors to consult with the unit during key steps of probes into public officials. If adopted, the changes to DOJ’s policies would remove a layer of review intended to ensure that cases against public officials are legally sound and not politically motivated. Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck report for the Washington Post.

Director of National Intelligence’s top aide, Joe Kent, ordered a National Intelligence Council analyst to “rethink” their assessment of the relationship between Venezuela’s government and the Tren de Aragua gang after the analyst’s initial findings contradicted the White House’s justification for deporting migrants, sources say. After re-examining the evidence, the council affirmed its analysis, the sources add. Julian E. Barnes, Maggie Haberman, and Charlie Savage report for the New York Times.

The Government Accountability Office on Friday said it has rejected a request from DOGE to “assign a team” to the century-old financial watchdog agency. In its statement, the GAO said it is  a ”legislative branch agency” and “not subject to executive orders.” DOGE also recently attempted to assign a team to the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights, which also denied the group’s request, congressional sources say. David A. Fahrenthold and Tony Romm report for the New York Times; Katherine Tully-McManus reports for POLITICO.

The Social Security Administration is ending a DOGE-backed phone fraud check, SSA leaders confirmed on Friday. According to SSA employees, the measure had identified only a couple of potential fraud cases while causing significant delays. Hannah Natanson, Lisa Rein and Meryl Kornfield report for the Washington Post."

Wednesday Clown Show summary:

"Trump yesterday announced a $175 billion, three-year plan to build a new “Golden Dome” missile defense system “capable of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world” or from space, and named Gen. Michael Guetlein, the Space Force’s vice chief of space operations, to lead the project. The first $25 billion tranche of funding for the project would be embedded in Trump’s budgetary reconciliation megabill currently before Congress, a White House source added. Paul McLeary reports for POLITICO.

A top aide to Director of National Security Tulsi Gabbard, Joe Kent, ordered analysts to “rethink” and “do some rewriting” of their assessment of the relationship between the Venezuelan government and the Tren de Aragua gang so that “the document is not used against [Gabbard] or [Trump],” according to emails reviewed by the New York Times. The assessment challenged by Kent, Trump’s pending nominee to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, contradicts a key claim linking the Maduro government and the gang used by the Trump administration to justify summary deportations. Charlie Savage, Julian E. Barnes, and Maggie Haberman report.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Andrew Cuomo, the front-runner in the New York City mayoral race whom Republicans accused of lying to Congress about decisions he made during the COVID-19 pandemic as governor. The DOJ previously closed its corruption case into Cuomo’s rival, the incumbent mayor Eric Adams. Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday announced he has ordered another review of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the suicide bombing that killed U.S. troops and Afghans at the Kabul airport in 2021. Hegseth did not specify what new information the new review would be seeking or what the time frame for the review’s report would be. Lolita C. Baldor reports for AP News.

FBI Director Kash Patel has closed the Bureau's Office of Internal Auditing, an internal watchdog unit established in 2020 to uncover and reduce the risk of misuses of national security surveillance, in particular under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrantless wiretapping law, officials say. Charlie Savage and Adam Goldman report for the New York Times.

DOGE last week sought to gain access to the Government Publishing Office, a legislative branch agency that provides public access to federal documents, according to people on Capitol Hill with oversight responsibility for the agency. The GPO’s leadership declined DOGE’s request to place a cost-cutting team at the agency, the sources added. Katherine Tully-McManus reports for POLITICO."

about 20 lake lanier parks are closed for the foreseeable due to budget cuts from trump. 

good opportunity to film some boat ramp wars for tiktok / youtube at the open ones. better do it this year. next year they will all have silencers on their weapons thanks to the soon to be approved removal of a $200 tax on them. “bought one ‘cause it was a deal!” they’ll say. 

does america look like atlantic city yet?

Tuesday Clown Show summary:

"National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday dismissed scores of staff at the White House National Security Council in a bid to downsize the body, sources say. A White House official also said that Andy Baker, who has been national security adviser to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, a policy adviser to Trump, have been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisors. Ellen Nakashima and Adam Taylor report for the Washington Post.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday issued a series of restrictions on the press that include banning reporters from entering wide swaths of the Pentagon without a government escort. The Pentagon Press Association said the move “appears to be a direct attack on the freedom of the press.” David Bauder reports for AP News.

DOGE’s staff cuts at the Interior Department have set off a tussle over how the Bureau of Land Management employees should fulfil the duties for the thousands of vacant jobs that people inside the agency say are critical for its day-to-day operations, according to sources and documents reviewed by POLITICO. Ben Lefebvre reports. 

Trump on Friday signed a series of executive orders intended to quadruple domestic production of nuclear power within the next 25 years. Experts say it is unlikely that the United States will meet this goal in the timeframe specified. Matthew Daly and Jennifer McDermott report for AP News."

Thursday Clown Show summary:

"Trump announced yesterday that he would nominate Emil Bove, the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General and Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal appeals judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Glenn Thrush and Charlie Savage report for the New York Times.

Trump plans to send a $9.4 billion spending reduction package to Congress for approval next week, White House budget director Russ Vought confirmed yesterday. The move, which sources say would target NPR and PBS, as well as foreign aid agencies, would be the first step in formalizing the cuts made by DOGE. Meredith Lee Hill and Jennifer Scholtes report for POLITICO.

The Trump administration has cancelled over $700 million in contracts for the development of its bird flu vaccine for humans awarded to Moderna by the Biden administration, the pharmaceutical company announced yesterday. Patrick Wingrove reports for Reuters.

Several of Trump’s recent nominees for Inspector General roles have partisan backgrounds, ties to the agency they would be supervising, or controversial histories, the Washington Post reports. Meryl Kornfield and Lisa Rein report.

Former interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. and current Pardon Attorney and Director of DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group, Ed Martin, is reaching out to witnesses he believes may have information relevant to his investigations into the alleged politicization of DOJ, sources say. Paula Reid and Casey Gannon report for CNN.

Trump yesterday issued a flurry of clemency actions. According to sources, more than two dozen people received pardons or commutations. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Luke Broadwater report for the New York Times.

All 800 remaining Voice of America staffers are expected to receive reduction-in-force notices this week, VOA employees say. The move would effectively shut down the international broadcasting network. Ben Johansen reports for POLITICO."

Friday Clown Show summary:

"Despite publicly stating that the administration is “eliminating” the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is quietly pushing to keep key FEMA employees in place and to approve reimbursements to states previously hit by disaster ahead of the hurricane season, sources say. Jacob Soboroff, Julia Ainsley, and Laura Strickler report for NBC News.

Trump yesterday nominated Paul Ingrassia to be the next head of the Office of Special Counsel, a watchdog office that examines public corruption, ethics, and protects federal whistleblowers. Ingrassia is a former far-right podcast host who now serves as the White House liaison to the DHS. Andy Newman reports for the New York Times.

Trump has fired all of the members of the advisory committee that helps oversee the Foreign Relations of the United States publication series, an exhaustive record of U.S. foreign policy history, according to the State Department website. A senior State Department official said that “there is a plan in place to maintain the committee.” Petula Dvorak reports for the Washington Post.

Floyd Brown, a right-wing activist who this month said he had started working at the Kennedy Center as Vice President of Development, on Wednesday said that he was fired from his post after CNN asked him for comment on his past statements on homosexuality and marriage. Andrew Kaczynski reports.

The FBI is investigating a covert effort to impersonate White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, sources say. According to the sources, an unknown individual pretending to be Wiles reached out to prominent Republican lawmakers and business executives in recent weeks. FBI officials told the White House they do not believe a foreign nation is involved, the sources added. Josh Dawsey reports for the Wall Street Journal.

Some of the citations that underpin the science in the White House’s “Make America Healthy Report” appear to have been generated using AI, with several studies cited by the report apparently being invented, experts said yesterday. Lauren Weber and Caitlin Gilbert report for the Washington Post."

Tuesday Clown Show summary:

"A Pentagon official urged other Trump administration officials not to terminate a $12 million biological threat research grant at Harvard University due to the national security risks of such a move, according to the school’s recent court filing. Katelyn Polantz and Devan Cole report for CNN.

The Customs and Border Protection agency in March issued an internal memo instructing its officials not to attend events hosted by organizations that support women or minority groups in law enforcement, according to Timothy Quinn, a former senior border official who retired as a result of the policy. Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Hamed Aleaziz report for the New York Times.

Federal Emergency Management Agency staffers say they were left baffled yesterday after Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson said he had not been aware the United States has a hurricane season during a briefing. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said that Richardson’s comment was a joke. Leah Douglas, Ted Hesson, and Nathan Layne report for Reuters.

After losing nearly 600 staffers to retirements and the Trump administration’s cuts, the National Weather Service is planning to hire 126 additional staff members to “stabilize” the department, according to the NWS’ spokesperson and union director. Judson Jones reports for the New York Times.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum yesterday said that the Trump administration is planning to eliminate Biden-era restrictions on drilling and mining across millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness. Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times.

The Department of Justice yesterday threatened to take legal action against California public schools if they continue to allow trans athletes to compete in high school sports, alleging the schools’ policies violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and discriminated against athletes based on sex. Juliet Macur reports for the New York Times."