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Gavin Newsom

Newsom Launches Ad Blitz In War On GOP Gerrymander

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is launching a major advertising campaign to persuade voters to support his initiative aimed at reshaping the state’s congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.

The Democratic governor debuted two ads Tuesday on social media—part of at least nine spots scheduled for release this week—as the ad war over Proposition 50 begins in earnest. The measure would allow Newsom to redraw California’s congressional districts, potentially neutralizing the GOP advantage expected from Texas’ new Republican lines.

“This is a shock-and-awe approach. It’s not your grandmother’s media campaign where you do one woodworking ad and put it across all platforms. We’re living in a very different media environment,” Sean Clegg, a senior Newsom strategist, told Politico.

The ad blitz is part of a multifaceted campaign expected to cost about $100 million, according to NBC News. While the spots will run across TV and digital platforms, the initial focus is likely to be on YouTube, recognizing the changing media consumption habits and the rising costs of TV advertising in California.

The first ad, titled “Blitzkrieg,” directly attacks President Donald Trump, accusing him of “following the dictator’s playbook,” and highlighting his administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement and university crackdowns. The ad is a direct appeal to California’s largely Democratic base and frames Prop 50 as a chance for voters to stop Trump.

The second ad, “Emergency,” features Sara Sadwani, a commissioner on the state’s independent redistricting panel, and is aimed at independents. She emphasizes that the new maps are temporary.

“Trump’s scheme to rig the next election is an emergency for our democracy,” Sadwani says.

Both ads end with the tagline, “Save democracy in all 50 states.”

Newsom himself does not appear in the first two spots, but a third ad that debuted on Tuesday focuses heavily on him. According to Politico, future ads will feature other national Democratic figures, similar to the strategy used in the 2021 recall effort.

But opposition to Prop 50 is already pushing back. Protect Voters First, which is funded by GOP mega-donor Charles Munger Jr., released an ad portraying the ballot measure as a threat to California’s independent redistricting commission, which voters approved nearly 20 years ago.

Munger has already contributed more than $20 million to the campaign and plans to spend more. His group argues that a vote against Prop 50 protects the commission and preserves voter trust.

The stakes are unusually high for an off-year election. California Democrats view the initiative as a counter to GOP gerrymandering in Texas, which could result in the addition of five GOP seats in 2026, with Missouri likely to follow suit.

Clegg said that the ads are designed to resonate with Democratic base voters by highlighting threats to democracy and Trump’s overreach.

“The democracy stuff is cutting because Trump has now overreached,” he said. “It’s not theoretical anymore.”

Newsom’s campaign has raised more than $13.2 million from August 11-31. And his social media tactics—mocking Trump’s all-caps, attention-grabbing style—have received a surge in engagement, with his press account gaining 500,000 new followers and more than 480 million impressions since August 1.

With nearly $10 million already booked by opponents, the Nov. 4 special election is set to become one of the most expensive and closely watched off-year campaigns in the country.

Newsom is betting that his aggressive ad strategy and high-profile messaging can mobilize Democrats and reshape California’s congressional map—putting him at the center of a national showdown and squarely in voters’ minds.

Reprinted with permission from Dailykos.

Applauded By Antisemites, Trump Posts Thuggish 'RICO' Threat Against Soros

Applauded By Antisemites, Trump Posts Thuggish 'RICO' Threat Against Soros

President Donald Trump is ramping up his legal crusade against his perceived enemies, this time targeting billionaire George Soros and his son.

In a Wednesday Truth Social post, and seemingly unprompted, Trump threatened to slap them with racketeering charges—a legal weapon historically used against members of organized crime—under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO Act.

The move fits neatly into his playbook: criminalize critics, intimidate opponents, and transform federal law enforcement into a blunt instrument of personal vengeance.

In his post, Trump claimed Soros and his son should face prosecution for supporting nationwide protests.

“George Soros, and his wonderful Radical Left son, should be charged with RICO because of their support of Violent Protests, and much more, all throughout the United States of America,” he wrote, offering no evidence for his claim, as usual.

Soros has long been the right’s favorite villain, blamed for everything from protests to campaigns opposing the Supreme Court. He has been turned into a caricature by the far right: a Jewish philanthropist portrayed as the mastermind of an imagined global plot to destroy “Western civilization.” Antisemitism is baked into the narrative, but that hasn’t slowed Trump or his allies one bit.

In 2018, Trump alleged that demonstrators were “paid for by Soros and others.” During the Women’s March, Black Lives Matter protests, and even recent town halls, Trump has dismissed grassroots dissent as the work of Soros-backed “paid ‘troublemakers.’” And the conspiracy theories resurfaced this summer, when MAGA social media accounts pushed images of stacked pallets of bricks as supposed proof that Soros was arming Los Angeles demonstrators against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Trump piled on, branding them “Paid Insurrectionists.”

Now he’s arguing such paranoid claims are sturdy enough to justify criminal charges.

“We’re not going to allow these lunatics to rip apart America any more, never giving it so much as a chance to ‘BREATHE,’ and be FREE,” Trump posted on Wednesday. “Soros, and his group of psychopaths, have caused great damage to our Country! That includes his Crazy, West Coast friends.”

And then, like a mob boss delivering a warning, Trump added: “Be careful, we’re watching you!”

The Open Society Foundations, the Soros philanthropy network, quickly fired back, saying it does “not support or fund violent protests,” and blasting Trump’s claims about George and Alex Soros as “outrageous.”

Ironically, Trump himself is familiar with RICO: He was initially charged under the statute in the Georgia election interference case. Of course, that hasn’t stopped him from trying to flip the script and wield it against his foes.

Predictably, Trump’s allies are cheering him on. Tech billionaire and noted antisemite Elon Musk weighed in on Wednesday morning.

“High time action was taken against Soros directly,” he said.

This latest broadside comes as Trump escalates his vendetta against former allies who have turned critics. For example, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, found himself in Trump’s crosshairs over the decade-old “Bridgegate” scandal.

“For the sake of JUSTICE, perhaps we should start looking at that very serious situation again? NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!” Trump wrote on Sunday. He later deflected the question of a possible probe into Christie, telling reporters that the decision was Attorney General Pam Bondi’s to make. This is a worrying sign since Bondi has aimed to protect the president rather than uphold the independence of the Justice Department.

Other perceived political enemies of Trump have been caught up in his wrath recently. John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, saw his home and office raided last week. Trump publicly claimed he had nothing to do with the order, but he bragged he could have given it himself as “the chief law enforcement officer” of the nation.

It’s a clear pattern: Trump floats the threats and leaves his DOJ to do the dirty work.

While the president insists he’s no authoritarian, he’s acting like the textbook definition of a dictator. The result is something darker: a justice system warped into his own form of mob rule.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

MAGA Boosters Bummed As Trump Floats Looser Marijuana Regulation

MAGA Boosters Bummed As Trump Floats Looser Marijuana Regulation

Prominent MAGA figures are in a frenzy over reports that President Donald Trump will review federal restrictions on marijuana, and warn that any loosening could lead to societal chaos.

Trump confirmed he’s considering reclassifying marijuana from a Schedule I drug—currently grouped with ecstasy, heroin, and LSD—to a Schedule III substance, similar to anabolic steroids, tech billionaire Elon Musk’s favored ketamine, and testosterone. The president appeared conflicted, weighing the potential medical benefits against possible side effects.

“Medical, for pain and various things, I’ve heard some pretty good things, but for other things, I’ve heard some pretty bad things,” he told reporters Monday.

Reclassification wouldn’t legalize marijuana nationwide, but it would relax federal restrictions, broaden medical research, and allow for tax breaks for some marijuana companies. Currently, the federal government classifies weed as a “drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Trump has flirted with changing marijuana policy before. In 2024, he said he would support a Florida amendment to legalize weed statewide—a measure that ultimately failed.

But his recent comments on weed have many of Trump’s allies furious, framing marijuana as a gateway to an immoral and lazy society while glorifying … alcohol and tobacco?

“Our society thrived when everyone was smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey. We became the most powerful nation in the world with liquor and nicotine,” The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh hilariously posted on X. “No country of potheads has ever thrived, or ever achieved anything at all. Every city that legalized it became an even bigger shithole basically overnight.”

Other MAGA luminaries are clutching their pearls and whining about traditional values.

“America deserves better, our kids deserve better, I don’t want to have to be smelling weed anytime I take my kids anywhere in a city or a national park,” MAGA podcaster Jack Posobiec complained on his podcast.

Conservative commentator Michael Knowles echoed the critique to Axios, calling marijuana the “liberal intoxicant of choice” and contrasting it with “traditional pleasures” like tobacco and alcohol.

“The left is more comfortable just kind of vegging out, but they should not be, because sloth is bad for the individual and for society,” he added, conveniently ignoring the fact that somebody can and do abuse both substances.

These critiques go beyond tired Reefer Madness scare tactics. Instead, they offer a glimpse into MAGA’s cultural blueprint. In their often skewed worldviews, idleness or anything resembling a stoner lifestyle is framed as un-American and a betrayal of the cigar-and-whiskey archetype of rugged masculinity they celebrate.

The debate is also deeply rooted in political signaling. Marijuana has become shorthand for liberal excess, while tobacco and alcohol hold conservative credibility—a symbolic battleground in the broader culture war. Every puff or sip is seen as a marker of ideological loyalty, dividing behaviors along partisan lines.

Yet MAGA isn’t monolithic. Libertarian-leaning groups and those skeptical of Big Pharma say they find the rescheduling of cannabis appealing, especially as a nontraditional treatment for specific medical conditions, like PTSD.

“Rescheduling marijuana doesn’t legalize it, but it does allow for more medical research,” said MAGA influencer Rogan O’Handley, who added that such a change would hurt “Big Pharma” and “Big Prison.”

Trump’s “openness to rescheduling is research-driven and shows he’s listening to the countless veterans whose lives have been changed for the better by its medicinal benefits,” MAGA influencer CJ Pearson wrote.

Currently, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana, and 40 allow its medical use. Trump reclassifying marijuana could give the booming cannabis industry a significant boost and expand access for consumers and researchers alike.

Meanwhile, MAGA’s internal feud rages on. For now, it’s entertaining to see Trump’s top groupies tear each other apart over weed—even if they’ve mostly forgotten other controversies surrounding Dear Leader.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

A Powerful Democratic Ally Steps Up To Fight Trump's Gerrymandering

A Powerful Democratic Ally Steps Up To Fight Trump's Gerrymandering

Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who leads the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, will join a call with House Democrats on Wednesday as the party plans a strategy to counter a wave of Republican-led redistricting efforts during mid-decade—an open attempt to secure the GOP’s narrow House majority before the 2026 midterms.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is organizing the powwow, according to Punchbowl News.

Holder’s involvement is notable—it not only highlights how redistricting battles have dominated this summer’s political agenda but also suggests that Democrats are finally shifting to an offensive to push back against President Donald Trump’s efforts to draw rigged congressional maps in certain red states.

For years, Holder has supported nonpartisan reform, advocating for the establishment of independent commissions to take redistricting authority away from politicians. Now, however, with Republicans openly working to redraw congressional maps for maximum advantage, he and other Democrats are shelving reform talks and preparing for a fierce fight.

Thanks to Trump, GOP-controlled states are acting swiftly. Republicans are ready to push through new maps in Texas, Missouri, Ohio, and possibly Florida, with the Trump administration also urging Indiana to join in. Not every state with redistricting authority is willing, but pressure from Trump’s camp is evident.

Texas is the focal point. Statehouse Democrats are in their second week of hiding out across state lines to deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass their gerrymandered map. Trump has claimed he’s “entitled” to five more Texas seats, while Gov. Greg Abbott has suggested carving out as many as eight if Democrats continue to break quorum. As of Monday, the Texas House still lacked a quorum, with enough Democrats out of state to block Republicans from passing their gerrymandered congressional map.

Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn, on Thursday, claimed state law enforcement is working with federal agents to locate the absent lawmakers. Abbott also threatened to keep calling special sessions until Republicans get their gerrymandered map—or something close. The reality is Abbott might lack the legal tools to force Democrats back to Austin, but the standoff has become a political rallying point for both sides.

Democrats, who have traditionally pushed for redistricting reform rather than partisan retaliation, argue that the Texas case is different.

“Authoritarian moves are being made ... and there has to be a response to that,” Holder warned on Sunday’s Meet the Press.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the lead Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, was more direct.

“I honestly don’t see any debate in the party over this,” he told Axios. “If [Republicans] are going to continue with the Texas chainsaw gerrymander, we have no choice but to fight fire with fire and use whatever legislative resources we have ... to fight back.”

He added, “Ultimately, we will fight fire with water. But nobody is on the side of unilateral disarmament ... we are not going to allow them to gerrymander us into oblivion.”

One of the Democrats’ strongest counterattacks could come from California, where they’d likely gain the most new seats. But doing so would require sidelining or eliminating the state’s independent redistricting commission—something party leaders have long resisted.

Holder’s background gives significance to the moment. As attorney general under President Obama from 2009 to 2015, he saw Republicans sweep state legislatures and leverage that power to redraw House districts in their favor. In 2017, he created the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, aiming to end partisan gerrymandering altogether. Now, with the stakes in 2026 clearer, Holder is signaling he’s willing to play by the rules Republicans have established—at least temporarily.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Americans Hate Gerrymandering -- But That Won't Stop Republicans

Americans Hate Gerrymandering -- But That Won't Stop Republicans

Texas already had one of the most gerrymandered congressional maps in the country. Now, under pressure from President Donald Trump, state Republicans are trying to go even further by proposing a map that could hand them up to five more seats.

The first draft of the new map, released on July 30, hasn’t been discussed by lawmakers and is expected to change before final approval. However, the goal is clear: to dilute the voting influence of voters of color, who predominantly support Democrats.

But new polling finds that Republicans are operating in the face of widespread public opposition. Nearly seven in 10 Americans believe it should be illegal to draw maps that make it harder for a political party to win seats in elections, according to YouGov. Even more—74%—oppose drawing maps to reduce the voting power of a specific racial group.

The proposed Texas map would do both. It divides voters of color in Tarrant County (located in the North Central part of Texas) across several Republican-controlled districts. It also significantly redraws Central Texas’s 35th District, which a court forced the state to create to protect minority voting rights. The new boundaries not only ignore that ruling but are also designed to eliminate communities of interest.

The map is just one part of a nationwide redistricting fight. Republican-led legislatures are under pressure from Trump to further distort their maps in favor of the GOP before the 2026 midterm elections. What happens in Texas could serve as the national model.

As such, the fight in Texas has been escalating rapidly.

Democrats recently walked out of the legislature, blocking Republicans from reaching the quorum needed to move the bill forward. As of Friday, the map had not progressed in the legislature, despite threats of arrest, expulsion, and FBI involvement from Gov. Greg Abbott and other GOP leaders. This past Wednesday, Texas Democrats’ temporary hideout in Illinois was targeted with a bomb threat.

Despite the drama, the walkout isn’t without precedent. Democrats fled the state in 2003 to block a similar Republican redistricting plan. They did it again in 2021 to protest a voter-suppression law that eventually passed and empowered partisan poll watchers, criminalized certain election activities, and banned local officials from sending unsolicited mail-in ballot applications, even to seniors who automatically qualify, among other actions.

But this moment feels different. Democrats are not just opposing a map but also highlighting a structural imbalance that voters are increasingly aware of. When YouGov asked Americans about Texas’s current legislative lines, 47 percent said they’ve been drawn to benefit Republicans in the state. Notably, that number was only 21 percent for Wisconsin, another heavily gerrymandered state, where Democrats regularly win statewide but hold just two of eight congressional seats.

Meanwhile, a substantial majority of Americans—67%—don’t want lines in their state to unfairly benefit either party. And nearly 60% said in another recent YouGov survey that they’d rather see redistricting handled by nonpartisan commissions, not politicians.

Public opinion may be shifting, but Republicans in Austin aren’t budging. So far, the party has shown zero interest in negotiating. If anything, they could double down with an even more aggressive redraw once the walkout ends. Abbott, for his part, could also call a series of special sessions until the bill passes—a tactic he’s used before.

Unlike other states, Republicans control both chambers of Texas’ legislature as well as the governor’s office. That makes this walkout more of a speed bump than a blockade.

Still, for now, Democrats have some leverage. The longer the walkout lasts, the more attention they bring to the GOP’s brazen power grab. They’re hoping national outrage can help fuel a broader movement against gerrymandering.

“I don’t think [Trump’s] planning on those five seats alone,” Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University, told Daily Kos. “At this point, the president is staring at historic unpopularity and having to sell a historically unpopular signature piece of legislation, while the very normal midterm waves tend to go against the party of the president. He is petrified at losing control of Congress, and it’s much more than the normal petrified because of him. He knows it’s going to come with oversight, with investigations, and stop his passage of what’s been a historically unpopular public program.”

While Republicans may think the map guarantees them gains, it’s far from a slam dunk. In the right electoral environment—say, with an unpopular GOP figure at the top of the ticket—a gerrymandered district could backfire.

“I have seen partisan gerrymanders that slice a party’s own support so thin that they end up losing at the polls rather than winning,” Levitt said. “In a wave year, one of the ways that you effectuate a partisan gerrymander, usually, is you take existing districts that are quite safe and you move supporters from that district into another. And it is entirely possible to get so greedy that you cut the margin so small that the safe districts are no longer, and then, in a wave year, the other party wins.”

There is precedent for this. In 2018, Democrat Kendra Horn won a House seat in Oklahoma that Trump had won by over 13 percentage points just two years earlier. It was one of the few times a candidate flipped a district that political prognosticators had considered to be basically a lock for the other party—and it’s a warning to Republicans pushing too far.

But even if overreach costs the GOP some seats, the bigger issue is the erosion of trust in democracy. YouGov found that about a third of Americans are unsure whether their own state’s legislative lines are fairly drawn, and another 35% see their state’s lines as drawn unfairly—two signs that confidence in the process is slipping.

That’s what Texas Democrats are betting on: that the public recognizes the power grab and demands change.

“Gerrymandering is terrible and should be banned. And every Democrat in Congress right now is a sponsor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to ban gerrymandering nationwide,” Texas Rep. Greg Casar, a progressive whose district would be redrawn to favor Republicans, told NPR on Wednesday. “But what we need to be really concerned about and what I’m sick and tired of is Democrats playing by one set of rules and then Republicans gerrymandering.”

Absent federal action, that’s exactly what Republicans will keep doing. State lawmakers face virtually no constraints—and in states like Texas, where a single party controls all of state government, the temptation to rig the rules is too powerful to resist.

Ultimately, the crisis in Texas is about more than five districts. It’s a preview of a nationwide battle over how political power is allocated—and who gets to wield it.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Senate Parliamentarian Enrages GOP With Crushing Blow To Trump's Budget Bill

Senate Parliamentarian Enrages GOP With Crushing Blow To Trump's Budget Bill

The Senate parliamentarian delivered a significant setback to congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump’s extensive domestic agenda on Thursday, otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The highly unpopular legislation that’s so central to Trump’s policy goals was already on shaky ground because of its core premise: cutting entitlement programs like Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. Now, about a week before the Trump administration’s self-imposed July 4 signing deadline, it’s also falling apart on procedural grounds.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan adviser who helps senators navigate procedures and rules, determined that several key provisions of the legislation violate the Senate’s budget rules and cannot be included under the fast-track reconciliation process Republicans are using to bypass a Democratic filibuster. Among the casualties are limits on student loan repayment options and a controversial crackdown on states’ use of the “provider tax loophole” to secure more federal Medicaid dollars.

That last one presents a big problem. Nearly every state utilizes the loophole in some form, and senators from states that depend heavily on it—especially those with rural hospitals—have warned they won’t support the bill unless it’s amended.

MacDonough’s ruling forces GOP leaders back to the drawing board. If they cannot salvage the struck-down provisions, they will lose more than $500 billion in planned spending cuts, according to Bobby Kogan, a former Democratic Senate Budget Committee staffer now with the Center for American Progress. And unless they find a work-around, Republicans would need 60 votes to keep those provisions—an unlikely prospect given the GOP’s narrow Senate margin.

Meanwhile, the tax cuts at the core of the bill remain under review.

This isn’t the first time MacDonough has blocked parts of the GOP’s wishlist. She’s previously rejected attempts to cut SNAP benefits and limit federal judges’ authority to block Trump’s policies.

Her decision has sparked immediate outrage among conservatives, with some Republicans now openly calling for her removal.

“The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people. Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters,” Rep. Greg Steube of Florida posted on social media.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville went further, attacking the “WOKE parliamentarian” for rejecting cuts to states that fund health care for undocumented immigrants.

“This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,” the Alabama senator wrote. “Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP.”

Unsurprisingly, Democrats welcomed the ruling.

“Republicans are scrambling to rewrite parts of this bill to continue advancing their families lose, and billionaires win agenda,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon. “But Democrats stand ready to fully scrutinize any changes and ensure the Byrd Rule is enforced.”

MacDonough, for her part, has blocked many Democratic priorities, including raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and parts of the party’s immigration reform efforts. She is a neutral rules referee, not a political player. If Republicans dislike the process, they can always eliminate the filibuster, a tactic which effectively requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass legislation. So far, they have not.

Nevertheless, the parliamentarian’s ruling could prove decisive. Senate Republicans had hoped to vote this weekend or sooner to give the House time to finalize changes and get the bill to Trump’s desk before his holiday deadline. That timeline now appears uncertain.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune attempted to downplay the chaos.

“These are speed bumps along the way; we anticipated those and so we have contingency plans,” Thune said. He also added that Republicans wouldn’t try to overrule MacDonough’s guidance.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was less optimistic, suggesting the GOP would “probably” still hold a vote this weekend.

Behind the scenes, Republicans are trying to modify the provisions MacDonough struck down, though it remains unclear whether they can be tweaked or must be entirely removed. One GOP source told Axios that the party still hopes to “find a solution to achieve the desired results.”

If not, they’re stuck. And for Trump, it’s another prominent legislative obstacle—this time from an unelected rules referee standing between him and a desperately wanted victory.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Renaming Naval Ship, Hegseth Escalates Pentagon Offensive Against Civil Rights

Renaming Naval Ship, Hegseth Escalates Pentagon Offensive Against Civil Rights

As part of his ongoing war against diversity, equity, and inclusion, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename USNS Harvey Milk, the ship honoring the slain gay rights icon and Navy veteran.

A defense official confirmed the decision to multiple outlets, noting that the timing was deliberate, with June being Pride Month.

Military.com first reported the expected name change, and CBS News later obtained internal Navy documents detailing rollout timelines for announcing the new name. So far, the replacement name has not been disclosed.

USNS Harvey Milk is part of the John Lewis class of oilers, a group of ships named after trailblazing civil rights figures. Others in the class are named after Earl Warren, Robert F. Kennedy, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth. But now, all are under threat of being renamed.

And CBS reports that Harvey Milk is just the start. Other ships on Hegseth’s target list include those named after Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harriet Tubman, Dolores Huerta, and Medgar Evers. All of it is part of a broader push to erase progressive and civil rights figures from military honors.

Ship renamings are rare and haven’t happened at the direction of a defense secretary in recent memory. The last renaming in 2023 followed a congressional commission’s recommendation to scrub Confederate-linked names from military assets, including USS Chancellorsville and USNS Maury.

But this time, the motivation isn’t historical reckoning. It’s political retribution.

Hegseth’s order is part of a sweeping effort to wipe out so-called “wokeism” in the ranks, under the banner of restoring “warrior culture.” Since taking office, he’s purged DEI content from military websites, banned observances like Pride Month, and sought to undo civil rights advances. He once even suggested renaming the B-29 Enola Gay—not because of history… but because “gay” is in the name.

“Our military is the most powerful in the world – but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the ‘warrior’ ethos,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote on X. “It is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.”

Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, and the first in California. He served in the Navy as a diving officer during the Korean War, at a time when gay service members had to serve in silence. In 1955, after being questioned by Navy investigators about his sexuality, he was forced to resign with the rank of lieutenant junior grade.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

Elon Musk

Musk Rages Over Report That Tesla Board May Oust Him

Multibillionaire Elon Musk might be voluntarily stepping away from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, but his grip on the troubled automaker Tesla is a different story—or so he’d like you to believe.

In yet another late-night social media meltdown, Musk lashed out at The Wall Street Journal over a report claiming that Tesla’s board is actively searching for his replacement as CEO.

The Journal, owned by the Murdoch family, reported that the eight-member board had reached out to multiple executive search firms and even narrowed its efforts to one top firm—all while Musk was off playing bureaucratic demolition man at DOGE.

Musk, predictably, denied the story with his usual mix of bluster and all-caps fury.

“It is an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS that the [Journal] would publish a DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE and fail to include an unequivocal denial,” from the board, he wrote in one post.

Then, around 2 AM Eastern Time on Thursday, he added, “WSJ is a discredit to journalism.”

A spokesperson for Tesla also issued a denial, but the Journal hasn’t pulled the story, suggesting that its reporters are confident they’ve seen or heard something the board doesn’t want public.

And frankly, it’s not hard to see why Tesla might be quietly looking for a way out.

The company is coming off a brutal quarter, with slumping sales, sliding revenue, and rising anxiety over President Donald Trump’s tariffs. And Musk’s semi-sabbatical from Tesla to run DOGE hasn’t helped. While he’s been busy slashing federal jobs and gutting public programs, Tesla has been losing market share, investor confidence, and—based on recent protests—public goodwill.

But Musk isn’t just unpopular in the United States; Tesla’s global sales are tanking, too.

In France, sales fell 59.4% last month compared to the year before, and in Denmark, they plummeted 67.2%. And Reuters reported that, while competition from cheaper electric vehicles is cutting into Tesla’s market share in Europe, Musk’s open embrace of far-right politics has also fueled protests around the world.

Not even Trump’s attempt to turn the White House into a glorified Tesla showroom has reversed the damage. Musk’s side gig at DOGE isn’t just a distraction anymore—it’s a liability.

Musk has said that he plans to spend more time at Tesla and scale back his work at DOGE, but that might be too little, too late. Demonstrators have targeted Tesla over Musk’s role in the Trump administration, while the company scrambles to keep buyers interested. It’s now sending desperate texts, conducting surveys, and even offering cash incentives to sell more cars.

Desperation isn’t a great look for a company once billed as the future of transportation.

If the Journal’s reporting proves wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time that Musk or someone in Trump’s orbit has butted heads with the outlet. The paper’s editorial board has recently criticized Trump’s Ukraine policy and his petty decision to strip security clearances from former officials.

Musk turning the full force of his rage on the Journal only adds to the chaos.

Still, the bigger picture remains: Musk is a liability to Tesla. The White House figured this out and has pushed him aside. The question now is whether Tesla’s board has the nerve to do the same.

At this rate, it’s not just DOGE that’s collapsing on Musk’s watch—it’s Tesla, too.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Rupert Murdoch

Declining Polls On Fox News Enrage President

President Donald Trump has never liked when pollsters say he’s doing worse than he thinks he is. But now he’s escalating his war on polls and the press, suggesting that even right-wing media outlets should scrap their polling arms if the results don’t flatter him.

According to a Fox News poll released Wednesday, Trump’s approval rating is officially lower than it was during his first term, just as he approaches the 100-day mark of his second term.

The survey found his rating underwater at 44% approval and 55% disapproval—down five points from the previous month. Even worse, Trump’s 100-day rating lags behind Joe Biden’s (54%), Barack Obama’s (62%), and George W. Bush’s (63%) at the same point in their presidencies.

Even Republicans aren’t exactly brimming with optimism. Just 38% of voters overall—and 75% of Republicans—say they’re “encouraged” about the next four years. That’s a drop from his first term in 2017, which showed 45% and 84%, respectively.

The same poll gave Trump poor marks across the board—on the economy, foreign policy, guns, immigration, you name it. His economic approval in particular sank to a record low at 38%, with 55% of respondents saying conditions are getting worse for their families.

So how did Trump respond to this news? By calling for Fox News to kill its polling unit.

“Rupert Murdoch has told me for years that he is going to get rid of his FoxNews, Trump Hating, Fake Pollster, but he has never done so. This ‘pollster’ has gotten me, and MAGA, wrong for years. Also, and while he’s at it, he should start making changes at the China Loving Wall Street Journal. It sucks!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Of course, this isn’t some isolated poll. An April Ipsos survey for Reuters put Trump’s approval at just 42%, with only 37% backing his handling of the economy. A new Pew Research Center poll had him even lower, at 40%, with negative ratings across every major policy area. And a YouGov poll for The Economist wasn’t any better, with Trump clocking in at 41% approval, with every issue underwater there, too.

In other words: reality bites. But rather than face it, Trump’s trying to pressure outlets like Fox News and The Wall Street Journal into becoming full-time propaganda machines.

His push to kill off Fox’s polling arm is especially alarming given that it routinely produces some of the highest-quality polling in the business. If Fox caves, it would be a scandal—but not entirely shocking. Media executives have buckled to Trump before, afraid of the blowback if they don’t stay in his good graces.

Trump’s already suing CBS News’ “60 Minutes” for $10 billion, and he’s gone after ABC News, which recently settled a defamation suit and agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s future presidential library. The Washington Post has also drifted rightward under Trump, winning plaudits from the administration for its “balance.”

And while polling isn’t perfect, Trump has a habit of going after those who publish anything he doesn’t like.

In December, he sued The Des Moines Register and veteran pollster Ann Selzer for a pre-election poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa. Trump ended up winning the state by more than 13 points, and now he’s trying to make it a courtroom issue.

Trump’s latest tantrum makes his vision clear: Any outlet that doesn’t treat him like a demigod should be silenced, sued, or shut down. What he’s building isn’t just a cult of personality; it’s a MAGA-approved echo chamber where the “truth” is whatever he says it is.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Bondi Responds Feebly To Anti-Semitic Attack On Shapiro Residence

Bondi Responds Feebly To Anti-Semitic Attack On Shapiro Residence

Attorney General Pam Bondi has been everywhere lately—screaming about deportations, threatening 20-year prison sentences for anyone who so much as exhales near a Tesla, and doing her part to kill college scholarship programs for students of color.

But what she hasn’t done is use her power to investigate actual threats, like the arson attack at the home of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

After days of silence, Bondi finally addressed the attack on Wednesday, calling it “horrific” and saying she “firmly” believes the arsonist wanted to kill Shapiro. But she stopped short of calling it “domestic terrorism,” a label that Bondi and Republicans she’s aligned herself with have thrown at peaceful Tesla protesters without hesitation.

The message is clear: If President Donald Trump doesn’t see a political advantage, Bondi doesn’t see a crime.

On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer publicly called on the Department of Justice to treat the attack with the seriousness it deserves, including investigating it as a possible hate crime.

Cody Balmer, who was arrested for allegedly starting the fire at Shapiro’s house, reportedly targeted the Jewish governor for his pro-Israel stance—an attack that occurred during Passover. Balmer is currently being held in jail without bail.

“In conjunction with the timing of the attack during Passover, Governor Shapiro’s visible embrace of his Jewish faith, and the context of rising antisemitism globally and across the country raise serious concerns about antisemitic motivation,” Schumer, who is the highest-ranking Jewish public official in U.S. history, wrote in a letter to Bondi.

“Our federal authorities must bring the full weight of our civil-rights laws to bear in examining this matter. No person or public official should be targeted because of their faith, and no community should wonder whether such acts will be met with silence,” he added.

The DOJ and the White House have not publicly commented on Schumer’s request, but Bondi isn’t the only one who’s been quiet.

Shapiro told NBC News that Trump has yet to call him or issue any meaningful condemnation. When asked about it earlier this week, Trump dismissed the suspect as “just a whack job,” while also noting, pointedly, that the man “was not a fan of Trump.”

Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer criticized Trump’s silence, noting his previous attacks on Shapiro.

“Last year, Trump didn’t hesitate to call Josh Shapiro a ‘highly overrated Jewish governor.’ Now, nearly four days after Gov. Shapiro was targeted in an act of political violence—reportedly due to his position on Israel—Trump hasn’t clearly condemned it,” she said.

Meanwhile, some Republicans have fully victim-blamed Shapiro for the attack. Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, a potential 2026 challenger to Shapiro, said during a radio interview that the governor’s rhetoric may have fueled the attacker’s rage.

“The left’s got to look in the mirror here. Our hearts go out to the Shapiro family on this, but you know, they gotta tone it down too. I mean, every action Josh Shapiro has taken so far against the president has either been a lawsuit or a falsehood,” Meuser said.

Though Vice President JD Vance—hardly known for his moral clarity—called the attack “really disgusting violence” on Sunday, that kind of vague half-condemnation isn’t nearly enough.

Shapiro’s home was destroyed. He and his family were targeted. Yet the response from the Trump administration—which has been so busy supposedly fighting antisemitism—has been mostly crickets.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Kathleen Sgamma

Trump Cabinet Nominee Withdraws Over (Sane) January 6 Comments

Kathleen Sgamma, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Bureau of Land Management, sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C., on Thursday after withdrawing her name just hours before her confirmation hearing.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah announced Sgamma’s withdrawal at the start of the hearing, but Politico reported that her decision came after investigative outlet Documented published a 2021 memo where the oil and gas lobbyist condemned Trump’s role in spreading misinformation about the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

“I am disgusted by the violence I witnessed yesterday and President Trump’s role in spreading misinformation that incited it. I’m disgusted he discredited all the good work he did reorienting the judiciary back toward respect for the rule of law and constitution by dishonoring the vote of the People and the rulings of those very same judges on his numerous challenges,” the memo quotes Sgamma saying.

Sgamma likely withdrew her nomination not because she’s still upset with Trump, but because the leak of her past comments is embarrassing for both of them. After all, she knew about the Capitol attack when she was nominated and seemed totally on board with Trump’s energy agenda at the time.

While her comments about the insurrection were out of step with today’s GOP, they reflected the outrage that many Republicans shared in the immediate aftermath. And though Sgamma distanced herself from Trump at that time, she’s certainly no liberal—she even contributed to Project 2025.

Trump has continued defending the insurrectionists, calling them “patriots” and even pardoning them on Day 1 of his second term. He’s since doubled down on his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, insisting that anyone who refuses to spread his lies is the real problem. And it seems that Sgamma has now bought into Trump’s propaganda.

“Unfortunately, at this time, I need to withdraw my nomination. I will continue to support President Trump and fight for his agenda to Unleash American Energy in the private sector,” Sgamma said in her resignation statement.

While some Republican senators told Politico they weren’t given a heads-up about the withdrawal, some Trump allies, including former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, suggested that Sgamma’s withdrawal was inevitable.

“Individuals who know their views don’t align with the president… cause needless harm and conflict, hindering the president’s agenda,” he wrote on X.

Sgamma’s resignation marks the third Trump cabinet pick to either withdraw or have their nomination pulled.

Earlier, the White House backed off nominating Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York for United Nations ambassador, fearing losing a reliable GOP vote in their razor-thin House majority. Similarly, David Weldon’s nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was pulled once it became clear he didn’t have the votes to get confirmed.

With the Bureau of Land Management overseeing energy production on federally owned lands—a key part of Trump’s second-term priorities—it remains to be seen whether his energy agenda will take another hit following Sgamma’s withdrawal.

While her decision may have been political, it also highlights the ongoing consequences of the insurrection, raising questions about whether there’s truly a divide between Trump and those who refuse to embrace his false election claims.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Rep. Elise Stefanik

As House GOP Margin Vanishes, Trump Pulls Stefanik Nomination

House Republican leadership is hanging on by a thread, struggling to maintain control as members either resign or accept positions in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. With their already slim majority dwindling, passing Trump’s top priorities is becoming increasingly challenging.

Right now, the GOP holds a razor-thin five-seat majority in the House—218 Republicans to 213 Democrats—with four vacancies, making every vote crucial. The situation has become so precarious that Rep. Elise Stefanik, Republican of New York, has lost her nomination to Trump’s Cabinet.

CBS News reported Thursday that Stefanik’s nomination for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was pulled following pressure from her party to decline the role. With margins this tight, Republicans are hesitant to lose another seat, leading party leaders to withdraw her nomination altogether.

Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho shared the news with reporters on Wednesday.

But what he failed to mention is that Stefanik is the ultimate loser in this debacle. By having her stick around in Congress instead of taking the U.N. ambassadorship, she’s now been relegated to the sidelines—just another backbencher with no real influence. She gave up a potential leadership role and still hasn’t been assigned to any subcommittees.

For someone who spent years climbing the GOP ranks, this is a humiliating fall from grace. Instead of elevating her status on the world stage, Stefanik is now stuck in a Congress where she has no power, no platform, and—thanks to Republican infighting—no clear path forward.

Before the news broke, The Hill reported earlier this month that Stefanik’s confirmation could be postponed until at least April. House Speaker Mike Johnson was reportedly responsible for the delay—which his office has disputed—and believes that Stefanik is far more valuable in Congress than in Trump’s administration.

According to CBS News, Johnson was well aware of the internal conflict surrounding Stefanik’s nomination. Notably, unlike some of her former colleagues, she did not preemptively resign from Congress ahead of the Senate confirmation process.

In some cases, Republicans are even delaying special elections in strong Democratic districts, seemingly to avoid further weakening their majority.

For example, The Texas Tribune reported Wednesday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to call a special election to replace the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner, who passed away more than three weeks ago.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called attention to Abbott’s delay on Tuesday.

“Congressman Sylvester Turner sadly passed away on Wednesday, March 5. Why hasn’t the Texas Governor called a special election to fill this vacant seat?” Jeffries wrote on X.

With the current vacancies, Republicans can only afford to lose two votes while still maintaining their majority on the House floor. And considering their growing internal divisions, their power may be even more tenuous than it seems.

Republicans appear to be counting on two Florida special elections to bolster their numbers. The April 1 races will determine who replaces former GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz—the latter of whom is currently serving as Trump’s national security adviser (and making a mess of it).

While both seats lean Republican, Democratic challengers are putting up a strong fight. In the contest to replace Waltz, Democrat Josh Weil has already raised an impressive $10 million compared to his opponent’s $1 million.

The fact that Republicans withdrew Stefanik’s nomination signals desperation and reflects a party in full-blown panic mode. It shows that they’re terrified they can’t advance Trump’s agenda in Congress without resorting to questionable tactics, and it suggests an even deeper fear: another Democratic upset.

On Tuesday, Democrats flipped a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in a deeply red district that had previously never elected a Democrat, and that Trump carried by 15 points in the 2024 election.

If Florida’s special elections come down to the wire, as some Republicans apprehend, the GOP might start worrying about Stefanik’s district next.

While the Florida seats are expected to stay red, Stefanik’s seat isn’t guaranteed for the GOP. Sure, she won reelection by 24 points in November, but Democrats have held the district before, with Bill Owens in the seat from 2009 to 2015. If next week’s special elections are close, Republicans will need to worry that her district could be the next to flip.

And Democrats sense the opportunity. Before news of Stefanik’s nomination withdrawal, they had planned to target her seat—just as they are in Florida. Seemingly scared of what might happen if increasingly dissatisfied voters have a say, Republicans clearly didn’t want to risk it.

The irony is almost too rich. Republicans, once so confident about their grip on power, are now scrambling to rig the game just to keep their fragile majority intact.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Trump Demands Removal Of Unflattering Portrait In Colorado Capitol

Trump Demands Removal Of Unflattering Portrait In Colorado Capitol

You’d think President Donald Trump would have enough on his plate, what with singlehandedly tanking the economy and threatening to deport his political enemies. Yet he somehow found time to complain that a portrait of himself in the Colorado Capitol is too ugly to be his.

“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,” the president posted on Truth Social on Sunday evening.

“The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst,” he added, before criticizing the artist and making the crude remark that “she must have lost her talent as she got older.” Trump also demanded that the state’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, take the picture down.

“Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork,” spokesperson Shelby Wieman said in a statement to Axios.

By Monday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that the portrait would be taken down.

The painting, created by Colorado-based artist Sarah Boardman, was unveiled on Aug. 1, 2019, according to The Denver Post. It shows Trump in a dark suit and red tie, and hangs in the Gallery of Presidents in the rotunda Colorado Capitol.

It’s no surprise that Trump, a well-documented misogynist, would insult the female artist behind the “distorted” portrait. Boardman has a long resume showcasing her talents, but she’s painted only two presidential portraits for the state—the ones of Obama and Trump. The other 43 presidents were painted by the late artist Lawrence Williams, who died before he could finish Obama’s portrait.

Boardman, who proudly includes the Trump portrait on her online resume, previously told The Denver Post that she aimed for both Obama and Trump’s portraits to feel apolitical.

“In today’s environment it’s all very upfront, but in another five, 10, 15 years he will be another president on the wall,” Boardman said. “And he needs to look neutral.”

Trump has a massively inflated sense of self, of course, so it’s unclear if “many people from Colorado,” as he claims, have actually called to complain about the portrait. Interestingly, it was the people of Colorado—and Republicans, in particular—who spearheaded the effort to commission and fund the painting in 2018.

According to The Denver Post, Kevin J. Grantham, then the president of the Colorado state Senate, raised nearly $11,000 in an online fundraiser for the portrait after no donations had been received to fund the commissioned work more than a year into Trump’s first term.

That said, it’s also unclear why Trump believes the governor was involved in the artistic direction of the painting or what triggered this outburst in the first place.

Following his tantrum, Trump posted two additional photos of himself on Truth Social, seemingly to share pictures he considered, uh, more flattering. However, he probably would’ve been better off not sharing—for the entire world to see—the portrait he supposedly despises.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Polls: Voters Angry At Democratic Leaders (But They Don't Love GOP Either)

Polls: Voters Angry At Democratic Leaders (But They Don't Love GOP Either)

Two new polls indicate that Democratic voters are continuing to lose faith in their party as leadership struggles to respond to President Donald Trump.

An SSRS poll for CNN released Sunday found that only 29 percent of adults view Democrats favorably, marking a new low in CNN’s polling since 1992 and a 20-point drop since January 2021. Even Democrats and left-leaning respondents were less enthusiastic about their party, with just 63 percent favorability—down from 72 percent in January.

This starkly contrasts with the survey’s Republican and right-leaning respondents, who reported 79 percent favorability of the Republican Party.

Meanwhile, a second survey released Sunday by NBC News revealed that 27 percent of registered voters hold a positive view of Democrats—the lowest rating recorded in the outlet’s polls since 1990. And merely seven percent of respondents indicated a “very” positive view of Democrats.

While NBC’s poll also found that the Republican Party has a net negative image—49 percent of voters view it unfavorably and 39 percent view it favorably)—it noted that the GOP could at least take comfort in controlling both chambers of Congress and the presidency. Democrats, however, have to cling to the hope that their party might reclaim maybe one chamber of Congress in 2026.

Both surveys suggest that the lack of support for the Democratic Party stems from its own voters feeling fed up. Not only have they witnessed their party’s loss to Trump in 2024, but now they face Democratic leaders attempting to compromise with the president—something Republicans would never consider if the roles were reversed.

As top Democrats continue to bend a knee to Trump, he and Elon Musk have taken a hatchet to the federal government, making massive cuts via the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

The results of these surveys come as Democrats continue disagreeing on the best way to govern. Over the weekend, progressives—and even some lawmakers from the party’s more moderate wing—harshly criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for conceding to Trump on the GOP-backed government spending bill.

After the House passed a partisan spending bill, Schumer and nine other Senate Democrats voted for cloture on Friday, ending a filibuster of Republicans’ detrimental funding bill. The bill proposed significant cuts to the federal budget while increasing defense spending by approximately $6 billion.

Schumer has defended his decision, even amid calls for him to step down or be replaced. But it remains unclear who he is trying to please. Some of his party members are weary of him, and now the public is shifting their support away from him, too.

In the SSRS poll for CNN, 57 percent of Democrats and left-leaning respondents expressed a desire for the party to focus on obstructing Trump’s agenda, compared to 42 percent who favored working with the GOP.

And NBC reported a similar finding: 65 percent of self-identified Democratic voters want their party to “stick to their positions even if this means not getting things done in Washington.”

Only 32 percent indicated a desire for Democrats to compromise with Trump, which marks a complete reversal from where Democrats stood in 2017, when 59 percent wanted members of Congress to seek consensus on policy.

These numbers may get worse over time, as both polls were largely or wholly conducted before the standoff over the government funding bill. Still, the results underscore how much Democratic voters are itching for their party to play at least some form of defense.

“I’m scared that compromising will lead to the downfall of our democracy, to only be slightly hyperbolic. It’s really scary to see the things being done, the things being slashed left and right without any regard for the outcome,” a Democratic voter and survey respondent told NBC.

These findings also align with a series of polls released last week, which suggest that Democratic voters view their party as ineffective and lacking direction.

Nevertheless, some Democratic leaders appear content to acquiesce to Trump rather than push back. And in doing so, they are alienating voters.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

Elon Musk

Fake Video Of Trump Sucking Musk's Toes Screened At HUD Headquarters

Staffers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development were welcomed to work on Monday with what appears to be an AI-generated video of President Donald Trump kissing and rubbing “first buddy” Elon Musk’s feet.

According to HuffPost and other outlets, the video played on a five-minute loop on “TVs across the building” while employees attempted to unplug the screens.

The clip—which is hard to watch—showed a photo-realist rendering of Trump sucking on Musk’s toes, with a text overlay that read, “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING”—a reference to both Musk’s growing influence in the Trump administration and the president describing himself as a “king” in a Truth Social post last week.

In a statement to HuffPost, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett called the stunt “another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources” and said “appropriate action will be taken for all involved.”

While HUD quickly moved to scrap the videos from the agency’s buildings, copies of the clip were shared far and wide on social media.

“Someone apparently hacked the televisions at HUD today,” Jeff Stein, a reporter for The Washington Post, wrote on Bluesky.

Someone apparently hacked the televisions at HUD today -->

[image or embed]

— Jeff Stein (@jeffstein.bsky.social) February 24, 2025 at 2:38 PM

So far, no one has taken credit for the trick, but the incident comes after the Trump administration proposed cutting HUD’s workforce nearly in half—from some 8,300 employees to just over 4,000. According to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post, many of the projected cuts will be at the Federal Housing Administration, one of the largest mortgage insurers in the world.

As The Post noted, the layoffs will likely further imperil the fragile U.S. housing and mortgage markets. FHA helps those “with lower credit scores, first-time home buyers, or those who can afford only small down payments” to buy their first home, per the outlet.

These FHA staffers won’t be the only ones left without a job, though. Employees working on issues related to disaster recovery, rental subsidies, and housing discrimination investigations will also get cut, according to the Associated Press.

The AI video is an interesting wrinkle in the cost-cutting agenda of the Department of Government Efficiency, the Musk-run agency that is not an official government department but has been spearheading these layoffs. Amid a sharp drop in federal employees’ morale, Musk emailed all federal workers over the weekend asking them to email him five things they worked on this past week or risk getting fired.

In recent weeks, though, there’s been increased criticism regarding Musk’s close relationship with the president. During a joint interview on Fox News, Musk dominated Trump, constantly interrupting or talking over the president. Before that, Musk addressed reporters in the Oval Office as the president signed an executive order compelling federal agencies to collaborate with DOGE.

Of course, neither Musk nor Trump has acknowledged the alleged hack at HUD, but the image to the rest of the world is a striking one: It suggests Trump is merely a figurehead while an unelected mega-billionaire wields the reins.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Four Top Adams Deputies Resign Amid Erupting Mayoral Scandal

Four Top Adams Deputies Resign Amid Erupting Mayoral Scandal

Four top deputies for embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams have resigned, according to a statement the mayor issued on Monday.

“I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future,” Adams said in a statement shared with CNN.

According to the outlet, the officials leaving the mayor’s office are Meera Joshi, deputy mayor for operations; Chauncey Parker, deputy mayor for public safety; Maria Torres-Springer, who served as first deputy mayor; and Anne Williams-Isom, the deputy mayor for health and human services.

“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” read a joint statement from Joshi, Torres-Springer, and Williams-Isom, which was obtained by The New York Times.

They added, “While our time in this administration will come to a close, our support for the incredible public servants across the administration with whom we have stood shoulder to shoulder and our championing of this great city and all it stands for will never cease.”

The resignations come as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has moved to dismiss corruption charges against Adams, apparently in exchange for his cooperation on Trump’s hard-line anti-immigration agenda.

Adams denied the allegations of a quid pro quo, as has Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan. But Adams is already working in tandem with Trump’s team: Following a closed-door meeting with Homan on Thursday, Adams agreed to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to work at the Rikers Island jail complex.

According to the Times, the deputy mayors who left Adams’ office felt increasingly uneasy about working for a man who was putting his personal interests over those of the city he leads. Politico reported on Friday that most of the departing staff members met with Adams and told him he was an insufficient leader. Adams apparently begged the deputies to stick around, at least through March, but they refused.

These aren’t the only officials who have opted to quit rather than be entangled with Adams’ mess. Late last week, six senior Justice Department officials, including the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, resigned in protest over orders to drop the corruption charges against Adams.

One of the resigning federal attorneys, Danielle Sassoon, whom Trump had appointed as a U.S. attorney on an interim basis, wrote in a scathing letter to newly minted Attorney General Pam Bondi that the administration’s move to dismiss Adams’s case amounted to a quid pro quo to help Trump on immigration-related matters.

Adams, a Democrat (at least for now), has faced increased pressure to resign, though he said over the weekend that he has no plans to. Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is facing calls to remove Adams from office.

The mayor was under federal indictment and charged with bribery and campaign finance violations, but earlier this month, the Justice Department moved to dismiss the case. The president’s leniency toward Adams came after the mayor started playing friendly with the right. Adams has not only ripped into Democrats’ immigration policies but also accused the Democratic Party of leaving him.

“People often say, ‘Well, you know, you don’t sound like a Democrat, and you know, you seemed to have left the party,’” Adams said in an interview with former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson. “No, the party left me, and it left working-class people.”

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Steve Bannon

Pleading Guilty To Felony Fraud, Bannon Escapes Prison, Vows Revenge

Steve Bannon, a longtime adviser to President Donald Trump and ally of white nationalists, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a fraud charge related to duping donors who gave to his “We Build the Wall” fundraising effort.

In exchange for the guilty plea in New York state criminal court, Bannon agreed to a three-year conditional discharge and waived his right to appeal. This means he will not receive any prison time, assuming he does not re-offend.

But he didn’t get off completely scot-free: Bannon will not be allowed to serve as an officer or director of a charity or any charitable organization in New York, or any fundraising or nonprofit organization in New York. He will also not be allowed to receive or hold assets for any charitable organizations, NBC News reports.

If he violates any terms of the deal, he could face between 1 ⅓ to 4 years behind bars, according to his plea deal.

“This resolution achieves our primary goal: to protect New York’s charities and New Yorkers’ charitable giving from fraud,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement to USA Today and other outlets, including NBC News.

Bannon was accused of defrauding New Yorkers who donated to “We Build the Wall,” an online fundraiser aimed at fulfilling a pet project of Trump’s during his first term in office. But the indictment alleged that Bannon and others had swindled donors who contributed more than $15 million for the 2019 alleged fundraising project.

While Bannon had said that all of the donations would go toward the construction of a southern border wall, authorities said Bannon redirected the funds elsewhere. In fact, Bannon had secretly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to the group’s president, Brian Kolfage, through third-party entities, prosecutors said.

According to ABC News, Kolfage was paid $100,000 upfront and received monthly payments of about $20,000.

Kolfage and another man involved with the project, Andrew Badolato, previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2022 and were sentenced to prison.

The “War Room” podcast host was first indicted in 2022 on six charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud. The indictment from Bragg’s office alleged that Bannon orchestrated a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud those who donated to his “We Build the Wall” crowdfunding campaign. The trial was set to begin next month.

Bannon had faced five felony counts, including money laundering and conspiracy charges, and faced a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison on the most serious charge.

The Trump ally wasn’t exactly repentant for his actions. In fact, after the hearing, he said he planned to call on Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James and to investigate Bragg, both of whom have successfully challenged Trump in court.

James, Bannon said, is an “existential threat to the Trump administration.”

This is not Bannon’s first time running afoul of the law. He spent four months in jail in 2024 after he was found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before a House select committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021.

So far, Bannon, who served as Trump’s chief strategist for just seven months during his first term, hasn’t been brought into the second administration. He currently spends a lot of time raging about Elon Musk.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos