politics

cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/5052526

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/technology by /u/esporx on 2025-01-31 04:57:09+00:00.

Summary

Senate Democrats boycotted a vote on Russell Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget, calling him a “threat to democracy.”

Their opposition follows a short-lived freeze on federal grant funding, which they link to Vought’s budget-cutting ideology.

Despite the boycott, Republicans advanced his nomination with an 11-0 committee vote.

Democrats also criticized Trump’s recent executive orders targeting federal employees and DEI programs.

Vought, a key figure behind Project 2025, now faces a full Senate confirmation vote.

Summary

Trump briefly froze $3 trillion in federal grants and loans, causing widespread disruption before rescinding the order amid legal challenges.

Critics argue the move, alongside recent freezes on DEI programs and foreign aid, is part of a broader effort to consolidate executive power.

Trump’s nominee for the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, is expected to implement a more structured version of the freeze.

Trump’s actions, including incentivizing federal worker resignations, signal a shift toward oligarchic control.

Summary

During his Senate confirmation hearing for Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed scientific evidence on vaccine safety despite claiming he would follow the data.

He rejected studies debunking vaccine-autism links, downplayed COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, and avoided endorsing the HPV vaccine.

His remarks on racial differences in vaccination raised further concerns.

Lawmakers and health experts criticized his reliance on flawed research, warning his leadership could erode public trust and revive preventable diseases.

His confirmation remains contentious.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/25415551

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/25415448

from #DropSiteNews
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Jack Poulson
Jan 30, 2025

Summary

Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, faced tough Senate questioning over his past remarks and potential bias.

He refused to explicitly rule out investigating Trump’s opponents.

Democrats highlighted his past comments attacking the FBI and his involvement in Trump's classified documents case.

Patel also distanced himself from Trump's pardons for January 6 rioters.

Despite Democratic opposition, Patel is expected to be confirmed with Republican support, as backlash against his nomination was weaker than anticipated.

Summary

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s newly appointed Secretary of Defense, suggested military action could be on the table for securing U.S. control over the Panama Canal and Greenland.

In a Fox News interview, he warned that the U.S. would ensure "freedom of navigation" in Panama, while vaguely addressing Trump’s strategic interest in Greenland.

His confirmation hearing earlier this month raised concerns when he refused to rule out military action.

Critics worry his stance signals Trump’s willingness to provoke conflicts with allies over geopolitical ambitions.

Hours before Tulsi Gabbard appeared for a combative hearing on her nomination as director of national intelligence on Thursday, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden gave some public advice to the woman who once pushed for his pardon.

“Tulsi Gabbard will be required to disown all prior support for whistleblowers as a condition of confirmation today. I encourage her to do so. Tell them I harmed national security and the sweet, soft feelings of staff. In D.C., that’s what passes for the pledge of allegiance,” Snowden said on X.

Even after facing more than a dozen questions about Snowden, however, Gabbard refused to back down.

Instead, Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Snowden broke the law and that she would no longer push for his pardon — but that he had revealed blatant violations of the Constitution.

Summary

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged countering the Trump administration’s policies by resisting at every turn, arguing that its incompetence makes it vulnerable.

Her remarks followed chaos caused by a rescinded executive order that temporarily shut down Medicaid portals nationwide.

She encouraged activists to take offline action, citing ongoing mobilization efforts.

Her strategy focuses on making governance difficult for Trump, calling his administration “dangerous and cruel” but also “shockingly dim.”

Summary

Democratic governors criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for not doing enough to block Trump’s cabinet nominees and policies.

In a conference call, governors led by JB Pritzker and Maura Healey urged stronger resistance, particularly against nominees Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard.

Andy Beshear and Tim Walz stressed the need for better messaging and media presence, while Laura Kelly called for a stronger digital strategy.

Schumer defended Democrats’ efforts but faced frustration over state leaders bearing the brunt of opposition efforts.

The Anglican Catholic Church has removed a Grand Rapids priest for making an alleged Nazi salute.

Calvin Robinson, priest-in-charge at St. Paul’s Anglican Catholic Church, was defrocked Thursday, Jan. 29, after church leadership learned he’d made the controversial salute to a crowd at the National Pro-Life Summit on Jan. 25 in Washington, D.C.

Trump blames everyone he can.

“The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency’s website,” said Trump, noting that the program allowed for the hiring of people with hearing and vision issues as well as paralysis, epilepsy and “dwarfism.”

Summary

Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law, expanding mandatory detention for undocumented immigrants accused of theft-related crimes and allowing state attorneys general to sue over immigration enforcement.

Despite warnings from civil rights groups and some Democrats about racial profiling and due process violations, the bill received bipartisan support.

Critics like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Cory Booker argue that Democrats who backed it succumbed to conservative fear-mongering, potentially harming immigrants and undermining civil rights.

I suspect this is true, as far as it goes. But that understates — straight up ignores, really — the degree to which Donald Trump and his top advisors have, entirely by design and intentionally, spun up a series of independent fiefdoms, with Musk’s being the largest, to move fast and break things and push every boundary in the interest of a number of overlapping but distinct ideological agendas. In other words, they probably did “bypass key Trump officials.” But that’s pretty much the idea when you wind up guys like Elon Musk and Russell Vought with “let’s be legends” gusto and give them the keys.

Summary

Days before the fatal mid-air collision near Washington, D.C., Donald Trump eliminated the membership of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, a key aviation safety panel.

The committee, established after the 1988 PanAm Flight 103 bombing, had advised on air travel security but was left without members following Trump’s move.

The crash, involving an American Eagle jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, left no survivors.

Critics question whether Trump’s decision weakened aviation oversight and potentially contributed to the tragedy.

Summary

Trump blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring policies for a fatal plane crash in Washington, D.C., despite no evidence linking them.

He accused the Biden and Obama administrations of lowering FAA safety standards, while ignoring that the crash occurred under his presidency.

His comments sparked backlash, with former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg calling them “despicable” and Sen. Chris Van Hollen condemning the politicization of the tragedy.