Sat, February 1, 2025

by: CNN

Elon Musk spent more than $290 million on the 2024 election, year-end FEC filings show

Elon Musk spent a total of more than $290 million on the 2024 election, new federal filings show, boosting President Donald Trump and Republicans in a staggering effort that has helped to secure unprecedented access for the world's richest person in the new administration.

by: MSN

Aadhav Arjuna joins Vijay's TVK after controversial exit from Thirumalvalan's party

Aadhav Arjuna joined Vijay's Thamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam after his suspension from VCK, stating he sought Thirumavalavan's blessings and aimed to achieve a decade's work in ten months.

by: Newsday

President Donald Trump's early moves to control spending test authority of Congress

A 1974 law requires the president to spend the appropriations passed by Congress or seek its permission to suspend funding.

by: MSN

War of words breaks out between KCR and CM Revanth Reddy

Fri, January 31, 2025

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: WH sidesteps question on hiring disabled federal workers

Two U.S. officials confirmed the Pentagon is readying to send more troops to the southwestern border and a complement of 500 Marines to Guantanamo Bay as part of the plan to use the U.S. naval base in Cuba to house some deported migrants.

by: WFAA8

'A lot of fear going on' | Texas immigrant community on edge during Trump's first weeks

Across the state, immigrants are changing their daily habits as the Trump administration orders at least 1,200 daily arrests of undocumented people.

by: foxbaltimore

Retired agents say a Patel 'shake up' is what the FBI needs to improve public trust

Patel's nomination is viewed as part of Trump's strategy to reform the bureau. He has promised to reduce the FBI's presence in Washington, redistribute agents across the country, and focus on tackling violent crime. "We let good cops be cops," Patel said during his confirmation hearing.

by: RealClearPolitics

White House: We Will Reverse Biden's "Deterioration In Hiring Standards For Aviation Safety"

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared that the Trump administration will reverse the "deterioration in hiring standards and aviation safety standards and protocols" implemented by the Biden administration: KAROLINE LEAVITT: The president,

by: PBS

Trump says he's placing tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China starting Saturday

President Donald Trump said Friday he would place 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10 percent tariffs on goods from China effective on Saturday, raising the specter of swift price increases for U.

by: Slate

The D.C. Air Disaster Is a Flashing Warning Sign About DOGE

Musk had Trump fire the FAA leader as soon as he got into office, because the FAA leader had investigated and fined one of Musk's companies, Starlink.

by: CNN

How Trump calling immigration an 'invasion' could help him stretch the law

No longer just campaign trail rhetoric, President Donald Trump's insistence that immigration to the United States amounts to an "invasion" may be critical to unlocking extraordinary powers as the administration carries out his deportation agenda.

by: PBS

US aid agency is in upheaval during foreign assistance freeze and staff departures

Trump administration changes have upended the U.S. agency charged with providing humanitarian aid overseas, with senior officials put on leave, contractors laid off and a sweeping freeze imposed on foreign assistance.

by: Richmond

Documents: City rejected 2 bids to upgrade switchgear that caused Richmond-region water crisis

Records show officials in 2017 declined two bids from contractors who offered to upgrade the water treatment plant's switchgear — the component that failed during a power outage on Jan.

by: WFAE

Trump wants to cut the federal workforce. Who they are and what that means

by: Reuters

Slovakia bans Georgian volunteer, 9 others, from entry as Fico ramps up coup plot accusations

Slovakia on Friday banned a Georgian military volunteer who has been fighting in Ukraine and nine other people from entering the country, saying he was involved in an opposition plot to overthrow the government.

by: Time

What Historians Hope to Learn From Trump Releasing JFK, RFK, and MLK's Assassination Files

What experts on John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr and Bobby Kennedy assassinations hope to learn from files expected to be declassified

by: CNN

The latest on Trump's presidency

President Donald Trump continues to advance his agenda with executive actions ahead of a deadline to impose tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico this weekend. Follow for live updates.

by: Politico

Hey, where's that Trump-proofing money already?

Democrats — newly sensitive to perceptions of being soft on crime — this week faced criticism from Republicans who noted that the legislation doesn't explicitly prohibit nonprofits from using the money to help undocumented immigrants with criminal histories.

by: STAT

How to protect HHS, FDA, NIH, and other health agencies from political interference

When politicians subordinate scientific institutions to electoral interests, they undermine immediate public health efforts and inflict lasting damage on institutional credibility.

by: justthenews

Marco Rubio says Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark is 'not a joke'

This is not a joke," Rubio said "The Megyn Kelly Show" on SiriusXM. "This is in our national interest and it needs to be solved."

by: Reuters

Exclusive: US seeks to block Hezbollah ally from naming Lebanon finance minister, sources say

Washington is pressuring top Lebanese officials not to allow Hezbollah or its allies to nominate the country's next finance minister, five people with knowledge of the matter said, in an attempt to limit the Iran-backed group's sway over the state.

by: MSN

India News Live Today January 31, 2025: Kinnar Akhara head expels Mamta Kulkarni, Laxmi Naarayan Tripathi for 'treason'

Stay informed with our live blog covering India's latest in politics, economy, crime, and general news. Get real-time updates on political developments, financial trends, crime reports, and important events across the country.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump takes executive action on aviation after crash

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.

by: cnbctv18

Reform, perform and transform are strong pillars of India's governance model, says President Murmu

Get the latest Business News, Live Share & Stock Market Updates, Top News from India and across world. Read Top Business News and updates on financial, economic and banking news on CNBCTV18.

by: CounterPunch

Ignorant and Free Doesn't Work

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." - Thomas Jefferson, 1816 I think

by: MSN

SSC GD Exam City Slip 2025 OUT at ssc.gov.in: Check Constable Admit Card Link Here

The Staff Selection Commission has released the exam city slip for the online written exam scheduled for 7th, 6th, 5th and 4th January. Candidates can check the city details by visiting the official website.

by: boston25news

5 years after Britain left the EU, the full impact of Brexit is still emerging

On Jan. 31, 2020 at 11 p.m. London time - midnight at EU headquarters in Brussels — the U.K. officially left the bloc after almost five decades of membership that had brought free movement and free trade between Britain and 27 other European countries.
Thu, January 30, 2025

by: Slate

Trump's Plane Crash Press Conference Was Unbelievably Vile, Even for Him

Elon Musk, the spear tip of Trump's "cost cutting" spree, demanded that he quit. It's a truism that it's bad form to politicize a tragedy, and Democrats have often abided that concept. Not surprisingly,

by: Wired

The 'Contentification' of Trump Policy

Welcome to the White House's own cinematic universe. Plus, the upcoming Democratic National Committee election and how candidates are pitching their digital plans.

by: BBC

Tony Blair pays tribute to 'guardian' of Labour Party John Prescott at funeral

by: scrippsnews

Trump suggests DEI could be to blame for fatal mid-air collision amid ongoing investigation

President Trump emphasized the need for "brilliant people" in air traffic positions while suggesting that DEI hiring practices might have been to blame for the deadly mid-air collision.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump announces new FAA acting commissioner

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.

by: Oregonian

Urban League of Portland taps former Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt as general counsel

Mike Schmidt, the former Multnomah County district attorney who lost his reelection bid last year to an office insider, started this week as general counsel of the Urban League of Portland, one of Oregon's largest and oldest civil rights organizations. Schmidt confirmed the move Thursday. He began the job Monday.

by: MSN

Unions warn government workers not to trust Trump's offer to quit

Two of America's biggest federal worker unions told members on Wednesday not to trust a Trump administration offer to 2 million government employees to quit with eight months pay, while many civil servants expressed anger and defiance over the move.

by: WAtoday

Greens' $8 billion scheme for 50 cent fares across Australia comes with costing questions

The Greens say the plan would cost the federal government $2.6 billion in the first year. However, state revenues from public transport are at odds with that figure.

by: CNN

Cabinet picks face confirmation hearings as Trump looks to transform government

Several of Donald Trump's picks for his Cabinet and key roles in his administration are facing confirmation hearings in the Senate today as the president continues to implement executive actions to transform the government.

by: thenewdaily

Chalmers claims 'sustained progress' against inflation, as government crosses its fingers for rate cut

The Albanese government - and the financial markets - would be shocked if the Reserve Bank doesn't cut interest rates in February.

by: Couriermail

US politics live: Confusion over Donald Trump's government funding freeze continues

Welcome, once again, to our live coverage of the Trump administration's tone-setting and rather frenetic early weeks.
Wed, January 29, 2025

by: Forbes

Meta, Microsoft And Tesla All Report Earnings After The Close

Stocks rose Tuesday, led by tech. AI fears loom as Meta, Microsoft report earnings. Tesla faces policy risks. Fed decision, major earnings, and government cuts ahead.

by: Politico

The best (and worst) scenarios for LA disaster aid

Presidents fully control FEMA aid. The operative word in federal disaster law is "may," as in: "The President may make contributions to a State or local government for the repair, restoration, reconstruction or replacement of a public facility damaged or destroyed by a major disaster."

by: thenewdaily

Government frontbencher Stephen Jones to retire from politics

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones will not contest the upcoming federal election, announcing his retirement from parliament.

by: RealClearPolitics

Trump: Federal Employees Must Return To The Office And May Have To Prove They Didn't Have Another Job

President Donald Trump at a press conference on Wednesday said he is going to require federal employees who work at home to show up to work or be terminated. The president also addressed his proposal to offer payouts to government employees to quit their jobs.

by: Slate

Trump Administration Issues Formal "Just Kidding" on Attempt to Shut Down Government

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily.

by: Newsweek

Donald Trump Gets Major Boost on DOGE Move

A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 61 percent of U.S. adults support the president's plan to downsize the federal government.

by: Oregonian

Siletz Indians purchase 2,000 acres in southern Oregon with significant Native history

Robert Kentta of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the tribal council's treasurer, stands in part of the tribe's 2,000-acre purchase of Table Rock property north of Medford. (Photo courtesy of Matt Hill/Lone Rock Strategies) Matt Hill/Lone Rock Strategies

by: Esquire

Trump Is Planning to Shrink the Federal Workforce with Buyouts and Loyalty Tests

Once again, the new-old president is fulfilling all the spoken and unspoken desires of the Reagan Revolution and the Gingrich Revolution. We are witnesses to the construction of the bathtub that Grover Norquist only talked about.

by: ABC

Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump to sign Laken Riley Act

President Donald Trump will sign the Laken Riley Act into law Wednesday at 2 pm in the East Room, according to the White House. This will be the first measure Trump signs into law of his second administration.

by: MSN

Trump's Federal Buyout Plan Sparks Controversy and Legal Challenges

President Donald Trump has proposed a buyout plan offering nearly all federal employees eight months' salary if they agree to resign by September, in a sweeping move to downsize and reform the government.

Ignorant and Free Doesn't Work

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." - Thomas Jefferson, 1816 I think

The article "Ignorant and Free Doesn't Work" by Eve Ottenberg, published on CounterPunch, discusses the detrimental effects of ignorance on democracy and freedom. Ottenberg argues that an uninformed populace is easily manipulated by those in power, leading to a decline in democratic values and freedoms. She highlights how media, education, and political leaders often fail to educate the public adequately, instead promoting misinformation or trivial distractions. The piece critiques the notion that freedom can coexist with widespread ignorance, asserting that true liberty requires an informed citizenry capable of critical thinking and active participation in governance. Ottenberg calls for a revival of civic education and media literacy to combat the spread of ignorance, which she sees as a threat to both individual freedoms and the collective democratic process.

Read the Full CounterPunch Article at:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/01/31/ignorant-and-free-doesnt-work/