• Fri, February 21, 2025

by: CounterPunch

The Great Trump Media Robbery

After a month in which President Donald J. Trump allowed Elon Musk to launch a hostile takeover of the U.S. government, dispatched his talking dummy J.D.

by: Onefootball

SC Freiburg prepare for kickoff on German Federal Election Weekend: "More important than football." | OneFootball

In the always intertwined world of politics and Bundesliga football, SC Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster took an opportunity on Thursday to prove himself Christian Streich's true successor. Streich - actually one of the figures on the board responsible for electing Germany's (largely ceremonial) President - never missed an opportunity to weigh in on the state of German politics.

by: cnbctv18

Delhi BJP government scraps all co-terminus appointments in ex-CM, ministers' offices

According to the official order, all officers, officials, and staff assigned from various departments, organisations, boards, and hospitals in a "diverted capacity" must immediately return to their parent departments.

by: Tennessean

The week in politics: Why Tennessee lawmakers formed a bipartisan Israel caucus

An Tennessee-Israel legislative caucus gets formed. The group is bipartisan. A new bill would make it a crime to block the movement of the security detail of the House and Senate speakers. The Senate passes a bill requiring tattoo artists to undergo anti-trafficking training.

by: LocalSYR

Democrats channel their outrage over DOGE, Ukraine and more in marathon Senate session

The budget resolution from Republicans was on the agenda in the Senate, but the late-night debate encompassed so much more. Democrats used the overnight session that ended early

by: Alternet

DOGE's millions: As Musk and Trump gut government, their ax-cutting agency gets cash infusion

While Elon Musk and his underlings demand budget cuts and layoffs across the federal government, funding for their agency — the Department of Government Efficiency — has soared to nearly $40 million,

by: Mint

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Oath Ceremony LIVE: Rekha Gupta tables 14 CAG reports; Parvesh Verma allotted PWD and flood control

Rekha Gupta announces to table 14 CAG reports in first House meeting of Delhi Assembly. Parvesh Verma has been allotted PWD, legislative affairs, water, and flood control.

by: Politico

Long-distance relationship

— Like-minded: The friendship is rooted in the shared history of Canada and Ukraine. Under former Prime Minister BRIAN MULRONEY, Canada was the first Western country to recognize Ukraine's independence, and it is home to one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora communities in the world.

by: BBC

Senedd election could be 'most difficult' for Labour

The next Senedd election could be one of the most difficult Labour has faced in Wales, a senior politician from the party has said. Mick Antoniw told Walescast Labour needed to show things would improve in Wales ahead of the vote in May 2026.

by: Salon

MAGA's not-so-secret weapon: "Major media are a key tool for Trump's destruction of the government"

"The takeover is easy when journalism and massive news orgs. stay the course and pretend everything is normal"

by: RealClearPolitics

Dem Rep. Crockett on Says "No" To DOGE Dividend Checks: "We Are Not In The Business Of Giving Out Money"

Texas, says she "wants some analysis" from Elon Musk about how he's advising President Trump on government efficiency. ABC NEWS HOST: Now, President Trump says he likes the idea of giving some of the savings from Doge back to Americans as kind of a dividend.

by: Newsweek

SNAP Benefits Face Cuts as RFK Jr. Goes After Junk Food

The recently appointed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signaled his intention to cut "junk" food purchases from being purchased using SNAP benefits.

by: pajiba

The Tyrannical GOP Is Ruthlessly Attacking One Trans Child and Putting Her Life in Danger

When it comes to trans folks, the federal government is doing everything in its power to erase an entire community. The President has signed an executive order defining sex strictly as male or female,

by: deseret

Utah law would hide direct payments to college athletes from public view

A Utah bill would hide direct payments to college athletes from public view. Schools contend the payments are protected under a federal education privacy law. Disbursements at public universities are generally public records.

by: wtvr

President Trump's first 30 days: Rapid government changes and controversial actions

President Trump has signed 74 executive orders, 20 memoranda and seven proclamations within his first 30 days, according to a Scripps News tally.

by: ABC

Layoffs hit FAA, including employees tasked with producing air traffic navigation maps

Terminated probationary employees at the FAA include some who work on the team responsible for producing air traffic navigation maps, sources told ABC News.

by: Reuters

Fired and rehired - the dizzying confusion of Trump's government overhaul

By Timothy Gardner, Leah Douglas, Tim Reid and Valerie Volcovici WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal workers responsible for America's nuclear weapons, scientists trying to fight a worsening outbreak of bird flu,

by: Slate

One Judge Is About to Go Toe-to-Toe With Trump Over His Executive Order Spree

There are so many moving parts to this rampage, yet lawsuits, by their nature, can focus on only one piece of it.

by: MSN

Americans now view Elon Musk and DOGE far less favorably than the programs DOGE is slashing, poll shows

Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification. This is done to store and access information on a device and to provide personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. List of Partners (vendors)

by: Slate

Trump Issued Perhaps His Most Terrifying Executive Order on Tuesday

Having already subdued Congress, Trump has now openly announced that the Führerprinzip governs the executive branch.

by: Reuters

Trump is firing federal workers who are not funded by taxpayers

Elon Musk's DOGE team has slashed hundreds of jobs paid for by fees from banks, medical device companies and other forms of funding rather than taxpayer dollars, raising the question of whether the cuts will render hoped for savings.

by: RealClearPolitics

DOGE Bros: Trump and Musk Tell Hannity the 'Bromance' Endures

What would you say you do here, Sean Hannity asked in so many words, and the world’s richest man replied, “Tech support.” The answer was quite

by: Newsweek

Airbnb Faces Boycott Calls

The calls come after Airbnb's billionaire co-founder, Joe Gebbia has reportedly joined Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

by: Slate

This Might Be the Fastest Way to Get Elon Musk Out of the White House

These suits will no doubt proceed in the weeks and months ahead, as it falls to the courts to hold Musk accountable for his blatant indifference to the law. But beyond his individual actions, Musk's role raises more fundamental questions.

by: MSN

Who is Paul Clement, the lawyer who will argue against DOJ's motion to drop Adams' case?

The judge overseeing the Eric Adams corruption and bribery case is indefinitely postponing a trial scheduled for April, but has not ruled yet on whether he will sign off on the Department of Justice's motion to dismiss the case with prejudice,

by: MSN

Jasmine Crockett Tells Charlamagne She Doesn't Believe There Is 'A Lot' Of Fraud And Abuse In Federal Gov't

Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett told radio host Charlamagne Tha God on Friday that she does not believe there is widespread waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cut an estimated $55 billion in government spending,

by: CNN

Trump to sign more executive orders as government overhaul moves forward

President Donald Trump and his administration are continuing to try and implement his agenda amid multiple legal challenges. Follow for live updates.

by: CNN

How DOGE cracked Washington: A focus on arcane agencies gave Musk and his allies swift control of government nerve centers

Political appointees with deep ties to Musk now sit in key leadership positions across agencies that comprise the federal government's personnel, technology, property and acquisition operations.

by: MSN

Elon Musk and DOGE promised up to $2 trillion in government savings. How much have they actually saved so far?

As the head of President Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Tesla CEO Elon Musk has vowed to cut between $1 trillion and $2 trillion from the annual federal budget by 2026. "I think we can do at least $2 trillion,

by: CNN

Hegseth could fire some senior generals and admirals soon, sources say

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could soon move to fire more than half a dozen generals and flag officers, according to two sources familiar with the matter, part of an effort to purge the department of senior leaders perceived as either too political or too close to former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

by: MSN

Trump deletes nationwide database on police misconduct founded after George Floyd murder

The database covered all 90 executive branch agencies with law enforcement officers and contained nearly 150,000 officers disciplinary records dating back to 2017

by: MSN

What Could DOGE Do With Federal Data?

When the Department of Government Efficiency stormed the federal government, it had a clear objective—to remake the government, one must remake the civil service. And in particular, the team of Elon Musk acolytes "focused on accessing the terminals,

by: MSN

18 things Trump and his team did this week

The Financial Times newspaper first reported that US officials had brought up the case with the Romanian government last week, and it was then followed up by Trump's envoy Richard Grenell at the weekend. One source told the paper that a request had been ...

by: MSN

Trump 2nd term live updates: Poll finds only a third approve of Musk's role

President Donald Trump's administration is continuing its radical effort to cut much of the federal government.

by: MSN

Elon Musk has created a new 'political problem' for Trump and Republicans: MSNBC panelist

Reacting to Elon Musk being the focus of voter anger at a Georgia town hall that had Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) being shouted down by voters from his district, longtime political observer Elisabeth Bumiller claimed the billionaire made matters worse for Donald Trump and Republicans with his appearance at CPAC on Thursday night.

by: MSN

Archbishop Muheria blasts Ruto, asks him to end rhetoric and work: "Stop advertising what we'll do"

Archbishop Anthony Muheria has delivered a scathing critique of President William Ruto's leadership, urging him to shift focus from rhetoric to tangible action.

by: MSN

Maddow Blog | Pam Bondi brings partisan politics back to the attorney general's office

Attorney General Pam Bondi thought it'd be a good idea to attend CPAC and record a podcast with Sen. Ted Cruz. It was a partisan mess.

by: MSN

Contempt ruling sought against Marco Rubio and others in foreign aid freeze litigation

Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification. This is done to store and access information on a device and to provide personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. List of Partners (vendors)

by: MSN

Chinese and European shares rise, data, politics and geopolitics all in focus

European shares rose on Friday, following peers in Asia, which hit a three-month high on AI optimism, though gains were tempered by uncertainty over developments in Ukraine and the upcoming German elections.

by: MSN

Drone flights and terrorist labels could signal coming U.S. strikes on Mexican cartels

In recent days, the Trump administration has ramped up CIA surveillance drone flights over Mexico, formally designated drug cartels as "foreign terrorist" groups and floated the possibility of deploying troops there to fight organized crime.

by: MSN

Inequity concerns prompt calls to restructure Arlington government

A bill that passed the Virginia legislature would allow Arlington County to restructure its government, addressing concerns that its current form created racial and social inequalities. Arlington is the only county in Virginia that uses a county manager form of government,

by: MSN

Trump is one month in and Americans are already mad at him about inflation

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump vowed repeatedly that he'd bring prices down "starting on Day One" if elected. It's been a month since he took office and he has yet to deliver.

by: MSN

How Clinton's "reinventing government" compares to DOGE's cost-cutting effort

The "reinventing government" program cut over 480,000 federal jobs and thousands of regulations. The woman who ran the program says any similarities to DOGE end there.

by: MSN

Analysis of DOGE's layoffs and cuts so far

Thousands of federal government employees have been laid off in the first month of President Donald Trump's administration, as the White House and its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) dismiss both new hires and career bureaucrats,

by: MSN

'I feel totally and utterly lied to!' Pensioner unleashes furious rant as Labour 'BREAKS promises'

A pensioner has slammed the Labour Government for "utterly lying" about energy bill support, as millions of retirees face mounting financial pressures. William Pickup expressed his frustration over broken promises regarding energy costs as he blasted Keir Starmer's Government.

by: MSN

Donna Gaffney and Teri Mills: Trump's plans for Medicaid will harm 3.1 million Pennsylvanians

The Republican-led House Budget Committee has announced details of its 2025 Budget Reconciliation bill. Surprisingly, their proposal doesn't focus on the waste and fraud you might expect. It calls for slashing Medicaid funding by $880 billion in the next 10 years.

by: MSN

German politicians and chancellor candidates face off for one last debate ahead of Sunday's vote

Top German politicians and chancellor candidates faced off one last time in a debate on local broadcaster ZDF ahead of Sunday's federal elections. The war in Ukraine dominated an agenda packed with contentious topics which included immigration and the economy.

by: MSN

Trump's new ban makes scientists shudder

Doesn't signing executive orders give Donald Trump hand cramps? Since his return to the White House, he hasn't stopped. And this time, it's an executive order concerning the dismantling of the federal government's diversity and inclusion (DEI) programs that's causing concern.

The Great Trump Media Robbery

After a month in which President Donald J. Trump allowed Elon Musk to launch a hostile takeover of the U.S. government, dispatched his talking dummy J.D.
The article "The Great Trump Media Robbery" from CounterPunch, published on February 21, 2025, discusses the controversial financial maneuvers surrounding Donald Trump's media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). It highlights how TMTG, which includes the social media platform Truth Social, has been embroiled in allegations of financial impropriety and stock manipulation. The piece details how Trump and his associates allegedly used the company to enrich themselves through questionable stock transactions and loans, with the stock price experiencing wild fluctuations that benefited insiders. The article also touches on the broader implications of these actions, suggesting that they reflect a pattern of behavior consistent with Trump's business dealings, where personal gain often overshadows ethical considerations. It critiques the lack of regulatory oversight and the potential damage to investor confidence in the market, painting a picture of a "robbery" not just of financial resources but also of public trust in media and corporate governance.

Read the Full CounterPunch Article at:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/02/21/the-great-trump-media-robbery/

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