• Mon, March 17, 2025

by: briefly

The unspoken words of budget 2025: what it means for energy and South Africa's transition

The government's push for growth clashes with the VAT hike, risking lower spending, slower momentum, and doubts about resource efficiency said Professor Inglesi-Lotz

by: WUNC

Why are North Carolina's judicial races partisan? Disputed high court race raises questions

Bitzer, author of Redistricting and Gerrymandering in North Carolina: Battlelines in the Tar Heel State, bolstered Gerry Cohen's contention that Democratic lawmakers in the 1990s wanted to stem the tide of GOP gains in judicial elections.

by: Yahoo

'Nothing to do with politics': How Hezbollah photos led to RI doctor's controversial deportation

Alawieh reportedly told customs officials that she followed the religious teachings, but not politics, of late Hezbollah leader.

by: WVXU

Kentucky GOP pushes through anti-trans bills and Medicaid changes in 11th hour

As midnight and the governor's veto period approached Friday night, the Kentucky General Assembly pushed through several highly controversial bills, including one that cuts gender-affirming hormone treatments from Medicaid.

by: ArtNews

Trump Moves to Axe 7 Federal Agencies, Including Key Library and Media Funds

President Trump signed an executive order Friday to dismantle seven federal agencies, including the one overseeing Voice of America (VOA) and other government-funded media outlets. The order demands that agency heads eliminate all non-mandatory functions and scale back required ones to the legal minimum.

by: KSAT

Going for gold: A look at the political and sporting challenges facing the next IOC president

An in tray of Olympic challenges spanning political, social, sporting and operational issues awaits the next International Olympic Committee president.

by: Politico

The long and relentless arc of Chuck Schumer

All of the anger and inchoate rage that has been swelling up in the Democratic Party since losing the White House suddenly seems channeled toward Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer after his vote to advance the GOP funding bill and avoid a federal government shutdown.

by: RealClearPolitics

Stephen Miller vs. CNN's Kasie Hunt: "You're Not Hearing Me And You're Not Understanding Me. Read The Statute. Alien Enemies Act, 1798."

Stephen, thanks very much for being here right now. STEPHEN MILLER, WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR POLICY AND SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Glad to. Thank you. HUNT: So, you called the judge's order just earlier today,

by: CNN

Schumer postpones book tour due to 'security concerns' amid anger from Democrats over government funding fight

Chuck Schumer has postponed his book tour events amid anger from within the Democratic Party over the Senate minority leader's handling of the government funding fight in Congress.

by: KGW

Federal workers plead for protection after Trump-era firings in Oregon town hall

Federal employees fired under President Donald Trump's administration called on Oregon's federal lawmakers to protect them during a town hall meeting.

by: Newsweek

What Does Trump's Cryptic Golf Comment Mean? What We Know

President Donald Trump made a cryptic comment about his future golfing activity during a championship at one of his golf clubs. The president has been a regular golfer throughout his political career, previously only taking breaks from the sport during political campaigns, such as last year's election.

by: MassLive

Mass. lawmakers plan to extend remote meeting rules

The latest extension, originally put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, could reach Gov. Maura Healey's desk by Thursday.

by: RealClearPolitics

Schumer Helped Defeat Dems' 'Racist Jim Crow Filibuster'

CNN's Scott Jennings ran this victory lap about Chuck Schumer and several other Senate Democrats giving Republicans the votes they needed to keep the government funded for another six months, Sunday morning on CNN's "State of the Union" panel.

by: Politico

The UAE courts the media to build its tech brand

The UAE is not the only Gulf country to try to cultivate global media brands as it builds out its tech sector. It's part of a regional trend, Dania Thafer, executive director of the Gulf International Forum, told me. Web Summit Qatar held its conference last month, featuring CNBC and The Wall Street Journal | Barron's Group as media partners.

by: CNN

What is a constitutional crisis and are we in one right now?

The issue du jour is deportations, but the question has been a constant of Donald Trump's presidencies: Is the president acting withing the Constitution?

by: Newsweek

Map Shows Australia's Rare Earth Deposits as Tariff Battle Escalates

Australia's substantial mineral wealth provides it potential leverage in ongoing trade negotiations with the Trump administration.

by: RealClearPolitics

Elon Musk on Ted Cruz Podcast: NGO Fraud Is Happening At Scale In Federal Government

Elon Musk spoke about DOGE's hunt for waste, fraud, and abuse on Sen. Ted Cruz's podcast this week. Musk estimates that there is an 80/20 ratio of waste to fraud in the federal budget and says $1 trillion in annual savings is not outside the realm of possibility.

by: Newsweek

Joe Biden Autopen Drama Explained

Donald Trump is attempting to nullify pardons signed by Joe Biden as he is claiming they were signed with an autopen, despite autopens being legally binding.

by: CNN

As bird flu continues to spread, Trump administration sidelines key pandemic preparedness office

The Trump administration has not staffed an office established by Congress to prepare the nation for future pandemics, according to three sources familiar with the situation.

by: CNN

How controversial deportation flights and a judge's race to stop them unfolded, minute by minute

Over the weekend, the Trump administration invoked wartime powers to deport hundreds of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang from the US to El Salvador. After a lawsuit was filed, a federal judge ordered the administration to stop the deportations,

by: RealClearPolitics

Democrats Should Have Shut Down the Government

I've been working hard getting our NCAA Tournament forecasts ready for Selection Sunday. So I'd barely been paying attention to the drama in the Senate, where Republicans were trying to gather votes for a budget resolution to avert a government shutdown by midnight tonight.

by: Newsweek

Chuck Schumer Cancels Book Tour Events Amid Funding Vote Backlash

Chuck Schumer has canceled book tour events this week because of security concerns amid a backlash over his support for Republicans in preventing a government shutdown last week. "Due to security concerns, Senator Schumer's book events are being rescheduled," a statement said.
  • Tue, March 18, 2025

by: BBC

Some disability benefit recipients may lose out as government to unveil welfare changes

Liz Kendall will set out how the government intends to reform the health benefits system on Tuesday afternoon, in a move aimed at cutting the growing welfare bill.

by: Snopes

Trump didn't say he would annex Alaska and Greenland on Truth Social

Claim: U.S. President Donald Trump authentically wrote on Truth Social: "After I've annexed Greenland and making it the 52nd State, I will annexe Alaska. The people of Alaska don'

by: Forbes

The Polls And Politics Of Inequality

Is inequality back as a political issue? Senator Bernie Sanders seems to think so. He is leading a "Fighting Oligarchy" tour that has drawn thousands of people.

by: Gizmodo

MAGA's Tesla Embrace Means EV Politics Will Never Be the Same Again

President Donald Trump, the same man who once said that people promoting electric vehicles should "ROT IN HELL," bought his own EV this week. He showed off his new Tesla Model S — red, like the Make America Great Again hats — outside the White House on Tuesday,

by: CounterPunch

Conservatives and Liberals Have a Common Enemy

Don't let the billionaires behind the curtain distract you while they steal your money and your freedom. George W. Bush believed that replacing theocratic

by: LAist

4 things to know about the Alien Enemies Act and Trump's efforts to use it

by: Newspoint

8th Pay Commission: Big Salary Boost for 1 Crore Government Employees and Pensioners!

Government Begins Preparations for 8th Pay Commission, Salary Hike Expected by 2026 There's great news for nearly 1 crore government employees and pensioners in India! The government has kickstarted the process for the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC),

by: Them

82 House Democrats "Demand" the Government Reject Trump's Anti-Trans Passport Policies

House of Representatives, all Democrats, have submitted a letter opposing the implementation of the Trump administration's anti-trans passport restrictions. After Trump signed a January executive order legally defining gender as male or female as assigned at birth,

by: Newsweek

Fact Check: Has Elon Musk Been 'Demoted' by Donald Trump?

An MSNBC report said Musk had been "demoted" after clashing with a number of President Trump's cabinet secretaries.

by: Mediaite

JUST IN: Elon Musk and DOGE Found By Federal Judge to Have Violated the Constitution 'In Multiple Ways'

A federal judge found that Elon Musk and DOGE may have violated the constitution by moving to shut down USAID. The post JUST IN: Elon Musk and DOGE Found By Federal Judge to Have Violated the Constitution 'In Multiple Ways' first appeared on Mediaite.

by: Slate

Democrats Had a Chance to Take a Stand Here. What Went Wrong?

His answer was no—that Senate Democrats should have taken a stand against Donald Trump's lawlessness and withheld the votes Republicans needed to keep the government from shutting down. Even one single Democrat could have made more of a stink and slowed things down.

by: MLive

Michigan libraries, museums may feel impacts of Trump's latest federal downsizing

Libraries and museums are speaking out about Trump's assault on the Institute of Museum and Library Services and what that could mean for Michigan.

by: RealClearPolitics

Schumer: The Republican Attitude Is "I Made My Money All By Myself, How Dare Your Government Take My Money From Me"

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in a contentious interview on 'The View' said Republicans are "controlled by a small group of wealthy, greedy people" that hate government and believe it is a barrier to people.

by: Reuters

US judge finds Musk's USAID cuts likely unconstitutional, blocks him from making more cuts

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from taking any more steps to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, saying their efforts to close the foreign aid agency likely violated the U.

by: CNN

Germany's Merz wins vote to massively expand borrowing and super-charge military spending

The German chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, has won a vote in parliament to allow a huge increase in state borrowing that is set to super-charge the country's military spending.

by: dw

No quotas: How can new Syrian government ensure inclusivity?

The new Syrian government should be representative of all ethnic and sectarian groups if it wants international support. But many Syrians say quotas are a bad idea. So how to ensure the new Syria is inclusive for all?

by: Euronews

Baltics and Poland announce planned withdrawal from landmine treaty

The Ottawa Convention prohibits the production, possession, and transfer of anti-personnel mines. View on euronews

by: Reuters

Explainer-What happens if the Trump administration doesn't comply with a court order?

Several federal judges have claimed the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has failed to comply with court orders regarding foreign aid, federal spending and the firing of government workers,

by: CNN

Federal judge says Elon Musk exceeded his authority and that dismantling USAID was 'likely' unconstitutional

Billionaire Elon Musk appears to have overstepped his executive branch authority with his Department of Government Efficiency, a federal judge said Tuesday as he indefinitely blocked the dismantling of USAID.

by: Snopes

Social Security falsely declared 82-year-old man dead, stopped benefits

Ned Johnson and his wife Pam confirmed the details of the story in a telephone interview and provided an update.

by: BBC

What does UK benefits overhaul mean for Scotland?

Significant reforms restricting some sickness and disability benefits will be announced at Westminster.

by: Insider

I left my job at the White House and landed a role in the private sector. Here's my advice for federal workers making the switch.

After working in government for years, including as press secretary to the former First Lady, Hannah August pivoted to private sector work.

by: Newsweek

DOGE Announces 'Major Cleanup' for Social Security

"For the past two weeks, @SocialSecurity has begun a major cleanup of their records. Approximately 3.2 million numberholders, all listed age 120+, have now been marked as deceased. More work still to be done," DOGE said on X early on Tuesday.

by: MLive

Tractor parade at Michigan Capitol: Farmers rally to fight 'burdensome regulations'

Tractors began arriving two miles south of the Capitol building as the sun rose Tuesday morning. State Rep. Jennifer Wortz, bundled up on a brisk morning, hopped on her grandmother's orange Allis-Chalmers tractor to lead a parade of tractors down Washington Avenue toward the Capitol.

by: CNN

Trump set to speak to Putin about Ukraine today

President Donald Trump will speak with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, as the US pushes for a temporary ceasefire agreement in the Ukraine war. Follow for live news updates.

by: CNN

Getting paid not to work: Federal probationary workers put on paid leave

Days after a Maryland federal judge ruled that terminated probationary workers must be temporarily reinstated, multiple federal agencies have told their staffers that they are complying with the decis

Democrats Should Have Shut Down the Government

I've been working hard getting our NCAA Tournament forecasts ready for Selection Sunday. So I'd barely been paying attention to the drama in the Senate, where Republicans were trying to gather votes for a budget resolution to avert a government shutdown by midnight tonight.
The article from RealClearPolitics, published on March 17, 2025, titled "Democrats Should Have Shut Down the Government," argues that Democrats missed a strategic opportunity by not allowing a government shutdown. The author posits that a shutdown could have been politically advantageous for Democrats, as it would have highlighted Republican disarray and potentially swayed public opinion against the GOP. The piece suggests that by keeping the government open, Democrats inadvertently allowed Republicans to regroup and pass legislation that was not in their favor. It critiques the Democratic leadership for lacking the foresight to use the shutdown as leverage, especially given the internal conflicts within the Republican party at the time. The author believes that this decision might have long-term negative implications for Democratic policy goals and their image as effective negotiators.

Read the Full RealClearPolitics Article at:
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2025/03/17/democrats_should_have_shut_down_the_government_643051.html

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