Thu, March 20, 2025

by: PublicSource

Rep. Summer Lee and residents rail against Trump and Musk at packed Pittsburgh town hall

Town halls have become potent political theater early in Donald Trump's second term, and Lee told a friendly crowd that Democrats must try different tactics in a "failing democracy." The post Rep. Summer Lee and residents rail against Trump and Musk at packed Pittsburgh town hall appeared first on PublicSource.

by: dw

India: Musk's X sues Modi's government in censorship battle

The social network formerly known as Twitter alleges that India's IT Ministry is unlawfully expanding its online censorship powers. The lawsuit comes as CEO Elon Musk is hoping to roll out Starlink and Tesla in India.

by: Mediaite

Judge Napolitano Explains On Newsmax Why Elon Musk And DOGE Lack 'the Authority' to Fire Federal Workers

"And since Elon Musk is not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, he doesn't have the authority to fire." The post Judge Napolitano Explains On Newsmax Why Elon Musk And DOGE Lack 'the Authority' to Fire Federal Workers first appeared on Mediaite.

by: Dealbreaker

Workers Are Not 'Waste' And Firing Feds Definitely Will Not Lower Prices Or Reduce The Deficit

Apparently forgetting that it is not opposite day, almost everything Trump is trying to do will raise, not lower, prices for consumers.

by: Fortune

Texas Senate passes two bills that would bring mandatory prayer time and the Ten Commandments into classrooms

The Texas Senate has passed two bills bringing Christianity into public schools. One bill, passed Tuesday, would require a mandatory period of prayer, while another would put the Ten Commandments into every public schoolroom.

by: WUSA9

New Episode of Federal Workforce Fallout explores education cuts and acts of kindness

Larry Miller reports on President Trump's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, affecting hundreds of jobs.

by: KOMO

How Tesla's business problems might run deeper than Elon Musk's lurch into politics

Billionaire Elon Musk made huge waves ahead of last year's election when he plowed millions of dollars into President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.

by: CNET

Is the Department of Education Being Abolished? What Trump's Executive Order Means

Donald Trump has signed an executive order calling for the Department of Education to be closed down, but his ability to do so is limited.

by: Reuters

Judge stops Musk's team from accessing millions of Americans' data, cites privacy breach

A federal judge said on Thursday the Social Security Administration likely violated privacy laws by giving tech billionaire Elon Musk's aides "unbridled access" to millions of Americans' private data,

by: Yahoo

Trump just signed an executive order 'to begin eliminating' the Department of Education. Here's how that could affect student loans and local schools.

In a move he's been telegraphing for months, President Trump signed an executive order Thursday "to begin eliminating" the U.S. Department of Education. "We have to get our children educated," Trump said at the signing ceremony.

by: Newsweek

Musk Links Social Security Cuts to Immigration, Voter Fraud

The tech billionaire has made several comments in recent weeks regarding fraud in benefits and entitlements administered by the federal government.

by: Crikey

US tech companies file White House complaint on 'coercive and discriminatory' Australian media laws

Apple, Meta and Google have complained to the White House about Australia's proposed News Bargaining Incentive, and the ACCC's report into Coles and Woolworths' domination has found not much can be done.

by: katu

Oregon releases 2025-27 budget framework amid federal funding concerns

The Oregon Joint Committee on Ways and Means has unveiled the 2025-27 legislative budget framework, outlining the financial strategy for the next 2 years.

by: Slate

Why It's So Outrageous That Trump Is Invoking This Obscure 200-Year-Old Wartime Law

Donald Trump invoked a law that played a role in one of the darkest moments in American history. Originally passed in 1798, the Alien Enemies Act has rarely been used over the past 200 years. It was most recently deployed during World War II to justify the detention of Japanese noncitizens,

by: Axios

Politics, bullying harm LGBTQ+ youth, report says

Stigma, bullying and politics are fueling high anxiety and depression rates among LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania, who face high barriers to accessing mental health care. The big picture: More than a third of 653 young LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians ages 13 to 24 surveyed by crisis intervention organization The Trevor Project seriously considered suicide in 2023,

by: KLCC

After 45 years, Siletz Tribe fully regains subsistence rights on their territory

Nearly half a century after losing their right to hunt, fish, and gather on their ancestral lands, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians have just regained it.

by: Salon

Health care, housing and wages: Antonio Delgado says New York Democrats need to stand for something

Now, Delgado is urging the Democratic Party to adopt a new vision for the future of New York and the United States, focusing on material concerns like economic security while criticizing his own party as prioritizing the demands of corporations — and the profit motive — at the expense of working people.

by: AFP

Canada PM Carney to call 28 April snap election

The quick election announcement reflects Carney's wish to capitalize on a polling surge for his Liberal Party.

by: WhoWhatWhy

Murkowski Says GOP Lawmakers Cower in Fear of Trump and Musk

It is rare for Republicans to voice any criticism of Donald Trump or Elon Musk. One GOP senator who occasionally does so knows why: fear. Murkowski Says GOP Lawmakers Cower in Fear of Trump and Musk o

by: People

Pirate's Booty Founder Walked into His City Hall and Declared Himself the New Mayor. Then Residents Took It to a Vote

Robert Ehrlich attempted to seize control of his coastal Long Island village on March 10, citing an obscure New York law as grounds for his takeover

by: PsyPost

Did scientists just confirm the horseshoe theory of politics? Extremism fuels protest across ideological lines

People are more likely to take part in protests and other forms of collective action when the cause aligns with their political values. However, new research suggests that political extremism itself—regardless of ideology—also drives activism.

by: RealClearPolitics

A Dozen Judges Say Trump Probably Broke the Law

From the start of his second term, President Donald Trump and his administration signaled a willingness — even a desire — to flout the law in their quest to overhaul the federal government.

by: PoliticsHome

Government Warned Warm Homes Target Is Not On Track

The director of the National Warm Homes Council has warned that the government is currently not on track to meet its target on insulating homes.

by: jacobin

Trump's Deportations Are a Throwback to Red Scare Politics

The detention and threatened deportation of Mahmoud Khalil stands in a long tradition of the US government using border policy as a tool for political control, stretching back to First and Second Red Scare efforts to crack down on left-wing dissent.

by: Politico

They Were Raised to Serve America. MAGA Sees Them as Its Enemies.

But inside the Beltway, they also seem like a giant metaphor for a feeling that has consumed the hometown community: a sense that there's a class war on against the people and professions that represent old Washington's highest bipartisan ideals,

by: Tagtik

Trump won't let Joe Biden go: "all his pardons are null and void"

On Monday, March 17, the resident of the White House announced that all preventive pardons granted by Joe Biden to officials or elected representatives were "null, void and without effect". Joe Biden,

by: KJZZ

Ferrets, water testing and future scientists at risk due to DOGE spending cuts

by: Metro

Drag queen bumps into 'UK's sexiest politician' and chaos ensues

When people think of male politicians, it's easy to think of a middle-aged or older man in a suit, his hair neat and his build average at best. Then there's Carl Cashman, a 33-year-old once dubbed the 'UK's hottest politician'.

by: CNN

Zelensky agrees to pause attacks on energy in call with Trump, but questions remain about what Trump and Putin hammered out

The White House is ramping up its efforts to make good on President Donald Trump's long-held promise to end the Russia-Ukraine war, with Washington, Moscow and Kyiv all expected to send officials to Saudi Arabia for meetings in the coming days.

by: TheGrio

Trump administration rescinds 1965 clause barring 'segregated facilities' like water fountains and restrooms in government contracts

While segregation is still illegal, this change sends a CLEAR message," said civil rights attorney Ben Crump. In its latest

by: Euronews

Ukraine, defence and economy top the agenda as EU leaders meet in Brussels

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will brief the 27 leaders about the latest developments in the negotiations promoted by Donald Trump to end Russia's war. View on euronews

by: Firstpost

Is Elon Musk's Grok AI in trouble in India for using Hindi expletives and slang?

The Indian government on Wednesday raised concerns over Elon Musk-owned X's AI chatbot Grok and the controversial responses it has been producing. Grok has recently become more popular in the country due to its direct and sarcastic replies to people on the microblogging site.

by: NorthernIrelandWorld

UK Government's benefits move 'cruel and cowardly', says Lagan Valley MP

The UK Government's proposed changes to disability benefits are cruel and cowardly, Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood has said.

by: BusinessGhana

Government's manifesto promises on health under scrutiny

A non-governmental organisation, STAR-Ghana Foundation, together with other health sector stakeholders, has begun tracking the
Wed, March 19, 2025

by: Fortune

Elon Musk says Tesla protestors are 'deranged' and want to kill him for his White House work

Elon Musk said protestors targeting Tesla facilities are "deranged" and want to "kill him" for the work he is doing in the White House.

by: WLRN

O Cinema will keep operating after Miami Beach withdraws eviction item

An effort by Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner to evict the nonprofit over its screenings of the documentary film 'No Other Land' was withdrawn Wednesday after intense public outcry. The Mayor deferred a new resolution to encourage O Cinema "to showcase films that highlight a fair and balanced viewpoint.

by: Slate

This Has Got to Be the Most Hitler-Curious Administration in U.S. History

Since we last wrote about the many ties between the Trump administration (particularly Elon Musk's DOGE budget-cutting team) and online white supremacists, more such connections have emerged, as have reports of Nazi-type ideas being applied,

by: KPBS

Here are all the ways people are disappearing from government websites

by: MSNBC

How NASA outsourcing the space program helped enrich Elon Musk

After the end of the space shuttle program, NASA turned to private companies to fill the gap. That isn't working out for the best.

by: LBC

Elon Musk claims 'people want to kill me and hurt Tesla' over billionaire's job for Donald Trump

by: Politico

Scoop: California spreads MAHA fever

Gabriel gained a reputation the past few years as the "Skittles" lawmaker. His 2023 law banned four chemicals (like brominated vegetable oil and red dye 3) from any food sold in the state and his 2024 law exorcised synthetic dyes (like red 40) from school meals.

by: Mediaite

'They Basically Wanna Kill Me': Musk Alleges Cloak-and-Dagger Conspiracy Is Trying To Take Him Down

Billionaire White House adviser Elon Musk suggested there is a vast conspiracy against him, the ultimate aim of which is his death and the end of Tesla Motors. The post 'They Basically Wanna Kill Me': Musk Alleges Cloak-and-Dagger Conspiracy Is Trying To Take Him Down first appeared on Mediaite.

by: RealClearPolitics

Sen. Chris Murphy: In 2024, It Looked Like Democrats Were Defending "This Version Of Democracy" That Only Benefits Elites

Monday night on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," after a particularly brutal segment for the Democratic Party, Sen. Chris Murphy said the Democratic party is not taking enough risks, allowing Republicans to take the mantle of "government reform,

by: Firstpost

Why Maharashtra government cannot remove Aurangzeb's tomb

Tensions are high in Maharashtra over calls from some right-wing groups and politicians to raze Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's tomb in the state. However, the grave is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

by: Newsweek

Mahmoud Khalil Speaks Out From Detention

Detained Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil has denounced his arrest and detention conditions pending possible expulsion from the United States over accusations of supporting Hamas. He also criticized the U.S. treatment of immigrants in custody and what he described as mounting anti-Palestinian racism at the university and elsewhere.

by: CNN

'A feeling of despair:' Democratic donors grapple with messaging, midterm map and an emboldened Trump

Maggie Kulyk, a progressive donor and activist in the Atlanta area, has a long list of worries about President Donald Trump: His moves to bypass Congress and swiftly slash the size of government, the financial fallout of his steep tariffs and his decision to install Elon Musk,

by: Euronews

DR Congo and Rwanda presidents meet in Qatar for peace talks

Congo and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to an immediate ceasefire, but the joint statement does not specify on how it would be implemented. View on euronews

by: Reuters

Netanyahu coalition jeopardised over ultra-Orthodox exemption from army

One of Israel's most divisive domestic issues has reared itself again to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a group in the ruling coalition said it would bring the government down unless it exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from army service.

'Money, Lies and God' details how far-right extremists work to erode democracy

Katherine Stewart has done 15 years of reporting and into anti-democracy extremism and the threats that come with it.

The article from WBUR's Here & Now, published on March 19, 2025, discusses Katherine Stewart's book "Money, Lies, and God: The Transformation of American Religion." Stewart explores the rise of the religious right in American politics, detailing how this movement has evolved from grassroots activism to a powerful political force with significant influence over policy and elections. She examines the financial networks, political strategies, and ideological shifts that have enabled this transformation, highlighting the role of money in politics, the spread of misinformation, and the intertwining of religious beliefs with political agendas. The piece also touches on the implications of this shift for democracy, suggesting that the religious right's tactics have contributed to polarization and the erosion of the separation between church and state.

Read the Full WBUR Article at:
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/03/19/money-lies-god-katherine-stewart