Bits n’ pieces from east, west and beyond
East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. A recent sampling:
One of President Donald Trump’s first blitzkriegs: an order to suspend all federal aid, including food assistance, except for Social Security and Medicare. Sen. Chuck Schumer says these aids are “not optional; they are the law,” per the Impoundment Control Act.
The suspension impacts loans, research, charities, universities, community projects, climate efforts, infrastructure and foreign aid. Some media sources say this suspension is “wildly illegal” and could facilitate a Constitutional crisis.
The order, intended to give agencies time to identify spending banned by new executive orders, was temporarily blocked by a federal judge Tuesday.
On social media Trump said his plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine is to threaten Russia with “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs and Sanctions” … already been put in place by other administrations.
The Bitcoin industry, started in 2009, wants widespread investment in Bitcoin by federal and state governments, the Lever reported. That effort includes trying to eliminate environmental regulations, since cryptocurrency uses vast quantities of energy. To amass a foundation for Bitcoin investments, advocates urge use of both taxpayer funds and workers’ retirement funds.
Conflict of interest: 2% of Bitcoin accounts own more than 90% of all Bitcoin circulation, and they will benefit 10 times over if governments invest in Bitcoin. Critics at Americans for Financial Reform see government Bitcoin reserves as a “dumb idea,” due to risks to taxpayer funds. Federal regulators warn of possible widespread financial chaos due to poor regulation and extreme price swings.
A proposed bill in Congress calls for the purchase of 5% of the Bitcoin supply over five years. The proposal would require Treasury to revalue the price of gold to fund cryptocurrency purchases.
Promoters of government use of Bitcoin include the Koch Network (a collection of oil and petrochemical companies, including pesticides), and the Heritage Foundation (the conservative organization that created the Project 2025 blueprint for reshaping government under Trump).
Recent orders and actions taken by Trump, from various media (two-thirds align with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, that Trump dodged while campaigning): signed executive order for slashing trillions in federal spending; repealed Biden’s order to lower prescription drug prices; ended EV mandates; ordered a national emergency for overhauling U.S. energy policy; an executive order that requires the Attorney General to review “weaponization of the Intelligence Community”; ordered rollbacks of climate and environmental rules; stripped energy efficiency standards for household appliances; an IRS hiring freeze is expected to allow ultra-wealthy tax cheats to avoid detection; announced effective Feb. 1 a 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada; met with congressional Republicans about extending tax breaks for the wealthy by another $2.7 trillion; authorized the ICE to make arrests in previously off-limits areas, like places of worship; repealed expansions of healthcare access and options for the middle and lower class, expected to impact 20 million; undid Biden’s order for counting everyone in the census, expected to result in undercounting communities of color, shaping pro-Republican election outcomes; rolled back federal diversity and equity efforts; proposed abolishing FEMA, which responds to catastrophies; suspended refugee settlement in the U.S., including 1,600 Afghan refugees who worked against the Taliban (and are likely to be killed or arrested if they return); in defiance of the 14th Amendment has called for an end to birthright citizenship (18 state attorneys general immediately sued and a federal judge temporarily blocked that order); has ordered a freezing of all civil rights cases at the Dept. Of Justice (created in 1870 to prosecute civil rights cases); ordered no more health advisories, scientific reports or website updates, such as CDC’s report on avian influenza virus, which has shut down Georgia’s poultry industry; fired heads of various agencies, such as Transportation and Aviation Security; halted all foreign aid, impacting things like HIV meds and land mine removals; and pardoned all Jan. 6 capitol rioters, despite many having violent convictions (polls show 70% opposition); two rejected their pardons. Some have already engaged in crime.
Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons have been opposed by the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and The Wall Street Journal. NBC profiled released rioters who did Nazi salutes and have posted their intention to start a civil war, saying “there will be blood.” MSNBC said Stewart Rhodes, a top Oath Keepers leader, also released, met with Congressional lawmakers last week.
Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, in a 50-50 Senate tie broken by Vice President J.D. Vance, became Defense Secretary -- despite scant qualifications. Three Republican senators, including Mitch McConnell, voted “no.”
Blast from the (recent) past: Regarding Trump’s self-proclaimed mandate, based on election results, Greg Palast, a forensic economist and data journalist, author of The Best Money Democracy Can Buy, recently released his report on voter suppression in 2024. Palast found that if all legal ballots had been counted, presidential candidate Kamala Harris would have won the presidency with 286 Electoral College votes and would have 1.2 million more popular votes than Trump. More details next week.