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'Symbolic Victory': Supreme Court Refuses To Halt Trump Sentencing

Journalists and political experts on Thursday quickly responded to the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision, declining to halt Donald Trump's sentencing on Friday, January 10.

Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted alongside the high court's liberal justices.

Health policy expert Eric Feigl-Ding emphasized, "The Supreme Court will not save Trump—Donald J Trump will formally become a CONVICTED FELON as of Friday morning Jan 10, 2025."

Religion News Service national reporter Jack Jenkins replied: "Looks like Justice Barrett broke ranks here, which is simultaneously surprising but arguably in keeping with some of the reporting on her misgivings in past cases."

Mother Jones Washington bureau chief David Corn commented: "The Supreme Court of United States: Trump can have king-like powers as president and be above federal law. But he still can be assessed a fine in a state court."

Historian Garrett M. Graff added: "This is a symbolic victory, but it’s a real warning sign that there are four solid Supreme Court votes to allow Trump to do anything at all. America’s democracy hangs by the thin thread of Roberts and Coney Barrett’s feelings in any given case."

Senate Democrats Stall Hearings On Tulsi Gabbard Nomination

As the Senate GOP seeks to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration in less that two weeks, Democrats are blocking the way to a confirmation date, according to Politico.

Per the report, "Committee rules stipulate that vetting paperwork for the nominees must be received by the panel at least one week before the confirmation hearings. But snow and office closures at the Office of Governmental Ethics have slowed civil servants from processing some of the necessary vetting paperwork for" the MAGA nominee.

Democrats are so far unwilling to waive the rules.

In addition to the "key paperwork" necessary for the former Democratic lawmaker's confirmation, CNN reports that an FBI check is also needed, "according to two sources familiar with the matter."

According to CNN, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton's (R-AR) spokesperson told the news outlet that Cotton "'intends to hold these hearings before Inauguration Day,' a timeline that would mean a hearing would need to take place either this week or next for Gabbard.'"

Critics of Gabbard, Politico notes, point to "her lack of intelligence experience, sympathetic comments about Russia and for once taking a secret trip to meet with Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad," as reasons the ex-Democrat is not suited for the job.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

GOP Fears 'Slow And Messy' Dispute Over Trillion-Dollar Trump Tax Cuts

As Republicans prepare to take over the trifecta of US government, the often divided party is up against a chaotic fight over "whether they should take up tax first this year or immigration," according to a Sunday Politico report.

The "big debate over trillions of dollars in tax cuts," Politico notes is "going to be long, slow and messy."

Brian Faler, the news outlet's senior tax reporter, emphasizes, "There’s a chicken-and-egg quality to the debate though, because it’s hard to know how much they need to raise when they haven’t decided how much to spend. And lawmakers will be subject to furious lobbying by those worried they’re on the menu."

Faler reports, "Deficit concerns are running hot in the House, where many Republicans say a tax bill ought to be completely paid for," but, "That’s anathema to party heavyweights like House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), not least because it would be extremely difficult to find enough offsets to cover the projected $4 trillion cost."

Faler also notes:

Smith has already signaled he’s ready to deal on the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, amid pressure from colleagues representing high-tax states. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) recently proposed a big, pricey increase in the child credit, to a maximum $5,000, from the current $2,000, per kid. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), meanwhile, just rolled out a plan seconding Trump’s bid to cut income taxes on Americans living abroad.

There will only be more as the debate heats up, and a key challenge for party leaders will be figuring out how to contain what could be mushrooming demands from their colleagues that would wreck their budget numbers.

Furthermore, the Politico reporter adds, "They’ll have to raise the debt limit too, after a last-minute bid by Trump to increase it before he comes into office, was rejected. And Republicans are promising to also cut mandatory spending by $2.5 trillion. If any of those things get bogged down, that could push off the tax debate even further."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Trump Will Inherit Booming Economy, Declining Crime From Biden

Two weeks ahead of the official start of his second presidency, Donald Trump is slamming the United States as a "disaster" on social media.

In a New York Times report published Sunday morning, White House correspondent Peter Baker lays out how current statistics defy the president-elect's claim.

"New data reported in the past few days indicate that murders are way down, illegal immigration at the southern border has fallen even below where it was when Mr. Trump left office and roaring stock markets finished their best two years in a quarter-century," Baker writes.

"Jobs are up, wages are rising and the economy is growing as fast as it did during Mr. Trump’s presidency," the Times correspondent continues. "Unemployment is as low as it was just before the Covid-19 pandemic and near its historic best. Domestic energy production is higher than it has ever been," Baker adds.

Furthermore, Baker reports "the America that Mr. Trump will inherit from President [Joe] Biden" beginning January 20 "is actually in better shape than that bequeathed to any newly elected president since George W. Bush came into office in 2001."

During his 2024 presidential campaign — and just weeks before his second term — Trump claimed "immigration, crime and inflation are out of control," Baker notes. However, he adds, the president-elect is moving back into the White House with an enviable hand to play, one that other presidents would have dearly loved on their opening day."

"President Ronald Reagan inherited double-digit inflation and an unemployment rate twice as high as today," the Times correspondent emphasizes. "President Barack Obama inherited two foreign wars and an epic financial crisis. Mr. Biden inherited a devastating pandemic and the resulting economic turmoil."

Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi told the Times that the MAGA leader "is inheriting an economy that is about as good as it ever gets."

Zandi emphasized, "The U.S. economy is the envy of the rest of the world, as it is the only significant economy that is growing more quickly post-pandemic than prepandemic."

Similarly, University of Virginia’s Miller Center's director William J. Antholis told Baker that regardless of Trump's claims, the incoming president is "stepping into an improving situation."

Bates adds, "After inheriting an economy in free-fall and skyrocketing violent crime, President Biden is proud to hand his successor the best-performing economy on earth, the lowest violent crime rates in over 50 years, and the lowest border crossings in over four years.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Green Energy Sector 'Freaking Out' Over Climate Denier Trump's Return

Just weeks ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, the "stakes are high" for green-energy companies as they fear the upcoming right-wing takeover in both the White House and in the House of Representatives, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Per the report, "Significant reductions to tax credits, and Trump’s promised tariffs on imports, could reduce investment in new renewables plants by $350 billion over the next decade, said Chris Seiple, vice chairman of power and renewables at Wood Mackenzie."

The firms "are freaking out," the Journal reports, and "contacting incoming cabinet appointees, hunting for friendly members of the transition team and calling on Republican members of Congress, according to executives."

The Journal further notes:

Solar, wind and battery storage have been on a tear in recent years, with investment boosted by tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden’s signature climate law. About $75 billion in new projects connected to the grid between September 2022 and March, according to the American Clean Power Association.

Trump has called the IRA a scam and wants it repealed. His victory has plunged the renewable-power industry into a period of policy uncertainty. Few expect a wholesale repeal, but parts of the IRA are likely to be scrapped.

In the nation's capital, the newspaper reports, "the industry has gone into defense mode," as "executives traveled to the capital to meet with Republican members of Congress in December, people familiar with the matter say."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Trump's Greenland Daydreams: Is There Method Behind His Imperial Madness?

In a slew of social media posts on Christmas Day, President-elect Donald Trump reiterated something that he suggested last month following his victory over Kamala Harris: that the United States "should own Greenland, annex Canada, and reclaim the Panama Canal."

In a Thursday Politico report, breaking news reporter Myah Ward asserts that "if Trump’s overtures are evidence that his America First policy agenda may have an interventionist component, they also served as an early reminder of how the incoming president conducts foreign policy: Lots of threats, confusion, freewheeling and a dose of unpredictability."

Ward writes, "And Republicans are largely writing it off as saber rattling, an approach that sometimes helped Trump get what he wanted out of allies and adversaries during his first term, but also at times threw his administration into chaos or sowed confusion like the famous late-night 'Covfeve' tweet."

Matthew Bartlett, Republican strategist Matthew Bartlett — who served under Trump's first administration — told Politico, "I was there at the State Department when a tweet would be issued, and then, every intellectual in the building had to somehow figure out if there’s any logical sense to this and policy to this and if there’s any upside, or if this actually is Covfefe."

He added, "But from a foreign policy context, crazy worked just fine the first time. If leaders are like, we may not respect you but we absolutely think that you’re bonkers, and we don’t know what’s coming at us next, great. Full send. And if that leads to better peace and prosperity in Ukraine, in Israel, with terrorists on watch, with foreign states. Great. They should be put on notice."

Another GOP strategist, Dave Carney, told the news outlet that the president-elect could be "trying to soften the ground for negotiations," Ward reports, "recalling his threats during his first term to withdraw from NATO — which some Republicans credited with pressuring other countries to increase their defense spending."

Carney suggested that "Trump’s unpredictability can be an asset in some scenarios," Ward added.

"With the president, there’s, I think, always the possibility that other countries think, ‘holy shmoly, he may actually do that, we should try to accommodate him,’” the former Trump appointee said.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Seeking Political Control Of Higher Education, MAGA Republicans Target Harvard

A handful of Republican leaders — some nominated to assume positions in Donald Trump's Cabinet — are planning to use their newfound power in the coming months to "reshape higher education," according to a Monday Bloomberg report. And they're starting with Harvard University.

Per the report, the Harvard Crimson found in a survey that "only 13 percent of this year’s graduating seniors describe themselves as conservative or very conservative and more than three-quarters of faculty identify as liberal."

After Harvard computer science Professor Harry Lewis found out some "teachers offered condolences to students and told them classes were optional" following Trump's victory over Kamala Harris last month, the former Harvard College dean believes "the infantilization of students and politicization of the classroom" has become a real problem.

"We’ve allowed significant numbers of faculty to think the way that they are going to change the world is through some kind of social activism and that this is part of their responsibilities or opportunity as a scholar," he told Bloomberg.

The news outlet reports, "This fractious environment — in which faculty, students, administrators, activists and government officials are all at odds with one another — has made the job of university President Alan Garber, 69, particularly difficult. And for the physician and economist, installed as interim leader after [ex-President Claudine] Gay’s resignation in January, it’s about to get worse."

Right-wing leaders like Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Vice President-elect and Sen. JD Vance, and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) have all recently publicly condemned the university for different reasons, including the school's endowments — which Vance said should have "massive tax hikes" — and the "lack of severe punishment" the university received after allowing students to protest the Israel-Palestine conflict on campus.

Aside from lawmakers, far-right activist Christopher Rufo is leading the charge to ensure the Trump administration makes Harvard its priority on its massive mission to change higher education.

Rufo told Bloomberg, "If we can extract changes from Harvard, if we can push it in a better direction, other universities will look at that as a signal and adjust their policies."

Harvard classics professor Richard Thomas told the news outlet, "Anti-democratic forces would gladly dismantle higher education."

He added, "Harvard may have to decide between living without federal funding or being dependent on submission to extreme political control that could come with that funding."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Cheney Blasts House Republicans Who Demanded Criminal Probe Of Her

In a report released by House Republicans Tuesday, the conservative lawmakers call for former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) to be investigated over here involvement the January 6 House Oversight Committee, The Hill reports.

Per The Hill, the GOP leaders are "accusing her of witness tampering by being in touch with star witness Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide."

Cheney — a staunch critic of President-elect Donald Trump — begs to differ.

"January 6th showed Donald Trump for who is really is – a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down and leave," the former GOP lawmaker said in a statement, according to The Hill.

Cheney continued, "Chairman [Barry] Loudermilk’s (R-GA) 'Interim Report' intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence, and instead fabricates lies and defamatory allegations in an attempt to cover up what Donald Trump did. Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence, and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth. No reputable lawyer, legislator or judge would take this seriously."

Hutchinson, The Hill notes, "was previously represented by another lawyer before changing representation and ultimately agreeing to testify before the panel in a blockbuster hearing."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Prodded By GOP Senator, Trump Rejects RFK Jr. Daughter-In-Law For CIA Post

Robert F. Kennedy Jr's daughter-in-law and ex-undercover Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operative Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, was top of Donald Trump's list to become the agency's next director — until Monday.

The Washington Post's John Hudson reported via X that Donald Trump dropped his "consideration of RFK Jr.'s daughter-in-law for No. 2 job at CIA following campaign by Sen. Tom Cotton who lobbied Susie Wiles and others to oppose her."

Hudson noted that while "Cotton, one of the most hawkish senators, opposed her over counterterrorism issues," the ex-Trump pick has a "different" story.

The national security reporter posted a screenshot from his own Post report, which reads:

'A person close to Cotton said the senator's concerns pertained to comments Fox Kennedy made years ago to Al Jazeera noting the importance of understanding America's adversaries. 'The only real way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them,' Fox Kennedy told the news network. Cotton likened such remarks as sympathizing with terrorists, this person said.

Fox Kennedy has told others that the process of establishing commonalities with adversaries is a foundation of CIA's field tradecraft training, and that those efforts to recruit enemies as information sources are not sympathizing but at the core of basic spy craft, according to a person familiar with her private conversations.

Although Fox Kennedy — who's married to RFK Jr.'s son, Bobby Kennedy III — will no longer be considered for the deputy director position, "Trump has told others that he wanted a national security position for Fox Kennedy and that the CIA post was not the only option, said people familiar with the matter who suspect she is likely to be tapped for a position at the White House National Security Council or within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

'Public Health In Jeopardy': 75 Nobel Laureates Urge Senate To Reject RFK Jr

A group of over 75 Nobel laureates on Monday submitted a letter to the US Senate, according to The New York Times, urging lawmakers to reject President-Elect Donald Trump's Department of Health and Human Services lead nominee: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Per the report, Richard Roberts, who won the 1993 Nobel in Physiology or Medicine said the group of laureates typically shies away from politics, but Kennedy's nomination called for a change in protocol.

Roberts told the Times that the letter "marks the first time in recent memory that Nobel laureates have banded together against" a president-elect's Cabinet pick.

"Placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences," the letter reads.

"The leader of DHHS should continue to nurture and improve — not to threaten — these important and highly respected institutions and their employees," it continued.

When Kennedy was nominated last month, Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law director Lawrence Gostin told TIME, "I can’t think of a darker day for public health and science itself than the election of Donald Trump and the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of health."

He added, "To say that RFK Jr. is unqualified is a considerable understatement. The minimum qualification for being the head of the Department of Health and Human Services is fidelity to science and scientific evidence, and he spent his entire career fomenting distrust in public health and undermining science at every step of the way."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Hegseth Nomination Failing As GOP Senators Start To Back Away

As sexual assault allegations pile up against Donald Trump defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, Republican lawmakers are questioning whether the Fox News host will make it through the confirmation process.

CNN's Manu Raju reported via X: "New on Pete Hegseth’s tough road to confirmation. [Senator] Joni Ernst (R-IA), a victim of sexual assault, plans to have a 'really frank and thorough conversation' with Hegseth amid misconduct allegations."

Raju continued, "Roger Wicker, incoming chairman, told me of the whistleblower report detailed in the New Yorker article about his time running veterans group: 'I’m sure I’ll see it.'"

The New Yorker published a bombshell report Monday revealing that in addition to the sexual assault allegations against him, Hegseth is allegedly known to have been drunk "on the job" on several occasions.

Additionally, the CNN reporter noted that [Senator] Susan Collins (R-ME) says the FBI should investigate the Hegseth allegations," while "several" Republicans are "uncertain they can back" the Fox News host.

In opposition to his colleagues, Senator Kevin Cramer said earlier today that "standards have 'evolved' since the last Defense nominee was voted down in 1989," adding, "I'm interested in who Pete Hegseth is today."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Hegseth Confronted Over Alleged 'Alcohol Problem' On Capitol Hill

Donald Trump's defense secretary nominee, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, already faced sexual assault allegations on top of his lack of experience within the Department of Defense. But on Sunday, The New Yorker published a bombshell report containing more allegations against the MAGA pick.

In the past, the potential DOD secretary is said to have been "repeatedly intoxicated on the job," according to the report.

Confronted by a swarm of reporters during his visit to Capitol Hill Monday, Hegseth — while walking with security — was asked by one reporter, "Do you have an alcohol problem?"

The Fox News host ignored the question.

In her report published by the New Yorker, journalist Jane Mayer wrote, "A trail of documents, corroborated by the accounts of former colleagues" reveals that "at one point, Hegseth had to be restrained while drunk from joining the dancers on the stage of a Louisiana strip club, where he had brought his team."

Mayer also interviewed Senate Armed Services Committee senior member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who spoke to Hegseth's alleged alcohol problems.

"Much as we might be sympathetic to people with continuing alcohol problems, they shouldn't be at the top of our national-security structure," the Connecticut lawmaker said. "It's dangerous."

Watch the video below or at this link.

— (@)

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Republican Senator Displays GOP's Truly Abject Submission To Trump

Despite Donald Trump's lengthy list of Cabinet nomination announcements less than one month after his White House win, the president-elect's transition team has yet to agree to FBI background checks on the MAGA picks.

Nominees like Fox News host Pete Hegseth and conspiracy theorist Kash Patel are broiled in controversy, as Hegseth faces piling sexual assault and alcohol abuse allegations, and Patel has promised to punish members of the media and any Trump enemy in government.

Still, some Republican leaders don't think FBI checks are necessary at all.

On Monday, the Washington Post's Liz Goodwin reported via X: "Sen [Michael] Crapo (R-ID) on whether nominees should get a full FBI background check: 'My position is what President Trump decides to do is what I will support.'"

HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Dáte replied: "If He says the kool-aid is excellent, then it is excellent and I shall drink it all."

Bobby Kogan, senior director of policy at American Progress, commented: "imagine saying this out loud"

Former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) added: "It. Is. A. Cult."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

'Enjoy Your Cheap Avocados': Trump Vows Big Tariffs On Mexico And Canada

President-elect Donald Trump announced via social media on Monday that he will enforce tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China.

"On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders," the MAGA leader wrote via his Truth Social website. "This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country! Both Mexico and Canada have the absolute right and power to easily solve this long simmering problem. We hereby demand that they use this power, and until such time that they do, it is time for them to pay a very big price!"

He continued, "I have had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular Fentanyl, being sent into the United States - But to no avail. Representatives of China told me that they would institute their maximum penalty, that of death, for any drug dealers caught doing this but, unfortunately, they never followed through, and drugs are pouring into our Country, mostly through Mexico, at levels never seen before. Until such time as they stop, we will be charging China an additional 10% Tariff, above any additional Tariffs, on all of their many products coming into the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Several political and economic experts slammed the president-elect's announcement.

Adam Isacson replied: "Using the same logic, Mexico and Canada could impose tariffs on US goods until we get serious about: - Reducing US demand for illicit drugs - Stopping cross-border trafficking of guns easily purchased in US shops - Curtailing money-laundering in US banks, real estate, etc."

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) said: "Donald Trump’s first act as president will be to intentionally *raise* prices for the American people."

Economist and University of Los Angeles law professor Kimberly Clausing commented: "Policy by tweet is something we once again brace for. But the uncertainty and chaos are just part of the economic damage that these policies bring. Canada and Mexico are our largest trading partners, and these huge tariffs will raise prices for consumers."

Boston College political science assistant professor Masha Krupenkin replied: "Enjoy your cheap avocados and electronics while you can."

Trump Will Nominate Florida Crony Pam Bondi As Attorney General

Less than 24 hours after former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for Attorney General, President-Elect Donald Trump announced Gaetz's replacement for the nomination.

"I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States," Trump wrote via Truth Social.

A slew of legal experts and journalists quickly reacted to the news, many criticizing the president-elect's choice.

Rochester Institute of Technology law professor David Cay Johnston commented: "Pam Bondi, Trump's new AG pick, is so corrupt. She took an illegal $25,000 campaign donation from the Trump Foundation. Bondi kept the money (!!!), given when -- as Florida AG -- she shut down her office's investigation of the utterly fraudulent Trump University."

Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell added: "Hi America. If you want to understand why Donald Trump likes Pam Bondi, know this: Complaints were filed about Trump U. in with attorneys general in two states. - NY's AG pursued and got a $25 million settlement - Trump gave Bondi $25k, and she did nothing."

Journalist Ken Klippenstein wrote: "Trump's new pick for AG, Pam Bondi, was a registered lobbyist for the government of Qatar"

Human Rights Campaign national press secretary Brandon Wolf replied: Two days after my best friends and 47 others were murdered at Pulse Nightclub, Pam Bondi tried to paint herself as a friend to the community. She hoped we’d forget that, just TWO years earlier, she said our freedom to marry would cause 'significant public harm.' We didn’t."

New York's Suffolk Young Democrats Chair Skyler Johnson commented: "Trump makes sure to point out that she was the first female Attorney General of Florida. I’m sorry - I thought acknowledging such things was an unforgivable sin, and proof someone was selected because of DEI? Are the rules different now?"

Reprinted with permission from AlterNet

'Complete Fraud' RFK Jr. Caught Chomping McDonald's Burger With Trump

Donald Trump and a few of his allies were called out Sunday, in a jab at the president-elect’s health department nominee, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Policy expert Eric Feigl-Ding wrote via X: “Not exactly MAHA—Eating high processed McDonalds burgers and large fries + full sugar Coke.”

The post included a photo of Trump, Donald Trump Jr., billionaire Elon Musk, and RFK Jr., eating McDonalds on a private jet.

— (@)

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

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