American government official
POPULARITY
As Elon Musk steps away from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, the chaotic legacy of his aggressive assault on federal agencies continues to reverberate throughout the government. Musk's goal — slashing $1 trillion from the federal budget — has fallen far short. At most, it has cut $31.8 billion of federal funding, a number that the Financial Times reports is “opaque and overstated.” Notably, the richest man on Earth's businesses have received a comparable amount of government funding, most of it going to SpaceX, which remains untouched by DOGE's budget ax.Stepping in to carry the torch is Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, and a key architect of Project 2025, the sweeping conservative playbook to consolidate executive power. Under his stewardship, DOGE will continue its mission to dismantle the federal government from within.”Access to all of this information gives extraordinary power to the worst people,” says Mark Lemley, the director of Stanford Law School's program in law, science, and technology. Lemley is suing DOGE on behalf of federal employees for violating the Privacy Act. This week on The Intercept Briefing, Lemley and Intercept newsroom counsel and reporter Shawn Musgrave join host Jordan Uhl to take stock of the legal challenges mounting against the Trump administration's agenda. As the executive branch grows more hostile to checks on its powers, the courts remain the last, fragile line of defense. “ There have now been hundreds of court decisions on issues, some involving the Privacy Act, but a wide variety of the Trump administration's illegal activities,” says Lemley. In partnership with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and State Democracy Defenders, Lemley's suit accuses the U.S. Office of Personnel Management of violating the federal Privacy Act by handing over sensitive data to DOGE without consent or legal authority.Listen to the full conversation of The Intercept Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comDavid Graham is a political journalist. He's a long-time staff writer at The Atlantic and one of the authors of the Atlantic Daily newsletter. His new book is The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America. We go through the agenda and hash out the good and the bad.For two clips of our convo — on whether SCOTUS will stop Trump, and what a Project 2029 for Dems might look like — pop over to our YouTube page.Other topics: growing up in Akron; his dad the history prof and his mom the hospital chaplain; aspiring to be a journo since reading Russell Baker as a kid; the origins of Project 2025; its director Paul Dans; Heritage and Claremont; the unitary executive; the New Deal; the odd nature of independent agencies; Dominic Cummings' reform efforts in the UK; Birtherism; Reaganites in Trump 1.0 tempering him; Russiagate; the BLM riots vs Jan 6; equity under Biden; Russell Vought and Christian nationalism; faith-based orgs; Bostock; the trans EO by Trump; our “post-constitutional moment”; lawfare; the souped-up Bragg case; Liberation Day and its reversal; Biden's industrial policy; the border crisis; Trump ignoring E-Verify; Labour's new shift on migration; Obama and the Dreamers; Trump's “emergencies”; habeas corpus; the Ozturk case; the Laken Riley Act; the abundance agenda; the national debt; DOGE; impoundment and Nixon; trans women in sports; Seth Moulton; national injunctions; judge shopping; and trying to stay sane during Trump 2.0 and the woke resistance.Coming up: Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson on the Biden years, Sam Tanenhaus on Bill Buckley, Walter Isaacson on Ben Franklin, Tara Zahra on the last revolt against globalization after WWI, NS Lyons on the Trump era, Arthur C. Brooks on the science of happiness, and Paul Elie on his book The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.
Oral Arguments for the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
National Treasury Employees Union v. Russell Vought
Send us a textToday, my guest is journalist and author Katherine Stewart. I had a compelling conversation with this highly sought-after writer, and we went deep. Known for The Power Worshippers, she's back with Money, Lies, and God, exposing the dangerous alliance of Christian Nationalism and political power.We dive into her journey from the Child Evangelism Fellowship to attending rallies and conferences of the religious right. Katherine reveals how dark money, misinformation, and groups like Project 2025, the Federalist Society, and the Claremont Institute are reshaping America.We discuss Trump's 2024 win, his first 100 days, and how Christian Nationalism impacts public education, gender issues, race, and democracy itself.Most importantly, Katherine shares how we can resist and respond.This is a conversation that matters — for faith, democracy, and our future.Stewart began her journalism career working for investigative reporter Wayne Barrett at The Village Voice. Since 2011, she has contributed op-eds to The New York Times and written for various publications, including The Guardian, The American Prospect, The Nation, and The Atlantic. Her book was the basis of the documentary film by Rob Reiner, God and Country.SHOW NOTESSupport the showBecome a Patron - Click on the link to learn how you can become a Patron of the show. Thank you! Ken's Substack Page The Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is set to withdraw a Biden-era rule aimed at cracking down on data brokers and their selling of Americans' personal and financial information. In a notice in the Federal Register, the CFPB said legislative rulemaking on the data broker industry “is not necessary or appropriate at this time,” and the agency does not plan to “take any further action” on the proposal. The notice was issued by Russell Vought, acting director of the agency, head of the Office of Management and Budget and a Project 2025 architect. The withdrawal of the rule, which was first reported by Wired, comes after President Donald Trump's initial nominee to lead the CFPB signaled to Congress in February an openness to continuing Biden administration data-broker rules. Jonathan McKernan, a former Treasury Department and Federal Housing Finance Agency staffer, told the Senate Banking Committee that Rohit Chopra — President Joe Biden's CFPB director — “was onto something” with his policies targeting data brokers and data aggregators. The CFPB's withdrawal notice took particular issue with the rule's focus on the Fair Credit Reporting Act, saying that the proposal was “not aligned with the Bureau's current interpretation of the FCRA, which it is in the process of revising.” The Senate on Wednesday voted 54-43 to confirm businessman Emil Michael as undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and the Pentagon's chief technology officer. In that position, Michael will serve as the primary advisor to the secretary of defense and other Defense Department leaders on tech development and transition, prototyping, experimentation, and management of testing ranges and activities. He'll also be in charge of synchronizing science and technology efforts across the DOD. Michael comes to the job from the private sector, where he's been a business executive, advisor and investor. He told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that he's been involved with more than 50 different tech companies during his career. Perhaps most notable, from 2013 to 2017, he was chief business officer at Uber. In government, he previously served as special assistant to the secretary of defense when Robert Gates was Pentagon chief. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
In this Monday edition of The Daily Herold, Jon Herold unpacks a whirlwind weekend of policy, press drama, and geopolitics. The show opens with Trump's much-hyped Truth Social tease that delivered a sweeping executive order slashing U.S. prescription drug prices by up to 80%. Jon applauds the move, explaining how the “most favored nation” policy aims to end the pharma industry's global price-gouging scheme that has bled Americans for decades. He features powerful reactions from RFK Jr. and Stanford's Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who call the reform historic—and politically untouchable until now. Jon then shifts to foreign affairs, covering Trump's role in defusing potential nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan, a surprise trade détente with China, and speculation that Trump could attend Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Turkey. As Trump tours the Middle East, the press is melting down over a $400M luxury jet gifted by Qatar, intended to serve as the new Air Force One, an optics battleground Jon calls pure media theater. Also in the mix: rumors about Mark Kelly's alleged involvement in a Chinese spy balloon program, Elon Musk's exit from DOGE with budget hawk Russell Vought stepping in, and the kickoff of the explosive Diddy trial. Jon connects it all back to narrative control, institutional rot, and Trump's strategic dismantling of elite power centers, from Big Pharma to the globalist war machine. Smart, bold, and unfiltered, this episode is a reminder that Trump's second term isn't about playing defense, it's about flipping the whole system.
Reporting from Rome, John-Henry Westen expressed concern about Pope Leo XIV. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought joins Glenn to break down the House's push for a "big, beautiful bill." Vought also addresses some of the criticism this bill has been getting. The Spectator associate editor Douglas Murray breaks down his appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Glenn and Murray also discuss how our enemies are pushing an anti-American agenda and their hope that today's youngest generation will see through the propaganda. But can America's youth be expected to step up and save the country? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Will the papacy become Americanized? Glenn reacts to the first American pope and outlines the one thing the new pope should not do. Reporting from Rome, John-Henry Westen expressed concern about Pope Leo XIV. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought joins Glenn to break down the House's push for a "big, beautiful bill." Vought also addresses some of the criticism this bill has been getting. A Massachusetts man brought Molotov cocktails and knives to the Capitol with plans to kill Cabinet members, but the mainstream media shrugged it off as misunderstood "activism." The Spectator associate editor Douglas Murray breaks down his appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Glenn and Murray also discuss how our enemies are pushing an anti-American agenda and their hope that today's youngest generation will see through the propaganda. But can America's youth be expected to step up and save the country? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our podcast show being released today is part 2 of a repurposed interactive webinar that we presented on March 24 featuring two of the leading journalists who cover the CFPB - Jon Hill from Law360 and Evan Weinberger from Bloomberg. Our show begins with Tom Burke, a Ballard Spahr consumer financial services litigator, describing in general terms the status of the 38 CFPB enforcement lawsuits that were pending when Rohit Chopra was terminated. The cases fall into four categories: (a) those which have already been voluntarily dismissed with prejudice by the CFPB; (b) those which the CFPB has notified the courts that it intends to continue to prosecute; (c) those in which the CFPB has sought a stay for a period of time in order for it to evaluate whether or not to continue to prosecute them where the stay has been granted by the courts; and (d) those in which the CFPB's motion for a stay has been denied by the courts or not yet acted upon. Alan Kaplinsky then gave a short report describing a number of bills introduced this term related to the CFPB. Alan remarked that the only legislative effort which might bear fruit for the Republicans is to attempt to add to the budget reconciliation bill a provision subjecting the CFPB to funding through Congressional appropriations. Such an effort would need to be approved by the Senate Parliamentarian. Finally, Alan expressed surprise that the Republicans, in seeking to shut down the CFPB, have not relied on the argument that the CFPB has been unlawfully funded by the Federal Reserve Board since September 2022 because there has been no “combined earnings of the Federal Reserve Banks” beginning then through the present. (Dodd-Frank stipulates that the CFPB may be funded only out of such “combined earnings”). For more information about that funding issue, listen to Alan's recent interview of Professor Hal Scott of Harvard Law School who has written prolifically about it. On Monday of this week, Professor Scott published his third op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, in which he concluded: “Since the bureau is operating illegally, the president can halt its work immediately by executive order. The order should declare that all work at the CFPB will stop, that all rules enacted since funding became illegal in September 2022 are void, and that no new rules will be enforced.” Joseph Schuster then briefly described what has been happening at other federal agencies with respect to consumer financial services matters. Joseph and Alan reported on the fact that President Trump recently fired without cause the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission leaving only two Republican members on the Commission. He took that action despite an old Supreme Court case holding that the language in the FTC Act stating that the President may remove an FTC member only for cause does not run afoul of the separation of powers clause in the Constitution. The two Democratic commissioners have sued the Administration for violating the FTC Act provision, stating that the President may only remove an FTC commissioner for cause. The President had previously fired Democratic members at the Merit Systems Selection Board and National Labor Relations Board. President Trump based his firings on the belief that the Supreme Court will overrule the old Supreme Court case on the basis that the “termination for cause” language in the relevant statutes is unconstitutional. After the recording of this webinar, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals stayed, by a 2-1 vote, a District Court order holding that Trump's firing of the Democratic members of the NLRB and Merit Systems Selection Board was unlawful. That order was subsequently overturned by the court of appeals acting en banc. Subsequently, Chief Justice Roberts stayed that order. In light of these developments, it seems unlikely that the two FTC commissioners will be reinstated, if at all, until the Supreme Court decides the case. Also, after the recording of this webinar, the Senate confirmed a third Republican to be an FTC commissioner. For those of you who want a deeper dive into post-election developments at federal agencies other than the CFPB, please register for our webinar titled “What Is Happening at the Federal Agencies (Other Than the CFPB) That is Relevant to the Consumer Financial Services Industry?” which will occur on May 13, 2025. Joseph then discussed developments at the FDIC where the FDIC withdrew the very controversial brokered deposits proposal, the 2023 corporate governance proposal, the Change-in-Bank- Control Act proposal and the incentive-based compensation proposal. He also reported that the FDIC rescinded its 2024 Statement of Policy on Bank Merger Transactions and delayed the compliance date for certain provisions in the sign and advertising rule. Joseph then discussed developments at the OCC where it (and the FDIC) announced that it would no longer use “reputation risk” as a basis for evaluating the safety and soundness of state-chartered banks that it supervises. The OCC, also, conditionally approved a charter for a Fintech business model to be a national bank and withdrew statements relating to crypto currency risk. Finally, Joseph discussed how state AGs and departments of banking have significantly ramped up their enforcement activities in response to what is happening at the CFPB. The podcast ended with each participant expressing his view on what the CFPB will look like when the dust settles. The broad consensus is that the CFPB will continue to operate with a greatly reduced staff and will only perform duties that are statutorily required. It is anticipated that there will be very little rulemaking except for rules that the CFPB is required to issue - namely, the small business data collection rule under 1071 of Dodd-Frank and the open banking rule under 1033 of Dodd-Frank. The panel also felt that the number of enforcement lawsuits and investigations will measurably decline with the focus being on companies engaged in blatant fraud or violations of the Military Lending Act. This podcast show was hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, the former practice group leader for 25 years and now senior counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group. If you missed part 1 of our repurposed webinar produced on March 24, click here for a blog describing its content and a link to the podcast itself. In short, part 1 featured Jon Hill from Law360 and Evan Weinberger from Bloomberg, who chronicle the initiatives of CFPB Acting Directors Scott Bessent and Russell Vought and DOGE to dismantle the CFPB and the status of the two lawsuits brought to enjoin those initiatives. Ballard Spahr partners John Culhane and Rich Andreano give a status report on the effort of Acting Director Vought to nullify most of the final and proposed rules and other written guidance issued by Rohit Chopra. The podcast concludes with John and Rich describing the fact that supervision and examinations of banks and non-banks is non-existent.
Our podcast show being released today is Part 1 of a repurposed interactive webinar that we presented on March 24, featuring two of the leading journalists who cover the CFPB - Jon Hill from Law360 and Evan Weinberger from Bloomberg. Our show began with Jon and Evan chronicling the initiatives beginning on February 3 by CFPB Acting Directors Scott Bessent, Russell Vought and DOGE to shut down or at least minimize the CFPB. These initiatives were met with two federal district court lawsuits (one in DC brought by the labor unions who represents CFPB employees who were terminated and the other brought in Baltimore, MD by the CFPB and others) challenging one or more of these initiatives. Jon and Evan described the lawsuits in detail. While the Baltimore lawsuit was dismissed on the basis of lack of ripeness under the Administrative Procedure Act, Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued a TRO freezing the CFPB from terminating more CFPB employees through the end of March while she decides whether to enter a further injunction with respect to the CFPB's initiatives. Ballard Spahr partners, Rich Andreano and John Culhane, then gave an up-to-date status report on CFPB (a) final rules being challenged in litigation and/or eligible to be challenged under the Congressional Review Act; (b) final rules not being challenged in litigation which may be repealed or amended or whose effective or compliance dates may be extended under the Administrative Procedure Act; (c) proposed rules; and (d) non-rule written guidance. Rich and John paid particular attention to the following final rules: 1. The Small Business Loan Data Collection and Reporting Rule under Section 1071 of Dodd-Frank 2. The Non-bank enforcement order Registry Rule 3. The Fair Credit Reporting Act “Data Broker” Rule 4. The Residential Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing Rule 5. The Residential Mortgage Servicing Proposed Rule 6. Credit Card Penalty fees under Reg Z (Late Fee Rule) 7. Personal Financial Data Rights (Open Banking) Rule under Section 1033 of Dodd-Frank 8. Overdraft Lending Rule Applicable to very large financial institutions 9. Prohibition on creditors and consumer reporting agencies reporting medical debt under Reg V Part 1 of our podcast concludes with Rich and John describing the fact that supervision and examination of banks and non-banks is apparently on hold. This podcast show was hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, the former practice group leader for 25 years of the Consumer Financial Services Group and now Senior Counsel.
Today's podcast show features a discussion with David Dayen, executive editor of the American Prospect, which is an online magazine about ideas, politics, and power. He's the author of “Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street's Great Foreclosure Fraud,” which was published in 2016. David has written and published about 10 or so articles in which he chronicles in great detail the apparent effort by the Trump Administration, acting through Scott Bessent and Russell Vought, to dismantle the CFPB by abruptly ordering a cessation of all activities and layoffs of probationary and term employees and a plan to layoff 1,300 or so additional employees. Because this plan would have crippled the CFPB, two lawsuits were initiated in rapid fashion against Acting Director Vought seeking to enjoin him from pursuing this strategy. One lawsuit was brought by the two labor unions representing CFPB employees and others in the I.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and got assigned to Judge Amy Berman Jackson. The second lawsuit was brought by the City of Baltimore and others in the U.S. District Coury for the District of Maryland. David describes in detail the case pending before Judge Jackson, including the hearings at which several CFPB employees testified. Those employees painted a very grim picture of the effort to shut down the agency. The DOJ lawyer stated that there was never an intent to shut down the CFPB and that the steps taken by the Acting Directors to “freeze” the CFPB were similar to steps taken by any new Administration in order to provide time to evaluate the situation and decide what changes should be made to reflect the new Administration's policy objectives. Shortly after the recording of this podcast, Judge Jackson issued on March 28 a 112-page opinion and 3-page order in which she required the reinstatement with back pay of all CFPB employees that had been terminated, enjoined the CFPB from terminating any employees except for good cause related to the individual employee, fully maintain the consumer complaint portal, ordered the defendants to reinstate all third-party contracts which had been earlier terminated, ordered the defendants to not enforce a February 10 stop-work order and required that the CFPB not destroy any records. The defendants have filed a notice of appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. On March 29. On March 31, the defendants filed a motion in the Court of Appests to stay Judge Jackson's order. See this blog for more detail about Judge Jackson's opinion. Because of the importance of Judge Jackson's opinion, Alan Kaplinsky and Joseph Schuster have recorded a special (additional) podcast show, where we dissected Judge Jackson's opinion and order and the other lawsuit brought by the City of Baltimore against Acting Director, Russell Vought, challenging his consideration of returning operating finds to the Federal Reserve Board or Treasury. That podcast will be released tomorrow, Friday, April 4. The Judge in the City of Baltimore case, in which the plaintiffs had not established nearly as complete a record as the case before Judge Jackson, denied the motion for a preliminary injunction based on the Court's belief that there was no final order which could be challenged under the Administrative Procedure Act. We also discussed the possibility that Congress could subject the CFPB to funding through Congressional appropriations by putting such language in the Budget Reconciliation bill which can be enacted by a simple majority and not 60 votes in the Senare. Alan Kaplinsky, former Chair for 25 years and now Senior Counsel of the Consumer Financial Services Group, hosts the discussion.
The Democrats are caught in a political nightmare! In this episode, I talk about the looming government shutdown and how the Democrats are stuck in a lose-lose situation. With Chuck Schumer leading the charge to block funding, the party faces a terrifying reality: if the government shuts down, Russell Vought, the architect of Project 2025, could take charge, leading to a MAGA takeover of the federal government. Will they fund the government and empower Trump's agenda, or let it shut down and risk political backlash? Tune in for the full breakdown on how the Democrats might be heading for disaster!--Go to https://ground.news/steve to see through media bias and stay informed. Subscribe through my link for 40% off unlimited access.*The content presented by sponsors may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, Turley Talks may receive a small commission.*Go Beyond the Video—Get Exclusive Show Notes Delivered Straight to Your Inbox https://turley.pub/turleyrecapHighlights:“The Democrats in the senate via Upchuck Schumer have signaled that they will not vote for the continuing resolution that would keep the government funded, and therefore all non-essential departments and activities of the federal government will have to shut down. Forget the fact that this CR is basically the same one Schumer signed mere months ago.”“Voters are only going to end up blaming the Democrats for the shutdown. Sixty percent expect it, according to Rasmussen, and all indicators suggest that the Democrats are going to be blamed for it, especially in light of their antics during Trump's speech to the nation.”Timestamps: [00:21] The looming government shutdown [06:05] Who is going to take over if the government shuts down[08:13] How voters will blame the Democrats for the shutdown--Join my new Courageous Conservative Club and get equipped to fight back and restore foundational values. Learn more at http://fight.turleytalks.com/joinThank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review.FOLLOW me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalksSign up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts to get lots of articles on conservative trends: https://turleytalks.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter**The use of any copyrighted material in this podcast is done so for educational and informational purposes only including parody, commentary, and criticism. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015). It is believed that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
On June 6 of last year, Prof. Hal Scott of Harvard Law School was our podcast guest. On that occasion he delved into the thought-provoking question of whether the Supreme Court's decision on May 16 in the landmark case of CFSA v. CFPB really hands the CFPB a winning outcome, or does the Court's validation of the agency's statutory funding structure simply open up another question - namely, whether the CFPB is legally permitted under Dodd-Frank to receive funds from the Federal Reserve even though the Federal Reserve Banks have lost money on a combined basis since September 2022. Dodd-Frank provides that the CFPB is to receive its funding out of the Federal Reserve Banks “combined earnings.” The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by Prof Scott on May 20 titled “The CFPB's Pyrrhic Victory in the Supreme Court” in which he explains that even though the CFPB's funding mechanism as written was upheld in CFSA v. CFPB, this will not help the agency now or at any time in the future when the Federal Reserve operates at a deficit. A lot has happened since Prof. Scott's last appearance on our podcast show. Several enforcement lawsuits filed by the CFPB were faced with motions to dismiss filed by the defendants alleging that the lawsuits could not be financed by the CFPB with funds that were unlawfully procured The CFPB gave short shrift to this argument but never could adequately explain how “earnings” as used in Dodd-Frank really means “revenues” and not profits. While 3 courts rejected the motions to dismiss, those courts decided to do so without dealing with the core issue of whether “earnings” means profits or revenues. President Trump became President on January 20 and, shortly thereafter, Rohit Chopra was terminated. The new Acting Director, Russell Vought, proceeded to shutter the CFPB by, among other things, terminating or putting on administrative leave with instructions to do no work most of its employees and refusing to seek a quarterly funding from the Federal Reserve. Mr. Vought did not base this refusal on the premise that the receipt of such funding would be illegal. Two lawsuits have been filed against the Acting Director challenging the legality of the apparent dismantling of the CFPB. While the CFPB is defending these cases on the basis that the President and the Acting Director have the Constitutional right to downsize and alter the policies of the CFPB, they have surprisingly not made the argument that the CFPB's funding is unlawful. Prof. Scott on Feb, 1 published another op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Rohit Chopra is out. Now Shutter the CFPB” and two articles on the website of the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation (of which Prof. Scott is the President and Director) entitled “Understanding the CFPB's Funding Problem” and “The Fed's Accounting Methodology Cannot Expand its Statutory Authority to Fund the CFOB.” Our podcast show released today takes a very deep dive into those articles and explains Prof. Scott's position that the Fed's accounting for the massive losses of the Federal Reserve Banks (which creates a deferred asset account composed of anticipated future earnings of the Federal Reserve Banks which the Federal Reserve Banks will not need to remit to the treasury because the banks may recoup its accumulated losses since September 2022) has no bearing on whether the Fed has been lawfully funding the CFPB out of “combined earnings” of the Federal Reserve Banks. Prof Scott also rebuts several counterarguments made by those who claim that the CFPB has been lawfully funded throughout. Prof. Scott also discusses why he believes that congress may use a budget appropriations bill whose passage requires only a majority, not 60, vote in the Senate in order to subject the CFPB to funding through the congressional appropriations process. Our blogs about the Supreme Court decision in CFSA v. CFPB can be found here and here. To read our blog about Professor Scott's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, which includes a link to the op-ed, click here. To read his more recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, click here to read his two articles published on the website of the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation entitled, click here and here. A transcript of the recording will be available soon.
Thursday, February 27th, 2025Today, the Office of Personnel Management sent out a memo directing massive reductions in force; the Trump administration threatens a permanent visa ban for trans athletes; Musk cancelled contracts that help veterans only to reinstate them the next day; Jeff Bezos announced a revamp to the Washington Post op ed section causing the editor to quit; a Democrat in Maine won her state special election by 43 points; the US logs its first measles death in a decade; judge Amy Berman Jackson extends the restraining order keeping Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger in his job through Saturday; Republicans in the House have passed Trump's budget including sweeping cuts to Medicaid; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.Stories:Wednesday's Campaign Round-Up: Minnesota's Tim Walz passes on Senate race | MSNBCDemocrat Sean Faircloth easily wins Bangor-area legislative seat in special election | Bangor Daily NewsTrump administration sets stage for large-scale federal worker layoffs in new memo | AP NewsHouse narrowly adopts budget plan to advance Trump's agenda in a win for Speaker Johnson - Scott Wong, Sahil Kapur, Melanie Zanona, Syedah Asghar and Julie Tsirkin | NBC NewsJeff Bezos' revamp of 'Washington Post' opinions leads editor to quit - David Folkenflik | NPRFirst measles death reported in Texas as Kennedy downplays the outbreak - Erika Edwards | NBC News Good Trouble:ACTION REQUEST - Today USAID staff in Washington received word that they can go into USAID headquarters at the Ronald Reagan Building to retrieve their personal belongings. The entire Washington-based staff will have two days, this Thursday and Friday, in one-hour windows by bureau and in 15-minute increments per person. No boxes or packing materials will be provided. There are staff who have worked at the RRB for 20-30 years, and it is the "mother ship" for most of us. This will be an extremely emotional two days. So, we would like to encourage anyone who is able to join us at the RRB to "clap out" staff, with signs of support. If you're able to bring extra packing materials and / or drinks and snacks please do. We want to show these people how you treat public servants who have given their lives to the important work we do.THURSDAY 7:30 am - 6:00 pmFRIDAY 7:30 am - 3:30 pmUSAID Ronald Reagan Building 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NWThere is public parking in the RRB garage, and the closest metros are Metro Center (red line) and Federal Triangle (orange/blue). If you are planning to park in the garage please make sure to have a government-issued ID (driver's license).*Tomorrow is The Blackout. Don't buy anything unless it's from a small local business on Friday, February 28th.Federal workers - feel free to email me at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Check out muellershewrote.com for my interview with a systems security expert about the massive breach at opm.gov caused by Elon MuskCheck out other MSW Media podcastsShows - MSW MediaCleanup On Aisle 45 podSubscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on SubstackThe BreakdownFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaAllison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote, Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewroteDana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/From The Good NewsIRS Free File: Do your taxes for freeIowa DOGE - FeedbackCleanup on Aisle 45 - MSW MediaHRC.org/events Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote, Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewroteDana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts
A Project 2025 mastermind now holds the reins of the federal bureaucracyMother Jones, By Isabela Dias, on February 6, 2025https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/russell-vought-confirmed-senate-omb-project-2025-christian-nationalism/The panel dissects the appointment of Russell Vought as the new head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), highlighting his concerning ties to extremist ideologies. The OMB wields significant power over the allocation of federal funds, affecting everything from defense to social programs. This means Vought, an open Christian nationalist with links to Project 2025, now has enormous influence over the financial workings of the U.S. government. His past includes advocating for the use of military force against protesters, dismantling federal agencies like the EPA, and cutting funding for social services, public education, and reproductive rights.Vought's think tank, the Center for Renewing America, promotes a theocratic vision for the U.S., openly stating its mission to establish a nation “under God” and dismantle federal protections against corporate and governmental overreach. His policies aim to consolidate executive power and undermine institutions designed to maintain democratic stability. The panel expresses alarm at his ambitions and notes the eerie historical parallels between his rhetoric and past authoritarian regimes.The discussion shifts to the structural issue of how the OMB interacts with Congress. While Congress technically controls the budget, the OMB has discretion in how funds are allocated, allowing someone like Vought to defund agencies by simply depriving them of resources. This loophole, which has existed for decades, now poses a dire risk given Vought's extremist agenda.Panelists Stephen and EJ, representing perspectives from Canada and Scotland, respectively, contrast their countries' political systems with the U.S. model. Stephen highlights how Canada's multi-party system prevents any single ideology from dominating, ensuring political diversity and negotiation. EJ warns that Europe has witnessed the consequences of unchecked fascism before and refuses to stand by while such forces gain traction in the U.S. Both express horror at the open rise of authoritarianism in American politics, particularly the normalization of fascist rhetoric and demonstrations.The conversation concludes on a somber note, with a recognition that while Vought's appointment is deeply troubling, the fight against authoritarianism is ongoing, and international allies remain committed to resisting its spread.The Non-Prophets, Episode 24.7.2 featuring Scott Dickie, Stephen Harder, Helen Greene and The Ejector SeatBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-non-prophets--3254964/support.
Has Wheaton College, the flagship of evangelical higher ed, gone woke? Concerned parents and alumni have published a letter accusing the school of valuing diversity more than discipleship. Others have responded by defending Wheaton against the unfounded claims of the MAGA mob. What does the controversy reveal about the state of evangelicalism in the U.S.? A new piece by friend of the show, Karen Swallow Prior, explores the relationship between justice and mercy. Does emphasizing one value more than the other explain the rift in the American church? Derwin Gray is back to discuss his new book, “Lit Up With Love.” He explains how evangelism fits into the bigger narrative of the Bible, and how our reconciliation with God impacts our reconciliation with others. Also this week—North Dakota officially rejects the kingship of Jesus. Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free version of this episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/123105870/ 0:00 - Show Starts 4:07 - Theme Song 4:29 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout. 5:26 - Sponsor - Faithful Counseling - This episode is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. Give online therapy a try at https://www.faithfulcounseling.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off 8:09 - Legal Resolution to Recognize Kingship of Jesus 12:56 - Wheaton Controversy, Russell Vought 18:42 - Wheaton, the Cultural Institution 31:03 - Justice and Mercy 37:05 - The Necessity of Wisdom 41:10 - What is Legalism? 53:03 - Sponsor - Fabric by Gerber Life - Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to protect their family. Apply today in just minutes at https://www.meetfabric.com/HOLYPOST 54:08 - Sponsor - Go to https://www.fromourplace.com and use code HOLYPOST to get 10% off site wide on beautiful cookware! 55:20 - Interview 56:28 - Lit Up With Love 1:00:03 - Appetizer for the New Creation 1:06:11 - Confrontational Evangelism 1:15:10 - The Risk of Loving the Church 1:25:52 - End Credits Links Mentioned in News Segment: North Dakota House Rejects “Kingship of Jesus” Resolution: https://news.prairiepublic.org/local-news/2025-02-19/house-rejects-kingship-resolution?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic/religion Mercy and Justice, False Dichotomy https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/dispatch-faith/justice-mercy-virtues-christianity/ Other resources: Lit Up with Love: Becoming Good-News People to a Gospel-Starved World by Derwin Gray: https://a.co/d/aRcDAuB Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
David wants the CFPB dismantled, and he thinks Russ Vought's philosophy at OMB about deregulation is the right one. But did Vought use a really bad example of “weaponization” this weekend, and are some bad actors bad examples for good deregulation? David unpacks this dilemma of freedom and virtuousness in a quick, needed diatribe.
TENE pod dips under the headlines with a network cross-section of OMB director, Russell Vought, and his familiar circle of freaks. Rey goes off on Curtis Yarvin's shockingly poor understanding of what 'reactionary' means, and the boyzies check in on how liberal media is coping with it all. Also, the US drops Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti. Subscribe to patreon.org/tenepod @tenepod.bsky.social + twitter.com/tenepod
Russell Vought is the architect and legal scholar behind the Trump administration's attempt to reshape the federal government. Simon Rabinovitch, US economics editor for the Economist, explains how he got all that power. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir, and hosted by Noel King. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members President Trump's Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, at his Senate confirmation hearing last month. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Today, we're talking about Russell Vought's confirmation as director of the Office of Management and Budget in Trump's second term after Democrats in the Senate did everything in their power to prevent his confirmation from going through. After all, according to Chuck Schumer, Vought is "Project 2025 incarnate," when really, he's just doing his job as Trump directed him. Of course, that didn't stop Wheaton College, his alma mater, from retracting its congratulatory statement after the social media backlash. We also discuss Rick Warren's most recent post about Jesus being in the political middle. And is Kanye West's latest anti-Semitic X rant evidence of spiritual attack? Buy Allie's new book, "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": https://a.co/d/4COtBxy --- Timecodes: (00:51) Share the Arrows tickets on sale soon! (03:37) Tulsi Gabbard confirmed (05:40) Russ Vought confirmed as OMB Director (12:55) Wheaton College removes post congratulating Vought (25:33) Wheaton's past progressive leanings (40:04) Kanye West's X rant (49:51) Response to Rick Warren's post --- Today's Sponsors: EveryLife — The only premium baby brand that is unapologetically pro-life. EveryLife offers high-performing, supremely soft diapers and wipes that protect and celebrate every precious life. Head to EveryLife.com and use promo code ALLIE10 to get 10% of your first order today! Good Ranchers — Go to https://GoodRanchers.com and use code ALLIE at checkout to claim $25 off, free express shipping, and your choice of FREE ground beef, chicken, or salmon in every order for an entire year. Pre-Born — Will you help rescue babies' lives? Donate by calling #250 & say keyword 'BABY' or go to Preborn.com/ALLIE. BlazeTV — Watch episode four of ‘The Coverup: Smoking Gun' on BlazeTV, releasing Thursday. Become a subscriber at faucicoverup.com/ALLIE and use code “SMOKINGGUN” for $30 off your subscription. --- Related Episodes: Ep 1136 | Christianity Today, Be the Bridge, & the Evangelical Underbelly of USAID Funds | Guest: Megan Basham https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1136-christianity-today-be-the-bridge-the/id1359249098?i=1000689740204 Ep 945 | Churches: Beware of the 'After Party' Trojan Horse | Guest: Megan Basham https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-945-churches-beware-of-the-after-party-trojan/id1359249098?i=1000644262393 Ep 796 | Former Lesbian Activist Calls “Soft” Christians to Repentance | Guest: Rosaria Butterfield https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-796-former-lesbian-activist-calls-soft-christians/id1359249098?i=1000610921016 Ep 896 | From 'Trans Man' to Transformed by Christ | Guest: Laura Perry Smalts (Part One) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-896-from-trans-man-to-transformed-by-christ-guest/id1359249098?i=1000632613519 Ep 897 | A Detransitioner on the Lie of Trans ‘Joy' | Guest: Laura Perry Smalts (Part Two) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-897-a-detransitioner-on-the-lie-of-trans/id1359249098?i=1000632747460 --- Buy Allie's book, You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love: https://alliebethstuckey.com/book Relatable merchandise – use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Russell Vought, head of Trump's Office of Budget and Management, believes the president has the power to completely dismantle any aspect of the federal government he chooses. Bipartisan leaders say Trump and Vought are trying to provoke a constitutional crisis.
Today's podcast show is a repurposing of the second half of a webinar we produced on January 17, 2025. That webinar was Part 3 of our webinar series entitled “The Impact of the Election on the CFPB and Others.” In Part 3, we focus on the role of state attorneys general in a rapidly shifting CFPB environment. Our previous podcast show, released on Tuesday February 11th, was a repurposing of the first half of our January 17th webinar in which Alan Kaplinsky had a “fireside chat” with Matthew J. Platkin, the New Jersey Attorney General. See here. The importance of Part 3 is underscored by the recent actions taken by President Trump to fire Rohit Chopra as Director of the CFPB and to appoint new Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, and then new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, Russell Vought, as Acting Directors, Messrs. Bessent, and Vought have essentially stopped all activities of the CFPB for the time being. During today's podcast show, Mike Kilgarriff, Joseph Schuster, Adrian King and Jenny Perkins of Ballard Spahr's Consumer Financial Services Group discussed in detail the following issues, among others: • CFPB post-election messaging to state attorneys general providing a roadmap to them on powers they may exercise under federal law, including the use of the UDAAP provision of Dodd-Frank (particularly the “abusive” prong) • The probable decline in collaboration with the CFPB following the change in administration • More networking of state attorneys general • What can we expect from state legislatures in enacting new consumer financial services protection laws? • What can we expect from state attorneys general and other state agencies in promulgating new consumer financial services protection laws? • The continuing need for companies to maintain a robust compliance management system Parts 1, 2 and 3 of our webinar series appear here, here, and here. Our podcast shows (repurposing Parts 1 and 2 of our webinar series) appear here, here, here, and here. The title of Part 1 is: “The Impact of the election on the CFPB: Regulations and other written guidance, which featured Alan Kaplinsky's “fireside chat” with David Silberman who held senior positions at the CFPB for almost 10 years during the Directorships of Cordray, Mulvaney, and Kraninger. Part 2 is: “The Impact of the Election on the CFPB: Supervision and Enforcement, which featured Alan Kaplinsky's “fireside chat” with former Director Kathy Kraninger during Trump‘s first term in office. Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel and former chair for 25 years of the Consumer Financial Services Group, hosts the discussion.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has become the latest federal agency in the Trump administration's crosshairs. On Friday, unelected billionaire Elon Musk and his minions gained access to the CFPB's computer systems. That same day, the White House named Russell Vought, the newly confirmed head of the Office of Management and Budget and longtime opponent of the CFPB, as the agency's new acting director. The next day, Vought ordered CFPB staffers to halt all work and to close the office, effectively shuttering the independent agency created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Helaine Olen, managing editor at the American Economic Liberties Project and a contributing columnist at MSNBC, explains why shuttering the CFPB would be bad for average Americans.And in headlines: Trump doubles down on his plan to kick Palestinians out of Gaza, a federal judge says the White House has defied his order to unfreeze billions in federal grants, and the president slaps a 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports.Show Notes:Check out Helaine Olen's piece – https://tinyurl.com/4h97vk99Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday
The Trump administration's newly installed acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief Russell Vought is closing the agency and has ordered staff to halt all work. WSJ's Brian Schwartz explores what the agency does and why it's become the next target for Trump allies like Vought and Elon Musk. Further Listening: - Trump 2.0: Less Foreign Aid, More Tariffs - Inside USAID as Elon Musk and DOGE Ripped It Apart - Trump's Tariff Whiplash Further Reading: - CFPB to Close Office After Vought Tells Staff to Halt All Supervision - Russell Vought Taking Over as New Acting Head of CFPB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought on Saturday halted new funding to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and temporarily shut down its headquarters. It's the latest effort by Vought, a Project 2025 architect, to tear down the so-called “deep state” of bureaucrats who could object to Trump's policies. Vought is also fixed on expanding the powers of the executive branch in relation to the legislative branch, supporting a presidential power to claw back funds already allocated by Congress. We'll talk about what Vought's tenure as OMB director will mean for the future of federal funding. Guests: Megan Messerly, White House reporter, Politico James C. Capretta, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; former associate director at the White House Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush Bob Bauer, professor of practice and distinguished scholar in residence, New York University School of Law; co-author of “After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency”; White House Counsel to President Barack Obama (2009-2011)
Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com
A federal judge in Rhode Island says the Trump administration didn’t comply with a court order to unfreeze federal funds. Yesterday Vice President J.D. Vance said, “Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power.” Russell Vought is known in conservative circles for being an architect of Project 2025. Now he has the job to implement its goals of remaking the government. “I Am Ready, Warden,” nominated for an Oscar, follows John Henry Ramirez in the days before he was executed in Texas for murder. It also spotlights the sons of both Ramirez and his victim. Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave, Primal Scream and other artists have produced new music compilations, including “Los Angeles Rising,” to help survivors of the recent LA fires.
Today's podcast show is a repurposing of Alan Kaplinsky's “fireside chat” with Matthew J. Platkin, the New Jersey Attorney General, which was the first half of a webinar we produced on January 17, 2025. That webinar was Part 3 of our webinar series entitled “The Impact of the Election on the CFPB and Others.” In Part 3, we focus on the role of state attorneys general in a rapidly shifting CFPB environment. The importance of Part 3 is underscored by the recent actions taken by President Trump to fire Rohit Chopra as Director of the CFPB and to appoint new Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, and then new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, Russell Vought, as Acting Directors. Messrs, Bessent, and Vought have essentially temporarily stopped all activities of the CFPB for the time being. During our “fireside chat” with General Platkin, we discussed the following topics, among others: 1. What is General Platkin's background, including his stint as Chief Counsel to the New Jersey Governor? 2. Since General Platkin has been New Jersey Attorney General, what are some examples of the consent orders or lawsuits he has initiated related to consumer financial services? 3. Has the New Jersey Attorney General previously collaborated with the CFPB and/or FTC in investigating certain companies or segments of the consumer financial services industry, and is that likely to change? 4. What effect will there be on consumers in New Jersey if President Trump appoints (as he did) an Acting Director of the CFPB whose interpretation and enforcement of federal consumer protection laws differs markedly from Rohit Chopra? 5. What will the New Jersey Attorney General's office do in response to this anticipated shifting CFPB environment? 6. Elon Musk has called for the deletion of the CFPB and Project 2025 has also called for the elimination of the CFPB. If that were to happen, what would the New Jersey Attorney General's office do to fill this anticipated void? 7. We then looked beyond New Jersey to other state attorney general's offices similarly situated to the New Jersey Attorney General office – who will have the need to initiate more cases when resources are limited. We discussed how state Attorney General's (including the New Jersey Attorney General) have networked with each other to investigate and sue companies that are violating consumers' rights in multiple states. We then discussed why it is anticipated that the networking process is likely to increase. 8. The areas of consumer financial protection law and segments of the consumer financial services industry that will be areas of focus for the New Jersey Attorney General during 2025? Our next episode will be the second half of our January 17 webinar in which several of our colleagues will explore in depth why we expect state Attorney General's offices to significantly ramp up their investigations involving and lawsuits filed against banks and other consumer financial services providers. Parts 1, 2 and 3 of our webinar series appear here, here, and here. Our podcast shows (repurposing Parts 1 and 2 of our webinar series) appear here, here, here, and here. The title of Part 1 is: “The Impact of the election on the CFPB: Regulations and other written guidance, which featured Alan Kaplinsky's “fireside chat” with David Silberman who held senior positions at the CFPB for almost 10 years during the Directorships of Cordray, Mulvaney, and Kraninger. Part 2 is: “The Impact of the Election on the CFPB: Supervision and Enforcement, which featured Alan Kaplinsky's “fireside chat” with former Director Kathy Kraninger during Trump‘s first term in office.
The Automotive Troublemaker w/ Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
Shoot us a Text.On this Tuesday, we take a look at how Stellantis is adjusting to live post-Carlos Tavares and what that means for its brands. Plus, a closer look at the Trump administration's fight against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the potential end of the United States penny.Show Notes with links:Stellantis is making a significant course correction across its North American brands, rethinking its aggressive push toward full electrification. As their search for a CEO continues, the company is emphasizing consumer choice, with previously planned EV models now on hold or outright canceled.Alfa Romeo has abandoned its all-electric goal by 2027, instead opting for a multi-energy strategy.Chrysler put its upcoming EV crossover on hold and plans to refresh the Pacifica with hybrid and electric options.Dodge kept the Hemi Hellcat roaring in the Durango for 2025, even as it rolled out the electric Charger Daytona.Fiat saw a boost in U.S. sales after launching the redesigned 500e but isn't chasing volume.Jeep kicked off a $3.2B product blitz, including its first EVs for North America: the Wagoneer S and Wrangler-inspired Recon.Maserati is sticking to its plan for an all-electric future by 2028, but changes are expectedRam delayed the 1500 REV electric pickup to 2026, favoring the range-extending 1500 Ramcharger instead.Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Washington, D.C., after the newly installed acting director, Russell Vought, ordered all agency employees to stay home. The move is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration and Elon Musk to dismantle the consumer watchdog.Musk's Department of Government Efficiency took control of CFPB systems, halting oversight of financial companies.Vought, a longtime critic of the agency, said he will seek no new funding, leaving the CFPB to operate on its $700M reserves.The CFPB targeted dealer-arranged financing in 2013, arguing that interest rate markups disproportionately harmed minority buyers, but auto dealers successfully lobbied Congress to repeal the rule in 2018. Under Democratic leadership, the agency later ramped up oversight of auto lenders, focusing on junk fees, repossessions, and credit reporting violations.The American penny, a staple of pocket change since 1792, may soon become history. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Mint to stop producing new pennies, citing the cost of making them—nearly four times their face value—as wasteful government spending.Each penny costs 3.69 cents to mint, leading to an $85.3M loss in 2024 alone.Proponents argue the penny is outdated, with former U.S. Mint Director Philip Diehl calling it a burden to commerce.Opponents worry about “rounding tax” effects, where retailers may round up prices, and charities losing out on small-change donations.Congress technically controls currency specifications, but experts say Trump's order could stand, leading to a potential shortage.The zinc industry has lobbied to keep the penny, as their businessHosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email
Donald Trump and Russell Vought of OMB shut down the CFPB. Plus, USAID had been spending money providing legal assistance for transgender refugees and much more. Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content.
On this week's episode of 'The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart': Battling the Bromance. President Trump sings the praises of First Buddy Elon Musk in a new interview but Democrats at every level are fighting back, most effectively in the courts. I'll ask Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford about his recent legal victory and the stunning reaction from Vice President JD Vance. Then, I'll ask Rep. Becca Balint of the Budget Committee just how far Democrats are willing to go to stop the Trump-Musk agenda -- even if it means a government shutdown. Protest Vought: Russell Vought, Trump's Budget Director and key architect of Project 2025, is also now the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and already taking steps to undermine it. Rep. Maxine Waters, ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee, is not happy about any of this and she will tell us why. And, Oh Canada! Prime Minister Justin Trudeau doesn't think Trump's joking about making Canada the 51st state. Why this and Trump's pronouncements on Gaza, Greenland, the Panama Canal and more are detrimental to the global order America helped create, with the Atlantic's Tom Nichols. All that and more on “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.”
On this week's episode of 'The Saturday Show with Jonathan Capehart': The Resistance. From the courts to Congress, the growing pushback against President Trump and First Buddy Elon Musk, and the wrecking ball they're taking to the federal government. Joining me are three of the lawmakers helping to lead the charge, Rep. Sara Jacobs, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and Rep. Robert Garcia. Fired Up: Trump's legally dubious buyout offer to 2M government employees is on hold for now, but their future remains in jeopardy. I'll ask Rep. Suhas Subramanyam of Virginia what he's hearing from the thousands of federal workers living in his district. And Trump's Revenge: Jennifer Rubin and Ian Sams are here to talk about Trump's retribution tour, including new reporting from about who the President is banning from intelligence briefings and federal buildings. All that and more on “The Saturday Show with Jonathan Capehart.”
John interviews Marcus Baram who is Senior Reporter at Capital and Main. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Village Voice, New York magazine, and the New York Daily News. He has long documented economic inequality and the massive cuts to the social safety net Donald Trump and Russell Vought envision for America. They discuss his latest for Capital and Main - "Trump's Budget Director Pick, on Path to Confirmation, Could Hurt Millions of Working-Class Americans Including MAGA Voters". Then, John once again chats with Simon Moya-Smith and Julie Francella for their segment "We're Still Here". Simon is an Oglala Lakota and Chicano journalist. Julie is a mental health professional experienced in handling complex trauma with Indigenous youth and families. She is an enrolled member of the Ojibway of Batchewana First Nation Reserve. They talk about the racism surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs in the Superbowl and the Trump administration's desire to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza which draws parallels to the forced relocations of indigenous people in America.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If you give Elon Musk an inch, he'll take the oval office...Trump's new second-hand man is leading DOGE and ready to watch the heads roll. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong discusses his state's lawsuits against Musk and the Trump administration and where they stand. Plus, Congresswoman Madeleine Dean talks about how she and other Democratic Congresspeople are fighting to save the Department of Education.
Guests: Sen. Jeff Merkley, Norm Eisen, Barbara McQuade, Sen. Angela AlsobrooksAn architect of Project 2025 goes up for a vote in the Senate: why tonight's vote on Russell Vought is such a massive deal. Then, a stunning setback for the DOGE team as a key member of Elon Musk's staff suddenly resigns over racist internet posts. And just wait until the president hears about the great egg heist of 2025. Want more of Chris? Download and subscribe to his podcast, “Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes podcast” wherever you get your podcasts.
Joy Reid leads this edition of The ReidOut with Donald Trump's second choice for U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi, being sworn in by Clarence Thomas after vowing to end the "weaponization" of the DOJ, only to immediately launch a probe into prosecutors Jack Smith, Alvin Bragg, and Letitia James for prosecuting Trump. And, we discuss the Senate voting to confirm Russell Vought on Thursday, a self-proclaimed Christian nationalist tied to Project 2025, which Trump falsely claimed to know nothing about. Plus, Joy breaks Trump's "shock and awe" strategy in his second administration, which is designed to inspire fear and outrage, creating problems only to pretend to solve them, while keeping his base engaged as his administration dismantles the federal government. All this and more in this edition of The ReidOut on MSNBC.
Today's Headlines: Trump announced a new task force to combat “anti-Christian bias,” led by AG Pam Bondi, and signed an executive order directing agencies to identify and halt anti-Christian discrimination. A federal judge temporarily blocked the deadline for federal employees to accept the administration's buyout offer, while another judge prevented Elon Musk's DOGE team from accessing Treasury records. A DOGE staffer resigned over racist tweets, and reports suggest the team has been feeding Education Department financial data into AI software. In Congress, Russell Vought was confirmed as OMB director despite a 30-hour Democratic filibuster, while Kash Patel's FBI nomination was delayed for a week. Meanwhile, CBS released unedited 60 Minutes footage after Trump's lawsuit accusing them of election interference, but he continues to attack the network, with his FCC chair calling their actions “concerning.” Finally, a new strain of bird flu was detected in Nevada dairy cattle, adding to rising concerns over multiple emerging variants. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: After prayer breakfast, Trump creates task force to root out 'anti-Christian bias' WA Post: Judge temporarily pauses Trump administration's federal worker buyout program ABC News: DOJ agrees to proposed order to limit DOGE's access to Treasury data WSJ: Exclusive | DOGE Staffer Resigns Over Racist Posts Wired: DOGE Teen Owns ‘Tesla.Sexy LLC' and Worked at Startup That Has Hired Convicted Hackers WA Post: Elon Musk's DOGE feeds AI sensitive federal data to target cuts NBC News: Senate Republicans confirm Project 2025 co-author Russell Vought as White House budget director National Review: Senate Democrats Delay Vote on Kash Patel FBI Director Nomination CBS: 60 Minutes publishes transcripts, video requested by FCC The Guardian: Trump calls for ‘termination' of 60 Minutes in fresh attack on US media AP News: Second type of bird flu detected in US dairy cows Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Friday briefing: Trump and federal workers; Russell Vought; NCAA transgender ban; missing Bering Air plane; Super Bowl; and moreRead today's briefing.If you're not a subscriber, click here to start.
The Republican battle for the upper hand in the reconciliation debate is in full swing today. House GOP leaders are set to finally unveil their plan. Senate Republicans descend on Mar-a-Lago to woo President Donald Trump toward their own competing vision. In the balance is Trump's legislative agenda, whose plan will come out on top? Senior Congress editor Mike DeBonis walks Playbook deputy editor Zack Stanton through the possibilities. Plus, Russell Vought gets confirmed as OMB director despite Senate Dems protesting for roughly 30 hours straight. All that, and the rest of the news you need to know today.
Tonight on The Last Word: Donald Trump's Treasury Department is being sued over access granted to Elon Musk. Also, Senate Democrats speak out against OMB nominee Russell Vought. Plus, Democrats slam Trump and Musk efforts to dismantle government agencies. And Trump and Musk spread lies about USAID funding. Norm Eisen, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Sen. Raphael Warnock, and Jeremy Konyndyk join Lawrence O'Donnell.
On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on President Trump's pick for OMB director, Russell Vought. What Vought believes about rule of law in American democracy, and whether that could push the nation to ‘a post-constitutional moment.'
-- On the Show: -- Keith Edwards, host of "The Keith Edwards Show," fills in for David. Subscribe to his YouTube channel at youtube.com/@keithedwards -- Donald Trump signs an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports -- Mitch McConnell fell twice while working at the Capitol -- Trump evicts former Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan from her home citing "diversity" -- Senate Democrats speak overnight to protest the appointment of Russell Vought to Director of Office of Management and Budget -- Bill Gates mildly criticizes Elon Musk's government takeover -- Elon Musk's gutting of USAID hasn't uncovered anything groundbreaking -- Even Russia and China are opposed to Trump's plan for Gaza -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump's nominee for HHS Secretary, is caught putting blue food dye in his drink -- On the Bonus Show: 60 Minutes releases full Kamala interview, Trump reacts, and much more...
A federal judge temporarily halted the Trump administration's plan to offer buyouts to federal workers. NBC News Justice and Intelligence Correspondent Ken Dilanian, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander and NBC News Tech Reporter David Ingram join Meet the Press NOW to report on the latest developments out of the White House. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) explains the concerns he has over Trump's OMB nominee, Russell Vought. Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko discusses his assessment of the Russia-Ukraine war, and what resources the Ukrainian military needs to win.
Well, now the senate Democrats are getting the hang of it. Instead of just granting unanimous consent to end debate, allowing the Republicans to to ram through D'ump's horrendous cabinet nominees, it seems that they're finally getting in the fight. The debate began yesterday morning at 10:30am ET. They went all night long and are still going strong. The rules allow up to 30 hours of debate, so the Dems are apparently going to use every one of those hours to slow down the process. The judiciary branch - you know, one of the three CO-EQUAL branches of government has also begun stepping up to stop the convicted felon in the White House from gutting the 14th amendment, blocked Trump's co-president Leon from further accessing government databases, pushing tonight's ridiculous buyout offer for federal employees to resign, setting a new hearing for Monday. And the filibuster is delaying the vote on Project 2025 architect Russell Vought's nomination to be the new Budget Director. And there's more... It's Thursday, so Howie Klein joins us from DownWithTyranny.com and the Blue America PAC to weigh in on what he's writing about at DWT too.
Reaction to President Trump's saying the U.S. will take “ownership” in redeveloping Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East"; Attorney General Pam Bondi is sworn-in after the Senate voted to confirm her on a near party-line vote; President Trump signs an executive order to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls' and women's sports teams by withholding federal money for schools and colleges that allow it; Senate votes to advance the nomination of Russell Vought for White House Budget Director, with Senate Democrats planning to speak against the nominee on the Senate floor for 30 hours straight before the confirmation vote Thursday night; Democrats on the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee try and fail to subpoena Elon Musk to testify about the actions of the quasi-governmental Dept of Government Efficiency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
지난주 비행기 사고 전까지 단연 가장 큰 뉴스였던 백악관 예산관리국(OMB)의 연방 정부의 각종 보조, 지원 프로그램 예산 동결 메모가 어떤 의미를 지니는지 자세히 짚어봤습니다. 이틀 만에 메모를 철회하면서 일단은 없던 일이 됐지만, 트럼프 대통령은 몇 번이고 기회를 노려 예산 관리 권한을 행정부로 가져오려 할 겁니다. 예산관리국장 러셀 보트(Russell Vought)에 대한 상원 전체 투표는 이르면 이번주 예정돼 있습니다.
On today's Top News in 10, we cover: Americans search for answers about Wednesday night's fatal plane crash. Tulsi Gabbard faced Senate scrutiny on Thursday during her confirmation hearing to be Director of National Intelligence. Kash Patel had his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday to serve as President Donald Trump's FBI director. Senate Democrats on the Budget Committee boycotted the meeting to advance the nomination of Russell Vought. Meta will pay President Donald Trump $25 million for suspending his Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021. Trump issues executive orders on education . Links From Today's Show: Keep Up With The Daily Signal Sign up for our email newsletters: https://www.dailysignal.com/email Subscribe to our other shows: The Tony Kinnett Cast: https://www.dailysignal.com/the-tony-kinnett-cast Problematic Women: https://www.dailysignal.com/problematic-women The Signal Sitdown: https://www.dailysignal.com/the-signal-sitdown Follow The Daily Signal: X: https://x.com/DailySignal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/ Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DailySignal Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/TheDailySignal Thanks for making The Daily Signal Podcast your trusted source for the day's top news. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with Jason Koebler of 404 Media to discuss big tech's influence on the Trump administration and efforts to decentralize social media. Then, she speaks with Nayna Gupta, policy director at the American Immigration Council, to discuss the Trump administration's executive orders on immigration, as well as the shutting down of the CBP One app for prospective U.S. citizens. First, Emma runs through updates on Trump's aggressive anti-immigrant push, Trump's crippling of the administrative state, the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard, Senate GOP's anti-abortion push, a major labor win for Vegas hotel workers, LA's newest brush fire, and Israel's intensifying slaughters in the West Bank, before doing a little reflecting on Russell Vought, Trump's nominee for head of the Office of Management and Budget, and his attempt to shirk answering for his proclaimed desire to “traumatize” the federal bureaucrats working for him. Jason Koebler then joins, first tackling his assessment of the still-ambiguous TikTok ban, with this past week's brief announcement of Trump's app-saving measure yet to solidify, the future of the app balancing between the hope of a passive DOJ and the potential of a US-based billionaire buyer, also touching on the potential identity of said buyer (Oracle CEO Larry Ellison). After expanding on the other domestic billionaire beneficiaries of a TikTok ban (namely Meta), Koebler and Emma shift to the topic of AI – the overwhelming focus of the Tech industry at this point – and its major struggles to meet the consumer demands of utility and affordability, before looking to the value of a decentralized approach to the Tech industry and social media in providing users a cohesive and interoperable experience. Nayna Gupta then joins as she and Emma unpack the immediate impact of Trump's devastating attacks on the US immigration system, including the despair among migrants already hindered by the Biden Administration's legally- and morally-dubious attempts to undermine the asylum system as their final (legal) path into the country – via the CBP One app process – is shut down. Expanding on this, Gupta tackles the some 200k Trump has left stranded and desperate on our border, and the absurdity of claiming this does anything but further destabilize our country and the immigration system he supposedly wants to fix, a critique also applicable to the ongoing bipartisan passage of the Laken Riley Act, concluding the interview with the need for Democrats to present a genuine alternative to Trump's border militancy – something Biden and Harris objectively failed to do – centered around effective, efficient, and humane solutions to this problem that provide an actual infrastructure for legal pathways to citizenship. And in the Fun Half: Emma is joined by Matt Binder and Brandon Sutton as they talk with Ally from New Hampshire about the inhumanity that conservatives hate to hide, and watch Eric Adams try to save his image with help from… Tucker Carlson. They also watch Newsmax try to paint the Pope as Satan-pilled over his criticisms of Trump, and speak with Emma's Honor Thesis from North Texas as they dive deep into the major role churches do and can play in community building and organizing in the American South. British Journalists and apparent Nazi sympathizer Angela Epstein defends Elon Musk's excitability and cleverness that lead to his Sieg Heil at Trump's inauguration, plus, your calls and IMs! Follow Jason on Twitter here: https://x.com/jason_koebler Check out Jason's work at 404 here: https://www.404media.co/author/jason-koebler/ Check out 404 Media's YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/@404Mediaco/videos Follow Nayna on Twitter here: https://x.com/nayna_gupta Find out more about the American Immigration Council here: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Delete Me: Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for DeleteMe. Now at a special discount for our listeners. Today get 20% off your DeleteMe plan by texting MAJORITY to 64000. That's MAJORITY to 64000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/
Tonight, Joy Reid leads this episode with Donald Trump's efforts to reshape the federal workforce through Project 2025. The program's architect, Russell Vought, has openly stated his goal of creating a “traumatically affected” environment for federal employees. This comes as Trump's allies, Enrique Tarrio and Elmer Stewart Rhodes, have regained their freedom, with Tarrio demanding retribution on Alex Jones' show and Rhodes revisiting Capitol Hill to meet his Republican backers. Meanwhile, Trump is pushing for a federal government dominated by white men, beginning with the repeal of Lyndon Johnson's 1965 Executive Order 11246, which prohibited discrimination by federal contractors. His replacement executive order, signed Tuesday, has already placed diversity, equity, and inclusion employees on paid leave. With grievances about diversity hires fueling these drastic changes, Trump's vision for America becomes increasingly clear.
Happy Friday! Sam and Emma speak with Heather Digby Parton, contributing writer at Salon.com and proprietor of the blog Hullabaloo, to round up the week in news. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on the Supreme Court's affirmation of the TikTok ban, Biden and Trump's following denunciations of said ban, Israel's ceasefire sabotage, Trump's cabinet nominees, medicare drug price negotiations, and Mike Johnson's enforcement of the Trump regime, before watching Bernie push Trump treasury pick Bessent on why he doesn't think working people deserve fair wages. Digby then joins, as she, Sam, and Emma dive right into the devastating wildfires continuing to ravage LA, and the right's immediate push to politicize the event for all of their culture war BS, targeting Newsome, Bass, and DEI, before shifting to the greater absurdity of blaming people for failing to deal with an issue (climate change) that you refuse even to acknowledge. Expanding on this latter element, Digby tackles how LA is already being set up for Big Tech disaster capitalists to swoop in, diving deep into the setup of Trump's uber-oligarchy, what Big Tech wants from the relationship, and what makes them distinct from both contemporary and historical oligarch comparisons, wrapping up the show by waxing on the horrors of a Polymarket populist future. And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma take some highlights from the hearings for Trump's Administrative nominees, including Bessent's abject fear of taxing the wealthy, Russell Vought's attempt to shirk the “has repeatedly fantasized about terrorizing bureaucratic agents” accusations, and Hegseth's utter embarrassment in the face of Elizabeth Warren. They also unpack right-wing reactionaries' attempt to pin California's forest fires on those damn meth-smoking homeless people in urban Los Angeles, plus, your calls and IMs! Follow Digby on Twitter here: https://x.com/digby56 Check out Digby's work at Salon here: https://www.salon.com/writer/heather_digby_parton Check out Hullabaloo here: https://digbysblog.net/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Express VPN: Protect your online privacy TODAY by visiting https://ExpressVPN.com/majority. That's https://ExpressVPN.com/majority and you can get an extra four months FREE. Manukora Honey: Now, it's easier than ever to try Manukora Honey. Head to https://Manukora.com/MAJORITY to get $25 off the Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook! That's https://Manukora.com/MAJORITY for $25 off your Starter Kit. Sunset Lake CBD: Sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/