The Political Thread

[Emb]

Imagine what the US will look like in 2029.

 

[Chris]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-confirms-trumps-nominee-pam-bondi-attorney-general-2025-02-05/

The Republican-led U.S. Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as the new U.S. attorney general on Tuesday, propelling one of President Donald Trump's staunchest political allies to the top perch of American law enforcement.

The 54-46 vote to confirm of the former Florida state attorney general will help Trump solidify his control over the U.S. Justice Department, which has recently seen sweeping cuts targeting prosecutors and FBI agents who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by the president's supporters.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman joined all 53 Republicans in voting for Bondi.

 

[Grimoire Lenin]

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-confirms-trumps-nominee-pam-bondi-attorney-general-2025-02-05/

The Republican-led U.S. Senate confirmed Pam Bondi as the new U.S. attorney general on Tuesday, propelling one of President Donald Trump's staunchest political allies to the top perch of American law enforcement.

The 54-46 vote to confirm of the former Florida state attorney general will help Trump solidify his control over the U.S. Justice Department, which has recently seen sweeping cuts targeting prosecutors and FBI agents who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by the president's supporters.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman joined all 53 Republicans in voting for Bondi.

Respectively, Fetterman is a fucking dumbass.

 

[Chris]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/04/usps-suspends-china-packages-shein-temu/

The U.S. Postal Service abruptly suspended inbound package shipments from China and Hong Kong on Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s trade war began in earnest.

Trump allowed a tariff increase of 10 percentage points on Chinese imports to take effect Tuesday morning after backing off plans to levy duties on Canada and Mexico. Beijing responded with retaliatory measures including 15 percent tariffs on imports of U.S. coal, liquefied natural gas, agricultural equipment and other goods.

The vast majority of goods shipped from China arrive outside the mail system, but Trump’s order specifically eliminated a “de minimis” tariff exemption for small quantities of items and low-value items, including those shipped through a postal service. That exemption covered items worth less than $800.

 

[Grimoire Lenin]

 

[Chris]

USAID direct hires put on leave worldwide, except those deemed essential

The Trump administration is placing U.S. Agency for International Development direct-hire staffers around the world on leave, except those deemed essential.

apnews.com

The Trump administration is placing U.S. Agency for International Development direct-hire staffers around the world on leave except those deemed essential, upending the aid agency’s six-decade mission overseas.

A notice posted online Tuesday gives the workers 30 days to return home. The move had been rumored for several days and was the most extreme of several proposals considered for consolidating the agency into the State Department. Other options had included closures of smaller USAID missions and partial closures of larger ones.

Thousands of USAID employees already had been laid off and programs worldwide shut down after President Donald Trump imposed a sweeping freeze on foreign assistance. In the space of a few weeks, Trump political appointees and Elon Musk’s budget-slashing Department of Government Efficiency have dismantled the aid agency despite outcry from Democratic lawmakers.