The Political Thread

[Chris]

Trump administration live updates: Ukraine agrees to partial ceasefire plan after Trump and Zelenskyy call

Live updates and the latest news as Zelenskyy plans to speak with Trump about a ceasefire and the administration faces a deadline to answer a judge's deportation questions.

www.nbcnews.com

The Trump administration and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Ukraine has agreed to move forward with a partial ceasefire with Russia, which President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had discussed a day earlier.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz said that after Trump spoke to Zelenskyy by phone Wednesday morning, the two leaders agreed “on a partial ceasefire against energy,” according to a joint statement released by the White House.

Zelenskyy wrote in a lengthy post on X, “One of the first steps toward fully ending the war could be ending strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure. I supported this step, and Ukraine confirmed that we are ready to implement it.”

 

[Samoa Looch]

Minnesota GOP Sen. Justin Eichorn arrested after alleged attempt to solicit minor for sex, police say

Police in the Twin Cities say a Grand Rapids man, who is a state senator, has been arrested for allegedly trying to solicit sex from a minor.

www.cbsnews.com

Oh look at that, one of the authors of this stupid thing caught being an pedophile.

not a drag queen or an immigrant - as usual a white republican. always projection with these pedos

trump is a pedo too

Gonna be pardoned before Trump's presidency ends.

 

[Comrade Khan]

Russia will break it within 24 hours

 

[Samoa Looch]

Like I said couple of days ago...

Russia already laid down the base for breaking it... I think yesterday or Monday?

 

[Samoa Looch]

Ben & Jerry's alleges its CEO was unlawfully removed by its parent company, Unilever, in retaliation for the ice cream maker's social and political activism.

Ben & Jerry's alleges parent company Unilever removed its CEO over social activism

Ben & Jerry’s says its CEO was unlawfully removed by its parent company, Unilever, in retaliation for the ice cream maker’s social and political activism.

apnews.com

Was only a matter of time something like this would happen.

 

[Chris]

Jury finds Greenpeace must pay hundreds of millions in case over Dakota Access protest activities

A North Dakota jury has found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

apnews.com

A North Dakota jury on Wednesday found Greenpeace liable for defamation and other claims brought by a pipeline company in connection with protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The nine-person jury awarded Dallas-based Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

The lawsuit had accused Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc. of defamation, trespass, nuisance, civil conspiracy and other acts.

 

[Grim]

Yikes

 

[Samoa Looch]

Okay, so there was the hearing for the US Institute of Peace situation today and there is a whole thread about it on BlueSky:



This is basically what it came down to:

Judge Howell denies the temporary restraining order, because she fears the DOGE people wouldn't comply with her orders and it might turn into an "armed standoff". ... that's a fuckin' shit precedence she is setting with that.

 

[Grim]

Well if it's an armed standoff they want, let them try, you idiot

 

[Chris]

L.A. city budget shortfall grows to nearly $1 billion, with layoffs 'nearly inevitable'

Faced with a nearly $1-billion budget shortfall, the Los Angeles City Council met behind closed doors to take a fresh look at its salary agreements with labor unions.

www.latimes.com

L.A.’s financial problems exploded into a full-blown crisis on Wednesday, with the city’s top budget official announcing that next year’s shortfall is now just shy of $1 billion, making layoffs “nearly inevitable.”

City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo advised the City Council to focus on cost-cutting measures, including a potential reduction in the size of the workforce, to bring the budget into balance for 2025-26.

Pay raises for city employees that are scheduled to go into effect in the coming budget year are expected to consume an additional $250 million. On top of that, Szabo said, the city needs to put hundreds of millions into its reserve fund, which has been drained in recent months in an attempt to balance this year’s budget.

 

[Samoa Looch]

Bluesky

bsky.app

Tomorrow, we expect Trump is going to sign an Executive Order claiming to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education.

Reminder: Trump does not have the legal authority to destroy a cabinet department; reporting on the EO as if he does have that power is both inaccurate and unethical.

 

[Grim]

 

[Chris]

Bluesky

bsky.app

It's done

Trump signs executive order to dramatically shrink education department – live

President flanked by children as he signs DoE executive order

www.theguardian.com

 

[Grim]

They were held hostage, I believe.

 

[Samoa Looch]

Linda's gonna fire everyone in Vince's style, isn't she... including herself