Here's a tough one for ya. Rank from best to worst the following Appointments Matt Gaetz AG Pete Hegseth Dept of Defense Tulsi Gabbard Dir. of National Intelligence RFJ Jr. Dir. of HHS Kristi Noem Dir. of Homeland Security
The new Department of Government Efficiency, a group created by President-elect Donald Trump with the task of identifying ways to cut federal spending and headed by billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, is already taking resumes. The request for job applicants was posted Thursday by the new X account for DOGE, which despite its heady mission isn't an official government department. In his statement on Tuesday announcing the effort, Trump described Musk and Ramaswamy's role as providing "advice and guidance from outside of government." It's unclear where the funding for DOGE will come from or the size of its budget, as well as whether Musk, the world's richest person, and Ramaswamy, who has an estimated net worth of $1 billion, will be paid for their efforts. The Trump campaign didn't respond to a request for information.
The woman who was at the center of a yearslong Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations surrounding Rep. Matt Gaetz testified to the House Ethics Committee that the now-former Florida congressman had sex with her when she was 17 years old, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News. President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Gaetz had been tapped to serve as attorney general, overseeing the very branch of government that previously conducted its own investigation of him, which ended last year without charges being brought. Gaetz resigned from office following Trump's announcement. This came as the House Ethics Committee was in the final stages of its investigation, said sources, who added that the committee was preparing to meet this week to deliberate over whether to release a final report on the matter.
Vivek Ramaswamy, who was picked to lead the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, proposed defunding federal programs that no longer have congressional authorization - which includes money for veterans' health care, NASA and early education. Read more
Take cover, Central America!
President-elect Donald Trump chose Todd Blanche, a lawyer who represented him aggressively in his New York hush money trial and in two federal criminal cases, to serve as deputy attorney general in his next administration. Trump chose Blanche to join former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who was picked to become attorney general. The deputy is a key administrative post in the Justice Department, helping formulate and implement policies while supervising agencies such as the FBI. When Trump's first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, recused himself from investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump tried to halt Mueller's inquiry and fired Sessions after the 2018 midterm election.
As President-elect Trump rolls out his Cabinet picks, he has called on the Senate to allow for recess appointments " a process that would allow him to install officials without congressional approval. Read more
Trump picks RFK Jr. , anti-vaccine activist, for Health and Human Services secretary Read more
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison. "Forever" by Judi Blume. "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut. All have been pulled from the shelves of some Florida schools, according to the latest list compiled by the Florida Department of Education tallying books removed by local school districts.
I've heard the idea that Matt was in the closet and had a relationship with the roommate, but didn't want him to tell anyone so the roommate had "died". Has anyone seriously investigated this? Or has it been debunked?
tots and prayers mis amigos
Orange County Public Schools leaders announced Wednesday evening that two previously planned pep rallies at Jones and Evans high schools would be indefinitely postponed. The pep rallies were arranged by Orange County Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean, who was set to announce $2.1 million in scholarships to allow the students to attend Valencia College for free if they studied cybersecurity and registered to vote. The scholarships became the source of controversy on Friday, when Orange County leaders learned about them. The scholarships were not a part of the office's budget request. Read more
Donald Trump mused on Wednesday about the prospect of serving a constitutionally barred third term as president, though his Republican colleagues insist he was just joking.
The FBI on Wednesday raided the home of Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of the popular prediction betting market Polymarket. It isn't yet clear why agents entered the entrepreneur's New York City apartment at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, or whether Coplan or Polymarket are the targets of an investigation, Axios reported. The FBI reportedly roused the tech founder from his bed and seized his electronic devices, according to an unnamed source close to the situation who spoke with the New York Post. The decentralized platform allows users to place bets on a wide array of future events, including weather patterns, economic indicators, and political outcomes. It garnered mainstream attention in the run-up to the election for its odds predicting a Donald Trump victory"he was a 58 to 42 percent favorite on Polymarket a day before Election Day, CNN reported.
That effort, if successful, could give Trump far greater authority to remake the federal budget on his own, altering the balance of power between the branches of government. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump and many of his senior advisers publicly vowed to assert unilateral authority to rescind some federal funds, after Trump's attempts to block aid to Ukraine led to his impeachment during his first term.
Alex Jones was skeptical that he would survive as the face of Infowars after Wednesday's bankruptcy auction of his conspiracy news and merchandizing business, telling viewers that he desperately needed their financial support to launch a new broadcast.
