Brie-fing: March 19th, 2025
It feels like Trump’s overall message about the Federal Government is “we shouldn’t have to help you, and we don’t plan to.”
We’re in a holding pattern right now.
The country is slowly waking up to the fact that this President has no intention of following the law, but until he openly defies a court order, cooler heads will say the constitutional crisis has not begun. Unfortunately, that means we’re in a waiting period: there is plenty, PLENTY of justification for concern right this minute, but in this country, we do not declare a crisis until we see it with our eyes.
Only time will tell if that’s the right decision.
SIDE NOTE: I f**king love Ground News, in case anyone wanted to know. It’s a news aggregator that shows you the bias and factuality of each publication, so you can read the story from the Left, Right & Center. Nobody’s paying me to say this; I’m simply saying it because I think our country would be in a much better place if Ground News had A LOT more subscribers.
Anyway, digging in, it’s 8:56am:
26 attorneys general file brief in support of Trump’s deportation of gang members
The coalition of attorneys general argues that allowing the TRO (temporary restraining order) to stand “undermines public safety and national security, placing American lives at risk.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares: “The core duty of government is to protect its citizens. The President, acting within his constitutional and statutory authority, did just that by ordering the removal of TdA gang members who have no legal right to be in this country and pose a direct threat to Americans’ safety. TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization responsible for heinous crimes across the United States. The law is clear, and so is our position.”
Um, the fuck? NO your position is not clear, and I can’t overstate how deeply irresponsible all this is…
Every single solitary person that was deported to El Salvador this weekend WAS ALREADY IN CUSTODY; we already had them. They were not remotely a threat to American lives. If, and I repeat IF, these are all the violent TdA gangbangers the Trump administration claims they are (which is very much in dispute for at least one of the deportees), why all the secrecy? Why not just provide the fucking proof that they’re bad, so we can send them on their way?
HHS webpage declaring gun violence a public health crisis disappears
The advisory containing “firearm risk prevention strategies” and “mental health action and support” can no longer be found.
Deputy Press Secretary Emily Hilliard: "HHS and the Office of the Surgeon General are complying with President Trump's Executive Order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights."
Shannon Watts, Moms Demand Action Founder: "By removing this important public health advisory with lifesaving resources, President Trump has chosen to prioritize gun industry profits over protecting kids and families."
I’ll be honest, I’ve been staring at the screen trying to come up with something snarky or smart or poignant to say about this story, but I’m genuinely just… sad.
2021 saw 689 mass shooting events. 2023 saw 659 events, while 2024 had a slight drop to 503 events.
The deputy press secretary says they’re protecting Second Amendment Rights… but the solution they’ve found, apparently, is to simply delete any evidence acknowledging there’s a problem at all. That’s an EXCELLENT strategy for sending a drunk text to your ex, but it doesn’t quite pass the sniff test for this very real danger to children.
‘Buy European’: Airbus and others call for sovereign fund and higher Europe tech autonomy
“Building strategic autonomy in key sectors is now a recognised urgent imperative across Europe,” the letter from Airbus, Dassault Systemes and others said.
Signatories over 90 other European firms and lobby groups.
“Europe needs to recover the initiative, and become more technologically independent across all layers of its critical digital infrastructure: from logical Infrastructure — applications, platforms, media, AI frameworks and models — to physical Infrastructure — chips, computing, storage and connectivity,” the letter added.
Can’t say this is much of a surprise… I would imagine Europe has been debating about the ability to trust the US long term even before Trump turned everything on its head, because the vast policy changes from Bush to Obama to Trump to Biden to Trump have probably been really annoying for the world. That said, it didn’t present as an existential threat until Trump started on his bullshit. The long term ramifications will remain unknown for years, but it’s a safe bet that this fissure will be deep and long-lasting, if not permanent.
Putin agrees to halt strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure for 30 days after call with Trump
America is showing its ass here, in my opinion. Ooooh, great, no more strikes on the energy infrastructure… you’ll note that, essentially, Russia has declined the ceasefire agreement, but the USA hasn’t made threats, hasn’t issued sanctions, hasn’t pointed out that RUSSIA is 100% the one party out of three that isn’t ready to stop fighting…. And the very fact that we’re not holding their feet to the fire tells me that the US wants Russia to win. Gross. On this subject I am in opposition to my country.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty sues Trump administration for blocking funding
This is concerning an executive order the White House passed on Friday, ordering multiple agencies to “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
USAGM responded the next day by cutting grants to RFE/RL, which they argue is unlawful since the grant was appropriated by Congress.
I think it’s worth taking a look at the Executive Order passed on Friday, because it includes (in all but name) SEVEN government agencies and is bound to eliminate multiple services for We The People:
the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
Settles labor disputes and promotes peaceful employer-employee relationships through mediation, arbitration, and conflict resolution training. It prevents strikes, resolves contract negotiations, and supports stable labor relations nationwide.
the United States Agency for Global Media
Oversees U.S.-funded international broadcasting, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, promoting democracy, free press, and accurate information worldwide, particularly targeting audiences in countries with restricted media environments.
the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution
Functions as a nonpartisan research institution, providing a platform for scholars, policymakers, and experts to discuss global issues. It generates independent insights, informs policy decisions, and bridges academia with practical policy-making.
the Institute of Museum and Library Services
Supports museums and libraries nationwide by providing grants, research, policy development, and resources. It promotes cultural preservation, education, lifelong learning, and strengthens community access to knowledge and information.
the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
Coordinates federal government strategies to end homelessness through collaboration among federal, state, local agencies, and nonprofits. It creates policy, promotes best practices, and focuses resources toward sustainable housing solutions.
the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
Strengthens economically distressed communities by investing federal funds into financial institutions (banks, credit unions, nonprofits) that provide affordable lending and financial services, fueling local growth, job creation, and poverty alleviation.
the Minority Business Development Agency
Supports minority-owned businesses by providing technical assistance, networking, access to capital, contracts, and market opportunities. Its goal is to foster economic growth, competitiveness, and equality for minority entrepreneurs nationwide.
**Note: I had ChatGPT create the blurbs about what each agency does… please feel free to Google them for further info!
I think it’s important to point out… I truly DO like the idea of reducing the size of the federal government; in fact, I think Donald Trump missed a huge opportunity to bring the country together and really make a job of it, you know? It would have been a highly popular move. Unfortunately, he’s made clear he doesn’t want to build bridges.
The overarching rationale for eliminating all these agencies is that they’re redundant, and these same services can be provided more efficiently by consolidating offices, etc. I can see the merits of that argument, but the Trump administration has lost all benefit of the doubt about the veracity of its claims. Eliminate these organizations, by all means, just don’t hold your breath that ANY of these services will continue.
It feels like Trump’s overall message about the Federal Government is “we shouldn’t have to help you, and we don’t plan to.”
Judge rejects Trump administration effort to dismiss or move Mahmoud Khalil case
The Justice Department wants the case argued in Louisiana, where the judges are generally more in line with the administration’s agenda. Khalil’s lawyers argued the case should be heard in New York, where he lives and was picked up.
U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman retained the pause on Khalil’s deportation, and now the case will be transferred to New Jersey.
Compromise if ever there was one, good job judge Furman
Jackie Robinson Article Removed from Defense Department Website, Raising Concerns
They also removed pages honoring a black Medal of Honor winner and pages about Japanese American service members, but they said it was a mistake.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell: “I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this — that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, is frankly, incorrect… Our shared purpose and unity are our strength. And I say this as somebody who led a combat platoon in Afghanistan that was probably the most diverse platoon that you could possibly imagine.”
If your solution to eliminating DEI is to simply remove mentions of people of color, you are racist. There is no rational justification for this bullshit.