In a move finalized just weeks before the change in presidential administrations, the Department of the Interior proposed a two-year ban on oil and gas leasing across 264,000 acres of Nevada’s Ruby Mountains. This follows a prior rejection of a similar proposal under the Trump administration due to overwhelming public opposition and geological surveys indicating minimal oil potential. The Biden administration cites preservation of the area’s recreational value and wildlife habitat as justification. The proposal now enters a 90-day public comment period under the incoming Trump administration, which could potentially challenge the ban.
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Costco’s refusal to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, despite shareholder demands and pressure from pro-Trump groups, has sparked a threatened boycott. The company’s board defended its DEI program as aligning with its code of ethics, rejecting claims of “illegal discrimination.” This decision follows a broader conservative push, exemplified by Project 2025, to eliminate DEI programs across both the public and private sectors. Supporters of the incoming Trump administration are actively voicing their opposition and encouraging a consumer boycott of Costco.
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A Senate HELP Committee report reveals that Amazon warehouses have injury rates 30 percent higher than the industry average, a pattern consistent over seven years. This alarming statistic, coupled with evidence of Amazon manipulating injury data and prioritizing speed over worker safety, led Senator Sanders to accuse the company of accepting worker injuries as a cost of doing business. The report details how Amazon’s demanding quotas lead to musculoskeletal disorders and discourages injured workers from seeking medical care. Senator Sanders calls for Amazon to be held accountable for its practices, citing the company’s massive profits and the immense wealth of its executives as evidence of their ability to prioritize worker safety.
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A Virginia man, Brad Spafford, was granted bond on charges stemming from the discovery of over 150 homemade explosives—the largest such cache ever found by the FBI—on his property. The discovery followed a neighbor’s report and an initial arrest on an unrelated firearms charge. Prosecutors appealed the bond decision, citing Spafford’s possession of highly volatile compounds, explosive manufacturing components, and extremist materials. The investigation revealed a notebook containing recipes for military-grade explosives and online connections to far-right extremist groups. Additional charges are pending.
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Seventy-four-year-old State Court Judge Stephen Yekel was found dead in his Georgia courtroom Tuesday morning, the apparent victim of a suicide. Appointed two years prior, Judge Yekel had recently lost his reelection bid and submitted a resignation request to Governor Kemp, which was denied. His body was discovered by deputies responding to a possible suicide report; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will conduct an autopsy. The judge’s death occurred just days before the scheduled end of his term.
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A military appeals court rejected Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s attempt to nullify plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other 9/11 defendants. These agreements, reached after years of negotiations, would see the men plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. The court’s decision upholds the deals, which had been challenged by Austin citing the severity of the attacks. Austin may appeal to a civilian court, while the separate repatriation of a long-held detainee leaves 26 men remaining at Guantanamo Bay.
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Do Kwon, founder of Terraform Labs, has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to the $40 billion collapse of TerraUSD and Luna cryptocurrencies in 2022. The US alleges Kwon orchestrated a multi-billion dollar fraud, leading to significant investor losses and market turmoil. Following his arrest in Montenegro after fleeing South Korea, a protracted legal battle concluded with his extradition despite the lack of a formal extradition treaty. This marks the end of an 18-month legal process.
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Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s support for H1B visas sparked outrage among some MAGA figures, who accused them of betraying American workers. Former CNN host Don Lemon gleefully mocked this internal conflict, highlighting the hypocrisy of prioritizing border security while simultaneously supporting skilled immigration. Lemon emphasized the detrimental impact mass deportations would have on American agriculture and other industries reliant on migrant labor. This clash exposes deep divisions within the MAGA movement regarding immigration policy.
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John Q. Hosedrinker