President-elect Trump has appointed Linda McMahon as his choice for Secretary of Education. McMahon, a former WWE CEO and Small Business Administration administrator, brings extensive business and leadership experience to the role. Trump’s stated goal is to return education control to the states, potentially involving significant restructuring of the Department of Education. McMahon’s appointment could also lead to policy reversals, such as changes to Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students.
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Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham offered President-elect Trump a 1,402-acre border ranch for deportation facilities, pledging support for mass deportations, a key Trump campaign promise. The land, previously used for agriculture, is strategically located near the Rio Grande and airports. Buckingham cited the property’s ease of development and its proximity to the border as reasons for the offer, despite data contradicting claims of high crime rates among immigrants. The offer follows Trump’s announced plans to use the military to assist in widespread deportations.
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The North Carolina House passed a bill allocating $227 million in Hurricane Helene relief, but it also includes provisions significantly curtailing the power of incoming Democratic leaders. These unrelated provisions restrict the attorney general’s authority, alter the State Board of Elections’ composition, and eliminate several state commissions. The bill bypassed standard legislative processes, sparking criticism from Democrats who labeled it a partisan power grab. Despite some Republican dissent, the bill advanced, potentially facing a gubernatorial veto.
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The assertion that “the wokes lost it” for the Democrats is fundamentally flawed, relying on a misrepresentation of the 2024 campaign and ignoring the overwhelming evidence of voter dissatisfaction with the economy. Neither Biden nor Harris ran on explicitly “woke” platforms, and any impact from isolated issues like transgender rights was minimal compared to widespread economic anxieties. The party’s failure stems from a lack of a compelling economic platform, not a focus on social justice issues. A successful strategy would involve embracing economic populism, framing class struggle as central, and uniting voters against economic elites rather than focusing on cultural divisions.
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Senate Democrats successfully confirmed several Biden judicial nominees due to the absence of key Republican senators, including JD Vance and Marco Rubio. This sparked outrage among Republicans, with senators like John Kennedy and Thom Tillis criticizing their colleagues’ lack of attendance. The absences allowed Democrats to secure lifetime appointments for judges, a development condemned by the Wall Street Journal and prominent figures like Ron DeSantis. The missed votes, attributed to various reasons including meetings with Donald Trump and attendance at a SpaceX launch, highlight a failure by Republicans to maintain a quorum and effectively oppose the nominations.
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President-elect Trump aims to end birthright citizenship via executive order, mandating at least one US citizen parent for automatic citizenship and denying benefits to children of two undocumented parents. Legal experts overwhelmingly believe this action would violate the 14th Amendment and the precedent set by *United States v. Wong Kim Ark*, rendering it likely unsuccessful in court. The proposed order could affect millions of children in mixed-status families, disproportionately impacting those of Mexican and Central American descent. Ending birthright citizenship would require a constitutional amendment, a politically improbable feat.
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Late-night hosts skewered Donald Trump’s rapid and unconventional cabinet selection process, described by some as a “White House Tinder” system, highlighting the appointment of controversial figures like Matt Gaetz. They criticized Republicans’ apparent willingness to overlook ethical concerns and exploit loopholes to protect Trump’s agenda, contrasting this with Democrats’ perceived inaction. The hosts emphasized the hypocrisy of Republicans’ silence on Gaetz’s alleged sex trafficking investigation, and the overall disregard for established norms and procedures. This contrasted sharply with the hosts’ depictions of Democrats’ approaches, which were characterized as ineffective.
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President-elect Trump’s proposed tax cuts, heavily favoring the wealthy, would be offset by cuts to social safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Advisers are considering stricter work requirements and spending caps for these programs, potentially impacting millions of low-income Americans. This plan would exacerbate existing inequality, as the tax cuts would disproportionately benefit the richest 5%, while the cuts to social programs would harm the poorest. The proposed changes include increased Medicaid eligibility checks and limitations on SNAP benefits, risking the loss of healthcare and food assistance for many vulnerable families.
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President-elect Trump has nominated Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Oz, a former heart surgeon and unsuccessful Senate candidate, will collaborate with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, to address the “illness industrial complex.” This nomination, if confirmed by the Senate, would place Oz in charge of programs providing health insurance to over half the U.S. population, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. This appointment follows other Trump nominations of well-known media figures.
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The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a sanctuary city ordinance, codifying existing protections for immigrants by prohibiting city resources from being used for immigration enforcement and preventing information sharing with federal authorities. This measure, supported by Mayor Bass, aims to protect immigrant communities and ensure they can safely report crimes without fear of deportation. While the city already largely avoids cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the ordinance formally enshrines these protections into law, mirroring similar state-level legislation in California. The ordinance’s passage comes in anticipation of potential increased immigration enforcement under the current administration.
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John Q. Hosedrinker