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Brink

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  1. 2025 in the United States once again, I am thanking @Ollie for starting this while he was on the AB. January January 2nd - Heightened security measures were ordered in Washington D.C. for the election certification on January 6th, the fourth anniversary of January 6th, 2021, where supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol to stop the election certification of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. January 3rd - The 119th Congress convenes following the 2024 Elections. Hakeem Jeffries was elected as the 57th Speaker of the House, becoming the first African American to become Speaker. Butch Elroy was elected by Republicans to become the Senate Majority Leader, replacing outgoing Mitch McConnell. John Starnes was elected Senate Minority Leader, replacing outgoing Chuck Schumer. January 6th - Congress formally certified the 2024 Presidential election. With all votes tabulated, Leah Ross was the certified victor of the Presidential election, with Corey McKnight certified as the winner as Vice President. Justin Casanova-Davis won the popular vote. January 14th - President-elect Leah Ross unveiled her cabinet selections. Controversy erupted at the choice of Allen West to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) due to past comments casting doubt on the legitimacy of the 2021 election, along with his lack of law enforcement experience. January 20th - Leah Ross is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. Corey McKnight becomes the first African American man to hold the office of Vice President. January 21st - The 2025 Women's March is held organized by celebrities such as Chrissy Tiegen, Rachel Cook, and Debra Messing. Several prominent Democrats made appearances as well, including DNC Chairman Jon Krol and Georgia Senator Naomi Wolfe. President Leah Ross declared a national emergency on the southern border, declared January 21st as National Women's Day, instituted a regulatory freeze, and rolled back several Biden Executive Orders expanding access to abortion. January 23rd - A Capitol Hill staffer collapsed in the Capitol Halls requiring emergency responders to take her away in an ambulance. This sparked significant debate surrounding unionization of Congressional staff members. January 27th - Vice President Corey McKnight swore in both his and President Ross's successors in the U.S. Senate. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Nancy Mace, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Byron Donalds to fill the unexpired terms. January 29th - The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced plans to use artificial intelligence technology within its 122 institutions across the United States. Areas where AI might be utilized include Inmate Classification and Monitoring, Biometric Identification, Automated Inmate Management, and Contraband Detection. January 30th - President Leah Ross's cabinet continued to draw controversy from Democrats and even some Republicans. Democrats successfully tanked public opinion on the nominations, with 45.69% of those surveyed expressing an overall negative opinion of the Ross cabinet selections. February February 2nd - President Leah Ross visited the U.S.-Mexico border and gave remarks alongside Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The visit was scheduled in line with the roll out of Ross' border security bill in the Senate. February 6th - The Stop Campus Hate Act was pulled from consideration by the U.S. Senate after Democrats passed an amendment to expand the protections in the bill to every protected class. Republican support for the legislation dropped to 45%. February 9th - The Miami Dolphins win Super Bowl LIX defeating the San Francisco 49ers 28-21. This marked the first time the Miami Dolphins won a Super Bowl since 1974. February 12th - Taylor Swift completed her rerecording project, releasing her original self-titled debut album 'Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version)', the final of her six rerecorded albums after a highly publicized dispute with her former record label. February 17th - President Leah Ross began hosting inflation discussions at the White House with congressional leadership. In an opening statement, she laid out five pillars for discussion: government spending, taxes, regulation, revitalizing industry, and securing the border. She also famously called for a $1 trillion reduction in government spending while saying that she would let Congress figure out how to cut the spending. February 22nd - The 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference concludes with an anemic turnout. The conference was headlined by former Presidential Candidate Douglas Butcher and Senator Owen Ackerman. March March 1st - The 2025 Netroots Nation convention concluded. The atmosphere, according to attendees, was electric. Several prominent Democrats were in attendance, including Camilo deSonido, Janica Kamaka, and Naomi Wolfe. This led to the convention being considered a fundraising triumph. March 8th - With the anti-semitism issue dropped by the GOP, public opinion on the issue collapsed for them. 40.9% said they trusted Democrats to more adequately address anti-semitism in the United States versus 36.1% who trusted Republicans. March 15th - The Securing America’s Borders, Communities, and Allies Act appeared to be dead, as strong political headwinds on the immigration issue continued to prevail. March 18th - President Leah Ross signed an executive order to discontinue the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Carbon. The order also set a unified environmental review process for major infrastructure projects. This allowed for increased control over regulatory timelines to ensure expedient and effective project completion. March 20th - Polling from the Pew Research Center revealed that 47.5% of Americans support the Securing America’s Borders, Communities, and Allies Act while 44.2% were against. Additionally, Democrats held a 2.9% advantage in the generic congressional ballot. March 22nd - POLITICO reported on copies of communications between Republican and Democratic leadership. According to an anonymous Republican Senator, these communications were evidence that Senate Majority Leader John Starnes was “refusing to negotiate” March 24th - Senate Majority Leader Butch Elroy held a press conference where he expressed frustration with the Senate Democrats' leadership, particularly Senate Minority Leader John Starnes. March 25th - Senate Minority Leader John Starnes held a press conference in response to Elroy's where he refuted claims of Democratic obstruction and delay. He criticized the Republicans source material for their inflation proposals as an inadequate basis for legislation. March 27th - On the Pat McAfee Show, New York Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers floated the idea of running for Mayor of New York City. March 28th - The Applegate Hour, hosted by Wayne Applegate, published its debut episode on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and other podcasting platforms. The former Democratic presidential candidate and Mayor of Las Vegas used the first episode to rip President Leah Ross's cabinet selections and the selection of Nancy Mace to serve in the U.S. Senate. March 31st - President Leah Ross signed an executive order to eliminate the Gender Policy Council and establish a special assistant for life and family to coordinate and lead the President’s domestic priorities on issues related to life and family in cooperation with the Domestic Policy Council. April April 2nd - The Oval Uncensored Podcast published its debut episode on the White House's YouTube channel as well as Apple and Spotify. While many characterized it as a unique and clever avenue to tap into the electorate, many Democrats derided the podcast as a platform for the President to "tell bald-faced lies about her anti-woman agenda". April 3rd - A riot broke out at a medium security federal correctional institution outside of Florence, Colorado. Three deaths were reported, two were of staff members and one was of an inmate. The Bureau of Prisons also announced they would be pausing the use of AI in federal correctional institutions until a review was conducted. April 7th - President Leah Ross signed three executive orders to overhaul federal employee policies. She described the orders in a speech as a "holistic approach to reforming federal labor management and workforce accountability." Senate progressives called the order a major red flag for workers. April 9th - President Leah Ross signed a memorandum ordering the Bureau of Prisons to implement strategies to prevent further riots at agency facilities. This came in response to the prison riot on April 3rd. Some experts in the artificial intelligence field later questioned if the order itself was written in part by artificial intelligence. April 11th - Senate Majority Leader Butch Elroy established a special committee into the Use and Governance of Artificial Intelligence to investigate the role artificial intelligence had, if any, into the April 3rd prison riot. April 14th - White House Press Secretary Dana White held a press briefing to ask Congress to pass the Securing America’s Borders, Communities, and Allies Act. The White House also published a statement from President Leah Ross. April 17th - President Leah Ross held a press availability in the White House Rose Garden where she, with Vice President Corey McKnight alongside, signed an executive order to repeal the popular Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. She then began a 22-minute walk to Capitol Hill, intending to reach a deal with Democrats to pass the Securing America’s Borders, Communities, and Allies Act. Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus held a press briefing shortly after Ross arrived to criticize the President's revocation of DACA protections, alleging a lack of understanding and sincerity in negotiations. During that briefing, they also announced the introduction of the For All of America Immigration Reform Act, their own immigration proposal. Ross left Capitol Hill after waiting for an hour and a half, returned to the White House, and partially rolled back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program repeal. April 20th - In a New York Times editorial, New Jersey Senator Donato Vinachelli condemned the nomination of Carly Fiorina for Secretary of Labor. Vinachelli referred to the nomination as "everything that is wrong with the [Ross] Administration" April 22nd - The Senate Domestic Affairs and Judiciary Committee voted to advance the cabinet nominations of Carly Fiorina, Mayra Flores, and David Perdue along party lines. April 24th - Attorney General Shane Ewing fired Bureau of Prisons Director Colette S. Peters in response to the April 3rd prison riot. April 27th - The Almost Halfway Review of 2025 was published in various news outlets. It painted not so swell pictures for leaders on both sides of the aisle with President Leah Ross polling at 41% approval and Senate Minority Leader John Starnes polling at 37% approval. Republicans also took back the lead in the generic congressional ballot, however, by only one point. April 28th - Inflation fell below 3% for the first time since 2020, according to the United States Treasury Department. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters that he did not expect any interest rate cuts for the time being. April 29th - Axios reported on a copy of an alleged response from Senate Minority Leader John Starnes to bipartisan border talks. This response was given to Axios by a source inside the office of Vice President Corey McKnight. Later polling revealed that Americans were neither impressed by the response or the fact that the Vice President's office leaked it. May May 1st - Senate Minority Leader John Starnes and Senate Majority Leader Owen Ackerman agreed to hold talks with each other and other members of Senate leadership on immigration and border security. Notably left out of the talks was the White House. Earlier in the day, on an episode of the White House's Oval Uncensored podcast, President Leah Ross floated the idea of beginning mass deportations if the Securing America’s Borders, Communities, and Allies Act wasn't passed soon. May 5th - The Wall Street Journal reported that the median price for an existing home eclipsed $400,000, with the median price for rent having increased to above $1,425. POLITICO also reported that a record number of congressmen now live in their offices on Capitol Hill. This is reportedly due to high housing costs and crime in Washington D.C. May 6th - President Leah Ross nominated Abel Burke to be Secretary of State and appointed Adam Vargas to be White House Chief of Staff. Those two replaced Aaron Rabin and Michael Allen who both recently resigned for separate personal reasons. May 8th - Secretary of Education Larry Arnn announced investigations on the grounds of Title VI into 13 universities and two school districts across the United States. May 9th - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration reported a $4.5 billion funding shortfall for the Artemis Moon Exploration Program. This meant that scheduled missions to the Moon in October of 2025 and 2026 were now in jeopardy. May 11th - CNN reported that American bison herds hit a new high. More than 500,000 Plains Bison were now confirmed to be in existence thanks to decades of conservation. May 12th - President Leah Ross bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the 13 original Freedom Riders and signed the Freedom Riders Congressional Gold Medal Act into law. May 13th - Senate Minority Leader John Starnes, Senate Majority Leader Owen Ackerman, and members of congressional leadership reached a deal on immigration. The group introduced the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act before the Senate and held a short press conference in the late hours of the night to announce the deal. The Washington Post released a summary of the deal (pre-spin) and experts interviewed called the deal "the most impressive piece of bipartisan legislation in recent memory". May 14th - President Leah Ross signed the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act into law. This marked the first policy signed into law from the 119th Congress. May 16th - Sources told Axios that the entire White House communications team, led by Press Secretary Dana White, was being investigated for allegedly leaking classified information from a Gang of Eight briefing on X. Pictures were published by CNN showing boxes being removed from the West Wing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. May 19th - The Social Security Administration released new estimates showing that the Social Security Trust Fund will run out by 2030, forcing an estimated benefit cut of 24% beginning in 2031. May 21st - Indictments were filed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado in response to the April 4th prison riot outside of Florence, Colorado. They marked the first time that the Ross Administration has authorized seeking the death penalty against a criminal defendant. May 23rd - The United States Senate voted to close debate on President Leah Ross's outstanding cabinet nominations of Abel Burke, Carly Fiorina, Mayra Flores, and David Perdue. Fiorina, Flores, and Perdue had more disapprovals than approvals in polling, based on Democrats' successful spin of the nominations, while Burke had high favorables, but also high undecideds. May 27th - The Department of Justice charged National Security Council communications assistant Nathaniel Miller with violating the Espionage Act in connection to a tweet from White House Press Secretary Dana White. This was directly in connection to the investigation started on May 16th. May 29th - When asked about the death penalty indictments on May 21st, Senator Daniel Hunt (R-Alabama) told POLITICO's Sarah Ferris that "He deserves to be shot or gassed whatever to kill him quickly." May 31st - Members of the Democratic leadership held a press conference to unveil the Debt Ceiling Limit Extension Act of 2025. Senate Minority Leader John Starnes invited members of the Republican leadership (sans the White House) to join discussions on the issue. During the Q&A session, they expressed a commitment to a clean extension, stating that amendments could be seen as attempts to politicize the issue. June June 1st - Due to a routine medical procedure and being under general anesthetic, President Leah Ross (R-Florida) temporarily handed off the duties of the Presidency to Vice President Corey McKnight for a few weeks. June 3rd - The Department of Justice declined to bring charges against White House Press Secretary Dana White in connection to a tweet on her X account that leaked classified investigation. The Department of Justice issued charges against a National Security Council staffer on May 27th. June 5th - Gallup released a poll showing that Americans trusted Democrats more to deliver affordable housing than Republicans. June 6th - The New York Times reported on a new TikTok trend where conservative influencers cast doubt on the death of Donald Trump. June 8th - The Oklahoma City Thunder won their first NBA championship since the team was in Seattle, beating the Milwaukee Bucks in a six game series. June 10th - Senate Republicans moved for cloture on the Jeremy Larson-Donald Holt Violent Crime Prevention and Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act. The New York Times published a lengthy article explaining the legislation section by section and covering the debate in the Senate up until that point. June 12th - Acting President Corey McKnight delivered a speech introducing the White House's deficit reduction plan: the PROSPER Act. June 16th, 17th, and 18th - Acting President Corey McKnight went to Morehouse College, Spellman College, and Kitteridge Magnet School as a part of the White House's effort to promote the PROSPER Act. June 17th - Paramount has begun production on 'Top Gun 3: Maverick's Horizon'. Tom Cruise, 62, is returning to the titular role in the newest edition of the franchise. Paramount was planning to release the film in time for the Christmas season. June 19th - President Leah Ross re-assumed the duties of the presidency after her recent routine medical procedure. June 24th - President Leah Ross announced the PROSPER Act and other legislation would be withdrawn from Senate consideration. PROSPER was officially withdrawn a few weeks later. Ross also extended an invitation to congressional leaders for discussions on Medicare solvency at the White House. June 25th - President Leah Ross signed the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act into law at a White House ceremony including Vice President Corey McKnight, Senate Majority Leader Owen Ackerman, Senate Minority Leader John Starnes, House Speaker Hakeem Jefferies, and Senate Minority Whip Janice Kamaka. The ceremony didn't end without controversy as Starnes and Kamaka held a press conference afterward outside the White House where they were later kicked off the grounds by the U.S. Secret Service. June 26th - National Security Council communications assistant Nathaniel Miller was sentenced to three years probation and fined $100,000 in plea deal for violating the Espionage Act in connection to a tweet from White House Press Secretary Dana White. June 27th - Senate Majority Leader Owen Ackerman published a letter he sent to Senate Minority Whip Janice Kamaka where he expressed reservations about a clean debt ceiling extension.
  2. Q3, 2025 Unveiling of PROSPER Act Ignites Debate: Healthcare, Fiscal Measures, and College Grants Prompt Divergent Views Washington, D.C's attention has turned in the last few weeks to the PROSPER Act. The PROSPER Act is the White House's deficit reduction legislation. This comes as inflation fell below 3% last quarter for the first time since 2020, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Vice President Corey Mcknight (R-South Carolina) unveiled the legislation during his service as Acting President. "Today the Ross administration has revealed the 'PROSPER Act' which will serve as the administration's solution towards deficit reduction, ensuring the solvency of medicare and preventing tax hikes all across America," Mcknight said from the Naval Observatory. "In all, this bill will cut our deficit and help restore fiscal responsibility within our budget." Division A of the legislation lays out several policies that would, according to Vice President Mcknight, ensure the solvency of medicare. Those policies include reforming post-acute care payments, implementing site-neutral payments, addressing bad debt in Medicare, introducing bundled payments, ensuring coding integrity in Medicare Advantage, enacting drug pricing reforms, and addressing tax-related issues in Medicaid funding. Division B would limits the increase in discretionary spending for the current fiscal year to a maximum of 5% above the previous fiscal year's level. For the five fiscal years following the current one, discretionary spending would be frozen at the level set in the current fiscal year. However, an alternative option is provided to that freeze, which would allow discretionary spending to grow by no more than 1.3% annually over the next ten fiscal years. If there is a violation of the spending limits, the Office of Management and Budget would be authorized to take corrective measures to align spending with the specified limits. Division C, Subtitle A of the legislation implements the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act. This legislation would allow taxpayers to treat research or experimental expenditures related to their trade or business as expenses not chargeable to a capital account and treat them as a deduction on taxes. It does set some exceptions such as it would not apply to expenditures for land acquisition/improvement or property subject to depreciation or depletion allowances and exploration expenditures for locating mineral deposits. It also limits eligibility to expenditures that are "reasonable under the circumstances". Division C, Subtitle B would make permanent the expensing of certain new business equipment. Expensing allows the deduction of the full amount of an expense item in the same taxable year. Division C, Subtitle C would urge the Secretary of Labor to actively encourage labor unions, general contractors, and businesses involved in building infrastructure in the United States to prioritize the recruitment, hiring, and training of unemployed African Americans ages 18-39. The subtitle lays out specific areas where it would be encouraged in particular: infrastructure development, transportation, technology, computer networks, and energy distribution systems. The subtitle would emphasize coordination with labor unions, the National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, and various community organizations, churches, and civil rights groups to identify and connect with unemployed young Americans seeking employment opportunities in infrastructure-related fields. Division C, Subtitle D is directly related to the domestic production of critical minerals, which would be defined by the Secretary of Energy, acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey. The list of critical minerals would be available for public comment before it is implemented. The subtitle also mandates the Secretary of Energy to conduct a research and development program for critical minerals, develops a web-based database containing information on critical minerals, appropriates $5 million each year over the next nine fiscal years for the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program, repeals the National Critical Materials Act of 1984 (which was already repealed in 2020), establishes a grant program for studies, research, and demonstrations related to critical minerals production, and makes sure resource assessments are completed before withdrawing federal lands from mining activities. Division C, Subtitle E would establish the Child Benefit, also known as the Family Security Benefit, which would replace the Child Tax Credit. The benefit would provide families $350 per month for children ages 0-5 and $250 per month for children ages 6-17, for up to six children per calendar year. Families would be allowed to choose monthly or annual payments. Parents would also be allowed to apply for benefits four months before an unborn child's due date. These monthly payments would be $700 per month. Families would have to report a total income of $10,000 or more in the preceding tax year to be eligible for the full benefit. Additionally, those families with a total income over $400,000 (for joint filers) or $200,000 (for single filers) would not eligible for the full benefit. The benefit would reduce for incomes over this threshold. Division C, Subtitle F would establish a state and tribe grant program for community colleges, which would waive college tuition and fees for eligible students, certify alignment of high school diploma and community college entry requirements, and improve transfer pathways between institutions of higher education. The state and tribe grant program would have access to whatever unexpended funds are necessary to implement it. A Student Success Fund would also be established in the subtitle. This would be a matching grant program for those same states and tribes, with required matches from non-federal sources. Those matches would increase over time for each state or tribe, reaching 100% in the ninth and subsequent years of the program. However, tribes may have modified or waived matching fund requirements. This fund would have $1 billion authorized and appropriated for the next fiscal year and each subsequent year. Finally, the subtitle would award grants to encourage enrollment and successful completion of bachelor's degrees at historically Black colleges or universities and tribal colleges or universities, provide incentives for community college students to transfer to these colleges through transfer pathways, and support institutional reforms to enhance completion rates and student outcomes. Eligible institutions must be public or not-for-profit 4-year institutions (with at least 35% low-income students) who commit to evidence-based reforms to improve completion rates and student outcomes and set performance goals and have articulation agreements for transfer students. Funds allocated to this grant program would increase per year in the following manner: Fiscal Year 2025: $98,100,000, Fiscal Year 2026: $321,040,000, Fiscal Year 2027: $1,912,010,000, 2028: $1,988,710,000, 2029: $2,068,960,000, 2030: $2,151,010,000, 2031: $2,184,900,000, 2032: $2,329,370,000, 2033: $2,423,910,000, and 2034 and beyond: $2,521,990,000. Division D, Subtitle A would terminate production of F-15EX aircraft for the United States military and speed up production of the F-35A aircraft and KC-46A tanker, appropriating $38.789 billion to the United States Air Force for the period of FY 2026 through FY 2035 for the procurement. Division D, Subtitle B would increase the U.S. Army recruiting budget from $691 million to $800 million annually starting from FY 2026 onward as well as increase the enlistment bonus budget from $206 million to $300 million annually. It would also establish more Armored Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) and Stryker BCTs from FY 2026 to FY 2031, increase procurement of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), Armored Multipurpose Vehicles, Paladin Integrated Management Howitzer, and Joint Assault Bridges. The estimated cost of this per the subtitle is $84.675 billion from fiscal year 2026–fiscal year 2034.' Division D, Subtitle C would increase U.S. Navy ship procurement and initiate programs to build and re-build key shipyard infrastructure to support an increased fleet size. The subtitle states this would cost around $123.085 billion. Division D, Subtitle D would spend $100 billion for semiconductor manufacturing and research investment, $100 billion for oil and natural gas industry investment and permitting reform, and $250 billion for investment in the manufacturing sector, focusing on research and development. Shortly after debate started in the Senate, Senator Hiram Storm (R-Ohio) motioned to include the American Tax Reduction Act into the legislation, which would permanently extend the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts. Senate Minority Leader John Starnes (D-Virginia) asked for each section of the American Tax Reduction Act to be considered separately on whether to be included. DNC Chairman and Senator Donato Vinachelli (D-New Jersey) argued that including the American Tax Reduction Act into the PROSPER Act would invalidate parts of the PROSPER Act. This led to Storm withdrawing the amendment and saying he would propose a revised version. That revised version has yet to be introduced. Starnes later motioned for the legislation to be tabled, "seeing as a grand total of 0 substantive statements have been made [b]y the sponsors of this bill, or even the majority, in support". Senator Naomi Wolfe (D-Georgia) seconded the motion. The motion failed 53-47. President Pro Tempore Owen Ackerman (R-Maine) very recently introduced five new amendments to the legislation. Those amendments repeal the estate tax, enact most of the TCJA Permanency Act (which also permanently extends the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts), slowly increase the minimum wage, remove the current definition of tipped employee in the Fair Labor Standards Act (employee engaged in an occupation in which he customarily and regularly receives more than $30 a month in tips) and replace it with "any employee, without regard to the duties of the employee, who receives tips and other cash wages for a period described in paragraph (2) at a rate that when combined with the cash wage required under subsection (m)(2)(A)(i) is greater than or equal to the wage in effect under section 6(a)(1).", and make a permanent increase to the standard deduction. Additionally, sources within the Senate Democratic Caucus released a map to POLITICO last week that reportedly shows how much more each American would pay in taxes per year under the PROSPER Act by state. The states' colors correlate to how they voted in the 2024 Presidential election. Those Democratic sources also say that the taxes would disproportionately affect states that voted Democratic. Since the map was leaked to the press, no Democrats have seemed to discuss or try to explain it directly, with Storm asking on X if Democrats could explain the methodology to no response as of press time. Do you approve or disapprove of the PROSPER Act? Approve - Disapprove - Undecided All Voters: 35% - 51% - 14% Democrats: 17% - 75% - 8% Republicans: 65% - 19% - 16% Independents: 25% - 58% - 18% Those who tend to support the PROSPER Act are very supportive of the Medicare portions, especially when it comes to the expansion of medicare to include vision and hearing benefits, which very much do affect senior citizens. However, those who oppose the PROSPER Act are very concerned about the closure of rural hospitals. That does make the Medicare issue a bit of a wash, with independents leaning towards being against the closure of rural hospitals, as has been argued by Democrats. Republicans are supportive of the bill's fiscal measures, however some of those on the Freedom Caucus flank of the party question why the government should be spending billions to subsidize minority serving institutions. Many independents do appreciate that Republicans are looking at how to assist minority serving institutions. The leaked map does add another dynamic to the situation with Republicans and an increasing amount of Independents looking for Democrats to explain the map further. Overall, the debate is still early, even though Democrats do have an obvious advantage. These numbers are not settled in on the independent side and Republicans can still bring a lot of people on their side. The debate in the Senate appears to be far from over, which means this is a first look at polling. Also, don't forget that this is such a large piece of legislation, that if you haven't made the argument, it's not gonna be reflected here.
  3. Q2 2025 Farm Credit Council Grades (EXPERIMENTAL) Sen.Owen Ackerman(ME) B Sen.Michael Goreski(MO) F Sen.Daniel Hunt(AL) B Sen.Erik Kaberle(PA) B Sen.Janice Kamaka(HI) A Sen.Luke Rodgers(AR) B Sen.Aaron Sharpe(CA) A Sen.John Starnes(VA) B Sen.Jennifer Stohl(MT) B Sen.Hiram Storm(OH) A Sen.Alex Valdez(FL) D Sen.Donato Vinachelli(NJ) A Sen.Naomi Wolfe(GA) A Sen.Alexander Zharoff(AK) A ((Something new I am trying here, this is simply based on votes. Those with just one vote in favor are Bs for the purposes of this. I don't quite know what the threshold would be yet if we did this in the future. i don't think someone should get an auto A for showing up once.))
  4. Q2 2025 Fundraising Disclosures Pres. Leah Ross (FL) Ross got some money for signing the 21st Century Railway Safety Act into law, which is popular when you ask environmentalists generally. However, the amount of money for signing it is severely blunted by the fact that Ross nominated Mayra Flores for EPA Administrator. The President also signed the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act into law, which got support from the National Coalition for Police and Troopers. Ross also publicly supported the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act almost from the beginning, and signed the legislation into law. Americans for Prosperity Action supported the President's many executive orders including the establishment of a Special Assistant for Life and Family, changes for the federal workforce, the requirement of First Amendment Assurances in federal grant applications, the removal of the list of educational institutions that have applied for a religious exemption from Title IX from all public-facing websites and databases, and more. Americans for Prosperity Action: $1,796,892 Border Security Coalition: $848,258 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $183,467 Grassroots Law Project: $391,917 National Coalition for Police and Troopers: $810,886 Background: $2,929,497 Vice Pres. Corey Mcknight (SC) The Vice President introduced the PROSPER Act on behalf of the White House, and eat a lot of poop from conservative groups. However, other groups like the NAACP supported the legislation for it's investment into historically black colleges and universities. NAACP: $779,120 Background: $2,441,248 Sen.Owen Ackerman(ME) Ackerman introduced the Jeremy Larson-Donald Holt Violent Crime Prevention and Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act, which is generally supported by the National Coalition for Police and Troopers. The legislation also made it to the Senate floor. Law enforcement is most supportive of expanding penalties for the assault of law enforcement officers and making it so that the government doesn't have to prove that a criminal defendant knew that a law enforcement officer was one when a person commits murder against them. Ackerman was a part of the bipartisan group who introduced the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act which got support from the Border Security Coalition as well as the Grassroots Law Project. American Medical Association: $20,164 Border Security Coalition: $745,220 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $12,345 Grassroots Law Project: $466,458 Farm Credit Council: $19,447 National Coalition for Police and Troopers: $148,667 Background: $631,856 Sen.Timothy Adeyemi(PA) Background: $815,580 Sen.Mark Block(TX) Background: $976,499 Sen.Colton Buckley(WI) Buckley was a part of the bipartisan group who introduced the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act which got support from the Border Security Coalition as well as the Grassroots Law Project. American Medical Association: $20,164 Border Security Coalition: $553,030 Grassroots Law Project: $321,044 Background: $707,749 Sen.Douglas Butcher(MO) The original version of the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act was introduced by Butcher and it made it to the Senate floor in this quarter, yay! The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act, which will will train Department of Labor employees to assist law enforcement in detecting human trafficking, also was signed by the President during the quarter. Farm Credit Council: $97,280 National Coalition for Police and Troopers: $499,210 Background: $631,856 Sen.Thomas Carter(GA) Background: $815,580 Sen.Michael Cook(CT) Background: $631,856 Sen.John Domenico(LA) Background: $707,749 Sen.Brandon Ewing(TX) Border Security Coalition: $14,462 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $12,345 Grassroots Law Project: $9,175 Background: $976,499 Sen.Jim Fealty(MS) The Farm Credit Council was very much in favor of the amendment giving a $10 billion increase to the Farm Ownership Loan Program every year through 2030. Right up there in impact was the amendment to increase the Rural Business Development Grants appropriation from $65 million to $400 million. Of course on top of this, it always helps when you write a press release to tout these accomplishments. Farm Credit Council: $538,968 Background: $631,856 Sen.John Foster(AZ) Background: $707,749 Sen.Padmavati Gandhi(MI) Background: $815,580 Sen.Michael Goreski(MO) Background: $631,856 Sen.Gabriel Helman(IN) Helman's speech at the Farmers and Ranchers Conference was mostly well-received; however, some wealthy agri-business types would have also been in attendance and not been as much fans of the Bill Gates attack line. Though small family farmers did appreciate the acknowledgment of their hard work. Border Security Coalition: $14,462 Farm Credit Council: $52,817 Grassroots Law Project: $9,175 Background: $707,749 Sen.Vicente Hernandez(NV) Background: $631,856 Sen.Daniel Hunt(AL) Hunt was a part of the bipartisan group who introduced the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act which got support from the Border Security Coalition as well as the Grassroots Law Project. American Medical Association: $20,164 Border Security Coalition: $553,030 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $12,345 Farm Credit Council: $19,447 Grassroots Law Project: $321,044 Background: $707,749 Sen.Daniel Jackson(IL) Background: $815,580 Sen.Erik Kaberle(PA) American Medical Association: $20,164 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $37,035 Farm Credit Council: $19,447 Laborers' International Union of North America: $21,609 Background: $815,580 Sen.Janice Kamaka(HI) Kamaka is likely one of the Farm Credit Council's top allies at this point, along with Jim Fealty. The farm equipment amendment endeared her to who the Farm Credit Council represents (farmers/agribusiness), however she did potentially make herself a quick enemy in the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. She was also the most active voter in the Senate on issues that the Farm Credit Council cared about. She was also active on the Flores nomination and on getting the 21st Century Railway Safety Act passed which was a big deal for the Environmental Defense Action Fund in this quarter. Kamaka also denounced the President's executive order to abolish the Gender Policy Council, which got her some money from the National Organization for Women. Kamaka was a part of the bipartisan group who introduced the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act which got support from the Border Security Coalition as well as the Grassroots Law Project. Kamaka was involved in the event to introduce the MSI and HBCU Enhancement Act, which got positive attention from the NAACP. American Medical Association: $40,328 Border Security Coalition: $359,469 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $1,092,940 Farm Credit Council: $326,827 Grassroots Law Project: $493,914 Laborers' International Union of North America: $87,513 NAACP: $607,972 National Organization for Women: $133,078 Background: $631,856 Sen.Linda Lawler(OK) Background: $631,856 Sen.James McAllister(NV) McAllister was one of the loudest voices against the AI labeling bill, which while relatively popular by other members of Congress, did face lots of opposition from technology companies such as Alphabet. Alphabet, Inc: $58,985 American Medical Association: $20,164 Background: $631,856 Sen.Jackson McKinley(KY) American Medical Association: $20,164 Background: $707,749 Sen.Dennis Millhouse(IN) Background: $707,749 Sen.John Pravnich(NE) Background: $631,856 Sen.Thomas Prescott(TN) Background: $707,749 Sen.Leyton Rappleye(ID) Background: $631,856 Sen.Luke Rodgers(AR) Farm Credit Council: $19,447 Background: $631,856 Sen.Aaron Sharpe(CA) While not being the most active voter on the Farm Credit Council's issues, Sharpe was still an active voter and was rewarded for that support. Kamaka was involved in the event to introduce the MSI and HBCU Enhancement Act, which got positive attention from the NAACP. Sharpe also recently introduced a resolution addressing suicide among minority adolescents, which also got positive attention from the organization. The Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act of 2024 is also supported by Veterans for Common Sense, which was introduced for the 119th Congress by Sharpe. Alphabet, Inc: $13,443 American Medical Association: $40,328 Border Security Coalition: $9,400 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $37,035 Farm Credit Council: $116,682 Grassroots Law Project: $14,116 Laborers' International Union of North America: $43,218 NAACP: $652,202 Veterans for Common Sense: $69,083 Background: $976,499 Sen.John Starnes(VA) Starnes was a part of the bipartisan group who introduced the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act which got support from the Border Security Coalition as well as the Grassroots Law Project. Reportedly, he pushed hard for a pathway to citizenship and it being in the final legislation made the Grassroots Law Project very appreciative. American Medical Association: $20,164 Border Security Coalition: $484,393 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $37,035 Farm Credit Council: $19,447 Grassroots Law Project: $737,642 Laborers' International Union of North America: $43,218 Background: $707,749 Sen.Jennifer Stohl(MT) Border Security Coalition: $14,462 Farm Credit Council: $19,447 Grassroots Law Project: $9,175 Background: $631,856 Sen.Nolan Stokes(MD) Stokes was considerably active on the Fiorina nomination in the press this cycle (others: remember the timing, this is only for Q2), as well as in opposition to the President's executive orders on changing rules federal employee for conducting union business on government time. Laborers' International Union of North America: $359,177 Background: $707,749 Sen.Hiram Storm(OH) The NAACP supports Storm's proposal to permanently end the estate tax as individuals within African American communities who own businesses or have accumulated wealth through entrepreneurship are continuing to die and are unable to pass on that wealth under an estate tax. Storm's Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2025 was also considered by and passed the Senate during this quarter, which the AMA supports. American Medical Association: $335,944 Border Security Coalition: $14,462 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $12,345 Farm Credit Council: $19,447 Grassroots Law Project: $9,175 NAACP: $68,459 Background: $815,580 Sen.Chad Underboard(SD) Background: $631,856 Sen.Alex Valdez(FL) American Medical Association: $20,164 Border Security Coalition: $14,462 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $12,345 Farm Credit Council: $97,235 Background: $864,357 Sen.Donato Vinachelli(NJ) While not being the most active voter on the Farm Credit Council's issues, Vinachelli was still an active voter and was rewarded for that support. Where Vinachelli made his bread and butter however was with labor unions, he introduced multiple pieces of labor friendly legislation this time around. However, some unions aren't the biggest supporters of the prohibition of strikes, lockouts, or any organized job actions that could disrupt the delivery of emergency or public safety services in the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025. Obviously, it didn't hurt that badly, with Vinachelli being LIUNA's top man this time. Vinachelli was a part of the bipartisan group who introduced the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act which got support from the Border Security Coalition as well as the Grassroots Law Project. American Medical Association: $40,328 Border Security Coalition: $359,469 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $37,035 Farm Credit Council: $145,852 Grassroots Law Project: $493,914 Laborers' International Union of North America: $880,711 Background: $707,749 Sen.Madeline White(MI) Background: $815,580 Sen.Naomi Wolfe(GA) While not being the most active voter on the Farm Credit Council's issues, Wolfe was still an active voter and was rewarded for that support. Wolfe was also a very active voice on the Fiorina nomination, with her cabinet nominations appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show catching a lot of positive buzz from LIUNA. Wolfe was also a very active voice on the Flores nomination, not just appearing on the Rachel Maddow Show but also on Inside with Jen Psaki. Also in this quarter, Wolfe spoke against the President's executive order abolishing the Gender Policy Council and passed her Women's Health Protection Act through the United States House, which garnered positive attention from the National Organization for Women. Wolfe was also the most active anti-death penalty voice during the quarter. While the Grassroots Law Project generally supported the provisions of the American Immigration Fairness and Security Act, they also strongly agreed with Wolfe's points about the federal death penalty and support the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act, which she has now introduced. American Medical Association: $84,432 Environmental Defense Action Fund: $258,423 Laborers' International Union of North America: $180,017 Farm Credit Council: $116,682 Grassroots Law Project: $289,651 National Organization for Women: $659,490 Background: $815,580 Sen.Alexander Zharoff(AK) American Medical Association: $20,164 Border Security Coalition: $14,462 Farm Credit Council: $77,788 Grassroots Law Project: $9,175 Laborers' International Union of North America: $21,609 Background: $631,856 Sen.Camilo deSonido(CO) deSonido was involved in the event to introduce the MSI and HBCU Enhancement Act, which got positive attention from the NAACP. American Medical Association: $40,328 Border Security Coalition: $9,400 Grassroots Law Project: $14,116 Laborers' International Union of North America: $43,218 NAACP: $607,972 Background: $707,749
  5. Use the following format to make a media appearance in The Spin Zone: Name: Media/Outlet: Reason: (Ex. Promoting Immigration Bill) [Bullet points/brief outline of talking points during appearance.]
  6. Thanks to @Ollie for the base and completing the first couple of months while he was still on the AB. This is where Yesterday's Gazette will post the "In the United States" series, where at the end of every quarter, there will be an updated day-by-day summary of the quarter and year in our nation. NOTE: This will not contain foreign policy.
  7. Q2, 2025 Senate Considers Comprehensive Crime Bill: Controversial Provisions Spark Concerns and Support Amidst Calls for Full Deliberation The United States Senate is now considering the Jeremy Larson-Donald Holt Violent Crime Prevention and Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act. The legislation, based on it's name, appears to be in response to the April 4th prison riot at the federal correctional institution outside of Florence, Colorado. However, the legislation does much more than just respond directly to the prison riot. Experts told the New York Times that this is more reminiscent of a comprehensive crime bill than one solely focused on federal prison reform. Those same experts said that of the original legislation, only sections 7, 13, and 14 directly apply to federal prisons. Section 2 of the legislation changes existing law to say that when a person kills "any officer or employee of the United States or of any agency in any branch of the United States Government (including any member of the uniformed services) while such officer or employee is engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties", that the government is not required to prove that the defendant knew that the victim was an officer or employee or that they were performing official duties. The government also would not be required to prove that the defendant acted with any intent greater than knowledge. The NAACP has expressed concerns about this section. They argue that these changes could be exploited to disproportionately target African Americans and other minorities who may not pose a genuine threat to federal officers. Meanwhile, the National Coalition for Police and Troopers as well as various federal employee unions have come out in support, saying that it could expedite justice for federal officers as well as federal employees. With how the section ties back into existing law, this change could even apply to an employee of the Government Publishing Office who is killed in a car accident while conducting their official duties, for example. Senate Minority Leader John Starnes (D-Virginia) has proposed an amendment to strike this section from the legislation "As a litigator myself, I understand how difficult it can be to prove intent, to prove prior knowledge of someone who commits a criminal act, but that doesn't mean that the solution should be to completely abrogate the prosecution's requirement to allow for the accused to be afforded their constitutional rights to due process and equal protection under the law," Starnes said. Section 2 also states that it shall be illegal to kill a current or former federal judge, federal law enforcement officer, or federally funded public safety officer while engaged in official duties or on account of the performance or past performance of official duties. The possible punishments for violators of this portion of Section 2 would include the death penalty. The American Immigration Fairness and Security Act and the Securing America's Borders, Communities, and Allies Act both also include provisions for the death penalty for killers of law enforcement officers, making this an obvious priority for Republicans if it might be passed twice in a matter of weeks. The National Coalition for Police and Troopers support this measure. The Grassroots Law Project, the most adamant opposers to the federal death penalty, oppose it. Notably, the terminology of "public safety officer" has made some legal analysts question if this could also be defined broadly to include emergency managers, chaplains, or members of local rescue squads. Section 3 would add the murder of a law enforcement officer, prosecutor, judge, or first responder to the list of aggravating factors to be considered in determining whether a sentence of death is justified for committing homicide. This would only add first responders, such as firefighters, as the murder of a "Federal public servant who is a judge, a law enforcement officer, or an employee of a United States penal or correctional institution" is already considered an aggravating factor as they are listed under the “high public officials” in the pertinent statutes. Section 4 places limits on federal writs of habeas corpus to state court convictions for killing a public safety officer or judge. A writ of habeas corpus is a legal order that requires a person who is detained or imprisoned to be brought before a court or judge. It allows a person who is in custody to challenge the legality of their imprisonment. Section 5 grants authority to carry firearms to sworn officers, agents, or employees of the United States, a State, or a political subdivision who are authorized by law to engage in law enforcement activities. It specifies that this authority includes carrying firearms within federal facilities or federal court facilities, and on grounds appurtenant to such facilities. The section also allows for current and retired law enforcement officers to carry loaded magazines separately into these same facilities. Section 6 would order the Attorney General to allocate up to $20 million each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program as well as general, unspent Department of Justice "general administration" funds for a grant program to "improve the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve". The JAG Program is the leading source of federal Department of Justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. Section 7 would double the federal maximum sentence for rioting from 5 years to 10 years. Section 8 would give the same penalties for those whom conspire to use force, violence, or intimidation to take property or money from a bank, credit union, or savings and loan association or enter such institutions with the intent to commit a felony that violates federal law or involves theft as those who personally commit those crimes. Section 9 increases the base maximum sentence for committing vehicular theft from 15 years to 20 years. If a "dangerous weapon or device" is used, a new maximum sentence would be set at 25 years. For cases where serious bodily harm is caused, the maximum sentence would be increased from 25 years to 40 years. Conspiracy to commit vehicular theft would also be set to the same standards. Section 11 would impose penalties for manufacturing, distributing, or possessing controlled substances (those that are in schedule I or II of the Controlled Substances Act) combined with candy or beverage products, marketed to look like them, or modified to appear similar, with the intent to distribute to individuals under 18. The penalties for violating this new section of law would include an additional prison term (on top of any other charges) of not more than 10 years for a first time offense and not more than 20 years for second and subsequent offenses. The federal sentencing guidelines would also be required to include a penalty enhancement of not less than 2 offense levels for these offenders. Section 12 would reformat federal kidnapping statue, but so far as the New York Times can tell, make no tangible changes to federal law on the subject. Section 13 would allow for Bureau of Prisons employees who currently receive a "Rest of U.S." locality pay rate to receive the pay rate that is closest to their official work station. A locality pay rate is an extra amount of money added to the standard salary of a government employee. A locality pay rate is determined by looking at the salaries of federal employees compared to those of non-federal employees in similar jobs, residing in the same area. At the Bureau of Prisons, all salaried employees who permanently work in a correctional setting receive law enforcement pay. All salaried employees who do not work in a correctional setting receive general schedule pay and all hourly craft, trade, and blue collar employees receive their pay pursuant to the federal wage system. For example, a salaried employee who permanently works at United States Penitentiary, Beaumont in Texas at the GS-3 level currently makes $30,918 per year at Step 1. Under this section, the employees at USP Beaumont would likely be switched to the Houston locality pay rate. The same employee would now make $41,575 per year. It should be noted that employees working at FCI Florence, where the April 4th prison riot took place, would not receive an increase in their locality pay rate as they are already considered to be within the boundaries of the Colorado Springs locality pay rate. GS-3 Step 1 employees at FCI Florence make $36,826 per year. Section 14 would require the Bureau of Prisons to conduct a comprehensive staffing review and submit it to Congress within six months. Section 15 would change fentanyl to from a class II schedule drug to a class I schedule drug in the Controlled Substances Act. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) defines class I schedule drugs as those "with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse". Drugs currently classified at class I include heroin, LSD, marijuana, and ecstasy among others. Section 16 would change registration requirements for research of class I schedule drugs. Researchers registered for controlled substance research would be allowed to use a single registration if all research sites are in the same city or county and are under the control of the same institution, organization, or agency. Additionally, if a person already conducting research on one controlled substance applies to research with a second one that is in the same or a higher (numerical) schedule, a new inspection by the Attorney General of the location would not be required. Sections 17 and 18 primarily pertain to Sections 15 and 16 and do not set any notable policy. Section 19 instructs the Secretary of State to prioritize efforts against international drug trafficking. Section 19 also empowers the President to impose sanctions on individuals or entities from China engaged in drug-related activities. The President would also be authorized to use the emergency powers outlined in sections 203 and 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for this situation. Those emergency powers include the authority for the President to investigate, regulate, or prohibit financial transactions involving foreign countries and impose record-keeping and reporting requirements, with legal protections for those acting in good faith. Finally, the section appropriates $100 million for the Secretary of State from fiscal years 2026 through 2029 for "International Narcotics and Law Enforcement for Mexico". None of the $100 million may be used until the Secretary of State certifies to Congress that the Government of Mexico is taking sustained and effective measures to enhance law enforcement cooperation with the United States, specifically addressing precursor chemicals and covered synthetic drugs, including identifying labs and routes, increasing interdiction, sharing seized samples, and prosecuting criminal organizations involved in illicit activities. Outside of that, the funds can be used however the Secretary would see fit. $50 million would be appropriated to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for gun interdiction in fiscal years 2024 through 2027 and $2.5 million in fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to pay vetted members of a Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit in Mexico a monetary stipend. Upon being brought up for debate, Senator Daniel Hunt (R-Alabama) very quickly motioned for cloture on the legislation. That motion was later seconded by RNC Chairman and Senator Colton Buckley (R-Wisconsin). Senator Donato Vinachelli (D-New Jersey) moved to add two sections from his Supporting Our Federal Correctional Officers Act into the legislation. Those sections are ones pertaining to allowing the Bureau of Prisons direct hire authority (which had previously been denied by the Office of Personnel Management due to a lack of reliable data) and an additional $1 billion every year for the permanent authorization of 25% recruitment and retention bonuses for correctional officers, increased recruitment and bonuses of up to 50% at facilities with critical staff shortages, as well as comprehensive training for new and transitioning federal prison staff. “We already know a critical shortage of workers is continuing to put our federal prison system at risk and its long past time to hold BOP accountable to move forward with ideas that work, rather than gambling workers and communities safety on dangerous technology,” Vinachelli told CNN when he introduced the Supporting Our Federal Correctional Officers Act. These sections were seconded by Starnes and have passed 100-0. An additional amendment from the Supporting Our Federal Correctional Officers Act was proposed by Vinachelli to make the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons a Senate confirmable post rather than one appointed by the Attorney General. Colette S. Peters, the most recent Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, was fired by Attorney General Shane Ewing in response to the April 4th prison riot. Senator Naomi Wolfe (D-Georgia) seconded the amendment and also proposed a similar concept in her prison riot response legislation. Wolfe also called Hunt’s motion for cloture an “absolutely ridiculous power trip” on the Senate floor. “Pushing a bill of this scope and size… to cloture within hours of it hitting the floor, closing off debate before any debate has even occurred -- there has not been one word spoken in favor of this bill anywhere in this chamber -- is an absolutely ridiculous power trip,” Wolfe said. “There is much in this bill that I would be prepared to support, after proper review and debate. But that support will not be coming until the unfathomable arrogance of invoking cloture under these terms is checked.” When asked about the legislation in the Capitol hallways ((yes, you should absolutely be making yourself available there if you want to be quoted in stories on things without a bunch of PRs and Spin Zones)), Senator Camilo deSonido (D-Colorado) took a more reserved, but similar tune. “I think there are some merits to it, but I’m still reviewing the language,” deSonido said. “I also like where the amendments are going but that’ll depend on whether the GOP is open to it. So, we’ll see.” It is unknown if the Starnes and most recent Vinachelli amendments will be considered with a motion for cloture seconded and potentially likely to go to vote next. Cloture votes for legislation do require 60 votes though, which Republicans cannot get on their own. Very early polling ((numbers will come next time, had to get a handle on the legislation and let you all get one first)) suggests that Americans agree with Senator Wolfe and other Democrats who want Congress to properly consider the legislation before passing it. Most Americans have yet to form an opinion on if the legislation itself is good, bad, or indifferent.
  8. Q2, 2025 Conspiracy Theories About Donald Trump Death Spread on TikTok In a hard to escape TikTok trend, many recent videos posted on the app have cast doubt on the death of Donald Trump. Content creators, such as Nora Conley, have told their followers that the "left wing establishment" was responsible for the death of the former President. "It's not a coincidence that Joe Biden decided not to run for re-election right before Donald Trump died," Conley told her 2.3 million followers in a recent video. "He knew something was going to happen. Just like Killary and the Clinton Crime Family, he backed out before anyone could be none the wiser." Commenters on this popular video have been across the spectrum, some denouncing it and some promoting the theory. "You're so right," one commenter posted. "TRUMP had more real & successful accomplishments than any president in American history # do your research & check it out. Genocide Joe knew he couldn't beat TRUMP." "This video is such a fucking spin its insane," another commenter said. "He's dead, get the fuck over it Nora!" The Organization for Social Media Safety is sounding the alarm about this content being on the platform. "As an organization committed to fostering a safe online environment, we are deeply concerned about this latest dangerous trend on TikTok," James M. Jensen, an Organization for Social Media Safety spokesperson said. "TikTok's 'For You' page, which caters predominantly to younger users, plays a crucial role in shaping their digital experience. We urge TikTok and other social media companies to reevaluate their content curation algorithms and take proactive measures to ensure responsible dissemination of information, recognizing the platform's responsibility in safeguarding the well-being of its diverse user base." Last year, TikTok and other social media platforms were accused of consistently showing pro-Palestinian videos and videos of the violent deaths of Israelis on a massive scale by groups such as the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. At the beginning of January 2024, Montana was slated to enact a first of its kind TikTok ban. However, a federal court ruled against the state, stating that the state was more focused on exposing China's role in the app than protecting Montana's consumers. The court cited Governor Greg Gianforte's statement signing the bill that the bill would enact "our shared priority to protect Montanans from Chinese Communist Party surveillance.” 34 states and the federal government have banned the app on government issued devices. Those 34 states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Congress attempted to take action federally on the issue throughout the 118th Congress, but a consensus could not be reached amongst both parties on how to best address the situation. Jensen said that this issue will continue to exacerbate without intervention. "Without prompt intervention from both government authorities and social media companies, the unchecked dissemination of biased content on platforms like TikTok will have catastrophic effects on America's youth. Failing to address these issues proactively may contribute to a broader erosion of trust in legitimate information and exacerbate societal and political divisions in our country." RNC Chairman and Senator Colton Buckley (R-Wisconsin) recently introduced the Prohibition of TikTok Usage and Federal Contract Restrictions Act in the Senate. This legislation would, within 30 days, ban installation and access to TikTok across the United States. Punishments for violating the proposed ban would consist of escalating fines starting at an amount "not to exceed $500" for an individual and "not to exceed $10,000" for entities. Additional penalties would ensure for repeat violations; however, outside of entities potentially facing suspension or revocation of relevant business licenses or permits, it is unknown how exactly those would look at this time. ((OOC Note: if the bill passes and this is unclear, it will be up to the Attorney General)) The legislation would also require a comprehensive review be conducted of Chinese-owned applications to assess potential risks to national security, individual privacy, and democratic values; prohibit the federal government from entering contracts with technology companies having known ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); and require a report be issued to Congress on both of the above requirements. Senate Minority Leader John Starnes (D-Virginia), meanwhile, introduced the Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act. This legislation would establish a grant program for state and local educational agencies, public libraries, and qualified non-profits to promote media literacy and digital citizenship competencies for school children. $20 million would be appropriated to this program in fiscal years 2027, 2029, and 2031. At the end of 2024, the Pew Research Center reported that 70% of teens who are ages 13 to 17 self-identified as TikTok users. Additionally, 20% of adults reported that they regularly get news from TikTok. This is a 7% and 6% increase, respectively, over the previous year.
  9. Q2, 2025 Senate Considers Closing Debate on Cabinet Nominations Members of the United States Senate are currently voting on if to close debate on President Leah Ross's (R-Florida) four outstanding cabinet nominations currently on the floor. Those nominations include Abel Burke to be Secretary of State, Carly Fiorina to be Secretary of Labor, Mayra Flores to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and David Perdue to be Secretary of Treasury. Burke's nomination is the most recent, coming after the resignation of Aaron Rabin for personal reasons. Burke is a long time staffer in the U.S. intelligence community, having worked his way from being a CIA intelligence analyst to being Director of Central Intelligence during the later years of the administration of President George H.W. Bush. In the Spring of 1991, Burke was investigated stemming from an inquiry into the Iran–Contra affair and activities by CIA officials over the course of the affair. The independent counsel determined that Burke's actions did not necessitate prosecution. After leaving the intelligence community, Burke spent a decade at the Heritage Foundation before serving in roles as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, President of Texas A&M University, and the U.S. Ambassador to China. Recent flareups in the Venezuela-Guyana conflict, including Venezuela shooting down two American fighter planes and taking the planes' pilots, have made Burke's nomination a little less of a slam dunk than it would likely normally be. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader John Starnes (D-Virginia) and Senator Naomi Wolfe (D-Georgia), have expressed that they would like to hear more from Burke. "As of yet, we haven't heard hardly a word from the Secretary-designate and there hasn't been any opportunity for this body as a whole to question the distinguished gentleman," Starnes said on the Senate floor. "With the widely reported failure of this Administration to handle diplomatically the ongoing border dispute in Guyana and Venezuela, I think it's imperative this body is given the opportunity to ensure that Mr. Burke has the experience, knowledge and most importantly the ability to navigate complex situations in an environment when many within this Administration and this body are more concerned with partisan gamesmanship." Meanwhile, the nomination getting the most attention as of now is Fiorina's. Senator Camilo deSonido (D-Colorado) expressed profound concern about Fiorina on the Senate floor as well as on social media. "Throughout her career, she has been a proponent of reducing government intervention in labor affairs," deSonido said on the Senate floor. "While I acknowledge the importance of fostering a dynamic and efficient labor market, it is crucial that we do not compromise on the fundamental rights and dignity of our workers. The Secretary of Labor must be an unwavering advocate for fair treatment, just compensation, and humane working conditions." RNC Chairman and Senator Colton Buckley (R-Wisconsin) accused Democrats of doing whatever it takes to sink Ross's cabinet nominees. "Ms. Fiorina’s business record speaks for itself," Buckley said. "Her expansive experience and expertise provides her with the foundation and background necessary to lead the Labor Department. Many of the bogeyman arguments Democrats are invoking here are exactly that. My colleagues are spouting out fear-mongering words and statements meant to make you believe that this woman has not been successful in her career and through her leadership practices. Clearly, they did not read my editorial for the Wall Street Journal. It may come in handy for them to brush up on these nominees’ TRUE qualifications." Buckley's editorial in the Wall Street Journal energized Republicans for likely the first time in the debate of these cabinet nominees. Buckley said that Democrats were on a "crusade against a conservative cabinet". He said that Democrats criticizing Perdue for insider trading was hypocritical and ignoring the fact that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) was doing the same thing. Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, is a notorious venture capitalist who regularly buys and sells stocks. Speaker Pelosi even opposed a ban on congressional stock trading in 2021. Brett Baier referred to the editorial as "a surprisingly solid defense of the Ross nominees, at least in terms of pointing out Democrat hypocrisy" on X. Buckley is not the only Senator to recently publish an editorial on cabinet nominees, he was joined by Senate Minority Whip Janice Kamaka (D-Hawaii). In the New York Times, Kamaka referred to Perdue as "the embodiment of what is wrong with Washington D.C." Kamaka not just attacked Perdue on the insider stock trading scandal, but criticized his record as a businessman noting that he publicly admitted to spending most of his career outsourcing jobs in a 2005 deposition. While debate on the Senate floor has been non-existent on Flores, the Environmental Defense Action Fund recently put out another statement opposing her nomination. This time they called her "one of if not the most unqualified nominee to serve as EPA Administrator". This is similar to previous attacks from Wolfe who more recently told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that the President nominated a "conspiracist kook" for the post. "Confirming Flores would be the death knell of any claim the Republicans have to the center ground," Wolfe told Maddow. "It was a Republican President who created the EPA, there have been good men and women of conscience, whom I have disagreed with on some political issues but who have recognized climate change is the single greatest threat facing every state, red, blue, or purple, regardless of political affiliation. Flores is a conspiracist kook with zero experience and less regard for scientific consensus." So far, the nominees are on track to pass cloture along party lines which means that debate would immediately stop and a final vote would begin. Notably, when asked for his vote on whether to close debate on the Fiorina nomination, deSonido shouted "HELL TO THE NAW, TO THE NAW, NAW, NAW." Do you approve or disapprove of the following presidential cabinet nominees? Nominees - Approve - Disapprove - Unsure/Unknown Fiorina, Flores, and Perdue - 40.36% - 50.94% - 8.7% Burke - 47.25% - 20.25% - 32.5% The Buckley editorial gained back some ground when it came to Republicans who were feeling skeptical of the three main nominees. Democrats continuing to hammer their message home however blunted any real change when it came to independents. Democrats really already won this battle from the beginning, all Republicans could do was make it look like less of a blowout than what it is. The Burke nomination is much newer, therefore, many more undecideds. Simply on the base, Americans think the Secretary of State position should be filled and that is what this poll reflects. Of course, barring real mayhem, it's likely that nomination will come and pass without many Americans forming a real opinion.
  10. Q2, 2025 Mugshots of Victor Martinez, 29 and Dominic Russo 38, per Federal Bureau of Prisons Department of Justice to Pursue Death Penalty Against Inmates Involved in FCI Florence Riot The U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado filed murder charges today against Victor Martinez, 29 and Dominic Russo, 38. Martinez and Russo are former inmates at Federal Correctional Institution, Florence outside of Florence, Colorado. Martinez and Russo are being accused of killing prison guard Donald Holt during April's riot at the institution. Since the riot, they have been transferred to USP Marion High. "Accused reportedly overwhelmed victim in midst of prison riot and stabbed victim with shanks," today's filing reads. The indictment also goes in depth on Martinez's involvement in gang activities in the prison. The U.S. Attorney's office claims in the filing that he was driven by the riot to assert dominance and protect his interests within the prison. Russo is being considered more of the muscle in this situation. The filing reveals that he has a reputation at FCI Florence for being unpredictable and prone to aggressive behavior with multiple disciplinary reports on file. Under 18 U.S. Code § 1111 and 18 U.S. Code § 1118, the federal government can pursue murder charges against persons who commit murder while confined in a federal correctional institution. If convicted, they can be punished by "death or life imprisonment". The U.S. Attorney's office, in a press conference, announced they will be seeking the death penalty against Martinez and Russo. "This was a heinous act," JD Lowell, Chief of the Criminal Division, told reporters. "These inmates showed extreme contempt and brutality when murdering Mr. Holt." Lowell also told reporters that federal prosecutors would not be seeking to make a plea deal with either suspect. The Associated Press also has learned that the U.S. Attorney's office is filing charges against other inmates involved in the riot including known ringleaders Robert "Bulldog" Thompson, age 32 and Anthony "Swiftblade" Carter, age 25 as well as two other previously unknown inmates who provided support to Thompson and Carter. Those two are Xavier Johnson, age 31 and Garrett Turner, age 34. This is the first time that the administration of President Leah Ross (R-Florida) has authorized seeking the death penalty against a criminal defendant. The first day of trial in the cases of Martinez and Russo is currently slated for November 18, 2025. Trials for Thompson, Carter, Johnson, and Turner are slated to start just less than one week later, on November 24, 2023. The 24th is the Monday before Thanksgiving.
  11. Q2, 2025 Department of Education Launches Investigations into 13 Universities and 2 School Districts Today, Secretary of Education Larry Arnn (R-Michigan) announced investigations on the grounds of Title VI into 13 universities and two school districts across the United States. ((since we are in that weird IG timeline, this did not happen in 2023 IG)) (LINK to map and listing of universities and school districts. Listing is also at the bottom of this article.) Per the Department of Justice, Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Arnn spoke of the investigations at a news conference today. "At the Department of Education, we recognize the growing concerns among students and school communities regarding the rise of hate incidents within our educational institutions," Arnn said. "Attacks on our Jewish students and communities are a form of disorderly and obscene speech that must be put to an end. Therefore, today, we will begin full-scale investigations into these schools to ensure that those students are being protected." The investigations will be conducted by the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights. The investigation process begins with the potential step of mediation. However, as the Department of Education is acting as the complainant in this case, the Associated Press has learned that mediation will not be a step in this process. The complainant traditionally has the rights to decide whether to mediate or not before a full-scale investigation is launched. Once the case proceeds to a full-scale investigation, it can span up to 180 days, potentially longer with extensions. A 90-day negotiation period follows for a proposed resolution agreement, with no extension allowances. Failure to reach an agreement within this timeframe prompts the Office of Civil Rights to issue an Impasse Letter, signaling imminent enforcement action. Should the school fail to comply within 10 days of receiving the Impasse Letter, the Office of Civil Rights may take enforcement action, either through administrative proceedings or by referring the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings. In the event that a resolution agreement is not adhered to, the Office of Civil Rights issues a Letter of Impending Enforcement Action and initiates enforcement measures. All of this comes with the previous context of the Stop Campus Hate Act being pulled from consideration by the United States Senate earlier this year. Political polling also found that Democrats were favored more heavily to handle issues of anti-semitism than Republicans. When asked about the political implications, Arnn told reporters that the investigations "aren't about politics, but about doing is what is necessary to protect our Jewish students."
  12. 150 Days In The Almost Halfway Review of 2025 HIJINKS IN THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON — In what some are calling the most chaotic first 100 days of an Administration in recent memory, the new Ross and McKnight Administration has taken Washington D.C. like a runaway tornado. Described by the Wall Street Journal's editorial board as a "disorganized, radioactive, pulsating ball of yarn", the Ross presidency has faced intense criticism for its nominees for major cabinet and executive level positions, an overemphasis on executive action, and a shoot from the hip strategy that has consistently forced America's youngest Commander in Chief to backtrack. The biggest headache and unforced error by the Administration is its cabinet list. To say there are numerous controversial choices would be the understatement of the year. "Some of these cabinet nominees sound like they came out of an Onion parody list," said NYU historian Timothy Naftali. "You would have thought the Allen West debacle was enough of a warning to this new president. But instead of correcting and dialing back the blatant appeals to the extremes of her party, she has doubled down with the likes of Mayra Flores and others." Indeed, the Flores nomination has become a major storyline in Washington D.C., calling into question the seriousness of the Ross team's vetting process for significant government positions. "Is she slightly more qualified than Ben Carson was in 2016? I suppose," said Brit Hume of Fox News. "But why on earth would you waste public goodwill and political capital confirming someone as mediocre and raw as Mayra Flores? Someone needs to tell the White House not all publicity is good publicity." Equally bizarre was the political whiplashing over DACA in recent days. While Senate Republicans waged a compelling press campaign on the border and immigration, the White House seemingly could not make up its mind on how the Obama-era program would fit into negotiations. Ultimately, the decision by Ross to rescind DACA and then backtrack to an extent with executive orders #14167 and #14168 under the pretense of giving Congress time to find a solution was met with guffaws and eye rolls. It also gave the Democrats their only moment of victory in the PR wars with Senate Minority Leader Starnes using the confusion to hold a presser and promote the FAIR Act. "Make no mistake, the current actions of the President and Vice President show that they do not understand the gravity of the situation they have set into motion." Furthermore, it remains an open question as to whether her Republican colleagues were even aware of her plan to roll back and reinstate DACA in an attempt to create an artificial bargaining chip. Finally, there was the inflation "talks" and messaging which bore similar marks to the border and immigration issue. Again, even as Senate Republicans deftly lambasted the approach of Democratic leadership to negotiations, the White House press team seemed more interested in playing peek-a-boo with their inflation ideas than making a compelling case. "One consistent trend here is that the Senate Republicans under Senator Ackerman are generally all on the same page while the Oval Office is on an improv bender," David Axelrod said. "If Ackerman is leading a well-rehearsed orchestra, Leah Ross and Cory McKnight are two drunk Jazz musicians who showed up to the wrong event." Not all is bad with the new Administration. The effort put into public relations by Ross has been stellar. Utilizing podcasting and other forms of media to connect with voters is a unique and clever avenue to tap into the electorate. In terms of policy, for all of the chaos, the Ross Administration has softened its hardline stances and demonstrated a willingness to learn, adjust, and adapt to changing circumstances. "From Ukraine to immigration, albeit messy, the Ross team clearly cares about getting stuff done," said Josh Kraushaar of Axios. "They are far from unworkable or obstinate. They do seem eager to work with Democrats. It is beyond evident though that they need to both reorganize their operation and correct their compasses and clocks in the West Wing. Because if you keep shooting from the hip, you'll continue hitting yourself in the foot." FROM THE BORDER TO DACA: THE DEBACLE WASHINGTON — The signature first proposal of the Ross Administration and Republican Senate, S.66 Securing America's Borders, Communities, and Allies Act, has been stuck on the Senate floor for months now. And in many ways, it has become the primary gravitational force for all the debate and gridlock ravaging Washington D.C. The topic of border security and immigration reform has only increased in its importance over the last few years. With the migrant crisis impacting most American cities and shifting public perception in all voting blocs, it is no longer something that can be ignored. Right off the bat, Republicans made numerous major policy changes/concessions in S.66 that surprised many in Washington D.C. The decision of the Ross Administration to abandon its Ukraineskeptic philosophy and back funding for America's Eastern European ally was a welcome change in many quarters, even if the White House and Senate Republicans remained steadfast in their demands for border security with any future appropriations for foreign wars. Also coming as a surprise was the willingness of Republicans to embrace some less draconian measures on undocumented immigrants, at least when it comes to workforce shortages. From square one up until the Ross Administration's bizarre DACA dance, the Senate Republicans dominated the press war. Whatever criticisms Democrats may have concerning the how and when of Republicans proposing their border bill and then requesting negotiations, they have been overwhelmingly drowned out by both the highly effective messaging campaign and key concessions made by Republicans throughout the process. For all of the disorganization and confusing flip-flops by the White House, it is impossible to deny that Senate Republicans have gone out of their way to try and find common ground with Democrats on everything from Ukraine to DACA. And even with all their dysfunction, one of the few and brief moments that 1600 Pennsylvania appeared to be on script was the presser and spin zone onslaught by Republicans. Their press war, centered around the conduct and manner of Senate Minority Leader Starnes, was impactful and further elevated an issue that was already a growing liability for Democrats as far back as 2022. To make matters worse, the Senate Democrats were relatively silent on the issue of the border in the spin zones and pressers outside of complaining about Republicans shifting positions on foreign assistance to Ukraine, DACA, etc. Up until his presser on the FAIR Act, the Starnes-Democratic approach was easily pilloried and maligned by Republicans as arrogant and obstructionist. "We all know Leah Ross gives off crazy cat lady vibes at times, but it is impossible to say that the Senate GOP has been unreasonable or even difficult in terms of their offerings," Joe Scarborough of MSNBC said. "More Americans than ever, even Democrats, want drastic action taken to secure the border. They support Ukraine and Israel. The fact Republicans aggressively pushed all three over the airwaves and still demonstrated an eagerness to negotiate made Senate Minority Leader Starnes' approach, frankly, childish and self-destructive. At the end of the day, when our cities are suffering from migrant crises and border officials are apprehending record levels of terror suspects, no one gives a damn about a senator's thoughts on proper procedure for setting up negotiations." Where Senate Democrats may have caught a respite, however, is the Ross Administration's DACA debacle. To the credit of Democrats, their best and most consistent policy statement has been their support for DACA recipients. In each of his two pressers on the border and immigration, (the second one in particular) Senate Minority Leader Starnes made a moving case for defending the program and the millions of undocumented individuals who would be directly or indirectly impacted by its rescinsion. "Voters agree with Democrats that the White House should not be using DACA so cavalierly as a bargaining chip," Chris Matthews of MSNBC said. "They also just happen to think Democrats, Senator Starnes in particular, are being quite rich right now considering their seeming disinterest in actually trying to reach a deal. At least that is what they now think having heard the Republicans saturate the airwaves and propose a relatively moderate initial bill." Senate Minority Whip Janice Kamaka in particular received praise from many on the left for putting on what Rachel Maddow described as a "tour de force" on the subject of DACA. "To hold a fancy Rose Garden affair to gleefully throw 600,000 people into legal limbo at the stroke of a pen is nothing short of disgraceful from President Ross and this administration," said Senator Kamaka on Noticias Telemundo. Whether each side will find the courage to sit down and reach a bipartisan deal on the border is yet to be seen. But as for now, while Democrats have managed to stop the bleeding with the FAIR Act, they remain at a major disadvantage on the border and immigration due to both a strong and coordinated effort by Republicans and a seemingly obstinate approach from Democrats. SNAPSHOT POLLING Who do you trust more to manage the border and immigration? Republicans: 61% Democrats: 35% Do you support or oppose President Ross' executive order to rescind and partially reinstate DACA with a deadline for Congress? Support: 38% Oppose: 60% Do you approve or disapprove of how each of the following has handled the border and immigration this year? Party - Approve - Disapprove Republicans - 59% - 33% Senate Democrats - 42% - 50% John Starnes - 32% - 58% Owen Ackerman - 48% - 35% President Leah Ross - 38% - 53% INFLATION NEGOTIATIONS WASHINGTON — The other major policy item of the Ross agenda is inflation. Unlike the border and immigration talks invitation that was met with an immediate "no", Democrats agreed to a sitdown. This has produced a far more nuanced result with some different discussions but a similar outcome: nothing was achieved. According to both sides, a series of reforms involving Pentagon spending and Medicare were being presented. At the table were Democrats John Starnes and Whip Janice Kamaka and Republicans Butch Elroy, Ackerman, Ross, and McKnight. Democrats proposed reforms to Pentagon budgeting that allegedly began to take shape over the course of the talks. There also was reportedly cautious mutual interest in negotiating a compromise on Medicare that would reform pricing across the United States, modernize cost-sharing, expand benefits to cover dental and vision, and other structural changes to avoid Part A's Trust Fund going broke in 2026. Yet in one of the more bizarre subplots of the entire year thus far, a dispute broke out during negotiations over sources for estimates and studies of policy proposals. What quickly devolved from a backroom point of inquiry to a nationally televised complaint, Senate Minority Leader Starnes requested the source for several Republican reform proposals on Medicare. When then-Senate Majority Leader Butch Elroy provided statistics from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), the Democratic Leader demurred and waved them off, declaring the Republican proposal as based on a game. Based on the subsequent press conferences by both leaders, it appears this mere disagreement over a source has logjammed negotiations further. Another strange angle of this entire story was the Ross Administration keeping its cards so close to the chest on the details of her inflation plan. Video of White House Press Secretary Dana White being grilled by reporter Darryl Dimmadome of the Texas Ledger about the Administration's plan on inflation went viral on social media. "Dana White gave the answers that every C student gives their teacher when they're asked how the group project is going," joked Stephen Colbert on Late Night. "It's perfect! All is well! I really support good stuff." Meanwhile, Senate Republicans were far more aggressive and clear than the White House at laying out the inflation proposals. Through a series of pressers and spin zones, Republicans set forward their ideas while also pointing the blame for the talks fizzling again on Senate Minority Leader Starnes' issues with the CRFB sourcing. Democrats have countered with some of their own ideas on the Senate floor, including Senator Wolfe of California who appeared on MSNBC to promote prescription drug bargaining. The White House has been cheeky, at minimum, when it comes to its messaging and transparency on inflation and the economy. Leah Ross and her comms team have done themselves no favors on inflation and the economy. On Capitol Hill, the Republicans hold a very narrow edge in the messaging war on inflation, though that may change in the coming days ahead. While Republicans face criticism from some in their base for pushing a more moderate economic agenda on everything from Medicare to spending, they have again made a better pitch for what ideas they have presented compared to the Democrats. To make matters worse, Senate Minority Leader Starnes seemingly validated Republican criticism of his pickiness on sources for studies and research by making it the headline item in his one press conference on the subject a month ago. Voters do not understand or show much interest for the argument against the Committee for a Responsible Budget. And immediately turning away from a Republican offer to expand Medicare benefits on the technical grounds of a disputed cost estimate is mystifying to even most Democrats. With overlapping interests in Pentagon and Medicare reform seemingly being there, there is still hope both parties may be able to work out a compromise. Who do you trust more to manage the economy and inflation? Republicans: 47% Democrats: 45% Voters' Word Association for Senate Democrats: "Caring", "Petty", "Partisan" Voters' Word Association for Senate Republicans: "Unifying", "Flip-flop", "Uncertain" Do you support or oppose each of the following proposals? Idea - Support - Oppose Cutting Pentagon Waste - 81% - 8% Expanding Medicare Benefits to Cover Dental and Vision - 80% - 14% Raising Taxes on the Wealthiest Americans - 75% - 18% Supporting Israel with military and humanitarian aid - 68% - 30% Requiring proof of work for Medicaid, SNAP benefits - 66% - 29% Cutting Defense Spending - 58% - 41% Supporting Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid - 55% - 45% Cutting Medicare or Social Security Benefits - 28% - 69% Raising Retirement Age to 70 for Social Security - 15% - 79% Do you approve or disapprove of how each of the following has handled inflation this year? Party - Approve - Disapprove Republicans - 49% - 43% Senate Democrats - 47% - 45% John Starnes - 37% - 55% Owen Ackerman - 44% - 40% President Leah Ross - 37% - 51% ADDITIONAL POLLING President Leah Ross (national poll) Approval: 41% Disapproval: 51% Generic Congressional Ballot (national poll) Republicans: 44% Democrats: 43% Senate Minority Leader John Starnes (national poll) Approval: 37% Disapproval: 52% Senate Majority Leader Owen Ackerman (national poll) Approval: 38% Disapproval: 40%
  13. Senate Committee Considers Mayra Flores Nomination for Head of EPA The Senate Domestic Affairs and Judiciary Committee is currently considering the nomination of Mayra Flores to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 38 year old Mexican native served as a member of the House of Representatives representing Texas's 34th district for 196 days in 2022 and early January 2023. She lost her bids to win a full term in both 2022 and 2024. Before her term in Congress, she was the Chairwoman of Hispanic Outreach for the Hidalgo County, Texas Republican Party. Her hearing before the committee, similar to Secretary of Labor nominee Carly Fiorina’s, was dominated by Senators Naomi Wolfe (D-Georgia) and Dylan Macmillan (R-Utah). The most notable exchange during the confirmation hearing so far came when Wolfe asked Flores about her stance on climate change. “The climate is undergoing changes, however it's essential to acknowledge that fluctuations in the Earth's climate have always been a natural and ongoing process throughout history,” Flores said when asked about the issue by Wolfe. However, that was not a satisfactory enough answer for Wolfe as she then asked Flores if she thinks climate change is caused by human action. “I'm not a scientist,” Flores responded. “The climate has always been changing. My policy to this question is that as Administrator of the EPA I will make sure that we don't continue the endless and wasteful spending by the Biden Administration on green new deals.” This has led to the Environmental Defense Action Fund, a top environmental policy fundraising group, announcing opposition to her nomination and making it a priority to defeat the nomination. "The Environmental Defense Action Fund expresses deep concern over Ms. Flores' response during the confirmation hearing, where she downplayed the human contribution to climate change,” the organization said in a statement. “Dismissing the consensus among scientists on this critical issue raises significant apprehensions about her commitment to addressing the urgent challenges of our changing climate. We believe it is crucial for the EPA Administrator to recognize the need for science-based policies in safeguarding our environment for future generations." Flores was also asked about her campaign using QAnon associated hashtags in social media advertising, her experience and familiarity in environmental policy, and President Leah Ross (R-Florida)’s recent executive orders related to environmental issues. The White House has defended Flores on several fronts, most recently during Ross’s Oval Uncensored Podcast. “Mayra Flores's appointment as EPA Administrator is a forward-thinking move, highlighting a commitment to innovative, pragmatic, and effective environmental leadership,” Ross told host Jean Pierre. “It was a strategic decision that underscores the importance of bringing new perspectives and diverse experiences to the forefront of environmental policy. While Flores may have had a relatively brief tenure in a major political role, her unique background and approach to problem-solving make her a valuable asset to the EPA. Flores's experience outside of traditional political circles offers a fresh perspective that is crucial in addressing today's complex environmental challenges. Her understanding of real-world issues, garnered from her time in a more grassroots role, provides her with a practical and grounded approach to environmental policy.” Wolfe, appearing on MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki, called Flores “an outstandingly awful choice to head the EPA.” The American Petroleum Institute, which is the primary representation for the oil and natural gas industry on K-Street, has endorsed Flores as EPA Administrator. The oil and natural gas industry donated $147,878 to Flores during the 2022 campaign cycle. Polling suggests that Americans still overwhelmingly support policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, such as providing tax incentives to businesses to promote their use of wind, solar and nuclear power (75%-24%), setting higher fuel efficiency standards for cars, trucks and buses (71%-28%), and more. However, the question of whether Americans prioritize environmental protection or economic growth generates closer results. 53% prioritize environmental protection and 42% prioritize economic growth. On this polling question generally, Americans tend to prioritize environmental protection more, except for in times of economic downturn. The Senate Domestic Affairs and Judiciary Committee is currently considering whether to extend questioning on the nominations of Flores, Fiorina, and David Perdue (R-Georgia) to be Secretary of Treasury. If the hearings are not extended, all three will then be voted on by the committee as to whether they should be recommended to the full Senate for consideration. Every President since Bill Clinton has had to withdraw cabinet nominees from consideration. However, the last President to have one outright denied by the full Senate was George H.W. Bush. That came when the nomination of John Tower to be Secretary of Defense was denied 47–53. If Flores is confirmed, she would be unable to serve on the presidential line of succession as she is ineligible to serve as President due to being a naturalized citizen, rather than natural-born.
  14. Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Fired; DOJ, White House, and Congress Respond to FCI Florence Riot Attorney General Shane Ewing (R-Texas) has fired the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Colette S. Peters. This is in response to the prison riot at Federal Correctional Institution, Florence (FCI Florence) outside of Florence, Colorado. As of this time, Deputy Director William Lothrop will serve as the Acting Director. However, the Attorney General has general hiring and firing power for the agency under 18 U.S. Code § 4041. “The Bureau of Prisons shall be in charge of a director appointed by and serving directly under the Attorney General,” the statute reads. “The Attorney General may appoint such additional officers and employees as he deems necessary.” Democratic Senators are expressing surprise at this move. “It's troubling to hear that the Ross Administration is firing the BOP Director before any public investigation has been had by Congress or an official report has been given to the American people,” Senate Minority Leader John Starnes (D-Virginia) posted on X. “Let us not forget that it was President Ross who forced AI onto the BOP and now the Director is getting fired for its failings.” Per the Associated Press, artificial intelligence had been explored by the agency going back to the Biden Administration. There have not been any reports suggesting that Ross personally forced the issue. The riot at FCI Florence caused three deaths and 15 injuries. It also led to a suspension in AI use at their institutions until an internal review could be done. Additional details about the riot specifically can be read in our previous article. Emergency repairs at FCI Florence have been completed and the prisoners who were temporarily being housed at USP Marion High, Bent County Correctional Facility, and Crowley County Correctional Facility have been returned to FCI Florence. The Department of Justice, led by Ewing, is now exploring using federal death penalty statutes against inmates Victor Martinez and Dominic Russo. Those inmates were involved in the violent death of prison guard Donald Holt. President Leah Ross (R-Florida) issued a memorandum to the agency after the riot lining out strategies to implement at the agency. Those included Enhanced Security Measures, Mental Health and Counseling Services, Inmate Communication Channels, and others. Some in the AI field questioned whether parts of the memorandum itself was written by AI, but that could not and will not be able to be confirmed. Congressional response to the riot has been widespread. Former Senate Majority Leader Butch Elroy (R-West Virginia) officially established the Senate Special Committee on the Use and Governance of AI Technology. It will be chaired by Senator Sarah Milliken (R-Nebraska). The top Democrat on the committee will be Senator Edward O’Connor (D-Massachusetts). This committee is expected to commence work in the coming weeks. Senator Donato Vinachelli (D-New Jersey) has introduced the Supporting Our Federal Correctional Officers Act. That legislation would allow the Bureau to use direct hire authority to hire employees until 96 percent of competitive service positions are filled, permanently set aside $1 billion per year for recruitment and retention bonuses for for correctional officers and staff at all federal correctional facilities, and make the Director of the Bureau of Prisons a presidential appointed position confirmed by the U.S. Senate. “Regardless of what the special Committee on AI use in our prison system finds, the Supporting Our Federal Correctional Officers Act is long overdue for protecting our federal workers and keeping our communities safe,” Vinachelli told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “We already know a critical shortage of workers is continuing to put our federal prison system at risk and its long past time to hold BOP accountable to move forward with ideas that work, rather than gambling workers and communities safety on dangerous technology.” New Senate Majority Leader Owen Ackerman (R-Maine) has made a motion to suspend the Senate rules and pass the AI Labeling Act of 2025 “as part of this Congress's ongoing efforts to answer the question of how artificial intelligence will present itself in the lives of Americans.” That proposal from Senator Dennis Millhouse (R-Indiana) would require disclosures for AI-generated content. Those disclosures would “be permanent or unable to be easily removed by subsequent users.” The specifics of the disclosures would be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. Additionally, an Ai-Generated Content Consumer Transparency Working Group would be established under the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Alphabet, Inc. which has Google under its umbrella, is reportedly against Millhouse’s proposal since they consider the permanent disclosures “challenging to implement and overly restrictive”. Additionally, Alphabet, Inc. thinks that such a piece of legislation could stifle innovation in the AI field. They say that imposing too many regulations could slow down the development and deployment of new AI technologies. This issue is likely to continue to get the attention of Washington as well as the American public, especially as hearings commence. Opinions are far from settled on this issue.
  15. Senate Confirmation Hearings for Carly Fiorina Stir Controversy and Opposition Hearings continue within the Senate Domestic Affairs and Judiciary Committee on the nomination of Carly Fiorina to be Secretary of Labor. Fiorina from 1999 to 2005 was the Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett-Packard, an information technology company, mostly known for its printers to many Americans. Fiorina joined the political fray in 2010 when she unsuccessfully ran against Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California). She used that as a springboard to run for President in 2016. She was unsuccessful there as well, but was Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)’s vice presidential running mate until he suspended his campaign. Until now, she had kept out of the political scene since 2020, when she endorsed President Joe Biden (D-Delaware) in his campaign against then-incumbent President Donald Trump (R-Florida). Senator Naomi Wolfe (D-Georgia) and Senator Dylan Macmillan (R-Utah) have been the primary questioners in the confirmation hearings. One particularly notable exchange from the hearings so far has been when Wolfe asked Fiorina about steps she would take to increase pay equity as the Secretary of Labor. In her questioning, Wolfe had cited her past stances on pay equity being the fault of unions. Fiorina, in her answer, called out Democrats for wanting to legislate equal pay and advanced her stance of equal pay for equal work. “Despite it already being law, the left wants to further legislate equal pay,” Fiorina said. “And yet, the left also supports seniority systems, in government and unions that reward not merit, not performance, but time and grade... This is what is disproportionately impacting women. And these seniority systems have perverse consequences. I think the left needs to get its priorities straight on equal pay. Equal pay is already law.” She also called out unions for forcing members to support their political agendas, even going so far as to say they should be “reigned in”; came out in support of right to work policies; and did not express a strong statement either way on the Brown-Wyden Rapid Response Mechanism in the United States–Mexico–Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). Senator Donato Vinachelli (D-New Jersey) wrote a 1,390 word editorial in the New York Times ripping Fiorina’s nomination. “While small businesses have the Department of Commerce to represent their interests and Fortune 500 multinationals have the President looking out for them, the DOL is the only Cabinet-level Department charged with fighting for the cause of American workers first and foremost,” Vinachelli wrote. “There has rarely been a nominee so profoundly unfit and unqualified for defending America’s workers and their well-being than Carly Fiorina.” Senator Nolan Stokes (D-Maryland) also ripped the nomination on CNN, calling Fiorina “a person who has always put workers last”. Similar to many of the President’s other nominees, Congressional Republicans have not simply been running to the presses to support her. POLITICO’s Sarah Ferris asked newly elected Senate Majority Leader Owen Ackerman (R-Maine) about the nomination. Ferris had not heard back as of press time. “With the lack of positive press or softball questions for Fiorina in her confirmation hearing, I truly question if even Congressional Republicans are particularly ecstatic about this nomination,” political analyst Rosanne Huffman said. “There are other priorities of course, but not that long ago in this Republican party, someone who supports right-to-work policies and reigning in unions would get Republicans jazzed up.” The Laborers' International Union of North America, a major fundraising group for labor related issues, has officially come out against the nomination and is planning to put forward financial support towards Republicans and Democrats who oppose the nomination. Some supporters of former President Trump have also opposed the nomination due to her support of Biden in 2020. “My father was so right, who would want to elect that persona,” Donald Trump, Jr, posted on X. “Can't believe President Ross would nominate someone who was against my father in 2020! Just another example of the mainstream #RINOs in action” It is unknown if the hearings will continue in the coming days or if they will be extended. That decision will likely be up to the Chairman of the Senate Domestic Affairs and Judiciary Committee, Daniel Hunt (R-Alabama).
  16. Q2, 2025 Ross Signs Executive Order Overhauling Environmental Review Process President Leah Ross (R-Florida) has signed an executive order to set a unified environmental review process for major infrastructure projects. The process allows for increased control over regulatory timelines to ensure expedient and effective project completion. This initiative stems from the 2025 Presidential Transition Project. The executive order also establishes a Senior Advisor for Energy and Environment Policy, dissolves the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Carbon, and discontinues the use of Social Cost of Carbon analyses in federal policymaking and regulatory processes. The Social Cost of Carbon is considered a cost estimate of the damage done by each additional ton of carbon emissions. These estimates are calculated by computer models. The project also calls for the President and Congress to establish a “sweeping modernization of the entire permitting system across all departments and agencies that is aimed at reducing litigation risk and giving agencies the authority to establish programmatic, general, and provisional permits.” This is not included in the executive order, however, as it would likely require congressional action. [...] Q2, 2025 White House Eliminates Gender Policy Council This week, President Leah Ross (R-Florida) terminated the White House Gender Policy Council and established a Special Assistant to the President for Life and Family. The White House Gender Policy Council was formed on January 20, 2021 by President Joe Biden (D-Delaware). Per the Biden Administration, the Council worked to advance gender equity and equality across domestic and foreign policy, addressing issues such as economic security, health, gender-based violence, and education. On the White House’s Oval Uncensored podcast, Ross told host Jean Pierre that the council was an “unnecessary expansion of government in territory it was not needed.” “The real reason for the council was to use women as a cover to push a radical, anti-family, anti-woman, pro-trans and pro-abortion agenda from the White House,” Ross said. “I don't stand for that. I stand for women everywhere. I stand for families. I stand for life. That's what my executive order yesterday signified: a return to federal policy centered on life and family. End of story.” Democrats, such as Senate Minority Whip Janice Kamaka (Hawaii) strongly rebuked this on NBC’s Meet the Press. "For the President to so blatantly claim that she is stopping the ‘promotion of abortion, radical sex education & gender ideology in minors’ by dissolving the White House Gender Policy Council is simply an insult to her own voters that care about those issues, on top of the vast majority of Americans who don't want the right-wing hellscape this President salivates at the idea at,” Kamaka said. When Pierre pushed back on the President during the podcast, asking about women who benefitted from the council, Ross responded that the council “mostly celebrated women achievements of the past, recognizing equal pay, voting rights, and others, but they have not put forward anything of substance, anything that is tangible.” Many political analysts drew parallels to when Ross issued her women’s day proclamation. Republicans said that the day was meant to empower women and Democrats argued that Ross was creating a day out of thin air simply for political convenience. The National Organization for Women also strongly condemned the elimination of the council. “Focusing solely on matters of life and family without a dedicated council for gender equity raises concerns about the commitment to addressing the unique challenges faced by women,” the organization said in a statement. “It also raises concerns that President Ross is only seeking to promote her political agenda to advance the interests of pro-life supporting men across America. We urge President Ross to reconsider this move and prioritize comprehensive policies that promote equality and inclusivity for all." Polling on this issue shows that the public interest has been more piqued on this order than Ross’s other executive orders, thanks in part due to her Oval Uncensored podcast. 31.5% of those surveyed support the executive order, 39.5% oppose it, and 29% are unsure. Democrats, led by progressives, tend to oppose the order. Most Republicans support, but a large contingent are in the unsure category. Independents are either in the opposed category or are unsure due to the more pressing issues in the county right now. “There is still a segment of people who are unsure about this move, but that is simply because most of them won’t ever be interested in this issue with other more pressing issues right now,” political analyst Rosanne Huffman said. “Women’s issues and supporting women tend to be a popular stance. The optics of replacing a gender policy council with a special assistant for life and family simply are just not that great. This is especially the case as the President upped the ante by including it in her podcast and using divisive language that further angered Democrats and many independents.” Women’s issues aren’t the top issue Americans are concerned about, so it is not clear where the win is for President Ross here. [...] Q2, 2025 President Signs Executive Orders Overhauling Federal Employee Policies, Drawing Criticism from Senate Progressive Caucus Federal employee policies will once again face changes from the White House after President Leah Ross (R-Florida) signed three executive orders. Ross set policies to streamline the process for addressing unacceptable performance and misconduct; introduce principles for grievance procedures; establish an Interagency Labor Relations Working Group to handle matters related to labor-management relations as well as outline specific procedures and objectives for collective bargaining, including the evaluation of existing CBAs, negotiation timeframes, and considerations for bargaining over procedures and appropriate arrangements; and detail the conduct expected of federal employees regarding the use of paid time, restrictions on engaging in lobbying activities during paid time, and limitations on using taxpayer-funded union time for grievances. The executive orders I will sign here today [are] about ensuring that federal employees are held to the highest standards of integrity and performance,” Ross said in a speech about the executive orders. “It's about ensuring that the American people get the quality service they deserve from their government.” These three executive orders are making a return from President Donald Trump (R-Florida)’s administration after originally being signed in 2018. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Progressive Caucus Nolan Stokes (D-Maryland) criticized the executive order as an attack on government workers. "This is a major red flag for worker's rights," Stokes said. "President Ross has sent a message that she stands in the way of workers and their right to a safe, and just working environment. The White House and the Senate GOP have made it clear where they stand on workers." [...]
  17. Q2, 2025 Deadly Riot Erupts at Federal Correctional Institution, Florence This week, a prison riot took place within the Federal Correctional Complex outside of Florence, Colorado. Specifically, the riot happened at Federal Correctional Institution, Florence, which is a medium security institution within the complex. The riot began at 1:30pm local time on Thursday, per the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The incident concluded at 7:37pm when BOP North Central Region Director Andre Matevousian gave the all-clear. Mr. Matevousian was the highest ranking official from the BOP to be present. Both Director Colette S. Peters and Deputy Director William W. Lothrop were responsible for briefing the White House and the state's congressional delegation, at the request of the delegation. It has been revealed that three inmates were responsible for the beginning of the riot. Those inmates were Robert "Bulldog" Thompson, age 32; Samuel "Silent Fury" Harris, age 35; and Anthony "Swiftblade" Carter, age 25. Mr. Thompson is currently serving a sentence for aggravated assault and Mr. Carter is serving a sentence for burglary. Mr. Harris, who died in the riot, was serving a sentence for manslaughter. There were seven inmate injuries and one inmate death, which was Mr. Harris's. Additionally, eight BOP staff members were injured in the incident and two are dead. Jeremy Larson, aged 25, was a prison guard at the institution. His death was reportedly violent in nature. Additionally, Donald Holt, aged 39, was a member of the Disturbance Control Team sent to the institution to help end the riot. His death has been characterized as a tragic incident. There are no other details available at this time. Around 5pm, 80% of the facility was back under the control of the BOP. It was then when staff realized that 10% of the facility was damaged beyond timely repair and that prisoners would have to go elsewhere. President Leah Ross (R-Florida) was consulted on this decision, and under the advice of staff, ordered that the prisoners within the 10% of the facility to be split into three groups. One group was sent to the USP Florence High facility, which is the high security institution on-site. This is not to be confused with ADX Supermax, which holds the United States's most dangerous criminals. The other two groups were sent to two private facilities managed by CoreCivic: Bent County Correctional Facility and the Crowley County Correctional Facility. These prisoners will be held at those facilities for the next three weeks while emergency repairs are done. The Bureau of Prisons has confirmed that the emergency repairs should only last that long. During BOP Director Colette S. Peters's press statement after the riot ended, she announced that the agency would be temporarily suspending the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within its institutions. The New York Times has learned that staff brought up concerns in the midst of the riot that AI may have failed during or before it. This has been the focus of most of the Congressional response to the incident so far. Senator Aaron Sharpe (D-California) told reporters that how artificial intelligence is used in the BOP needs to be re-thought. "I want to keep everyone in my prayers," Sharpe said. "It’s a tragedy. I think we need to rethink how we use AI. Humans should continue to stay in charge of things and not AI." Sharpe also came out in support of Senator Adam Ross (D-Maine)'s proposal to start a Senate Special Committee on the Governance of Artificial Intelligence. Senate Majority Leader Butch Elroy (R-West Virginia) told reporters that he would be pursuing a special committee to investigate the matter. He is expected to use Rule V(2) of the Senate Rules to start it. "I'm glad they got the situation under control," Elroy said. "But the bastards who did this shouldn't be returned to their prison cells. They should be booked, charged, convicted, and sent to the chair. In the meantime, we will be pursuing a special committee to investigate both the failure at Florence and better groundrules for artificial intelligence in governance. I don't want our whole damn country at the mercy of HAL." Additionally, the White House put out statements on X that they were monitoring the riot and Senators Alexander Castillo (D-Colorado) and Camilo deSonido (I/D-Colorado) were reportedly in contact with authorities about the situation and visited the site of the riot soon afterwards. The implications of artificial intelligence use in this incident are still unknown. Additionally, BOP has said that several other details are still unknown such as why the prisoners started the riot and the specific details of the staff deaths. OOC NOTE:
  18. Use the following format to make a media appearance in The Spin Zone: Name: Media/Outlet: Reason: (Ex. Promoting Immigration Bill) [Bullet points/brief outline of talking points during appearance.]
  19. Netroots Nation 2025 Considered by Many to be a Fundraising Triumph More political analysis of Netroots Nation, this article, while including some political analysis, is primarily relating to the fundraising aspect. Progressives and special interest groups were elated when they saw this year's Netroots Nation line up. The lineup did not disappoint, with Cenk Uygur calling this year's event "electric". Even though there were some head scratchers and head scratching speeches, progressives left feeling like they could genuinely be excited for the future based on some of the prominent speakers at this year's event. The money also confirmed this theory as prominent Democrats who attended this event received a total of almost $36 million collectively. Republicans at CPAC, while being much less of them, received only 36% of the amount Democrats did on a collective basis. Senator Aaron Sharpe (D-CA) Sharpe definitely sucked up to those in attendance by saying that they are the reason that he and his colleagues are Senators. Sharpe did drive-bys on both the abortion issue and the issue of social security, while touting his Social Security Expansion Act. He brought up the recent pulling of the Stop Campus Hate Act by Senate Majority Leader Butch Elroy (R-West Virginia). However, not all progressives in attendance were in support of the bill anyway, concerned that it would be used to target them. Sharpe also pitched himself as a successor to 2024 presidential candidate William Ellett (D-Massachusetts). Ellett didn’t poll very well in the election outside of New Hampshire and his home state. This made some donors question that decision. NOTABLE QUOTE: “It has been quite a year for all of us. We watched as President Trump passed away. Then we watched one of his MAGA minions [President Leah Ross] get elected into the highest office in the world. This was a call to action we must remember to never give up, especially now we must fight more than ever to keep democracy alive.” Progressive Democrats of America - $2,615,105 American Association for Retired Persons - $1,046,042 NARAL Pro-Choice America - $569,063 Senator Naomi Wolfe (D-GA) Wolfe took a different approach in this speech than many prominent politicians do: she spent her speech reflecting on the party’s loss of the White House and Senate last year. She also thanked the Democratic party volunteers in attendance for helping in the 2024 elections. This speech didn’t have any policy, which obviously didn’t attract too many special interest groups, but progressives were still pretty happy to have someone providing them some hope and a path forward after the 2024 elections. One of the most well liked speeches of the night, even though a lot of people didn’t remember Naomi Wolfe from her previous appearance at Netroots. NOTABLE QUOTE: “After the result in 2024, losing the White House and the Senate, I don't blame those of you who feel disappointed, or even hopeless, because I've been there. But I also know: the only way to make that feeling go away is to start winning again.” Progressive Democrats of America - $6,694,586 Senator Adam Ross (D-ME) Senator Ross used the Netroots platform to make an interesting announcement that he would be joining the Democratic Party and no longer identifying as an independent. Of course, being one of the more moderate Senators in the party, progressives in attendance wondered what this would mean if anything. This was especially the case after Ross told those in attendance right after that he would not be afraid to stand up to the Democratic Party if he disagreed with something they say. He then laid out a laundry list of liberal ideals that he called “better than our GOP counterparts” including abortion, protecting minorities, healthcare, standing with America’s allies (bringing up the Unified Aid Bill which did get a small amount of boos from the crowd), criminal justice system reform, the lack of effectiveness of the War on Drugs, and more. He also aired his grievances about President Leah Ross and the GOP’s actions so far this year. Some attendees thought the speech was dense in these grievances and more like a rant versus Wolfe’s mostly upbeat speech. NOTABLE QUOTE: “With the DREAMer amendment failing by a party line vote, the GOP got more than ‘what they want’. The President's lip service was an attempt to appease us and nothing more.” Progressive Democrats of America - $1,097,866 American Association for Retired Persons - $898,253 Foundation to Combat Antisemitism - $1,646,118 Grassroots Law Project - $798,059 Senator William Lewis (D-NY) Lewis endeared many of those in attendance with a strong opening about diversity, and stressing the importance of diversity. Then when it came time to discuss policy relating to diversity, he brought up that he could help farmers with his Farmer's Equipment Right to Repair Act. Some of the progressives in the room were admittedly a little confused about this proclamation. Additionally, during that segment of his speech, he called Russia a terrorist state. He recovered later in the speech touting his proposal for a national minimum standard for police. He also promoted his Workers' Rights and Family Support Act of 2025, which would guarantee three days of paid vacation time per year for American workers and female employees a minimum of four weeks of paid maternity leave following the birth or adoption of a child and male employees to a minimum of four days of paid maternity leave after those circumstances. The bill also enshrines six hours of paid leave a year “so parents can take their children to a doctor's appointment or go meet a teacher without fear of losing money from their paycheck.” Progressives in the room were left wishing he would have gone further than this. He then ended the speech, drawing it back to his starting point about diversity. NOTABLE QUOTE: “The comedian Will Rogers once said that I'm not a member of an organized party, I'm a Democrat. and sometimes it does make sense because as I look at this room I see a wide variety of people. I see people who are part of the LGBT community like myself, people who are part of faith communities, and those who are not. I see white, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and so many more races. I see those who were born in big cities and those who live on small farms. I see those who are Centrist and I see those who are much more Progressive. In short, what I see is diversity, the true face of this nation.” Progressive Democrats of America - $1,181,341 Farm Credit Council - $514,833 Grassroots Law Project - $1,126,197 Senator Don Vinachelli (D-NJ) Vinachelli got the crowd fired up with the immediate attacks on President Ross and Republicans, calling the President “a corrupt billionaire.” He also had a pretty decent call to action towards progressives in the room, stating that people getting out and organizing are the reason that New Jersey is considered a blue state today. He also called out Ross and Republicans for not passing the Equal Rights Amendment. The close of his speech was arguably the strongest part, even though the beginning was also very strong. He told those in the room that the way to victory is the soul of all the people in the room organizing and getting Democrats elected to office. Before leaving the stage, he performed a cover of Badlands by Bruce Springsteen. NOTABLE QUOTE: “I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of seeing corrupt billionaires like President [Leah] Ross winning elections despite the majority of sane, hardworking Americans voting against them. Then they go and appoint their corrupt corporate cronies like Carly Fiorina, who got a multi-million dollar severance package for laying off tens of thousands of workers, as the head of the Department of Labor. It seems like working people keep being forced to pay the price for these billionaire's largesse.” Progressive Democrats of America - $4,962,660 National Organization for Women - $698,284 Senator Janice Kamaka (D-HI) Kamaka is potentially one of the better known in the room, however not completely so as she only just advanced to the Senate Minority Whip position earlier this year. Kamaka’s speech also took on diversity, but in a different light, telling attendees about her experiences as a lesbian woman in Hawaii. Her story also had a happy ending, which tugged at the heartstrings of LGBTQ+ progressives in the room. She used that story to then denounce the “politics of rage” that she says President Ross and Republicans are using to advance their “right-wing agenda rooted in fear and otherizing those it disagrees with”. She called for members of her party to embrace a “quality of life agenda” which would tackle issues such as “paycheck fairness for all, the right to unionize for all, the right to quality education, and the right to love who you love, free from discrimination and harassment in the workplace!” This speech really fired up LGBTQ+ progressives, which hadn’t had really been focused on directly in any of the speeches up until hers. NOTABLE QUOTE: “The politics of rage that politicians like Leah Ross have cultivated thrives in darkness. It truly is never more alive than when we are asleep. They hope and pray every day that we will simply accept their right-wing agenda imposed upon us by a President who lacks a mandate and a party that lacks vision beyond turning back the clock of progress to a time where women have no control over their bodies, LGBTQ+ Americans suffer in silence, and the rich get richer at the expense of working people!” Progressive Democrats of America - $4,000,054 Human Rights Campaign - $2,998,035 Senator Camilo deSonido (D-CO) Senator deSonido focused his speech on his proposals for the Third Reconstruction and the Poor People's Campaign. He told attendees that a living wage for workers should be a priority, as they are the backbone of the nation. Progressive eat up the ideals of the Third Reconstruction and the Poor People's Campaign, even though some special interest groups are very leery about supporting ideas with those titles attached. He has been one of the most prominent progressives in the Senate, not afraid to buck his party's leadership. However, this event has showed he will face strong opposition in courting the progressive vote. NOTABLE QUOTE: “At this critical crossroads, we face a choice: do we allow divisive forces to exploit the labor of the many for the gain of the few, or do we rise above, united in our pursuit of a just and equitable society? The call for a moral revolution demands our commitment to fair treatment, just wages, and the dignified existence of every worker.” Progressive Democrats of America - $3,195,647 Laborers' International Union of North America - $1,512,420
  20. CPAC 2025 Raises Over $13 Million for Republican Politicians in Attendance More political analysis of the Conservative Political Action Conference. This article, while including some political analysis, is primarily relating to the fundraising aspect. Donors felt like this year's Conservative Political Action Conference returned to being an affair primarily for them. The Heritage Foundation called this year’s energy “paled in comparison to previous years”. This was in part due to a low turnout from prominent Republicans, but also because of donors still regaining their footing after the expensive 2024 elections. Regardless, this is the biggest opportunity of the year for politicians to address special interest groups and both of the keynote speakers made sure to put their best pitch forward for those donors. Senator Douglas Butcher (R-MO) This was primarily a single issue speech, being dedicated to mostly anti-semitism issues. He promoted his resolution to stand with Israel that successfully made it through the Senate. It’s just a resolution, so it didn’t get as much of a bump as legislation would have. Nonetheless, donors who care about anti-semitism issues were ready to open up their wallets by the end. He also alluded to the anti-semitism on college campuses bill getting derailed, which wasn’t his proposal, but it also wasn’t something that conservatives were really happy about or wanting to re-live. He also suggested though that the series of votes on the bill would be something that the Republican Party “will have to account for” which made some donors wonder what exactly Butcher meant. NOTABLE QUOTE: “Unfortunately, our response [to anti-semitism] got sidetracked. You have Senator [John] Starnes to thank for that and a series of votes we will have to account for.” Foundation to Combat Antisemitism - $5,039,928 Americans for Prosperity Action - $1,142,581 Senator Owen Ackerman (R-ME) Senator Ackerman’s speech was more broad-based and was a perfect closing speech to get the donors (and the smattering of conservatives voters who were there) riled up. This had the effect of getting a more broad based group of conservatives to open up their wallets to donate than Butcher’s did. He didn’t go for any specific groups in the speech (obviously the National Organization for Women isn’t gonna turn up to CPAC), but that’s fine since he got the primary conservative group to stick over seven million dollars in his bank account by the end of the night. Donors in attendance said the speech walked the tightrope of being negative towards liberals and positive about future conservative achievements brilliantly. NOTABLE QUOTE: “We have four long years to turn the tide. Four long years of tax cuts. Four long years of deregulation. Fo[u]r long years to beat back the crime. Four long years to close the border. Four long years to put you back to work.” Americans for Prosperity Action - $7,641,804
  21. The Watchtower News Group issues reports on the influence of special interests on politics.
  22. Q1, 2025 Artificial Intelligence Coming to Federal Prisons Soon The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has announced plans to use artificial intelligence technology within its 122 institutions across the United States. BOP has stated four areas in which they will focus their artificial intelligence use: Inmate Classification and Monitoring, Biometric Identification, Automated Inmate Management, and Contraband Detection. The Bureau has been exploring these possibilities for the last several months. This comes as the BOP is under immense pressure and stress. Overtime expenditures, without adjusting for inflation, have increased 138 percent since 2015. Staff suicides are also in an “above average” status at eight institutions (map) Tied directly into both of these issues are staffing issues in the federal prison system. The reliability of statistics on these staffing issues have not been sufficient enough for the Office of Personnel Management to feel compelled to give extra hiring authority to the agency. Recent exit survey results from the agency showed that 63% of departing employees said their pay level was an important factor in leaving; 55% reported insufficient resources to perform their job properly; 51% reported that there was a lack of access to developmental opportunities; and 49% reported they had experienced job-related stress that led them to leave. Additionally, 12 percent of separating employees who completed the survey specifically mentioned staffing-related challenges as a contributing factor for their separation. "Staffing shortages are turning our institution into an increasingly dangerous environment,” one anonymous staffer said, “It's disheartening to see dedicated professionals forced to make tough choices, and I know I would have stayed if only we had the necessary support." BOP Director Colette S. Peters told reporters that using artificial intelligence is a necessity with the current state of the agency. "In the face of staffing challenges and the complexities of modern prison management, leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI is crucial,” Peters said. “Our commitment to safety demands innovative solutions. Embracing AI empowers us to ultimately create a safer and more effective correctional environment for both staff and inmates." The National President of the Council of Prison Locals C-33, the biggest union of federal prison guards, Brandy Moore-White urged caution. "While we acknowledge the potential benefits of integrating AI into our prison operations, our primary concern remains the safety and well-being of our dedicated prison guards,” Moore-White said in a statement. “We appreciate the Bureau involving us in this process so far and we continue to urge a collaborative approach, ensuring that AI supplements, rather than replaces, the vital role our guards play. With proper training, support, and ongoing communication, we believe AI can enhance our capabilities and contribute to a safer environment for all." The Bureau is expected to implement these AI technologies in the next 30-60 days at prisons all across the country. [...]
  23. President Leah Ross Unveils Controversial Cabinet Picks, Sparks Outcry from Democrats President Leah Ross (R-Florida) has selected the people who will serve in her cabinet. Ross’s communications team, when releasing the original, preliminary list from before the inauguration, spoke glowingly of it. “The President-elect's cabinet is one of the most highly qualified, diverse, and conservative cabinets of any president in the history of America,” her team stated in a press release. “President-elect Ross and her team spent hours going through the merits of each person put in front of them and made wise decisions of who would be the best partner for the President-elect as she serves as the head of the unitary executive, and who would best represent the will of the people in our nation's government. The President-elect is happy with her cabinet choices and asks Congress for a quick and smooth confirmation process.” However, Democrats were quick to disagree with this assessment. “The cabinet put forward by President-elect Ross is a clear indication that this President is more beholden to Steve Bannon and Alex Jones than she is to the American People who elected her,” Senate Minority Whip Janice Kamaka (D-Hawaii) said. “It's a damn shame, though unsurprising, but one that makes this job [Senate Minority Whip] all the more important. We will remain vigilant and hold this administration accountable, just as the American People would expect of us.” However, the Administration had at least one change of heart as when the final list was revealed, a prominent name was missing. Allen West, who had been nominated as Director of the FBI, was replaced with Wan J. Kim. Senator and former Democratic presidential candidate Tim Karem-Adeyemi was very adamant in his opposition to West. He specifically called out West floating the idea of “law-abiding states” seceding from the United States while West was Chairman of the Texas Republican Party. “The Republican Party cannot tell you why Secessionist West is a great candidate for FBI Director just like they can’t tell you why they continue to push QAnon and other quack theories,” Karem-Adeyemi posted on X. However, the replacement of West also rankled some conservatives. “[President Ross] can't start giving into the woke crowd or her entire Presidency will be a bad Bud Light commercial," Dana Loesch said. Only the renomination of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has gotten wide support from Democrats. "There is not one person on her [President Ross’s] nomination list I would vote to confirm - other than Vivek Murthy,” DNC Chairman Jon Krol (of New York) said. “The Surgeon General has done tremendous work on distributing Covid-19 vaccines, cannabis reform, breaking the stigma of mental health, ending gun violence, and addressing social media's negative affects on minors." When asked about the decision, White House Press Secretary Dana White said it was an example of the Ross Administration’s “commitment to bipartisanship”. Democrats have successfully brought down the overall approval rating of the Ross cabinet selections, according to polls of likely voters. 45.69% of those surveyed had an overall negative opinion of the Ross cabinet selections, 35.31% had a positive opinion, and 19% had no opinion or were undecided. Most Democrats, a majority of Independents, and a small, but loud contingent of Republican voters who affiliate with MAGA all contributed to the negative opinion. “Democrats were looking to see what sticks in their early attacks by going after a lot of these nominees, but look, there was so much negative about them that the strategy has prevailed for now,” political analyst Rosanne Huffman said. “Will Americans care about this in three months? Absolutely not. But the Democrats have the people’s attention at the moment.” Now Democrats will have three names to focus their energy on, these are the only ones who remain to be confirmed, and it is expected they will be a big fight for the Ross White House to get through. Those left to be confirmed are David Perdue to be Secretary of the Treasury, Carly Fiorina to be Secretary of Labor, and Mayra Flores to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Democrats already seem to be honing in their attacks on Flores. “Mayra Flores has no scientific or management credentials, and during her brief tenure in Congress spent more time tweeting about QAnon than legislating,” Senator Naomi Wolfe (D-Georgia) posted on X. “She is not a fit leader for the EPA and moderate Republicans should reject this shameless attempt to undermine an important federal agency.” Flores was the first female Mexican-born member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She won the special election for Texas’s 34th Congressional District on June 14, 2022 before then being voted out of office effective January 3, 2023, marking less than a full term for her in the House. Flores signed a letter along with many of her Republican colleagues opposing proposed revisions to the requirements on Atrazine by the EPA in 2022. Atrazine is a widely used herbicide that is used in agricultural production. Perdue has faced accusations of committing insider trading, which Wolfe was also quick to point on X. “Georgia voters kicked Perdue out,” Wolfe posted. “Now Leah Ross is letting him back in. How can someone who tried to use his position to influence his own stock portfolio now be put in charge of the nation's finances?” Senate Republicans have been mostly silent except for on X, where Senator Daniel Hunt (R-Alabama) has been staunchly in support of the nominees. “All I hear is a bunch of haters who are mad they didn’t get what they wanted,” Hunt posted. Carly Fiorina is the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and ran for President in the 2016 election that Donald Trump won.
  24. 2024 State Ballot Measure Results Alaskan Voters Opt to Revert: Election System Changes Overturned Alaskans have decided at the ballot box to eliminate the state's top-four open primary system and ranked choice for general elections. The measure to eliminate them passed with a 51.85% to 48.15% margin. This result is not too dissimilar to when voters enacted the changes in 2020 with a 50.55%-49.45% margin. There is no limit on when ballot measures can be re-considered in Alaska, so there is some possibility this issue could continue to ping pong in the coming years. [...] 2024 Arizona Elections: Voters approve ballot measures on abortion and adding a fee for criminals In a closely watched series of ballot initiatives, Arizona voters approved a $20 fee on every criminal offense conviction to establish a fund supporting the families of first responders killed in the line of duty by a decisive margin of 57.59% to 42.41%. This initiative aims to provide a substantial $250,000 benefit to the families of fallen first responders, recognizing and honoring their sacrifice. In a more closely contested measure, Arizona has also enshrined the fundamental right to abortion, specifying that the state may not interfere before the point of fetal viability at 24 weeks, with a slim majority of 50.34% in favor and 49.66% against. [...] California Raises Minimum Wage to $18 and Establishes Pandemic Prevention Institute California has continued to embrace progressive economic policies and public health measures by decisively approving two key proposals. The state's voters overwhelmingly supported raising the minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2025, with a resounding 59.1% in favor and 40.9% against. Supporters say this move will address concerns about income inequality. Additionally, California residents have endorsed a 0.75% increase in income tax for the next decade, coupled with the creation of the California Pandemic Early Detection and Prevention Institute, by a significant margin of 61.3% to 38.7%. [...] Voters in Colorado Reject Measure to Prohibit Abortions In a significant decision reflecting the shifting values of the state, Colorado voters have rejected a ballot initiative that sought to define a "living human child" as a human being from the moment of conception, aiming to prohibit abortion while establishing enforcement measures and penalties. The initiative faced staunch opposition, with 59.39% of voters casting their ballots against it, as opposed to the 40.61% who supported the measure. [...] No-Excuse Absentee Voting Approved by Connecticut Voters Connecticut voters have expanded voting access by approving a ballot initiative that authorizes the state legislature to enact laws allowing no-excuse absentee voting. With an impressive 84.04% of voters in favor and a mere 15.96% opposed, this marks the most supported (by percentage) ballot measure that voters of any state have approved this year. [...] Florida Divided: Abortion Rights Initiative Falls Short, Marijuana Legalization Prevails In a closely watched electoral outcome, Florida has witnessed a mixed response to key ballot initiatives, with one proposal falling short of the required 60% threshold while the other barely surpasses it. The first initiative, seeking to establish comprehensive protections for abortion rights by prohibiting laws that hinder or penalize abortion before viability or when deemed necessary for the patient's health by a healthcare provider, received 53.2% support, falling short of the 60% threshold required. Meanwhile, voters have approved the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, with an impressive 61.26% in favor and 38.74% against. This sets the stage for the state's entry into the growing number of jurisdictions embracing a more permissive approach to cannabis use. [...] Iowa Voters Pass Initiative Clarifying Abortion Rights and Funding in State Constitution Iowa voters have approved a ballot initiative with 55.22% in favor, stating that the state constitution does not confer a right to abortion nor mandate the allocation of funds for abortion services. Ballot measures in the Hawkeye State require a simple majority to be enacted. [...] Maine voters approve Pine Tree state flag In a historic move, Maine residents have decided to change the state flag, ushering in a new era of symbolism and identity for the state. The current flag, that includes the Maine coat of arms featured on a blue background, is being replaced with a new flag that is a modernized version of the Pine Tree flag from the early 1900s. The change was narrowly approved by voters with a 52.92 to 47.08 margin. Supporters of the change argued that the current flag with the blue background and the state coat of arms "looks very similar to many other state flags". Another supporter brought up that the flag "looks like a second-grader could draw it, but that’s part of the appeal. Anyone can draw it." Critics of the proposal said they appreciated the blue background, that it goes back to Civil War significance to have the flag include it. This issue was divided in bipartisan way, with Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the issue. [...] Maryland Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Constitutional Right to Reproductive Freedom Maryland residents have voted decisively, with 71.76% in favor, to establish a right to reproductive freedom in the state constitution, while 28.24% opposed the initiative. Advocates of the measure contend that it reinforces individuals' autonomy over their reproductive choices. Opponents, however, argue that the constitutional amendment may provoke legal and ethical debates surrounding issues like abortion. However, the result reflects a significant consensus among Maryland voters. [...] New York Approves Constitutional Amendment Strengthening Anti-Discrimination Protections New York voters have expressed their stance on inclusivity and anti-discrimination measures by approving a ballot initiative that adds language to the state constitution, explicitly prohibiting the denial of rights to individuals based on various factors. The initiative secured approval with 59.33% in favor, while 40.67% were opposed. The added provisions aim to address discrimination based on ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, or reproductive status. [...] Critics Emphasize Historical Context, LGBTQ+ Advocates Express Disappointment as South Dakota Constitutional Amendment Fails Voters have chosen not to amend the constitution to replace male pronouns with gender-neutral terms or titles. The proposal, which sought to make the state constitution more inclusive, faced opposition with 65.16% of voters against and 34.84% in favor. Critics successfully argued that maintaining traditional language in the constitution is essential for preserving historical context. They also took aim at the words "gender-neutral" being in the amendment text that made it to the ballot. LGBTQ+ rights advocates in the state expressed disappointment at the missed opportunity for a more gender-inclusive constitutional framework. [...]
  25. Tabor condemns proposal to revive the House Un-American Activities Committee Tabor speaks to reporters about the proposal to revive HUAC. Today, Senator Catherine Tabor (D-Minnesota) is condemning the recent suggestion made by Republican presidential candidate Brandon Ewing (R-Texas) that the House Un-American Activities Committee should be revived. "I saw the tweet Ewing posted on the subject and at first thought maybe he was just grandstanding politically," Tabor told reporters in the capitol complex. "I'm not entirely sure he isn't still grandstanding, but it's time for someone to speak up. I'm really not sure how he thinks he can bring that back, considering he is running for President, not the most right wing House district in America." Tabor also referred to the proposal as a "clear and present danger". "America is so divided between left and right and the left and the right seem to be expanding further in both directions," Tabor said. "Let me be clear: bringing back HUAC would be a clear and present danger to the U.S. constitution and everything we stand for. We can disagree on the issues without acting like total pricks about it. It was done before Senator McCarthy and it has been done since Senator McCarthy." Tabor asks that her Republican and Democratic colleagues stand up against this proposal that would tear the country even further apart.
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