The mass purges of Federal Civil Service employees now taking place in a reckless and unstable manner is causing great distress and disarray, not only for the personal lives of those who are being victimized, but also undermining the efficiency and ability of the federal government to provide essential government services in a wide multitude of areas.
It is also causing particular disruption to the large number of government employees who live in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia,
So the politics of Virginia, in particular, which holds state elections, including for Governor in November 2025, will be upended by the employment crisis that a large number of its citizens face with the abuses being perpetrated by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
There are plenty of examples where Trump (while claiming to be a great business man) where he has destroyed most ever businesses he has his hands on. Even inherenting his father’s $200 Million rental properties, and turn them into $200 Billion debt.
Trump is the perfect example of the Dunning–Kruger effect…. where someone blows enought smoke up their own ass to make them think they are a genius@
In the field of psychology, the Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias wherein persons of low ability suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly assessing their cognitive ability as greater than it is. The cognitive bias of illusory superiority derives from the metacognitive inability of low-ability persons to recognize their own ineptitude. Without the self-awareness of metacognition, low-ability people cannot objectively evaluate their actual competence or incompetence.
MSNBC’s new network president, Rebecca Kutler, has bent the knee to the king. Kutler has cancelled solo shows by many of its black and brown anchors. The network plans to relocate some to new ensemble-format shows.
The cancellation of Joy Reid from her 7 p.m. weekday show — it ended Monday — was perhaps the most jarring. Enough that Rachel Maddow spoke out against the network’s decision during her show Monday night, with a focus on Reid’s firing.
“Personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door,” she said of Reid.
Maddow described it as “unnerving” and “indefensible” for the network’s only two non-white primetime hosts lose their shows. Meanwhile, dozens of producers and staffers are facing layoffs or being invited to reapply for new jobs, she said.
“That has never happened at this scale in this way before when it comes to programming changes – presumably because it’s not the right way to treat people,” she said. “This is a difficult time in the news business but it does not need to be this difficult.”
Oval Office Man reacted specifically to Reid’s firing:
“Lowlife Chairman of “Concast,” Brian Roberts, the owner of Ratings Challenged NBC and MSDNC, has finally gotten the nerve up to fire one of the least talented people in television, the mentally obnoxious racist, Joy Reid,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Based on her ratings, which were virtually non-existent, she should have been “canned” long ago, along with everyone else who works there.”
https://digbysblog.net/2025/02/25/yes-sir-how-low/
According to The Guardian, an MSNBC official claims that the network had “hit success” with ensemble shows and was looking to invest in shows with the ensemble format in order to meet “audience needs”.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/feb/24/msnbc-ayman-mohyeldin-show-canceled
José Díaz-Balart Reports is also being dropped, due to MSNBC no longer wanting to use Telemundo, the Spanish-language network that is headquartered in Miami.
DOGE Staffers Resign After Being Asked To Dismantle ‘Critical Public Services’
All who resigned had previously held senior roles at tech companies like Google and Amazon.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/doge-staff-resign-critical-public-services_n_67bde9f3e4b0659288fe1eb1
I hope MSNBC doesn’t copycat CNN and start putting MAGA Republicans on the shows as guests and have them argue with the liberal hosts. If they do, I’ll be tuning out.
The US attorney for DC, Ed Martin, is referring to himself as Trump’s lawyer.
Trump is going to be having his first cabinet meeting soon and Musk will be at the meeting.
Soooo…..Musk is a member of the cabinet now?
LOL! Trump says US will sell “gold card” giving wealthy foreigners the right to live and work in the US for $5 million fee.
America’s Food Safety Is Now in the Hands of Don Jr.’s Hunting Buddy
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/food-safety-donald-trump-jr-kyle-diamantas-hunting-buddy
House GOP narrowly passes Trump budget blueprint that threatens Medicaid.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/house-republican-budget-medicaid_n_67be4286e4b0d509934a9023
Trump Posts Bizarre “Gaza Riviera” Video
The bizarre, 30-second clip starts with scenes of destruction in the coastal enclave, where the Israeli military waged a 15-month retaliatory assault to try to root out Hamas militants in response to the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. The opening scene is superimposed with the text “Gaza 2025.”
The video then asks “What next?”
Skyscrapers and children running on a beach appear, followed by, in order:
— Teslas driving through the streets, someone with a striking resemblance to Elon Musk eating bread dipped in what appears to be hummus;
— Hamas militants with full beards dancing flirtatiously in bikinis and sheer belly-dancing skirts;
— A child holding a giant, gold Trump balloon;
— Trump dancing with a scantily clad woman in a nightclub;
— Musk showering people with cash;
— A “Trump Gaza” building; golden Trump merch including statues of the U.S. president;
— A gigantic golden Trump statue;
— Plus Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lounging topless poolside while enjoying cocktails.
It’s all set to a boppy dance track featuring the lyrics: “Donald Trump will set you free, bringing the life for all to see, no more tunnels, no more fear, Trump Gaza is finally here.”
https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-posts-gaza-riviera-ai-video-sunbathing-benjamin-netanyahu/
White House seizes control of press pool, will decide which outlets cover events with president.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/25/trump-white-house-press-pool-access-00206001
He’s suffering from extreme delusions of grandeur.
Between the gutting of the Intelligence community and the FBI and the crude, dismissive way he’s dealing with the Palestinians, it will be a miracle if we don’t have a catastrophic terrorist attack.
Their budget will harm 10s of millions of Americans, mostly lower income – including a LOT in rural/red areas! – and explode the debt while lavishing the wealthy and corporations with $$$ they don’t need. Completely insane, in other words, and also EXTREMELY damaging.
House Republicans hit the brakes on town halls after blowback over Trump’s cuts.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-republicans-town-halls-blowback-trump-cuts-rcna193766
This is WILDLY corrupt!
Musk has inside track to take over contract to fix air traffic communications system.
https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-starlink-spacex-faa-bbe9495978cac61b60c2971168e2921f
Trump targets Washington law firm that aided Jack Smith.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/25/donald-trump-jack-smith-covington-lawyers-022770
That’s appalling – and another sign of growing authoritarianism.
Rachel Maddow staff to be let go as part of MSNBC overhaul.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/25/msnbc-layoffs-rachel-maddow
As Texas measles outbreak grows, parents are choosing to vaccinate kids.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/texas-measles-outbreak-grows-parents-vaccinate-rcna193637
If they had been vaccinated in the first place, they wouldn’t have even had an outbreak.
Utah could become the first state to ban fluoride in its drinking water.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/02/25/utah-ban-fluoride-water/
I only have word for that – Idiocracy.
First measles death reported in the West Texas outbreak is school-aged child.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/health/texas-measles-death/index.html
Bezos is changing the opinion page at the Washington Post, which led to David Shipley, the paper’s editorial page editor, to leave the paper.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/media/washington-post-opinion-jeff-bezos-david-shipley/index.html
Sounds like RFK Jr. is getting started making America unhealthy again.
The FDA has cancelled a meeting to select flu strains for next season’s vaccines.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/health/news-fda-meeting-to-choose-flu-vaccine-composition-canceled-without-explanation/index.html
Supreme Court temporarily halts lower court’s order for Trump to unfreeze foreign aid funds.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/26/politics/supreme-court-foreign-aid-state-usaid/index.html
Trump threatens to slap 25% tariffs on EU, says bloc was always meant to hurt the U.S.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/27/trump-threatens-25percent-tariffs-on-eu-says-bloc-formed-to-screw-us.html
Economists are starting to worry that Trump may get us into a recession.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/02/25/economists-starting-worry-serious-trump-recession/
Trump Team Weighs Pulling Funds for Moderna Bird Flu Vaccine
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-26/trump-team-weighs-pulling-funding-for-moderna-bird-flu-vaccine
RFK Jr. Dismisses Measles Outbreak As ‘Not Unusual’ After Child’s Death
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rfk-jr-dismisses-measles-outbreak_n_67bf5519e4b053f9e3997f53
At Trump’s cabinet meeting yesterday, Trump cabinet flunkies hail wannabe Caesar and Elon, his oligarch pal.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/26/trump-cabinet-elon-musk
Trump’s nominee for solicitor general won’t rule out ignoring court orders in ‘extreme cases’.
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/02/26/congress/trumps-nominee-for-solicitor-general-00206266
Musk’s Empire Is Reaping $2 Million Per Day From Trump
https://www.levernews.com/musks-empire-is-reaping-2-million-per-day-from-trump/
WILDLY corrupt. Imagine if that headline had been “Soros’ Empire Is Reaping $2 Million Per Day From Biden”??? Fox News and the GOP would be having a hissy fit, calling for impeachment hearings, etc.
Trump Orders Federal Agencies To Submit Plans For ‘Large-Scale’ Firings, Per Memo
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-directs-agencies-large-scale-employee-layoffs_n_67be03c9e4b08044e02bd756
Mike Johnson Tries to Shrug Off Anti-DOGE Town Halls as the Work of ‘Paid Protesters’
https://www.thedailybeast.com/johnson-tries-to-shrug-off-anti-doge-town-halls-as-the-work-of-paid-protesters/
Mike Johnson is beyond heinous.
This is disastrous!
Social Security Administration Could Cut Half Its Workforce
https://prospect.org/health/social-security-administration-could-cut-half-its-workforce/
Transgender US military personnel must be identified and stood down, says Pentagon memo.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/27/transgender-us-military-personnel-pentagon-memo-stood-down-trump-administration
Environmental Protection Agency Will Lose 65 Percent of Staff, Trump Says
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/climate/trump-epa-layoffs.html
An executive order handed down Wednesday by President Donald Trump directs all agencies to have a representative of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency — a kind of political commissar to monitor efforts overseen by the billionaire to cut the size and scope of government.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/26/trump-order-federal-agencies-doge-representative-00206359
President Musk has let the word go forth:
Lawyers for President Trump in line to take top jobs at the Justice Department sparred with Democrats on Wednesday over whether the administration could simply ignore some court orders — an early skirmish in a larger fight over the White House’s efforts to claim more sweeping presidential powers.
The debate, before the Senate Judiciary Committee, unfolded as three nominees testified during a confirmation hearing to join the upper ranks of the Justice Department. Two of the nominees, Harmeet K. Dhillon and D. John Sauer, have long worked as personal lawyers for Mr. Trump.
The third, Aaron Reitz, selected to lead the Office of Legal Policy, was questioned about an old social media post in which he suggested that Mr. Trump follow the example set by President Andrew Jackson, who ignored a Supreme Court order in 1832.
“There is no hard and fast rule about whether, in every instance a public official is bound by a court decision,” he said Wednesday. “There are some instances in which he or she may be lawfully bound and some instances where he or she may not be lawfully bound.”
Mr. Sauer, who has represented Mr. Trump before the Supreme Court and is the solicitor general nominee, was pressed on the same point. He replied, “It’s hard to make a very blanket, sweeping statement about something without being presented with the facts and the law.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/us/politics/trump-lawyers-court-orders-hearing.html
Media Matters is documenting comments from callers on right wing radio.
https://www.mediamatters.org/sean-hannity/people-are-calling-right-wing-radio-shows-voice-frustrations-trump-administration
I’m surprised they are even letting them on the air.
On Rachel Maddow Show, Abigail Spanberger Stands Up for Virginia Workers, Calls on Youngkin-Sears Administration to Do Its Job & Protect Virginians