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Category: Politics
March 25, 2025
William Upton
Politics

Trump’s FCC Warns Corporate Media and Telecoms to Drop DEI or Else.

Media and telecommunication companies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology will face increased scrutiny from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with the agency potentially moving to block license transfers and acquisitions in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s executive order barring DEI policies across the federal government. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says the agency will no longer approve merger and acquisition proposals from companies that promote “invidious” DEI policies that result in unfair discrimination.

“Any businesses that are looking for FCC approval, I would encourage them to get busy ending any sort of their invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” Chairman Carr said in a recent media interview. “We can only, under the statute, move forward and approve a transaction if we find that doing so serves the public interest.”

“If there’s businesses out there that are still promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination, I really don’t see a path forward where the FCC could reach the conclusion that approving the transaction is going to be in the public interest,” Carr added.

The new FCC regulatory position could impact several major pending media and telecommunications deals unless the companies involved drop their DEI policies and programs. Notably, the FCC is currently reviewing a merger between Paramount Global—the parent company of CBS News—and Skydance, a media production and finance company. Carr’s agency is also examining Verizon’s $20 billion deal to acquire Frontier Communications and T-Mobile’s $4.4 billion acquisition of U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations.

Already, Chairman Carr has warned Verizon that continuing its DEI policies violates Trump administration policies and could jeopardize its deal to purchase Frontier.

Meanwhile, telecommunications giant AT&T announced it had begun the process of ending its DEI programs last month.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Media and telecommunication companies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology will face increased scrutiny from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with the agency potentially moving to block license transfers and acquisitions in accordance with President Donald J. Trump's executive order barring DEI policies across the federal government. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says the agency will no longer approve merger and acquisition proposals from companies that promote "invidious" DEI policies that result in unfair discrimination. show more
March 24, 2025
William Upton
Politics

This Governor Just Returned Nearly $1 Billion in Taxpayer Dollars to U.S. Treasury to Boost DOGE Efforts.

Nearly $1 billion in American taxpayer dollars is being returned to the United States Treasury by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), due to the ideological policy requirements imposed by the former Biden government on using the federal funds. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gov. DeSantis revealed that Florida’s state government had struggled to find a method to return the funds until DeSantis consulted with Elon Musk, who serves as an administration special advisor overseeing President Donald J. Trump‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“For years, Florida has been trying to return federal funds to the federal government due to the ideological strings attached by the Biden Administration—but they couldn’t even figure out how to accept it,” Gov. DeSantis wrote, adding: “Today, I met with [Elon Musk] and the DOGE team, and we got this done in the same day. Other states should follow Florida in supporting DOGE’s efforts!”

In a letter informing the Treasury Department of the return of the federal funds, the Florida Goveror’s office wrote: “At the direction of Governor DeSantis and following his meeting with Elon Musk today, the State of Florida is formally returning $878,112,000 in taxpayer dollars to the federal government as part of DOGE’s efforts.” Notably, the federal funds being returned pertain to monies allocated to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), including $320,386,861 in funding for the former Biden government’s Carbon Reduction program.

Additionally, $557,725,139 in federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for refugee resettlement services is being returned to the Treasury. In the letter, Gov. DeSantis requests confirmation from the Treasury Department that the funds already disbursed have been returned and received. Meanwhile, the Florida Governor also requests that any future disbursements be withheld.

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Nearly $1 billion in American taxpayer dollars is being returned to the United States Treasury by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL), due to the ideological policy requirements imposed by the former Biden government on using the federal funds. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gov. DeSantis revealed that Florida's state government had struggled to find a method to return the funds until DeSantis consulted with Elon Musk, who serves as an administration special advisor overseeing President Donald J. Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). show more
March 24, 2025
Politics

Lawyer Claims Rescinded Trump Order Would Have ‘Destroyed’ Firm.

The chairman of the powerful Paul, Weiss law firm says the firm would have been “destroyed” had President Donald J. Trump not rescinded his executive order barring its lawyers from access to federal officials and business. The presidential directive had targeted Paul, Weiss due to lawfare activities against, for instance, individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol protests, and its association with lawyer Mark Pomerantz, who investigated Trump’s so-called hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.

“The executive order could easily have destroyed our firm. It brought the full weight of the government down on our firm, our people, and our clients,” Paul, Weiss chairman Brad Karp wrote in a letter to staff, noting the firm had faced “an existential crisis.” However, he insists the Trump administration “is not dictating what matters we take on, approving our matters, or anything like that.”

While Karp insisted the firm considered filing a lawsuit against Trump over the executive order, he argued that such an action would not have solved the overall problem faced by the law firm. “[I]t became clear that, even if we were successful in initially enjoining the executive order in litigation, it would not solve the fundamental problem, which was that clients perceived our firm as being persona non grata with the administration,” Karp added.

The order was rescinded after Paul, Weiss agreed to “acknowledged the wrongdoing” of Pomerantz, cease any diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) style hiring practices, and carry out tens of millions of dollars in pro bono work, among other concessions.

The executive order was not isolated to Paul, Weiss; other firms like Perkins Coie also encountered similar decrees and criticism from Trump related to their diversity policies and ties to the Russia hoax.

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The chairman of the powerful Paul, Weiss law firm says the firm would have been "destroyed" had President Donald J. Trump not rescinded his executive order barring its lawyers from access to federal officials and business. The presidential directive had targeted Paul, Weiss due to lawfare activities against, for instance, individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol protests, and its association with lawyer Mark Pomerantz, who investigated Trump's so-called hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. show more
March 24, 2025
William Upton
Politics

Radio Free Europe Is Suing America Over Funding Cuts.

The United States federal government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broadcasting agency is suing President Donald J. Trump over an executive order mandating cuts to the organization’s parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Over a week ago, President Trump signed an executive order targeting numerous federal agencies for staffing cuts, including USAGM and subagencies such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America (VoA), and Radio Free Asia.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is the first of the USAGM agencies to sue the Trump White House over the force reduction order. Filed last week, the lawsuit alleges President Trump and his administration have violated the Constitution and federal law by withholding funding allocated by Congress. Along with President Trump, USAGM senior advisor Kari Lake is named in the lawsuit.

“We’re living off of our savings right now,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty president Stephen Capus said in a recent media interview. He added: “And we are in a position where we’re going to have to take some pretty drastic actions in the not-too-distant future.”

At the heart of the lawsuit is the question of presidential impoundments—where the executive branch either withholds or does not fully allocate funding appropriated by Congress. While Congress over 50 years ago legislatively moved to restrict the president’s power to withhold funding explicitly appropriated by the legislative branch, the question of impoundments remains an open one. The Supreme Court has avoided definitely settling the matter, though the judicial body has ruled that presidents cannot unreasonably withhold Congressionally appropriated funding.

Image by Petr Kadlec.

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The United States federal government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broadcasting agency is suing President Donald J. Trump over an executive order mandating cuts to the organization's parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Over a week ago, President Trump signed an executive order targeting numerous federal agencies for staffing cuts, including USAGM and subagencies such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America (VoA), and Radio Free Asia. show more
March 21, 2025
Politics

This Federal Agency Will Slash Its Workforce by 43% in Executive Branch Downsizing.

President Donald J. Trump’s push to reduce federal government waste, fraud, and abuse will see the Small Business Administration (SBA) reduce its workforce by over 40 percent. The impending cuts, which aim to save more than $435 million annually, will impact roughly 6,500 bureaucrats.

“The strategic reorganization will begin a turnaround for the agency by restoring the efficiency of the first Trump Administration, as well as its focus on promoting small businesses,” the SBA said in a statement, adding: “Core services to the public, including the agency’s loan guarantee and disaster assistance programs, as well as its field and veteran operations, will not be impacted.”

Kelly Loeffler assumed leadership as the SBA’s administrator following her Senate confirmation in February. In a video message shared on social media, she emphasized the need for “rightsizing” due to inefficiencies stemming from the agency’s expansion during the pandemic.

“Since the pandemic, the SBA has doubled its workforce, expanding in size, scope, and spending with miserable results,” SBA Administrator Loeffler said. “That’s why change is coming to the SBA… This agency is done wasting millions of tax dollars to fund a progressive pandemic-era bureaucracy.”

“We will not allow fiscal mismanagement to threaten our loan programs or criminals to get away with fraud. But we will evaluate every program and expenditure, and we will rightsize the agency to transform the SBA into a high-efficiency engine for America’s entrepreneurs and taxpayers,” she added.

President Trump recently announced a shift in responsibilities, assigning the SBA to manage federal student loan programs. This decision follows an order to downsize the Department of Education, which has traditionally overseen these programs.

WATCH:

Image via Flickr.

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President Donald J. Trump's push to reduce federal government waste, fraud, and abuse will see the Small Business Administration (SBA) reduce its workforce by over 40 percent. The impending cuts, which aim to save more than $435 million annually, will impact roughly 6,500 bureaucrats. show more
March 21, 2025
Immigration
Politics
World

UFC Legend Conor McGregor Enters Race for Irish Presidency.

Conor McGregor, the renowned UFC fighter and former multi-division champion, has declared his intention to run for the presidency of Ireland. Announcing his candidacy on social media platforms X and Instagram, McGregor focused his campaign message on his opposition to the European Union’s Migration Pact.

Recent meetings between McGregor, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, and tech billionaire Elon Musk seem to have galvanized McGregor’s political ambition. The 36-year-old contender criticized Ireland’s commitment to the pact, pledging to hold a referendum should he be elected. “It is the people of Ireland’s choice,” McGregor emphasized in his campaign statement.

During his visit to Washington, D.C., on March 17, McGregor expressed discontent with current Irish policies, slamming Ireland’s migration policies and saying the country is being “overrun” by illegal aliens.

However, the role McGregor seeks is largely ceremonial, with limited powers compared to executive presidencies like that in the U.S. The Irish president’s duties include endorsing legislation passed by Parliament—with no obvious veto power—and serving as a symbolic figurehead.

Moreover, the Irish political establishment tightly controls who is allowed to run for the presidency, with McGregor unable to enter the race unless a minimum number of national legislators or local governments agree to nominate him.

McGregor has been a firm opponent of mass migration on social media and has been targetted by the Irish government over allegations of hate speech, with police launching an investigation against him in 2023. McGregor had stated, “Ireland, we are at war,” following a mass stabbing of children in Dublin that year.

Image by Andrius Petrucenia.

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Conor McGregor, the renowned UFC fighter and former multi-division champion, has declared his intention to run for the presidency of Ireland. Announcing his candidacy on social media platforms X and Instagram, McGregor focused his campaign message on his opposition to the European Union's Migration Pact. show more
March 19, 2025
Politics

RINO Senator Vows to Fight Trump’s DOGE Because Firing Bureaucrats Is ‘Traumatizing.’

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a vocal critic of President Donald J. Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Republican Party, addressed a potential primary challenge funded by DOGE frontman Elon Musk during a press conference in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday. Murkowski, known for her Republican-in-name-only (RINO) stances that often frustrate her Senate Republican colleagues, struck a defiant tone regarding a potential primary threat.

“It may be that Elon Musk has decided he’s going to take the next billion dollars that he makes off of Starlink and put it directly against Lisa Murkowski,” the Alaska Republican said, referring to herself in the third person. Murkowski continued: “And you know what? That may happen. But I’m not giving up one minute, one opportunity, to try to stand up for Alaskans.”

Murkowski also commented on what she perceives as her GOP colleagues’ reticence to voice opposition to President Trump and his White House, attributing this silence to fears of facing primary challenges. “They’re looking at how many things are being thrown at me, and it’s like, ‘Maybe I just better duck and cover,'” she remarked.

Regarding DOGE, Murkowski reiterated her disapproval of recent cost-cutting measures, citing them as a source of undue “anxiety.” She criticized the supposedly indiscriminate and, in her view, sometimes unlawful termination of federal employees in Alaska, claiming they are “traumatizing people” and “leaving holes in our communities.”

Notably, Murkowski has faced little political opposition in Alaska since her write-in defeat of Republican Joe Miller in 2010. Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system—which Murkowski pushed to implement—gives her an additional edge in the state, allowing her to draw support from political moderates and Democrats.

Nonetheless, she acknowledged the potential influence of Musk’s capital, with his super PAC—America PAC—declaring its intent to actively participate in future primaries aimed at unseating Republicans who are insufficiently aligned with Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda.

WATCH:

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Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), a vocal critic of President Donald J. Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Republican Party, addressed a potential primary challenge funded by DOGE frontman Elon Musk during a press conference in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday. Murkowski, known for her Republican-in-name-only (RINO) stances that often frustrate her Senate Republican colleagues, struck a defiant tone regarding a potential primary threat. show more
March 19, 2025
Politics

U.S. Institute of Peace Sues DOGE, Trump After Leadership Removed by Police.

The U.S. Institute of Peace—established by Congress in 1984—is petitioning a federal judge to halt actions initiated by President Donald J. Trump‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which they describe as an illegal attempt to seize control of the institute. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges a “takeover by force” and aims to prevent what the institute characterizes as a “lawless assault.”

The conflict escalated on Monday when police assisted in removing institute staff from their Washington headquarters. This followed actions by the White House to reorganize the institute’s leadership, including naming a new acting president.

Last month, President Trump enacted an executive order mandating the institute downsize its activities to a “statutory minimum.” However, institute officials argue that the Trump White House lacks the authority to dismantle its operations, arguing that the institute is a congressionally chartered NGO and not technically part of the executive branch.

Central to the institute’s legal argument is the claim that the executive order wrongly identifies it as a “government entity.” The suit accuses the Elon Musk-led DOGE staff of trying to seize control of the institute’s infrastructure, including sensitive computer systems.

The Justice Department (DOJ) countered these assertions by maintaining that the institute is indeed a government entity and that the President is empowered to replace board members.

Image by USIP.

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The U.S. Institute of Peace—established by Congress in 1984—is petitioning a federal judge to halt actions initiated by President Donald J. Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which they describe as an illegal attempt to seize control of the institute. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges a "takeover by force" and aims to prevent what the institute characterizes as a "lawless assault." show more
March 18, 2025
Wake Up Right
Politics

First Shots of the Democrat Civil War.

The Democrat party is on the verge of mutiny after a group of left-wing Senators voted with Republicans to pass a Trump-endorsed spending bill over the weekend. The divide comes as the party is still struggling to regroup after its 2024 election loss.

Back up: On Saturday, ten Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, gave Republicans the necessary votes in the Senate to pass a six-month spending package and avoid a government shutdown — despite weeks of slamming the bill.

Democrat Civil War: Writing about Democrats for the last four years under Joe Biden, one thing I always gave them credit for was showing a united front—at least publicly. That is no longer the case:

  • AOC: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez said there is a “deep sense of outrage and betrayal” and called the move “a huge slap in the face.”
  • Hakeem Jeffries: Schumer’s counterpart in the House threw shade at him in a statement saying “House Democrats will not be complicit” and repeatedly told reporters, “Next question” when asked about ousting the Senate Minority Leader.
  • Nancy Pelosi: The former Speaker said, “Democrat senators should listen to the women [female lawmakers opposing the bill]… this legislation only makes matters worse.”
  • Radio host ‘Charlamagne tha God’—who is a popular political voice on the left—said: “The Chuck Schumers of the world, the Hakeem Jeffries, they should all step down.”

AOC primary challenge: The backlash has led to whispers of having Rep. AOC run as a primary challenger against Schumer when his term ends in 2029.

  • When Rep. Jasmine Crocket—another young progressive Democrat—was asked by CNN about the prospect, she did not directly answer but remarked: “I definitely think that younger, fresher leadership may be something that many of us… may be looking for it, especially in the state of New York.”

What voters think: Two new polls illuminated how far the Democrat party has fallen in the eyes of American voters:

  • NBC News: 27% have a ‘positive’ view of Democrats—lowest in NBC history
  • CNN: 29% have a ‘favorable’ view of Democrats—lowest in CNN history

Democrat voters don’t see a clear leader: When Democrat voters were asked which leader “best reflects” the party’s “core values,” not a single name received more than 10% support.

  • Rep. AOC: 10%
  • Kamala Harris: 9%
  • Hakeem Jeffries: 6%
  • Barack Obama: 4%
  • Jasmine Crockett: 4%

Real talk from G: As I’ve said many times before, the Democrat Party is still punch-drunk from their loss in 2024. They have no strategy, no leaders, and no core values. Normally, I’d be inclined to say that a party civil war could be good for them—but in this case, it’s radical progressives who want guys in girls’ locker rooms versus legacy swamp rats who only care about their own power and money. A strong MAGA movement can take on whichever side emerges victorious.

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Image by Victoria Pickering.

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The Democrat party is on the verge of mutiny after a group of left-wing Senators voted with Republicans to pass a Trump-endorsed spending bill over the weekend. The divide comes as the party is still struggling to regroup after its 2024 election loss. show more
March 18, 2025
News
Politics
World

Another Populist Presidential Candidate Skeptical of EU and NATO Banned from Running.

Yet another populist presidential candidate has been banned from running in upcoming presidential elections in the European Union (EU). Romania’s Central Election Bureau has barred Diana Sosoaca, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and leader of the S.O.S. Romania Party, from the race.

The commission cited her opposition to Romania’s memberships in both the European Union and NATO as the basis for this decision, noting the country’s constitution mandates these affiliations.

Sosoaca had recently filed her candidacy while rallying supporters. This marks her second disqualification from a major election following a similar ban last November. She responded on social media, claiming the decision proves that Romania is a democracy in name only, and announced plans to appeal.

This decision comes shortly after the exclusion of another right-populist candidate, Calin Georgescu, who was barred for similar reasons. Georgescu won the first round of the presidential elections before the race was annulled and reset by the courts, supposedly because Russia had been funding TikTok videos supporting his candidacy.

Georgescu was once again leading the polls, but allegations of disseminating false information and incitement against constitutional order saw him barred from participating in the do-over.

Image via NATO. 

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Yet another populist presidential candidate has been banned from running in upcoming presidential elections in the European Union (EU). Romania's Central Election Bureau has barred Diana Sosoaca, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and leader of the S.O.S. Romania Party, from the race. show more