#Kristi is working security | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

1stpoliticalcartoons · 9 months ago

Text

“South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s bid for Donald Trump’s VP slot on the Republican ticket blew up in recent days, unless the Trump team grossly underestimates how much Americans love their dogs and other animals.

Ahead of upcoming release of Noem’s new book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” The Guardian news outlet obtained a copy, and the biggest revelation appears not to be what’s wrong with politics, but what’s wrong with Noem.

Noem, who served in the South Dakota House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives prior to becoming governor, is also a hunter. Guardian writer Martin Pengelly reports that Noem writes in the book about her 14-month-old (still a puppy) wirehair pointer named Cricket.

These dogs require vigorous exercise and can be rowdy and highly exuberant when not exercised sufficiently, particularly when young. They need a confident owner.

Cricket was a female with an “aggressive personality” who needed training to hunt pheasant, wrote Noem. So Noem took Cricket out on pheasant run with other older dogs for training. But, young girls just want to have fun. Cricket was “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.”

After the outing, which Noem considered ruined by Cricket, she stopped to talk with a local family, and Cricket, apparently not secured in Noem’s truck, escaped and headed for the family’s chickens. Chaos and chicken death ensued. Cricket was just having fun, with no idea of what was about to befall her.

“I hated that dog,” Noem recounts in the book, finding young Cricket “untrainable,” “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog.” Noem appears to place the blame for that on the dog, not herself.

Summary execution from Noem was near.

After her day of frolicking and joy, Cricket was then led by Noem to a gravel pit where she was executed.

By then, perhaps all fired up to dispatch any creature that didn’t fit Noem’s view of acceptable behavior, Noem shot a male goat she viewed as “nasty and mean,” because it wasn’t castrated (again, whose fault was that?), and who chased the kids and smelled “disgusting, musky, rancid.”

The goat also met his unnecessary fate in the gravel pit, in a story that sounds like the South Dakota version of Tony Soprano.

Since the Guardian story and wide pick-up of the animal executions, Noem has not backed down on her position that the story was an illustration of making “tough, challenging decisions.” Defining the dog as a “working dog,” seems to justify for her the act of putting it down. But the more Noem responds to what the majority of people see as indefensible, the bigger the hole she digs for herself in her own gravel pit.

Death for these animals was the only option in her mind? What about rehoming, sending the dog to training with someone else? How about letting the goat have its own enclosed space and keeping the kids away? Could the goat still be neutered? Would a hose down have helped with its smell?

As a potential VP pick, the concern is that her judgment is this poor. We’ve already endured nearly four years of a president and VP with poor judgment – this country can’t endure more.

Noem’s story reminded me of a friend who said when he was an older teen, he took Halloween candy from the younger children. Even as a grown man, he didn’t seem to recognize that what he had done as a teenager was wrong. He still thought taking candy from kids was funny. And like Noem, he didn’t have any awareness that it was a story you don’t tell other people because it reflects very poorly on him.

Mahatma Gandhi, who used nonviolent resistance in the campaign he led to obtain independence for India from British rule, said, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Noem doesn’t pass the sniff test.”

#political #republicans #politics #democrats #education #humanity #voting rights #please vote #political cartoons #kristi noem #animals #PETA

37 notes · View notes

dreaminginthedeepsouth · 2 months ago

Text

Emma DelRosso

* * * *

Opposing the president-elect's nominations

December 2, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

Dec 02, 2024

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Trump nominated conspiracy theorist Kash Patel as FBI Director and convicted tax fraudster Charles Kushner (Jared’s father) as Ambassador to France. Trump also nominated his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law, Massad Boulos, as a senior adviser covering Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.

Last week I wrote that “Few imagined how bad Trump's nominees would be.” That statement was made before the nominations of Patel and Kushner, nominations that ratcheted up the sickening stream of dangerous, unqualified, and insulting choices that are collectively and individually the worst nominations in our nation’s history.

It is important to understand how disastrous these nominations will be for the US. However, it is not enough to bemoan and condemn Trump's nominations. This newsletter isn’t intended to be a pity party. It is a call to action.

We must flood our representatives in Congress with feedback from constituents demanding that they place the interests of the United States above the revenge agenda of the Republican leader. In the short term, that is what we can do—so we must do it. In the mid range, we can set about defeating Trump's enablers at the ballot box. There must be a political price to pay for supporting party above country and for being cowards when our nation needed courageous leaders.

Before turning to individual nominees, let’s examine the stakes. For once, Trump has been consistent in his actions and has stayed “on message”—in a bad way. His nominations can be grouped into three broad categories:

He seeks to weaken, if not destroy, the US intelligence community and federal law enforcement agencies—in retribution for their temerity in seeking to hold him to account for his crimes. Matt Gaetz (DOJ), Pam Bondi (DOJ), Tulsi Gabbard (NDI), Kash Patel (FBI), Stephen Miller (Depty. Chief of Staff), Kristi Noem (Homeland Security), Sebastian Gorka (Depty. Ass’t to President), John Ratcliffe (CIA), Pete Hegseth (DOD), and Matthew Whittaker (NATO).

He seeks to weaken, if not destroy, the federal government’s healthcare and science expertise—in retribution for their temerity in challenging his lunatic ideas about COVID. Robert Kennedy (HHS), Dr. Oz (Medicare), Jay Bhattacharya (NIH), Dave Weldon (CDC), and Martin A. Makary (FDA commissioner).

Finally, he seeks to destroy the administrative state—a “quid pro quo” to the business community for supporting a candidacy that was designed solely to evade his criminal liabilities. Elon Musk (Government Efficiency), Vivek Ramaswamy (Government Efficiency), Linda McMahon (Education), Russell T. Vought (OMB), Chris Wright (Energy), Brendan Carr (F.C.C. Chair).

Let’s take a look at Trump's most recent nominations

Kash Patel is the sworn enemy of the FBI—so Trump intends to nominate him as FBI Director

Kash Patel is in a love-hate relationship with the FBI. Patel wants to destroy the FBI while converting it into a weapon of political vengeance.

Patel has promised to “shut down” the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. on his first day as director of the FBI and re-open the FBI Headquarters the next day as a “museum to the deep state.” He said,

I'd shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state. And I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals.

But he has also threatened to use the FBI to harass journalists and politicians who sought to hold Trump accountable for his crimes. Patel said,

[W]e’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections — we’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.

Note that the man who is supposed to “pursue justice” has said that retribution comes first—and “we’ll figure out” why the FBI is harassing US citizens later.

Patel’s twin aims for the FBI should be immediately disqualifying. But prominent Republicans flocked to the TV talk shows on Sunday to defend Kash Patel as a “reformer” who will “root out” the partisanship in an FBI that is dominated by right-wing MAGA leadership as it is.

Bill Barr famously said that that Kash Patel would be appointed Deputy Director of the FBI “over my dead body.” See Joyce Vance, Civil Discourse on Substack, The New Matt Gaetz.

Likewise, former acting director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, said on CNN,

The fact that Kash Patel is profoundly unqualified for this job is not even like a matter for debate. . . . The installation . . . of Kash Patel as FBI director, can only possibly be a plan to disrupt, to dismantle, to distract the FBI and to possibly use it as a tool for the president’s political agenda.

McCabe was virulently anti-Hillary Clinton, leaking damaging information to the WSJ during the 2016 campaign. (McCabe lied to then Director James Comey about the leak and was later fired for his conduct). The fact that a rogue ex-FBI Director is alarmed by Kash Patel speaks volumes.

The nomination of Kash Patel should be viewed as an assault on the US intelligence community. Although people frequently think of the FBI as chasing bank robbers and kidnappers, it plays a critical role in counterterrorism and intelligence gathering.

The FBI is a member of the US Intelligence Community and has a dual report to the Director of National Intelligence (Tulsi Gabbard). It is charged with US counterterrorism investigations and maintains 60 offices overseas (primarily to coordinate with foreign intelligence agencies).

Indeed, Kash Patel has said that he wants to extricate the FBI from intelligence activities—a move that will make all Americans less safe in a dangerous world. See AP, Trump says he'll nominate Kash Patel as FBI director to remake the agency. Here's what happens next. Per AP,

Patel has also talked about disentangling the FBI’s intelligence-gathering activities — now a core function of the bureau’s mandate — from the rest of its law enforcement operations. It’s unclear whether he intends to carry through on that pledge or how it would be greeted at a time when the U.S. is facing what officials say is a heightened threat of terrorism.

As background for the upcoming fight over Kash Patel, I recommend several sources.

First, Joyce Vance’s excellent analysis in Civil Discourse, The New Matt Gaetz.

Next, The Guardian takes a deep dive into Kash Patel’s conspiracy theory past: Conspiracy theorist Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead FBI, faces Senate blowback | FBI | The Guardian

Finally, see the NYTimes, Kash Patel Would Bring Bravado and Baggage to F.B.I. Role. (Accessible to all.) The Times article is long on detail but short on self-awareness or political insight. For example, whatever Kash Patel's nomination means, it is not about “bravado” or “baggage.”

Patel’s threat to pursue journalists appears more than two dozen paragraphs into the Times’ story. In a democracy that is still hoping and pleading with legacy media to raise the alarm about Trump's intentions, twenty-four paragraphs into a story is not the right emphasis for an article about an FBI enforcement policy that would convert the FBI into a partisan police force directed at the media.

The Senate should reject Patel’s nomination. But Trump may attempt to place Patel in an “acting Director” role by manipulating the Federal Vacancy Reform Act. See Congressional Research Service, The Vacancies Act: A Legal Overview.

Trump's nomination of Charles Kushner as Ambassador to France is insulting to France and the US

Jared Kushner’s father—Charles Kushner—is a convicted tax fraudster who engaged in witness tampering while he was under investigation. Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner during Trump's first term. Trump has now nominated Charles Kushner as Ambassador to France.

It is difficult to imagine a less fitting Ambassador to France the Charles Kushner.

While Kushner was under investigation for tax fraud, his brother-in-law was a cooperating witness. Kushner hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and filmed the sexual encounter in a hotel room between his brother-in-law and the prostitute.

Kushner then sent the video of the sexual encounter to his sister to induce her to dissuade her husband from testifying against Kushner. See ABC News, Trump wants pardoned real estate developer Charles Kushner to become US ambassador to France.

The nomination of Charles Kushner as US Ambassador to France is the diplomatic equivalent of flipping the middle finger to a foreign nation. France would be well within its rights to refuse to receive Kushner as the Ambassador and tell the US to recall Kushner to the states.

In the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a nation has the unilateral authority to expel an ambassador:

The receiving state may at any time and without having to explain its decision, notify the sending state that the head of the mission or any member of the diplomatic staff of the mission is persona non grata or that any other member of the staff of the mission is not acceptable. In any such case, the sending state shall, as appropriate, either recall the person concerned or terminate his functions with the mission.

See Foreign Policy, So, How Do You Expel an Ambassador, Anyway? – Foreign Policy

Concluding Thoughts

President Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden on Sunday. Against the orgy of Trump pardons of family, friends, and advisers, Biden’s pardon of his son on minor charges pursued for political purposes seems quaint and unremarkable. Biden’s reasons for pardoning his son are understandable—and probably meritorious. But Biden’s decision will become precedent for future pardons—by presidents with flimsy or corrupt reasons for pardoning family members. What is done can’t be undone, but the decision to grant a pardon to Hunter Biden was unwise and will further undermine the presidential pardon power.

And yes, I do understand the differences between Biden’s decision and the pardons issued by Trump. But examining the Hunter Biden pardon through the lens of the interests of the American people, it was unwise.

After I wrote last week that the nomination process has been more difficult than expected, I received several comments from readers (and my Managing Editor), saying, “Thanks for acknowledging that the nomination process has been worse than expected.”

It feels like we are living in a world turned upside down. Sexual abusers and convicted criminals are being nominated to positions of trust and honor. Demagogues who want to destroy the federal government are being granted leading roles in agencies they will seek to destroy. Unqualified, ignorant conspiracy mongers are being entrusted with the health and safety of our children and elderly. Disgruntled and aggrieved “ne’er do-wells” are being placed in charge of the US counterterrorism agencies.

If you feel like the subject in Edvard Munsch’s painting, The Scream, there is nothing wrong with your radar. You should feel that way—and more. I add the “and more” modifier because much of the press is still reporting on the nominations as if they are the player line-up being announced at Yankee Stadium on a Sunday afternoon.

The nominees represent a threat to the safety and stability to our society as a whole. Discussing the nominees’ “bravado” and “baggage” and “lack of experience” is misleading. The “lack of experience” is a feature, not a bug. What better way to destroy a federal agency than nominating someone who has no idea what the agency does? See, e.g., The Independent, Trump taps GOP megadonor with no military experience to head up US Navy.

We must attempt to derail as many of these nominations as possible—but especially Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Robert Kennedy. Call or write your Senators and make your voice heard: U.S. Senate: Contacting The Senate. Even unsuccessful efforts to stop some nominations will lay the groundwork for opposition to future actions. No effort is wasted, even if the fruits of that effort are not immediately visible.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

#zombie army #Trump's cabinet #Robert B. Hubbell #Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter #cabinet appointments #cabinet of dr caligari #Patel #Hegseth #Gabbard #robert kennedy #Contacting the Senate #Emma DelRosso

8 notes · View notes

darkmaga-returns · 2 months ago

Text

Memo to Trump, Kennedy, and Kristi Noem, new appointee to head up Homeland Security—

I’ve now come across two reports about the ongoing tragedy and crime in Western North Carolina (WNC).

People STILL living in tents. FEMA not coming across with money and shelter.

Regardless of your position on the war in the Ukraine, it’s disgusting and maddening to see billions of dollars going to support the Ukraine AND pittances or nothing going to these families in North Carolina (and I assume Florida).

Then there is this: the land grab.

Matt Van Swol ([at]matt_vanswol) on X describes it this way (Nov 19, 2024) (link in footnote):

The “land grab” narrative you’ve been hearing from people in #WNC is NOT a conspiracy theory.

Here’s how it works:

a) Your family lives on 30 acres of land by the river, worth approximately $225,000

b) Helene rolls in and wipes out your home and floods about 50% of your land

c) You now live in a tent with your kids and have applied to get a temporary housing unit from FEMA

d) FEMA shows up, takes a look around and says “sorry, we can't give you a trailer to live in on this land, you are in a flood zone!”

e) You say, “Ok, I don’t want to live in a tent with my kids anymore, what should I do?”

f) FEMA says, “You can sell your land to us for the current tax evaluation of $18,000 and we will put you up in a nice warm RV.”

g) You say, “Wait, I can’t sell this land for $18,000! It’s worth at least 10x that and it’s the only asset I have.”

h) FEMA says, “Ok, no worries. Bye.”

i) Now you are stuck living in your tent with your 3 kids wondering if you should sell the only thing you have left to your name just to have a warm place for your family to sleep.

That’s the land grab.

People should be in prison for this.

6 notes · View notes

sysakiddo · 2 years ago

Text

I can't stop thinking about Max and his maps. This drabble is completely self-indulgent and a love letter to Håkan's secretary, the baddest bitch.

Max is in the middle of writing an email when his assistant calls. Max doesn't like how the light from the window reflects on his computer screen and thinks about moving his table again. His office is way too big for him to have problems like this. The tall leafy plant in the corner seems to be thriving, even though he has never watered it. His assistant probably deserves a raise.

“You have the Australian Ambassador on line two, sir.”

He subconsciously sighs and rubs his right ear, a habit he has never gotten rid of. “Thank you, Kristy. I have a package to send as well; please come pick it up.” He changes the line.

“Your excellency?” he sneers, picking up the pain au chocolate Kristy left for him on the table this morning.

“Why don't I have a direct line to your office?”

Daniel's voice is distorted through the phone. Max can hear cars honking in the background. Kristy opens the door to his office, picking up the green Ladurée bag from the corner of his table. She eyes the post-it note he stuck on the top, Daniel scribbled in his neat handwriting. She doesn't react, just picks it up and closes the door quietly. Definitely deserves a raise.

“Only the king has one.”

Daniel snorts, like Max is being funny just by being rude. “Pick up your phone next time, okay? Even though I quite like making small talk with your assistant.”

Max doesn't react. He can feel a headache growing behind his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see how the number of his emails in the red circle grows on the computer screen.

“What's this I hear about you having lunch with the Hungarians on Thursday?”

Daniel gets right to the point and Max hums. He doesn't question how Daniel found out about that. On a bad day, he still manages to charm his way to confidential information regarding state security.

“Take me with youu,” Dan sing-songs.

“Nee,” he replies. Daniel is well acquainted with the word. Either way, Max opens his diary and flips the pages quietly until he reaches Thursday. He opens the drawer with his stationery and pulls out the small honey badger-shaped sticker. Sticks it to the slot right next to the 'La Rotonde with HU'. It was Daniel who bought him the stickers after noisily going through his diary. He did not like the way +D looked in the time slots. It just looks like you have a dick appointment.

The negotiations begin with Daniel clicking his tongue. He mainly does it because he knows it drives Max insane.

“Come on, baby. I'll take you to Monaco if you do.”

Max takes another bite of the pastry, reclining in his chair. “Snorting coke on a yacht was cute back when I was twenty.”

Daniel doesn't back off, unaffected. “What are you eating?”

“Pain au choc.”

“From Mozart?”

Max looks at the tissue covered by the crumbs, Mozart engraved on it in golden fond. “Yeah, I guess.”

Daniel makes a silly gasping noise. “How could you?”

Paris has more bakeries than residents, yet Daniel is weirdly obsessed with the one on the same street as the Dutch embassy.

Before he can respond, there is a knock on his door. One of the interns come in without waiting for him to invite them in. “Your excellency-” she starts and he holds up his pointer finger to interrupt her, pointing to the phone in his other hand. He subtly looks at his Rolex while doing so, wondering what she could possibly want at 9 am. She nods but doesn't exit the room.

“I have to hang up now, schatje.”

“No, no- listen. We can even hold hands at the dinner, watch them have an aneurysm about it.”

Max chuckles, shaking his head even though Daniel can't see. “Yeah, not good enough. I spent weeks persuading them to meet me.” As I know you did too. Did not really work, huh? he wants to add but doesn't want to look like an asshole in front of the intern who is still watching him with her big green eyes. His and Daniel's diplomatic styles are so different he learned a long time ago it's futile to compare them.

“I'm having dinner with Amanda in two weeks.”

The number of unread emails reaches two hundred on Max's computer. “Getting warmer but no can do. You know how annoying I find the ENA graduates.”

Dan himself has done his post-grad at ENA. He hears Daniel swear and he doesn't know if the reason is him or just the general despair of trying to walk down the street in Paris. “'kay, have a nice-”

“Wait! Drinks with Håkan!” Max is silent for a second, that's how Daniel knows he lucked out. Sweden is hot shit right now.

“Make him bring the assistant, not his wife.”

Everyone knows that the only opinion that matters to the Swedish ambassador is the one of his secretary. Daniel doesn't answer immediately, but Max knows him well enough to know he's smiling.

“That goes without saying, Maxy.”

Max, despite his best efforts, smiles. “Lovely. See you tonight.”

“Rinaldi's at nine! Don't be late!” Daniel says before hanging up, even though it's usually him who is late for their little rendez-vous.

He straightens up, raising his chin the intern's way. She has been watching him like a hawk this whole time. “Husband checking in on you?”

She looks scared of him and not for the first time, he wonders what kind of stories about him are told to the newcomers. He doesn't have the heart to berate her for breaking the protocol.

“Yes. He doesn't want me to forget about him. Of course, I do not want him to worry.” he says. His mother tongue tastes sweet in his mouth.

Second part!

#f1 rpf #f1 fic #my ficlets #maxiel #daniel ricciardo #max verstappen #max/daniel #diplomacy au

115 notes · View notes

beardedmrbean · 2 months ago

Text

Springfield, Ohio, was thrust into the national spotlight this election cycle due to the vast number of Haitian migrants who had settled in the town over the last few years, but some of those migrants have already packed their bags and left in the wake of President-elect Trump’s sweeping win.

The town, which according to the 2020 census has under 60,000 residents, has struggled to cater to a population boom between 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian migrants following decades of population decline. Residents have complained that the uncontrolled influx has drained resources and services, made the town less safe, driven up rents and caused longer wait times for medical and social services.

Locals have especially expressed frustrations over road safety, arguing that immigrants who have no to little experience driving in their home countries have been allowed to take to the streets with ease, causing a dangerous situation on the roads.

Many of those migrants had settled in the community having attained the ability to live and work in the U.S. for a limited time thanks to temporary protected status (TPS) but President-elect Trump signaled on the campaign trail he would yank such permits, striking fear into the migrants, some of whom have already fled the town ahead of Trump’s return to office.

"People are leaving," Margery Koveleski, of the Haitian Community Alliance (HCA), tells the Guardian.

"Some folks don’t have credit cards or access to the internet, and they want to buy a bus ticket or a plane ticket, so we help them book a flight."

Jacob Payen, a co-founder of the HCA who also runs a business that includes helping Haitians in Springfield to file tax returns, also told the publication that migrants have been leaving.

"People are fully aware of the election result, and that is why they are leaving; they are afraid of a mass deportation," Payen said.

"Several of my customers have left. One guy with his family went to New Jersey; others have gone to Boston. I know three families that have gone to Canada."

Some of the Haitian migrants are thought to have moved to nearby cities such as Dayton, where they believe they would be less visible to law enforcement, while others who had temporary asylum in Brazil are considering going back to the South American country, per the Guardian, citing community leaders.

Migrants have been fleeing their home nation since it was plunged into a political crisis in 2018 with protests sweeping the island it shares with the Dominican Republic. Gang violence has exploded in the country and a transitionary council removed Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille from office earlier this month, replacing him in the role after just six months.

Springfield became a flashpoint in the presidential election when both President-elect Trump and Vice-President elect JD Vance claimed that Haitian migrants were eating pets there.

"They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats," Trump said on the debate stage against Vice-President Harris. "They're eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame."

Trump has also vowed to carry out the largest deportation operation in the history of the U.S. and has appointed hardliner South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while Tom Homan will be the new "Border Czar."

The DHS oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Noem will also oversee TPS and has deployed the state National Guard to the southern border several times in recent years.

Payen believes that droves of Haitian migrants leaving the town will have a detrimental impact on the local economy and in other states.

The Guardian reports that the Haitian migrants filled thousands of jobs at area packaging and auto plants, which have helped rejuvenate the area, while Haitian restaurants regularly source food from other states.

"I pay thousands of dollars in income and property taxes every year," Payen told the outlet. "And – because I work with Haitians to file their taxes – I see their W-2s and so on. If these people leave, that money is gone from the city and the local economy."

#nunyas news #there's positives and negatives to them being there #can't be denied #still wild seeing them scatter #if they have visas of some sort there's no need to hide

3 notes · View notes

keep-both-eyes-on-trump · 2 months ago

Text

Trump Watch #2

Trump has made more appointments. Here they are:

He has picked Mike Waltz as national security advisor.

Waltz is a retired Army National Guard officer, Green Beret, three-term GOP congressman, and longtime ally of Trump.

He has praised Trump’s push for NATO allies to spend more on defense but has not suggested the US leave the alliance.

He is the leading critic of China in Congress and has supported legislation to reduce US reliance on China and safeguard against Chinese espionage.

He’s also in support of a “culture change” in how the US approaches the defense establishment and purchases things within the Pentagon. Specifically, he has mentioned new technologies from Silicon Valley that could help with defense and security but haven’t been able to break through the bureaucracy to be considered.

He has appointed Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel

Huckabee is a former Arkansas governor, ordained Baptist minister, and a Fox News show host from 2008 to 2015. He also ran for president in 2016.

He is a strong supporter of Israel and once stated, “There’s no such thing as a Palestinian.”

He has nominated Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense.

Hegseth served in the US Army with tours in Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, and Afghanistan and was also a Fox News host.

He is opposed to programs that promote equity and inclusion in the military, has said women shouldn’t serve in combat, and suggested pardoning service members charged with war crimes.

He has picked John Ratcliffe for CIA director.

Ratcliffe served as director of national Intelligence during Trump’s first presidency.

As director of national intelligence he was accused of declassifying intelligence for use by Trump and Republican allies to attack political opponents.

Ratcliffe is the “China hawk,” calling China the top threat to US interests and the rest of the free world.

He has picked Steve Witkoff to be his special envoy to the Middle East.

Witkoff is a real estate investor, landlord, and founder of Witkoff Group.

He has also been appointed as co-chair of Trump’s inauguration.

Special envoys are not standard diplomats and typically focus on specific issues in a time limited manner. It is unclear what Witkoff’s role will be.

He announced Kristi Noem would head the homeland security department.

Noem is the governor of South Dakota.

She resisted most government regulations to slow the spread of infections during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She is the governor criticized for killing her dog after it killed some chickens.

She has been a key supporter of Trump’s immigration and deportation policies and has strained relations with both the Oglala Sioux tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux tribe.

He has chosen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the new Department of Government Efficiency to “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal agencies.”

Ramaswamy is an American entrepreneur and vocal supporter of Trump. This appointment means he is dropping his candidacy for the Ohio Senate seat left vacant by JD Vance.

He has called for mass layoffs of federal workers and the elimination of multiple federal departments including the Department of education.

Musk is the Tesla and SpaceX CEO who has taken in billions from federal contracts.

He asked voters to brace for economic “hardship” and deep spending cuts.

He has appointed William McGinley as White House Counsel.

McGinley was a partner at two international law firms and served in the first administration for Trump as the White House Cabinet secretary.

He has a long history of working with political figures regarding ethics and campaign compliance.

He has appointed Lee Zeldin for the EPA

Zeldin is a former New York congressman

He said this of his appointment, “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

He has opposed some climate-related legislation while serving in congress according to the League of Conservation Voters.

He has appointed Stephen Miller as White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security advisor.

Dan Scavino, James Blair, and Taylor Budowich have also been announced as deputy chiefs of staff.

Miller is one of Trump’s longest serving and most trusted advisors working with Trump on his 2016 presidential campaign and joining him as senior advisor at the White House.

He helped draft many of Trump’s speeches and plans on immigration.

He is expected to pick Marco Rubio as Secretary of State

Rubio is a Republican Florida senator and the son of Cuban immigrants. If picked he will be the first Latino US secretary of state.

He voted against the $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine and favors negotiation and an end to the war rather than further support to Ukraine to remove Russian forces for its territory.

More to come regarding Trump's announcement of dismantling the Department of Education and establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency.

The Watcher

#democracy #democrat #democratic party #republican #republican party #donald trump #trump #trump 2024 #us politics #politics

3 notes · View notes

planetofsnarfs · 11 days ago

Text

Here’s a full list of what to expect this week:

Tuesday:

9 a.m.: Doug Collins for secretary of Veterans Affairs, before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

9:30 a.m.: Pete Hegseth for secretary of Defense, before the Senate Armed Services Committee

10 a.m.: Doug Burgum for Interior secretary, before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Wednesday:

9 a.m.: Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

9:30 a.m.: Pam Bondi for attorney general, before the Senate Judiciary Committee

10 a.m.: Marco Rubio for secretary of State, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

10 a.m.: John Ratcliffe for CIA director, before the Senate Intelligence Committee

10 a.m.: Sean Duffy for Transportation secretary, before the Commerce Committee

10 a.m.: Chris Wright for Energy secretary, before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

1 p.m.: Russell Vought for OMB director, before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Thursday:

10 a.m. Lee Zeldin for EPA director, before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

10 a.m.: Eric Turner for HUD secretary, before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs

10:15a.m.: Pam Bondi for attorney general, before the Senate Judiciary Committee

10:30 a.m.: Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary, before the Senate Finance Committee

#us politics #fascists #trump cabinet #donald trump

2 notes · View notes

nintendouniverse2023 · 3 months ago

Text

I’ve been thinking about something lately and I think though I give SpongeBob and Patrick love interest in My AU

So the Sea Monster who was hired as the Kristy Krabs Security Guard would be SpongeBobs love interest

The Mermaid who works as a swim instructor would be Patrick’s love interest.

Hope you like it ~ 🩵🩷💖 and Give me any idea for names at the comments below.

#nickelodeon #spongebob sqaurepants #spongebob oc #sea monster #mermaid

3 notes · View notes

alexbkrieger13 · 2 years ago

Note

But at the same time its shocking that Alex Morgan was in the national team for 15 years and never had to be bothered really about performing for club. Explains why Sam still has the scoring record there and why she had about twice as many as all other forwards who had played as long as her when she left. The USWNT sought out talented players and then developed them themselves, maybe a sign that there was no league yet that was really working. But also feel like you could miss a lot of talent that way that weren’t picked up by the NT and improved later in their careers. For someone like Kristie for example club play was definitely important, it’s how she made it back to the national team. But Alex more or less saying she always had a secure spot.

They’ve only done that in the past because it worked, they still won. Now they can’t get away with that anymore, calling up veterans on past merits. If they include players who are not their best level anymore because they have that secure spot, that’ll get punished by other top teams.

Yeah though to be fair to Alex she did have a rough time with injuries with Club for the first few years of her pro career and yeah with the US system with the clubs they were almost always out so it was very difficult for us players to really be consistent in there club teams until really the last couple of years

2 notes · View notes

bllsbailey · 1 month ago

Text

Trump Announces Additional Cabinet Nominations, Including Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated more candidates for his upcoming cabinet, including Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes.

On Saturday, Trump announced that Nunes was picked as the chairperson of Trump’s Intelligence Advisory Board (IAB).

If confirmed, Nunes will lead the IAB, which advises the president on the legality of foreign intelligence activities.

He also announced IBM executive Troy Edgar as deputy secretary of Homeland Security.

“Troy served for me previously as the Chief Financial Officer and Associate Deputy Under Secretary of Management for Homeland Security, where he did an outstanding job managing their $90 Billion Dollar budget, resourcing critical immigration policy, and funding Wall construction,” Trump said.

“Troy is currently an executive at IBM. He holds an M.B.A. and B.S. of Business Administration from the University of Southern California,” Trump said. “He was previously the Mayor of Los Alamitos, California, where he helped me lead the City and County revolt against Sanctuary Cities in 2018.”

Edgar will serve alongside Governor Kristi Noem (R-S.D), who was tapped as Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Secretary.

He also stated that Bill White would serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.

“Bill is a highly respected businessman, philanthropist, author, and advocate for our Nation’s Military, Veterans, and First Responders. He is the CEO of Constellations Group, and former President of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum,” Trump said.

“Bill has worked tirelessly to support Great American Patriots who have given everything for our Country by raising over $1.5 Billion Dollars for our fallen heroes, catastrophically wounded, and severely burned Service Members. He is a twice recipient of the Meritorious Public Service Award for extraordinary service from the U.S. Coast Guard, and for outstanding support from the U.S. Navy.”

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

0 notes

safehouseproject11 · 2 months ago

Text

Safe House Project Selected for 2024 Combined Federal Campaign

Safe House Project, a prominent national organization dedicated to combating human trafficking in the United States, has been selected to participate in the 2024 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the federal government’s official workplace giving initiative. This selection marks a significant recognition for Safe House Project, providing a unique opportunity for federal employees, retirees, and military personnel to contribute to its mission through tax-deductible donations. The CFC is one of the largest workplace giving campaigns globally, raising millions of dollars annually for thousands of charities that address critical needs. Inclusion in the CFC is highly competitive, underscoring the importance of Safe House Project’s work in providing safe housing and services to survivors of child trafficking. By joining the ranks of CFC-approved charities, Safe House Project will have greater access to a nationwide donor base eager to support impactful causes. “Being part of the Combined Federal Campaign is a tremendous honor for us,” said Kristi Wells, CEO of Safe House Project. “Federal employees and retirees have shown a deep commitment to supporting vital causes, and this platform allows us to reach those who are passionate about ending child trafficking and providing a path to safety and healing for survivors.” Since its founding in 2017, Safe House Project has quickly emerged as a national leader in the fight against child trafficking. Each year, an estimated 300,000 children in the United States are victims of sex trafficking. Despite this staggering number, only a small fraction are ever identified and offered support. Safe House Project focuses on changing these odds, providing critical safe housing and essential resources that help survivors escape dangerous situations and begin the process of recovery. Safe House Project’s inclusion in the 2024 CFC aligns with its ongoing efforts to expand awareness, increase victim identification, and ensure that survivors receive the support they need. With the support of donors through the CFC, Safe House Project can continue to fund vital programs that protect and empower survivors. An Invitation to Join the Fight Against Child Trafficking The organization’s work is grounded in a commitment to protect, place, and prosper: Protect: Removing children from dangerous environments and ensuring their immediate safety. Place: Providing secure, nurturing housing for survivors. Prosper: Empowering children to recover and build a hopeful future. By choosing Safe House Project (CFC number 21575) as their charity of choice in the 2024 CFC, federal employees and retirees can contribute directly to these critical efforts. Donations can be made through convenient payroll deductions or retiree annuities, providing steady support throughout the year. “We invite everyone to join us in this mission,” Wells continued. “Your support through the CFC will help provide safety and a second chance to countless children who need it most.” For more information on how to support Safe House Project through the 2024 Combined Federal Campaign, please contact: Elizabeth Fields Marketing Communications Coordinator [email protected] | 507-769-0819 Safe House Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safety, hope, and healing to survivors of child sex trafficking across the United States. SOURCE Safe House Project

The post Safe House Project Selected for 2024 Combined Federal Campaign first appeared on Safehouse.

via https://www.safehouseproject.org/safe-house-project-selected-for-2024-combined-federal-campaign/

1 note · View note