#TrumpRegime #guns #immigration "The Justice Department’s retreat from gun enforcement in Baltimore is one facet of an abrupt shift in federal law enforcement this year that has sidelined some traditional crime-fighting efforts such as those targeting money-laundering, tax offenses and drugs to pursue deportations instead, Reuters found after reviewing court records nationwide. The Trump administration ordered thousands of federal agents to focus on immigration enforcement, leaving the number of criminal prosecutions for everything from drug to tax offenses at their lowest point in decades." https://www.reuters.com/world/how-immigration-swallowed-up-federal-gun-crime-efforts-2025-12-22/
#TrumpRegime "Trump Takes America’s ‘Imperial Presidency’ to a New Level In his first year back in the White House, President Trump has greatly expanded executive power while embracing the trappings of royalty in ways not seen in the modern era. (. . .) In his first year back in office, Mr. Trump has unabashedly adopted the trappings of royalty just as he has asserted virtually unbridled power to transform American government and society to his liking. In both pageantry and policy, Mr. Trump has established a new, more audacious version of the imperial presidency that goes far beyond even the one associated with Richard M. Nixon, for whom the term was popularized half a century ago. He no longer holds back, or is held back, as in the first term. Trump 2.0 is Trump 1.0 unleashed. The gold trim in the Oval Office, the demolition of the East Wing to be replaced by a massive ballroom, the plastering of his name and face on government buildings and now even the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the designation of his own birthday as a free-admission holiday at national parks — it all speaks to a personal aggrandizement and accumulation of power with meager resistance from Congress or the Supreme Court. Nearly 250 years after American colonists threw off their king, this is arguably the closest the country has come during a time of general peace to the centralized authority of a monarch. Mr. Trump takes it upon himself to reinterpret a constitutional amendment and to eviscerate agencies and departments created by Congress. He dictates to private institutions how to run their affairs. He sends troops into American streets and wages an unauthorized war against nonmilitary boats in the Caribbean. He openly uses law enforcement for what his own chief of staff calls 'score settling' against his enemies, he dispenses pardons to favored allies and he equates criticism to sedition punishable by death." https://archive.ph/fDFJy#selection-733.0-811.21
#ICE "ICE Barbie’s Top Goon Blames Staff After Flunking Lie-Detector Test It’s everybody’s fault but his own. Kristi Noem’s acting security agency head reportedly failed a lie-detector test required to view sensitive spy materials—then blamed his subordinates and suspended them. Madhu Gottumukkala, the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who got his start under the Homeland Security Secretary when she was South Dakota’s governor, failed a polygraph in July that was required to view 'the most sensitive intelligence programs' shared by a spy agency, Politico first reported Sunday. He then reportedly placed at least six people involved in organizing and scheduling the polygraph on leave in retaliation. 'Instead of taking ownership and saying, ‘Hey, I screwed up,’ he gets other people blamed and potentially ruins their careers,' a current official told Politico, adding that Gottumukkala’s tenure at CISA has been 'a nightmare' for the $3 billion agency." https://archive.ph/KiCgA#selection-725.0-741.253
#TrumpRegime #wind "Trump Halts Five Wind Farms Off the East Coast The Interior Department said the projects posed national security risks, without providing details. The decision imperils billions of dollars of investments. The Trump administration on Monday said it would pause leases for five wind farms under construction off the East Coast, essentially gutting the country’s nascent offshore wind industry in a sharp escalation of President Trump’s crusade against the renewable energy source. The decision injected uncertainty into projects that were collectively expected to power more than 2.5 million homes and businesses across the Eastern United States." https://archive.ph/sSnxn
#TrumpRegime #Venezuela #piracy "While President Maduro did not refer to the seizure of the Centuries or the pursuit of the Bella 1 directly, he denounced US actions as 'piracy' in comments he made on Sunday. Maduro has also accused the US of trying to seize Venezuela's oil riches - the South American country has the world's largest proven oil reserves. At Venezuela's request, the United Nations Security will hold an emergency session on Tuesday to discuss what Caracas has described as 'ongoing US aggression'. China on Monday appeared to side with Venezuela with a spokesperson for the foreign ministry denouncing 'unilateral and illegal sanctions that lack a basis in international law or authorisation by the United Nations Security Council'. The spokesperson added that 'Venezuela has the right to develop independently and engage in a mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations'. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart on Monday, after which Russia expressed 'full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership'. Both Russia and China have supported the Venezuelan government financially and militarily for years. But during the current situation, experts say that backing seems to be largely symbolic, with statements being given in support rather than concrete military or financial aid."
#TrumpRegime #wind "Trump Halts Five Wind Farms Off the East Coast The Interior Department said the projects posed national security risks, without providing details. The decision imperils billions of dollars of investments. The Trump administration on Monday said it would pause leases for five wind farms under construction off the East Coast, essentially gutting the country’s nascent offshore wind industry in a sharp escalation of President Trump’s crusade against the renewable energy source. The decision injected uncertainty into projects that were collectively expected to power more than 2.5 million homes and businesses across the Eastern United States." https://archive.ph/sSnxn
#TrumpRegime #Venezuela #piracy "While President Maduro did not refer to the seizure of the Centuries or the pursuit of the Bella 1 directly, he denounced US actions as 'piracy' in comments he made on Sunday. Maduro has also accused the US of trying to seize Venezuela's oil riches - the South American country has the world's largest proven oil reserves. At Venezuela's request, the United Nations Security will hold an emergency session on Tuesday to discuss what Caracas has described as 'ongoing US aggression'. China on Monday appeared to side with Venezuela with a spokesperson for the foreign ministry denouncing 'unilateral and illegal sanctions that lack a basis in international law or authorisation by the United Nations Security Council'. The spokesperson added that 'Venezuela has the right to develop independently and engage in a mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations'. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart on Monday, after which Russia expressed 'full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership'. Both Russia and China have supported the Venezuelan government financially and militarily for years. But during the current situation, experts say that backing seems to be largely symbolic, with statements being given in support rather than concrete military or financial aid."
#Greenland #TrumpRegime "New Trump envoy says he will serve to make Greenland part of US (. . .) Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has revived his long-standing interest in Greenland, citing its strategic location and mineral wealth. He has refused to rule out using force to secure control of the island, a stance that has shocked Denmark, a Nato ally that has traditionally enjoyed close relations with Washington. Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has had extensive self-government since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain in Danish hands. While most Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the US."
#housing #demographics #SanFrancisco #CA "Older, richer, more likely to live alone: Here’s how S.F. life has changed since 2019 These charts highlight some of the largest changes that the 2020s have wrought upon the City by the Bay. 1. We’re older and less white than before (. . .) 2. Our middle class is hollowing out (. . .) 3. Even our lifestyles have changed (. . .) https://archive.ph/FEyrq#selection-2469.0-2469.35
#ClimateCrisis "Scientists found climate change hidden in old military air samples Old military air samples turned out to be a treasure trove of biological DNA, allowing scientists to track moss spores over 35 years. The results show mosses now release spores up to a month earlier than in the 1990s. Even more surprising, the timing depends more on last year’s climate than current spring conditions. It’s a striking example of how fast ecosystems are adjusting to a warming world."