Meet Donald Trump’s Government Shutdown Hatchet Man
Anadolu via Getty ImagesVought is the mastermind behind the Trump administration’s efforts to maximize the president’s power by seizing greater control over federal spending. In the process, he’s been stepping all over Congress’ constitutional role in deciding federal spending levels. AdvertisementOnce the shutdown started, Vought immediately moved to retaliate against Democrats, taking the lapse in appropriations as free rein to work the president’s will. “Russ Vought has a plan, and that plan is going to succeed in empowering — further empowering Trump,” Lee said. Advertisement“Is it helpful for Russ Vought to announce he’s freezing funding in New York in the middle of all this?
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 23:24 UTC
Legal Experts Call Trump’s Response To The Shutdown ‘Extremely Alarming’
LOADING ERROR LOADINGThe Trump administration’s response to the ongoing government shutdown shows its disregard for free speech and disrespect for federal workers, legal experts told HuffPost. (Federal law already prohibits unauthorized immigrants from accessing health care through programs like the Affordable Care Act.) “The Hatch Act has gone down the hatch.” - Joanne B. Ciulla, professor of ethics, Institute of Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School. Ciulla doesn’t think there is “any ambiguity” in whether the HHS directive to use a specific out-of-office message runs afoul of the Hatch Act. Advertisement“The Hatch Act has gone down the hatch,” Ciulla said.
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 23:24 UTC
Trump's Plan To Blame Democrats For Shutdown Falls Flat: Poll
As the current administration celebrates the shutdown as an opportunity to advance their agenda, no one is there to hold them accountable, but we are. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. We hope you will join us once again.
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 23:24 UTC
Elizabeth Warren Calls Out GOP Over Government Shutdown ‘Lie’
As the current administration celebrates the shutdown as an opportunity to advance their agenda, no one is there to hold them accountable, but we are. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. We hope you will join us once again.
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 20:56 UTC
My Husband Died. Then I Tried To Change My Name — And It Kicked Off A Yearslong Nightmare.
We were filling out the application for our marriage license in a county clerk’s office when I found out my future husband wanted me to take his last name. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementMonths later, when there were rumblings about needing a REAL ID to travel domestically by plane. I knew I had to get a new copy of my marriage license to bring to the DMV, so I could apply. I showed him my marriage license, to which he replied, “When he died. Tracking down a marriage license or ordering a copy of your birth certificate takes time and is always accompanied by fees.
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 20:05 UTC
Trump Administration Uses Veterans Email List To Criticize Democrats
Asked whether the agency had any concerns about inserting politics into the newsletter, a VA spokesperson defended the message as truthful. The newsletter that went out to veterans and their families on Tuesday, with the partisan message highlighted. Department of Veterans AffairsBreaking with past practice — and perhaps the law — the Trump administration has been happy to use the machinery of the federal government to politicize the shutdown. Some government websites showed a message blaming Democrats for the funding lapse, using similar language to the VA newsletter. Politics: Federal Workers Receive Emails Blaming Democrats For Government Shutdown“Needless to say this really pissed me off,” he said in an email.
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 19:27 UTC
Democrats Want A Deal. Can They Trust Trump?
The problem getting to a deal is the deep lack of trust in Washington in recent years. The Trump administration has unilaterally frozen billions of dollars in funding, infuriating Democrats who believe it to be wildly illegal. And will this White House ultimately honor a deal struck by Congress, something rarely seen in the past? to address the expiring health insurance subsidies as part of the bipartisan appropriations bills that Republicans are hoping to approve in the coming weeks. Tom Williams via Getty ImagesBut other Democrats are suspicious of Republicans following through on any deal.
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 19:12 UTC
The Farbman-Turley Debate: The Video and Results
One of the bonuses of participating in the debate was the appearance of our blog editor, Kristin Oren, her husband, Brandon, and their friends. Kristin showed great restraint in not doing a live edit of my remarks during the debate. While negative position prevailed in the initial (54%) and final vote (70%) in the debate, Professor Farbman offered a spirited case for a crisis. Here are the results of the vote:The Washington Examiner’s Kaelan Deese covered the event. Here is the video: The VMI Debate
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 17:34 UTC
Experts Weigh In On Trump Posting AI-Generated Video Of Dem Leaders
LOADING ERROR LOADINGPresident Donald Trump shared a bizarre, demeaning, racist AI-generated parody video featuring House Minority Leader (D-N.Y.) Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) earlier this week. At least, for a while until they learn English and realize they hate us too,” the faux Schumer continued in the AI video. And people pointed out that while Trump has a history of sharing AI-generated videos to attack his opponents, it doesn’t mean it should be normalized. “This vulgar AI video is not from a disturbed 12-year-old, it’s from the president of the United States,” one X user wrote in response to Trump’s first AI-generated video of Jeffries and Schumer posted on Monday. “Is this video worse than Trump making fun of a disabled person?
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 16:47 UTC
Trump Flaunts Project 2025 While Teasing Permanent Cuts To 'Democrat Agencies'
As the current administration celebrates the shutdown as an opportunity to advance their agenda, no one is there to hold them accountable, but we are. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. We hope you will join us once again.
Source:Huffington Post
October 02, 2025 15:28 UTC
Republicans Start Shutdown Payback As White House Blocks Blue State Funds
He also announced the administration is withholding $8 billion in clean energy programs in 16 blue states. AdvertisementWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt seemingly confirmed there would be permanent layoffs for the first time in a shutdown. AdvertisementDemocrats filibustered a House-passed bill funding the government again on Wednesday, the first day of the shutdown, which has furloughed some 750,000 federal workers. The move to freeze federal funding in the New York City area also made an impact on the race for governor of the neighboring state of New Jersey. I don’t believe in that.”Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) warned that freezing funds in blue states amid the shutdown could hinder a bipartisan deal to reopen the government.
Source:Huffington Post
October 01, 2025 22:26 UTC
Federal Workers Receive Emails Blaming Democrats For Government Shutdown
Workers at several federal agencies received an email from their leaders late Tuesday blaming Democrats in Congress for the government shutdown — a clear use of government resources toward political ends by the Trump administration. It’s normal for a government agency to try to prepare employees for the possibility of a government shutdown. It is not normal for agency leaders to blame one party or another through official communications to workers or the public, due to restrictions against political activities by federal employees. Then again, the Trump administration does not hold itself to the same government ethics guidelines as its predecessors. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has warned that it will use the shutdown as an opportunity to fire more federal workers.
Source:Huffington Post
October 01, 2025 22:09 UTC
Federal Workers Told To Blame Democrats For Government Shutdown
It appears to be one of several instances where Trump appointees are using government resources to attack Democrats and promote a political message during the funding standoff in Washington. AdvertisementThe email came from leaders of HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration, or ASA, which oversees human resources and information technology at the sprawling health agency. It told recipients that creating an out-of-office message was “required” for those who wouldn’t be working during the shutdown. I will reply once government operations resume.”AdvertisementEthics experts have raised concerns this week about all the political messaging coming from agency leaders regarding the shutdown. AdvertisementPolitico reported that Weir had “little apparent government or health policy experience” when Trump installed her at HHS shortly after his inauguration.
Source:Huffington Post
October 01, 2025 22:03 UTC
Trump Admin Tells Furloughed Workers To Set OOO Message Blaming Democrats For Shutdown
It appears to be one of several instances where Trump appointees are using government resources to attack Democrats and promote a political message during the funding standoff in Washington. It told recipients that creating an out-of-office message was “required” for those who wouldn’t be working during the shutdown. I will reply once government operations resume.”Ethics experts have raised concerns this week about all the political messaging coming from agency leaders regarding the shutdown. Executive branch employees are also required to follow ethics guidelines that include acting “impartially” in the course of their duties. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementPolitico reported that Weir had “little apparent government or health policy experience” when Trump installed her at HHS shortly after his inauguration.
Source:Huffington Post
October 01, 2025 20:41 UTC
JD Vance Admits Government Shutdown Will Bring 'Pain'
Dangerous myths about medicine spread fastest when watchdogs are silenced. Become a member today and help us safeguard science, protect health, and keep the public informed. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times.
Source:Huffington Post
October 01, 2025 19:17 UTC