Wednesday, January 29, 2025

January 29, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Government Support for Irreversible Child Sex Changes . . . President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday preventing the federal government from funding or supporting irreversible transgender medical interventions for minors. "Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child's sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions," the order says. Daily Signal

Politics

Trump offering buyouts to nearly all federal workers . . . President Donald Trump is offering buyouts to nearly all federal workers in an attempt to reduce the size of the federal government. The administration expects 5% to 10% of the federal workforce to accept the offer, which contains eight months of pay and benefits. Washington Examiner

Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump freeze on federal grants and loans . . . A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-the-board ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives. The order capped the most chaotic day for the U.S. government since Trump returned to office, with uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline causing panic and confusion among states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington. Associated Press

Trump pause on federal payouts hits Biden's big spending on DEI and climate change . . . The Trump administration ordered freezes on certain federal grants after President Biden massively expanded spending at home and abroad to implement woke ideology and far-left Green New Deal policies, budget analysts say. A $1.5 million "gender scholars" program in Egypt, a $3 million "girl-centered climate action" program in Brazil and $790,000 for electric motorcycle charging stations in Uganda are among the dozens of initiatives financed by federal grants that cost American taxpayers billions of dollars under the Biden administration. Washington Times

Up to 74M unable to access healthcare after federal funding freeze causes Medicaid chaos . . . Up to 74million Americans' access to healthcare hung in the balance Tuesday as officials in all 50 states reported disruptions to their Medicaid programs. The chaos came in the wake of the Trump administration's abrupt funding freeze laid out in a vaguely worded memo, which was meant to root out 'woke' ideology in the federal government but appears to have affected organizations that depend on crucial federal health department funds. Daily Mail

Trump Admin Welcomes 'New Media' Into White House Press Corps . . . The White House is making room for "new media" in the press room, welcoming nontraditional, news-related content producers who can directly ask questions to the press secretary and other administration officials. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave her first press briefing of President Donald Trump's second term on Tuesday and announced a "new media seat" for bloggers, podcasters, social media influencers, and others to apply. Daily Wire

Caroline Kennedy tells senators RFK Jr. is a 'predator' . . . Caroline Kennedy, former President John F. Kennedy's daughter, told senators in a letter that her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's nominee to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services, is a "predator" who has lied and cheated his way through life. Kennedy said she hadn't previously denounced her cousin's nomination because she had been U.S. ambassador to Australia and was also reluctant to publicly criticize a family member. The Hill

Lying and cheating his way through life? Is that worse than stealing Illinois and Texas?

Culture

Trump To Defund Schools That Teach Critical Race Theory, Radical Gender Ideology . . . President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Wednesday that will prohibit federal funding to K-12 schools that teach Critical Race Theory (CRT) or radical gender ideology, the Daily Caller has learned. As a part of the order, the secretary of Education will have 90 days to provide the president with a plan on how to end CRT and radical gender ideology lessons within K-12 schools, according to a White House memo obtained by the Daily Caller. Daily Caller

LGBT Groups Silent About Scott Bessent's Historic Confirmation . . . Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made history as the nation's highest-ranking gay official after the Senate confirmed him to the cabinet post on Monday. But the confirmation has gone unmentioned by the country's top LGBT groups, which effusively praised former president Joe Biden's gay and transgender nominees. The 62-year-old financier became the highest-ranking openly gay official to be confirmed by the Senate. As head of the Treasury, Bessent is now fifth in the line of presidential succession. Washington Free Beacon

National Security

White House reveals Trump explanation for NJ drones — and raises even more questions . . . White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the drones that spooked New Jersey residents last month were "not the enemy." "After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons," Leavitt said, reading Trump's dictation at her first briefing. The explanation did not clarify what research was being performed — in many cases near military bases — or detail what "other reasons" were at play. New York Post

Nothing to see here - even if it's right above your head.

Trump to sign Laken Riley Act into law

NYC minority communities cheer ICE raids that rounded up violent criminal migrants . . . New York City residents in Hispanic and black communities that supported President Trump in huge numbers in the 2024 election hailed Tuesday's local immigration raids that nabbed scores of suspected heinous criminals. Starting in the Bronx — where Trump's support surged 35% between 2020 and 2024 — heavily armed federal immigration agents stormed through the city, targeting migrants with warrants for murder, kidnapping and other heinous crimes, police sources told The Post. New York Post

Senate Gets to Work on Panama Canal: 'We Cannot Turn a Blind Eye' . . . Sen. Ted Cruz opened the hearing by warning of increasing Chinese control of the canal,. "Chinese companies are building a bridge across the canal—at a slow pace so as to take nearly a decade—and control container ports at either end. The partially completed bridge gives China the ability to block the canal without warning, and the ports give China ready observation posts to time that action. This situation poses acute risks to U.S. national security," said Cruz. Daily Signal

International

A doctor says at least 17 people dead in a stampede at the Maha Kumbh festival in India . . . At least 17 people were killed and many more injured in a stampede at the world's largest religious gathering early Wednesday, a doctor at a government hospital said, as millions of pilgrims rushed to dip in sacred waters during the Maha Kumbh festival in northern India. The doctor in Prayagraj city said over 30 injured — five in serious condition — were brought for treatment. Associated Press

Denmark to increase military spending in North Atlantic by $2B amid row with Trump over Greenland . . . The government of Denmark says it will increase military spending in the North Atlantic amid U.S. President Donald Trump's bid to have Greenland sold or ceded to the United States. Late Monday, the Danish government announced an agreement of 14.6 billion-kroner – or nearly $2 billion – with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to "improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region." Fox News

You should also know

Hegseth Pulls General Milley's Security Detail, Suspends Clearance, Orders Review into His Conduct . . . Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has informed former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff retired Army Gen. Mark Milley that he is revoking his personal security detail and suspending his security clearance, according to senior defense officials. Hegseth is also directing the acting Department of Defense Inspector General to conduct a review board to determine whether he should keep his rank as a retired-four star general, due to his actions undermining the chain of command at the end of President Donald Trump's first term. Breitbart

Guilty Pleasures

'America's worst mayor' Tiffany Henyard joins wild brawl at community meeting, loses wig . . . Tiffany Henyard, the mayor of Dolton village in Illinois and supervisor of nearby Thornton Township, thrown to the floor in a tussle Tuesday night that broke out after her boyfriend rushed to defend her honor. The saga began when activist Jedidiah Brown, a frequent critic of Henyard, took to the podium and launched an aggressive tirade at the mayor that ended with him calling her a 'b***h'. Brown accused Henyard of 'sleeping her way to the top', being a 'half-a**ed mayor', and even suggested she would never get married. Daily Mail