Stop Watching the State of the Union and Read This Instead

3.4.25

Ally Sammarco Mar 5

Good Tuesday evening, readers, and welcome back to your source for news and analysis on the circus that is American politics and entertainment: Today’s American News. Trump is giving his State of the Union tonight, which means we’re all either watching – or we’re purposely not watching! Here’s the news of the day that’s not an old man rambling on stage:

Trump chaos leaves USDA staff in limbo as CDC staffers are called back to work… In the ‘fire first, ask questions later’ era of Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the livelihoods of federal workers hang in the balance. Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, a federal watchdog, is fighting for his job and that of 5,000 probationary employees at USDA, per Politico. Just weeks after hundreds of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) workers were terminated, many are being called back to work, per NPR. Oops, Elon made a boo-boo… Another day, another set of workers unsure if they’re getting their next paycheck. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s companies are raking in taxpayer dough… this guy is penny foolish and pound corrupt.

WTF… Some 440 federal buildings are for sale per GSA listings… The General Service Administration raised eyebrows soon after a listing of some major federal properties went live. It is not unusual for the federal government to sell property, but the number of properties, some 440, was alarming, as were the individual buildings for sale, including FBI and DOJ headquarters.. “In Washington, D.C.,” the Associated Press reports the list includes “the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which serves as FBI headquarters, the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, the Old Post Office building, where President Donald Trump once ran a hotel, and the American Red Cross headquarters. The headquarters of numerous agencies, including Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, are listed as well.”

Mayor Pete for Senate??? Meeting with Schumer spins rumor mill… Former Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg – or “Mayor Pete” as he is affectionately known – met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) last week to discuss a possible U.S. Senate bid in the Wolverine State, Politico reports. However, Schumer has not commented on the meeting and Schumer’s stance on a potential Buttigieg candidacy is unknown. Buttigieg would start a hypothetical campaign with strong name ID, institutional support, demonstrated fundraising prowess, and a strong base of volunteers. One big disadvantage? He hasn’t been a Michigander for long. “Buttigieg, a former presidential candidate, just recently moved back to Traverse City, Michigan, with his young family… a factor that looms in his calculus,” adds Politico. Democratic State Sen. Mallory McMorrow already declared for the seat, left vacant by a retiring Sen. Gary Peters. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), an indefatigable campaigner who won a tough Congressional battleground district multiple times and is a former aide to both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, has expressed interest in the seat. OUR TAKE: Mayor Pete is an amazing national communicator and we need him to counter the Trump Administration day in and day out. A homegrown candidate like Stevens would be stronger, and Michigan has a strong propensity of electing Democratic women to its highest offices (e.g. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Senator Elisa Slotkin, and former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, to name a few.)

Families of captured North Korean troops could face bleak fate… As Donald Trump tries to ‘both sides’ the Russia-Ukraine war and he can’t even decide who invaded whom, this story from ABC News is a stark reminder of who the good and bad guys are in this conflict. "It's the biggest shame (as a North Korean) to be captured," said former North Korean soldier Ryu Seong-hyeon, who defected to South Korea in 2019. Ryu believes families of captured soldiers will be executed by Pyongyang. The Kim regime, which sent 12,000 of its soldiers to fight (and die) in Ukraine, is known for its brutal punishments. It is common practice for multiple generations of family members to be sent to enslavement in work-camp prisons when an individual dishonors the regime. Ukraine has captured a handful of North Korean troops, who have been used as cannon fodder by Vladimir Putin in an attempt to recapture the Ukrainian-controlled portion of Russia’s Kursk oblast. It’s not going well for him…

Today’s Buzz

Actually, the Oscar ratings were up, not down… The Academy Awards faced rough headlines Sunday after it was originally reported that viewership was down 7% from last year. However, initial ratings left out mobile and PC viewing, reflecting a challenge in rapidly assessing ratings in the digital era. Variety reports, “Nielsen’s finalized reporting of Sunday’s Oscars telecast has brought the total from 18.1 to 19.7 million viewers. Rather than a 7% decrease from last year’s show, this indicates a 1% increase.”

Today’s Furry Friend

Meet Boomer, found on the side of the road by his soon-to-be adoptive family, and Ruby, who got used to the idea of having another pup in the house. Hold tight to the ones you love.

Thanks for tuning in once again to Today’s American News. If you’re not subscribed, this is a reader-supported publication, so hit the subscribe button below!