Oh, The Stories You Missed! While Trump was wined and dined by a king Dan Rather and Team Steady Sep 22 Credit: Getty Images Once upon a time, not so long ago, any of the stories outlined below would have been headline worthy, launched investigations, and initiated hearings. Pressure from the public and/or Congress would have demanded it. Not anymore. With so many stories of dangerous actions by Donald Trump, there is a risk that the significance of each is becoming lost in the tsunami. For those who oppose what is happening, continued vigilance and staying informed are imperatives. The president’s trip to England came at the perfect time. It gave Trump, a big fan of pomp, the circumstance to play dress-up and be feted by royalty — even if many Britons, and some royals, didn’t seem to enjoy his visit. It was also a perfect diversion from last week’s myriad domestic issues, which he would likely prefer we not discover. But that’s not how this works. Here is a rundown of what you might have missed. Trump Nixes Probe Into Border Czar’s Suspected Bribery Tom Homan, the current border czar, has a lot to thank his boss for. In an undercover FBI investigation that began in the summer of 2024, Homan was suspected of accepting $50,000 in cash from agents posing as businessmen. The allegation now is that in exchange for the bribe, Homan promised to help the men obtain government contracts. Trump directed his Department of Justice to kill the probe, according to MSNBC, which broke the story last week. It didn’t get much attention. Attacking Foreign Nationals On Friday, Trump announced for the third time that he had ordered the United States military to carry out a “lethal kinetic strike” on a boat in international waters, again off the coast of Venezuela. This strike killed the three men aboard. Trump labeled the men “narcoterrorists” and claimed they were smuggling drugs. We have no proof, no drugs, no identification or verification, nothing but Trump’s word. Even if Trump’s accusations were true (which now cannot be proven), it’s questionable whether Trump had legal authority to kill them. Not Reporting Hunger In America In 2024, 18 million Americans went hungry. We won’t know how many of our fellow citizens will experience food insecurity in 2025, because the Department of Agriculture has decided not to produce its hunger report going forward, according to The Wall Street Journal. “These redundant, costly, politicized and extraneous studies do nothing more than fearmonger,” the Department of Agriculture said in a statement. The now defunct report, released every year since the 1990s, was vital for state and local governments to help distribute food assistance. If they don’t count, they won’t know how many millions will be impacted by Trump’s spending bill, which significantly cuts funding. One estimate by the Urban Institute predicts more than 22 million families could lose some or all of their food benefits. Requiring That Journalists Pledge Not To Do Their Job Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been on the warpath for months trying to stop leaks from Pentagon officials to journalists covering his agency. Late on Friday, he took an unprecedented and likely illegal step. A memo was sent to news outlets informing them of new rules to maintain Pentagon press credentials. It would require journalists to sign a pledge not to acquire or report any unauthorized information. News organizations have significant legal precedent to fight this in court. “The Supreme Court has made clear for decades that journalists are entitled to lawfully obtain and publish government secrets,” said Seth Stern of the Freedom of the Press Foundation to CNN. The New York Times 1, Trump 0 Also on Friday, a federal judge rejected Trump’s 85-page rant/defamation suit against The New York Times. Even at that length, it was short on specifics. The judge called it “improper and impermissible,” telling Trump’s attorneys they have four weeks to refile but that the brief could be no more than 40 pages long. Economic Bellwethers Point Toward Recession A growing number of just released economic indicators suggest the U.S. economy could be heading toward recession. New hiring has slowed. Sales of heavy trucks are down. Americans’ credit scores are at their lowest point since the 2008 financial crisis. What about inflation? Well, we don’t know, because on Friday, the embattled Bureau of Labor Statistics declined to release its annual consumer expenditure report, which is key to measuring inflation data. No explanation was given. Trump’s approval ratings on every economic issue are underwater — the worst being inflation, which has risen steadily since April. According to Nate Silver’s composite of polls, an average 63.5% of Americans disapprove of his handling of inflation, while only 33% approve. A Right-Wing Takeover Of TikTok? TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform, has been awaiting its fate after Congress voted to ban it in April 2024. Trump has been kicking the can down the digital highway since his inauguration, repeatedly issuing executive orders delaying the ban. Now comes word that a consortium of Trump-friendly American media companies may buy a majority stake in the platform — companies such as Fox and Skydance, according to CNN’s Reliable Sources. One could argue that a social media platform hugely popular among young Americans being controlled by the far-right media and Trump supporters could be as damaging to our democracy as it’s being controlled by the Chinese. Trump Truly Hates His Enemies Speaking at Charlie Kirk’s memorial on Sunday, Trump said to the assembled, “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.” He said it with such vehemence that there is little question he meant it. These remarks came just hours after a surprising social media outburst directed at “Pam.” The Pam in question was his attorney general, Pam Bondi. In the post, which he deleted, edited, and then reposted, Trump demanded Bondi go after enemies he named: former FBI Director James Comey, California Senator Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The post had the same energy as his memorial remarks. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” Administration officials were reportedly blindsided, thinking the tirade was meant just for Bondi but that Trump posted it accidentally. You may have noticed that a number of these stories were broken by reporters out there still holding Trump to account. It’s what journalists do. Which, of course, is why he is trying so hard to intimidate them, and others. It is a fundamental American right to openly question our government. But that right came under fierce attack last week too. Television’s Jimmy Kimmel was sidelined and has now been reinstated. It’s not clear yet how many stations will air his program on Tuesday. Perhaps more importantly, will Kimmel be allowed to freely express his opinions? The backlash to the suspension has been pronounced. Early indications are that maybe someone at Disney grew a spine. That someone would be Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO. However the Disney-ABC story unfolds, don’t expect the scare tactics to stop. CBS News, ABC News, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal have all been sued by the president in an effort to intimidate journalists and suppress the truth. The battle to preserve independent journalism and free speech has only begun. More than three years remain in the Trump presidency. Steady is free, but to support my team’s efforts to protect our democracy through the power of independent journalism, we’d appreciate it if you would consider joining as a paid subscriber. It keeps Steady sustainable and accessible for all. No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for being part of the Steady community. Stay Steady, Dan