Musk Reeks of RacismHappy Wednesday evening and thanks for making Today’s American News part of your evening routine. We are your source for news and analysis on the circus that is American politics and entertainment. Elon’s obsession with USAID: Is it revenge for agency’s work to end Apartheid??? It sounds bombastic until you read the evidence. The Alt Media’s Adam Parkhomenko posted a piece on Substack that lays out a solid case for how the richest man in the world, who also pretty much bought his way into the White House ($290 million spent!), and who also happens to be a white South African, and who is complaining to this day that white South Africans are being treated unfairly, and who has spewed a whole lot of other racist garbage, holds a grudge against the agency for its efforts to end Apartheid. Follow the breadcrumbs and it’s not only feasible but likely that Elon’s obsession with taking food away from starving people around the world at least in part about Apartheid. And here’s the kicker: Elon never looked back to his homeland post-Apartheid, according to The New York Times. Check out Adam’s piece here.
(photo: Getty) Judge halts Trump birthright order nationwide because of that pesky constitution… Trump may have been a self-proclaimed “dictator on Day One” but his Day One executive order curtailing birthright citizenship–the right of persons born within the borders of the United States to be automatic citizens–has now faced a second major loss in court. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman of Maryland said the order "conflicts with the plain language of the 14th Amendment” and SCOTUS precedent “has resoundingly rejected the president's interpretation.” Judge Boardman issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, or in layman’s terms, stopped the order from going into effect until both sides can reappear in court for a full hearing, at which time she said opponents of Trump’s order are very likely to prevail. Trump’s Justice Department lawyer dubiously claimed the 14th Amendment’s application to babies of undocumented immigrants provides a "perverse incentive for illegal immigration." The judge was unimpressed. The case was brought by five–very brave in our view–undocumented pregnant women. Bravo to all who are fighting the good fight on multiple cases challenging Trump’s order. …but another judge is just fine letting Elon disseminate Treasury data for now… Politico reports: “During a hearing Wednesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly signaled she might temporarily bar the Musk allies from disseminating the records outside of Treasury. Kollar-Kotelly is presiding over a lawsuit brought by government employees fearful that Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is compromising Treasury’s payment system. That system manages billions of transactions, many of which contain sensitive financial data.” The kicker? Musk seized Treasury’s records during an unannounced visit with his teenage minions who have no security clearance. We can’t win ‘em all. Democrats are in the minority but still plan on making a lot of noise… “Democratic lawmakers are staging protests outside federal agencies, holding resistance-themed news conferences back home and taking to social media as they try to combat President Donald Trump’s moves to remake the government with executive power,” NBC News reports. “Relegated to the minority in Congress and left with few legislative tools to check Trump, Democrats are seeking to rally voters against his push to freeze federal loans and grants, dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies and allow his government efficiency czar, billionaire Elon Musk, to access Americans’ federal data.”
(photo: Zuma Press) Today’s Buzz MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell to depart on Friday and live more of her best life… Andrea Mitchell is an institution. She will be stepping down as a full-time anchor this Friday after 17 years in that role. A trailblazer in every sense of the word, she thrived on air well before her anchor days in what was then almost exclusively a boys club. She will remain at MSNBC as Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, but have much more time to enjoy life and family at 78 because the correspondent position is much less time-intensive than a full-time anchor role. Good for her. She more than put in her time paving the way for so many women after her to get a fairer shake in joining the men on air. While this isn’t the traditional Buzz material we bring you, it was covered by Entertainment Weekly, so we went with it. We wish her the best and thank her for opening doors to other talented women on TV. Her trailblazing speaks to a larger point about entertainment generally. At least as recently as Shakespearean times, even women characters were portrayed by men performers on stage because only men were deemed fit for performance. And anyone who has seen the musical Hairspray knows that people of color in America were purposely limited on the airwaves as an extension of segregation and racism. And as women and people of color overcame these barriers, they were often required to play roles that fit racist and misogynist tropes. Even today, if a Black performer plays He-Man or Ariel from The Little Mermaid or even if a Black Barbie hits the shelves, racist filth spreads on social media. All who have persevered through prejudice have lit and paved an easier path for those who follow.
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