Eminent Domain for the Wall

The Daily Beast reports that people have started to receive notices.  So much for small government.

Kellyanne's husband gets a Justice Dept job

Read the WaPo story for yourself. Of course he got a job. Cronyism at its best.

So much for Student Loan Reform

WaPo reports (as did the NYT) that the Trump Administration Dept of Ed rolled back protections for people in default on student loan debt . Good lord. They really don't care. Pete Session today gave some drivel about the problem with student loans is not enough jobs. Eye roll.

Mercers: The Puppet Masters

WaPo has a story about How the Mercer Family partnered with Bannon to tear down our systems and give rise to the divisive populist climate. First, blame Citizens United. Second, be informed. The corruption is writ large and the Mercers are 21st century party bosses and all the negative that entails. They don't care about the middle class or the poor - they care about themselves.

Is there a deep state?

NYT poses the question about What happens when you fight a deep state that doesn't exist.  The issue to me is that Trump and Bannon are trying to destroy the government and create an oligarchy. So they attack agencies and facts and then act surprised when people stand up to them. The so called "deep state" is really opposition and resistance but authoritarian regimes see that as "deep state".

Still more budget information.....

Several links here: Brookings has two articles, one that looks at the negative effects of Trump's budget and the other on the damage to the Rust Belt area. And WaPo reports that his budget will do NOTHING for the deficit.  This budget is bad news. I know that the House will work on it as well but this is a terrible place to start. Let me channel Chicken Little: the sky is falling.

Pending Trade War??

WaPo reports that the G20 summit resulted in Mnuchin rejecting the statement and endorsing Trump's protectionist agenda . So what I wonder is how long until trade wars start? Don't we remember the impact of isolation and protection in the 1920s? Or tariffs in the 19th century? Sigh.

China urges a cool head to the U.S.

WaPo reports that China urges Tillerson and the US to keep their cool with N. Korea.  China. Urges. the U.S. to keep its cool. This is the world we now live in. The U.S. is now a joke and not a leader - except that we have more nuclear weapons. Yay us. :p

Cost of Trump goes beyond budget cuts

WaPo covered just how much Trump's travel and living arrangements cost.  I think their words say it all:

If Melania and Barron never move to Washington and if Trump heads to Mar-a-Lago for four out of every nine weekends, our estimates put the total cost at something like $526 million over the course of Trump’s presidency. Melania Trump is apparently planning to join her husband in Washington at the end of the school year, though, and Trump calls Mar-a-Lago the “winter White House,” implying that he won’t be there in the summer. In which case the overall spending plummets further.

To only, say, $130 million or so. Only enough to fund the homelessness agency until 10-year-old Barron Trump is 42.

Work requirement for Medicaid

WaPo reports major changes to Medicaid with the work requirement, not that I am surprised by that. It is worth being informed.