NewsFlash

So, most of you folks are in the UK and no longer really care that much, probably, about what goes on over here in the States.  I hope it doesn't come back to bite you.  But you're grown-ups, so I'll let you do your own research from this point on. Assuming you even want to know.

I know the UK has some significant "stuff" going on as well, but what's happening here could very well make you look back at that "stuff" someday as the good-old-days. I hope that doesn't happen, I really do.

Bless and keep you all, and best of luck.

Our daughter is flying to LA on Sunday for a week at work, and expects that it will be her last trip. She plans on retiring in April and getting back to more normal time lines as she works from home from noon to 8pm and is looking forward to being able to get into some evening activities.

Hi Nan,

Like you, I can't stop myself from "doomscrolling" .   I've found that the following websites report stories not picked up by more mainstream media.

Democracy Now!
https://www.democracynow.org/
On the page is a link to the daily news video "Daily Show"(nothing to do with the Jon Stewart show of similar name)

Meidas Touch Network
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9r9HYFxEQOBXSopFS61ZWg
In addition to the various political videos about current events, there's a link to a film, "For Our Daughters", about the "Christians" who support Trump.

The Bulwark
The main guy is Tim Miller, a former Republican
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ

When you play a video on Meidas Touch Network or The Bulwark, other videos of interest appear on the right hand side of hte page, These are from other independent news groups, but also CNN and MSNBC. There are often interviews with legal experts. And even psychologists  ("Shrinking Trump")

TIna

Good sources, yes. Thanks.  I try to go for "middle-of-the-road" sources that I can be relatively sure are not sensationalizing the news, and for word directly or indirectly from people who work in various institutions.

Just because of how things are, and how those kinds of people roll,  I'm going to stop posting here. At some point there could well be a resurrection of the Sedition Act of the early 1900s, and I can't risk running afoul of it - not while trying to get us out, that is, so I'm doing some scrubbing.  It'll be great if it was all unnecessary, but being as autistic as I am (I am plagued and always have been with seeing patterns in human behavior and history, and just my luck my favorite historical period was 1930s Germany) every instinct I have is saying to go under the radar until I'm sure it's cool to not need to.

But I'll be around.  You guys take care of each other.

Protonmail, a highly encripted email service, appears to be having problems in the USA and UK today.   Routing through a foreign VPN seems to allow users to access their email and other services.  ProtonMail encrypts all data on the server so that it is rendered useless to anyone without the key to decrypt it. In the case of a security breach, data swiped from ProtonMail's servers wouldn't be of any use. Not even ProtonMail can read your email.  This isn't the case with standard webmail providers like Gmail, which only encrypts data between your browser and its servers. Google will use AI to "read" your email ...

Just sayin.

Oh. And I have no hard proof on this one, but scuttlebutt says  "Musk’s staffers are using space characters to identify information leakers within government agencies. Before sharing any information, please use a checker to detect and remove these. Avoid directly leaking images; instead, request that the information be rewritten and the image recreated."

If true, I'm sure those staffers are just following orders. 



And, hey, I'm really not trying to be dramatic here. But if my posts ever stop without my saying goodbye to all, it's because I was forced to stop.

I really can't imagine I've attracted "anyone's" ire by posting already published material, but they are starting to go after people on X, Bluesky, and other venues who have posted things that were a bit ... let's say edgier.... than I post. Musk's people now have access to everyone's social security and other government accounts, the IRS, are going after federal student data for kids at colleges/universities, and the military, so.... who knows where things are going. Lawsuits are flying faster than bullets, but laws only matter to people who are law abiding really.

Since there's beginning to be a rather substantial backlash to what's going on my concerns are probably pretty overblown - at present.  But strange things have happened over the last 100 years (cue Deutschland Uber Alles) and so it's always a floating concern. I stop posting, it was not voluntarily. There will have been a cease-and-desist order, or some electronic bot thingy will cause mayhem for people it flags up, who knows?  I can't believe the world is in such a place that I'd ever actually consider the need to type those words. But there it is. 

  You are the greatest Nan!  I love your bravery.

Welcome back Nan!!

To hell that second paragraph. I'm old. I've already flunked a Cologuard test. If he stays in power, I'm screwed on every front, so, here is the current summary from the NY Times    https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-agenda-2025.html.  Colored text in brackets is mine. Colored text without brackets is my highlighting of a particularly concerning action. There are links on the page from which the following posts are sourced, but too many to include. Suggest if interested you invest in a subscription or search online.


Feb. 10 Day 22

    Other
    Agency directive

Moved to dismiss criminal case against Mayor Adams of New York -  The Justice Department told prosecutors to drop the federal corruption case against Mr. Adams. [They just did that.]

    Foreign policy
    Other
    Executive order

Paused enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The law makes it illegal for companies that operate in the United States to pay foreign government officials to secure business deals. The president said it created an uneven playing field for American firms.

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Threatened cutting U.S. aid to Jordan and Egypt - President Trump wants the two Arab nations to take displaced Gazans under his plan to redevelop Gaza under U.S. leadership.

Previously on Gaza

    Issued an ultimatum to Hamas Feb. 10 ›

    President Trump said if all Israeli hostages were not released from Gaza by “12 o’clock” on Saturday, “all hell is going to break out.”
    Defended Gaza takeover plan Feb. 6 ›
    Tried to walk back President Trump’s proposal for Gaza Feb. 5 ›
    Proposed that the U.S. take over Gaza Feb. 4 ›
    Again floated idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza Feb. 4 ›
    Suggested relocating Gazans to Jordan and Egypt Jan. 25 ›

    DOGE
    Agency directive

Shielded Elon Musk’s DOGE from public records requests -  The White House declared the documents Mr. Musk’s office produces and receives as presidential records. That could insulate the entity from public records requests under the Freedom of Information Act, as well as most judicial intervention, until at least 2034.

    Tariffs
    Directive

Imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum - The move re-upped a policy from his first term that pleased domestic metal makers but hurt other American industries and ignited trade wars on multiple fronts.

    Military
    Agency directive

Renamed Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg -  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the name will now honor Roland L. Bragg, a soldier who was decorated for his service during World War II. It was earlier named after Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general.

    Other
    Clemency

Pardoned a former Democratic governor of Illinois, Rod R. Blagojevich -  Mr. Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 of corruption in a scheme to sell a Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama.

    Staffing
    Executive order

Eliminated the Federal Executive Institute - The institute runs a management training program for career civil servants that was established under Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration.

    Regulations
    Public statement

Denounced the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau -  President Trump said that the agency, which regulates banks and other lenders, was “set up to destroy very good people.” He did not specify whom he was referring to. [I believe he's shut it down. Not sure.]

Previously on C.F.P.B.

    Named Russell Vought acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Feb. 7 ›
    Ordered Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop most work Feb. 3 ›
    Named Scott Bessent acting director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Feb. 3 ›
    Fired director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Feb. 1 ›

    Staffing
    Directive

Fired directors of the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Government Ethics

    Other
    Executive order

Mandated the federal government to use plastic straws

    Staffing
    Directive

Appointed Richard Grenell as the interim executive director of the Kennedy Center - Having served as a special envoy to the Balkans in the first Trump administration, Mr. Grenell helped President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner build a hotel in Serbia.

    Other
    Lawsuit

Appealed a federal judge’s order to release billions of dollars in frozen federal funding

    Military
    Trans issues
    Agency directive

Stopped military recruitment of men and women who report a history of gender dysphoria - A memo from Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, also blocks any active duty personnel from receiving hormonal therapies or obtaining surgical procedures “associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition.”

    Immigration
    Agency directive

Asked the Internal Revenue Service to help crack down on immigration -  Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to deputize I.R.S. agents to do work that could include auditing employers believed to have hired unauthorized migrants and investigating human trafficking.

    Staffing
    Military
    Defense
    Social media

Dismissed the boards of visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard military academies

    Other
    Lawsuit

Argued that a court order blocking Elon Musk’s team violates Trump’s absolute authority

Feb. 9 Day 21

    Other
    Proclamation

Designated Feb. 9 as Gulf of America Day. The announcement was made as the president, aboard Air Force One, flew over the Gulf en route to the Super Bowl.

    Other
    Lawsuit

Argued that the president has absolute powers over the executive branch that the courts cannot usurp

Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that a court order blocking Elon Musk’s aides from entering the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems impinged on the president’s powers.

    Other
    Social media

Ordered the Treasury secretary to stop producing new pennies -  It is unclear whether President Trump has the power to do this: Congress authorizes the manufacture of the nation’s coins, according to the U.S. Mint.

    Regulations
    Public statement

Raised possibility of using the Department of Transportation to ‘kill’ congestion pricing in Manhattan

President Trump also vowed, in an interview with The New York Post, to eliminate bike lanes in New York.

Feb. 8 Day 20

    Economy
    Agency directive

Halted work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  In an email from Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, employees were instructed to cease “all supervision and examination activity” and “all stakeholder engagement,” effectively stopping the agency’s operations. Read more ›

    Other
    Public statement

Announced he would strip security clearances of top Biden officials and prosecutors who brought cases against him In an interview with The New York Post, the president said he would withdraw the clearances of former Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken; Letitia James, the New York attorney general; and Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, among others.

    DOGE
    Public statement

Attacked a judge as an ‘activist’ after Elon Musk’s team was blocked from gaining access to a Treasury payment system. Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, called the judge’s decision “absurd and judicial overreach.”

Previously on payments system

    Pushed out a Treasury official for denying access to Elon Musk’s team Jan. 31 ›
    Gave Elon Musk’s team access to federal payment system Jan. 31 ›
    Sought to freeze foreign aid payments Jan. 24 ›

Feb. 7 Day 19

    Staffing
    Directive

Fired the nation’s archivist  The National Archives became a target of President Trump after its leaders alerted the Justice Department that he had potentially mishandled classified documents after leaving office in 2021.

    Foreign policy
    Executive order

Halted financial aid to South Africa and called for the resettling of white ‘Afrikaner refugees’ into the U.S.. The president has echoed conspiracy theories about the mistreatment of white South Africans in the post-apartheid era.

Previously on South Africa

    Threatened to cut off aid to South Africa Feb. 2 ›

    Other
    Social media

Revoked former President Biden’s security clearances.  President Trump suggested the decision was retribution for Mr. Biden’s curtailing of Mr. Trump’s access to classified information after the Jan 6. Capitol riot.

    Other
    Social media

Announced President Trump would install himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center. He also said he would dismiss several members of its board in a move to bring another Washington institution under his control.

    Foreign policy
    Social media

Announced a nearly $7.5 billion arms deal with Israel. The agreement, posted on X, appears to be the first publicly announced sale of bombs from the United States to Israel since 2015.

Named Russell Vought acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Mr. Vought was confirmed by the Senate one day earlier to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Previously on C.F.P.B.

    Ordered Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop most work Feb. 3 ›
    Named Scott Bessent acting director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Feb. 3 ›
    Fired director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Feb. 1 ›

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Public statement

Directed Elon Musk to examine spending at the defense and education departments According to a New York Times tally, members of Mr. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency have inserted themselves into at least 17 federal agencies so far.

    Regulations
    Executive order

Directed the attorney general to review Biden administration policies restricting firearms

    Other
    Staffing
    Executive order

Established a White House Faith Office -  The office will be led by the Rev. Paula White, a televangelist and longtime faith adviser to President Trump.

    Climate
    Agency directive

Ordered a review of funding from the 2022 climate law distributed by the E.P.A. -  In a memo to employees, Lee Zeldin, the E.P.A. administrator, suggested that the Biden administration had “egregiously” mishandled the funds.

    Staffing
    Jan. 6
    Public statement

Announced he would soon ‘surgically’ fire F.B.I. agents.  The administration has compiled a list of F.B.I. officials who had worked on inquiries related to the Jan. 6 attack.

    Tariffs
    Trade
    Economy
    Public statement

Indicated he would announce reciprocal tariffs on other countries in the coming week. President Trump’s remarks were the latest indication that he was willing to use tariffs broadly and unsparingly in waging a trade war.

    Climate
    Social media

Announced he would stop a Biden administration plan to phase out plastic straws in favor of paper ones

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Floated desire for ‘an equal amount of something’ from Ukraine in exchange for U.S. support. President Trump said he could meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky as early as next week and was interested in talking with him about Ukraine’s store of rare earth minerals, like lithium and titanium.

    Trade
    Tariffs
    Economy
    Executive order

Temporarily walked back the suspension of de minimis, a type of duty-free treatment. Many e-commerce companies use de minimis treatment to bring goods into the U.S. from China without paying tariffs. The U.S. had previously suspended de minimis, sowing confusion among retailers and shippers. The latest order restores de minimis treatment until there are ways to collect the tariff revenue.

Previously on China and tariffs

    Reversed decision to halt deliveries from China and Hong Kong Feb. 5 ›
    Halted deliveries to the U.S. from China and Hong Kong Feb. 4 ›
    Described 10% tariffs against China as just “an opening salvo” Feb. 3 ›
    Officially announced tariffs on imports from China Feb. 1 ›

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Social media

Called for the closure of U.S.A.I.D. and accused the agency of rampant corruption

Previously on U.S.A.I.D.

    Planned to reduce the work force at U.S.A.I.D. to 290 from more than 10,000 Feb. 6 ›
    Forced nearly all U.S.A.I.D. employees to go on leave by Feb. 7 Feb. 4 ›
    Moved to dismantle U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Put Secretary of State Marco Rubio in charge of U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Discussed shutting down U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Said U.S.A.I.D. was run by ‘radical lunatics’ Feb. 2 ›
    Punished U.S.A.I.D. officials for denying access to Elon Musk’s team Feb. 1 ›
    Placed dozens of U.S.A.I.D. officials on leave Jan. 27 ›

    Economy
    Agency directive

Floated privatizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The two giant mortgage finance firms have been controlled by the federal government for nearly 17 years.




continued....

Feb. 6 Day 18

    Staffing
    Agency directive

Planned to reduce the work force at U.S.A.I.D. to 290 from more than 10,000

Previously on U.S.A.I.D.

    Forced nearly all U.S.A.I.D. employees to go on leave by Feb. 7 Feb. 4 ›
    Moved to dismantle U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Put Secretary of State Marco Rubio in charge of U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Discussed shutting down U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Said U.S.A.I.D. was run by ‘radical lunatics’ Feb. 2 ›
    Punished U.S.A.I.D. officials for denying access to Elon Musk’s team Feb. 1 ›
    Placed dozens of U.S.A.I.D. officials on leave Jan. 27 ›

    Staffing
    Public statement

Said that more than 40,000 federal workers had accepted the resignation program

Previously on federal worker resignations

    Insisted the buyout offer for federal workers still held after a judge temporarily blocked it Feb. 6 ›
    Offered National Security Agency workers the option to resign Feb. 5 ›
    Offered C.I.A. employees option to quit Feb. 5 ›
    Again tried to entice federal workers to resign Jan. 30 ›
    Tried to entice millions of federal workers to resign Jan. 28 ›

    Trans issues
    Agency directive

Opened investigations related to executive order on transgender athletes. The Education Department is targeting two universities and a Massachusetts agency that oversees sports for many high schools in the state.

    Staffing
    Executive order

Appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead a task force to ‘eradicate anti-Christian bias’ in the federal government

President Trump also said he would create a new “presidential commission on religious liberty.” Read more ›

    Other
    Social media

Said that CBS should lose its broadcast license. President Trump claimed that the news program ’60 Minutes’ had edited an interview with Kamala Harris in her favor.

    Climate
    Agency directive

Froze a Biden-era program to build a national network of electric vehicle charging stations

    Staffing
    Directive

Fired the chairwoman of the Federal Election Commission.  Ellen L. Weintraub, the chairwoman, said the president’s move was invalid and vowed to hold onto her position.

    Other
    Agency directive

Canceled news media subscriptions inside government agencies


    Foreign policy
    Executive order

Imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court. The court had issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders for “crimes against humanity.”

    Staffing
    Agency directive

Removed the spoon emoji from G.S.A.’s videoconferencing platform.  Employees at the General Services Administration had used the spoon emoji to express displeasure with the “Fork in the Road” offer to resign.

    Foreign policy
    Agency directive

Announced new sanctions on shipping companies that transport Iranian oil to China

    Immigration
    Lawsuit

Filed a lawsuit against sanctuary laws in Chicago. The Trump administration said the laws were obstructing federal immigration policies.

    Staffing
    D.E.I.
    Agency directive

Told E.P.A. Environmental Justice workers they may be put on leave

    Other
    Social media

Amplified a conspiracy theory over federal payments to media outlets. The conspiracy theories appear to have been generated by records showing payments for subscriptions.

    Foreign policy
    Social media

Defended Gaza takeover plan. President Trump defended his proposal for the United States to take charge of postwar Gaza and resettle its Palestinian residents.

Previously on Gaza

    Tried to walk back President Trump’s proposal for Gaza Feb. 5 ›
    Proposed that the U.S. take over Gaza Feb. 4 ›
    Again floated idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza Feb. 4 ›
    Suggested relocating Gazans to Jordan and Egypt Jan. 25 ›

Feb. 5 Day 17

    Foreign policy
    Agency directive

Disbanded a task force intended to prevent foreign influence in U.S. elections. The memo, signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, also limits criminal enforcement of foreign lobbying cases.

    Military
    Trade
    Public statement

Claimed that Panama had agreed to stop charging fees for U.S. government vessels to traverse the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal Authority denied these claims.

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Agency directive

Reversed decision to halt deliveries from China and Hong Kong. The reversal showed how crucial parts of global delivery systems are grappling with sudden changes in U.S. trade policy, sowing confusion among businesses and potentially delaying shipments.

Previously on China and tariffs

    Halted deliveries to the U.S. from China and Hong Kong Feb. 4 ›
    Described 10% tariffs against China as just “an opening salvo” Feb. 3 ›
    Officially announced tariffs on imports from China Feb. 1 ›

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Offered National Security Agency workers the option to resign

Three government unions sued the U.S. Office of Personnel Management — the federal government’s human resources division — to block the effort to persuade roughly two million federal employees to resign from their jobs early. Read more ›
Previously on federal worker resignations

    Offered C.I.A. employees option to quit Feb. 5 ›

    National security-related agencies had originally been partially exempted from the government-wide offer to workers to leave their jobs.
    Again tried to entice federal workers to resign Jan. 30 ›
    Tried to entice millions of federal workers to resign Jan. 28 ›

    Trans issues
    Executive order

Aimed to prevent transgender students from participating in women’s sports

The directive relies on the Education Department — which President Trump has pledged to eliminate — to achieve its end, through a revised interpretation of federal civil rights laws. Read more ›

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Provided an unclassified list of new C.I.A. employees to the Office of Personnel Management. The spy agency normally would prefer not to put these names in an unclassified system.

    Jan. 6
    Agency directive

Created a group to review ‘weaponization’ of the criminal justice system. The move by Attorney General Pam Bondi signaled the most significant first step in deploying the levers of government to carry out President Trump’s repeated suggestions that he will pursue those he perceives to be his enemies.

    Climate
    D.E.I.
    Agency directive

Blocked enforcement of environmental justice laws. Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the Justice Department to terminate all programs that help poor and minority communities facing disproportionate amounts of pollution.

    Immigration
    Agency directive

Threatened to withhold funding to sanctuary cities. The memo, signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, instructs the Justice Department to limit access to federal funding for jurisdictions that obstruct immigration enforcement.

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Tried to walk back President Trump’s proposal for Gaza. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the president was proposing only to clear out and rebuild Gaza, not claim indefinite possession of the territory.

Previously on Gaza

    Proposed that the U.S. take over Gaza Feb. 4 ›
    Again floated idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza Feb. 4 ›
    Suggested relocating Gazans to Jordan and Egypt Jan. 25 ›

    DOGE
    D.E.I.
    Tech
    Agency directive

Accessed NOAA computer systems to search for staff and programs tied to diversity policies

Read more ›

    DOGE
    Tech
    Agency directive

Began digging into F.A.A. technology to ‘make rapid safety upgrades’

    Staffing
    Directive

Revoked security protection for Mark T. Esper, former defense secretary




continued....

Feb. 4 Day 16

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Agency directive

Halted deliveries to the U.S. from China and Hong Kong

Previously on China and tariffs

    Described 10% tariffs against China as just “an opening salvo” Feb. 3 ›
    Officially announced tariffs on imports from China Feb. 1 ›

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Left instructions to ‘obliterate’ Iran if it assassinated President Trump. In fact, experts say, in the case of an assassination, a president’s successor would decide on any military action.

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Proposed that the U.S. take over Gaza. President Trump did not cite any legal authority giving him the right to take over the territory, nor did he address that forcible removal of a population violates international law and decades of American foreign policy consensus in both parties.

Previously on Gaza

    Again floated idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza Feb. 4 › [They would not be allowed to return.]

    President Trump reiterated his opinion that Jordan and Egypt could take them in, which the governments of both nations have rejected.
    Suggested relocating Gazans to Jordan and Egypt Jan. 25 ›

    Foreign policy
    Executive order

Called for review of U.S. funding of the United Nations. The move cast uncertainty on the leadership role of the United States in the global body. President Trump also withdrew from the U.N.’s Human Rights Council and stopped funding UNRWA.

    Foreign policy
    Presidential memo

Restored ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Iran to deny it paths to a nuclear weapon. It is far from clear that a new pressure campaign will work: President Trump also tried maximum pressure in 2018. Most outside analysts say it backfired.

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Foreign policy
    Agency directive

Forced nearly all U.S.A.I.D. employees to go on leave by Feb. 7

The American Foreign Service Association denounced “the unnecessary and drastic action” and said it was “exploring legal avenues” to protect its members.

Previously on U.S.A.I.D.

    Moved to dismantle U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Put Secretary of State Marco Rubio in charge of U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Discussed shutting down U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Said U.S.A.I.D. was run by ‘radical lunatics’ Feb. 2 ›
    Punished U.S.A.I.D. officials for denying access to Elon Musk’s team Feb. 1 ›
    Placed dozens of U.S.A.I.D. officials on leave Jan. 27 ›

Feb. 3 Day 15

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Executive order

Delayed tariffs on Canada

Previously on North American tariffs

    Delayed tariffs on Mexico Feb. 3 ›
    Officially announced tariffs on imports from Canada Feb. 1 ›
    Officially announced tariffs on imports from Mexico Feb. 1 ›
    Promised to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico Jan. 21 ›

    Staffing
    Agency directive

Ordered Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop most work. Employees were instructed not to issue or approve any proposed or final rules. They were also instructed not to start new enforcement investigations or work on existing ones.

Previously on C.F.P.B.

    Named Scott Bessent acting director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Feb. 3.  The previous director, who was fired by President Trump, was known for his aggressive enforcement and expansion of consumer protection laws.

    Fired director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Feb. 1 ›

    Foreign policy
    Tariffs
    Public statement

Said Canada should become part of the U.S.. “I’d like to see Canada become our 51st state,” President Trump said from the Oval Office. [He has said in at least one media interview that he was serious about that.]

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Directive

Moved to dismantle U.S.A.I.D.

Previously on U.S.A.I.D.

    Put Secretary of State Marco Rubio in charge of U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    U.S.A.I.D. had functioned largely independently for over 60 years, and the move stoked fears about U.S. assistance around the world.
    Discussed shutting down U.S.A.I.D. Feb. 3 ›
    Said U.S.A.I.D. was run by ‘radical lunatics’ Feb. 2 ›
    Punished U.S.A.I.D. officials for denying access to Elon Musk’s team Feb. 1 ›
    Placed dozens of U.S.A.I.D. officials on leave Jan. 27 ›

    Tech
    Economy
    Executive order

Proposed a “sovereign wealth fund” to buy TikTok. It is unclear how the United States, which already spends more money than it collects in taxes, would finance such a fund.

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Offered assistance to Ukraine in exchange for rare-earth minerals.  President Trump has long voiced reluctance to continue sending billions of dollars in weapons and other equipment to Ukraine, arguing that it costs the U.S. too much.

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Public statement

Described 10% tariffs against China as just “an opening salvo”

Previously on China and tariffs

    Officially announced tariffs on imports from China Feb. 1 ›

    Staffing
    Climate
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Threatened to fire E.P.A. employees. An email warned employees who were hired within the past year and have probationary status that they could be fired at any time.

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Public statement

Again threatened tariffs on imports from European Union

    Staffing
    Foreign policy
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Fired about 60 State Department contractors. The contractors, who worked for the department’s democracy, human rights and labor bureau, helped enact programs that focus on building up civil society and democratic practices in authoritarian states. [/color]


continued....

Feb. 2 Day 14

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Reiterated stance that the U.S. will take back the Panama Canal. Panama’s leader said he was sure that President Trump would not seize the canal.

Previously on Panama

    Pledged to retake the Panama Canal Jan. 23 ›

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Social media

Acknowledged tariffs could have negative consequences. “Will there be some pain? Yes, maybe (and maybe not!),” President Trump posted on his social media platform.

    Staffing
    Foreign policy
    DOGE
    Public statement

Said U.S.A.I.D. was run by ‘radical lunatics’. President Trump disparaged the government agency while praising Elon Musk as a “very smart guy.”

Previously on U.S.A.I.D.

    Punished U.S.A.I.D. officials for denying access to Elon Musk’s team Feb. 1 ›
    Placed dozens of U.S.A.I.D. officials on leave Jan. 27 ›

    Foreign policy
    Social media

Threatened to cut off aid to South Africa.  President Trump falsely accused the South African government of “confiscating land” from white farmers. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said his country had not seized land and that other than a program to battle H.I.V. and AIDS, South Africa receives no funding from the United States.

Feb. 1 Day 13

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Executive order

Officially announced tariffs on imports from Canada

Previously on North American tariffs

    Officially announced tariffs on imports from Mexico Feb. 1 ›
    Promised to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico Jan. 21 ›

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Executive order

Officially announced tariffs on imports from China

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Foreign policy
    Directive

Punished U.S.A.I.D. officials for denying access to Elon Musk’s team. The agency’s two top security officials were put on administrative leave after they refused to give representatives of Mr. Musk access to internal systems.

Previously on U.S.A.I.D.

    Placed dozens of U.S.A.I.D. officials on leave Jan. 27 ›

    Military
    Directive

Ordered air strikes against Islamic State in Somalia

    Staffing
    Directive

Fired director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Jan. 31 Day 12

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Directive

Pushed out a Treasury official for denying access to Elon Musk’s team. The official refused to let Mr. Musk’s team into the government’s payment system, part of its bid to choke off federal funding.

Previously on payments system

    Gave Elon Musk’s team access to federal payment system Jan. 31 ›
    Sought to freeze foreign aid payments Jan. 24 ›

    D.E.I.
    Trans issues
    Agency directive

Removed thousands of government web pages

    D.E.I.
    Directive

Required federal workers to remove pronouns from email signatures

    Staffing
    Jan. 6
    Agency directive

Planned possible F.B.I. purge. Emil Bove, the acting deputy attorney general, ordered acting F.B.I. leadership to compile a list of all agents and F.B.I. staff who worked on Jan. 6 investigations.

    Regulations
    Executive order

Ordered repeal of 10 regulations for every new one

    D.E.I.
    Agency directive

Banned cultural observances at the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said observing events like Pride Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Holocaust Days of Remembrance “erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.”

    D.E.I.
    Trans issues
    Education
    Agency directive

Rolled back protections for L.G.B.T.Q. students

    Staffing
    Presidential memo

Invalidated recent government labor contracts. President Trump claimed that such “last-minute, lame-duck” agreements “are purposefully designed to circumvent the will of the people” and “inhibit the president’s authority to manage the executive branch.”

    Foreign policy
    Directive

Flew home six Americans who had been detained in Venezuela

    Staffing
    Jan. 6
    Agency directive

Fired more than a dozen federal prosecutors. Those informed of their dismissals had been hired to investigate the Jan. 6 riot.



continued....

Jan. 30 Day 11

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Directive

Again tried to entice federal workers to resign. The administration reiterated its earlier offer to take a second job or travel and remain on the federal payroll for months.

Previously on federal worker resignations

    Tried to entice millions of federal workers to resign Jan. 28 ›

    Staffing
    D.E.I.
    Presidential memo

Ordered review of all F.A.A. hiring decisions

    D.E.I.
    Staffing
    Public statement

Blamed D.E.I. for deadly midair collision over the Potomac. President Trump cited no evidence that diversity programs had anything to do with the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a passenger jet.


Jan. 29 Day 10

    Education
    Executive order

Sought to expand access to private school vouchers

    Immigration
    Presidential memo

Said U.S. will hold migrants at Guantánamo. President Trump ordered his administration to prepare to house tens of thousands of deportees at the Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.

    Immigration
    Bill signing

Signed the Laken Riley Act into law. The bill requires the detention of migrants who enter the country without authorization and are arrested or charged with certain crimes.

    D.E.I.
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Rescinded the freeze in federal grants and loans. The freeze was temporarily blocked by two courts after plaintiffs raised challenges.

Previously on O.M.B. freeze

    Paused federal grants and loans Jan. 27 ›

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Falsely claimed U.S. sent $50 million in condoms to Gaza

    Other
    Agency directive

Prioritized high-birthrate areas for transportation funds

    Education
    D.E.I.
    Trans issues
    Executive order

Ordered funding withheld from public schools. President Trump ordered schools to adopt “patriotic education” and threatened funding for schools that teach that the United States is “fundamentally racist, sexist or otherwise discriminatory.”

    Education
    D.E.I.
    Antisemitism
    Executive order

Ordered crackdown on antisemitism on college campuses. The order directed several federal agencies to guide colleges to report it if students and staffers without citizenship engaged in activity that could be considered antisemitic so that they could be investigated or deported.

    Other
    Executive order

Reinstated order to punish vandalism of monuments and statues. President Trump originally issued the order amid protests for racial justice in 2020, with some demonstrators pulling down monuments of Confederate generals. It was revoked during the Biden administration.

    D.E.I.
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Ordered agencies to end programs that recognize transgender people

Jan. 28 Day 9

    Staffing
    DOGE
    Directive

Tried to entice millions of federal workers to resign. In an effort to drastically reduce the size of the federal work force and push out people who do not support President Trump’s political agenda, the administration offered roughly two million federal workers the option to resign but be paid through the end of September.

    Staffing
    Military
    Directive

Removed Gen. Mark Milley’s security detail and revoked his clearance. General Milley had been Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman in the first Trump administration and has been a target of threats by Iran.

    Trans issues
    Executive order

Restricted gender-affirming treatments for minors. The order directs agencies to take a variety of steps to curtail surgeries, hormone therapy and other regimens.

    Immigration
    Agency directive

Revoked deportation protections for Venezuelans. Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, repealed an 18-month extension of deportation protections that President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had granted to more than 600,000 Venezuelans already in the United States.

    Staffing
    Directive

Fired N.L.R.B. general counsel and Democratic board member. President Trump’s decision could violate a law that says presidents may only remove board members “upon notice and hearing, for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other cause.”

    Climate
    Economy
    Agency directive

Sought to roll back fuel economy standards. In one of his first moves after being confirmed, Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to review fuel economy rules set by President Joseph R. Biden Jr.


Jan. 27 Day 8

    D.E.I.
    Immigration
    Agency directive

Paused federal grants and loans.The directive from the White House budget office threatened to paralyze a vast swath of federal programs.

    Military
    Health
    Executive order

Reinstated service members dismissed for refusing Covid vaccine

    Trans issues
    Military
    Executive order

Moved toward pushing transgender people out of the military.  The order suggested that transgender identity is inherently dishonest, saying, “A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”

    Defense
    Executive order

Ordered development of a missile defense system like Israel’s. Experts immediately raised questions about whether an Iron Dome-style system was feasible for the United States, which is more than 400 times the size of Israel.

    Other
    Public statement

Joked about running for a third term. President Trump has floated this idea several times.

    Staffing
    Directive

Fired Democratic E.E.O.C. commissioners. Two of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s three Democratic commissioners were removed from their roles by President Trump in a round of late-night firings. The E.E.O.C’s general counsel was also fired.

    D.E.I.
    Military
    Executive order

Directed the Pentagon to end diversity programs

    Other
    Proclamation

Marked 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz

    Staffing
    Foreign policy
    Directive

Placed dozens of U.S.A.I.D. officials on leave

    Staffing
    Directive

Paralyzed an independent civil liberties watchdog agency. The three Democratic-selected members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board were fired, leaving the agency unable to act.

    Staffing
    Jan. 6
    Agency directive

Fired prosecutors involved in the cases against President Trump or the Jan. 6 rioters. The move could violate civil service job protections against arbitrarily firing federal workers without a good cause and without hearings before the Merit System Protection Board.


continued....

Jan. 26 Day 7

    D.E.I.
    Military
    Agency directive

‘DoD ≠ DEI*   In one of his first directives, Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, sent a handwritten note on his official letterhead that said: “DoD ≠ DEI*.” The asterisk, he added below, denoted “no exceptions, name-changes or delays. Those who do not comply will no longer work here.”


Jan. 25 Day 6

    Foreign policy
    Agency directive

Halted global mine-clearing programs

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Said the U.S. may consider rejoining the W.H.O..  “Maybe we would consider doing it again, I don’t know. Maybe we would. They would have to clean it up,” President Trump said of the health agency.

Previously on the W.H.O.

    Moved to withdraw from the World Health Organization Jan. 20 ›

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Suggested relocating Gazans to Jordan and Egypt.   “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,” President Trump said.

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Insisted the U.S. will acquire Greenland

Jan. 24 Day 5

    Trans issues
    Agency directive

Ordered removal of third-gender option on IDs. The administration ordered the removal of “X” as a third-gender option for United States government-issued identification, including passports.

    Staffing
    Public statement

Suggested that FEMA should be shut down. Closing the Federal Emergency Management Agency would require congressional action.

    Staffing
    Directive

Ended government security protection for Dr. Anthony S. Fauci

    Staffing
    Directive

Fired more than a dozen inspectors general. The firings defied a law that says presidents have to give Congress 30 days’ notice and a written “substantive rationale, including detailed and case-specific reasons” before any such removal.

    Economy
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Sought to freeze foreign aid payments. Administration appointees and allies of Elon Musk wanted to use the Treasury’s sensitive payment system to block disbursements.

    Abortion
    Health
    Presidential memo

Reinstated anti-abortion policy. The so-called “Mexico City Rule” bars federal funding from going to any overseas nongovernmental organization that performs or promotes abortions.

    Education
    Agency directive

Ended Biden’s book ban investigations. The government will no longer investigate schools that remove books from their libraries.

    Immigration
    Agency directive

Moved to give state and local governments authority to enforce immigration laws

    Other
    Agency directive

Ordered only U.S. flags be flown at embassies and consulates. The State Department order was a departure from practice under the Biden administration, during which pride flags and Black Lives Matter flags were sometimes displayed.

    Jan. 6
    Clemency

Pushed to allow militia leader to visit Washington. Ed Martin, the president’s pick to run the U.S. attorney’s office, sought to reverse a federal judge’s order barring the leader of the Oath Keepers militia from visiting Washington.

    Health
    Agency directive

Withdrew proposal to take menthol cigarettes off the market

    Abortion
    Health
    Executive order

Revoked two Biden orders on abortion.  President Trump affirmed his commitment to a longstanding law that bans the use of federal funds for most abortions, and he rescinded two Biden orders that directed agencies to improve access to abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

    Climate
    Executive order

Sought to assert more control over California’s water. The order tasked more than half a dozen agencies with finding ways to circumvent federal and state laws that control various aspects of water management in California. It also directed the Interior Department to make decisions about how to supply water around the state.

    Staffing
    Executive order

Established a council to assess FEMA

    Trans issues
    Agency directive

Moved transgender inmates into segregated housing. The Federal Bureau of Prisons began transferring transgender inmates in some facilities from the general population into segregated housing units, greatly restricting their movements and access to amenities given to other prisoners.

Previously on trans prison inmates

    Required trans women to be housed in prisons for men Jan. 23 ›


Jan. 23 Day 4

    Other
    Public statement

Said California should not get federal aid for wildfires. President Trump said he did not think the state should receive aid unless it changed environmental policies he has criticized. He also suggested he might withhold money from cities that do not cooperate with his immigration crackdown.

    Trans issues
    Agency directive

Required trans women to be housed in prisons for men. President Trump ordered federal prisons to house transgender women in men’s facilities and to halt medical treatments related to gender transition.

    Other
    Executive order

Vowed to release records on Kennedy and King killings. President Trump ordered the nation’s security agencies to develop plans to release all government records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Pledged to retake the Panama Canal. “We’re going to have to take it back,” President Trump said in an interview with Sean Hannity, the Fox News host.

    Foreign policy
    Public statement

Had first phone call with a foreign leader in second term. President Trump spoke with Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia.

    D.E.I.
    Education
    Agency directive

Removed education-related documents that included mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion. After the broader move to eliminate D.E.I. from the federal government, the Education Department said it had removed or archived “hundreds of guidance documents, reports, and training materials that include mentions of D.E.I.” and had put employees tasked with D.E.I. initiatives on paid administrative leave.

    Staffing
    Directive

Revoked security protection for Mike Pompeo. Mr. Pompeo served as secretary of state during President Trump’s first administration.

    Jan. 6
    Public statement

Expressed openness to bringing Jan. 6 rioters to the White House

    Staffing
    Agency directive

Canceled entry-level job offers at the Justice Department

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Public statement

Criticized Europe and threatened tariffs.  President Trump blasted European regulation and trade policies, pledging to slap tariffs on companies that choose to produce goods outside of the United States.

    Other
    Presidential memo

Recognized the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina as Native American

    Tech
    Economy
    Executive order

Revoked orders that ‘act as barriers to American leadership in artificial intelligence’

    Tech
    Economy
    Proclamation

Announced an advisory council on science and technology

    Tech
    Economy
    Executive order

Supported the growth of the cryptocurrency industry. President Trump called for a new plan to regulate cryptocurrency, a business in which he has substantial personal investments.

    Immigration
    Agency directive

Moved to expel migrants Biden allowed in temporarily

    Abortion
    Health
    Clemency

Pardoned anti-abortion activists who blockaded a clinic in Washington, D.C.

    D.E.I.
    Public statement

Lashed out at banks over treatment of conservatives. President Trump revived Republican criticisms over purportedly politically motivated “debanking,” or closing of customer bank accounts.



continued....

Jan. 22 Day 3

    Other
    Clemency

Pardoned creator of Silk Road, a dark web marketplace - Ross Ulbricht was convicted on charges that included distributing illegal drugs on the internet. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2015. Mr. Ulbricht remained popular with cryptocurrency enthusiasts, some of whom have called for his release, because Silk Road was one of the first venues where people used Bitcoin to buy and sell goods.

    Immigration
    Directive

Canceled flights for refugees already approved to travel to the U.S. [This included Afghans who had aided the US military.]

    Immigration
    Military
    Agency directive

Said U.S. would send 1,500 troops to southern border

    Immigration
    Agency directive

Threatened to prosecute local officials who obstruct immigration enforcement

    D.E.I.
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Threatened workers who fail to report on colleagues defying diversity orders

    D.E.I.
    Agency directive

Halted civil rights work. The Justice Department ordered an immediate halt to all new civil rights cases or investigations — and signaled that it might back out of Biden-era agreements with police departments that engaged in discrimination or violence, according to two internal memos.

    Staffing
    Agency directive

Hired chemical industry officials to oversee chemical safety rules

    Foreign policy
    Executive order

Redesignated Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a “foreign terrorist organization”


    Other
    Clemency

Granted clemency to Officer Terence Sutton. Mr. Sutton is one of two Washington, D.C., police officers convicted after a chase that killed a young Black man in 2020.

    Other
    Clemency

Granted clemency to Lt. Andrew Zabavsky. Lieutenant Zabavsky is one of two Washington, D.C., police officers convicted after a chase that killed a young Black man in 2020.

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Social media

Threatened new sanctions and tariffs on Russia. On his social media platform, President Trump threatened “high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions” on Russian goods if President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia didn’t make a deal to “STOP this ridiculous War” in Ukraine.

Jan. 21 Day 2

    D.E.I.
    DOGE
    Agency directive

Ordered diversity efforts to be shut down. Agencies were ordered to place all D.E.I. staff on paid administrative leave, effective immediately, by 5 p.m. on Jan. 22, and to make plans for staff reductions by the end of the day on Jan. 31.
    D.E.I.
    Presidential memo

Directed the Federal Aviation Administration to halt D.E.I. hiring practices. The administration, without citing examples, asserted that practices that sought diversity, equity and inclusion have endangered passengers on airlines.

    Tech
    Economy
    Public statement

Announced a $100 billion A.I. initiative called Stargate. The joint venture between OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle was an early trophy for President Trump, even though the effort predated his taking office.

    Tariffs
    Economy
    Public statement

Promised to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico. “We’re thinking in terms of 25 percent on Mexico and Canada,” President Trump said in the Oval Office. “I think we’ll do it Feb. 1.”

    Health
    Agency directive

Canceled scientific meetings and delayed health data. The acting director of the Department of Health and Human Services banned the release of any public communication until it had been reviewed by a presidential appointee or designee, including upcoming reports focused on the nation’s escalating bird flu crisis.

    Staffing
    Military
    Agency directive

Fired the commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Linda L. Fagan. Admiral Fagan was the first female officer to lead a branch of the armed forces. A statement from the Homeland Security Department listed “failure to address border security threats” and “excessive focus” on diversity efforts as reasons for her removal.

    Tech
    Economy
    Public statement

Mused that Elon Musk or Larry Ellison could buy TikTok. At a news briefing about the Stargate intiative, President Trump said he would allow Mr. Musk to buy TikTok “if he wanted to buy it.” He also said he would approve a sale to Mr. Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle.

    Staffing
    Social media

Fired four people from presidential councils. The dismissals included the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark A. Milley.

Jan. 20 Day 1

    Climate
    Agency directive

Ordered 60-day pause on approvals for all ‘renewable energy development’ on public lands

President Trump, a longtime opponent of wind turbines, more recently began criticizing solar panels. In an interview with Fox News, he said: “You know what else people don’t like? Those massive solar fields built over land.”

    D.E.I.
    Climate
    Immigration
    Executive order

Rescinded 78 of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s executive orders

    Jan. 6
    Clemency

Granted clemency to everyone charged in connection with the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021

    Tech
    Economy
    Executive order

Delayed enforcing a federal ban on TikTok

    Immigration
    Executive order

Moved to end birthright citizenship.  A president cannot amend the Constitution on his own, and any executive order to restrict or abolish birthright citizenship is almost certain to be challenged in court as a violation of the 14th Amendment.

    Other
    Executive order

Restored the federal death penalty

    D.E.I.
    Staffing
    Executive order

Terminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government

    Other
    Executive order

Renamed Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’. The president also said he would return Denali, North America’s tallest peak, which has an Alaska Native name, to its earlier name, Mount McKinley.

    Other
    Proclamation

Ordered U.S. flag to fly at full staff on Inauguration Day [During the period of mourning for the late President Jimmy Carter, when flag etiquette dictates flags be at half-staff.]

    Other
    Executive order

Ordered investigation into alleged violations of freedom of speech

    Staffing
    Executive order

Instructed attorney general to find political bias in the federal government.  President Trump’s “weaponization” executive order begins with a list of misleading accusations against the Biden administration.

    Staffing
    Presidential memo

Ended remote work for federal workers

    Regulations
    Presidential memo

Prevented new federal rules from taking effect

    Staffing
    Presidential memo

Froze most hiring across the federal government

    Economy
    Presidential memo

Directed federal agencies to “deliver emergency price relief”.  It is not clear whether any of the orders in President Trump’s inflation memorandum will reduce prices. Controlling inflation is the job of the Federal Reserve, which uses interest rates and other policy levers to keep inflation stable.

    Climate
    Foreign policy
    Executive order

Ordered withdrawal from the world’s main climate pact. By withdrawing, the United States will join only three countries not party to the Paris Agreement.

    Foreign policy
    Health
    Executive order

Moved to withdraw from the World Health Organization

    Climate
    Economy
    Executive order

Instructed federal agencies to end subsidies for electric vehicles

    Military
    Immigration
    Executive order

Ordered the military to make border security a priority

    Trade
    Presidential memo

Ordered federal agencies to implement an ‘America First trade policy’. Federal agencies were directed to conduct a sweeping review of U.S. trade policies, as well as to examine flows of migrants and drugs from Canada, China and Mexico to the United States.

    Staffing
    Presidential memo

Short-circuited the security clearance vetting process for White House staff

    Immigration
    Proclamation

Declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border

    Staffing
    Executive order

Stripped security clearances from some former intelligence officials. The order revoked security clearances for people who signed a 2020 letter that said the spread of emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop had “the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” It also revoked security clearances held by John R. Bolton.

    Staffing
    Executive order

Made it easier for the president to fire federal employees

    Immigration
    Executive order

Suspended the refugee resettlement program

    Immigration
    Executive order

Vowed to reinstate a policy known as ‘Remain in Mexico’. During President Trump’s first term, this policy forced migrants applying for asylum to wait in Mexico until their hearings in U.S. immigration court.

    Climate
    Presidential memo

Directed cabinet members to find ways to reroute water to Southern California

    Other
    Presidential memo

Ordered the General Services Administration to promote ‘beautiful federal civic architecture’.  The order reinstates a directive from President Trump’s first term to favor “traditional” and “classical” styles when designing government buildings.

    Climate
    Executive order

Declared a ‘national energy emergency’.  Experts say no such emergency exists.

    Climate
    Presidential memo

Halted federal approvals for new wind farms

    Foreign policy
    D.E.I.
    Executive order

Froze foreign aid

    Economy
    Trade
    Foreign policy
    Presidential memo

Challenged an international agreement to stop large multinational corporations from booking profits in countries with low taxes

    Immigration
    Executive order

Declared that there is an ‘invasion’ at the Southern border

    Climate
    Executive order

Initiated plans to open up fragile wilderness in Alaska for oil drilling and mining

    Foreign policy
    Immigration
    Executive order

Ordered a 60-day study to identify countries from which to potentially bar admission of nationals based on their vetting and screening processes

    Trans issues
    D.E.I.
    Executive order

Ordered the government to recognize only two sexes: male and female. The order says that “efforts to eradicate the biological reality of sex fundamentally attack women.”

    Foreign policy
    Executive order

Ordered the State Department to put ‘America and its interests first’

    Staffing
    Executive order

Established the so-called Department of Government Efficiency

    D.E.I.
    Staffing
    Executive order

Ordered development of a plan to recruit federal workers based on ‘merit’ and prevent hiring based on race, sex or religion. [One already exists. It's called the Civil Service.]

Read more ›

    Other
    Proclamation

Designated Jan. 20 as a federal holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.  The proclamation was taken down. Here is an archived version.

    Immigration
    Executive order

Designated some international cartels as ‘foreign terrorist organizations’

    Immigration
    Proclamation

Barred asylum for people arriving at the Southern border

    Staffing
    Directive

Revoked U.S. Secret Service protection for John R. Bolton.

    Immigration
    Agency directive

Shut down migrant entry app

My Give-a-sh*t meter hit the red-line so many times in the past three weeks that it's kinda stuck. Seriously, I am so angry that I'm near incandescent.

I live in a large apartment complex where many of the foreign researchers and medical professionals in our area live.  They are lovely people. It's a friendly community where all the children play outside in the evenings while their parents and grandparents sit and chat, or take leisurely walks. It's like a mini United Nations, with people from all over the world. They've gone out of their way to make us feel at home here.  I'd noticed a strange lack of kids sledding down the hills or having snowball fights in the last couple of days and had just put it down to the cold weather, although that's never stopped them before.  But it was brought home to me tonight what is going on.  I have a very lovely young neighbor, a single mom who has put herself through college, gotten a job locally as a school teacher, and who is in her final semester of a graduate program. She has worked herself to the bone. I've seen her through the window up very late studying and before dawn studying. She has a six (?) year old daughter who is just as cute as a button, intelligent, well-mannered, and a joy to be around.  They also are some variety of Hispanic - I've never actually asked where they were from.  I went to the building's lobby to look for a package from FedEx and noticed on the way back that the neighbor had left her house keys in her door lock. I rapped on the door to let her know. It was unusually silent for a bit, and then I heard some shuffling, and then very clearly heard that little girl's voice ask, before the mom opened the door, "Is it them, Mom? ICE?"  Hearing that was like a literal dagger to my heart. I have never felt so ashamed of my country as I did at that moment. She is six years old.

What is this country becoming?  I'm glad "the greatest generation" are not alive to see this iteration of Nazis taking over the United States.  There's not much else to call them, really. They ignore the principles the country was founded upon - separation of powers, process of law, and common decency. And now Trump (or, rather Pres. Musk) and his minions are directly ignoring court orders. That would qualify it as a coup.  I hope everyone who voted for Trump is happy with what they've done. Because to my dying day I will curse them for it and all the lives they are taking overseas with their blocking food, medicine, and other aid.

I'm sure the farmers who voted for him will start howling when their grains/pulses/etc aren't being bought to send as overseas aid. And when the market destabilizes and they lose those farms, there'll be some exceptionally rich fat-cats to buy them all up, won't there.

And when the reciprocal tariffs hit - you'd be amazed at how many people seem to think the foreign country pays the tariff on goods - Pres Trump and his minions will lie through the teeth and blame it on anything but the actions they are now taking.

To reiterate, to my dying day I will curse them for what they are doing to this country and to the people abroad who we led to believe could depend on us for their survival.

Good post Nan, well said.