Trump ain't wasting no time in enacting his agenda and yes, it's as bad as everyone with common sense thought it would be. Buckle up, y'all.
Look at the Material
For all the people who ignored Trump’s first term and thought that he’d be better for the economy, Palestine, and promoting wholesome Christian values…you don’t have to wait until January 20 to see what the next administration will be like. The President-Elect’s cabinet picks are proving even the most delusional MAGA morons wrong (not that most of them care).
Among some of his top picks are Congressman and alleged child sex trafficker Matt Gaetz as his attorney general. Gaetz has spent more time as a Trump loyalist than he has as a lawyer, so surely he’d do a great job going after all of Donnie’s ops. Even his own GOP colleagues doubt he’ll be confirmed, though.
Another pick is former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as the ambassador to Israel. Mike doesn’t believe there’s a “valid reason for a ceasefire.” Nope, not even the lives of Palestinians (He doesn’t even acknowledge their existence). If Biden nem didn’t care about the lives of people in Gaza, we wanna know what vibes Netanyahu’s bestie gave off to make people believe he’d be any better than Kamala Harris.
As for immigration, Trump claims he’ll be coming in hot on Day 1, deporting hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants. Those who are contributors to society and not a threat to public safety will allegedly be included in his roundup.
BTW, none of these picks so far have been any of the Black MAGA lovers that have been running around, claiming Donnie is their king. We want to encourage them to keep hope alive.
For the rest of us waiting to see just how crazy it’s going to get, here are 10 tips to help us remain grounded during this next Trump term.
Keeping Up with Biden & Harris
Remember the Biden administration’s 30-day deadline, which required Israel to let more aid trucks into Gaza or risk a pause on US arms shipments? Well, that deadline has come and gone with no change. Israel is still starving and terrorizing the people of Gaza, and the US is happy to send more weapons and look the other way immediately after.
Joe is also allowing Ukraine to use US-made long-range missiles in their efforts against Russia’s invasion. These weapons would allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory, which we all know will piss Putin off and likely escalate the conflict even further.
The POTUS also visited the Amazon rainforest to big up his legacy on environmental action and to claim that “no one” can undo the progress he’s made in the fight against climate change. We’re pretty sure Donnie is going to do his damnedest to reverse as much as possible, but convince yourself otherwise If that's what you need to get through the next few weeks, Joe.
Congress, What’s Good
Last week, the House voted on a bill that would have given the Treasury Secretary power to kill a nonprofit’s tax-exempt status by simply claiming it’s a terrorist-supporting organization without the requirement of any proof. Thankfully the bill failed to receive ⅔ of the vote needed for passage, but 52 Democrats voted yay alongside 200+ from the Republican party and they should be side eyed accordingly.
Dems are still racing to confirm 20 judicial nominees to match the 234 that Trump confirmed in his first term. Why they didn’t focus on getting these last few people locked in before the election is beyond us. This is a prime example of why the Democrats really need to fight harder and more strategically.
In committee meetings this week:
Ending Visa and MasterCard’s dominance in the credit card industry
Migrant children lost during the Biden-Harris administration (they should be going back a lil’ farther into the Trump administration as well, but we know they won’t)
Social Justice Round Up
Malcolm X’s daughters are suing the NYPD and the US government for $100M over each organization’s involvement in the civil rights icon’s death.
Shout out to José Garza, Austin, TX’s District Attorney. The justice reform-minded DA still managed to win his re-election campaign despite Elon Musk throwing $700K behind ads to tear him down.
As some lawmakers seek to ban masks at protests, it’s become more evident that police already have the technology to identify demonstrators without even needing to see entire faces. Here’s a list of common surveillance technologies today and how you can avoid them the next time you hit the streets.
What the Health
Happen to have carrots in your fridge from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Target? They may be linked in an E. coli outbreak. Check out E. coli's common symptoms to know whether you could be affected or not.
A small, early stage clinical trial for a vaccine targeting triple negative breast cancer yielded impressive results with 16 out of the 18 patients remaining cancer free after 3 years. You might be asking whether Black women, who are most likely to battle this aggressive cancer, were included and the answer to that is yes. 6 of the 18 participants were Black.
Who doesn’t love a good cup of tea? These 10 teas are also remedies for common fall ailments.
Around the Diaspora
As nearly half of Sudan’s population faces famine and displacement, Russia was the sole country to veto a ceasefire resolution by the United Nations Security Council. Russia is said to be a weapons supplier for one of the warring factions in an effort to gain access to Port Sudan and in an effort to sever that party’s ties with Ukraine.
Healthcare experts in the Caribbean are working to tackle the region’s HIV crisis as 5,100 people die annually of the virus and a third of all cases are identified in the advanced stages.
Grenada’s Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell was recognized by TIME for spearheading innovative financial tools that would allow the country to rebuild after a natural disaster without going into crippling debt.
Our Black Jobs & Our Black Money
If you are looking for seasonal work, these 4 tips might help you score a gig.
Culture that Pops
The swimming program at Howard University and its head coach will be highlighted in a new PBS documentary for their efforts to diversify the sport and to help more people in the community learn this critical life skill.
Last week, Wale put on his inaugural Gifted Week, an event series that celebrated DC culture and uplifted the community through a sports clinic, open mic night, a sneaker drive and more.
Meet Mark Raymond, the owner of the Split Second Foundation. Mark and his foundation have been making New Orleans more accessible to people with disabilities since 2018 and he’s facing his biggest project yet: increasing the city’s accessibility for an influx of Super Bowl LIX visitors.
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