Below, you will find some headlines we may have missed and some interesting video clips on several subjects. Please feel free to share anything you may have run across; just make sure it’s not from a McMAGAt infested shithole.
Ukraine/Russia:
A Putin aide rejects Trump’s 30-day Ukraine ceasefire proposal
As U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff enters talks with Russian officials in Moscow on a Trump administration proposal Ukraine has already accepted for a 30-day ceasefire, President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, rejected the idea.
Speaking on Russian state television, Ushakov dismissed a 30-day ceasefire as a mere “breather” for Ukrainian troops, emphasizing Moscow’s preference for substantive peace talks.
Ushakov reiterated Russia’s demands: Ukraine must recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea and four southeastern regions, withdraw troops from lands claimed by Russia and pledge never to join NATO. He said he “hopes [the United States] knows our position and wants to believe that they will take it into account as we work together going forward.”
Resistance/Saving Democracy:
Thousands of fired federal workers must be offered reinstatement, a judge rules
Thousands of federal employees fired by the Trump administration must be offered job reinstatement within the next week, a U.S. district judge in San Francisco has ruled, because they were terminated unlawfully.
“It is a sad day when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that is a lie,” the judge, William Alsup, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, said before issuing his ruling from the bench.
The administration’s job cuts targeted federal workers with probationary status, which usually means newer workers, and makes them easier to let go. Employees recently promoted into a new position can also be considered probationary.
Democratic Attorneys General Sue Over Gutting of Education Department
The Trump administration cut about half the agency’s work force, saying the move would enable it to deliver services more effectively. The attorneys general called the layoffs “reckless and illegal.”
A coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general sued the Trump administration on Thursday, two days after the Education Department fired more than 1,300 workers, purging people who administer grants and track student achievement across America.
The group, led by New York’s Letitia James, sued the administration in a Massachusetts federal court, saying that the dismissals were “illegal and unconstitutional.”
“Firing half of the Department of Education’s work force will hurt students throughout New York and the nation, especially low-income students and those with disabilities who rely on federal funding,” Ms. James said in a news release. “This outrageous effort to leave students behind and deprive them of a quality education is reckless and illegal.”
Congress:
Economy:
The Trumpcession:
The Fascist Felon, DOGEbags, and their Brownshirts:
Trump threatens a 200% tariff on European alcohol
In an escalation of the ongoing trade war with Europe, President Trump is now threatening a 200% tariff on European alcohol in response to the European Union’s retaliation against U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs.
The 25% tariff on aluminum and steel went into effect on Wednesday — a move that the EU calls “unjustified.” In response, the EU announced tariffs on €26 billion ($28 billion) worth of U.S. goods, including agricultural products and bourbon.
Scoop: White House pulls CDC director nomination
The White House is withdrawing the nomination of Dave Weldon to be the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), per a source close to Senate health committee and another source familiar.
Why it matters: The former Florida congressman was scheduled to appear before the committee this morning for a since-cancelled confirmation hearing. But his views questioning certain vaccines have garnered attention since he was nominated months ago and were sure to play a prominent role in questioning.
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. himself said Weldon wasn’t ready, per one of the sources.
State News:
Ohio Chick-Fil-A owner accused of driving 400 miles to sexually abuse child he met online
An Ohio Chick-fil-A owner has been arrested after authorities say he drove more than 400 miles south to North Carolina to meet a 15-year-old he met online, reportedly broke into the family’s home and allegedly molested the child.
Stacy Lee Austin, 49 of Belmont, was being held without bond at the Rowan County Detention Center Wednesday in connection to the alleged March 5 incident, officials said.
The small village of Belmont is about 110 miles east of Columbus
