Political Current Events March 7-12
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Sam Bankman-Fried Ramps Up Effort for a Pardon From Trump
Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sentence for fraud related to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.
Sam Bankman-Fried Ramps Up Effort for a Pardon From Trump
Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sentence for fraud related to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.
“… Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul who was once a top Democratic donor, has embarked on a long-shot campaign to secure a pardon from the Trump administration, six people with knowledge of the matter said.
The effort has been driven by a small group of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s supporters, including his parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, who are trying to help their son escape the 25-year prison sentence he received after he was convicted of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering in the collapse of his crypto exchange, FTX.
There is no indication that the Bankman-Frieds and their allies have reached Mr. Trump directly or discussed a potential pardon with his White House advisers. …”
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Trump Administration Forces Out More Senior Justice Dept. Officials
The Trump administration targeted veteran career lawyers who managed pardon work, bankruptcy litigation and other legal issues in the latest wave of forced departures.
Trump Administration Forces Out More Senior Justice Dept. Officials
The Trump administration targeted veteran career lawyers who managed pardon work, bankruptcy litigation and other legal issues in the latest wave of forced departures.
“… The ouster of lawyers managing the Justice Department’s pardon work, bankruptcy litigation and other legal issues marks the latest move by the new administration to remove or reassign senior officials with many years of experience. The official overseeing the Office of Professional Responsibility, which handles internal ethics investigations, was also removed from that role, though he was placed on administrative leave, these people said.
The removals follow a pattern that has fueled turmoil and alarm inside the Justice Department, where many of the most senior, nonpartisan officials have been reassigned or forced out as the new administration seeks to take control of the agency and reshape it with an emphasis on loyalty to President Trump. …”
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US reviewing visa programs as official says Afghanistan could be included in Trump travel ban
“… In his first term, Trump barred travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations from coming to the US, a policy that saw court challenges before President Joe Biden repealed it when he took office in 2021.
If Afghanistan is included in the new travel ban, it could impact tens of thousands of Afghans who worked alongside the US during its two decades of war there, as it would block Afghan nationals from coming to the US.
Tens of thousands of Afghans have already been caught in limbo due to other Trump administration executive orders suspending the US refugee admissions program and the suspension of foreign aid funding for flights of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders.
On Wednesday, AfghanEvac, a coalition of organizations that has been working to bring Afghan allies to safety since the end of the war in Afghanistan in 2021, urged “all Afghan nationals holding valid U.S. visas to travel as soon as possible amid credible indications that a travel ban affecting Afghan nationals may be imminent.” …”
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After-hours CDC email sparked chaos at universities. It turned out to be a mistake
Survey vetting foreign aid was sent to grant recipients who do no work abroad
After-hours CDC email sparked chaos at universities. It turned out to be a mistake
CDC requested answers about foreign aid programs from grant recipients who do no work abroad. It turns out to have been a mistake
www.statnews.com
“On Thursday night, scientists and other public health workers supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received an email from the agency with a pressing demand for information. Marked “URGENT,” it contained a 10-page questionnaire directing them to detail what their federally funded projects do and to rate how well they contribute to national interests.
The survey, obtained by STAT, is titled “Foreign Assistance Review,” and appears to be in response to an Office of Management and Budget directive aimed at complying with President Donald Trump’s executive order to reassess how the country handles foreign aid. But many of the recipients were puzzled, because they do no work abroad.
The distribution of the survey created immediate chaos at universities and public health organizations, according to interviews with three individuals who received it. Part of the problem was conflicting information about when to complete it. The emails, which were sent from the CDC’s Global Health Center, gave a deadline of 8 a.m. Saturday. The body of the survey itself listed 11:59 p.m. on Friday. Neither was enough time to thoughtfully respond, researchers told STAT. …”
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Trump to sign order barring student loan forgiveness for public servants engaged in ‘improper activities’
Trump to sign order barring student loan forgiveness for public servants engaged in ‘improper activities’ – as it happened
Order would affect Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, while Musk reportedly squabbled with Trump cabinet secretaries over firings. This blog is now closed.
“…The order affects the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, under which employees of those organizations can have their federal student debt forgiven if they meet certain criteria. White House staff secretary Will Scharf said that the order will target employees of non-governmental organizations “that engage in illegal, or what we would consider to be improper activities, supporting, for example, illegal immigration or foreign terrorist organizations or otherwise law-breaking activities”.
The order will direct the treasury and education departments to ensure that people involved in those activities are not eligible for the forgiveness. …”
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“… what we would consider improper …”
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Sam Bankman-Fried Ramps Up Effort for a Pardon From Trump
Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sentence for fraud related to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.
Sam Bankman-Fried Ramps Up Effort for a Pardon From Trump
Mr. Bankman-Fried’s family and allies are trying to help him escape a 25-year prison sentence for fraud related to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX.www.nytimes.com
“… Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul who was once a top Democratic donor, has embarked on a long-shot campaign to secure a pardon from the Trump administration, six people with knowledge of the matter said.
The effort has been driven by a small group of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s supporters, including his parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, who are trying to help their son escape the 25-year prison sentence he received after he was convicted of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering in the collapse of his crypto exchange, FTX.
There is no indication that the Bankman-Frieds and their allies have reached Mr. Trump directly or discussed a potential pardon with his White House advisers. …”
Donald Trump says he isn't considering pardoning Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's murder
Donald Trump says he isn't considering pardoning Derek Chauvin in George Floyd's murder
Trump said he has not considered a pardon for Derek Chauvin, nor had he heard about Ben Shapiro's push for the former Minneapolis cop to be pardoned.
www.usatoday.com
"No, I haven't even heard about it," Trump said when asked whether he's looking at pardoning Chauvin at the request of his allies. "I haven't heard of that."
[Musk has endorsed the idea]
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Yeah we used to call it the "H" word with the children. Of course now I'm thinking the ugliest name you can be called is intelligent or smart?
superrific
Master of the ZZLverse
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I suspect everyone knows this already, but this is a blatant First Am violation. Blatant, in the sense that even to read Scharf's statement is to answer the legal question. "supporting" is a verb that kills the whole thing before you need consider the substance.Trump to sign order barring student loan forgiveness for public servants engaged in ‘improper activities’
Trump to sign order barring student loan forgiveness for public servants engaged in ‘improper activities’ – as it happened
Order would affect Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, while Musk reportedly squabbled with Trump cabinet secretaries over firings. This blog is now closed.www.theguardian.com
“…The order affects the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, under which employees of those organizations can have their federal student debt forgiven if they meet certain criteria. White House staff secretary Will Scharf said that the order will target employees of non-governmental organizations “that engage in illegal, or what we would consider to be improper activities, supporting, for example, illegal immigration or foreign terrorist organizations or otherwise law-breaking activities”.
The order will direct the treasury and education departments to ensure that people involved in those activities are not eligible for the forgiveness. …”
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“… what we would consider improper …”
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Mulberry Heel
Inconceivable Member
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How in the world does this not violate freedom of speech or peaceful assembly for American citizens? They're literally muzzling the Bill of Rights for American citizens. And yet our Trumper posters here will defend, defend, defend. They're witnessing the dismantling of the Constitution before their very eyes and yet all they can see is a handful of transgenders playing women's sports and the gheys can marry and boy aren't we owning those libs! It's sick, twisted, and crazy. And if a Democratic POTUS were doing this to them they'd be screaming bloody murder and calling them a tyrant.Trump to sign order barring student loan forgiveness for public servants engaged in ‘improper activities’
Trump to sign order barring student loan forgiveness for public servants engaged in ‘improper activities’ – as it happened
Order would affect Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, while Musk reportedly squabbled with Trump cabinet secretaries over firings. This blog is now closed.
“…The order affects the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, under which employees of those organizations can have their federal student debt forgiven if they meet certain criteria. White House staff secretary Will Scharf said that the order will target employees of non-governmental organizations “that engage in illegal, or what we would consider to be improper activities, supporting, for example, illegal immigration or foreign terrorist organizations or otherwise law-breaking activities”.
The order will direct the treasury and education departments to ensure that people involved in those activities are not eligible for the forgiveness. …”
——
“… what we would consider improper …”
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- Messages
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Industry-Backed Legislation Would Bar the Use of Science Behind Hundreds of Environmental Protections
Industry-Backed Legislation Would Bar the Use of Science Behind Hundreds of Environmental Protections
Two bills in Congress would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using hundreds of chemical assessments completed by its IRIS program in environmental regulations or enforcement.
“… For decades, Republican lawmakers and industry lobbyists have tried to chip away at the small program in the Environmental Protection Agency that measures the threat of toxic chemicals.
Most people don’t know IRIS, as the program is called, but it is the scientific engine of the agency that protects human health and the environment. Its scientists assess the toxicity of chemicals, estimating the amount of each that triggers cancer and other health effects. And these values serve as the independent, nonpartisan basis for the rules, regulations and permits that limit our exposure to toxic chemicals.
Now IRIS faces the gravest threat to its existence since it was created under President Ronald Reagan four decades ago.
Legislation introduced in Congress would prohibit the EPA from using any of IRIS’ hundreds of chemical assessments in environmental rules, regulations, enforcement actions and permits that limit the amount of pollution allowed into air and water. The EPA would also be forbidden from using them to map the health risks from toxic chemicals. The bills, filed in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives earlier this year, are championed by companies that make and use chemicals, along with industry groups that have long opposed environmental rules. If it becomes law, the “No IRIS Act,” as it’s called, would essentially bar the agency from carrying out its mission, experts told ProPublica.
“They’re trying to undermine the foundations for doing any kind of regulation,” said William Boyd, a professor at UCLA School of Law who specializes in environmental law. Boyd noted that IRIS reports on chemicals’ toxicity are the first step in the long process of creating legal protections from toxic pollutants in air and water.
“If you get rid of step one, you’re totally in the dark,” he said. …”
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“…Industry-Backed Legislation Would Bar the Use of Science Behind Hundreds of Environmental Protections
Industry-Backed Legislation Would Bar the Use of Science Behind Hundreds of Environmental Protections
Two bills in Congress would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from using hundreds of chemical assessments completed by its IRIS program in environmental regulations or enforcement.www.propublica.org
“… For decades, Republican lawmakers and industry lobbyists have tried to chip away at the small program in the Environmental Protection Agency that measures the threat of toxic chemicals.
Most people don’t know IRIS, as the program is called, but it is the scientific engine of the agency that protects human health and the environment. Its scientists assess the toxicity of chemicals, estimating the amount of each that triggers cancer and other health effects. And these values serve as the independent, nonpartisan basis for the rules, regulations and permits that limit our exposure to toxic chemicals.
Now IRIS faces the gravest threat to its existence since it was created under President Ronald Reagan four decades ago.
Legislation introduced in Congress would prohibit the EPA from using any of IRIS’ hundreds of chemical assessments in environmental rules, regulations, enforcement actions and permits that limit the amount of pollution allowed into air and water. The EPA would also be forbidden from using them to map the health risks from toxic chemicals. The bills, filed in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives earlier this year, are championed by companies that make and use chemicals, along with industry groups that have long opposed environmental rules. If it becomes law, the “No IRIS Act,” as it’s called, would essentially bar the agency from carrying out its mission, experts told ProPublica.
“They’re trying to undermine the foundations for doing any kind of regulation,” said William Boyd, a professor at UCLA School of Law who specializes in environmental law. Boyd noted that IRIS reports on chemicals’ toxicity are the first step in the long process of creating legal protections from toxic pollutants in air and water.
“If you get rid of step one, you’re totally in the dark,” he said. …”
Today, IRIS’ collection of more than 500 assessments of chemicals, groups of related chemicals, and mixtures of chemicals is the largest database of authoritative toxicity values in the world, according to Vincent Cogliano, a recently retired scientist who worked on IRIS assessments for more than 25 years.
From the beginning, industry scientists challenged IRIS with calculations that showed their chemicals to be less dangerous.
“There were a lot of pretty bitter battles,” said Cogliano, who remembers particularly intense opposition to the assessments of diesel engine exhaust and formaldehyde during the 1990s. Critiques of IRIS assessments intensified over the years and began to slow the program’s work. “It took so long to get through that there were fewer and fewer assessments,” said Cogliano.
In 2017, opposition to IRIS escalated further. Trump’s budget proposal would have slashed funding for the program. Although Congress funded IRIS and the program survived, some of its work was halted during his first presidency. Trump appointed a chemical engineer named David Dunlap to head the division of the EPA that includes IRIS.
Dunlap had challenged the EPA’s science on formaldehyde when he was working as the director of environmental regulatory affairs for Koch Industries. Koch’s subsidiary, Georgia-Pacific, made formaldehyde and many products that emit it. (Georgia-Pacific has since sold its chemicals business to Bakelite Synthetics.)
While Dunlap was at the EPA, work on several IRIS assessments was suspended, including the report on formaldehyde. IRIS completed that report last year.
That assessment proved controversial, as ProPublica documented in its investigation of the chemical late last year. In calculating the risks that formaldehyde can cause cancer, IRIS decided not to include the chance that the chemical can cause myeloid leukemia, a potentially fatal blood cancer. The EPA said IRIS made this decision because it lacked confidence in its calculation; the agency admitted that the omission drastically underestimated formaldehyde’s cancer risk. …”
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“… Industry groups have also criticized IRIS for being slow and overstepping its authority. And they have noted that outside organizations have found fault with it.
In addition to the National Academies criticism in 2011 about the clarity and transparency of its reports, IRIS has responded to recommendations from the Government Accounting Office, according to a report the congressional watchdog issued last week.
The GAO, which monitors how taxpayer dollars are spent, placed IRIS on its “high risk list” in 2009. But the GAO did so not because it was vulnerable to waste, fraud and abuse — the reasons some programs land on the list — but because the watchdog decided IRIS wasn’t doing enough assessments of dangerous chemicals.
Since 2009, the GAO made 22 recommendations to IRIS, all of which have been implemented, according to the agency’s website. The new report acknowledged improvements but noted that the program’s current pace of finalizing assessments “likely cannot increase without more resources.” According to the GAO report, in 2023 and 2024, IRIS had reported needing 26 additional staff members to meet the demand for chemical assessments.
Defenders of the program say the criticisms mask a simple motive: protecting industry profits rather than public health. …”
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