15 votes

Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of February 16

Automatically posted February 16

Tags: politics.usa, usa, recurring.weekly

This thread is posted weekly - please try to post all relevant US political content in here, such as news, updates, opinion articles, etc. Extremely significant events may warrant a separate topic, but almost all should be posted in here.

This is an inherently political thread; please try to avoid antagonistic arguments and bickering matches. Comment threads that devolve into unproductive arguments may be removed so that the overall topic is able to continue.

21 comments

[5]
hobbes64
February 18
Link
Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature This interview is from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It wasn't shown on the regular...

Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature

This interview is from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It wasn't shown on the regular broadcast. It's getting a big Streisand effect because of suppression by the FCC using a manipulation of the equal time rule.

Talarico is a Christian talking about anti-corruption and anti-corporate topics. And against Christian Nationalism.

Here is a separate video that talks about how it is being suppressed by CBS due to FCC pressure.
Why CBS Didn't Broadcast Stephen Colbert's Interview With James Talarico

13 votes
1. [4]
  nic
  February 18
  Link Parent
  Wow... Brendan Carr, has proposed removing an exception to the equal time rule that previously allowed politicians on talk shows and radio shows, but otherwise required equal time for candidates...
  
  Wow...
  
  Brendan Carr, has proposed removing an exception to the equal time rule that previously allowed politicians on talk shows and radio shows, but otherwise required equal time for candidates during election periods.
  
  The FCC's proposed rule change specifically targets talk show interviews with politicians, not right-wing talk radio.
  
  The FCC previously opened an investigation into 'The View' following an interview with James Talarico.
  
  4 votes
  1. [3]
    MimicSquid
    February 18
    Link Parent
    It's very blatant political favoritism. Very. With everything the current administration is doing, it's so clear that whatever comes next, it absolutely will not be a return to the previous status...
    
    It's very blatant political favoritism. Very. With everything the current administration is doing, it's so clear that whatever comes next, it absolutely will not be a return to the previous status quo. No one will go back to that state when it's so clear the stability was based on everyone being honorable enough, and so many people have shown they aren't.
    
    7 votes
    
    [2]
    nic
    February 18
    Link Parent
    If I read your comment correctly, I think you underestimate the ability for conservative media to focus outrage on even a minor thing for months, and you overestimate the Democrats willingness to...
    
    If I read your comment correctly, I think you underestimate the ability for conservative media to focus outrage on even a minor thing for months, and you overestimate the Democrats willingness to play hardball.
    
    I frankly haven't seen anything from the Democrats, other than more of the same.
    
    2 votes
    
    MimicSquid
    February 18
    Link Parent
    No, I mean that either Republicans hold control of government and we descend further into facism, or Democrats win. But if they do, any attempt to reclaim the previous status quo will be rebuffed...
    
    No, I mean that either Republicans hold control of government and we descend further into facism, or Democrats win. But if they do, any attempt to reclaim the previous status quo will be rebuffed broadly. By the voters, by previous trading partners, by the other members of NATO. Prices won't magically drop to where they were even if tariffs are reversed. Trust won't just come back.
    
    5 votes
[3]
hobbes64
February 17
Link
Man Trains Crows to Attack MAGA Hats Maybe this link doesn’t belong here because it’s just silly and only sort of about politics but I got a good laugh out of it. The idea is better than the...

Man Trains Crows to Attack MAGA Hats

Maybe this link doesn’t belong here because it’s just silly and only sort of about politics but I got a good laugh out of it. The idea is better than the result so far because the crows haven’t actually taken a hat off a person yet.

9 votes
1. nic
  February 18
  Link Parent
  This link belongs here, perfectly.
  
  This link belongs here, perfectly.
  
  3 votes
2. Hobofarmer
  February 19
  Link Parent
  I initially misread this as "cows" and now I'm a little disappointed but still awed.
  
  I initially misread this as "cows" and now I'm a little disappointed but still awed.
  
  3 votes
[3]
hobbes64
February 20
Link
CBS: Supreme Court strikes down Trump tariffs in major setback for economic agenda Politico: Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs Supremecourt.gov: LEARNING RESOURCES, INC., ET AL. v. TRUMP,...

CBS: Supreme Court strikes down Trump tariffs in major setback for economic agenda

Politico: Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs — a major repudiation of a core piece of Trump’s economic program.

The 6-3 decision is a rare instance of the conservative-led court reining in Trump’s expansive use of executive power. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch joined the court’s three liberals in the majority.

“The President asserts the extraordinary power to unilaterally impose tariffs of unlimited amount, duration, and scope. In light of the breadth, history, and constitutional context of that asserted authority, he must identify clear congressional authorization to exercise it,” Roberts wrote for the court, declaring that the 1977 law Trump cited to justify the import duties “falls short” of the Congressional approval that would be needed.

Supremecourt.gov: LEARNING RESOURCES, INC., ET AL. v. TRUMP,
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ET AL

9 votes
1. nic
  February 20
  Link Parent
  Thomas and Alito dissented, yet again, along with Kavanaugh. Thomas and Alito have consistently ruled in favor of Trump. Trump has repeatedly ignored precedent, law, constitution, and yet Thomas...
  
  Thomas and Alito dissented, yet again, along with Kavanaugh.
  
  Thomas and Alito have consistently ruled in favor of Trump.
  
  Trump has repeatedly ignored precedent, law, constitution, and yet Thomas and Alito still consistently rule in his favor.
  
  The Supreme Court justices typically figure out how they want to rule first, then they ask their clerks to come up with some sort of legal rationale to get there.
  
  What is amazing, is how what Thomas and Alito want somehow magically aligns with what Trump wants. It must be pure coincidence.
  
  9 votes
2. moocow1452
  February 20
  Link Parent
  I brought this into its own topic: https://tild.es/1ssq White House aren't going to say that this upends everything, and we don't know how much they can "well actually" their way into keeping...
  
  I brought this into its own topic:
  https://tild.es/1ssq
  
  While those have more limitations on the speed and severity of Trump’s actions, top administration officials have said they expect to keep the tariff framework in place under other authorities.
  
  White House aren't going to say that this upends everything, and we don't know how much they can "well actually" their way into keeping everything as much power as they can, but this would open the door to private companies suing the government, and that would probably stick.
  
  4 votes
[5]
Macha
February 16
Link
Wasn’t this moved to ~society?

Wasn’t this moved to ~society?

6 votes
1. [4]
  mycketforvirrad
  February 16 (edited February 16)
  Link Parent
  It's moved there manually every week.
  
  It's moved there manually every week.
  
  1 vote
  1. Macha
    February 16
    Link Parent
    Ah, I guess I normally just don’t see it so early
    
    Ah, I guess I normally just don’t see it so early
    
    2 votes
  2. [2]
    balooga
    February 16
    Link Parent
    Any particular reason for that manual step? Seems unnecessary.
    
    Any particular reason for that manual step? Seems unnecessary.
    
    2 votes
    
    mycketforvirrad
    February 16
    Link Parent
    It's as simple as Deimos forgot.
    
    It's as simple as Deimos forgot.
    
    3 votes
Halfloaf
February 20
Link
Just found this wonderful video describing the proper use of communication when interacting with law enforcement It was fun, and it’s only about a minute.

Just found this wonderful video describing the proper use of communication when interacting with law enforcement

It was fun, and it’s only about a minute.

6 votes
[2]
hobbes64
February 19
Link
This is a short opinion piece on the New York Daily News. The most powerful crime syndicate in history It's a decent summary of what we've been seeing in the past year. I found out about it from a...

This is a short opinion piece on the New York Daily News.

The most powerful crime syndicate in history

It's a decent summary of what we've been seeing in the past year.

It is time to acknowledge what has become tragically obvious: the Trump administration is essentially acting as a massive criminal enterprise. It lies, steals, extorts and murders — all while cloaked in the awesome authority of the state. It is on a crime spree that puts Al Capone to shame.

This is not hyperbole or hyperventilation. It is our reality, as the facts amply demonstrate. This administration has:

Murdered Renee Good and Alex Pretti, slandered them as “domestic terrorists” and “assassins,” and allowed their killers to walk free. Unleashed thousands of minimally trained ICE agents, recruited with explicitly white supremacist messaging, to inflict terror on people of color. Repeatedly violated the constitutional rights of citizens and non-citizens by arresting them for First Amendment-protected speech, raiding their homes without judicial warrants, and imprisoning them without due process.

And killed dozens of civilians on the high seas solely on the unsubstantiated claim that they were drug runners (not that being drug runners would justify their summary executions without due process anyway). Released hundreds of imprisoned felons who brutally beat Capitol police officers on Jan. 6. Converted the once-independent Department of Justice into an instrument of personal retribution via the prosecution of cooked-up lawsuits against the president’s enemies. Threatened to seize the territory of a sovereign nation (a NATO ally no less).

And declared that legislators should be executed for reminding military personnel of their duty to disobey illegal orders. Tried to impose ruinous and unconstitutional sanctions on some of the country’s largest law firms simply because Trump doesn’t like them. Violated court orders on a massive scale. As the chief federal district judge of Minnesota recently wrote, “ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.”

I found out about it from a clip from Lawrence O'Donnell's show.
Lawrence: Nothing has separated voters from Trump more than the Epstein ‘cover-up’

4 votes
1. balooga
  February 20
  Link Parent
  I don't disagree with the thesis but I don't think it's those particular actions (bad as they are) that make the case for outright criminality. The real gangster behavior we should be focusing on...
  
  I don't disagree with the thesis but I don't think it's those particular actions (bad as they are) that make the case for outright criminality.
  
  The real gangster behavior we should be focusing on is Trump's constant, flagrant pattern of self-dealing, graft, and corruption. It's not hidden. He's been doing it all:
  
  Taking ~~gifts~~ bribes in exchange for political favors and pardons
  
  Laundering dark "contributions" through his shady crypto ventures
  
  Suing the federal government for monetary (taxpayer-funded) compensation
  
  Operating complex rings of sketchy super PACs that solicit donations from the elderly using manipulative lies and dark patterns (I'm on their email lists and they are HEINOUS) while the primary purpose of those super PACs is to receive payola from ultra-wealthy backers... ripping off poor people just provides cover for what's really happening
  
  In his first term he cranked up his merchandising machine to sell tons of crappy "official" hats, t-shirts, pens, commemorative plates and coins, flags, watches, bibles, etc. He also made quite a grift of using Trump properties around the world wherever possible, charging himself and his entourage whatever he wanted for presidential stays... every time the President made an appearance somewhere it was more money in the bank for him. I'm sure all those schemes are continuing today, but the new things I listed above positively dwarf them.
  
  Frankly you could make a case for this administration being a criminal organization just by looking at his mafioso leadership style. He deals almost exclusively in intimidation, harassment, humiliation, violence, and a neverending flood of bullshit. He rewards his friends and punishes his enemies on a scale never before seen in U.S. politics. That stuff's all circumstantial but it's straight out of the playbook of any crime lord.
  
  8 votes
DefinitelyNotAFae
February 19
Link
Labor Secretary’s Husband Barred From the Department After Sexual Assault Reports Gift link The man is an anesthesiologist which makes the whole thing even worse in that he has access to...

Labor Secretary’s Husband Barred From the Department After Sexual Assault Reports
Gift link

The women said Ms. Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, had touched them inappropriately at the Labor Department’s building on Constitution Avenue. One of the incidents, during working hours on the morning of Dec. 18, was recorded on office security cameras, the people said. The video showed Dr. DeRemer giving one of the women an extended embrace, and was reviewed as part of a criminal investigation, one of the people said.

The man is an anesthesiologist which makes the whole thing even worse in that he has access to vulnerable people regularly.

But also it's not just him who sucks

The inspector general’s office is investigating a formal complaint that Ms. Chavez-DeRemer was having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a subordinate — a member of her security detail — and abusing her office by taking staff to strip clubs, drinking alcohol on the job and taking personal trips at taxpayer expense. Her lawyer has denied the allegations.

Anyone in this administration have an ethical consensual sexual relationship?

4 votes
moocow1452
February 23
Link
Axios is reporting that Democratic officials who worked on the party's still-secret autopsy of the 2024 election concluded that Kamala Harris lost significant support because of the Biden...

Axios is reporting that Democratic officials who worked on the party's still-secret autopsy of the 2024 election concluded that Kamala Harris lost significant support because of the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza.

https://www.axios.com/2026/02/22/dnc-2024-autopsy-harris-gaza

3 votes