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Trump claims federal government shutdown is a good thing as Republicans fail to pass funding bill The federal government shut down in the early hours of Wednesday due to Republicans' incredibly stupid and stubborn refusal to negotiate with Democrats over health insurance protections for millions of Americans. Despite controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, Republicans still needed a handful of Democratic votes to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government. In normal times that would mean sitting down at the negotiation table and hammering out a deal all parties could stomach. But these are far from normal times. Petulance ruled the day, Republicans refused to entertain any Democratic proposals to extend critical subsidies for millions of Americans who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and the government formally shut down as a result. Donald Trump laughably claimed a shutdown would actually be beneficial for the country because it would help him "get rid of a lot of things that we didn't want." You know, like, hundreds of thousands of federal employees, which he has threatened to permanently fire. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be expected to work without pay, including incredibly important people like air traffic controllers and US military personnel. It is so good to be great again!

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: Trump issues shocking edict to military During yesterday's unprecedented, hyper-partisan, propaganda-filled lecture of America's entire top military brass in Quantico, Virginia, Donald Trump — draft-dodging man of many bone spurs who once called slain American soldiers suckers and losers — declared that the United States' primary enemy isn't some foreign adversary, but, rather, a nefarious force "from within." Brian Tyler Cohen spoke with Marc Elias on the latest episode of "Democracy Watch" to discuss the "terrifying," "chilling" prospect of the MAGA cult leader unleashing the US military on American citizens in Democratic-run cities who dare to disagree with his radical, deeply dangerous agenda. Prior to his rant, Trump threatened to fire any generals he doesn't like "right on the spot." We call it fascism because it is fascism.

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Shortages force Gaza women to suffer humiliation and discomfort UNFPA: 700,000 women and girls of menstruating age live in Gaza, including thousands experiencing their first period under bombardment and in filthy, cramped displacement camps with no chance of changing in privacy. 10 million sanitary pads are needed every month, but less than a quarter of that is available to ease the indignity and discomfort of Gazan women. The United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency (UNFPA) is leading a drive to provide 2,500 Dignity Kits to women and girls in Gaza, making sure they have menstrual products, soap, toothbrushes, and clean clothing so women in Gaza, the West Bank, and in crisis regions around the world can maintain their dignity and hygiene, even in the darkest of times. Each kit costs just $15 to produce! Will you chip in to help ease the suffering of some of the world’s most vulnerable women?

Mike Johnson refuses to swear in newly elected Democrat, delaying Epstein files bid Speaker of the House and incredibly pious Christian man Mike Johnson bravely took his gavel and left the building yesterday, refusing to swear in Democratic Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva for another few days. Why? To appease Dear Leader, of course. Grijalva, who won her seat by a two-to-one margin, happens to be the last signature that the House needs on a petition to force a vote on — you guessed it — releasing the Epstein files. What's a little denial of representation for the 814,000-plus constituents in Arizona's 7th District when the reputations of one incredibly thin-skinned man and his very important friends are on the line?

White House withdraws EJ Antoni's nomination to run the Bureau of Labor Statistics Donald Trump's hand-picked nominee to be the next commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics was just given his marching orders — right out the door. EJ Antoni, a Heritage Foundation economist and contributing author of Project 2025, was nominated in August after the MAGA cult leader fired the previous BLS chief, Erika McEntarfer, because she released less-than-flattering jobs reports that showed his chaotic tariff crusade was negatively impacting the economy. Trump claimed — without evidence, as usual — that jobs reports released this past summer were "rigged in order to make the Republicans, and me, look bad." His fix? A far-right sycophant who would have no qualms cooking the books to flatter Dear Leader. Antoni's prospects of winning confirmation apparently began to wane after reports emerged that he previously advocated for shutting down Social Security, managed a Twitter account that regularly used anti-gay and misogynistic slurs, called for raising the retirement age to 70, and participated in Trump's failed insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.

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Trump doubles down with another bizarre, racist AI attack on Hakeem Jeffries Sure, the federal government just shut down and hundreds of thousands of federal workers will be imminently furloughed and/or fired, but did you see the latest, hilarious, super-racist meme the president of the United States just shared targeting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries? The world is watching, and they are laughing. But just not for any of the reasons our wannabe dictator thinks.

Ted Cruz's gaffe about pedophilia is one for the ages Speaking about the need for bipartisan agreement during a committee hearing yesterday, Sen. Ted Cruz turned all the heads in the room when he blurted out this gem of hot take: "How about we all come together and say, 'Let’s stop murders.' How about we all come together and say, 'Let’s stop rape.' How about we all come together and say, 'Let’s stop attacking pedophiles.'" A Cruz spokesperson was quick to respond, calling the incident a "verbal slip." Look, we get it. Sometimes people misspeak. And, of course, we're not saying Ted Cruz is on a mission to protect ALL pedophiles and shield them from prosecution for their heinous crimes. But he sure seems keen on protecting some pedophiles — namely the Very Important People listed in the infamous Epstein files — and damned if that doesn't make this "slip" a very telling all-timer.

This rollback could turn over 45 million acres of national forestlands to private logging companies Earthjustice: National forests that are part of our public lands system are under attack by the Trump administration. For nearly 25 years, pristine forests in backcountry lands across the nation have been off-limits to massive corporate logging operations, thanks to a Forest Service policy known as the Roadless Rule. These forests provide vital wildlife habitat; protect clean, mountain-fed drinking water for millions of Americans; and provide endless recreational opportunities like camping, hunting, fishing, rafting, and mountain biking. Join the fight to protect the forests that belong to all of us, by keeping the Roadless Rule in place!

Veterans respond to Hegseth’s "insulting" lecture of top military brass Welp, the reviews are in and they are...not good. Retired veterans have responded to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s address to the nation's senior military commanders, after Trump and his DUI hire needlessly risked national security by getting ALL US generals and admirals in the same room to listen to a propaganda-filled lecture that could've just as easily been sent in an email. Hegseth — who has already been lambasted for chaos at the Pentagon and for putting the lives of troops at risk by publishing classified intelligence in unsecured group chats — lectured 4-star generals and admirals for over an hour about the "warrior ethos" and how to take the military back from what MAGA has called a woke culture over the last decade and instill a culture of "lethality." Naveed Shah, a veteran and policy director for Common Defense, a veterans advocacy organization, was less than impressed: "A lot of the words that are coming to me aren't fit to print. The people in that room who have served for 20-, 30-plus years in uniform do not need Pete Hegseth to tell them about warrior ethos." He continued, "Certainly, addressing the troops could be useful or beneficial, but to call 800-plus generals and senior enlisted advisers from around the world into this room just before a government shutdown? It’s not just bad optics or strategy. A bad cold could have threatened our entire chain of command." Truly incredible stuff.

Eric Trump claims Biden tried to break up his dad and Melania’s marriage in wild Newsmax crashout Pretty sure Donald has been doing all the heaving lifting in that department, but, sure, Eric, whatever you say, buster!

Stephen Miller whines about being called a "fascist" despite regularly using the term to describe his enemies Trump's senior white nationalist adviser isn't just a blathering, parasitic fascist who obviously gets off on the heinous mistreatment of others, he's also a bona fide crybaby. Why is it the people with the loudest mouths saying the shittiest things are always the ones with glass jaws? But, sure, liberals are snowflakes.

Photojournalist hospitalized after masked ICE agents throw reporters to the ground in New York immigration courthouse Donald Trump's cosplay Stormtroopers were back in action yesterday, brutalizing journalists outside an immigration courthouse. The chief photographer for the Anadolu Agency suffered a head injury after an ICE agent threw a different journalist into him, knocking both to the ground and requiring the photojournalist to be medically evacuated in a neck brace. The journalists' crimes? Doing their jobs. The escalating violence of ICE goons against journalists is a clear demonstration that they KNOW what they're doing is illegal, immoral, and inhumane — and they don't want any record of it to implicate themselves down the line. NONE of this is okay. When this fascist nightmare finally ends we must hold every hobnailed jackboot ghoul and Trump regime enabler accountable for their reprehensible and downright criminal actions.