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The Trump administration’s assault on a functioning system of government started long before this week. Activities deemed “essential” by the president—stalking immigrants, lobbing missiles at Iran, etc.—have gone on, but activities purported to conflict with the president’s policies have been stopped. |
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Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought is illegally using the government shutdown as cover to fire federal workers en masse, abusing his position, and pushing an extremist agenda, according to a lawsuit brought by multiple labor unions representing more than two million federal workers. |
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What is really at stake in the shutdown is not health care subsidies by themselves—important as they may be—but the basic principles of American democracy, which Trump is trying to destroy with the willing participation of the Republican majority on the Supreme Court. |
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We have hit a phase in the shutdown where Trump and his lieutenant Russell Vought are making decisions they’ve always wanted to make and blaming Democrats for forcing them to make them. You can call it the “look what you made me do” phase of the shutdown. |
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Keeping national parks open during the shutdown seems like a win—until you consider how extremely limited staff makes them dangerous, filthy, and easier to seize. Conservation work has halted, visitor centers and bathrooms are closed, trash is piling up, and visitors can’t expect prompt responses to emergencies. |
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The Prospect’s Weekly Roundup:
Mamdani Before Mamdani |
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David Dayen and Naomi Bethune discuss Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the expiration of Microsoft's Windows 10, and the government shutdown. You can catch the Weekly Roundup live every Friday at 12:30 PM ET/9:30 AM PT, or watch it back anytime on our YouTube channel. |
 The American Prospect |
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