Thursday, November 21, 2024
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Thursday, November 21, 2024

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Janet Yellen

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Says She Was Wrong About Inflation

By Wisconsin Right Now & The Center Square
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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen admitted this week she was wrong and underestimated inflation, which continues to soar.

During an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Tuesday, Yellen said that she failed to anticipate that inflation would become such a significant problem.

“I think I was wrong then about the path that inflation would take,” she said, referencing a statement she made at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Summit in May of last year.

“I don’t think there’s going to be an inflationary problem,” Janet Yellen said at the time. “But if there is, the Fed will be counted on to address it.”

Janet Yellen’s concession comes as Americans face record-high gas prices with a national average of $4.67 per gallon of unleaded gas as of Wednesday, according to AAA. That average has risen every day this week. Food prices have risen by 9.4% since April of last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Janet Yellen defended her previous comments during the CNN interview, though, saying, “there have been unanticipated and large shocks to the economy that have boosted energy and food prices, and supply bottlenecks that have affected our economy badly, that, I didn’t at the time, didn’t fully understand, but we recognize that now.”

About Janet Yellen

Janet Yellen, in full Janet Louise Yellen, (born August 13, 1946, Brooklyn, New York, United States), American economist, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve (the Fed) (2014), U.S. Central Bank, the Fed (the Fed), and Secretary of the United States Treasury (2020-). Janet L. Yellen took office as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in February 2014, serving a four-year term ending on February 3, 2018. Janet L. Yellen served on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 1994 until February 1997, and then left the Fed to become chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers until August 1999.    Show Source Texts

Janet Louise Yellen then taught for five years as a Harvard University economics professor before being hired as an economist by the Federal Reserve. In 1980, Janet Yellen joined the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where she became Eugene E. and Katherine M. Trefethen Professor of Business and a Professor of Economics. Janet Louise Yellen later held positions as professors at several prestigious universities, including Harvard, London School of Economics.    Show Source Texts

She was a National Institute for Economic Research Associate, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Pacific Council on International Policy. As a policy adviser, Janet Louise Yellen is adove and Keynesian economist, believes that economic markets need government regulation, and values low unemployment more than low inflation. Yellen is a committed economic dove (supporting low interest rates and expansionary monetary policies, valuing low unemployment over keeping inflation low). Janet Louise Yellen has co-authored two economic books, one with her husband, the other with former Fed Governor and Professor Alan Blinder.    Show Source Texts

In 1994, Janet Louise Yellen was appointed by former president Bill Clinton to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, becoming its chairman in 2013. On April 22, 1994, President Bill Clinton announced his intent to appoint Yellen to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, along with Alan Blinder, who was named Vice Chairman, the first Democratic appointee to the Board since 1980; in making this announcement, the president praised her for being one of the most distinguished economists of her generation at the intersection of macroeconomics and the labor market. On October 9, 2013, Yellen was formally nominated to succeed Ben Bernanke as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the first vice chair elevated to the position; in announcing it, President Barack Obama called her one of the nations most distinguished economists and a decision-maker, who is exceptionally qualified to serve in that position. Janet L. Yellen served as chairman and CEO of the San Francisco Fed Bank (2004-10), and vice chairman of the Board of Governors (2010-14) prior to her nomination to serve as chairman.    Show Source Texts

Prior to her work with the Treasury, Janet Yellen was a distinguished resident scholar at the Economic Research Project of the Brookings Institution. As a member of President Joe Bidens cabinet, Janet Louise Yellen was the first woman to lead both the United States Treasury and the Federal Reserve. Janet Yellen is the first person in American history to head the White House Council of Economic Advisors, Federal Reserve, and the Treasury Department. Janet Yellen has served on the advisory boards of the Bloomberg New Economic Forum, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and Fixing the Debt Coalition (CRFB), and the steering committee of the Center for Equitable Growth Washington.    Show Source Texts

Key Takeaways Janet Louise Yellen was the first woman to be the United States Treasury secretary during President Joe Bidens tenure. In Janet Yellens multiple roles on policy in the last twenty years, she has written or spoken on nearly every major economic issue of the day, ranging from the Asian financial crisis to the burst of the housing bubble and ensuing financial meltdown, and provided clear explanations for quantitative easing and other Fed policy innovations. She taught at Harvard University from 1971-76, at the London School of Economics from 1978-80, and has been affiliated with the University of California, Berkeleys Haas School of Business since 1980, where she is now an emeritus professor.    Show Source Texts

In 2010, President Barack Obama named Janet Yellen as vice chair of the Federal Reserve, and then nominated her to replace Fed Chairman Benjamin Bernanke as the nations top central banker. Meanwhile, Janet Yellens Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, has emphasized this responsibility. The remarks came on the same day President Joe Biden met with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose agency has begun combating inflation through rate increases.    Show Source Texts

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Jan 26, 2021 Janet Yellens ability to move the needle on climate change — heres how the former Fed chairman has the expertise and wide-ranging respect to move businesses to action on climate change — and set the stage for real, lasting progress. On November 30, 2020, President Joe Biden announced that he was nominating Yellen for the position of Secretary of the Treasury in his cabinet, praising her as one of the most important economic minds of our time, who has spent her career focused on jobs and dignity at work.    Show Source Texts

Cited Sources

By Richie Malouf The Center Square
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Reposted with permission

Table of Contents

Frederick Walls Trump Holds Cash Special Counsel Jack Smith Iowa Victory for Trump Remove Trump From Primary Ballot

Poll: Majority of Americans Support Trump’s Plan to Declare Emergency at Border

The Center Square -

A majority of Americans support President-elect Donald Trump's plan to declare a national emergency over the border crisis, according to a new poll. Declaring such an emergency would allow Trump to utilize the military to secure the border and help with his plan to deport violent criminal foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally.

The Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted online by pollster Scott Rasmussen Nov. 18-19. It asked: "President Trump has said that he will declare a national emergency because of the illegal immigration problem. This would let the Trump Administration use military force to help with a mass deportation of illegal immigrants. Do you favor or oppose declaring a national emergency to address the problem of illegal immigration?"

In response, 31% of those polled said they strongly favor declaring a national emergency, and 24% said they somewhat favor it. Combined, 55% of Americans support Trump's plan. Those in favor include 62% of Hispanic voters, 57% of white voters, and 50% of Black voters.

On the other side, 12% said they somewhat oppose the idea while 26% said they strongly oppose it, with a total of 38% in opposition. An additional 7% said they were not sure.

"Declaring a national emergency would allow the president to use military forces to assist in the deportation of illegal immigrants," Napolitan News Service said in a statement accompanying the polling results. "Support for the plan comes from 62% of Hispanic voters, 57% of White voters, and 50% of Black voters."The border crisis and Vice President Kamala Harris’ work on the immigration issue were a focal point of the Trump campaign. Trump vowed to close the border and stop the flow of illegal immigration, which rose to unprecedented levels during the Biden-Harris administration.

Jose Ibarra Guilty of Murdering Laken Riley

The Center Square -

Jose Ibarra, a suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and in America illegally since 2022 according to immigration officials, has been found guilty on all counts related to the murder of Laken Riley.

Judge H. Patrick Haggard gave the ruling on Wednesday morning shortly after testimony and closing arguments had closed. Ibarra's defense attorneys waived the right to a jury trial in opting for a bench trial.

Riley, 22, was a former University of Georgia student who had transferred into the Augusta University nursing program on the Athens campus. Her name became synonymous with immigration campaign points by Republicans in this year's election cycle.

Prosecutors said, and Haggard agreed, Ibarra killed Riley on the morning of Feb. 22 as she was jogging near her Athens apartment. Haggard said he took two legal pads full of notes during the trial but typically just listened during closing arguments.

The judge offered that he wrote down two things, one by prosecutor Sheila Ross and the other by defense lawyer Kaitlyn Beck.

"One was a statement by Ms. Ross, that the evidence was overwhelming and powerful," Haggard said. "And then I also wrote down what Ms. Beck said that I am required to set aside my emotions. That's the same things that we tell jurors."

The court has recessed to consider when sentencing will take place.

(This is a developing story. Check back for updates.)

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Alvin Bragg Suggests Suspending Trump’s Hush Money Sentencing, Perhaps For 4 years

The Center Square -

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Tuesday that his office will oppose President-elect Donald Trump's motion to dismiss his felony conviction in New York.

Bragg said that despite plans to oppose Trump's motion, his office would agree to hit pause on the proceedings pending the judge's decision on Trump's motion to dismiss. Bragg also suggested the case could wait until Trump's finishes his term in the White House.

"No current law establishes that a president's temporary immunity from prosecution requires dismissal of a post-trial criminal proceeding that was initiated at a time when the defendant was not immune from criminal prosecution and that is based on unofficial conduct for which the defendant is also not immune," Bragg wrote in a letter to Judge Juan Merchan. "Rather, existing law suggests that the Court must balance competing constitutional interests and proceed 'in a manner that preserves both the independence of the Executive and the integrity of the criminal justice system.' "

In late May, a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on all counts in his hush money case. Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records for disguising hush money payments to an adult film actress as legal costs ahead of the 2016 election. Under New York state law, falsifying business records in the first degree is a Class E felony with a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

Trump and his attorneys want the judge to dismiss the case based on the U.S. Supreme Court's immunity decision. In July, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents and former presidents have absolute immunity for actions related to core constitutional powers and presumptive immunity for official actions. The ruling said the president has no immunity for unofficial conduct.

Bragg said Tuesday that the case could remain on pause through the end of Trump's second term. Trump beat Vice President Kamala Harris in the two-way race for the White House. He will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025.

"Given the need to balance competing constitutional interests, consideration must be given to various non-dismissal options that may address any concerns raised by the pendency of a post-trial criminal proceeding during the presidency, such as deferral of all remaining criminal proceedings until after the end of Defendant's upcoming presidential term," Bragg wrote.

FEMA Head Grilled About Staffer Who Told Others to Avoid Homes With Trump Signs

The Center Square -

The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, told lawmakers that she personally approved the firing of an employee who directed FEMA workers to not knock on the doors of those affected by Hurricane Helene if they had Trump signs in their yards.

Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane and wreaked havoc from Florida up the Eastern United States, killing more than 100 people in North Carolina alone and causing billions of dollars of damage across several states.

In less than two weeks, Hurricane Milton did its own damage in many of the same areas, leaving thousands of Americans needing help.

FEMA, however, has taken fire for its handling of the storms as well as its ongoing funding to help illegal immigrants.

In particular, The Daily Wire first broke news showing screenshots of text messages from a FEMA employee telling about a dozen workers under her supervision to avoid visiting houses with Trump signs.

The text message instructed workers that its “best practices” include avoiding “Trump homes.”

Criswell began her remarks at the hearing saying she does not believe this employee is representative of a broader problem in the agency but acknowledged it is investigating more.

She pledged to make sure nothing like this happens again and said a team went back to the homes skipped over.

However, the employee in question told the media that she was only following orders from higher up the chain.

“Since being fired, this supervisor has made multiple media appearances claiming she was following direction from above and that the practice is widespread,” House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky. said.

“So, the question is this: from FEMA’s perspective, was her main offense not only saying the quiet part out loud, but that she put it in writing?” he added, apparently referring to the text messages.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Penn., referenced the fired employee’s claims, adding that “independently we’ve heard reports of similar practices in places like North Carolina” and that the employee said she was following orders and the FEMA culture.

House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pressed Criswell on the issue, pointing out that another anonymous FEMA source backed up the fired employee’s claims about getting orders from higher up.

“She said it’s common practice, you said it’s reprehensible and isolated,” Jordan said. “Both statements can’t be true…”

Perry demanded answers about the internal investigation into FEMA, and compelled Criswell to eventually promise to request an investigation from the inspector general.

“What has your investigation gleaned regarding [the fired employee’s] direct supervisors,” Perry asked Criswell. “Have you questioned them and what have your answers been.

Criswell said they have been questioned but said they denied the employee’s claims.

Comer pointed to Trump’s promise to bring the federal government into check. Trump’s cabinet nominees, billionaires Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, have promised to significantly cut back federal agencies and even eliminate some outright.

“The current system does not have strong enough mechanisms to ensure accountability. The disciplinary system is run by and for civil servants to protect civil servants,” Comer said.

“President Trump has pledged to take action to bring accountability to the federal workforce and ensure there are measures in place to appropriately deal with poor performers and those who actively resist implementing the policies of a duly elected president,” he noted.

McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

WILL: Race Prioritization by USDA Needs To Be Stopped

The Center Square -

(The Center Square) – Citing discrimination against nonminorities in farming assistance programs, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has filed an amicus brief in support of plaintiff Robert Holman's litigation against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He's a corn and soybean farmer.

The institute is calling on the incoming Trump administration to address the issue among other federal agencies as well.

In an amicus brief supporting Holman, the conservative-leaning institute says prioritizing members of races deemed “socially disadvantaged” in taxpayer-funded assistance programs is unconstitutional.

“During the Biden administration, race discrimination infected every nook and cranny of the federal government,” Deputy Counsel Dan Lennington of the Institute for Law and Liberty said. “These programs impact Americans and small businesses every day. The new Congress and administration should immediately dismantle each one of these discriminatory programs. Otherwise, we’ll see them in court.”

WILL also said it had identified more than 60 federal programs across 11 federal agencies that allocate support based on racial preferences.

Examples included those agencies prioritizing racial minorities when distributing financial assistance, awarding contracts, granting business subsidies and home improvement rebates, and waiving required fees for those seeking disaster assistance.

In addition to the USDA, the law firm said such programs are being run in the Small Business Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Federal Communications Commission, Department of Transportation, and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

“These programs are designed to serve ‘socially disadvantaged individuals,’ a racially charged term created to favor some races over others," the firm said in a statement. "Like many other federal agencies, USDA relies on unlawful stereotypes in distributing benefits to farmers, assuming that some races are all ‘disadvantaged’ while others are not.”

The law firm added that the incoming administration should use the USDA lawsuit and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty's findings as a “road map” in rooting out diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the federal government.

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sean duffy

Trump Taps Sean Duffy to Lead Department of Transportation

The Center Square -

President-elect Donald Trump is nominating former Congressman and current Fox Business host Sean Duffy to serve as his Department of Transportation secretary.

“During his time in Congress, Sean was a respected voice and communicator in the Republican Conference, advocating for Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Growth, and Rural Development,” Trump said in a statement. “Admired across the aisle, Sean worked with Democrats to clear extensive Legislative hurdles to build the largest road and bridge project in Minnesota History.”

Duffy is an attorney who represented the seventh district of Wisconsin from 2011-2019 as a Republican.

“He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America's highways, tunnels, bridges and airports,” Trump said. “The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on FoxNews, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind.

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation's Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation,” he added.

Notably, Trump said Duffy will “make our skies safe again by eliminating DEl for pilots and air traffic controllers.”

Taking on DEI in the federal government is a growing theme for some of Trump’s nominees, including Federal Communications Commission nominee Brendan Carr and Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, both of whom promised to root out DEI policies in their respective roles.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents truck drivers and has more than 150,000 members, immediately backed Trump’s pick.

“OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent congratulate Representative Sean Duffy on his nomination as Secretary of Transportation,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “We look forward to working with him in advancing the priorities of small business truckers across America, including expanding truck parking, fighting freight fraud, and rolling back unnecessary regulations. We encourage a swift confirmation in the Senate and look forward to working with the new administration.”

Duffy accepted the nomination on X.

“I’m eager to help you usher in a new golden age of transportation,” Duffy said.

Trump's picks for his administration so far include:

Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation.Chris Wright for Department of Energy Secretary.Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission.North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior.William Owen Scharf as Assistant to the President and White House Staff Secretary.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of U.S. Health and Human ServicesFormer Congresswoman and veteran Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.Former Congressman Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans AffairsJay Clayton as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Former congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.Veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense.Veteran and former New York congressman Lee Zeldin as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., as Secretary of State.Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Tom Homan as “border czar.”Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.Former Congresswoman and current governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency.William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel.Steven C. Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East.Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. as national security advisor.Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel.Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. as ambassador to the U.N.Dean John Sauer as Solicitor General.Todd Blanche as Deputy Attorney General.Emil Bove as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General.Dan Scavino of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff.Susie Wiles, co-chair of the Trump campaign, as White House Chief of Staff.Stephen Miller as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor.James Blair of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs.Taylor Budowich of the Trump campaign as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel.

josh kaul

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Assembly Republicans Want Surplus Returned; Senate Democrats Eye Medicaid Expansion

The Center Square -

(The Center Square) – It doesn’t look like the leadership in the Wisconsin legislature will be changing next year.

Republicans in the Assembly re-elected Speaker Robin Vos, while Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate re-elected Dianne Hesselbein as Minority Leader.

Senate Republicans last week re-elected Sen. Devin LeMahieu as Majority Leader.

Democrats in the Assembly are the only ones who have not yet voted for their leader. That vote is set for Tuesday.

The leadership re-elections signal that next year likely won’t be that much different from the past two years at the Capitol in Madison.

In fact, both Vos and Hasselbein said their priorities for the new session are no different than their priorities from the one that’s about to end.

“We have an opportunity to make sure that the wishes of the public in Wisconsin become the reality that we work on over the next 14 to 15 months,” Vols told reporters.

The new legislature will be tasked with writing a new state budget.

Hesselbein said Democrats want to add to that state budget and spend more on Gov. Tony Evers’ top priorities.

“We know that there's no reason we should be fighting on these. Whether it's Medicaid expansion, supporting K-12 [education], higher education, technical colleges, paid family medical leave, and helping support those people that with Child Care Counts. These are issues that we all care deeply about, and those are the things that we're going to be fighting for on day one,” Hesselbein said.

Vos said Assembly Republicans are not looking to spend any more money in the new state budget.

“Voters are saying they want us to focus on what's important to them. I think our campaigns really did that. They were focused almost entirely on ‘How do we deal with the inflation that's ravaging through every income strata and every part of Wisconsin?’ If you talk to most folks they know the price of groceries. They know that rent is higher. They know that the cost of just about everything is higher,” Vos said. “We have a record-surplus and…at least for Assembly Republicans, we are not in a rush to spend that. We are in a rush to return it back to the people of Wisconsin. The best way that we can help folks deal with inflation is by putting the money that they overpaid back in their wallets, so that they can choose to spend it on things that are important to their family. So that's going to be something that we work on right away next spring.”

The new legislature will take its oath and begin its new session in January.

Trump Picks Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Lead HHS

The Center Square -

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary.

“I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” Trump said in a statement. “For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health.”

The lifelong Democrat became an Independent during his presidential campaign and then endorsed Trump, helping propel Trump to victory.

Kennedy has been outspoken about the need to take on corporate food companies as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to address the chronic health crisis in America.

“The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country,” Trump said. “Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Kennedy is also known for his skepticism of some vaccines.

Kennedy has pushed his “Make America Healthy Again” movement in recent months, raising concerns about the chemicals in American food and how federal health agencies have either allowed harmful food and drugs or been coopted by corporations.

The MAHA website emphasizes regenerative agriculture, habitat preservation, combatting corporate corruption and removing toxins from the environment.

“Robert F Kennedy Jr will be The Secretary of Health and Human Services!” Donald Trump Jr. posted on X. “Promises Made Promises Kept.”

Republicans Secure Control of House of Representatives

The Center Square -

Republicans will again control the U.S. House of Representatives, multiple media outlets are projecting.

The call means President-elect Donald Trump is at the helm as Republicans have secured all three branches of the federal government.

Decision Desk HQ called the House for Republicans days ago, but other media outlets like CNN and NBC News held out until Wednesday afternoon to put Republicans at at least 218 seats after flipping one overall in their favor with a few more races to call.

The Associated Press and Fox News still have not called the House, leaving Republicans at 217 seats.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to serve as majority leader as Trump rolled out several picks to fill out his administration.

Republican control of the House will likely prevent Trump from facing more impeachment attempts and House investigations as well as give an edge in funding battles.

“Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump for joining House Republicans this morning,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Fla., who was reelected to his role Wednesday, wrote on X. “Our strong @HouseGOP majority is looking forward to advancing your agenda that puts the American people FIRST! As you said, we will unify and get it done!”

Musk, Ramaswamy to Lead Trump Efforts to Cut Waste, Fraud in Federal Government

The Center Square -

President-elect Donald Trump picked Tesla CEO Elon Musk and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency.

The department's acronym, DOGE, is a nod to Musk's favorite cryptocurrency, dogecoin. Trump said the new group will pave the way for his administration to "dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulation, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies."

Trump laid out lofty goals for the group in his announcement this week.

"It will become, potentially, 'The Manhatten Project,' of our time," Trump's announcement said. "Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time."

It won't be an official government agency, which will likely allow Musk and Ramaswamy to avoid public financial disclosures.

Trump said the change he's looking for won't come from within the existing federal government.

"To drive this kind of change, the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside the government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform and create and entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before," the announcement noted.

Trump said he looks forward to what Musk and Ramaswamy can accomplish.

"Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 trillion of government spending," he said.

Trump also gave them a deadline: July 4, 2026.

"A smaller government, with more efficiency and less bureaucracy will be the perfect gift to America" on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, according to the announcement.

Ramaswamy, who dropped out the race for the GOP nomination to endorse Trump in January, has previously proposed significant cuts. During his campaign, Ramaswamy proposed cutting 75% of the federal workforce.

Musk recently suggested that he could cut $2 trillion from the federal budget, or about one-third of total U.S. spending. He's been tossing out ideas on X, previously Twitter before Musk bought the company and changed the name.

"The world is suffering slow strangulation by overregulation. Every year, the noose tightens a little more," Musk wrote in a post on X on Wednesday. "We finally have a mandate to delete the mountain of choking regulations that do not serve the greater good."

Musk also said he isn't a threat to democracy, but a threat to bureaucracy.

DOGE already has an X account. It's first post: "Working overtime to ensure your tax dollars will be spent wisely!"

Some budget experts have called Musk's pledge to cut $2 trillion a pipe dream, noting that many of the problems DOGE wants to address have proven intractable.

Brian Riedl, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute think tank, called Musk's proposal "a random number unattached to reality."

Marc Goldwein, the senior vice president and senior policy director for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said it could be done with 10 aggressive policies, mostly focused on Medicare and Medicaid.

"The government can legitimately save trillions over a decade by reducing waste and improving efficiency – and I hope we do," Goldwein wrote on X. "Achieving these savings requires major changes to how and how much we pay for health care."

Medicare (annual cost of about $1 trillion) is a federal health insurance program for people 65 or older, and some people younger than 65 with certain disabilities or conditions. Medicaid (annual cost of about $558 billion) is a joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.

The Government Accountability Office, which serves as the research arm of Congress, estimated annual fraud losses cost taxpayers between $233 billion and $521 billion annually, in a report in April. The fraud estimate's range represents 3% to 7% of average federal obligations. The Office of Management and Budget publicly questioned that estimate, calling it "not plausible."

"OMB has significant concerns that this report will not further efforts to prevent and reduce fraud, but rather will create confusion and promote misleading generalizations that have no factual connection to specific federal programs," Jason Miller, the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, wrote of OMB concerns in a three-page letter to officials with the Government Accountability Office.

On the campaign trail, Ramaswamy detailed his plan to reduce the federal workforce by 75% during an event at the America First Policy Institute in Washington in 2023.

Ramaswamy said he would shutter the FBI (about 35,000 employees); the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (5,099 employees); the U.S. Department of Education (about 4,200 employees); the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (about 3,000 employees); and the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Services (about 1,500 employees).

Under Ramaswamy's campaign plan, some 15,000 FBI employees would be moved to other agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Secret Service, Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Drug Enforcement Administration, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security.

Some groups called the Department of Government Efficiency goals a stretch. Others had more pointed things to say.

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer advocacy organization founded by Ralph Nader, said the government agencies and regulations Ramaswamy proposed cutting are in place to protect people.

"The purpose of government regulations is to protect the American people," she said in a statement. "We all depend on these regulations to protect our air, water, workers, children's safety, and so much more. 'Cutting red tape' is shorthand for getting rid of the safeguards that protect us in order to benefit corporate interests."

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Terrence R. Wall -
This is an opinion column. It’s time to celebrate. Dane County put Trump over the top....
kamala harris

Harris Concedes Election to Trump, Pledges to Help Him With Transition

The Center Square -

Vice President Kamala Harris addressed her supporters and the nation at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C. Wednesday afternoon, where she publicly conceded the race to former President Donald Trump.

Harris – the 60-year-old former California Attorney General and U.S. senator currently serving as vice president – called for loyalty to the U.S. Constitution and the peaceful transition of power in her speech.

She clearly conceded the race and pledged to help former President Donald Trump with the transition.

“My heart is full today, full of gratitude for the trust you have placed in me, full of love for our country and full of resolve,” Harris said to begin her remarks. “The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for, but hear me when i say the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”

Harris thanked her family, supporters, her team, President Joe Biden, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and poll workers.

“Over the 107 days of this campaign we have been intentional about building community and building coalitions, bringing people together from every walk of life and background, united by love and country with enthusiasm and joy in our fight for America’s future,” Harris said. “And we did it with the knowledge that we all have so much more in common than what separates us.”

Harris’ comments come as voting results continued to pour in showing former President Donald Trump either winning or leading in all seven swing states, putting him over 300 electoral votes and a roughly 5 million vote lead in the popular vote.

Now, Harris is expected to certify the election in early January ahead of Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

“We must accept the results of this election,” Harris said in her remarks. “I also told [Trump] that we will help him and his team with their transition and that we will engage in a peaceful transition of power.

“While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign, the fight for freedom, for opportunity, for fairness and the dignity of all people,” Harris continued.

Harris reportedly called Trump to concede the race earlier Wednesday afternoon. Harris held off on addressing her supporters or calling Trump into the early morning Wednesday as results poured in and made her path to the White House impossible.

Trump gave his own remarks early Wednesday, promising a new “golden age” in America.

“Frankly, I believe this was the greatest political movement of all time, and maybe beyond,” Trump said, promising to “help our country heal.”

President Joe Biden also reportedly called to congratulate Trump, who outperformed expectations on Tuesday after indictments, assassination attempts and constant media criticism in a historic political comeback.

No president has had two nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland, who was elected president for the second time in 1892.

In her speech, Harris laid out some of the policy or ideological issues that motivated her campaign, pledging to continue to fight for those ideas.

She also spoke an encouraging message to the young people in attendance at her speech.

“To everyone who is watching … this is not a time to throw up our hands,” Harris said. “This is a time to roll up our sleeves. This is a time to organize, to mobilize and to stay engaged for the sake of freedom and justice and the future that we all know we can build together.”

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