We havenât seen a pardon as sweeping as Hunter Bidenâs in generations
By Betsy Woodruff Swan Hunter Bidenâs pardon looks a lot like Richard Nixonâs. President Joe Bidenâs grant of clemency on Sunday night â an extraordinary political act with extraordinary legal breadth â insulates his son from ever facing federal charges over any crimes he possibly could have committed over the past decade. Experts on pardons said they could think of only one other person who has received a presidential pardon so sweeping in generations: Nixon, who was given a blanket pardon by Gerald Ford in 1974. âI have never seen language like this in a pardon document that purports to pardon offenses that
3 Reasons Why Trump Ditching the Department of Education Will Especially Hurt Black Students
By Phenix S. Halley President-elect Donald Trump has outlined plans for his second term in scary detail: using military force to execute mass deportations, clearing out DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies, and, shockingly, even eliminating the Department of Education (DOE). In preparation for four more MAGA years, Trump announced Linda McMahon, the former wrestling executive, will head the DOE he vows to abolish, yes. With Americans everywhere still reeling from the Nov. 5 results, itâs time we truly understand whatâs at stake if the 44-year-old DOE is abolished â especially for Black students. Billions of Dollars Wonât Be Federally Regulated Itâs important
Trump shake-up spurs optimism and anxiety among key US allies
By Laura Kelly Some of Americaâs key security allies are hopeful President-elect Trumpâs impetuous streak might spur resolution to drawn-out conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, but thereâs also deep anxiety about the âAmerica Firstâ agenda, compounded this week by Trumpâs tariff threats. These competing sentiments were on display over the weekend at the Halifax International Security Forum, where top diplomats, defense ministers, U.S. lawmakers, foreign politicians, military brass, and democracy activists scoured for any clues on where Trump can be convinced to stand with allies, and where he is intent on going rogue. Rosa Brooks, a law professor
Republicans fume after President Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter
By Megan Lebowitz  GOP lawmakers began publicly fuming shortly after President Joe Biden announced that he was pardoning his son Hunter Biden. President-elect Donald Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, reacted to the announcement without naming the president or his son. “The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” Cheung said in a statement. “That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an
Trump team eyes quick rollback of Biden student debt relief
By Michael Stratford President-elect Donald Trump is poised to pull the plug on President Joe Bidenâs yearslong push to cancel student debt for tens of millions of people as Republicans sweep into power in the coming months. Trump transition advisers and outside allies have been discussing ways to quickly unwind the various Biden-era initiatives that offered new or easier paths to loan forgiveness for borrowers, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The move would be the culmination of nearly four years of attacks by GOP lawmakers and attorneys general on Bidenâs student debt relief policies. On the campaign
Special counsel Jack Smith moves to drop both federal criminal cases against Trump
By Kyle Cheney Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday dropped one of his criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump and was on the verge of dropping the other â a termination that is required, Smith said, by Justice Department policy that bars continuing the prosecutions once Trump is inaugurated. In a pair of court filings, Smith said he consulted with Justice Department officials about whether an ongoing prosecution against a person elected president might proceed. Officials in the departmentâs Office of Legal Counsel, Smith said, concluded that a longstanding prohibition on prosecuting a sitting president applied to the two cases against Trump.
Red States Back Trumpâs Plan to Abolish Education Department
Written By Jessica Blake An increasing number of Republican state officials are supporting President-elect Donald Trumpâs plans to dismantle the federal Department of Education. One even formed an advisory committee to prepare for any new responsibilities the state may take on as a result. âWhat we want to make sure that weâre able to do is implement big changes in the fastest way possible,â Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters said Nov. 11 as he announced the formation of a Trump Education Advisory Committee. âWeâve been at the tip of the spear for the most aggressive, conservative education agenda already, and now with President
Congress will have a record-setting number of Black members in its ranks next year
By Curtis Bunn The Congressional Black Caucus will boast a record 62 members for the next session of Congress, contributing toward the highest number of Black federal lawmakers in history, according to the organization. In all, 67 Black people will serve in Congress. Five Republican members are not listed as members of the CBC. While the caucus’s members had planned to uphold a policy agenda for Black and marginalized people under a Kamala Harris administration, instead Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said the CBC’s role will be to hold President-elect Donald Trump and his congressional supporters accountable. Both the House and Senate
Concern Follow Trumpâs Decision to Tap Former WWE Exec as Education Secretary
Written By Jessica Blake When President-elect Donald Trump wanted to find his next education secretary, he turned not to state officials with a record of overhauling education, but rather to a former wrestling executive with a short rĂ©sumĂ© in the sector. Itâs a move that shocked some analysts while delighting Republican lawmakers and conservative groups. Other politicians and education experts alike are withholding judgment until Linda McMahon is formally nominated. Reactions to McMahonâs selection centered on her background as cofounder and CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment and what her lack of education policy experience could mean for the future of
These Loyal Black Conservatives Just Got Left in the Dust By Trump’s Post-Election Picks
By Candace McDuffie As President-elect Donald Trump continues to handpick members of his Cabinet, it appears as though the Black conservatives who backed him at mind-boggling levels are nowhere to be found. Here are the ones that got noticeably left in the dust. After he triedâand failedâto become the Republican presidential nominee, U.S. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott went on to endorse Trump. This meant appearing at Trumpâs campaign rallies and confessing his undying love for him. Beyond humiliating himself.s..atleast in front of Black folk, Scott has yet to be selected as a member of his Cabinet. Political Commentator Candace Owens Conservative