Raw Story

Trump wants FBI agents who investigated his coup attempt, his facilitating espionage, or his other financial and criminal activities fired.

Let’s be very clear: this is how dictatorships start.

A guy who wants to be a dictator always begins by changing how the government works. Even though the majority of the nation had agreed previously that the government should do certain things in certain ways, he reassures everybody he’s got a better way and it’ll all work out.

In the process, he breaks a bunch of laws, but people mostly shrug because they don’t directly affect them. Pastor Niemöller wrote about this in 1930s Germany; to paraphrase: First they came for the government workers…

Then people start resisting, which is when he begins to use the police power of the state. The people who show up in the streets, the people who speak out in the media, the people who try to fight him in the legislatures and the courts: he figures out ways to get them fired, harassed, and ultimately imprisoned.

When she was being confirmed, Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to say that she would not executed an illegal order on Donald Trump’s behalf. Like if he directed her to investigate somebody who irritated him. Or prosecute somebody who had investigated him. Or imprison — perhaps only temporarily, at first — somebody who has spoken out against him.

We’re there now. Bondi just announced that the political prosecutions are about to begin. At first they will be going after the police agencies themselves, as a way of bringing them to heel: Terrify the terrifiers.

Next will be the Press. First they will use financial terror to force compliance; we’re already seeing that with Trump’s lawsuits against all three major networks and multiple newspapers. That will expand. Eventually it will turn into shutdowns and arrests.

He will remake our schools so they become indoctrination factories for his white, male supremacist worldview and the new authoritarianism.

He will realign our democratic country away from democratic allies and toward countries run by dictators like he aspires to become.

He will purge the military of leadership that might resist him and of troops who might refuse his orders.

He will remake our criminal justice system so it becomes more violent and brutal, opening prisons for “the worst of the worst“ in places beyond the reach of law, like Auschwitz in Poland or Guantánamo in Cuba.

He will remake our media so it becomes a Greek chorus, singing his praises and carrying his every word.

By proclaiming, as every dictator does, that divine providence and the blessings of God put him where he is, he will bring the country‘s largest religious institutions to heel.

He will proclaim grand plans and spectacular efforts, like the Autobahn or remaking Gaza, Greenland, and Panama. They will distract the public from the relentless, grinding destruction of the guardrails of government itself.

He and his allies will empower civilian militias who will then become his terror shock troops against the people who oppose him. Hitler had his Brownshirts; Republicans in Nassau County are right now trying to field America’s first armed private militia.

He will remake commerce and business, so the most successful companies are those that throw money and resources at him. Fritz Tyson wrote a book about this, about his shame at facilitating it, titled I Paid Hitler. Someday, perhaps, Jeff Bezos or Tim Cook will write a similar book.

America today is early in this process, although it doesn’t typically take very long. It took Hitler 53 days. It took Putin about a year. It took Victor Orban about two years. It took Pinochet less than a week, although he had the help of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger.

Trump and his project 2025 friends, however, have been preparing for this for four years: They hit the ground running.

This moment proves that the preservation of democracy requires constant attention and a collective commitment to uphold the integrity of its institutions.

Right now, though, the only thing standing between democracy and dictatorship in America are public opinion, the media, and the Democratic Party; Republicans have completely caved and the courts move too slowly to stop him.

Elon Musk and Donald Trump seem to think they can pull this off in a matter of weeks, and so far — because of the cowardice of Republican legislators and the disorganization and lack of leadership among Democrats — they may be right.

Unless we all stand up and speak out now.

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Just two weeks ago, there were tens of thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development workers in Africa. Soon, there will be only 12, the New York Times reported Saturday.

Worldwide, the agency’s workforce has been whittled down to just 300.

The drastic action, which took just days to unfurl, came after President Donald issued an executive order to reevaluate foregin aid. It threatens a catastrophic international crisis, experts told the Times.

“We are in disbelief,” Medhanye Alem, who works for the Center for Victims of Torture in Ethiopia, said.

Sub-Saharan Africa received more than $8 billion a year from in U.S. foreign aid, money that fed starving children, provided lifesaving care and humanitarian assistance.

But Trump wants that to end.

“CLOSE IT DOWN!” he posted on social media Friday, along with claims of fraud and waste in the agency. Its headquarters in D.C. has already been shuttered — though that is being challenged in court.

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“The speed and shock of the administration’s actions have already led to confusion, fear and even paranoia at USAID offices across Africa,” the Times reported.

And governments are scrambling to figure out how to step into the gaping hole that’s been left.

“The consequences are also reverberating across an aid sector that, for better or worse, has been a pillar of Western engagement with Africa for over six decades. With the collapse of USAID, that entire model is badly shaken,” the Times reported.

“This is dramatic and consequential, and it’s hard to imagine rowing it back,” Murithi Mutiga, a program director at the International Crisis Group, told the Times.

“Once, the primacy of the West was assumed” in Africa, he said. “No more.”

As well as staff, the future of huge refugee camps, health care centers and programs — which relied heavily on American money — face destruction.

In Kenya, a stockpile of drugs for HIV will last a year, the report said. But there are no health workers to administer them.

And in some African nations, Trump’s move could result in anarchy, experts said.

“We could see governance effectively cease in a few countries, unless others step up to replace the hole left by the U.S.,” said Charlie Robertson, an economist who specializes in Africa.

Donald Trump's decision to choose Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to be his ambassador to the United Nations may have doomed multiple initiatives pushed by his administration in the closely divided U.S. House of Representatives.

According to a report from Politico, the House currently stands at a 218 Republicans to 215 Democrats majority that could shrink to 217 GOP members if New York Democrats have their way.

As Politico's Nick Reisman is reporting, New York State "lawmakers on Friday introduced a bill that would allow Gov. Kathy Hochul to schedule special elections under some circumstances until the November general election."

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With the bill expected to pass on Monday over GOP objections, Hochul has expressed approval and she could have a hand in handicapping House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) who is already struggling with his fractious caucus.

According to the report, Republicans are furious at he prospect of months with the seat sitting empty as the House attempts to forward Trump's agenda.

New York Senate Minority Leader Robert Ort complained, "These shameless Albany politicians can’t win on their disastrous policies like sky-high crime, out-of-control taxes, or an illegal migrant crisis they created, so they’re resorting to using Albany swamp tactics. The Senate Republicans are prepared to join any effort with the Trump administration to bring the hammer down on the brazen corruption in Albany.”

House Rep. Richard Hudson (R-VA) also expressed his disgust.

“The voters deserve to have a voice in Congress as soon as possible, any delay is a pure power grab by Kathy Hochul and Hakeem Jeffries to silence working families across Upstate New York," he stated.

You can read more here.

"Texas reports new measles outbreak in West Texas" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

At least 10 cases of measles — eight of which are among school-aged children — have been reported in Gaines County in West Texas over the past two weeks, driving worries of an escalating outbreak.

Of the cases so far, seven have been hospitalized, according to a Texas Health and Human Services alert. All were unvaccinated and residents of Gaines County, which has a population of about 22,000 and borders New Mexico.

“Due to the highly contagious nature of this disease, additional cases are likely to occur in Gaines County and the surrounding communities,” the alert said.

The new cases come more than a week after Texas health officials reported two Measles cases out of Gaines County, both involving unvaccinated school-aged children. Both children were hospitalized in Lubbock and later discharged. Earlier this week, state health officials said the number of cases had grown to six. Since then, cases have increased further.

West Texas is not alone in new cases of measles. In January, new measles cases were also reported in Harris County, prompting a health alert from the state and marking the first time Texans were confirmed to have the disease since 2023. The two Harris County cases involved unvaccinated adult residents.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease. Symptoms could include a high fever, cough, runny nose and rash that starts on the face but then extends to the rest of the body. The health consequences of getting measles can be serious and sometimes result in death.

Last year, 40% of all the 245 nationwide who contracted measles were hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of those hospitalized with measles last year were under the age of five.

The disease’s prevalence has accelerated in recent years. According to the CDC, by March 2024 there were more reported measles cases that year than in all of 2023. The rise comes more than two decades after measles was considered eliminated by health agencies in 2000, meaning that there had been no continuous spreading of the disease for 12 months.

The new cases both nationwide and in Texas come as the state’s measles vaccination rate among kindergarteners has dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccination rate was 97% in the 2019-20 school year and declined to 94.3% for 2023-24. Around the same time, the number of vaccine exemption requests in Texas have doubled from 45,900 in 2018 to 93,000 in 2024.

State lawmakers have filed more than 20 bills so far this legislative session aimed at weakening vaccination mandates. One proposal would even amend the Texas Constitution to preserve a Texans’ right to refuse vaccination.

Texas health officials have consistently said that vaccination is the best way for people to steer clear of measles and other preventable diseases. The vaccination process includes two separate doses.

“Children too young to be vaccinated are more likely to have severe complications if they get infected with the measles virus,” the Texas health officials wrote in a Jan. 30 release. “However, each MMR dose lowers the risk of infection and the severity of illness if infected.”

Experts recommend that children get the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in two doses: the first between 12 months and 15 months of age and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is about 93% effective at preventing measles infection, and two doses are about 97% effective.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/08/measles-west-texas-vaccine-outbreak/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

“The Tennessee Constitution is clear – the legislature has oversight of cities and counties,” House Speaker Cameron Sexton said in a statement. “If local governments refuse to follow state law or circumvent state laws, they should not expect to benefit from state resources. This legislation makes it clear that political stunts will not be tolerated at the expense of law-abiding Tennesseans.”

Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally promised to punish Memphis last August by cutting its share of sales tax revenue – more than $75 million – if the city put referendums on the November ballot restricting weapons. Memphis refused to back down, and voters subsequently approved changes to the city charter requiring a handgun permit, restricting gun storage in cars, banning assault weapons and enacting extreme risk protection orders, which are often called red flag laws.

The Memphis City Council adopted those measures after the referendum, but they aren’t expected to take effect unless state laws change, making it unclear whether Memphis would be punished.

Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley endorsed the gun-control measures amid a spike in gun violence, but Mayor Paul Young opposed placing the questions on the ballot.

Tennessee lawmakers rolled back the state handgun permit requirements at the request of Gov. Bill Lee four years ago, declined to enact red flag laws at the governor’s request and refused to pass gun storage and assault weapons bans.

Democratic Sen. London Lamar of Memphis called the bill an “affront to the separation of powers” taught in elementary schools.

“The attorney general doesn’t have the authority to choose which laws are constitutional and which ones aren’t. The power belongs to the courts,” Lamar said. “Let’s get back to work solving real issues – instead of creating legal problems.”

GOP leaders promise punitive tax move if Memphis passes gun restrictions; state moves to block them

Under the Sexton bill, which is sponsored in the Senate by Republican Sen. Adam Lowe of Calhoun, a state lawmaker could file a complaint about a local government and ask the attorney general to investigate. If the attorney general determines the local government is breaking the law and failing to reverse course within 30 days, the state could withhold all or a portion of state funds allotted to the local government, not just state-shared sales taxes.

McNally said in a statement the state Constitution is clear about constraining local governments to follow the law.

“Local government officials need to understand that there are real and tangible consequences for venturing outside their constitutional lane,” McNally said.

Sexton added that the legislature won’t allow “rogue” local leaders to sidestep state law or the Constitution and that they should “correct their course immediately.”

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti declined to challenge a judge’s order allowing the referendum questions to be placed on the ballot last year. Yet Skrmetti also called the referendum questions a “fraud on the voters” and a “futile stunt that wastes time and money.”

by Hillary ORINDE

Heated exchanges between South Africa and the United States this week are an eruption of tensions over several policy issues that have come into focus under President Donald Trump's administration, analysts said.

And more turbulence is in store, with South African-born billionaire Elon Musk a key ally of the new US president, they said.

Even if the recent outburst seemed surprising, "the trigger goes some time back," said Dawie Roodt, chief economist at the Efficient Group consultancy firm.

Senators in the previous US administration "were already questioning their relationship with South Africa", he said.

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For instance, in 2023 a bipartisan group of lawmakers called for former president Joe Biden to punish South Africa for not condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"All of a sudden, those voices that were minority are now more important," said Roodt.

Trump started the latest spat by accusing South Africa of "confiscating" land and treating "certain classes" of people badly, a likely reference to an expropriation act criticised by white farmers.

The government rejected the claim as misinformed.

Musk followed by charging that President Cyril Ramaphosa had "openly racist ownership laws".

Secretary of State Marco Rubio then weighed in, saying he would not attend a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Johannesburg this month because South Africa -- this year's president of the forum of top economies -- had an "anti-American agenda".

America's biggest trading partner in Africa has also come under fire from Washington for leading a case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of "genocidal" acts in its Gaza offensive, an accusation Israel has denied.

Pretoria has also shown its loyalty to Beijing, over Washington's preference for Taipei, by issuing a March deadline for Taiwan's de facto embassy to move out of the capital.

Trump has meanwhile threatened to place 100-percent tariffs on BRICS nations, of which South Africa is one, to dissuade them from replacing the US dollar with a rival currency.

- 'Elon factor' -

"The Elon factor is huge," political scientist Sandile Swana told AFP of the world's richest man, who left South Africa in the late 1980s when he was aged 17 and is now in Trump's government.

"Certain high-profile white South Africans are whispering things in the ears of Trump which are not verified," he said.

"White supremacist groups are gaining state power and using it to impose conservative right-wing views," he said, and South Africa is "an easy target".

Musk's barb about "racist ownership laws" may have been a reference to a black empowerment policy that has reportedly been behind delays in the licensing of his Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa.

Ramaphosa has not been shy about courting Musk's wealth as he seeks investment for the country. But "we will not be bullied," he said in an address to the nation on Thursday.

Despite the brave face, commentators say South Africa lacks the leverage to stand up to the United States.

"Trump has the US economy, technology, a number of billionaires, huge political movements behind him," Roodt said. "The big loser is going to be South Africa."

- 'Age of darkness' -

After Trump last month abruptly suspended US foreign aid funding -- which made up about 17 percent of the costs of South Africa HIV/AIDS treatment programmes -- there are renewed fears for the fate of the AGOA deal that gives some African products duty-free access to the US market.

Enacted in 2000, the deal -- of which South Africa is the largest beneficiary -- is due for renewal this year.

"If the Trump administration could shut down USAID in the way in which they have done, affecting the lives of millions, I don't think the AGOA has got a big chance to survive," Neil Diamond, president of the South African Chamber of Commerce in the United States, told AFP.

"It would require a massive intervention from the African leaders to change Trump's view on this."

The absence of the United States, the world's biggest economy, at the G20 summit at the end of the year would be a blow for South Africa's hosting of the key event.

Despite the escalation, the whole saga could also just fade away, political scientist Susan Booysen said.

"If it was pure provocation on the side of Trump, like he deliberately does, it seems it can end any time because he can just say, 'Oh, forget about what I said,'" she told AFP.

But Swana was less optimistic. "Trump is taking us back into the age of darkness," he said.