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Judge says Trump can’t just shut down USAID

Suzanne Downing
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41
Judge says Trump can’t just shut down USAID

A federal judge has stopped President Donald Trump from putting thousands of employees on paid leave at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The notice came Friday from U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, the day that the Trump Administration had set for essentially dismantling much of the rogue agency by midnight.

The judge gave no rationale for overriding the president but said he would issue a written ruling later.

USAID has been exposed as an agency that is doling out money to terrorists and domestic violent groups that riot when Republicans are governing.

USAID funds propaganda for LGBTQ ideology and other focuses about which many Americans have been shocked to learn. Among the funding recipients are:

$7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”

$4.5 million or more to “combat disinformation” in Kazakhstan

$1.5 million for “art for inclusion of people with disabilities”

$2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala

$6 million to “transform digital spaces to reflect feminist democratic principles”

$2.1 million to help the BBC “value the diversity of Libyan society”

$2.5 million to promote “inclusion” in Vietnam

$16.8 million for a separate “inclusion” group in Vietnam

$5 million to EcoHealth Alliance, one of the top NGOs funding bat virus research at the Wuhan lab

$20 million for a group related to a key player in the Russiagate impeachment hoax

$1.1 million to an Armenian LGBT group

$1.2 million to help the African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency build a state of the art 440-seat auditorium in Washington, D.C.

$1.3 million to Arab and Jewish photographers

$1.5 million to promote LGBT advocacy in Jamaica

The Trump order would have let 2,200 USAID worker stay home and get paid for not working. Federal employees receive full pay while on administrative leave, which is an authorized absence from work that doesn’t count against an employee’s leave balance. 

Wayne Heimer: The ‘Ugly American’ and USAID grants that promote counter-cultural colonialism

As of 9:30 p.m. Eastern time, the USAID website still contained this notice:

“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs. Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST).

“For USAID personnel currently posted outside the United States, the Agency, in coordination with missions and the Department of State, is currently preparing a plan, in accordance with all applicable requirements and laws, under which the Agency would arrange and pay for return travel to the United States within 30 days and provide for the termination of PSC and ISC contracts that are not determined to be essential. The Agency will consider case-by-case exceptions and return travel extensions based on personal or family hardship, mobility or safety concerns, or other reasons. For example, the Agency will consider exceptions based on the timing of dependents’ school term, personal or familial medical needs, pregnancy, and other reasons. Further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming.

“Thank you for your service.

“FAQs

“1. If I am posted overseas and placed on administrative leave, am I required to return to the United States within the next 30 days?

“No. While USAID and the Department of State are preparing a plan under which USAID personnel posted overseas would be offered optional and fully reimbursed return travel to the United States within 30 days, personnel are not required to accept Agency-sponsored travel or to return to the United States within any specific deadline. Overseas USAID personnel retain the option to remain at their posts, even while placed on administrative leave and not working. Beyond 30 days, however, Agency funded and arranged return travel may not be available unless an individualized exception is sought and granted.”

Millions of dollars in USAID money funded terrorism, investigation shows

Plane wreckage found on Norton Sound ice

Suzanne Downing
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20
Plane wreckage found on Norton Sound ice

The wreckage of a plane matching the description of the missing Cessna Caravan in Western Alaska has been located by searchers.

The Nome-bound plane was located approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome. Three bodies were found inside and reported to be deceased. There was no report on the other seven believed to be on the flight that left Unalakleet, southeast of Nome, on Thursday afternoon.

Update: The remaining seven people are believed to be inside the aircraft “but are currently inaccessible due to the condition of the plane. Our heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident,” the Coast Guard said.

“Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic incident,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The N number on the plane appear to match the description of the Cessna Caravan that is operated by Bering Air, an aviation company that flies people and freight around Western Alaska.

No sightings of missing Cessna in Norton Sound
Breaking: Bering Air flight into Nome overdue with 10 aboard; search is on

Trump starts unwinding Biden regulations that infringe on Second Amendment rights of Americans

Suzanne Downing
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67
Trump starts unwinding Biden regulations that infringe on Second Amendment rights of Americans

In an effort to reassert the constitutional rights of American citizens, President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Friday directing federal agencies to review all regulations and policies that may have infringed upon Second Amendment rights since former President Joe Biden took office in January, 2021.

The executive order, unveiled at the White House, focuses on the fundamental role the Second Amendment plays in preserving liberty and security.

“The Second Amendment is an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty. It has preserved the right of the American people to protect ourselves, our families, and our freedoms since the founding of our great Nation. Because it is foundational to maintaining all other rights held by Americans, the right to keep and bear arms must not be infringed,” said Trump, who survived two assassination attempts in the last year, but remains committed to constitutional protections.

Under his directive, Attorney General Pam Bondi has 30 days to conduct an extensive review of all executive actions, regulations, and agreements enacted between January 2021 and January 2025 that could potentially impede Americans’ right to bear arms. Attorney General Bondi will then present a proposed plan of action to the President, in coordination with the Domestic Policy Advisor.

As part of this review, key areas of focus will include:

  • Presidential and agency actions that may have restricted Second Amendment rights.
  • Department of Justice and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) regulations affecting firearms and Federal Firearms Licensees.
  • The White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s reports and policies.
  • The U.S. government’s legal positions in ongoing and potential litigation related to gun rights.
  • Agency policies on firearm and ammunition classifications.
  • The efficiency of federal processing for firearm-related applications, including manufacturing, transfer, and export licenses.

Once Bondi submits the proposed plan, the domestic policy advisor will work closely with the Department of Justice to finalize and implement measures to reinforce Second Amendment protections, which would be a likely rollback of regulations implemented under the Biden Administration and a return to constitutional boundaries on government interference with the public’s right to bear arms.

Video: Trump announces US-Japan venture on Alaska LNG

Suzanne Downing
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36
Video: Trump announces US-Japan venture on Alaska LNG

In a sign of improving U.S.-Japan energy cooperation, President Donald Trump announced a joint venture on Alaska oil and gas between the two nations during his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on Friday. The announcement is a milestone for the long-anticipated Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project, a strategic initiative aimed at expanding American energy exports to Asia.

During a press conference, President Trump underscored the importance of the project, stating, “Japan will soon begin importing historic new shipments of clean American liquefied natural gas in record numbers…We’re talking about the pipeline in Alaska, which is the closest point of major oil and gas to Japan by far…We’re talking about a joint venture of some type between Japan and us having to do with Alaska oil and gas.”

Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Gov. Mike Dunleavy praised President Trump’s leadership in advancing the project, emphasizing its potential economic benefits for Alaska and the nation.

“While Alaskans are praying for those who were on the missing Bering Air flight last night, we did have some very good news today on the Alaska LNG Project,” said Sen. Sullivan. “With his leadership, we will get the Alaska LNG Project built, which will create thousands of good-paying jobs, reinvigorate our American steel industry, significantly reduce our trade deficit in Asia, and deliver clean-burning Alaska gas for Americans, our military, and our allies in the Asia-Pacific, like Japan.”

Gov. Dunleavy echoed these sentiments, highlighting Alaska’s long-standing role in providing clean-burning natural gas to Asian markets.

“President Trump has been a steadfast supporter of Alaska and its ability to be the solution to many of America’s issues through its vast natural resources, its geopolitical position in the Arctic and Pacific, and Alaska’s ability to help its Asian neighbors such as Japan, with 60 years of clean-burning natural gas,” said Dunleavy. “As we move this project along, we look forward to working with President Trump, Japanese officials, and others to put project agreements in place ASAP.”

Sullivan has been actively championing the Alaska LNG Project for years, briefing President Trump and members of his administration on its strategic importance.

With a document titled “America’s Gasline,” Sullivan has highlighted the project’s benefits for national security, economic growth, and energy independence. President Trump’s commitment to the initiative was evident from day one, when he signed the executive order “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” prioritizing the Alaska LNG Project.

Congressman Nick Begich said, “My team and I have been working with the Trump Administration and industry partners, along with many others in the delegation and the Governor’s office to ensure that Alaska’s energy and mineral resources are fully developed. Today’s announcement with Japan underscores the commitment that the Trump Administration, in conjunction with America First colleagues in Congress, have towards achieving energy dominance in our Nation again. We look forward to continuing to support transformational projects for the benefit of Alaskans and our Nation as a whole.”

With the backing of the Trump administration, Japanese investment, and private-sector collaboration, Alaskans are optimistic about finally realizing a decades-long vision of bringing their natural gas resources to global markets.

Watch the press conference here:

Here come the lawsuits: Washington’s AG sues to undo Trump’s ban on child sexual mutilation

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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28
Here come the lawsuits: Washington’s AG sues to undo Trump’s ban on child sexual mutilation

By TJ MARTINELL | THE CENTER SQUARE

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown on Thursday filed a multi-state lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s executive order banning gender reassignment procedures, such as mastectomies and puberty blockers, on children.

Trump’s EO states that “it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

Brown argued at a Feb. 7 news conference that the EO was not only “disgusting,” but it was illegal for violating the Fifth and Tenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Brown also said that the EO “promotes harassment and discrimination against people that are already marginalized. It risks their literal health and safety, and that of their providers.”

Last year, nonprofit Do No Harm unveiled a database of gender reassignment procedures carried out nationwide, reporting that Seattle Children’s Hospital was among the top providers for procedures in the country. The Center Square also uncovered that the top surgical provider for underage gender reassignment surgeries had previously been fined $5 million by the AGO for deceptive business practices. 

Brown was joined by several individuals testifying in favor of youth gender reassignment procedures, with one person saying they “would rather die than go through male puberty” and that “this order will kill trans children if not stopped.”

Washington state has recently enacted numerous laws regarding underage gender reassignment procedures, including SB 5599 passed in 2023, which allows host homes and youth shelters to hide the whereabouts of children from their parents if the children claim to be seeking gender affirming care.

Washington state is joined by Washington state is joined in the lawsuit by Oregon and Minnesota, along with three unnamed physicians.

Trump says he will outlaw child sexual mutilation in America

Alex Gimarc: Senator majority leader parrots party line on education funding and no accountability

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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23
Alex Gimarc: Senator majority leader parrots party line on education funding and no accountability

By ALEX GIMARC

I listen (however painfully) to the other side in the political debates of the day, especially if a particular politician has “grown in office” and joined the other team. 

One of these is State Senator Cathy Giessel, currently the Senate majority leader.   

She was first elected to the State Senate as a conservative in 2010, and was targeted by then-AFL/CIO head Vince Beltrami in a knock-down, drag out, full-body-contact campaign in 2016, a campaign she won by a couple percentage points.  Somewhere along the way, she started drifting left politically, irritating her constituents sufficiently to get removed from office in the 2020 Republican primary. She was reelected two years later in a newly reconfigured district under ranked-choice voting. Upon that reelection, her new best friends forever were the big labor unions who now supported her, and she immediately caucused with Democrats.

Giessel writes a weekly newsletter.  The latest version was all about justifying increases in education spending.  She starts it with the following question:

Should a child’s ability to read depend on the price of oil?  

She then says no, based on: Our Constitution requires the State of Alaska to “maintain a system of public schools open to all children of the state…:

The rest of the newsletter is an attempt to justify the Senate majority effort to jack up public education spending, dumping more money into a failing system expecting different results. Her crack about the price of oil is a nicely crafted bait and switch, as her majority already has that increased spending paid for with the Permanent Fund dividend and an eventual raid on the Permanent Fund itself. 

Note that not a single word is written about accountability for either the public education establishment or the legislators who keep increasing its funding.  

Note also that there is nothing in the State Constitution that demands a specific dollar amount spent per student.  Indeed, in this state, the more money spent on public education generally ends up in worse educational outcomes. If high per-student spending was truly as important as she pretends, the Bush schools would be doing best of all, as they get the most money per student. But they don’t.  

What actually works is that the closer control of the spending is to the student (in the hands of the parents), the better the educational outcome.  This is why the Homeschoolers are doing best of all, at a miniscule cost per student per year compared to the massive funding of the public schools.  

When control of the money is far, far away from parents you get foolishness like we have here in Anchorage with an unqualified Superintendent, DEI, CRT, the trans agenda, and occasional porn in the school libraries.  The Superintendent apparently believes things are going well enough that he feels free to dabble with turning ASD into a sanctuary for illegals.  

The tragedy of all this is that historically bad failing statewide school systems are being reformed, particularly in the South.  Bob Griffin on Feb 7 wrote about the stunning improvement of Mississippi public education. Louisiana has a similar story.  

Why not Alaska? Because we confuse increased spending with better educational outcomes, something we’ve demonstrated does not happen.  

The Senate majority is telling us what they are going to do. The House majority is not far behind. It is up to us to make sure they are not successful.  

Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.

Alex Gimarc: A deeper look at RCA’s Eklutna opinion
Alex Gimarc: Inflation-proofing the Permanent Fund, and the sinister guile of Senator Giessel

No sightings of missing Cessna in Norton Sound

Suzanne Downing
-
8
No sightings of missing Cessna in Norton Sound

The Nome Volunteer Fire Department reported Friday morning that overnight searches by crews on two C130 planes found no trace of the Bering Air Cessna Caravan plane that had 10 on board when it went missing over Norton Sound on Thursday afternoon.

The flight transmitter stopped sending signals at about 3:19 p.m., and it appears the plane was over water or young (not thick) ice in the sound that is between Unalakleet, where the flight originated, and Nome, the carrier’s destination.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday is going to attempt to trace the cell phones of those onboard, although if the plane is in the water, that may not be easy. The plane itself has not transmitted any detectable signal by its emergency locator transmitter, a device that typically activates if a plane crashes.

Nome Fire Department said the Alaska National Guard has been approved to fly and has launched in a Blackhawk helicopter, and the U.S. Coast Guard is bringing a helicopter from Kodiak. Another C-130 has landed in Nome to assist. A ground crew is heading down the coast from Nome toward where the plane might be spotted.

Bering Air is ready to launch a King Air and helicopter support, but is letting Coast Guard maintain the airspace, the fire department said.

“All families of passengers on the missing flight have been notified. Please keep families in your thoughts at this time. Search efforts continue by air and land. The Coast Guard helicopter is actively canvassing the sea ice and shoreline, and the National Guard is spooling up to launch in the Blackhawk,” the fire department wrote on Friday.

This story will be updated as facts emerge.

Feb. 7, 10:30 a.m. update from Nome Volunteer Fire Department: “We received a weather update from National Weather Service this morning, and weather is looking stable for the next 24 hours to continue air search. Bering Air launched two King Airs earlier today at first light to fly grid patterns to canvas the area. Two helicopters are loading up to go in 20 Minutes. The Coast Guard is planning to drop a buoy to track and monitor ice movement to inform the search. The International Guard will help with searching in their helicopter. Search and Rescue groups from White Mountain and Nome continue to search by land in the surrounding area.”

Read the original report and updates from Thursday night at the link below:

Breaking: Bering Air flight into Nome overdue with 10 aboard; search is on

EPA puts of enviro-justice warriors on leave

Suzanne Downing
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22
EPA puts of enviro-justice warriors on leave

It’s a fraction of the three million federal employees that American taxpayers are carrying, but the Environmental Protection Agency has just sent more than 160 employees in the Office of Environmental Justice packing. These few dozen are part of the expansion of government that, under President Joe Biden, grew the federal workforce by 6% in four years.

The division says that “’Environmental justice’ means the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment so that people have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers and have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and engage in cultural and subsistence practices.”

In 2023, $150 million of environmental justice money from federal borrowing was directed to Alaska tribes, some of it to be used to clean up contaminated land, and to focus on “Alaska-specific climate action strategies … community energy resilience, improving human health and climate resilience, permafrost degradation management strategies, climate emergency management and response, and nature-based solutions.”

The funding from the environmental justice grant was applauded in 2023 by then-Rep. Mary Peltola and Sen. Lisa Murkowski for bringing national-debt-funded cash to Alaska for projects that had indeterminate goals and no specific deliverables for the nation.

The anti-DOGE: Murkowski writes of her opposition to Trump reducing size of government

Breaking: Bering Air flight into Nome overdue with 10 aboard; search is on

Suzanne Downing
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22
Breaking: Bering Air flight into Nome overdue with 10 aboard; search is on

Editor’s note: We are updating this story as details become available. Check back.

A Cessna Caravan plane belonging to Bering Air has gone missing on the way to Nome in Western Alaska. The flight originated in Unalakleet.

“We are currently responding to a report of a missing Bering Air caravan,” wrote the Nome Volunteer Fire Department.

“We are currently doing an active ground search from Nome and from White Mountain and have as much up to date information on the event as possible. Due to weather and visibility, we are limited on air search at the current time. National Guard and Coast Guard and Troopers have been notified and are active in the search. Norton Sound Health Corporation is standing by,” the fire department said.

There were 10 people on board — 9 passengers and the pilot.

“We ask the public to please think of those who may be missing at this time, but due to weather and safety concerns please do not form individual search parties. Families are encouraged to seek support at Norton Sound Health Corporation,” the fire department said.

Norton Sound Health Corporation has enacted their mass casualty protocol and is standing by, the city reported in a public service announcement.

Weather in the area is a mix of rain, sleet, and snow, and it is reportedly very difficult flying conditions.

More information will be added here as it becomes available.

Pilots in the area say there was severe icing from 6,000-8,000 feet.

At 6:45 p.m. the Nome Airport reports three-quarters of a mile visibility, with ceiling of 3,700 feet and light winds, 11 degrees and light snow falling. Sunset was at 6:05 p.m., and first light will at about 9:30 a.m., with sunrise at 10:28 a.m. on Friday.

Update: The Nome Volunteer Fire Department report that Flight Service said the pilot of the plane told Anchorage Air Traffic Control that he intended to enter a holding pattern while waiting for the runway to be cleared.

9:06 p.m. update: A C-130 has arrived in the Nome area. The plane did not land, but began to fly a grid pattern over the water and shoreline in attempts to locate the plane. The plane is equipped with specialized equipment for search and rescue that enables them to locate objects and people through no visibility conditions, the fire department in Nome said.

9:45 p.m. update: The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center has requested the Alaska National Guard’s assistance in the search for a missing plane in the Nome area. An Alaska Air National Guard HC-130J is actively searching this evening and an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter is on the way to assist.

12:30 a.m. update: Nome Volunteer Fire Department says there is no further information on the location of the missing aircraft. Crews are still searching on the ground, canvassing as much area as possible.

“The National Guard C-130 reported they found nothing found so far. The Airforce also sent a C-130 resumed the search and also have reported no visuals, and have one hour of flight search time remaining,” the fire department said.

The Nome Nugget has detailed information about teams on the ground searching for the plane.

The next update is expected after 9 am.

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