U.S. Attorney Dismissed Over Attempt to Charge NY Attorney General

Erik Siebert, the previous U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, was dismissed from his post by the White House last week. His removal was spurred by an unsuccessful attempt to bring charges against Letitia James, New York’s Attorney General, who is quite adversarial towards President Trump. It became public knowledge over the weekend when Trump encouraged Pam Bondi, the Attorney General, via social media to accelerate the process of prosecuting those hostile to his administration, such as the aforementioned James, former FBI Director Jim Comey, and Senator Adam Schiff. This showcases a president intentionally using the Department of Justice’s power to suppress his critics, while terminating anyone opposed to his directive.

Further shocking revelations came this week about Tom Homan, the White House’s border czar, involving an undercover FBI operation last year. It has been alleged Homan accepted a sum of $50,000 from undisclosed agents, masquerading as businessmen with the promise of securing contracts in the upcoming Trump administration. These details paint a picture of backdoor deals and direct monetary ties with the government.

A potential government shutdown is looming as the funding is set to run dry by the first day of October. The Republicans have suggested a temporary solution in the form of a seven-week continuation of the current funding arrangement while bipartisan discussions about a longer-term budget are undertaken. However, Democrats are asserting the need for negotiations that would aim to reverse cuts to Medicaid, prolong expiring Obamacare subsidies, and implement more checks on the administration’s use of funds allocated by Congress.

This week, President Trump, flanked by top health officials, made an announcement regarding updates by the Food and Drug Administration. The update specifies that acetaminophen (Tylenol) will now carry a label change. This update would flag potential risks associated with its use by pregnant women, indicating a possible connection to neurological disorders like autism and ADHD in the child.

This past week also marked a point of contention involving the Pentagon and the media. A memo was circulated to reporters by the Pentagon, dictating that they refrain from collecting or using any information that hadn’t received formal clearance for release.

Late last week, in his podcast, Cruz referred to the veiled threats made by Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, towards Disney leading up to the Jimmy Kimmel suspension. Carr’s tactics were compared to actions seen in the movie Goodfellas and were defined as incredibly perilous.

Furthermore, the government is developing a strategy to stabilize the Argentinian economy, whose financial markets are floundering due to President Javier Milei’s controversial austerity measures and ‘shock therapy’. A substantial proposal of $20 billion support is being considered, to aid Milei’s position ahead of the upcoming congressional elections, demonstrating significant international involvement.