TRUMP REGIME

Casual moments of the Trump Regime

Raw Story -  Donald Trump's transition team has failed to sign important government ethics agreements, leading to his nominees being "blocked" from the agencies they will soon be controlling, according to a report. Trump hasn't been sworn into office yet but, as one U.S. senator recently said, he's already delaying his legal responsibilities when it comes to signing an ethics agreement that has to be on file before a presidential transition takes place. The Trump transition’s "unprecedented delay" is causing an issue with access to government records and even cybersecurity assistance, according to Politico.

Washington Post -  Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are interviewing job candidates and seeking advice from experts in Washington and Silicon Valley — pushing a sweeping vision for the “Department of Government Efficiency” past the realm of memes and viral posts into potential real-world disruption...

Top Musk surrogates from his business empire — including private equity executive Antonio Gracias and Boring Company President Steve Davis — are involved in planning, the people said, along with a coterie of Musk friends and Silicon Valley leaders, including Palantir co-founder and investor Joe Lonsdale, who funds a libertarian-leaning nonprofit dedicated to government efficiency; investor Marc Andreessen; hedge fund manager Bill Ackman; and former Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick. Ramaswamy, Musk and the Silicon Valley cohort plan to work on technical challenges to collecting data about federal employees and programs, which they believe is siloed in antiquated systems. Andreessen is acting as a key networker for talent recruitment, one person said. Those executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Musk and Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential candidate, outlined their vision for using executive powers and the legal system to push cuts to federal regulations, spending and personnel — a vision that they expect to be tested in court. The men also are launching a podcast, called “Dogecast.” And they backed a new House subcommittee aimed at supplementing their efforts in Congress, where some Republicans have enthusiastically welcomed their initiative.

MSNBC -  The House passed legislation that gives the Treasury Department authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it claims support terrorism.