Tuesday News: “China announces retaliatory tariffs”; Federal Workers “Angry,” “Scared But ‘Digging In'” Amidst Musk’s “covert coup…guided by internet trolls”; “It’s clear why Trump blames DEI for everything”; “The resistance begins to coalesce”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, February 4. According to Robert Hubbell, “The resistance begins to coalesce,” as “The despair that was prevalent last week is transitioning into bewilderment, indignation, and anger” and this excellent line: “We will never know whether our actions will succeed if we quit without trying. And we cannot know in advance which protest or act of resistance will spark the flames of a massive movement against Trump’s attempt to overthrow the Constitution. Your action might turn out to be that spark!” The bottom line is that if we want this to continue to be the United States of America, with rule of law, the constitution/Bill of Rights, etc. we’re going to all have to do our part to defend it – and definitely NOT say, as a friend did the other day, that it’s “over,” “nothing we can do right now,” blah blah blah. That’s really, really self-destructive/passive/selfish/nihilistic thinking that we should all reject.

• Study finds microplastic contamination in 99% of seafood samples
• ‘Heartbreaking’: Iceland’s pioneering female fishing guides fear for wild salmon
• Ukraine’s politics warms up as US focuses on war’s endgame (“After Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine’s normally febrile political life was becalmed under martial law. But there have been growing signs of activity picking up, as the United States has set its sights on finishing the war with Russia quickly.”)
• China announces retaliatory tariffs moments after Trump’s levies take effect (“Tariffs risk renewed trade war between world’s two biggest economies; China announces tariffs and investigation into Google in an apparent retaliation”)
• China counters with tariffs on US products. It will also investigate Google (“China said it would implement 15% tariff on coal and liquified natural gas products, as well as a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large-displacement cars.”)
• Trump sows uncertainty – and Xi Jinping sees an opportunity
• Is Trump’s trade war with Mexico and Canada over?
• Trump to pause promised tariffs for 30 days after speaking with Trudeau
• Trump pauses tariffs on Canada imports for 30 days after doing the same for Mexico
• Trump’s trade war with neighbours is delayed – what did they all get out of it?
• ‘I’m getting angry and anti-American’ – Canadians decry tariff threat (Can’t blame them at all.)
• U.S. soft power took decades to build. Trump is dismantling it in weeks. (This is going to do massive, long-term damage to America, not sure it can be reversed either. Who the F*** voted for this and WHY???)
• Netanyahu Prepares for Trump Meeting With Fragile Grip on Power
• Trump warns ‘no guarantees’ fragile Gaza truce will hold as Netanyahu heads to DC for talks
• El Salvador offers to lock up US criminals in its mega-jail (Wuuuuut?)
• Trump orders creation of US sovereign wealth fund, says it could buy TikTok
• Defense Secretary Vows to Use Thousands of Active-Duty Troops to Secure Border
• Federal judge issues restraining order blocking federal spending freeze
• DOJ Says Trump Administration Doesn’t Have to Follow Court Order Halting Funding Freeze (Of course they do!)
• ‘America at War With Itself’: Humanitarian, Climate Aid Becomes Flashpoint in a Battle for Control of U.S. Government
• A Coup Is In Progress In America
• The Coming War on Dissent (“As critics focus on Trump’s attacks on the media, his administration is preparing a larger assault on the First Amendment.”)
• Nobody Voted for Elon Musk
• Elon Musk and DOGE are hacking the government (“Elon Musk has moved with lightning speed to try to remake the federal government. Many Democrats and even some Republicans say his efforts are unlawful.” Arrest him then.)
• The Familiar Arrogance of Musk’s Young Apparatchiks
• CONSTITUTIONAL STANDOFF
• Elon Musk Installs Illegal Server to Seize All Federal Workers’ Data
• The ‘Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly’ of the United States Government
• DOGE’s access to federal data is ‘an absolute nightmare,’ legal experts warn
• Elon Musk’s Blitz Shakes U.S. Government as He Sweeps Through Agencies (They NY Times’ headlines and framing in general SUCKS. In this case, the headline should make clear that what Musk’s doing is outrageously ILLEGAL, for starters! This paper is a huge part of the problems we’re facing.)
• “Hitler actually had some good ideas”: Musk’s covert coup is guided by internet trolls (“Musk’s illegal government takeover is scary on its own — but the people he’s bringing along make it even worse”)
• Unmasked: Elon’s Secret DOGE Goon Squad—Every One Under 26
• Congressional Democrats Step Up Fight Against Elon’s Shadow Presidency
  (“We don’t have a fourth branch of government that’s called Elon Musk.” Musk needed to be reined in years ago…)
• Elon Musk Suggests Getting Rid Of All Regulations In Midnight Call (Musk is a clear-and-present danger to our country.)
• Elon Musk Is President (“He did not receive a single vote. He did not get confirmed. He does not receive a government paycheck. — The world’s richest man has declared war on the federal government and, in a matter of days, has moved to slash its size and reach, while gaining access to some of its most sensitive secrets.”)
• I’m a Federal Worker. Elon Musk’s Government Data Heist Is the Entire Ballgame.
• Musk, Trump Prosecutor Targeting People Who Divulge Identities of DOGE Staff (The DOGE people are committing serious crimes and should be arrested, immediately.)
• Musk’s superteam of former iPad babies
• Trump II Punishes Fed Workers For Attending Trump I Diversity Training (That training was mandatory, right? How can the workers be punished for doing something that was mandatory??? Also, there’s nothing wrong with diversity, equity and inclusion.)
• It’s clear why Trump blames DEI for everything (“Everyone but the credulous media seems to understand what’s behind Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion…So when Trump indicts a thing called DEI for the deaths of 67 people, a deaf dog could hear the whistle. But the mainstream press, having decided to go easier on DJT this time around, played along.”)
• Trump preps order to dismantle Education Dept. as DOGE probes data
• State Dept. Fires About 60 Contractors Working on Democracy and Human Rights
• ‘F**k That’: Federal Workers Say They’re Scared But ‘Digging In’ Amid Trump’s Chaos (“Ironically for the Trumpies, bringing us back to the office will make us stronger morale-wise”)
• Trump’s vanishing guardrails challenge Washington (Lame/weak headline by Axios.)
• Donald Trump’s Constitutional Chaos Over Federal Spending Is Only Beginning (In stark contrast to the pathetic NY Times, Axios, etc., this is an EXCELLENT headline by Vanity Fair!)
• CFPB halts work after Trump appoints Bessent as acting head (INSANITY.)
• What Trump and Musk are doing could change the American system forever (“Things that would have been unthinkable a few years ago are happening.”)
• Musk Says He’s ‘Deleted’ Popular Free IRS Tax Filing Program (WTF???)
• Elon Musk creates confusion about IRS’ Direct File — but the free tax program is still available
• Democrats flood the zone with acts of anti-Trump resistance
• Democratic Senator Says He Will Stall Trump Nominees Until USAID Is Back
• Trump’s attack on USAID is an assault on Americans’ safety (“Our foreign assistance wins us friends, establishes our leadership, and neutralizes distant threats.”)
• Marco Rubio Accuses USAID Of ‘Insubordination,’ Claims He’s Now In Charge (Why the F*** did any Democrat vote to confirm Rubio? The guy’s been horrible for years! Ugh.)
• Progressive Democrats accuse Trump and Musk of ‘a plutocratic coup’
• Trump appoints speechwriter fired for attending conference with White nationalists to top State Department role (“Darren Beattie, a former Donald Trump speechwriter who was fired in 2018 after CNN revealed he spoke at a conference attended by White nationalists, has been elevated to a top job” Horrific.)
• Jan. 6 conspiracy theory promoter named to a top State Department job
• Scientists brace ‘for the worst’ as Trump purges climate mentions from websites (“Trump administration pulling references online ‘won’t make crisis’ stop impacting Americans’ lives, say experts”)
• E.P.A. Tells More Than 1,000 They Could Be Fired ‘Immediately’ (Wildly unacceptable.)
• The FCC’s battle with CBS over its Harris interview is raising red flags
• The single most important battle Democrats must wage (“Don’t let Donald Trump’s noise distract from his ultimate power grab.”)
• GOP’s Susan Collins to back Tulsi Gabbard confirmation (Collins is beyond pathetic – and absolutely needs to be defeated when she’s up for election in 2026. Total disgrace.)
• Chris Wright Is Confirmed to Be Secretary of Energy (This guy will be the worst Secretary of Energy ever.)
• Trump’s agenda won’t let his energy secretary achieve ‘energy abundance’
• Why Are Hospitals Bowing to Trump’s Illegal Gender-Affirming Care Ban?
• Texas National Guard to make immigration arrests under agreement with Trump administration, Abbott says
• 2.2 billion gallons of water flowed out of California reservoirs because of Trump’s order to open dams (“There are two major problems, water experts said: The newly released water will not flow to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during the wet winter season.” Among his many other horrible traits, Trump is an IMBECILE – completely ignorant of everything, really.)
• 55 of the 67 victims have been recovered from the D.C. plane crash
• Trump wants to move 100K federal jobs out of D.C. What could that look like?
• Kaine hears of fear, uncertainty in Richmond over Trump orders
• Resources for Federal Workers
• Federal workers at Northern Va. town hall say they are angry, scared and fed up (“Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who sponsored the town hall, advised workers not to take the deferred resignation plan being offered, saying, ‘I don’t know if I trust this offer.’ The comment was followed by thunderous applause in the room. He also told federal workers they should continue to push back, because he thinks that resistance is working.”)
• Va. lawmakers float broad tax cuts instead of Youngkin’s targeted plan
• Commentary: Virginia’s courts are in crisis. We have a bill for that
• Virginia gets about 7% of its power from solar. If that much solar causes controversy, how can we ever go carbon-free? (It mostly causes controversy among Republicans…)
• Bill protecting doctors that give gender-affirming care clears state Senate, veto likely awaits
• Doctors who provide abortion, transgender care could get legal protections under Virginia bill
• Virginia Senate Dems pass bill to protect health care workers from out-of-state attacks
• After years of trying, Roem’s FOIA fees limit bill is moving forward (“Members of the House of Delegates are now considering a bill that would create new limits on how much government agencies can charge for a public records request.”)
• Senate committee kills legislation that would have created a standard for inquiring about immigration status at DSS (Good.)
• Virginia’s legislative budget looks to tackle Helene relief quickly
• Editorial: Eliminating Confederate tributes is an overdue reckoning for Virginia (“If individuals want to pay tribute to the Confederacy, they should pay that tribute themselves and not burden Virginia taxpayers with the cost.”)
• Earle-Sears misses daily session due to foodborne illness
• Deliberate injustice: Virginia set to pay millions to three wrongfully convicted men
• It’s time for Virginia legislators to pay more than lip service to social media protections for kids
• Why CHKD is pausing gender-affirming care for trans minors
• Roanoke expects to surpass $400 million in budget revenue
• Election fraud charges move forward in Blacksburg case
• CWG Live updates: Becoming brighter and breezy today, wintry mix late Wednesday