AG Pam Bondi: She'll allow Trump's deeds she told committee she would not do

 

Newly sworn in AG Pam Bondi

(DOJ headed for Topsy-Turvy turmoil)

The following from new AG Pam Bondi in her statement after she told the Senate committee that she would NOT do what is now reported from THE AP NEWS with this headline and in the post that follows this post here  (edited and formatted to fit the blog).

WASHINGTON (AP) — New AG Pam Bondi has ordered a review of the federal prosecution of Trump as she unveiled a series of directives designed to overhaul the DOJ the president claims is biased against conservatives.

Hours after she was sworn in at the White House, Bondi called for the creation of “weaponization working group” that will scrutinize the work of special counsel Jack Smith who charged Trump in two criminal cases (January 6 and Mar-a-Lago classified documents).

The group will review “unethical prosecutions”   stemming from those two events among other things, according to her the memo.

MY NOTE ADDED: The use of the word “weaponization” used by the GOP against DEMS and anyone not a conservative is precisely what they are doing in a raw, nasty, and ugly in our face operation to appease Trump and across the DOJ now and with Musk at DOGE – no question about that can be denied.

“Trump administration forces out multiple senior FBI officials and January 6 prosecutors”

Trump said he was not aware of the removals. Officials also said that thousands of FBI agents who investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol are under review.

Trump administration officials have forced out all six of the FBI’s most senior executives and multiple heads of FBI field offices across the country, current and former FBI officials told NBC News.

The list included the high-profile leader of the Washington, D.C., field office, which was involved in the prosecutions of Trump, and federal prosecutors who investigated January 6 rioters.

A congressional aide said the number of prosecutors impacted is roughly two dozen. A letter sent to the fired prosecutors said their removal was based on their role in the January 6 prosecutions.

It cited an executive order Trump recently signed that: “Called the Jan. 6 prosecutions a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years.”

In a separate memo to the FBI workforce sent out, the acting director, Brian J. Driscoll, Jr., informed employees that acting Deputy Attorney General, Emil Bove *(was Trump criminal defense lawyer), had asked for a list of all FBI employees who worked on January 6 cases for “a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary, and Driscoll wrote: “We understand that this request encompasses thousands of employees across the country who have supported these investigative efforts. I am one of those employees.”

The removals came a day after Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, testified under oath in his Senate confirmation hearing and said: “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution.”

Asked by a reporter about the removals on Friday afternoon, Trump said he was not aware of them.

Then he quickly added: “No, but we have some very bad people over there. It was weaponized at a level that nobody has ever seen before. They came after a lot of people like me, but they came after a lot of people. No, I wasn’t involved in that. I’ll have to see what is exactly going on after this is finished. Some FBI officials needed to be removed. If they fired some people over there, that’s a good thing, because they were very bad. They were very corrupt people, very corrupt, and they hurt our country very badly with the weaponization and they used the Justice Department to go after their political opponent, which in itself is illegal, and obviously it didn’t work.”

This added summary:

Trump praised Bondi's record as a prosecutor and said she will restore “fair, equal and impartial justice" at the department. 

Bondi told the president that she would not let him down adding: “I will make you proud and I will make this country proud. I will restore integrity to the Justice Department and I will fight violent crime throughout this country and throughout this world, and make America safe again.”

Bondi enters with the department roiled by the firings of career prosecutors and senior FBI officials, along with the highly unusual scrutiny of thousands of agents involved in the sprawling January 6 investigation.

FBI agents this week sued after the DOJ demanded that the bureau turn over the names of all agents involved in the January 6 probe, which agents believe may be a precursor to mass firings.

Acting Deputy AG Emil Bove said in a memo to the workforce: “That FBI agents who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner are not at risk of being fired. The only employees who should be concerned are those who acted with corrupt or partisan intent. There is no honor in the ongoing efforts to distort that simple truth or protect culpable actors from scrutiny on issues which have politicized the Bureau, harmed its credibility, and distracted the public from the excellent work being done every day.”

My 2 Cents: It pains me to say a lot of lies were told in order to gain power for Trump and then get confirmed and into office while removing any guardrails against the massive changes that we are seeing and those forthcoming.

The new guardrails mow in place are there to protect Trump and at the same time block the public’s view and taking away any accountability to the public are doing up faster than we can count equaling total Trump/GOP/MAGA control.

Believe it – changes are now right before our eyes and in our collective face that will go unchecked at will and protect Trump – which has been his strategy all along to the stop or get right of the many charges against him (with SCOTUS’ decision) has achieved that goal to date.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

America’s Destiny: Starting With Trump's PROJECT 2025 Purge & Revenge Tour

 

Eight days back in office and already a train wreck

(Duck!!! What Duck???)

From CNN this very troubling article shows another Trump revenge step that he promised with this startling headline:

“Trump Justice Department fires officials who investigated Trump and launches ‘special project’ into January 6 cases”

More than a dozen officials who worked on the criminal investigations into Trump have been fired, according to sources familiar with the matter.

A letter from Acting AG James McHenry to the officials said they cannot be “trusted to faithfully implement Trump’s agenda” and that: “You played a significant role in prosecuting President Trump. The proper functioning of government critically depends on the trust superior officials place in their subordinates. Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

The firings come as the Trump administration is taking concrete steps to investigate prosecutors who oversaw the criminal cases against January 6 defendants after Trump vowed to seek retribution as a key pledge of his campaign, according to multiple sources who have seen an internal memo on the matter.

My Insert Critical on this Issue

The Legal Landscape: In 1933, President FDR asked William R. Humphrey, a member o: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for his resignation because Roosevelt felt that the work of the FTC could be “carried out most effectively with Roosevelt-appointed administrators as opposed to those who worked under the previous administration.”

History: The statute that created the FTC had given its commissioners, like Humphrey: “For cause protections from removal.” That means that a President could not remove them merely for political reasons or differences of opinion.

SCOTUS Case: Humphrey's Executor v. United States, 295 U.S. 602 (1935). After hearing a challenge to a presidential order removing Humphrey from his position at the FTC, the Supreme Court issued its unanimous decision that held that appointees at the head of quasi-judicial agencies structured like the FTC, et al, can be protected from at-will removal even by the President.

Ed Martin, a 2020 election denier and who also defended the January 6 rioters, and is now the interim U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C. launched an investigation into prosecutors who brought obstruction charges under US Code 1512(c) against some rioters that were ultimately tossed because of a Supreme Court decision last summer.

Referring to the effort as a “special project,” Martin wrote in the memo that the attorneys should: “Hand over all information you have related to the use of 1512 charges, including all files, documents, notes, emails, and other information and submit a report on the probe by Friday.”

He then referenced the Supreme Court ruling saying: “We  need to get to the bottom of it” (the cite was the June SCOTUS ruling that limited the power of federal prosecutors to pursue obstruction charges against the January 6 rioters).

Martin’s demand for documents also extends to prosecutors who have since left the U.S attorney’s office. 

The move comes as the DOJ has already seen a dramatic shakeup as officials connected to high-profile investigations have been reassigned, including the now-dismissed case against Trump himself for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Prosecutors who worked on January 6 cases told CNN that the memo raises concerns that Trump’s DOJ is beginning to “investigate the investigators,” as he’s long threatened. 

One person who worked on Capitol riot cases told CNN that prosecutors don’t know whether this investigation is looking to bring criminal or civil charges, and that some are starting to hire their own lawyers for their defense.

Related article here and here and especially here!!!

My 2 Cents: All this on top of the EO’s signed by Trump are collectively very worrisome, concerning, and quite frankly damn scary. Why? 

There appears at this point to be no guardrails against the wild things Trump is implementing and doing. 

The guardrails are not just blocked but are manned with Trump loyalists against anything good and decent to stop his revenge steps. We have never ever seen anything like this in our nation’s history. 

I honestly fear that a Civil War looms and ready to erupt and on a scale that will wipe out millions and millions of Americans and open up the door to foreign forces to intervene and finish us off. 

All that we know and love would be lost. That love and greatness will be gone due to the loyalty to one man: King Donald the 47th. 

That is not hyperbole but is the reality right in front of us right now every hour of every day and every minute. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Trump's Fav Song: Appears to be "The Heat is On" Due to His List of EO Gaffes

Showing off one his proud moments back in Office 

This RAWSTORY article is first of two that are scary and worrisome. Will Trump pay attention to either one? Here is the first of the two articles:

“Killed an American: Expert puts Trump on notice over President causing serious damage”

The highlights from the this article (edited to fit the blog):

Donald Trump was warned by an expert on Saturday that the President is causing great harm to the world and the U.S.

Dr. Atul A. Gawande (born in Brooklyn, NY), former medical professor at the Harvard School of Public Health; former U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) official; and a surgeon wrote: “The Trump plan stops medicines, supplies, systems building, staff support aiding over 90 million women and children to get low cost vaccinations, prenatal care, safe childbirth, contraception, and other basic lifesaving health needs. It also stops direct services for 6.5 million orphans, vulnerable children, and their caregivers affected by HIV in 23 countries,  stops donated drug supplies keeping 20 million people living with HIV alive, and would furlough all USAID contract staff — which includes half of its global health bureau unless exempted. This Administration is trashing U.S standing, alliances with scores of countries built over half a century, world-leading capacity and expertise, and American security.”

From the article above these recommended links:

· Expert from Trump's first term issues dire warning

·  Legal expert paints grim portrait of holding Trump accountable

·  Personification of MAGA rage: Expert alarmed by under radar Trump hire

·  Trump's forward-leaning posture & “body tics” of serious concern

This is the 2^nd article that come from USA TODAY which shows just how shameful and disrespectful Trump truly is so many ways and just how far off the rails of rational logic he has gone in this his second term.

Trump's DEI order strips Air Force curriculum of 1st Black pilots, and female WWII pilots

My 2 Cents: There is nothing I can add to Dr. Gawande’s excellent review and comments of Trump’s total lack of medical knowledge and the damage he has already laid in place. The story speaks for itself and so do the Trump horrible policies now in place and underway.

Let’s face, it’s a sick and sad day for America to be represented by a man now serving as our President who only follows a narrow-minded MAGA point of view about medical issues, and other issues on a grand dangerous scale, I’m sorry to say.

Trump’s actions speak volumes at least in my opinion and obviously in the expert views from many others like Dr. Gawande. One only has to look at the people Trump is trying to get approved for high level positions like RFKJr; Tulsi Gabbard; and Kash Patel, as well a few others now pending confirmation to high level jobs to see my point.

I am very concerned and worried about our future and I hope you are, too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Trump Suspends Foreign Aid & Pardons 1,500 Most-Dangerous January 6 Rioters

One of many EO's Trump signed in two days

(Big one was 1,500 Jan 6 pardons)

“I'm not going to play by any rules. They need to pay for what they did.”

Dramatic, simple, startling very sick story with serious recuperations:

“Trump suspends U.S. foreign assistance for 90 days pending reviews”

According to the Associated Press, Trump has signed an EO suspending all foreign aid programs for 90 days. During this period, a review will be conducted to determine whether these programs meet the country's political objectives.

Despite this, it's not entirely clear how much aid will be cut by this EO as Congress has already approved funding for many programs, which should be allocated if the funds are not lost.

Trump declared: “That no further U.S foreign aid will be disbursed in a manner that isn't fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”

Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at his confirmation hearing: “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund and every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to three simple questions.”

1. Does it make America safer?

2. Does it make America stronger?

3. Does it make America more prosperous?

Trump has long railed against foreign aid despite the fact that such assistance typically amounts to roughly 1% of the federal budget, except under unusual circumstances such as the billions in weaponry provided to Ukraine. 

Trump has been critical of the amount shipped to Ukraine to help bolster its defenses against Russia’s invasion.

The last official accounting of foreign aid in the Biden administration dates from mid-December and budget year 2023. 

It shows that $68 billion had been obligated for programs abroad that range from disaster relief to health and pro-democracy initiatives in 204 countries and regions.

Some of the biggest recipients of U.S. assistance are: (1) Israel ($3.3 billion per year); (2) Egypt ($1.5 billion per year); and (3) Jordan ($1.7 billion per year).

All unlikely to see dramatic reductions, as those amounts are included in long-term packages that date back decades and are in some cases governed by treaty obligations.

Funding for U.N. agencies, including peacekeeping, human rights, and refugee agencies have long been traditional targets for Republican administrations to slash or otherwise cut.

The first Trump administration moved to reduce foreign aid spending, suspending payments to various UN agencies, including the U.N. Population Fund, and funding to the Palestinian Authority.

The U.S. previously under Trump had already pulled out of the U.N. Human Rights Council, with its financial obligations, and has been barred from funding the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, by a bill signed by former President Joe Biden last March.

My 2 Cents: More to follow on this shocking story. 

Will update as soon more details are forthcoming. 

Another totally sick disturbing story from USA TODAY with this pardon-related headline: “Trump defends pardons for rioters and suggests the “Proud Boys could have place in politics” 

Reminder who they and their leader is: Enrique Tarrio (picture above) who was serving a 22-year term for January 6 when Trump pardoned him. 

The Proud Boys is a North American far-right, neo-fascist militant organization that promotes and engages in political violence. 

The group's leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the federal government of the United States, including its constitutionally prescribed transfer of presidential power. 

It has been called a street gang and was designated as a group in Canada and New Zealand. 

They oppose left-wing and progressive groups and they strongly supported and still do support Trump.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Civil Service Act (1883): Replaced SPOILS SYSTEM Now Back With Trump Loyalists

Teddy Roosevelt Created Non-partisan Civil Service

(Trump tossing it out for Hacks & Favs) 

Excellent rundown on how Trump will ditch civil service protections in place that protects civil service appointees and enables him fire up to 50,000 and replace them with loyal Trump-MAGA people outlined in this REUTERS News article headline:

“How Trump aims to dismantle the ‘deep state’ and assert control”

A brief history of the current Civil Service system and the Civil Service Law §107 with a two page overview:

For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the federal workplace operated under a “Spoils System,” whereby employees were hired, promoted, demoted, or terminated based on their political affiliation.

The spoils system fostered continual upheaval in executive branch operations. 

An 1883 federal law, the Pendleton Act, intended to eliminate the spoils system and create the civil service system based upon employees who performed well on competitive examinations and secured appointments to available government positions.

President Theodore Roosevelt concentrated on ending the spoils system while expanding civil service.

The modern merit system was shaped by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA).

The CSRA created four agencies that share civil service responsibilities: 

(1) Office of Personnel Management (OPM); 

(2) Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB);

(3) Federal Labor Relations Authority  (FLRA); 

and the 

(4) Office of Special Counsel (OSC).

The CSRA placed the authority to adjudicate federal sector equal employment opportunity complaints under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

TRUMP NOW OFFERS HIS VERSION OF A MODERN DAY “SPOILS SYSTEM” TAKING THE COUNTRY BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH ONLY HIS LOYALISTS IN OFFICE:

From the REUTERS NEWS article (formatted to fit the blog):

1. Trump aims to strip job protections from about 50,000 federal employees.

2. Critics argue Trump's “Deep State” claims are a conspiracy theory aimed at justifying a power grab,

3. Schedule F could spread fear and silence among federal workers legal experts and unions warn.

WASHINGTON, January 18 (Reuters) – Trump is poised to seize greater control of the federal government than any modern president before him when he takes office, charging ahead with plans to dismantle what he and his allies call the “Deep State,” according to two sources familiar with transition discussions.

The effort could get underway as early as Trump's first day as president, according to one of the sources, with an executive order aimed at stripping job protections from an estimated 50,000 career federal employees, allowing their replacement by handpicked loyalist appointees.

The Trump administration will also push to fill the thousands of political appointments across government as soon as possible.

The goal is to inject political loyalists deep into the workings of government, perhaps more so than any other recent president.

In a harbinger of what may lie ahead, Trump's team has requested the resignation of three senior career diplomats who oversee the U.S. State Department's workforce and internal coordination. 

Trump allies blame bureaucrats disloyal for thwarting his agenda during his first term by slow-walking DOJ, Education, and other Departments.

Nearly a dozen of Trump's top appointees for his second term have been given an explicit mandate to shake up the federal workforce, or expressed support for those plans.

Russell Vought, nominated to return as director of the OMB, played a central role in crafting an earlier version of the reclassification order, known as Schedule F, as Trump was leaving office in 2020.

The revived executive order on Schedule F would allow agency officials to reclassify positions from career posts to political appointments, one of the sources familiar with transition planning said.

That would enable the agencies to fire career employees without cause and replace them. 

Vought will be aided during Trump's second term by Sergio Gor, who was nominated to head the White House personnel office.

ON THE FIRING LINES:

Others tasked with eradicating the “Deep State” include AG nominee Pam Bondi; the possible next FBI director, Kash Patel; Secretary of State Nominee Marco Rubio; National Security Adviser Mike Waltz; Education Department Secretary nominee Linda McMahon; and Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will head up Trump's government efficiency effort (DOGE).

When asked, Trump's transition team would not provide details on a timeline for the planned shakeup, which could take months due to federal rule-making procedures.

Trump Spokesperson Brian Hughes said: “The Administration will have a place for people serving in government who are committed to defending the rights of the American people, putting America first, and ensuring the best use of working men and women's tax dollars.”

NOTE: Critics and the unions that represent federal workers say there is no such thing as a “Deep State,” and that Trump and his allies are trafficking in a conspiracy theory to justify an executive-branch power grab.

James Eisenmann, a lawyer and expert on federal workforce policy, said in an interview: “That Trump is mistaken that most government employees harbor an ideological agenda and noted that under current law, underperforming or insubordinate workers can be fired. Schedule F would create a culture of silence and fear that could affect job performance. People are going to be afraid to speak up or even suggest something helpful out of fear of getting fired. When people are afraid, it's not easy to get them to do stuff."

Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Workers, said in an interview: “The new classification was aimed at creating “Secret Police” within the federal government The incoming administration admits they will use Schedule F to subject professional employees to professional or to political loyalty tests and will get rid of the undesirables.”

Hughes, the Trump transition spokesperson, did not respond to questions about what role individual nominees would play in carrying out Trump's agenda, or to the “Secret Police” allegation.

FINDING TARGETS:

During Senate confirmation hearings, Vought and Bondi expressed support for the policies behind Schedule F. Vought testified that he believes portions of the federal government have been “weaponized.”

He declined to answer questions about whether he had advised Trump to conduct mass firings, but did say: “Reclassifying career employees would ensure the president has individuals in a policy-making role who are responding to his views, his agenda.”

Bondi, during her hearing, said S/C Jack Smith's probe of Trump was evidence of partisanship within the DOJ. 

She vowed not to use the department to target people based on their politics, but dodged direct questions about investigating Trump's political adversaries.

The Biden DOJ has long denied that it pursued criminal cases against Trump for political reasons. It did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. The process of identifying members of the federal bureaucracy whose views could be at odds with the incoming administration has already begun.

In December, the American Accountability Foundation, which operates with support from the conservative Heritage Foundation, sent a letter to Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth naming 20 leaders across the U.S. military whom it deemed to be overly focused on DEI initiatives.

Outgoing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has defended such efforts, saying the diverse military reflects the diversity of the United States.

Yitz Friedman, a spokesperson for the American Accountability Foundation published a “Top 10 Targets” list on its website of career employees at the DHS and DOJ that he says are resistant to increased border-security efforts, and more names are to come.

My 2 Cents: As outlined in PROJECT 2025 (from the Heritage Foundation) all that sweeping change is now coming to light under Trump next week or so as predicted and yet he denied no knowledge of any of it. 

Stay tuned folks – government is going to fail us bigtime under Trump and all he will say is blame the DEMS and Biden-Harris. 

Wait and see but in the near future we will not be able to know, or understand, or recognize our government – or should I say: “The Trump Spoils System.” 

Our adversaries will be delighted as well.

Thanks for stopping.

AI Chip Production Grows: U.S. Works to Protect the Good from the Bad and Ugly

Biden Proposes New Rules for Exporting AI Chips 

AI story on President Biden’s move to restrict AI technology aboard from AP News with this headline (edited and formed for the blog):

“Biden administration proposes new rules on exporting AI chips, provoking an industry pushback”

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Biden administration is proposing a new framework for exporting of advanced computer chips used in the development of AI  in an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries.

But the framework proposed raises concerns of industry executives who say the rules would limit access to existing chips used for video games and restrict in 120 countries the chips used for data centers and AI products. Mexico, Portugal, Israel, and Switzerland are among the nations that could have limited access.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on a call with reporters previewing the framework that it's: “Critical to preserve America's leadership in AI and the development of AI-related computer chips.”

Raimondo further said: “As AI becomes more powerful, the risks to our national security become even more intense. The framework is designed to safeguard the most advanced AI technology and ensure that it stays out of the hands of our foreign adversaries but also enabling the broad diffusion and sharing of the benefits with partner countries.”

The fast-evolving AI technology enables computers to produce novels, make scientific research breakthroughs, automate driving, and foster a range of other transformations that could reshape economies and warfare. 

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan stressed that the framework would ensure that the most cutting-edge aspects of AI would be developed within the United States and with its closest allies, instead of possibly getting offshore such as the battery and renewable energy sectors.

AI Industry Responses:

1. The Information Technology Industry Council, warned Raimondo in a letter last week that a hastily implemented new rule from the Democratic administration could fragment global supply chains and put U.S. companies at a disadvantage.

2. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), said Monday it was disappointed that the policy was being “rushed out the door” before a presidential transition.

3. SIA President and CEO John Neuffer said: “The new rule risks causing unintended and lasting damage to America’s economy and global competitiveness in semiconductors and AI by ceding strategic markets to our competitors.”

4. Ned Finkle, vice president of external affairs at Nvidia, said in a statement: “The prior Trump administration had helped create the foundation for AI's development and that the proposed framework would hurt innovation without achieving the stated national security goals. While cloaked in the guise of an ‘anti-China’ measure, these rules would do nothing to enhance U.S. security. The new rules would control technology worldwide, including technology that is already widely available in mainstream gaming PCs and consumer hardware.”

Under the framework, 18 U.S. allies and partners would face no restrictions on chips. Other countries would face caps on the chips they could import according the fact sheet from the White House.

Those key U.S. allies without restrictions include: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the UK.

Users outside of these close allies could purchase up to 50,000 graphics processing units per country. There would also be government-to-government deals which could bump up the cap to 100,000 if their renewable energy and technological security goals are aligned with the United States.

Institutions in certain countries could also apply for a legal status that would let them purchase up to 320,000 advanced graphics processing units over two years. Still, there would be limits as to how much AI computational capacity could be placed abroad by companies and other institutions.

Also, computer chip orders equivalent to 1,700 advanced graphics processing units would not need a license to import or count against the national chip cap, among the other standards set by the framework. 

The exception for the 1,700 graphics processing units would likely help to meet the orders for universities and medical institutions, as opposed to data centers.

The new rules are not expected to hinder the AI-driven data center expansion plans of leading cloud computing providers such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft because of exemptions for trusted companies seeking large clusters of advanced AI chips.

Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, in a statement said: “We’re confident we can comply fully with this rule’s high security standards and meet the technology needs of countries and customers around the world that rely on us.” 

NOTES:

1. Based in Abu Dhabi, G42, runs data centers in the Middle East and elsewhere, and has built what’s considered to be the world’s leading Arabic-language AI model, and they have ties to China.

2. Microsoft drew scrutiny last year after it announced a $1.5 billion investment in a technology firm based in the United Arab Emirates and overseen by the country’s powerful national security adviser (more on that here M/S - G42 deal)

3. That has led some GOP members of Congress to call for special scrutiny of that AI partnership and urge Biden officials to implement: “More robust national security guardrails to prevent key U.S. technology from falling into China’s hands.”

My 2 Cents: Those move by President Biden is smart and wise – as AI grows, and is surely will, so does the threat by bad actors across the globe who, and let’s face it, are not U.S. friendly. 

Simply stated, AI has elements of being “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Awareness is critical.

Remember this about AI: “Artificial Intelligence” the first letter in the first word means: NOT REAL or MADE UP.

Now, the key question is what are those guardrails and how will they be monitored, enforced, but more importantly what will be the penalties for any AI nastiness by those U.S. adversaries? 

Time will tell for sure and vigilance is the operative word from here on out.

We shall see – but with an emphasis also on what will the Trump administration do. Will they support this major important move or will they try to reverse it for political gain?

I think the answer to that question is critical – so stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by.

Mar-a-Lago Doc Case: Dismissed Awaiting S/C Smith's Report to AG Garland

Trump and defendants Carlos De Oliveira & Walt Nauta 

Major story from USA TODAY with this ongoing battle over the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case with this headline:

“Trump seeks to prevent release of Jack Smith's special counsel report”

WASHINGTON – Trump and his two co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, are trying to block DOJ’s special counsel Jack Smith from releasing a report before Inauguration Day about his investigation that led to criminal charges that have now been dismissed.

The report is expected to provide the fullest description yet about the investigation that led to two federal indictments against Trump, one for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and the other for allegedly mishandling 100's of classified documents after leaving the White House.

A public release of the potential bombshell report could come within days. But a court battle over whether to release the report will play out over the remaining two weeks before Trump returns to the White House on January 20.

Judges dismissed both cases at Smith’s request under longstanding DOJ policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. Neither case could be concluded before Trump starts his second term as president.

But special counsels typically write reports explaining their investigations and the decisions about whether to bring charges. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report released in April 2019 about the investigation into Russian interference caused another firestorm because of his decision not to even consider charges against Trump as a sitting president.

Smith acknowledged in a court filing Monday that he has prepared a two-volume report, one for each of Trump’s two federal indictments. The report is being “finalized” and AG General Merrick Garland would not release the report before Friday at 10 a.m., and  Smith wrote he could transmit the report to Garland after 1 p.m. Tuesday. 

Trump meanwhile asked Garland on Monday to halt Smith’s preparation and release of the report.

Trump's two co-defendants in the classified-documents case asked the same of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon and sought a public hearing to debate the issues. 

Smith said he would reply formally to the request by 7 p.m. Tuesday. Nauta and De Oliveira, who were staffers at Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, where they were charged with conspiring to hide the classified records, argued they could still face charges after Trump’s dismissal of the case.

Nauta and De Oliveira argued that Smith’s report: “Promises to be a one-sided, slanted report that has a single purpose: convincing the public that everyone Smith charged is guilty of the crimes charged.”

In a letter to Garland, Trump’s lawyers argued that the dismissal of the cases represented: “Trump’s complete exoneration, but that Smith’s report would perpetuate false and discredited accusations. The release of the report would be both imprudent and unlawful.” 

AG Garland declined to comment.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) who helped lead the congressional investigation of the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, said: “Garland has a duty to release the report and “prevent its evidence from being destroyed.” Smith's team obtained testimony and evidence from Trump's advisers including former VP Mike Pence, and Cheney wrote on X: “The truth must prevail.” 

Trump was indicted in federal court in Washington on charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election with baseless claims of widespread fraud.

He was also charged with obstructing Congress form counting Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021, when a riot of his supporters at the Capitol temporarily halted the count.

Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed the case at Smith’s request after Trump won the November election.

Trump was also indicted in Florida on charges he unlawfully retained national defense documents after leaving the White House at the end of his first administration. FBI agents found more than 100 classified documents during a search of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022.

Cannon dismissed the charges by ruling that Smith was appointed and funded illegitimately, despite special counsel regulations being upheld in previous cases. 

Smith appealed to the 11^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals but the court dismissed the appeal at his request after Trump’s election. 

Nauta and De Oliveira asked the appeals court to return jurisdiction over the case to Cannon so she can hear their arguments.

My 2 Cents: The worse possible outcome of the classified docs case against Trump and his two charged Mar-a-Lago co-defendants, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira is a crying shame against equal justice for all and still is a threat to national security.

For example what leverage remains with any missing docs that Trump holds for various reasons (e.g., favors, threats, blackmail, etc.) over those nations mentioned in the docs – at least in my professional view. 

We shall see later as developments in fact are uncovered and developed. I'm sure they will be forthcoming over time.

All in all this was an awful decision and remains harmful to the nation.

Thanks for stopping by.