CitizenZero
CitizenZero's JournalNPR Article on HUD Cuts
NPR Article on HUD Cuts
"President Trump has repeatedly promised to "make America affordable again." But for those Americans most in need, his administration's latest budget plan would dramatically shrink the federal rental aid that helps keep millions of people housed.
In its request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the White House called the current system of federal rental assistance "dysfunctional" and proposed essentially ending Section 8 and other housing voucher programs. Its plan calls for cutting rental aid by about 40% and sending that money to states "to design their own rental assistance programs based on their unique needs and preferences."
It would also impose a two-year cap on rental assistance for able-bodied adults, which it said would ensure most federal subsidies went to the elderly and disabled.
The budget does include $25 million in housing grants for young people aging out of foster care.
In a statement, HUD Secretary Scott Turner called the budget request "bold" for reimagining aid programs that have become "too bloated and bureaucratic to efficiently function."
The entire article is at the link-
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/02/nx-s1-5374077/trump-budget-housing-rental-aid-hud-homelessness-funding
The Russian Connection
Trump has been interacting with the Russians for decades, since the 70s and 80s. He is at least a useful idiot for them if not an actual Russian asset. I am in the middle of reading Malcolm Nance's book "The Plot to Betray America". It lays out the facts pretty well. Trump's denials over the years that he has no Russian contacts are outright lies. He has sold Trump condos to Russian mobsters and has been interacting with people connected to the Russian Mafia and Russian Intelligence for years.
Some speculate that he has helped launder Russian Mafia money by selling them Trump real estate, particularly in New York and Miami. Trump visited Russia in the 80s and has been trying to build a Trump Tower in Moscow for decades. He is in Putin's pocket. I think his recent attempts to stop Putin from bombing civilians in Ukraine is just a little show to indicate that he is not Putin's puppet. In truth, I think that Trump wants to be the American Putin.
Trump and MAGA like Russia because Russia is ruled by an authoritarian and they love strongmen and hate liberal democracy. They also like Russia because they are run by Christian Caucasian Fascists and they hate People of Color and Muslims. And of course Trump likes the Russians that are rich, so he loves the Oligarchs and the Russian Mob, who have most of the money in Russia today.
Trump is another political gangster like Putin and the Russian Oligarchs. Trump is in it for the power and the money. He is corrupt and will enrich himself and his family, and also the billionaires around him, while he cuts programs for working Americans and the sick, the disabled, and the elderly. Trump is a criminal and wants to be like the Dictator Putin- rich, powerful, and controlling all of the assets and resources of the country. He admires Putin and Russian corruption and wants to do the same thing here.
Black Man Spy & Glenn Kirschner: The Rule of Law is in CRISIS!
Former Navy Chief and Intelligence Specialist Malcolm Nance interviews former Army JAG Officer and DOJ Prosecutor Glenn Kirschner on the threat to the Rule of Law. A long video, just under one hour and 8 minutes, but well worth taking the time to listen to these two experts.
The Russian Connection
Trump has been interacting with the Russians for decades, since the 70s and 80s. He is at least a useful idiot for them if not an actual Russian asset. I am in the middle of reading Malcolm Nance's book "The Plot to Betray America". It lays out the facts pretty well. Trump's denials over the years that he has no Russian contacts are outright lies. He has sold Trump condos to Russian mobsters and has been interacting with people connected to the Russian Mafia and Russian Intelligence for years.
Some speculate that he has helped launder Russian Mafia money by selling them Trump real estate, particularly in New York and Miami. Trump visited Russia in the 80s and has been trying to build a Trump Tower in Moscow for decades. He is in Putin's pocket. I think his recent attempts to stop Putin from bombing civilians in Ukraine is just a little show to indicate that he is not Putin's puppet. In truth, I think that Trump wants to be the American Putin.
Trump and MAGA like Russia because Russia is ruled by an authoritarian and they love strongmen and hate liberal democracy. They also like Russia because they are run by Christian Caucasian Fascists and they hate People of Color and Muslims. And of course Trump likes the Russians that are rich, so he loves the Oligarchs and the Russian Mob, who have most of the money in Russia today.
Trump is another political gangster like Putin and the Russian Oligarchs. Trump is in it for the power and the money. He is corrupt and will enrich himself and his family, and also the billionaires around him, while he cuts programs for working Americans and the sick, the disabled, and the elderly. Trump is a criminal and wants to be like the Dictator Putin- rich, powerful, and controlling all of the assets and resources of the country. He admires Putin and Russian corruption and wants to do the same thing here.
https://www.amazon.com/Plot-Betray-America-Embraced-Compromised/dp/0316535761
AOC Considering a Bid to be Ranking Dem on the Oversight Committee
"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday she is considering a run for House Democrats’ top position on the Oversight Committee.
“It’s something that I’m weighing, but the seat is not yet vacated, and I think that’s a bridge we can cross when we get to it,” she told reporters.
A star of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, Ocasio-Cortez has recently co-led a series of national rallies with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that has stoked speculation about her future as Democrats debate the best way to counter President Donald Trump. It’s unclear how a high-profile House leadership position might figure into her political ambitions.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who beat Ocasio-Cortez in the race for Oversight Committee ranking member last year, announced earlier this week he would step aside from the position amid a battle with cancer. He appointed Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, a veteran Democratic lawmaker, to serve as an interim head in his absence. Lynch has indicated he would run to succeed Connolly.
Younger members of the caucus have chafed at the party’s previous deference to seniority in choosing leaders, though Ocasio-Cortez, 35, has recently spoken carefully on the subject."
Full story from Politico at the link-
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/04/30/congress/aoc-ocasio-cortez-weighing-oversight-bid-00319913
Regarding Trump's Executive Order To Use Military As Police
Found on Facebook-
"As a former constitutional law professor and a retired police officer, I am terrified by the new executive order, “Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens.”
Here’s why:
This order does not simply support law enforcement… it removes many of the constitutional guardrails that were put in place for the protection of the people, not the government.
It allows the military to assist police forces on U.S. soil. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, using the military for domestic law enforcement has always been off-limits unless Congress specifically approves it. There’s a reason for that: Military forces are trained for war, not for community policing. When soldiers are used like police officers, history shows it leads to violations of civil rights, unnecessary violence, and fear among civilians.
It shields officers from accountability. The order directs the federal government to provide legal support and protections to officers accused of wrongdoing, even when they violate someone’s rights. Imagine you’re unlawfully arrested, injured, or have your home searched without a warrant — and the officer responsible faces zero consequences because the government has pre-emptively protected them. That’s not justice. That’s a blank check for abuse.
It punishes local leaders for trying to protect their communities. If a mayor or police chief decides to implement reforms that prioritize de-escalation, racial equity, or better community relations, they could now be criminally prosecuted under this order if their decisions are viewed as “obstructing” law enforcement. That’s not democracy. That’s authoritarianism.
This executive order bypasses the Constitution.
The Fourth Amendment (which protects against unreasonable searches and seizures), the Fourteenth Amendment (which guarantees due process), and the First Amendment (which protects peaceful protest) are all threatened if unchecked federal power can steamroll local protections.
When law enforcement is unleashed without constitutional restraints, it doesn’t make anyone safer. It makes everyone more vulnerable, especially those already marginalized or without political power.
We have seen this story before, in other countries and in our own darker chapters of history.
When the government arms itself against its own people and shields itself from accountability, freedom dies…not with a bang, but quietly, one “emergency measure” at a time.
I took an oath to uphold the Constitution…not to protect power, but to protect people.
That oath doesn’t end when you hang up the badge or leave the classroom.
It’s why I am speaking up now.
This executive order is not about law and order. It’s about power and control.
And every single person in the US and abroad should be alarmed."
Signed yesterday, this EO effectively sets up Trump's ability to successfully enact the Insurrection Act of 1807 and declare martial law without resistance. Installing military in local jurisdictions without the approval or over the objection of state and local governments and enabling law enforcement and military to act without impediment or concern for legality or punishment. It also allows for the arrest of state and local officials who do not comply.
Link to the White House page on the Executive Order.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/?utm_source=wh_social_share_button
Fracture in the Military
Trump signed a sweeping Executive Order overreaching federal authority into State and Local law enforcement, including the possible use of federal military as law enforcement. This is illegal, but that has not stopped Trump so far.
If Trump orders the military to act as domestic police inside the country, it may cause a fracture in the military. Military are explicitly trained to not execute these kind of clearly illegal orders. There will be officers that know that these are legally questionable orders at best. They will have to make a choice. Support a dictator or stick to their oath and their honor. Malcolm Nance, retired Navy Chief and Intelligence Specialist, talks about this. If you are not familiar with him, he is worth watching. You can find his videos on YouTube and his writing on Substack.
Anyway, this is a dire situation that could lead to a Fascist Police State and a possible Civil Conflict. Also, there are probably some Blue State Governors that are not going to just roll over and take this. The Trump Regime is implying that they will arrest local authorities that do not comply. If the Trump Regime arrests an elected official, then it may be too late. They have already arrested a Judge as a test case. I would put nothing past these fascists.
Constitutional Convention
I read that there is a Republican push to have a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the Constitution as an authoritarian document. I think that if they try to do that, it is possible that some (many? all?) blue controlled States might secede. The Trump Regime is illegitimate. Since they are basically suspending the Constitution, then we are not obliged to follow it either. That means that States could be free to act independently.
The Trump Regime is repeatedly and willfully in violation of the U.S. Constitution. They have usurped the funding and budgetary powers of the Congress. They are usurping the legislative powers of the Congress by making "law" with Executive Orders that are diktats. They are dissolving federal agencies established by the Congress that only Congress has the right to defund or dissolve. They are in open defiance of the Judicial Branch and the Courts. They are in violation of the Amendments that provide Due Process and against Illegal Searches and Seizures. They no longer abide by the Constitution so their Authority is Null and Void.
Since their Federal Government is therefore legally defunct, the powers, rights, and responsibilities of government to protect the lives and rights of citizens should naturally devolve to the States. All Democratically controlled States should prepare charges against all Trump Regime agents that violate State Laws. That includes kidnapping people off of the streets with no due process.
If the Trump Regime is creating a fascist Federal State, free States have a right to resist and that might include secession. Seceding States would naturally ally with each other, and with former friendly nations like our neighbor Canada and the European nations. I hope that we can maintain the Union and prevent a Fascist Government from being established, but the dissolution of the Union and Civil Conflict might occur if Trump and his Allies try to rewrite the Constitution to formally establish a Dictatorship and Authoritarian Government.
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