February 2025 - Page 3 of 7

Resisting Trump’s ‘Denali’ Folly

February 14, 2025 Buck Banks

Two Alaska senators are starting a GOP mini-rally
To reverse Donald Trump’s nomenclature folly.
They are bucking the trend,
So we’ll see where it ends
When they try to change “Mount McKinley” back to “Denali.”

Trump’s Honeymoon Is Ending — Approval/Favorability Already Underwater

February 14, 2025 Buck Banks

46%

A new Economist/YouGov Poll finds President Trump’s approval rating and personal popularity falling over the past two weeks. This week’s poll finds Americans are less likely to approve of Trump (46%) than to disapprove (48%), and less likely to view him favorably (46%) than unfavorably (52%).

Poll: Large Majority Against Renaming Gulf of Mexico

February 13, 2025February 13, 2025 Buck Banks

71%

A new Marquette University poll found that 71% of respondents opposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico with only 29% saying they were in favor of the change.

Sniveling Sycophant Sighs

February 12, 2025 Buck Banks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared exasperated and sighed when a reporter asked President Trump about his plans to “take over” Gaza while meeting with the King of Jordan.

— Posted to X

GOP Senate Conforms Gabbard as DNI

February 12, 2025 Buck Banks

The Senate voted 52 to 48 to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined with all Democrats to oppose her conformation.

— Washington Post

Senate Confirms Box of Rocks

February 12, 2025August 14, 2026 Buck Banks

Among quislings, Tulsi Gabbard stood out among many.
But 52 GOP senators confirmed her — a fulsome plenty.
Why they backed her remains a mystery,
So now for the first time in U.S. history
We have a director of national intelligence without any.

Trumponomics: Inflation Is Rising

February 12, 2025 Buck Banks

3%

U.S. inflation rose to 3% in January, strengthening the case for the Federal Reserve to extend a pause on interest rate cuts, reported the New York Times. The Consumer Price Index jumped more than expected, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed on Wednesday, rising 0.5% from December in what was the fastest monthly increase since August 2023. Last month, the annual pace was 2.9%. “Core” C.P.I., which more closely reflects underlying inflation by removing volatile food and energy prices, also showed little improvement. It rose 0.4% from December or 3.3% on a year-over-year basis, both higher than economists expected. The monthly increase in core prices was the highest since April 2023.

$500 Million in Food Aid Going to Waste Due to DOGE

February 12, 2025February 12, 2025 Buck Banks

$500 million

“Almost $500 million in food aid is at risk of spoilage as it sits in ports, ships and warehouses after funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was paused by the Trump administration,” CBS News reports.

Let’s Rename Greenland!

February 11, 2025February 14, 2025 Buck Banks

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced a new bill to rename Greenland — after the U.S. acquires it — to “Red, White and Blue Land.”

— Posted on X

Astronomers Discover the Biggest Thing in the Universe (So Far)

February 11, 2025 Buck Banks

1.5 billion

Astronomers discover the largest known structure in the universe to date, a cosmic filament—a strand connecting dark matter, galaxies, and more—roughly 1.3 billion light-years in length, reports .

46%

A new Economist/YouGov Poll finds President Trump’s approval rating and personal popularity falling over the past two weeks. This week’s poll finds Americans are less likely to approve of Trump (46%) than to disapprove (48%), and less likely to view him favorably (46%) than unfavorably (52%).

71%

A new Marquette University poll found that 71% of respondents opposed renaming the Gulf of Mexico with only 29% saying they were in favor of the change.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared exasperated and sighed when a reporter asked President Trump about his plans to “take over” Gaza while meeting with the King of Jordan.

— Posted to X

The Senate voted 52 to 48 to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined with all Democrats to oppose her conformation.

— Washington Post

3%

$500 million

“Almost $500 million in food aid is at risk of spoilage as it sits in ports, ships and warehouses after funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was paused by the Trump administration,” CBS News reports.

Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) introduced a new bill to rename Greenland — after the U.S. acquires it — to “Red, White and Blue Land.”

— Posted on X

1.5 billion

Astronomers discover the largest known structure in the universe to date, a cosmic filament—a strand connecting dark matter, galaxies, and more—roughly 1.3 billion light-years in length, reports .

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“The man is afraid of the voice of the people and that the people understand and know what he’s doing. He’s trying to stifle the ability of journalists to let the people of America know what’s really going on with their government.”

— “Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ‘absolutely abhorrent,’” The Wrap reports.

“Not one of them is trained in technical skills. Not one research PhD, as opposed to China, where half the cabinet is science and technology PhDs. We’re led by grifters and fools.”

— Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs, on X, on President Trump’s 35-person cabinet.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far… The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

— Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), breaking with President Trump in a direct-to-camera video.

Numerati

1,000

10%

“The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study,” the Associated Press reports.

71%

$9.5 billion

“The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money, according to a new estimate by a congressional watchdog,” CNN reports.

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.