The Morning Sixpack - February 11, 2025
Planes, federal employees, and institutions are all crashing, thanks to Trump and his minions.
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Private Jet Crash at Scottsdale Airport Leaves One Dead, Three Injured
A private jet owned by Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil crashed into a parked aircraft at Scottsdale Airport, Arizona, on Monday afternoon, resulting in one fatality and three injuries. Neil was not on board at the time. The jet, a Learjet 35A, was arriving from Austin, Texas, when its left landing gear appeared to fail, causing it to veer off the runway and collide with a parked Gulfstream G200. “Mr. Neil’s thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, and he is grateful for the critical aid of all first responders assisting today,” said his attorney, Worrick Robinson.
The crash follows a series of recent aviation disasters, including a fatal midair collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people and a medevac jet crash in Philadelphia that claimed seven lives. Scottsdale Airport, a busy hub for private jets, was briefly closed following the incident but has since reopened. Authorities, including the National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the cause of the crash.
The Gulfstream G200, operated by private charter service Jet Pros, sustained external damage, though no injuries were reported among its crew. "We are cooperating fully with airport authorities and relevant agencies as they conduct a thorough review of the situation," the company stated. The Federal Aviation Administration is also monitoring developments.
Source: CNN
Does it seem to you that more aircraft are crashing lately? I wonder why…
Trump Slaps 25% Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Imports, Escalating Trade Tensions
President Donald Trump has reinstated a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States, eliminating prior exemptions and loopholes.
"This is a big deal—making America rich again," Trump declared in his announcement.
While the move is primarily aimed at China’s indirect steel exports, it will also impact Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, which are among the largest suppliers of steel to the U.S. The decision is expected to raise costs for manufacturers and consumers while intensifying global trade disputes.
The U.S. has long relied on foreign steel for key industries, from automobile manufacturing and infrastructure projects to consumer goods. While similar tariffs imposed in 2018 temporarily boosted domestic steel production, the long-term impact was mixed, with both domestic production and imports declining by 2020 due to market shifts and the pandemic.
The Trump administration claims these new tariffs are structured to close loopholes that allowed foreign steel to bypass previous restrictions, such as semi-finished steel being reclassified and reshipped to the U.S.
Trump’s latest tariff policy is part of a broader trade strategy, which includes a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports imposed last week. In response, China retaliated with tariffs on key U.S. exports, raising fears of a renewed trade war.
While Trump has temporarily suspended tariffs on Mexico and Canada until March 1, his administration is also considering additional reciprocal tariffs in the coming weeks.
Source: CNN
Trump is hellbent on starting a trade war with everybody. It feels like that time David Olan took on everybody in a food fight on a rainy day in the high school cafeteria. David lost—BIGLY.
Trump Fires Government Ethics Chief, Sparking Oversight Concerns
President Donald Trump has dismissed David Huitema, the head of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), abruptly ending his tenure just months after he assumed the role.
OGE directors typically serve five-year terms to maintain political independence, but Huitema—confirmed by the Senate in November after a lengthy delay—was removed without explanation.
In a statement on the agency's website, OGE acknowledged the sudden change, stating: "OGE has been notified that the President is removing David Huitema as the Director of OGE. OGE is reverting to an Acting Director."
Huitema, who previously worked as a State Department ethics official, expressed disappointment, saying he was given no prior warning and learned of his firing via email.
"My sense is that the president doesn’t want OGE or really anyone with an independent voice to address concerns that are raised," he told CNN.
The decision follows Trump's pattern of ousting inspectors general and watchdog officials early in his presidency, a move that critics argue is aimed at minimizing oversight.
Norm Eisen, a former White House ethics chief under President Obama, remarked, "Trump’s firing of Huitema, like the president’s other baseless or unlawful terminations of highly qualified individuals, indicates that he seeks to evade oversight."
Adding to the controversy, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) had just written to Huitema, questioning whether tech billionaire Elon Musk—a key Trump ally—was complying with federal ethics laws given his companies’ extensive government contracts. The White House defended Musk’s involvement, saying he would "excuse himself" if conflicts arose.
Meanwhile, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has been appointed as interim head of the OGE, further cementing Trump’s reshaping of federal oversight agencies.
Source: MDGN
Ethics? We don’t need no stinking ethics!
Elon Musk’s $97 Billion Bid for OpenAI Rejected by Sam Altman
Elon Musk and a group of investors have made a $97.4 billion offer to acquire OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, in a bid to reclaim influence over the AI powerhouse.
However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman swiftly rejected the offer, posting on X: "No thank you but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want."
Musk responded by calling Altman a "Swindler." The offer, significantly below OpenAI’s last valuation of $157 billion, marks the latest escalation in the long-running feud between Musk and Altman over the company’s direction.
Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, left the organization in 2018 after failing to take control of its leadership. Something a lot of people don’t realize is that Musk didn’t start Tesla or PayPal. He took them over like he’s taking over the US government. It’s the same playbook.
Since then, he has criticized its transition into a for-profit model, even filing lawsuits to challenge its restructuring plans. His newly formed AI company, xAI, has positioned itself as a competitor to OpenAI with its chatbot, Grok.
Musk’s latest bid also follows his push for greater government influence over AI, which includes a Trump-backed initiative to slash federal spending on AI research.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is seeking new investment rounds that could push its valuation as high as $340 billion.
The attempted buyout is backed by key Musk allies, including Tesla investors Ron Baron and Gavin Baker and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale’s 8VC firm.
Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, argued that OpenAI’s shift toward profitability betrays its founding principles.
"It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was. We will make sure that happens," Musk stated.
Despite Musk’s efforts, Microsoft remains OpenAI’s largest backer, ensuring that the company continues its commercial AI expansion.
Source: WaPo
Trump Administration Moves to Gut Education Research Agency, Raising Alarm
The Trump administration is effectively shutting down the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the independent research division of the U.S. Department of Education, according to multiple department employees.
IES, which provides critical data on student achievement and evidence-based teaching practices, has already seen numerous contracts canceled, and staff were informed in an emergency meeting Monday that most remaining agreements would soon be terminated.
"It's shocking, it's pointless … it's stupid," said former NCES commissioner Thomas Weko, lamenting the loss of decades of education research.
The cuts are reportedly being driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—not a real government department—an initiative led by Elon Musk under the Trump administration.
In a meeting, employees described a somber atmosphere, with some in tears over the sweeping changes.
One staff member stated, “If they're doing this to save government money, they are wasting millions today. All the money we have spent working on these products, down the drain.”
While it remains unclear if IES research will remain publicly accessible, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, is expected to be preserved—at least for now.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to dismantle the Education Department, which employs over 4,000 people and has an annual budget of $79 billion.
In a Fox News interview Sunday, he confirmed his plans to further cut the department’s programs and investigate potential fraud across multiple government agencies.
His nominee for Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, is scheduled for a confirmation hearing Thursday, where the department’s future is expected to be a central focus.
Source: MDGN
Two things:
$79 billion is 0.26 percent of our GDP. It’s crazy the ROI…
McMahon is the perfect choice to run the Dept. of Education down the drain. She’s dumb as fuck.
Bragg is Back: Hegseth Restores Racist Name to North Carolina Military Base
In a bold reversal of a recent renaming decision, DUI Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed an order Monday reinstating the name Fort Bragg for the famed North Carolina military base.
The base had been renamed Fort Liberty in 2023 as part of a broader initiative under the Biden administration to remove Confederate-linked names.
However, Hegseth circumvented legal restrictions (of course he did) by dedicating the name to Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II hero who earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his bravery during the Battle of the Bulge.
Fort Bragg was originally named after Gen. Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general from Warrenton, North Carolina. Bragg was known for his role in the Civil War, where he commanded the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Despite his high rank, he was widely criticized for his poor strategic decisions and was ultimately blamed for several Confederate defeats. He was also a slave owner, which contributed to the push to rename the base in 2023 as part of a broader effort to remove Confederate-linked military installations.
“This change underscores the installation’s legacy of recognizing those who have demonstrated extraordinary service and sacrifice for the nation,” Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot stated.
Um, but that’s not who you named it after—this time.
Hegseth, emphasizing the move’s symbolic importance, announced in a video on X, “That’s right. Bragg is back!”
Despite the previous renaming, many service members and veterans had continued referring to the base as Bragg, making the restoration largely a reflection of common usage.
On his first day as defense secretary, Hegseth made a point of using the name Fort Bragg in his exchange with reporters, cementing the change.
Source: MDGN
EVERY person in the Trump admin is a snake. Orwell was right with Newspeak: “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength."
Listen to Keith Olbermann’s special Sunday “emergency” podcast. It’s a doozy.