The Morning Sixpack - June 4, 2025

Trump's second term remakes America: mass deportations, data fears, FEMA chaos, and a tax bill even Musk calls a “disgusting abomination.”

U.S. Skips Key Ukraine Aid Meeting as Allies Ramp Up Drone Support

For the first time since its formation, the U.S. skipped a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting—leaving allies scrambling to fill the leadership gap.

Nearly 50 nations met in Brussels to coordinate more weapons and ammo for Ukraine, but U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was notably absent. (He was probably coming off a weekend bender.)

Instead, the U.K. and Germany led the talks, with Hegseth scheduled to arrive only after the meeting concluded. The Defense Contact Group, a backbone of Ukraine’s international support, was founded by Hegseth’s predecessor, Lloyd Austin, in 2022.

This absence is the clearest signal yet of a shift in Washington’s posture on Ukraine. Since the Trump administration took office in January, the U.S. hasn’t chaired a single meeting. While more than $66 billion in U.S. military aid has already been committed, future support now seems uncertain. European leaders are increasingly concerned that America’s strategic focus is pivoting to the Indo-Pacific.

The U.K. attempted to fill the void by announcing a tenfold increase in drone production.

“British companies are using lessons learned from the battlefield to develop advanced new drones,” said U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey. Drones have become a decisive asset in Ukraine’s defense as the war grinds into its fourth year.

Ukraine’s ‘Operation Spiderweb’ hit at least 13 planes, visuals show

French President Emmanuel Macron warned that backing away from Ukraine could cripple U.S. credibility on the world stage—especially when it comes to deterring China over Taiwan. Allies may be stepping up, but they’re doing so under a growing shadow of doubt about America’s long-term commitment.

Source: AP News

FEMA Chief Drops New Hurricane Plan—Because He Just Learned It’s a Season

With hurricane season already underway, FEMA’s new leader scrapped a half-finished plan and reverted to last year’s strategy—despite slashed staff and gutted programs.

“I didn’t realize it was a season,” FEMA Administrator David Richardson told stunned agency employees during a staff meeting on June 3. The comment, reportedly made in earnest, left many in disbelief—especially as the agency confirmed it would abandon its almost-finished new response plan in favor of last year’s version, even though several core programs have since been eliminated.

FEMA Head Admits Agency Lacks Hurricane Season Plan Just Weeks Before It Begins

Among the casualties of budget cuts and reorganization: the door-to-door outreach teams critical in post-hurricane recovery.

Richardson’s rationale? He didn’t want the new plan to contradict future recommendations from a FEMA review council co-chaired by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. That delay has deepened concerns inside an agency that’s already months behind on planning for what’s expected to be an especially active storm season.

FEMA is also bleeding top talent. Former acting No. 2 MaryAnn Tierney quit in May, calling the agency’s current direction “reckless” and lacking a moral or statutory backbone. Her resignation email warned of “traumatizing” turnover and a lack of any clear operational strategy, saying plainly: “Everyone has a line, and I have reached mine.”

Behind the chaos lies a deeper shift: the Trump administration’s push to shrink FEMA’s role and shift disaster responsibility to the states. While the agency is now scrambling to reauthorize key training and disaster programs, Richardson—who described his strategy in a recent meeting using fruit metaphors—appears more focused on internal restructuring than urgent preparedness.

Source: The Wall Street Journal (gift article)

Elon Musk Torches Trump’s Tax Bill as a “Disgusting Abomination” in GOP Civil War

Elon Musk, Trump’s former ally and one of the GOP’s biggest donors, just torched the party’s signature tax bill—calling it an “outrageous, pork-filled” disgrace.

In a fiery post on X, Musk condemned President Trump’s new tax and spending package as a “disgusting abomination,” just days after a high-profile Oval Office send-off celebrating his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency. His public rebuke throws a grenade into Trump’s effort to pass a July 4–deadline budget bill that combines sweeping tax cuts with massive spending hikes—moves that would slash subsidies for electric vehicles, including Musk’s Tesla.

“Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk wrote, warning Republicans that voters will remember who sold them out. The move marks a drastic turn for a man who poured at least $250 million into Trump’s campaign and was once his go-to megadonor and policy surrogate.

The bill extends Trump-era tax cuts while adding new ones and allocating $350 billion toward border security, deportations, and national defense. To offset the cost, the legislation imposes work requirements on welfare recipients and guts green energy programs—direct hits to Musk’s business empire. Unsurprisingly, his critique sparked backlash from Capitol Hill, where Trump-loyal Republicans were already struggling to wrangle votes.

Two fiscal hawks—Rand Paul and Mike Lee—echoed Musk’s concerns, breaking with party leadership. Meanwhile, Democrats gleefully seized on the rare alliance, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries holding up a poster-sized printout of Musk’s post during a press conference, declaring, “We’re in complete agreement.”

Source: AP News

You can bet your ass the GOP senators currently “breaking with party leadership” will bend their knee and obey.

FDA to Reexamine Abortion Pill Safety After GOP-Backed Study Sparks Alarm

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced a review of mifepristone’s safety—after a Republican senator flagged a study claiming severe side effects were far more common than reported.

“The time to act is now,” declared Sen. Josh Hawley, who pushed for the investigation after a recent study claimed 11% of mifepristone users experienced complications like sepsis or hemorrhaging—22 times higher than the drug’s label suggests. The FDA’s move comes amid mounting pressure from conservatives and the Trump administration, which has targeted abortion access as a central policy issue.

Commissioner Makary confirmed the review in a letter to Hawley, stating the FDA will analyze the data with agency scientists. While the drug remains FDA-approved for early-stage abortion, Makary had previously voiced concern over rules allowing access without in-person medical supervision. The new study, conducted by the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, analyzed over 865,000 abortion cases from 2017 to 2023.

Critics, however, argue the study’s methodology and motives may not be medically neutral. Still, the review marks a political win for anti-abortion advocates looking to reimpose stricter regulations on abortion pills—despite the Supreme Court upholding the FDA’s original approval of mifepristone last year.

President Trump and his allies have called for immediate restrictions, with Hawley demanding reinstatement of safety protocols. The issue now adds fuel to the ongoing political battle over abortion access, as both sides prepare for high-stakes elections in 2026 and beyond.

Source: UPI

Here’s another report that appears to back up the partisan Ethcs and Public Policy Center results.

Mark my words: Condoms will eventually come under attack, too. I mean, why not? Anything that prevents a pregnancy is OBVIOUSLY against God’s will.

Thune Rushes Trump’s Mega-Bill Through Senate: “Whack-A-Mole” Lawmaking at Full Speed

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is fast-tracking Trump’s massive tax-and-spending package, racing to pass it by July 4—even if it means skipping debate, dodging amendments, and cutting backroom deals.

“There are a ton of tradeoffs you have to make,” Thune admitted in an exclusive POLITICO interview, as he laid out an aggressive timeline to muscle Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” through the Senate.

The goal? A final vote before fireworks fly. That means committee markups will be optional, behind-the-scenes negotiations will reign, and the President himself is already on the phone pressuring fence-sitting GOP senators.

Thune is juggling a razor-thin margin and a minefield of internal party disagreements over debt limits, Medicaid cuts, tax changes, and SNAP funding. Rand Paul is a hard no, Ron Johnson’s demanding trillions in cuts, and even moderates like Susan Collins and Josh Hawley are raising red flags.

Still, Thune’s confident Trump will act as “the closer,” leaning on key lawmakers to toe the line.

The bill, which extends Trump-era tax cuts and adds billions for border security while slashing safety net programs, is being edited behind closed doors with committee discretion on whether to hold public votes.

The Finance Committee will drop its full text next week, with tweaks to follow quickly as Thune eyes a narrow 51-vote path—possibly with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaker.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has begged senators not to touch the bill. Thune called that “unrealistic,” especially on issues like state-and-local tax deductions. Quiet revolts over food stamps and hospital funding are brewing in the wings.

But Thune isn’t blinking. “At the end of the day,” he said, “everybody’s going to have to make a decision: Is this better than the status quo?”

Source: POLITICO

The “BBB” is going to pass. It may not be the same version as the bill passed by the House, but it will pass. There is no doubt. The congressional GOP will not disobey their leader.

ICE Detains Entire Family of Boulder Attack Suspect for Fast-Track Deportation—Legal Experts Sound Alarm

Federal agents took the wife and five children of the Boulder molotov attack suspect into ICE custody—sparking legal outcry over what experts call collective punishment and a violation of due process.

“They could be deported as early as tonight,” read a White House post Tuesday, confirming the expedited removal of Mohamed Sabry Soliman’s family just 48 hours after he was charged with a federal hate crime for attacking a pro-Israel rally in Colorado.

The Trump administration is framing the action as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown, but legal experts say the move crosses dangerous lines—punishing relatives without evidence of involvement.

ICE’s decision, reportedly made in coordination with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, is being defended as a national security response. “We are investigating to what extent his family knew about the heinous attack,” Noem posted. Yet Soliman himself told investigators he never discussed the plan with them—and some legal analysts argue that expedited removal isn't applicable to visa holders or those awaiting asylum rulings.

Immigration and defense lawyers say they can’t recall a similar instance where an entire family was detained based solely on a relative’s alleged crime.

“It’s not normal,” said attorney Derege Demissie, who’s been practicing nearly three decades. Critics warn this kind of action sets a disturbing precedent. “Being related to a terrorist is not and cannot be a crime in a free country,” said Cato Institute’s Alex Nowrasteh.

Trump’s administration has leaned into aggressive deportation tactics during his second term—rolling back asylum access, deploying troops to the border, and even sending some migrants to Guantánamo and El Salvador.

The Boulder case appears to be the first test of a policy framework that seeks to not only punish attackers but also those closest to them, regardless of legal status or involvement.

Source: The Washington Post

What the hell have we become?