LetMyPeopleVote
LetMyPeopleVote's JournalMS NOW-FBI chief shown in raucous locker room celebration during Olympics trip
During what his agency said was purely a business trip, FBI Director Kash Patel celebrated with the U.S. men’s hockey team in Italy on Sunday.
FBI chief shown in raucous locker room celebration during Olympics trip
— MS NOW (@ms.now) 2026-02-23T01:57:11.685Z
www.ms.now/news/fbi-chi...
https://www.ms.now/news/fbi-chief-shown-in-raucous-locker-room-celebration-during-olympics-trip
Several videos emerged on social media showing Patel in the locker room after the game, but one in particular drew outrage from current and former FBI agents. It depicted Patel pouring what appeared to be beer down his throat, spraying some of it in the air and screaming in celebration as a player put a gold medal around his neck.
Eight former FBI and Justice Department officials sent MS NOW a copy of the video, which they said was drawing outrage as it rocketed around FBI and DOJ circles. ......
FBI spokesman Ben Williamson told MS NOW on Thursday that Patel was going to Milan for a series of business meetings, and it was unfair to describe the trip as having to do with hockey or pleasure.
“Your rag outlet wrote that he went to hang out at the Olympics on the taxpayer dime – even when provided information that your theory was false,” Williamson posed Saturday on X. He did not respond to a request for comment about the video.
The MS NOW weekend show covered this story. They had fun pointing out that the Patel's spokeperson yelled at the media and then ten minutes later Patel posted this tweet
https://x.com/Kash_Patel/status/2025663993205936176
Patel evidently takes all Sundays off for some sort of hockey league.
This story will be fun to watch
MaddowBlog-As Florida Republicans prepare to name an airport after Trump, trademark issues loom large
As Florida Republicans prepare to name an airport after Trump, trademark issues loom large
As Florida Republicans prepare to name an airport after Trump, trademark issues loom large
— (@us-fl-nb.bsky.social) 2026-02-21T09:20:19+00:00
https://www.newsbeep.com/us-fl/163645/
For a president obsessed with self-aggrandizement and self-glorification, Donald Trump has reason to be pleased with recent developments.…
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/as-florida-republicans-prepare-to-name-an-airport-after-trump-trademark-issues-loom-large
And now, Politico reported on the latest addition to the growing list:
Florida lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation that would rename Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald Trump.
The proposal will now arrive on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, as the Legislature works out how much it wants to spend — possibly upward of $5.5 million — on a massive rebranding at the airport mere minutes away from Mar-a-Lago.
.....Just last week, ahead of the vote in Tallahassee, the Trump Organization filed trademark applications for “President Donald J. Trump International Airport” and “Donald J. Trump International Airport,” as well as the possible “DJT” airport code.
The move led to an obvious question: Would the president’s family business try to profit from Florida’s decision to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after him, either through royalties or licensing fees?
Texas Republicans have a new campaign strategy -- and a surprisingly retro boogeyman
John Cornyn, Ken Paxton and other GOP candidates for U.S. Senate and state office are stoking Islamophobia.
https://x.com/CokerRory/status/2025609837745229960
https://www.ms.now/opinion/texas-republican-primary-radical-islam-islamophobia
What began as a crowded field of Republican hopefuls jockeying for attention has devolved into a campaign of bigotry.
This isn’t fringe language. It’s now part of the mainstream GOP campaigning strategy.
“The Muslim community is the boogeyman for this cycle,” Texas GOP consultant Vinny Minchillo told Politico with disturbing candor. “One hundred percent this message works — there’s no question about it.”
I caught up on a good number of Jeopardy episodes and was getting irked at the number of ads attacking Muslims. Cornyn is desperate but the other candidates are also running these ads.
Supreme Court Justices' lives at risk due to 'incredibly dangerous' Trump move: attorney
I wonder if SCOTUS justices will show up for the SOTU? In particular, I wonder if the trump appointees will show up. trump has already attacked these justices and if they show up to the SOTU, you can bet that trump will attack them again. There are already concerns about the safety of the SCOTUS justices due to trump's attacks
Supreme Court Justices may be fearing for their lives after Donald Trump's response to their legal smackdown, according to a Jan. 6 investigator.
— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-02-22T12:00:18Z
https://www.rawstory.com/supreme-court-2675291522
Temidayo Aganga-Williams, an attorney who served as an investigator for the House Jan. 6 committee, appeared on MS NOW over the weekend, where he was asked about Trump's response to the Supreme Court ruling that limited the president's power to tack on new tariffs on a whim.
According to Aganga-Williams, Trump went personal because he nominated these justices. But there could be dangerous consequences, he warned.
"It's always about the person. And here I think what's stark is that he cannot hide behind who appointed them. These are folks that he appointed, that he picked, that he shook their hands and nominated them and espoused how great they are. And even they came down against him. So he has to go down to attacking them personally, which I think is incredibly, incredibly dangerous because it's one thing to say a judge got it wrong," the lawyer said. "When you attack the person, you suggest that the way to rectify this is with that person. And in a world of political violence, I think we get closer and closer to teaching the American people that what they have to do to rectify their needs is not go through institutions, but instead something far more dangerous. And I think that's the path we're down."
Family of top Trump official stands to make fortune from tariff ruling: 'Pure criminality'
The SCOTUS decision not too hard to predict. Legally, there was no basis for trump to declare these tariffs. Family members of the trump administration knew that trump's tariffs were illegal and bought up tariff refund claims. These family members will profit off their inside information as to the legality of the trump tariffs.
Firm of Trump official's family denies report it stands to make fortune from tariff ruling
— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-02-20T23:20:08.951Z
https://www.rawstory.com/howard-lutnick-2675289149/
That top Trump official is Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who for 30 years led the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald as its CEO, handing off control of the firm to his sons after joining the Trump administration last year. Lutnick has championed Trump’s tariffs in public, but behind the scenes, his family-run firm has bet millions of dollars against them, Wired reported.
Cantor denied involvement in the government's tariffs. “As stated previously, Cantor can confirm that it is not in the business of positioning any risk, taking views, or facilitating trades in litigation claims involving the legality of US tariffs," a spokesperson said.
But, according to documents obtained by Wired, Cantor Fitzgerald had purchased the rights to tariff refunds from affected companies, paying 20% to 30% of what companies had paid out in tariffs. In effect, the firm now led by Lutnick’s sons wagered that Trump’s tariffs would be struck down in court, and now stands to reap returns of roughly three to five times its initial investments.
“If you're keeping track, this is the 53rd scheme by a Trump official to profit from government policy or stealing from the American tax payer,” wrote journalist Adam Cochran in a social media post on X Friday.
“For every $100 invested, Lutnick's sons just made 3-5x,” wrote another, Kevin Paffrath, a real-estate broker and political commentator, to his nearly 400,000 followers on X. “Welcome to Crony Corrupt America.”
Kash Patel parties with Team USA hockey champs after taking FBI jet to Italy as aide defends 'official business' trip
Kash Patel parties with Team USA hockey champs after taking FBI jet to Italy as aide defends ‘official business’ trip
Kash Patel parties with Team USA hockey champs after taking FBI jet to Italy as aide defends ‘official business’ trip
— (@born2balive.bsky.social) 2026-02-22T23:17:34.588Z
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kash-patel-olympics-europe-travel-b2925401.html
The FBI chief has was previously accused of using federal government resources to take “extravagant” trips with his girlfriend, allegedly earning him the derisive nickname “Make-a-Wish Director” behind closed doors.
.......
Last year, Patel was accused of using a government Gulfstream jet for personal use to fly around and see his girlfriend, country music singer Alexis Wilkins
Just two years earlier, Patel — then a podcaster and right-wing influencer — had complained that FBI Director Chris Wray was benefitting from "private jet travel that he pays for with taxpayer dollars to hop around the country.”
Now it’s Patel facing that same accusation and claiming that he uses the plane less than his predecessors, while defending their usage for personal trips. Among the reported excursions, Patel has used the jet for a golfing trip in Scotland as well as to go hunting in Texas, along with “date nights” with Wilkins.
Kash Patel is enjoying a taxpayer funded vacation in Italy partying with the hockey team in the locker room
https://x.com/WUTangKids/status/2025652991131316544https://x.com/LucasSa56947288/status/2025665900091732237
https://x.com/RobertLusetich/status/2025659332805951676
Voter turnout in Texas Open Primary
I have been predicting/hoping that Texas would turn blue for a long time. There are many demographic trends that tend to show that Texas is going to turn blue. Texas is becoming younger as older/conservative voters die off and more urban. Texas has an open primary where each voter gets to decide which primary they vote in. Normally these totals give some hint as to voter enthusiasm. These numbers make me smile
https://x.com/SaraForTexLege/status/2025322443976405377
Harris County is voting blue by a good margin despite Greg Abbott promising to turn Harris County red
https://twitter.com/_fat_ugly_rat_/status/2025591508791964044
The Democrats won a state senate race in Tarrant County (Ft. Worth) that surprised me. Tarrant was the only major city in Texas that was voting red. The trend continues
https://x.com/cjtackett/status/2025407618433319128
I am enjoying these numbers.
Voter turnout in Texas Open Primary
I have been predicting/hoping that Texas would turn blue for a long time. There are many demographic trends that tend to show that Texas is going to turn blue. Texas is becoming younger as older/conservative voters die off and more urban. Texas has an open primary where each voter gets to decide which primary they vote in. Normally these totals give some hint as to voter enthusiasm. These numbers make me smile
https://x.com/SaraForTexLege/status/2025322443976405377
Harris County is voting blue by a good margin despite Greg Abbott promising to turn Harris County red
https://twitter.com/_fat_ugly_rat_/status/2025591508791964044
The Democrats won a state senate race in Tarrant County (Ft. Worth) that surprised me. Tarrant was the only major city in Texas that was voting red. The trend continues
https://x.com/cjtackett/status/2025407618433319128
I am enjoying these numbers.
Trump's plan B to impose new tariffs is also illegal because a balance-of-payments deficit doesn't exist, trade experts
Section 122 tariffs can only be used when there is a balance of payments deficit which does NOT exist. Someone did not read the statute before letting trump try this executive order
Trump’s plan B to impose new tariffs is also illegal because a balance-of-payments deficit doesn’t exist, trade experts say fortune.com/2026/02/21/t...
— Ian Kremer (@leadcoalition.bsky.social) 2026-02-22T19:12:07.516Z
#tariffs #economics #economy #law #SCOTUS
https://fortune.com/2026/02/21/trump-tariffs-section-122-trade-law-trade-deficit-capital-account-surplus-balance-of-payments/
But the actual language of the Trade Act lists requirements that don’t exist today, including a “large and serious” balance-of-payments deficit.
While the U.S. has run a trade deficit for decades, it’s been offset by capital inflows as foreign investors pour billions into financial markets, resulting in a net balance of zero.
“Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act, on which Trump’s 10% tariff is based, does not apply in the current macro environment,” said Peter Berezin, chief global strategist at BCA Research, in post on X on Friday. “A balance of payments deficit is not the same thing as a trade deficit. You cannot have a balance of payments [deficit] if you have a flexible exchange rate, as the US currently does.”
Similarly, economist Alan Reynolds, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, pointed out that the trade deficit is fully funded by the capital account surplus, adding that there is no overall balance-of-payments deficit to justify Trump’s newest tax on imports.....
“Section 122 only authorizes tariffs in the presence of a fundamental international payments problem,” he added. “Because the United States does not face such a problem, Section 122 cannot legally be used by President Trump to impose new tariffs.”
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