‘Hard to imagine a bigger betrayal’: AZ judge reveals men’s Russia aircraft parts scheme
Mary Jo Pitzl, Arizona Republic – April 6, 2025
An Arizona judge sentenced two Russian men to prison for sending aircraft parts to Russia in an illegal export scam.
U.S. District Court Judge Dominic Lanza handed Oleg Sergeyevich Patsulya an almost six-year sentence on April 2, while Vasilii Sergeyevich Besedin was handed a two-year sentence.
The two Florida residents presented themselves to U.S. companies, including one in Arizona, as brokers seeking aircraft parts on behalf of clients in other countries. However, they intended to send the parts to Russia, in violation of heightened export controls in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to court documents.
The two were charged with violating the federal Export Control Reform Act. Patsulya’s sentence also reflected his guilty plea to money laundering. He agreed to forfeit more than $4.5M in assets, including a luxury vehicle and a boat, to compensate for the money he made off of the scheme.
In a statement, Lanza identified Patsulya as the leader of the plot, which Patsulya hatched after he had been granted a visa to be in the U.S. legally.
“It’s hard to imagine a bigger betrayal of the United States than what you did,” Lanza said.
In his plea agreement, Patsulya acknowledged that by pleading guilty it was “a virtual certainty” that he would be deported from the U.S.
The duo’s efforts to obtain parts for a carbon disc brake system used on Boeing 737s led them to an Arizona firm, identified in court documents as “Arizona Company 1.”
During a Sept. 8, 2022 visit, the two said they were interested in buying brake parts for a Turkish client and signed forms indicating the transaction complied with export rules. Both actions were lies, court documents stated.
The Arizona deal never went through, but the two pursued other companies and ultimately were able to ship some of the brake systems to Russia, records show.
The case was investigated by the Phoenix field office of the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and Phoenix-based FBI agents. They were aided by federal investigators in Boston and Miami.
This week, they are targeting the man who gave him that role: President Donald Trump.
In coordinated demonstrations that organizers said took place across all 50 states, the “Hands Off!” protest accused Trump and his administration of championing policies that benefit the rich while making life harder for everyone else.
Business Insider sent reporters to protests in different parts of the country to hear from them directly. Many said they were most worried about the economy and their retirement investments, which have dwindled in tandem with Trump’s tariff announcements.
Trump says the tariffs will help jump-start US manufacturing, promote US goods, protect jobs and ultimately create more of them. He has urged Americans to wait out the initial market volatility and price increases.
That has, however, so far done little to alleviate fears. Here’s what protesters told us and what surprised us the most.
New York City
A large crowd protests the Trump administration in Midtown Manhattan.Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Community Change Action
As I rode the train from Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan, the subway car filled with protesters, their cardboard signs bumping up against umbrellas on a rainy Saturday in New York.
By 1 p.m., the 42nd Street station was even more crowded than usual. Older people clutched slippery canes, and young kids clutched their parents’ hands. One man wore a once trendy Harris Walz camo hat. Another waved a small American flag, an unusual display of patriotism at anti-Trump rallies.
The damp horde of protesters shuffled toward Bryant Park, and in some ways, it all felt familiar. There were chants about abortion, signs featuring the face of now-deceased Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a progressive icon, and a steady cacophony of car horns.
But some things were different this time.
For one, the crowd looked older, with middle-aged Americans seeming to outnumber the 20-somethings that dominated rallies during the pandemic. It makes sense since many Americans are watching their retirement savings dwindle in the face of crashing markets and worry that staff cuts to the Social Security Administration could impact the crucial safety net.
While the anti-government protests held during Trump’s first term focused on social issues — like abortion and civil rights issues — many of the signs today targeted the economy.
A protest sign at the Manhattan demonstration.Alice Tecotzky/Business Insider
Most of the people I spoke to didn’t want to share their last names because they worried about their privacy in the current political environment. Yet they weren’t shy about their rage and despair.
Dorothy Auer, 62, told me she wished people would get angrier.
“I’ve been working for over 40 years, and I looked at my investments yesterday — my retirement plan — and I literally don’t think I’ll ever be able to retire,” she said, starting to choke up.
Wiping her eyes with her free hand — the other held a black and white sign bashing Musk — Auer told me it’s distressing to see a man of such wealth “turn around and crap on us.”
Jian, 33, held a sign that read, “Tariffs are killing my 401(k),” but he told me he’s most upset about what’s happening to his retired father.
“My dad just lost about 25% of his savings in the last three days because of the tariffs,” he said.
It’s not just the economy, of course, that brought thousands of people out to Midtown Manhattan.
Penny, 54, said the Trump administration affected virtually every issue she cares about. Even so, we ended up talking about Musk.
“I’m horrified that a person who wasn’t born here, wasn’t elected, seems to be getting carte blanche to do whatever he wants in our government,” she said. “How did he get a security clearance?”
Most of those I talked to as they slowly trudged toward Madison Square Park didn’t think the protest would change Trump’s mind.
A few said they hoped Congress would pay attention, but more than that, people said they felt they needed to do something.
“Even if it’s sort of hopeless right now, at least it’s showing people that we’re here,” Pyare, 49, told me. “And that we don’t like it.”
Novi, Michigan
Another week, another protest.
On Saturday, I attended the Hands Off! rally in Novi, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit where 55% of the vote went to Kamala Harris during the election. Thousands of people showed up.
The crowd was emotionally charged and united by the spirit of collective action. Many attendees said they were first-time protesters. The Tesla Takedown protests I attended last weekend seemed somber by comparison. Protesters here got loud.
The artist calls herself the “Old Lady Army Fighting for Democracy” or “OLAFFD.”Lakshmi Varanasi
“Call me Old Lady Army Fighting for Democracy,” one 66-year-old woman, who didn’t want to give her real name, told me. She held up a sign she had made. It was a charcoal drawing of the Statue of Liberty, whose hands covered her eyes in shame.
“I just copied this off of Facebook,” she said. But to her it symbolized that “everything that our country stands for is being destroyed, and the world is looking at us.”
A pin that said “Keep your laws off my body” was of several Liana Gettel, 58, was wearing at the Hands Off! rally in Novi, Michigan.Lakshmi Varanasi
Liana Gettel, 58, said she was outraged for several reasons, including the administration’s stance on abortion. She said she had an abortion 29 years ago.
“I had lost a child. The child would not come out on its own. So I had to have a procedure. Had I not had that procedure, I wouldn’t be here,” she said. “And that’s what they want to block, is things like that?”
Protesters targeted many different issues, including abortion, trans, and minority rights. One protester holding up a sign for trans rights said, “Trans people are just the appetizer, but everyone will be on the menu now.”
The line echoed remarks made by human rights advocate Channyn Lynne Parker at the Rally for Trans Visibility in Chicago last weekend.
Protesters at the Hands Off! rally fought for many causes, including trans rights.Lakshmi Varanasi
Unlike protests during Trump’s first term, which focused on social issues, however, many people today were also worried about the president’s economic policies.
Matt Watts said he was protesting Musk’s takeover of Social Security and Trump’s tariffs on “countries that don’t deserve it.” After the stock market began to take a hit from all the talk of tariffs, Watts said he took his money out of his 401(k) and invested it into a more stable fund. “I’m getting ready to retire pretty soon. I’ve got to count on that savings,” he said.
Most protesters were middle-aged or older, but they captured some younger activists with their energy.
Yajat Verma, 18, and Patricia, 53.Lakshmi Varanasi
Yajat Verma, 18, said he hadn’t known about the protest but was driving by with a friend when he saw the crowd. He decided to join in and started handing out water bottles to protesters.
“Everyone should be protesting,” he said.
San Francisco
Thousands of protesters gathered at Civic Center Plaza near San Francisco City Hall.Lloyd Lee
Protesters crowding together near the San Francisco City Hall had much to be angry about.
On one end of the 150,000 square-foot Civic Center Plaza, a man’s voice boomed through the microphone about the dangers of fascism and how it was time for people to go “on the offensive.”
On the other end was Michelle Gutierrez Vo, president of the California Nurses Association, warning folks about Trump’s move to strip federal workers of their union rights.
With so many grievances against the current administration in the air, some protesters resorted to bullet-point lists of the issues on large signs.
Protesters hold signs listing several issues they have with the Trump administration.Lloyd Lee
That spoke to one of the concerns for Maria, a 67-year-old San Francisco resident who declined to provide her last name.
“My focus has been a lot about the environment,” Maria told BI, later adding, “There’s so much going on right now, but I know it’s important to try and stay focused on one thing and hope other people are focused on the other things.”
Maria’s friend chimed in, saying she was worried about her Social Security, which she said she had been paying into for six decades.
For Frida Ruiz, 18, a student at the University of San Francisco who held a sign that read “Billionaire Cucks,” Trump’s stance on immigration hits close to home as a daughter of Mexican immigrant parents.
For George Chikovani, a 42-year-old SF resident, who came to protest with his wife Lisa Isola, 40, and their three-year-old and 10-months-old children, his most personal issue was the Ukraine war.
“My grandmother is from Ukraine and then I grew up in Georgia, so that cause has felt very personal to me. I still have family and friends there,” Chikovani said.
At least 7,500 people gathered near city hall on Saturday afternoon, according to an officer with the San Francisco Police Department.
Some protesters were in full-body costumes.Lloyd Lee
As my colleague observed in New York, older millennials and seniors made up large swaths of the crowd. Some came out in full costumes, sticking true to SF’s colorful character.
Maria, who is also a member of Third Act, a left-leaning political advocacy group focused on mobilizing senior voters, said she was encouraged by people who came out to protest but was “hoping to see more.”
NC Supreme Court race ruling is a dangerous attack on voters who followed the rules | Opinion
The Editorial Board – April 4, 2025
Hundreds of demonstrators rally at the North Carolina State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. The rally, organized by Common Cause, protested Republican state Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin’s challenge of 65,000 ballots in November’s election. He trails Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs.More
Roughly 65,000 votes are just a step away from being thrown out after the North Carolina Court of Appeals sided with Jefferson Griffin in his lawsuit seeking to overturn the state Supreme Court race he lost by 734 votes out of more than 5 million cast.
In a stunning decision that changes the rules of an election after that election has occurred, the court ruled that the vast majority of the votes in question must be recounted and verified, and voters will be given 15 days to “cure” their ballots by providing documentation to verify their identities.
The ruling creates a dangerous precedent for overturning an election result that the loser simply doesn’t like.
The decision by a three-judge panel broke along party lines, with two Republicans in support of Griffin’s appeal and Democrat Judge Toby Hampson issuing a lengthy dissent, rejects rulings by the State Board of Elections and a Wake Superior Court judge who found the board ruled correctly.
The case is now almost certain to go to the Republican-controlled state Supreme Court, where Griffin’s opponent in the race, Justice Allison Riggs, will recuse herself. If the state Supreme Court upholds the appeals court’s ruling, it will be a new extreme in judicial partisanship and a national embarrassment for North Carolina.
The ruling also places an extraordinary burden on voters who must now defend their legitimacy despite the fact that they did nothing wrong. In most cases, those voters simply did not have a driver’s license number or Social Security number attached to their voter registration. That could be because the directions on their registration form were unclear, or because there was a typo or other clerical error in the database. Republicans argue that means their identities cannot be verified, even though those voters were required to show ID in order to cast their vote.
Giving the affected voters the opportunity to cure their ballots does not make this decision any less an act of disenfranchisement. It’s fantastical to think that any meaningful share of those voters will provide the missing information in such a tight window, especially those living overseas who may not even receive notice until the 15 days are nearly over.
It’s worth noting that Griffin has not been able to prove that any of the voters he is challenging were actually ineligible to vote. Yet he — and the court — are fervent in their assertion that those votes may well be illegal.
As Hampson wrote in his dissent: “Petitioner has not established that any one of the ballots he challenges was cast by an unlawfully registered voter. Therefore, Petitioner has not met his burden of establishing probable cause to believe a violation of election law has occurred.”
Even more ridiculous is the fact that the new standard is not being evenly applied — the votes Griffin chose to challenge disproportionately belong to demographics or counties that lean Democratic. Only these specific ballots, in this specific race, are at risk of being thrown out. It undermines the public’s faith in our elections and in the judges that are apparently willing to overturn them.
Friday’s ruling sends the unwelcome message that the right to vote in North Carolina may be more fragile than ever. Even if you follow the rules, that right can still be taken away from you months later by judges who believe themselves more bound to partisanship than to the law. It’s a shame for democracy, and a shame for North Carolina.
Trump administration abruptly cuts Nevada food bank deliveries, funding
Jeniffer Solis – April 3, 2025
Food Bank of Northern Nevada distributes groceries through their Mobil Harvest program. (Photo Credit: Food Bank of Northern Nevada marketing and communications manager, Aramelle Wheeler.)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has halted the delivery of more than a million pounds of meat, eggs and dairy to food banks in Nevada ― even as many report that the need for food assistance has only increased.
Dozens of trucks filled with fresh food bound for Nevada’s food banks were pulled back last week then the USDA cancelled 40% of food deliveries ordered by the Nevada Department of Agriculture under the Emergency Food Assistance Program, funded by the federal Commodity Credit Corporation.
Three Square Food Bank ― which serves Clark, Lincoln, Esmeralda, and Nye counties ― was notified March 25 that about one million pounds of USDA food donations slated for the food bank had been canceled. Beth Martino, the CEO of Three Square Food Bank, said part of that delivery was funded through the Commodity Credit Corporation.
That same day, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada ― which serves about 160,000 Nevadans monthly across 12 counties ― was informed that 350,000 pounds of food they were expecting between April and August would be immediately canceled.
According to the Nevada Department of Agriculture 35 trucks of fresh food scheduled for delivery to Nevada’s food banks were abruptly canceled by the USDA. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada was slated to receive 12 of those trucks.
“This was additional food that we got through that program that, frankly, we need right now. The need is extraordinarily high at the food bank,” said Jocelyn Lantrip, the director of marketing and communications at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. “We’re helping 160,000 people every single month, which is about 76% higher than it was before the pandemic.”
In October, the USDA announced $500 million in additional funding to support food banks through the Emergency Food Assistance Program. That funding has now been canceled as part of an ongoing campaign to slash the federal budget, leaving Nevada with less food to fill its emergency food pantries.
A spokesperson for the USDA said that while the Emergency Food Assistance Program “continues to operate uninterrupted with more than $166 million spent in recent months” the additional half-a-billion in funding for the program has been terminated.
Asked to explain the rationale for ending the funding, the USDA, in a statement, said the additional $500 million in Commodity Credit Corporation dollars were announced by the Biden administration “without any plans for long-term solutions.”
The USDA said that despite terminating the additional funding for food banks the agency “has not and will not lose focus on its core mission of strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and ensuring access to nutritious foods.”
Before the funding was frozen last week, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada received about two million pounds of food through Commodity Credit Corporation funding over the last 12 months. If the funding is not reinstated the food bank anticipates it will lose roughly the same amount of food donations next fiscal year.
“The situation has gotten worse for many families so as far as the food bank is concerned, we don’t think it’s a great time to cut funding for food programs, because we’re seeing more need than we’ve ever seen,” Lantrip said.
A cascade of challenges
The Commodity Credit Corporation funding offered more meat and dairy to food banks than other federal commodity programs. The high-protein staples that come directly from USDA funding aren’t easily replaced by donations or other sources, Lantrip said.
“That’s what makes it so significant, because this type of food is harder to source. It’s more expensive,” Lantrip said. “Meat and protein items are always difficult for food banks to find, just because there’s less of that in the donation stream, and it’s more expensive to source if we’re purchasing.”
A diverse funding stream will allow the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to continue operating at its current capacity, but addressing wider USDA cuts to the food bank will be more difficult to overcome, said Lantrip.
“Replacing that food in the long term is the larger concern for us,” Lantrip said.
Other food pantry operators in Nevada said the cuts put yet another strain on nonprofits that are already trying to address high levels of need, leaving operators scrambling to quickly fill in gaps with their own funds, food purchases and donations.
The Community Food Pantry distributes groceries in Reno. (Photo credit: Barbara Monroy, director of the Community Food Pantry)
The Community Food Pantry, which serves the Reno-Sparks area, said they would lose a third of their food deliveries due to the cuts. The food pantry has seen a 21% increase in the total number of clients visiting from the same time last year, an increase the extra dollars largely helped cover.
“The biggest drawback is that it brought in healthy foods. Potatoes, fresh veggies, and proteins ― whether it be milk or eggs or cheese,” said Barbara Monroy, the director of the Community Food Pantry.
“I’ve started to look around at other places where I could get food, because if the food bank doesn’t happen, I’ve got to find it somewhere else,” Monoy continued. “Right now we’re looking at applying for additional grants that aren’t government related, reaching out to donors, and trying to find other programs that might be able to fit the need.”
For the Community Food Pantry, the cut in USDA food donations adds to other financial issues brought on by inflation and higher operating costs for the nonprofit.
“Our car insurance went up 40% this year. It’s crazy that this is happening,” Monoy said.
Three Square Food Bank said the canceled shipments represent a small portion of the donations the food bank is expecting. Last year, Three Square distributed more than 41 million meals, the equivalent of more than 49 million pounds of food and grocery products.
But at a time when the cost of food and other basic needs continues to increase, and the threat that the increases could accelerate as a result of Donald Trump’s tariff policies, the loss of nutritional funding will be felt by low-income Nevadans.
News of the canceled deliveries also comes as Congress seems poised to further cut other safety-net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which gives low-income Americans money to buy food. The prospect of such additional cuts only intensifies the need for nutrition assistance programs, Monoy said.
“The need hasn’t gone away since COVID, by any means,” Monoy said. “Just this last weekend we talked to several people in line and their SNAP benefits are $23 a month. I know another woman who gets $17 a month. That just doesn’t seem to be enough to help people when a dozen eggs is $11.”
Prices for all food are predicted to increase 3.2% this year, according to data from the USDA, and grocery store purchases are now 1.9% higher than this time in 2024. The overall annual inflation rate for 2024 was 2.9%.
Nevada’s workforce has also been slower to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic. Nevada currently has the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 5.8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Everybody’s feeling the pinch,” Monoy said. “It’s just the high cost of everything that’s forcing people into the pantry line.”
Editor note: This article was updated to clarify that $4 million in funding for Home Feeds Nevada was cut from the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
McConnell warns of ‘embarrassing naivete’ in Trump admin’s dealings with Putin while sharply criticizing Ukraine policy
Morgan Rimmer and Manu Raju, CNN – March 28, 2025
Sen. Mitch McConnell arrives prior to the Senate Republicans weekly policy luncheon, in the US Capitol on March 25 in Washington, DC. – Al Drago/Getty Images
Former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s Ukraine policy and pivot toward isolationism Thursday night, accusing President Donald Trump’s advisers of showing “their embarrassing naivete” in dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
McConnell, a staunch supporter of Ukraine who delivered remarks while being awarded the US-Ukraine Foundation’s highest honor, warned that “some of the president’s advisers” are urging Trump to pull back from supporting the war-torn nation, and argued that such a move would be a sign of “weakness.”
“This war is a reminder that what happens in one region has implications in another. That weakness in the face of one adversary would invite aggression from another even closer to home. That our credibility was not divisible,” McConnell said. “Allies half a world away in Asia have told us the same – that Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression matters to those who live in China’s shadow.”
“America can’t afford to ignore these lessons. But that’s exactly what some of the president’s advisers are urging him to do.”
The pointed remarks from McConnell come as Trump has spoken with Putin twice since taking office – breaking a sustained period of silence between the White House and the Kremlin – and follow the president’s fiery Oval Office meeting with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky late last month.
McConnell’s desire for an active US role in deterring aggression from Russia in Ukraine has put him at odds with a growing share of the Republican electorate, which has embraced Trump’s more isolationist view. And while the Kentucky Republican has largely voted with Trump during his tenure, he recently put himself at odds with nearly all Senate Republicans when he cast a trio of votes against Trump’s Cabinet nominees – including for the critical defense secretary and director of national intelligence roles.
In turn, McConnell, the longest-serving leader in Senate history when he stepped down from the role in November, has drawn Trump’s ire.
McConnell on Thursday noted that the US’ allies and adversaries are watching closely as the administration praises Putin.
“When the president’s envoys trumpet the magnanimity of a thuggish autocrat, they do so under the watchful eyes of his friends in Beijing, Tehran, and Pyongyang. When his representatives in negotiations masquerade as neutral arbiters, or legitimize sham elections, or treat aggressor and victim as morally equivalent, they do so in full view of longtime partners across the globe – some who know the taste of aggression, and some who have good reason to fear its imminent arrival,” McConnell said.
“When American officials court the favor of an adversary at the expense of allies. When they mock our friends to impress an enemy. They reveal their embarrassing naivete.”
The former GOP leader pointed to former President Ronald Reagan’s military buildup and the end of the Cold War, and specifically what he said is “the most popular phrase in Washington today: peace through strength.”
“But too many of those who use it – particularly among the president’s advisers – don’t seem ready to summon the resources and national will it requires,” he argued.
McConnell ended with a stark warning: “To cut off Ukraine is to stab ourselves in the back. So is the denigration of allies who have fought and died alongside us.”
Trump weighs in on House special election races in Florida as GOP fights to keep majority
Oren Oppenheim – March 28, 2025
In a pair of back-to-back rallies held over the phone on Thursday night, President Donald Trump praised the two Republican candidates in the upcoming special elections for Florida’s 6th and 1st Congressional districts, amid recent concerns among Republicans over whether their candidate in the 6th Congressional District, State Sen. Randy Fine, can keep the seat in Republican hands.
Fine has lagged behind his Democratic opponent, Josh Weil, in fundraising, and Republicans have expressed concerns about his campaign, although many still believe he will be able to hold the seat in the ruby-red district.
The special election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, which is on the state’s eastern coast and includes the city of Daytona Beach, is being held on Tuesday, April 1, to fill the vacancy created by former Rep. Mike Waltz when he resigned to become Trump’s national security adviser.
PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, March 26, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The tele-rallies also came amid broader concerns among Republicans about maintaining their razor-thin majority in the U.S. House, and on the same day that Trump asked Rep. Elise Stefanik to withdraw her nomination to be United Nations ambassador, citing “a very tight Majority” in the U.S. House.
House Republicans currently hold a narrow majority with 218 Republicans to 213 Democrats. Speaker Mike Johnson has a two-vote cushion for his majority.
Fine, at the start of the telephone rally for him, emphatically praised Trump and said he would serve in Congress as one of the president’s strongest allies.
PHOTO: Florida State Rep. Randy Fine, answers a question about his House Bill 3-C: Independent Special Districts in the House of Representatives, April 20, 2022, at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. (Phil Sears/AP, Files)More
“Mr. President, I’m immensely grateful for your unwavering support, trust and confidence in me. I believe that God saved your life in Butler, Pennsylvania, so that you could save the world,” Fine said, referencing the July assassination attempt Trump survived. “And it will be one of the most profound honors of my life to be one of your foot soldiers as you make America great again.”
Trump praised Fine’s early endorsement of him during the 2024 election cycle, adding, “that’s why Randy will always have a very open door to the Oval Office. He will be there whenever I need him, and he wants to be there whenever we need him. He wants to be there for you.”
“I’ve gotten to know him under pressure situations, and he can react well under pressure. So go vote for Randy,” Trump said later.
Fine reiterated he would work to carry out Trump’s agenda in Congress.
“It’s not overstating things to say that your agenda is at stake in this election, and this district can’t let you down. Your agenda is on the ballot on April 1,” he said.
During the earlier telephone rally supporting the Republican candidate in the 1st Congressional District, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Trump praised Patronis’ work in Florida and framed the special election as important for his own agenda.
That special election, which will determine who takes the seat vacated by now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz, has gotten less concern from Republicans.
PHOTO: Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis speaks during a meeting between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state cabinet at the Florida capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., Mar. 5, 2025. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP, Files)More
“The 1st Congressional District is special, and I won it by a lot, and Jimmy is going to win it by a lot. And remember, you’re five days away from this all important special election taking place in your district on Tuesday, April 1, so April Fool’s Day. So it’s going to be the fool for the Democrat candidate, who happens to be terrible,” Trump said of Patronis’ Democratic opponent Gay Valimont, a gun violence prevention activist.
Praising Patronis, Trump said, “Jimmy’s done an outstanding job as the chief financial officer of the state of Florida, helping to guide your state to tremendous economic success. And now he wants to keep on fighting for Florida in Congress.”
This 2018 photo shows an ActBlue office in Somerville, Massachusetts. – Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
ActBlue, a fundraising juggernaut for liberal candidates and causes, is facing stepped-up scrutiny and criticism from Republicans on Capitol Hill and allies of President Donald Trump – as the GOP flexes its new power in Washington and targets one of the key pillars of the Democratic Party’s financial infrastructure.
Three Republicans in Congress – including the chairmen of the House Oversight and Administration panels – are urging Trump’s Treasury Department to share with lawmakers reports of suspicious financial transactions related to ActBlue. Other GOP lawmakers are demanding probes by Treasury and the FBI into whether the fundraising platform has helped organizations engaged in terrorism or violated federal campaign finance laws.
And billionaire Trump donor Elon Musk – who is overseeing the administration’s controversial effort to rapidly shrink the federal government – has criticized ActBlue, seeking to tie it to protests and acts of vandalism against his electric-vehicle company Tesla. He has argued, without evidence to substantiate his claims, that some prominent Democrats – including one who died in 2019 – were funding ActBlue and the protests.
“Something stinks about ActBlue,” Musk posted earlier this month on his social media platform, X.
Officials with ActBlue deny any wrongdoing.
“ActBlue has always dealt with attacks and baseless claims from the Right that are designed to undermine the power of the small-dollar donors who rely on our platform,” spokesperson Megan Hughes said in a statement in CNN. “This new, coordinated attack is different only in scale, and our team remains steadfast in defending against these bad-faith attacks.”
She said the platform would continue its “mission to expand access to political giving and ensure people-powered movements continue to thrive.”
ActBlue, a nonprofit organization, is a fundraising powerhouse for Democrats and progressive groups – helping to funnel small-dollar donations to candidates, party committees and others. In all, it has collected more than $16 billion since its founding in 2004, according to a running tally on its website.
Although it has competitors, it has long dominated processing payments online for the party. According to the platform, more than 14 million users have saved their contact and payment information with the group, allowing contributors to easily make one-click donations.
But the ramped-up criticism from Republicans comes as ActBlue has faced internal tumult – including the recent departure of several high-level staffers as first reported by The New York Times – and criticism from some Democratic consultants and others in liberal circles over whether the platform is doing enough to protect donors from deceptive tactics.
Last December, for instance, dozens of individuals and progressive groups signed an open letter to ActBlue, urging reforms – including prohibiting political committees that raise money on the platform from using misleading language in fundraising solicitations.
But some Democrats worry that – with Republicans now controlling all the levers of government in Washington – the increased scrutiny could serve as a precursor to a Republican attempt to shut down the platform entirely and undermine Democratic fundraising in future elections.
Josh Nelson, the CEO of the ad platform Civic Shout and one of the signatories of last year’s letter recommending changes to ActBlue’s policies, said his concerns about its internal practices have taken a back seat this year to his growing alarm over what he views as “illegitimate attacks” from the GOP.
“I think Republicans know that ActBlue has been an extremely effective fundraising platform for thousands of Democratic campaigns and progressive groups,” Nelson said. “They’re just trying to use power to harm their political opponents in future elections.”
“The question is how far will Republicans go?”
GOP lawmakers in recent years have increased their scrutiny of ActBlue, questioning how it guards against fraud and prevents foreigners from illegally contributing to US campaigns. Among the issues raised: ActBlue did not always require donors to add the CVV number – or card verification value – on every credit card transaction.
(ActBlue has added the CVV requirement but has said it has long used several reliable means to prevent fraud and prohibit illicit foreign contributions, including an address verification system to ensure cardholder addresses match those at the banks that issued the cards. Americans living abroad, for instance, also must include a copy of their passport photo.)
But this month has seen a slew of fresh ActBlue activity from GOP lawmakers, who are seeking executive branch probes or access to sensitive documents from Treasury, such as the “suspicious activity reports” or SARs, which financial institutions file with the agency to flag suspected cases of money laundering, fraud or other suspicious transactions.
Wisconsin GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, who oversees the House Administration Committee, and others have complained that the Biden administration provided only limited information in response to requests for the reports involving ActBlue.
He recently joined House Oversight and Accountability Committee chairman, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, and New York Rep. Nick Langworthy in a letter that seeks all suspicious activity reports mentioning ActBlue filed at any point from January 1, 2023.
It’s not clear whether Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will cooperate.
Currently, the House Administration Committee “is in communication with the Treasury Department about reviewing SARs,” a source familiar told CNN this week. A Treasury spokesperson did not comment.
Other GOP lawmakers pushing for probes of the fundraising platform include Trump allies, California Rep. Darrell Issa and Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs.
In the meantime, Democrats are trying to use the GOP scrutiny to bring in more political contributions.
“Republicans are attacking ActBlue because small-dollar donations from people like you are a major advantage for Democratic campaigns up-and-down the ballot,” read a recent fundraising email from the Democratic National Committee.
The appeal then links users to ActBlue to help Democrats “fight back.”
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Musk and his helper Donald Trump want to gut the system. After all, billionaires have no need for Social Security.
However, they know that if they tried a direct approach and simply slashed Social Security benefits, even their most ardent sycophants in Congress would balk, knowing they’d be booted from office in the next election.
DOGE cuts make it tough to access Social Security benefits
White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attends a cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on March 24, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Instead of drastically cutting benefits, the plan seemingly is to make it more and more difficult for people who have earned those benefits to get them.Advertisement
That’s why Musk and his DOGE bros want to cut thousands of jobs from Social Security’s workforce, close regional offices and limit phone service by “requiring recipients to show up in person to verify certain changes to their accounts,” according to The Washington Post.
As a result, The Post reported, “the Social Security Administration website crashed four times in 10 days this month because the servers were overloaded, blocking millions of retirees and disabled Americans from logging in to their online accounts.”
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., succinctly outlined the plot to gut Social Security at a hearing in Washington, D.C.
Not just retirees rely on Social Security
She said, “DOGE is considering slashing up to 50% of the Social Security Administration’s workforce. That means longer lines, more errors, and for everyone who gives up or who dies before they get their benefits sorted out, those delays and errors also turn into benefit cuts.”
Warren added, “The law is to deliver the benefits that people are legally entitled to. If you don’t have the staff. If you don’t answer the phones. If you don’t fix the mistakes. People don’t get what they’re legally entitled to.”
The list of people who will be most at risk includes retirees, of course. But also individuals with disabilities, patients in hospitals, people who live in remote areas, even children, many living in foster homes.
It goes on.
Long lines, confusion and delay hurt us all
Already, legitimate Social Security recipients are feeling it. Very long wait times for callers. Confusion. Uncertainty.Advertisement
Delays in receiving Social Security benefits can be catastrophic for some recipients. Many people rely on the money to help take care of their most basic needs.
A survey published in January found that, without their benefits, 42% of Americans 65 and older reported, “I would not be able to afford the basics, such as food, clothing, or housing.”
Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley said recently at a briefing, “I can tell you that democracy is waking up to this very, very real threat that they are coming for Social Security.”
Vance accuses Denmark of underinvesting in Greenland as Trump presses for US takeover of the island
Philip Crowther, Kirsten Grieshaber and Aamer Madhani – March 27, 2025
Vice President JD Vance arrives at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)Vice President JD Vance, from right, and second lady Usha Vance, speak with soldiers at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)Vice President JD Vance, right, and second lady Usha Vance arrive at Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, Friday, March 28, 2025. (Jim Watson/Pool via AP)
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Friday that Denmark has “underinvested” in Greenland’s security and demanded that Denmark change its approach as President Donald Trump pushes to take over the Danish territory.
The pointed remarks came as Vance visited U.S. troops on Pituffik Space Base on the mineral-rich, strategically critical island alongside his wife and other senior U.S. officials for a trip that was ultimately scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were not consulted about the original itinerary.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance said. “You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
Vance said the U.S. has “no option” but to take a significant position to ensure the security of Greenland as he encouraged a push in Greenland for independence from Denmark.
“I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,” Vance said. “We could make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they’d fare a lot better economically as well.”
The reaction by members of Greenland’s parliament and residents has rendered that unlikely, with anger erupting over the Trump administration’s attempts to annex the vast Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back on Vance’s claim that Denmark isn’t doing enough for defense in the Arctic, calling her country “a good and strong ally.”
Soon after arriving, Vance briefly addressed U.S. troops stationed at the base as he and his wife sat down to lunch with them, saying that the Trump administration is very interested in “Arctic security.” He and his entourage, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, later received briefings from military officials.
It was minus-3 degrees F (minus-19 degrees C) when the delegation landed at the remote base 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) north of the Arctic Circle. “It’s cold as s—- here. Nobody told me,” Vance said, prompting laughs.
The revised trip to the semi-autonomous Danish territory comes as relations between the U.S. and the Nordic country, a traditional U.S. ally and NATO member, have soured. Trump had repeatedly suggested that the United States should in some form control the island.
During his remarks at the end of the brief visit, Vance underscored that he did not think military force was ever going to be necessary as he pressed the idea of a dramatically enhanced American position on the island.
“Because we think the people of Greenland are rational and good, we think we’re going to have to cut a deal, Donald Trump style, to ensure the security of this territory but also the United States of America,” Vance said while adding that the people of Greenland had the right to determine their own future.
In Washington, Trump on Friday said the U.S. “needs Greenland for international security.”
Trump, speaking to reporters soon after Vance’s arrival, alluded to the rising Chinese and Russian interest in the Arctic, where sea lanes have opened up because of climate change.
“Greenland’s very important for the peace of the world,” Trump said. “And I think Denmark understands, and I think the European Union understands it. And if they don’t, we’re going to have to explain it to them.”
After Vance’s speech, Frederiksen said Denmark was increasing its defense capabilities in the region, including new Arctic ships and long-range drones.
With Greenland part of NATO, she also emphasized the collective responsibility of the alliance to defend the Arctic in response to the Russian threat. After Denmark stood “side by side with Americans” in its war against terror, she said it was “not a fair way” for Vance to refer to Denmark.
Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, thanked Vance “for taking a closer look at Arctic security” and said both countries agree more could be done.
“Greenland & Denmark share a desire to strengthen our already incredibly close ties with our friend & ally,” he wrote on social media.
Ahead of Vance’s arrival, four of the five parties elected to Greenland’s parliament earlier this month signed an agreement to form a new, broad-based coalition government. The parties banded together in the face of Trump’s designs on the territory.
“It is a time when we as a population are under pressure,” the prime minister-designate, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said before the accord was signed to applause and cheers in the capital, Nuuk.
He added that “we must stick together. Together we are strongest,” Greenland broadcaster KNR reported.
In a post on Instagram, Frederiksen congratulated Nielsen and his incoming government, and said, “I look forward to close cooperation in an unnecessarily conflict-filled time.”
Frederiksen said Tuesday that the U.S. visit, which was originally set for three days, created “unacceptable pressure.” She has said Denmark wants to work with the U.S. on defense and security, but Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.
Initially, Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, had announced a solo trip to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut. The vice president subsequently said he would join her on that trip, only to change that itinerary again — after protests from Greenland and Denmark — to a one-day visit to the military post only.
Inhabitants of Nuuk, which is about 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) south of Pituffik, voiced concern about Vance’s visit and the U.S. interest in their island.
Cora Høy, 22, said Vance was “welcome if he wants to see it but of course Greenland is not for sale.” She added that “it’s not normal around here” with all the attention Greenland is getting. “I feel now every day is about (Trump) and I just want to get away from it.”
“It’s all a bit crazy. Of course the population here is a bit shook up,” said 30-year-old Inuk Kristensen. “My opinion is the same as everyone’s: Of course you don’t do things this way. You don’t just come here and say that you want to buy the place.”
As the nautical gateway to the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, Greenland has broader strategic value as both China and Russia seek access to its waterways and natural resources.
“We need to ensure that America is leading in the Arctic, because we know that if America doesn’t, other nations will fill the gap where we fall behind,” Vance said.
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Grieshaber reported from Berlin and Madhani from Washington. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report.
Elon Musk Says DOGE Aims to Finish $1 Trillion in Cuts by End of May
Dana Hull and Jennifer A. Dlouhy – March 27, 2025
(Bloomberg) — Elon Musk, the billionaire running President Donald Trump’s federal cost cutting effort, said he plans to slash $1 trillion in government spending by the end of May.
Musk, in an interview Thursday with Fox News’ Bret Baier, said he believes that his Department of Government Efficiency can find that level of cost savings within 130 days from the start of Trump’s term, which began on Jan. 20.
That presents an ambitious goal that would require slashing more than half of the $1.8 trillion the US spent on non-defense discretionary programs in 2024.
“I think we will accomplish most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame,” Musk said on Baier’s show Special Report.
Musk is a special government employee, a classification for temporary federal workers who are only supposed to work 130 days out of the year in their roles.
Musk said he wants to cut 15% of the government’s annual spending — which amounted to $6.75 trillion in fiscal year 2024. That’s a reduction of about $1 trillion. Musk says he is confident he can slash that amount “without affecting any of the critical government services.”
The interview came days after Trump said that he expected to be “satisfied” with DOGE’s cuts in the coming month or two. The president has also said DOGE’s overhauls are not “necessarily a very popular thing to do,” an acknowledgment of the political risk associated with Musk’s plans for wide-ranging cuts.
Much of the federal government’s spending is on mandatory programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, where there is little leeway to make cuts. Musk has said, without citing evidence, that those programs are overrun with fraud and waste.
DOGE has deployed at least 10 staffers to the Social Security Administration to identify waste. But the data does not support claims of widespread fraud: from 2015 through 2022, Social Security estimated that it made almost $72 billion in improper payments — less than 1% of benefits paid, according to an inspector general report last year.
The Fox interview marked the first time that many of the key people working with DOGE have spoken publicly about their work. Steve Davis, a longtime Musk aide, was identified by Baier as the DOGE chief operating officer. Joe Gebbia, the billionaire who co-founded Airbnb and is on Tesla Inc.’s board of directors, also joined the interview.
So far, the accounting from Musk’s own team has shown they are still far from the $1 trillion mark. The DOGE website, which has been plagued with errors and overstatements, lists about $22 billion in contract savings. They claim about $130 billion in overall cost reductions, which aren’t itemized.
Musk’s DOGE has also spearheaded a wave of federal government layoffs that agencies have begun implementing in recent weeks.
Musk sought to downplay the job cuts, saying that “almost no one’s gotten fired.”
Agencies in recent weeks have announced a spate of workforce reductions. Earlier Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services said it would cut 10,000 jobs. Earlier this month, the Education Department said it was cutting half of its employees and the Small Business Administration is eliminating 43% of its workforce. The Department of Veterans Affairs said it would terminate 80,000 workers and the Treasury Department said in a court filing that large-scale cuts are planned.
DOGE has faced a series of legal setbacks as judges have halted some of their cuts. Musk’s team has also been blocked from accessing some systems and databases, including at the Social Security Administration.
