You Don't Frighten Us, You Pig-Dogs and Sons Of A Silly Person
To all of you mourning and quailing and brooding about how to withstand the coming authoritarian storm, we present Mark Zaid, a heroic national security lawyer for whistleblowers who shows us a canny way forward. When his client, a former Pence aide, went on air to call conspiracist hack Kash Patel "a delusional liar" who'd trash the FBI, Patel - bullies gonna bully - threatened to sue her. In turn, Zaid slung the most sublime troll back at him. Monty Python's Trojan Rabbit lives!
In a foul pack of flunkeys and bootlickers to Trump, paranoid crackpot Kash Patel, "The Man Who Will Do Anything for Trump," has been "exceptional in his devotion." Despite little expertise, he rose rapidly in Trump's White House - "each new title set off new alarms" - and was so fanatical an alarmed Mark Milley once reportedly warned him, “Life looks really shitty from behind bars." So, a perfect fit for the new regime. The other day, he went on Steve Bannon's podcast - yes, he and it are still here - to call for "offensive operations" to jail Americans, government officials to media, the Great Orange One deems "the enemy." "We will go out and find the conspirators," Patel raved. "Yes, we are going to come after people in the media," all those radical scribblers who helped Biden "steal" the 2020 election. "We're going to come after you, whether criminally or civilly... We're putting you all on notice.” He seems nice.
After Patel's nomination to head the FBI, Olivia Troye, a former counterterrorism aide to Mike Pence, went on MSNBC to declare his "unfitness to serve." "Let me just be very clear about that," she said. "He would lie about intelligence. He would lie about operations." Citing a mission in Nigeria where she said Patel's incompetence "put the lives of Navy Seals at risk," she went on, "At some point I realized I need to check Kash’s work (so) I wasn’t misinforming Mike Pence...I had to go around him. This is a guy who openly has contempt for people in national security." At the FBI, Troye said there is fear from people "who know Patel is fully capable of just doing partisan investigations. It will be insane if he becomes director." After an outraged Patel and his hack lawyer demanded she publicly retract her comments or they'd sue her for meanness, Troye responded, "I stand by my statements."
Enter her attorney Mark Zaid, the founding partner of a rare, renowned practice focused on national security law, freedom of speech claims and government accountability. Zaid, who has represented many government or military whistleblowers with grievances against the entities they once served, cites the ongoing, critical need to "challenge the authority that controls this complex dark world." In 1998, he founded the James Madison Project, aimed at reducing government secrecy; he also teaches a D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Ed class on Freedom of Information, and is repeatedly named a D.C. "Super Lawyer" for his national security work. If Agent Mulder, the fictional FBI agent on the X Files ever needed a lawyer, a National Law Journal article once argued, "Zaid would be his man."
Recently, Zaid went on record personally advising possible targets of The Orange One's vengeance “take a vacation outside of the country" around inauguration time, at least for a while, "just to see what happens." "Hey, by the way, John Brennan, when you appeared on CNN in October 2023, what you said was classified and you're going to be prosecuted under the Espionage Act," he speculated. "Is that going to happen? I have no idea." After Patel's "conspirators" rant, Zaid wrote, "Trump is fulfilling his promises by nominating those who have publicly decried #RuleOfLaw & promised to literally jail political enemies." Up first, for Zaid, is his client Troye: Right on time, Zaid got a letter from Patel's lawyer repeating their threat to sue Troye if she did not "publicly detract her defamatory statements."
This is not, of course, Zaid's first rodeo. So he gleefully shot back a polite response - see below - topping it with this image of a jeering French knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. He graciously added, "To answer your specific question as to Ms. Troye's intention, I think Monty Python expresses it best." LOL. In the memorable scene it's from - most of you know this, right? - King Arthur's Knights approach a castle seeking shelter; in exchange, they'll let the castle's master join their quest. Snubbing the offer, the Frenchman claims his master has a Grail - "I told them we already got one," he tells his giggling mates - before launching into a vicious flood of insults, also animals. "You silly king, you don't frighten us, English pig dogs!" he shrieks. "Go and boil your bottoms...I blow my nose at you, so-called Ah-thoor Keeng...I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" Etc.
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
Except for the insane Frenchman and the flying cow and the Pythonesque mayhem they represent, Zaid's letter is entirely, by-the-books polite. "Dear Mr. Binnal," he writes. "Thank you for your letter dated Dec 4 regarding the threat of your client to file a lawsuit," blah blah blah. Of his client, he respectfully notes, "Many if not all her statements have been previously or similarly stated by a wide swath of the knowledgeable population." Adding, "Be that as it may," he points out, they have asked Troye to "confirm (her) intent" within five days of getting their letter, so here he promptly is. "As you know, I am personally well aware (of) your client's appetite to sue individuals, and your firm's proclivity to support such lawsuits," he writes; as proof of that awareness, he notes he has motions pending in two federal district courts seeking sanctions against them for their idiocy. Oh, the burn. #RightBackAtYa, you silly king.
Asserting he and his colleagues "fully expect many federal employees to become whistleblowers," Zaid also posted a request for donations to help them do so pro bono. Their non-profit, non-partisan legal organization Whistleblower Aid allows workers of conscience from both government and the private sector to "report government and corporate lawbreaking. Without breaking the law." And they're hiring. The first-listed job requirement: "An interest in justice, resilient democracy and corporate accountability." Ending his letter to Patel's lawyer, Zaid loftily notes, "I am reminded of the Italian proverb, 'A lawsuit is a fruit tree planted in a lawyer's garden.' I can only imagine the number of apples and oranges growing in your backyard. Whether they thrive or not, of course, is the question." He signs off, "With best wishes, Sincerely," etc etc. In other words, farting in your general direction.
'Monumental Victory for the Ocean': Norway Halts Plans for Deep-Sea Mining
Environmental organizations cheered as Norway's controversial plans to move forward with deep-sea mining in the vulnerable Arctic Ocean were iced on Sunday.
The pause was won in Norway's parliament by the small Socialist Left (SV) Party in exchange for its support in passing the government's 2025 budget.
"Today marks a monumental victory for the ocean, as the SV Party in Norway has successfully blocked the controversial plan to issue deep-sea mining licenses for the country's extended continental shelf in the Arctic," Steve Trent, CEO and founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation, said in a statement. "This decision is a testament to the power of principled, courageous political action, and it is a moment to celebrate for environmental advocates, ocean ecosystems, and future generations alike."
"Today, thanks to the SV Party and all those around the world who spoke up against this decision, the ocean has won. Now, let's ensure this victory lasts."
Norway sparked outrage in January when its parliament voted to allow deep-sea mining exploration in a swath of its Arctic waters larger than the United Kingdom. Scientists have warned that mining the Arctic seabed could disturb unique hydrothermal vent ecosystems and even drive species to extinction before scientists have a chance to study them. It would also put additional pressure on all levels of Arctic Ocean life—from plankton to marine mammals—at a time when they are already feeling the impacts of rising temperatures and ocean acidification due to the burning of fossil fuels.
"The Arctic Ocean is one of the last pristine frontiers on Earth, and its fragile ecosystems are already under significant stress from the climate crisis," Trent said. "The idea of subjecting these waters to the destructive, needless practice of deep-sea mining was a grave threat, not only to the marine life depending on them but to the global community as a whole."
"Thankfully, this shortsighted and harmful plan has been halted, marking a clear victory in the ongoing fight to protect our planet's blue beating heart," Trent continued.
In June, Norway announced that it would grant the first exploratory mining licenses in early 2025. However, this has been put on hold by the agreement with the SV Party.
"This puts a stop to the plans to start deep-sea mining until the end of the government's term,” party leader Kirsti Bergstø said, as The Guardian reported.
Norway next holds parliamentary elections in September 2025, so no licenses will be approved before then.
The move comes amid widespread opposition to deep-sea mining in Norway and beyond. A total of 32 countries and 911 marine scientists have called for a global moratorium on the practice. More than 100 E.U. parliamentarians wrote a letter opposing Norway's plans specifically, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has sued to stop them.
"This is a major and important environmental victory!" WWF-Norway CEO Karoline Andaur said in a statement. "SV has stopped the process for deep seabed mining, giving Norway a unique opportunity to save its international ocean reputation and gain the necessary knowledge before we even consider mining the planet's last untouched wilderness."
Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle, the deep-sea mining campaigner at Greenpeace Nordic, called the decision "a huge win."
"After hard work from activists, environmentalists, scientists, and fishermen, we have secured a historic win for ocean protection, as the opening process for deep-sea mining in Norway has been stopped," Helle said in a statement. "The wave of protests against deep-sea mining is growing. We will not let this industry destroy the unique life in the deep sea, not in the Arctic nor anywhere else."
However, Norway's Arctic waters are not entirely safe yet.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, of the Labour Party, toldTV2, on Sunday, "This will be a postponement."
The government said that other work to begin the process of deep-sea mining, such as drafting regulations and conducting environmental impact surveys, would move forward. Norway is currently governed by the Labour and Center parties. The two parties leading in polls for September's elections—the Conservatives and Progress Party—also both back deep-sea mining, according toReuters.
"If a new government attempts to reopen the licensing round we will fight relentlessly against it," Frode Pleym, who leads Greenpeace Norway, told Reuters.
Other environmental groups tempered their celebrations with calls for further action.
Trent of the Environmental Justice Foundation said that "while today is a cause for celebration, this victory must not be seen as the end of the struggle."
"We urge Norway's government, and all responsible global actors, to make this a lasting victory by enshrining protections for the Arctic Ocean and its ecosystems into law, and coming out in favor of a moratorium or ban on deep-sea mining," Trent added. "It is only through a collective commitment to sustainability and long-term stewardship of our oceans that we can ensure the health of the marine environment for generations to come."
Trent concluded: "Today, thanks to the SV Party and all those around the world who spoke up against this decision, the ocean has won. Now, let's ensure this victory lasts."
Andaur of WWF said that this was a "pivotal moment" for Norway to "demonstrate global leadership by prioritizing ocean health over destructive industry."
As WWF called on Norway to abandon its mining plans, it also urged the nation to reconsider its exploitation of the ocean for oil and gas.
"Unfortunately, we have not seen similar efforts to curtail the Norwegian oil industry, which is still getting new licenses to operate in Norwegian waters, including very vulnerable parts of the Arctic," Andaur said. "Norway needs to explore new ways to make money without extracting fossil fuels and destroying nature."
Greenpeace also pointed to the role Norway's pause could play in bolstering global opposition to deep-sea mining.
"Millions of people across the world are calling on governments to resist the dire threat of deep-sea mining to safeguard oceans worldwide," Greenpeace International Stop Deep-Sea Mining campaigner Louisa Casson said. "This is a huge step forward to protect the Arctic, and now it is time for Norway to join over 30 nations calling for a moratorium and be a true ocean champion."
Green Group Sounds Alarm Over Meta's Nuclear Power Plans
Environmental advocates this week responded with concern to Meta looking for nuclear power developers to help the tech giant add 1-4 gigawatts of generation capacity in the United States starting in the early 2030s.
Meta—the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and more—released a request for proposals to identify developers, citing its artificial intelligence (AI) innovation and sustainability objectives. It is "seeking developers with strong community engagement, development, ...permitting, and execution expertise that have development opportunities for new nuclear energy resources—either small modular reactors (SMR) or larger nuclear reactors."
The company isn't alone. As TechCrunchreported: "Microsoft is hoping to restart a reactor at Three Mile Island by 2028. Google is betting that SMR technology can help it deliver on its AI and sustainability goals, signing a deal with startup Kairos Power for 500 megawatts of electricity. Amazon has thrown its weight behind SMR startup X-Energy, investing in the company and inking two development agreements for around 300 megawatts of generating capacity."
In response to Meta's announcement, Johanna Neumann, Environment America Research & Policy Center's senior director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy, said: "The long history of overhyped nuclear promises reveals that nuclear energy is expensive and slow to build all while still being inherently dangerous. America already has 90,000 metric tons of nuclear waste that we don’t have a storage solution for."
"Do we really want to create more radioactive waste to power the often dubious and questionable uses of AI?" Neumann asked. "In the blind sprint to win on AI, Meta and the other tech giants have lost their way. Big Tech should recommit to solutions that not only work but pose less risk to our environment and health."
"Data centers should be as energy and water efficient as possible and powered solely with new renewable energy," she added. "Without those guardrails, the tech industry's insatiable thirst for energy risks derailing America's efforts to get off polluting forms of power, including nuclear."
In a May study, the Electric Power Research Institute found that "data centers could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030—more than double the amount currently used." The group noted that "AI queries require approximately 10 times the electricity of traditional internet searches and the generation of original music, photos, and videos requires much more."
Meta is aiming to get the process started quickly: The intake form is due by January 3 and initial proposals are due February 7. It comes after a rare bee species thwarted Meta's plans to build a data center powered by an existing nuclear plant.
Following the nuclear announcement, Meta and renewable energy firm Invenergy on Thursday announced a deal for 760 megawatts of solar power capacity. Operations for that four-state project are expected to begin no later than 2027.
New Progressive Caucus Chair Ready to 'Fight Billionaires, Grifters, and Republican Frauds'
The Congressional Progressive Caucus on Thursday elected its leaders for the next term, including Rep. Greg Casar as chair.
"The members of the Progressive Caucus know how to fight billionaires, grifters, and Republican frauds in Congress. Our caucus will make sure the Democratic Party stands up to corporate interests for working people," said Casar (D-Texas), who will replace term-limited Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).
"I'm honored to build on the legacy of Chair Jayapal," Casar continued. "I've fought back against extremist, egocentric autocrats in Texas for my entire adult life. The Democratic Party must directly take on Trump, and it'll be CPC members boldly leading the way and putting working people first."
Casar, who is currently the CPC whip and ran unopposed, will be joined for the 119th Congress by Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) as deputy chair and Jesús "Chuy" García (D-Ill.) as whip.
"The Congressional Progressive Caucus has always served as an incredible vehicle for transformative change, justice, and movement building," noted Omar. "I am honored to have the support of my colleagues to serve another term as the deputy chair of the Progressive Caucus. Over the next term, we are going to fight to build an inclusive movement that meets the moment."
García said that "I am proud to join incoming Chair Casar, Deputy Chair Omar, and all members of the newly elected executive board as we prepare for the 119th Congress—in which I believe the role the CPC plays will be more critical than ever."
"We are a caucus that gives platform to ideas deeply popular across the political spectrum, and a caucus that builds diverse coalitions to get things done," he continued. "I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and partners across the country who believe in people-centered policies rooted in equity and justice for all."
The CPC, first led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in 1991, when he was still in the U.S. House of Representatives, has nearly 100 members. The new caucus leaders are set to begin their terms on January 3 and will face not only a Republican-controlled House and Senate, but also U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to be sworn in on January 20.
"It is my great honor to pass the torch to the next class of elected leadership of the Progressive Caucus: My dear friends and trusted colleagues Reps. Greg Casar, Ilhan Omar, and Chuy García," said Jayapal.
"I was proud to establish term limits when I became chair in 2018, and have full confidence in the abilities of our new class to lead this caucus in the fight against the worst of the incoming Trump administration while rebuilding our party with a focus on economic justice for working people," she added. "I will be cheering these three new leaders and our new vice chairs at every turn as chair emerita come next year, and my heart is very full knowing we will have them at the helm of the CPC."
Speaking with NBC News on Wednesday, 35-year-old Casar said that "the progressive movement needs to change. We need to re-emphasize core economic issues every time some of these cultural war issues are brought up."
"So when we hear Republicans attacking queer Americans again, I think the progressive response needs to be that a trans person didn't deny your health insurance claim, a big corporation did—with Republican help," he explained. "We need to connect the dots for people that the Republican Party obsession with these culture war issues is driven by Republicans' desire to distract voters and have them look away while Republicans pick their pocket."
According to NBC:
That means the Democratic Party needs to "shed off some of its more corporate elements," to sharpen the economic-populist contrast with Republicans and not let voters equate the two parties, he said. He predicted Trump and the Republican-led Congress will offer plenty of opportunities to drive that distinction, including when it pursues an extension of tax cuts for upper earners.
"The core of the Republican Party is about helping Wall Street and billionaires. And I think we have to call out the game," Casar said. "The Democratic Party, at its best, can hold people or can have inside of its tent people across geography, across race and across ideology. Because we're all in the same boat when it comes to making sure that you can retire with dignity, that your kids can go to school, that you can buy a house."
Others—including Sanders, who sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2016 and 2020—have issued similar calls since Democrats lost the White House and Senate in last month's elections.
"In the recent elections, just 150 billionaire families spent nearly $2 billion to get their candidates elected," Sanders said Saturday. "Our job in the coming months and years is clear. We must defeat the oligarchs and create an economy and government that works for all, not just the few."
On Thursday, both Sanders and Jayapal, who have led the congressional fight for Medicare for All, reiterated calls for a single-payer healthcare program in response to a social media post by Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead Trump's forthcoming Department of Government Efficiency with fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.
Biden's Hands 'Will Be Bloody' If He Lets Trump Inherit Death Row Cases, Critics Warn
For weeks, President Joe Biden has faced calls to use his clemency powers to save the lives of federal inmates on death row ahead of a transfer of power to President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he will expand the use of the death penalty.
Biden's inaction on the issue has drawn increased scrutiny following his pardon of his own son, Hunter Biden, clearing the younger Biden of wrongdoing in any federal crimes he committed or may have committed in the last 11 years.
Presidents have broad authority under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution to grant pardons and reprieves for federal crimes. Biden recently pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys as part of an annual tradition to highlight these constitutional powers, but he has not issued commutations for the 40 incarcerated men on federal death row. (He did, however, order a moratorium on carrying out federal death sentences in 2021).
"If Biden does not act, there is little doubt that Trump will aggressively schedule executions in his next term. Their blood will primarily be on Trump's hands, but, if Biden does not act to prevent it, his hands will be bloody too," wrote Matt Bruenig, president of the People's Policy Project think tank, reacting to the news of Hunter Biden's pardon.
"The death penalty is a morally-bankrupt and inescapably racist institution" —Yasmin Cader, ACLU deputy legal director
The pardoning of Hunter Biden, who was awaiting sentencing in two federal cases, also prompted scrutiny around pardon actions Biden could take that are not just focused on death row.
"This," wrote Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) in response to a post on X that contrasted Hunter Biden's pardon with the fact that tens of thousands of people are in federal custody for drug offenses.
In 2020, Biden pledged to work to abolish the federal death penalty but, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, "there has been little evidence of anything done in furtherance of this promise."
Pressure to issue clemency was building prior to the announcement of Hunter Biden's pardon.
On November 20, over 60 members of Congress sent a letter to Biden, encouraging him to use his "clemency powers to help broad classes of people and cases, including the elderly and chronically ill, those on death row, people with unjustified sentencing disparities, and women who were punished for defending themselves against their abusers."
During a press conference in November that featured House Democrats and anti-death penalty advocates, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said that "those on death row who are at risk of barbaric and inhumane murder at the hands of the Trump administration can have their death sentence commuted and be resentenced to a prison term," according to Oklahoma Voice.
"We're here today to ask him to take another step in that direction and to demonstrate, once again, a very positive consequence of his having been elected our 46th president, and to carry out his clemency powers in a very positive way," Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said.
Meanwhile, the ACLU has also urged Biden to use the lame duck session to commute federal death sentences—pointing out that Trump has vowed to expand the death penalty, including to non-homicide crimes such as drug-related offenses.
"The death penalty is a morally-bankrupt and inescapably racist institution. President Biden came into office committing to abolishing the federal death penalty because of its fundamental flaws. Commuting the federal row is the way he can honor that commitment, and prevent irreversible miscarriages of justice," said Yasmin Cader, ACLU deputy legal director and the director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality.
While Biden so far has granted far fewer pardon and commutation petitions compared to former President Barack Obama, according to the Department of Justice's Office of the Pardon Attorney, he did in 2022 grant full and unconditional pardons to all U.S. citizens convicted of simple federal marijuana possession—a move that was cheered by advocates.
"President Joe Biden can—and must—act now to finish the death penalty reform work his administration began in 2020," the ACLU said last month. "He must commute the sentences of all people on federal death row to stymie Trump’s plans and to redress the racial injustice inherent to capital punishment."
World Central Kitchen 'Heartbroken' After Israel Bombing Kills Five in Gaza
Israel bombed a humanitarian vehicle in Gaza on Saturday, reportedly killing three aid workers with World Central Kitchen and Palestinian bystanders who tried to come to help after an initial strike.
"We are heartbroken to share that a vehicle carrying World Central Kitchen colleagues was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza," the U.S.-based aid group founded by chef José Andrés, said in a statement.
"At this time, we are working with incomplete information and are urgently seeking more details," the group said.
While Israeli officials said the vehicle was carrying a wanted Palestinian militant, WCK said it had "no knowledge that any individual in the vehicle had alleged ties to the October 7th Hamas attack." The group said it was pausing operations in Gaza for the time being. "Our hearts," they said, "are with our colleagues and their families in this unimaginable moment."
According to reports, the WCK vehicle was targeted on Salah al-Din Street in Khan Younis. After the three aid workers were killed in the first strike, Middle East Eyereports two other people "tried to help" but "were also targeted and killed" by what is known as a double-tap strike.
"The vehicle carried rice and other food supplies," Tamer Sammour, an eyewitness, told the news outlet.
MEE spoke with other witnesses:
Mohammed Abu Abed, a Khan Younis resident, identified one of the two men killed in the second strike as Adel Sammour.
"He asked me last night for bread, but I couldn’t help him," Abu Abed told MEE.
"The two men were farmers heading to work to make ends meet," he explained.
"They were waiting to be picked up for work when the first strike hit the vehicle nearby,”"he continued.
"When they tried to assist, they were also targeted and killed. They were just trying to make a living. They were innocent."
In April, a multi-vehicle WCK convoy was bombed by Israel, killing seven of the organization's workers. The attack sparked global condemnation but did little to end Israel's blocking of humanitarian aid.
A view of the destroyed vehicle following the Israeli army targeted the vehicle carrying aid workers of the US-based international aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) in an attack on Salah ad-Din Street in Khan Yunis, Gaza on November 30, 2024. (Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Image)
Earlier this month, as Common Dreamsreported, an analysis showed the delivery of life-saving aid into Gaza had "fallen to an all-time low," largely due to Israel's obstruction.
Across Gaza over the last 24 hours, at least 19 people were killed in attacks by Israel.
Following the attack on WCK vehicle, Al-Jazeera's Hind Khoudary reported from Khan Younis on the organization's decision to halt its operations in the area.
"After today's attack, the community kitchens did not work and serve people," Khoudary reported. "So, it's beyond attacking Palestinians, Palestinian workers, aid organizations, it’s attacking all sources of aid, and all sources of community kitchens, and those who have been working tirelessly to prevent starvation in Gaza."
"The question remains," she added, "why does Israel continue to target the World Central Kitchen community and their employees in the Gaza Strip?"
Wealth of World's Richest Has Doubled Over Past Decade
The total wealth of billionaires increased by 121% from 2015-24.
Driven largely by the accumulation of massive wealth by the richest people in the United States, the Swiss wealth manager UBS said Thursday the assets of billionaires around the world more than doubled over the past decade.
Between 2015-24, the total wealth of billionaires increased by 121%, from $6.3 trillion to $14 trillion.
Meanwhile, the MSCI AC World Index of global equities, which measures the performance of more than 3,000 stocks from both developed and emerging markets, rose by 73%.
The planet's total gross domestic product is about $105.4 trillion, with a population of just over 8 billion, underscoring the extreme concentration of wealth among the very richest people.
The number of billionaires rose from 1,757 to 2,682 over the past decade, while the wealthiest people in the world boasted significant gains over just the past year.
Billionaires' wealth jumped by about 17% in 2024, with the accumulation of wealth among the richest people in the U.S. offsetting a decline in China.
U.S. billionaires amassed wealth gains that were 27.6% higher than the previous year, accumulating a total of $5.8 trillion—more than 40% of international billionaire wealth.
The tax cuts pushed through by President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party in 2017 are still in effect in the U.S. Tax policy analysts have found that the law was skewed to the rich, with households in the top 1% of incomes expecting to receive an average tax cut of more than $60,000 in 2025 compared to an average tax cut of less than $500 for people in the bottom 60%.
As Common Dreams reported this week, the top 12 U.S. billionaires now control $2 trillion. The wealth of the four richest people in the U.S.—Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg—has hit $1 trillion.
"These four men were worth $74 billion 12 short years ago," said Americans for Tax Fairness. "Tax billionaires."
At the G20 Summit last month, world leaders agreed to "engage cooperatively to ensure that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are effectively taxed."
Alarm Raised Over Wall Street Titan at SSA
"Nothing in Mr. Bisignano's career suggests that he understands the unique needs of older and disabled Americans," said the Alliance for Retired Americans' leader.
Critics of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick to run the Social Security Administration, Frank Bisignano, warned this week that the Wall Street veteran may not be the best choice to run an agency that provides one of America's most important social safety nets.
"President-elect Trump has nominated financial software CEO and GOP donor Frank Bisignano to head the agency that administers Social Security benefits for some 70 million Americans. If confirmed, Bisignano will be accountable—not to corporate boards or stockholders—but to the American people, who depend on their Social Security benefits and pay for them over a lifetime of work," said Max Richtman, president and CEO of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, in a Thursday statement.
Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, said in a statement that "nothing in Mr. Bisignano's career suggests that he understands the unique needs of older and disabled Americans."
"We are also concerned that his decades on Wall Street will leave SSA with a cheerleader for risky schemes like allowing investment firms and crypto corporations to gamble with the trust funds and benefits that Americans paid for and earned through a lifetime of work," Fiesta added.
Bisignano was previously an executive at Shearson Lehman Brothers and also held positions at JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup. During his tenure at the firm First Data Corp., he was listed as the second-highest paid CEO in the U.S. in 2017, per The New York Times. Bisignano is currently the president and CEO of Fiserv (which merged with First Data Corp. in 2019), a payments and financial technology firm.
"Frank is a business leader, with a tremendous track record of transforming large corporations. He will be responsible to deliver on the Agency's commitment to the American People for generations to come!" Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this week.
If confirmed, Bisignano would oversee an agency with more than 1,200 field offices and almost 60,000 employees, according to the Times, and his nomination comes at a time when money in Social Security's trust funds, a reserve that is used to make sure recipients get their full payment, could be entirely depleted by 2035.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers on Thursday signaled a willingness to target Social Security and other mandatory programs after meeting with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the duo that President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to lead a new commission tasked with slashing federal spending and regulations.
In reaction to Bisignano's nomination, Wisconsin state Sen. Chris Larson (D-7) quipped on X: "Why leave a $28 million/yr gig to work in government? My prediction: to cut Social Security."
AOC Launches Bid to Fight Trump as Top Democrat on House Oversight Committee
As ranking member, Ocasio-Cortez said she would balance the committee's focus "on the incoming president's corrosive actions and corruption with a tangible fight to make life easier for America's working class."
Hoping to help lead a congressional panel that could be in a position to hold President-elect Donald Trump accountable to the American public in the coming years, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday notified her colleagues that she is officially seeking the top Democratic seat on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
"I write to you today to seek your support to serve as ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability in the 119th Congress," the New York Democrat wrote in a letter to the Democratic caucus. "This is not a position I seek lightly. The responsibility of leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during Donald Trump's second term in the White House is a profound and consequential one."
With Republicans set to take control of the House in January, the committee will be led by a Republican; Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) currently chairs the panel.
But if Democrats win the House in 2026, the top Democrat on the committee would have subpoena power and be in a position to launch investigations into the Trump administration.
Ocasio-Cortez has sat on the committee since taking office in 2019, and was named by Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) to serve as vice ranking member in the current Congress. In her letter to colleagues, the congresswoman said she and Raskin "meticulously planned out the committee's strategy to combat the majority's partisan agenda and amplify the priorities of House Democrats."
"Even in the minority, we have leveraged the committee's substantial talent to empower our membership, derail the majority's attempts to launch baseless impeachment proceedings against President Biden, and defang other efforts by the majority to weaponize the committee's investigatory power for partisan purposes often designed to amplify misinformation," she wrote. "We also successfully experimented beyond the traditional committee process with a series of shadow hearings to educate the public on a range of key issues that cut through the noise of the current information landscape and spoke directly to the American people."
The grassroots progressive organizing group Our Revolution noted that Ocasio-Cortez has garnered attention for her pointed questioning of witnesses in Oversight hearings, including Trump's former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, Tom Homan. In 2019 she confronted Homan, who has been named "border czar" for the incoming administration, about his role in Trump's family separation policy in an exchange that went viral.
"These are the kinds of messages we need EVERYONE to see if we're going to stop Trump and his far-right agenda," said Our Revolution in an email to supporters on Friday. "AOC got into Congress in the first place by primarying the Democratic establishment, so she's not afraid to stand up to her own party. But that also means that it's going to take massive public pressure on Democrats to put her in this role over more senior members of the party."
Ocasio-Cortez will face Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) in the election for ranking member. Connolly has served in Congress since 2008 and previously ran for the chairmanship in 2022.
Raskin, who is running to be ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, has not endorsed either colleague.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) offered his support for Ocasio-Cortez on Friday, telling NBC News, "AOC is very collaborative on the committee and helps lift up all members. She has been so passionate about the work of this committee for two years as vice chair, and we need progressives moving into leadership in our Congress and country to enact a working-class agenda. I'm all in for her."
Another lawmaker said the outspoken progressive is "exactly what the committee needs."
"She's phenomenal," the lawmaker told Politico. "She's someone that's gonna take the energy of new members coming in and take on Donald Trump. And I think that's what we need at this point."
On the podcast "Pod Save America," co-host and former Obama administration staffer Dan Pfeiffer expressed excitement over Ocasio-Cortez's leadership bid and called her "probably the best communicator in the Democratic Party right now."
Some establishment Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), suggested to Politico that they would support Connolly.
The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, which has close ties to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), is expected to make recommendations for committee leaders in the coming weeks. The House Democrats will then vote on ranking members.
In her letter on Friday, Ocasio-Cortez said she aims to balance the committee's focus "on the incoming president's corrosive actions and corruption with a tangible fight to make life easier for America's working class."
"I will lead by example by always keeping the lives of everyday Americans at the center of our work," she wrote. "We must do all that we can, now, to mark a different future for the American people—one that inspires us to reject the siren calls of division, corruption, and authoritarianism through a shining example of a government that works for the people, by the people—one that sees their struggles and fights for them, not just the powerful and the wealthy."