Economist and long-term Bitcoin skeptic Peter Schiff has come out criticizing the idea of establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve under the coming Trump administration. While many industry leaders cheered the proposal, Schiff has elaborated why the move, if achieved, could be catastrophic for the United States.  Anti-BTC Advocate Peter Schiff Says Bitcoin Strategic Reserve Would [...]

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has named Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E). The initiative aims to streamline government operations and cut wasteful government spending.  Trump Appoints Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy To Head D.O.G.E And Cut $2 Trillion In Government [...]

Tech industry urges more diplomacy as it faces Trump’s proposed sweeping tariffs.

Trump may sway DOJ away from breaking up Google.

Brendan Carr wants to preserve data caps, punish NBC, and give money to SpaceX.

Trump plans to shake up the SEC by installing pro-crypto leaders.

The former president's pending return to the White House could alter the very nature of Medicare, the nearly 60-year-old federal health care program.

NPR's A Martinez speaks with Brian Murray, of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, about President-elect Trump's promise to increase fossil fuel production.

Trump's return to the White House raises questions about whether the country will continue working on global climate initiatives.

President-elect Donald Trump said the New York Republican would help push deregulation and support American businesses. Environmental groups decried the nomination.

The Biden administration issued a new fee on climate-warming methane pollution, but the EPA regulation faces an uncertain future under President-elect Trump

President Donald J. Trump Signed H.R. 390 into Law (Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018)

At this point, it may be fair to say President Joe Biden’s criticisms of his predecessor have nothing to do with principles. It was all politics, all the way down.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described fluoride, which occurs naturally in all fresh water supplies, as an 'industrial waste' associated with various health risks.

From family planning to hospital bills, the new Trump administration has the potential to affect a wide range of policies in the Golden State and beyond.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to make a visit with House Republican leadership on Capitol Hill before meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday morning, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters on Tuesday.  Although the details have not been finalized, Johnson said they have “preliminary plans” to meet with the president-elect […]

House Republican leaders are preparing for temporary losses to their slim majority as President-elect Donald Trump recruits members to serve in his Cabinet, chipping away at the party’s already narrow margins in the lower chamber.  So far, Trump has nominated two House lawmakers to service in his administration: House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), […]

House Republican leaders are learning from their mistakes during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term to be “ready on day one” to implement their aggressive agenda plans filled with policy changes during the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency.  House leaders have been in conversations with Trump for nearly a year to discuss policy proposals and […]

Former President Donald Trump spoke favorably of the controversial merger between LIV Golf and PGA Tour.

Former President and current GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump has announced he will host a screening of the movie Sound of Freedom at his own golf course in New Jersey.

Former President Trump is scheduled to headline fundraisers in San Francisco, Beverly Hills and Newport Beach next week after his felony convictions.

In the deeply Democratic Silicon Valley, there are some defectors. They're setting their sights — and their money — on Trump in the 2024 election.

Former President Trump, in his first post-conviction fundraising swing, raises millions of dollars throughout California.

Some Silicon Valley investors are vocally backing Trump due to concerns about how the government is regulating cryptocurrency, its policies on AI and the threat of an increase in capital gains taxes.

Former President Trump returned to X, formerly Twitter, posting multiple videos as he seeks to rebuild momentum for his flagging campaign.

The surge in deepfake images and videos online of U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris have raised questions over whether the false information could impact the election.

The world's richest man once said Donald Trump's character didn't 'reflect well' on the U.S. Now Elon Musk is touring the country, and spending big, to put Trump and other Republicans in power.

Trump's views on artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, electric vehicles and other issues could reshape the tech industry.

A judge ordered Cowboys for Trump co-founder Couy Griffin to leave his Otero County commissioner post effective immediately.

The Stranger's morning news round-up. by Hannah Krieg

A perfect day for a biiiiiig walk: We could all use a little sunshine right now. Today, Seattlites can expect on-and-off sunny skies—I think the weather nerds of the PNW call it “sunshowers”—and temperatures in the high 50s. 

Council President Rinck: We got another ballot drop last night! Here in Seattle, Alexis Mercedes Rinck has only expanded her decisive lead on the City Council’s faildaughter Tanya Woo. And it's not just Woo that Rinck’s got beat. Her vote count trumps the combined total of the 2023 City Council victors and she’s got a 26,000-vote lead over Council President Sara Nelson’s 2021 campaign. Rinck may be a minority opinion on the council, but she represents more of the electorate than any other member.

Nail-biter: Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is still too close to call. U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez leads her far-right challenger Joe Kent by about 12,000 votes. We should have a clearer picture in the coming days, but for now the whole country is watching—this race is among the handful that will decide if Republicans retain their majority in the House. 

Another close one: It’s still a tight race for I-2066, the hedge fund millionaire's initiative that would ban the state from encouraging electrification.

Something good on Twitter: After a landslide victory, State House elect Shaun Scott has earned a meme.

???????? pic.twitter.com/RNI4iERKsK

— Shaun Scott ???????? (@eyesonthestorm) November 6, 2024

Joever: Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the nation to concede she had lost the 2024 presidential election. She kept her remarks very positive, very boilerplate Democrat. If she truly believed  Trump is the threat to the American people he is, she should have come for blood. But, no. The Democrats love to capitulate to the right. And, it's part of why they lost so spectacularly. They championed an extreme and inhumane immigration platform, shrugged their shoulders at Israel’s utter decimation of Gaza, and totally abandoned working people crushed by the weight of the affordability crisis. I know you’re smart and you already know this, but as the #Resist libs start to re-recognize the ever-present threat of fascism—the precarity of reproductive access, queer and trans liberation, immigrants’ rights, workers protections, and more—remember that the Democrats' constant sidesteps to the right landed us here. 

well, as long as you had fun! https://t.co/FtJ9HJ4T8P

— Lead Actor from Pixar’s Sodas (@ByYourLogic) November 7, 2024

Trump transition begins: President-elect Donald Trump’s allies have started lobbying for positions in his administration. According to CNN, Trump will use these positions to “reward” those who have remained loyal to him. That’s also a key feature of his plan: make the administrative state, or what they often call the “deep state,” more friendly, thus radically expanding the executive's power and efficiency. Some top positions seem narrowed down. Trump’s likely considering 2024 co-campaign manager Susie Wiles, his former budget director Russ Vought, CEO of the America First Policy Institute Brooke Rollins, or his former US trade representative Bob Lighthizer for White House Chief of Staff. Rumor has it he will also find jobs for loathsome little rat Elon Musk and anti-vax nut job RFK. Cool.

Off the hook: Trump’s victory may mean the end of his two federal criminal cases related to his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his mishandling of classified documents. His team delayed the cases until after the election, banking on a victory so Trump could fire special counsel Jack Smith and end the cases. As for his New York hush money case, Trump is scheduled for sentencing later this month, but his team will likely argue he’s entitled to constitutional protections afforded to sitting presidents after his election. 

Solidarity: Yesterday, Cascade PBS workers staged an informational picket outside their workplace to pressure their bosses to meet their three demands in their contract: higher wages, better benefits, and strong workplace protections. And, boy, do they deserve higher wages. According to their press release, the Cascade PBS CEO made nearly seven times the average unit member’s salary in 2023. Greed is a fucking disease.

Today at noon, @CascadePBSUnion members used our lunch break to rally for fair wages and a fair contract. If you’re in the area, drop by and say hi - we’ll be the ones in the bright red shirts ✊ pic.twitter.com/ZR9pEwK6jV

— Cascade PBS Union (@CascadePBSUnion) November 6, 2024

In honor of our incoming commander-in-chief: He’s a theatre girly.

The left tries to find its footing before Trump takes power again. by Hannah Krieg

Photography by Ananya Mishra

Seattle lefties gathered at the Space Needle this weekend to hype themselves up for what promises to be a rough four years under a second Trump administration. Speakers acknowledged that the future feels foggy, and that it's unclear what the first fights will be.

Unlike many of the protests around the country, Seattle’s wasn’t organized by the Women’s March or driven by Trump’s attacks on abortion, women, and LGBTQ rights. But it was an important opportunity for local activists to start saying some of our new realities out loud: that we’re about to have a president that seems determined to level Gaza, deport both documented and undocumented immigrants, undermine worker power, and continue to allow cops to kill with impunity. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, not everyone left feeling hyped. The protest lacked the same energy that they harnessed in the wake of Trump’s election eight years ago, or even some of the other protests around the country this weekend. The calls to action—“resist, organize, fight”—felt too vague, especially when the left has had so little success organizing on the national stage. “It felt like we went from resistance to resignation and that this was just perfunctory," one attendee said. 

But we’re also only six days into this new paradigm. And we captured what promises to be the first protest of many as Seattle’s left finds their footing, and their energy. 

The Stranger's morning news round-up. by Ashley Nerbovig

Goooooood morning: The National Weather Service predicts a 50% chance of rain today, with a breezy evening ahead. Meteorologists expect wind speeds to possibly top 29 miles per hour, so batten down your rotting porch pumpkins people!

Time to talk dollars: Want to tell the City Council how to spend your tax dollars? Go to public comment tonight at 5 pm at City Hall. Or you can participate remotely. You can go to tell them to support a capital gains tax, or oppose cuts to tenant services. Or tell the Council to respect the Jumpstart spend plan and actually use the payroll tax to pay for affordable housing, as it was intended. Check back on the blog for more coverage of the budget from Hannah. 

ICYMI: With the blowout loss for former Council Member Tanya Woo, Hannah tells City Council Member Sara Nelson to count her days. Local politicos plan to mount a serious challenge to the conservative Council President Nelson next year in the hopes of ousting her and her pro-cop, pro-business agenda out of office.

Rob Saka Seeks Street Car phase-out: Saka proposed phasing out the South Lake Union streetcar and redirecting the funding to bus service in the City. The budget for the street car is about $4.4 million, which isn't a whole lot of money when you consider Saka wants $2 million to remove the Delridge median so he can take a left turn.

Last week, the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) completed its investigation into Seattle Police Department (SPD) Officer Kevin Dave, who hit and killed 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula as she crossed through a crosswalk in January 2023. The OPA found Dave violated the department's driving policies as well as its policies requiring officers to follow the law. The City must hold a Loudermill hearing for Dave, which allows him to tell his side of the story before deciding on his discipline, so it may be a couple months before we know the final outcome. In the meantime, Dave continues to fight the traffic ticket Republican City Attorney Ann Davison issued him for his killing of Kandula. Seattle Municipal Court shows Dave's next hearing is scheduled for 8:30 am on December 18 in courtroom 301. 

BREAKING: OPA concluded its investigation into SPD Officer Kevin Dave on Friday and sustained policy violations for breaking the law and vehicle operation. Next step will be deciding discipline for him.

— Ashley Nerbovig (@AshleyNerbovig) November 11, 2024

What's your plan for this week anyway? Maybe you're checking out Christmas Dive Bar? Or maybe it's too soon? Maybe you're trying to enjoy something with more Thanksgiving vibes? Well, as always, our sister publication EverOut has you covered with the top 41 things to do this week in Seattle.

Republicans likely to control the US House: As it stands, Republicans have won 214 seats in the House, with Democrats at 205, and 16 races yet to be called. To control the House, Republicans need only to pick up another four seats, which they seem highly likely to do. Congress returned to Washington this week, ready to start setting Trump's right-wing agenda into motion.

Trump plans to pick Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State: The worst people in American continue to jockey for a position in Trump's new administration, with Florida Republican Rubio possibly securing the role of America's top diplomat, according to Politico. We're sure to hear more names in the coming days, including people such as Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, who Trump may consider for Secretary of Education. The nightmare continues. 

Israel kills 14 in Gaza: Two Israeli strikes killed 14 people in an area Israel had mostly declared to be a humanitarian zone. The deaths included at least two children, according to the Associated Press. 

Migos’ “Bad And Boujee” (Feat. Lil Uzi Vert): Been a minute since I checked out Tom Breihan's the Number Ones column, and I'm glad I plumbed it for a song today because I normally wouldn't think about Migos around holiday season, but that's when "Bad and Boujee" climbed to the number one spot on the charts, so I suppose that makes it a holiday classic.

The former President of the United States calls Facebook, Twitter, and Google 'a total disgrace and an embarrassment' to the country for banning him from the platforms.

The latest report from the hot desk of Sir Howard Elston

Sir Howard Elston, scourge of the left and nemesis of the right, with another exclusive from the extreme centre.

From Sir Howard’s hot desk at the La Hula 69 Bar in Las Vegas

US President Donald Trump's second term may benefit India's electronics industry. The US plans to impose tariffs on Chinese electronics, encouraging companies to seek alternative manufacturing hubs. India, with its growing manufacturing sector, stands to gain. Experts believe this shift could lead to increased electronics exports from India to the US. However, concerns remain about India's capacity to handle the potential surge in production.

Apple could double its iPhone production in India to over $30 billion annually if the US imposes tariffs on Chinese imports. This shift could create 200,000 jobs and increase India's share in iPhone production to over 26%. However, the move depends on US policy and India's ability to address cost and policy challenges.

The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) on Monday said the return of Donald Trump as the next US President will bolster India's textile and apparel trade with its largest international market.

President-elect Donald Trump has gone against media expectations by tapping Marco Rubio, Kristi Noem and a number of other Capitol Hill veterans to fill posts in his second administration.

The Trump administration has rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer schools or leave the country if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the decision as a court hearing was getting underway on a challenge to the rule by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the Atlanta area on Wednesday, prominent Georgia Democrats have scheduled a news conference to "slam" what they call the president's "failed coronavirus response," the group announced in a press release. For state Republican leaders, the visit offers an opportunity to showcase Trump before the GOP base as the November election approaches.

Updated at 7 p.m. ET In a move that possibly placed his job in peril, Defense Secretary Mark Esper publicly disagreed Wednesday with President Trump's threatened use of the 1807 Insurrection Act to quell widespread unrest over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck. "The option to use active-duty forces in a law enforcement role should only be used as a matter of last resort, and only in the most urgent and dire of situations. We are not in one of those situations now," Esper told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. "I do not support invoking the Insurrection Act." Esper added, "I've always believed and continue to believe that the National Guard is best suited for performing domestic support to civil authorities in these situations, in support of local law enforcement." The 1807 Insurrection Act authorizes a U.S. president to deploy the military in times of domestic emergencies. The law was updated in 2006 to include

When protests erupted in Minnesota following the death of George Floyd — the black man who died after a white Minneapolis policeman kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes — many of the law enforcement agencies from the Twin Cities metropolitan area that responded were recent beneficiaries of free excess military materiel from a Pentagon program originally meant to support counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations. At least 10 police departments in the Minneapolis and St. Paul suburbs have obtained either all or nearly all of their Department of Defense military-grade equipment — ranging from $13.56 cartridge magazines to hulking personnel carriers with original price tags surpassing $700,000 — during the first three and a half years of the Trump administration. That haul was part of more than $1 billion worth of military equipment transferred to police and sheriff departments since 2016 under what is commonly known as the 1033 program, named for the section of a 1997