Let me get this straight:

… the Senate will vote to approve a woman with ties to authoritarian leaders, a man who has pushed vaccine conspiracy theories for years, and a man on the bubble who openly plans to fire thousands of career FBI agents who investigated Trump’s role on January 6, and have the White House oversee the agency.

…Trump’s thinking about annexing Canada, wants to buy or take control of Greenland, take control of the Panama Canal, and now . . . wants to take over the Gaza Strip displacing 2 million Palestinians. So much for “America First!”

… 10% tariff on all Chinese imports to the U.S. is expected to lead to price increases across a wide range of consumer goods: electronics, including smartphones and laptops, as well as toys and fashion apparel. Forbes reports that analysts estimate that the levy on Chinese goods could pass on approximately $40 billion in additional costs to American consumers this year, not to mention increase in inflation. The Wall Street Journal calls it “The Dumbest Trade War in History.”

…has effectively shuttered The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by placing nearly all of its 10,000 personnel on administrative leave, closing offices, and taking down its website. This move was led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Trump signed an executive order announcing the U.S. withdrawal from The World Health Organization (W.H.O), citing the organization’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and perceived political influences. W.H.O. is responsible for setting international health standards, coordinating health responses during emergencies, conducting research, and provides leadership on issues such as disease prevention, health education, and the development of health policies. So much for Make America Healthy Again. Source: The White House.

Paris Climate Agreement: An executive order confirmed the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, ending related financing and the U.S. International Climate Finance Plan. (Let’s remember that climate change is responsible for the number of crushing storms on the East Coast and devastating wild fires on the West leading insurance companies to begin pulling out of several states. And destructive weather will only get worse.)

Forget about the U.S.’s central role in the global financial system, the administration’s actions reflect its “America First” policy—prioritizing national interests by reducing involvement in international organizations and reassessing foreign aid commitments. While some aid programs have been cut, others have been redirected to align with the administration’s strategic priorities. Source: The White House.

Trump has personally filed a $10 billion lawsuit against 60 Minutes and CBS, alleging deceptive editing of Vice President Kamala Harris’ pre-election interview. CBS has denied any wrongdoing, stating that standard editing practices are frequently used to condense lengthy responses. (60 Minutes frequently announces at the end of a segment, that the complete interview can be found on their website.) Paramount’s chief stockholder, Shari Redstone, is reportedly considering a settlement, partly to ease regulatory approval for a merger with Skydance Media (We’ve seen this movie before involving a 60 Minutes interview with tobacco insider, Jeffrey Wigand). However, CBS News journalists have raised concerns that settling the lawsuit could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of the press, despite Trump’s public stance against censorship. Legal experts say the suit is without merit.

CUT TO:

Rod Serling: Imagine, if you will, a world where the very fabric of governance unravels—a world where the traditional checks and balances fade into the distance, leaving only the stark light of executive directives and the shadow of lawsuits, where government is defined not by dialogue, but by decree. And we think it only happens in . . . The Twilight Zone.