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Musk Fired-Up About Paul’s Rescission Idea For Slashing Spending Up To $500 Billion

Seeking to codify spending cuts pursued by his Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk held a closed-door lunch with Republican senators on Wednesday. Musk was said to be “elated” with Sen. Rand Paul’s recommendation to make the cuts stick with a relatively expeditious budget-slashing technique called “rescission.” The approach could guide DOGE cuts around federal judges who consider executive-branch-initiated spending cuts as exceeding constitutional authority. 

Rescission offers a means by which presidents can collaborate with Congress to cancel previously-appropriated spending. Enabled by Title X of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, the rarely-used process starts with the president sending a special message to Congress, providing specific details about which budgetary authorities he wants to rescind. 

With Republicans holding a narrow 53-47 Senate majority, one of the most attractive aspects of rescission is that it doesn’t require 60 votes — a simple majority suffices to grant the president’s wish. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley told reporters that Musk was “elated” with Paul’s proposal: “I think he didn’t realize it could be done at 51.” According to South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, it was the first time Musk had heard of the rescission process. He said Musk reacted by triumphantly lifting his arms into the air.  

The approach promises to immunize DOGE spending cuts from federal judges who are skeptical about the executive branch’s power to cut spending that was duly authorized by Congress. This week has seen two major developments that demonstrate the strength of that judicial headwind:

Rescission is an alternative to “impoundment,” by which presidents unilaterally delay Congressionally-directed spending. First used by Thomas Jefferson, the method was restricted by the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) after Democrats felt President Nixon was abusing it. Trump has called ICA “a disaster of a law” and vowed to “do everything I can to challenge [it] in court, and if necessary, get Congress to overturn it.” However, as noted above, the same law provides the opportunity for rescission, which means Trump can use ICA to his advantage. 

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The Morning Briefing: Dems’ Voter Outreach to the Clinically Insane Continues Unabated

Happy Friday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. Srappanzeeh did his best haiku whilst in a Cool Ranch Doritos and unlimited Orange Dreamsicle micro-trance. 

Back when the Democrats were a formidable political party, it was easy to identify their core constituencies, mostly because of the egregious pandering they did to get their votes. Last year’s presidential election made them a little wobbly after two of those constituencies — black men and Latinos — became Trump voters. The Dem elites had relied on their voting bloc remaining intact in perpetuity, and the change in their status quo set them to spinning out of control.

They should be wrapping up a painful journey through the five stages grief, or at least be deep into it. Instead, they’ve set up camp in stage one: denial. That’s really not a good place from which to plan a political comeback: a focused one, anyway. They’ve been flailing a lot, but these past few days have really been out of control.

This is from something my friend Stephen Green wrote yesterday:

It can’t be easy, striving for relevance as members of a political party so far out of the mainstream that they can’t even golf clap for a cancer kid getting his presidential Make a Wish moment on national TV or for the widow and daughters of a slain veteran. 

When you stand for nothing aside from looting the Treasury — any excuse will do, including chemically castrating children — and opposing the Bad Orange Man, you’ve got to figure out ways to distract the American public from your complete moral vacancy. 

What they did was record a video that will make you want to take a shower after seeing it and bleach everything in the room where you watched it. Just as with their infamously bad memes, these video attempts by the Dems to connect with the people are beyond painful. They think they’re cool, though. It’s like an entire political movement full of people who didn’t have friends in high school. Or get good grades. 

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AG Pam Bondi: Still-Unreleased Epstein Files to Be Redacted for ‘National Security’

It unfortunately appears increasingly unlikely we’re going to get any of the juiciest bits of the Epstein files.

Last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi had the Epstein files “on her desk,” she told Fox News, ready to be released to the public at any moment.

Then, according to the official story out of the DOJ, at some point a whistleblower revealed that the 200 pages of requested Epstein documents she was given by the FBI were not, in fact, all of the documents.

(At this point skepticism begins to set in. How could an experienced prosecutor like Bondi, who was a prosecutor in Florida during the Epstein sex crimes cases, have believed that 200 pages of documents were all the FBI had in relation to one of the most significant sex trafficking rings in world history? The claim beggars belief.)

Nonetheless, even after having learned that she had apparently been duped by rogue agents in the Southern District of New York, she still pulled one of the worst PR stunts in recent memory, handing out binders labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” — which contained virtually no new information not already in the public domain — to a gaggle of handpicked influencers and sending them out in front of the White House press pool to wave them around as if they had a big scoop.

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DEI programs backfire: Studies show they increase hostility, fueling Trump’s push for meritocracy

President Donald Trump has made a lot of headlines for his decisive action against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government in an attempt to dismantle what he calls “radical and wasteful” initiatives. His executive orders, which include revoking Lyndon B. Johnson’s affirmative action policies and placing federal DEI staff on paid leave, have reignited a fierce debate over the role of government in promoting diversity versus merit-based governance. But as Trump’s critics decry the move as a step backward, a growing body of research suggests that DEI programs may be doing more harm than good — increasing hostility, fostering division, and even promoting authoritarian tendencies.

The controversy comes as a new study from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Rutgers University reveals that DEI training often backfires, exacerbating the very problems it claims to solve. The findings, which align with Trump’s push for a colorblind, merit-based society, raise urgent questions about the effectiveness and unintended consequences of these widely implemented programs.

The rise of DEI and its unintended consequences

DEI initiatives have become a staple in workplaces, universities, and government agencies across the nation, with the stated goal of fostering inclusivity and reducing bias. However, the NCRI study, which involved over 3,000 participants, found that exposure to DEI materials emphasizing systemic oppression and victimization led to heightened perceptions of bias, increased support for punitive measures, and a rise in intergroup hostility.

Participants exposed to DEI materials, including works by prominent anti-racist authors, were more likely to perceive racial bias in neutral scenarios and endorse harsh punishments for perceived offenses — even when no wrongdoing occurred. For example, in a hypothetical college admissions scenario, participants exposed to DEI materials were significantly more likely to accuse an admissions officer of racial bias, despite a lack of evidence.

Hostility and authoritarianism on the rise

The study’s findings are alarming. Participants exposed to DEI narratives showed a 12% increase in support for suspending individuals accused of bias, a 16% increase in demands for public apologies, and a 12% increase in calls for mandatory DEI training. These punitive attitudes were not limited to race; similar patterns emerged in scenarios involving religion and caste.

Perhaps most concerning is the study’s revelation that DEI materials fostered authoritarian tendencies. Participants exposed to these narratives were more likely to demonize perceived “oppressor” groups and support the suppression of dissenting views. “What we found is that when people are exposed to this ideology, they become hostile without any indication that anything racist has happened,” said Joel Finkelstein, NCRI’s Chief Science Officer and co-author of the study.

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Trans high school track star sparks fury after winning girls’ triple jump by staggering 8 feet

A transgender high school track star in California recently obliterated her competition by winning a girls’ triple jump event by a staggering eight feet.

AB Hernandez, a junior at Jurupa Valley High School, secured the win with a more than 40-foot jump at the Ontario Relays invitational meet back on Feb. 22, records show.

The runner-up managed to jump just over 32 feet in the category.

Hernandez also took first place at the meet in the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and long jump (17 feet, 6 inches) events.

She continued her winning streak this past Saturday when she took home first place in both the triple jump and long jump events at the Roosevelt Invitational, according to records.

The teen finished nearly three feet ahead of the triple jump runner-up and two feet ahead of her second-place long jump competitor, the results show.

“Hopefully, I hit a 41 [footer] this year if it’s possible. Preferably at state so that I can possibly win,” Hernandez said late last month after her 40-foot triple jump.

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WASHINGTON WHISPERS: There is Growing Frustration and ‘Buyer’s Remorse’ Among Democrats Over New DNC Vice Chair David Hogg

The choice of gun control activist David Hogg as vice chair of the DNC last month was met with controversy, given his age, inexperience, and far left positions on various issues.

Just weeks after Hogg’s appointment to the position, he was accused of using DNC resources to promote his personal PAC which pays him a six-figure salary.

Now there are more rumblings behind the scenes about what Hogg is advocating for the Democrat party, which is already mired in an ongoing identity crisis and public meltdown.

This information is coming from a source on Twitter/X known as ‘Bad Hombre’ so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but this account has been right about other things in the past and what is being offered here tracks with other verified reports about Hogg and the DNC:

Frustration and buyer’s remorse are reportedly increasing within the DNC regarding Vice Chair David Hogg.

The dissatisfaction stems from concerns that Hogg is prioritizing the use of party resources to promote his personal image and his organization, “Leaders We Deserve,” rather than supporting the party’s long-term rebranding objectives. Additionally, his ideas are seen as extravagant, wasteful, and radical.

During one meeting, Hogg proposed that the party invest $600 million in creating a social media platform exclusively for registered Democrats to compete with X and Truth Social. He also suggested that he would serve as the platform’s CEO. This rubbed his co-Vice Chairs the wrong way, who view it as another “Hogg money grab.”

More recently, Hogg has clashed with centrist and moderate party insiders over his endorsement of more militant and disruptive tactics, similar to those used by Democrats during President Trump’s address to Congress. Hogg has also advocated for establishing a bail fund to support elected Democratic representatives at the local and state levels who choose to take a more radical approach.

The post goes on to say that Hogg is also facing criticism for pushing Tim Walz as the person Democrats should run for president in 2028.

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Europe faces ‘nightmare scenario’ on Ukraine, as diplomat says countries must pay for defense ‘every day until Trump is dead’

European leaders are finally waking up to the “nightmare scenario” that they face on the Ukraine war — and realizing that they now have to foot the bill for their own defense thanks to President Trump’s “America First” policies, diplomats said.

After years of slacking off on defense spending, Europe now needs to rearm massively “until Trump is dead,” a European diplomat was quoted as telling Politico.

“Defense spending is becoming a fixed cost. We have switched off the sun and now we need to pay every day for the heating. Every day you need to pay for ammunition, at least for several years, until Trump is dead,” the anonymous diplomat said.

The dire assessment comes as European leaders are set to meet Thursday for a summit on the Ukraine war with the hopes of coming up with an agreement that will give them some say in a peace deal.

“The nightmare scenario is that the US announces a deal soon that accepts most of Russia’s demands and then tells Ukraine and Europe to take it or leave it,” Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told Politico.

During his election campaign earlier this year, Germany’s Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz told voters that the continent is “five seconds to midnight” when it comes to its own defense. French President Emmanuel Macron said Europeans need “an incredible awakening.”

Macron spoke out in opposition to Trump’s ceasefire negotiations on Ukraine and also warned that Europe’s relationship with the US had changed, in a drastic ramping up of tensions.

Peace “cannot be achieved at any cost, under Russian dictates, or through Ukraine’s capitulation,” he told his nation in a TV address on Wednesday.

“We have to be ready if the US is no longer by our side,” he added.

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Missouri Attorney General Bailey Demands DOJ Investigate if Biden’s Cognitive Decline Allowed Staffers to Make Decisions without His Knowledge

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey asked the Justice Department to investigate whether White House staffers exploited Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and issued far-left orders at the end of his presidency without his knowledge.

“I am demanding the DOJ investigate whether President Biden’s cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval,” Bailey wrote.

“If in fact Biden’s staffers were exploiting his mental decline, those orders are null and void,” he added.

BREAKING: I am demanding the DOJ investigated whether President Biden’s cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval.

If true, these executive orders, pardons, and all other actions are unconstitutional and legally void. pic.twitter.com/pOhATRfw2j

— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) March 5, 2025

Andrew Bailey cited Joe Biden’s decision to commute the federal death sentences of nearly 40 prisoners on death row.

“Staffers and the Vice President cannot constitutionally evade accountability by laundering far-left orders through a man who does not know what he is signing. If in fact this has been occurring, then all those orders are void,” Bailey said.

Bailey also cited special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s cognitive decline.

“In what was described as “the loudest public alarm about Joe Biden’s mental acuity,” Special Counsel Hur described Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory” who could not even remember when he was Vice President or, even within several years, when his son passed away,” Bailey wrote.

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Europe fails to reach deal on Ukraine, rearmament after emergency talks end without agreement

Europe remains divided on how to support Ukraine and shore up its defenses in the face of Russian aggression, as emergency summit talks ended without a consensus on Thursday.

A statement on Ukraine was signed by all but one of the 27 EU members with a lone country — believed to be Hungary — holding out.

As leaders pledged to ramp up defense spending, the main European powers couldn’t agree on what exactly that support for Ukraine might look like and how Europe should adapt to what many see as a new world order under President Trump.

“Europe is weak without the United States,” Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told reporters on Thursday. He added that he hoped “the US remains committed to our collective security, which is based on shared values.”

However, there was a major point of contention between the European nations over the seizure of some $227 billion in frozen Russian central bank reserves that have been held in Europe’s financial system since the start of the Ukraine war.

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What? Texas Needs Equivalent Of 30 Nuclear Reactors By 2030 To Power AI Data Centers

The AI infrastructure trade (aka the Power-Up America basket which we recommended one year ago before it soared into the stratosphere), had taken a back seat in recent weeks, with some marquee names such as a Vertiv, Contellation, Oklo and others, tumbling from record highs amid growing speculation that China’s DeepSeek – and other cheap LLM alternatives – will lead to far lower capex demands than what is currently projected.

But while the occasional hiccup is to be expected, the endgame for US infra/nuclear stocks looks (millions of degrees) bright. Consider Texas, where demand on the state power grid is expected to expand so immensely that it would take the equivalent of adding 30 nuclear plants’ worth of electricity by 2030 to meet the needs. That’s according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the grid.

The forecast is based on the addition of new data centers needed to power artificial intelligence. And it’s raising concerns about whether infrastructure in the state, which last week we said wants to be “king of nuclear power as the Next AI trade unfolds” – will be able to expand fast enough…. and at what cost.

Coming out of the pandemic, electricity demand on the Texas grid was already growing faster than anywhere else in the country, Bloomberg reports. And now that’s being supercharged by AI, with the state vying to become the data-center hub of the country, if not the world.

Individual projects are already starting to request 1 gigawatt of power and they pose new risks to maintaining a stable grid, said Agee Springer, Ercot’s senior manager of grid interconnections. A gigawatt is typically enough to power 250,000 homes in Texas. The data centers “present a reliability risk to the Ercot system,” said Springer, who spoke on a panel at Infocast’s ERCOT Market Summit in Austin this week.

“We’ve never existed in a place where large industrial loads can really impact the reliability of the grid, and now we are stepping into that world.”

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