Subscribe

States Push Back on Musk's Bureaucratic Coup - The Friday AM Quickie 2/14/25

By Corey Pein —

I'm enjoying the new season of Severance, even though I can't say I know what the hell is going on. What's it say about our world when a dystopia feels like escapism? - Corey

SunsetLakeCBD.com

Skip the mattress sales this year and celebrate President's Day like founding fathers—with some well-cured farm-fresh hemp flower. Though, unlike those long-dead aristocrats, you can support a farm that pays a living wage while you do it!

That’s right, Sunset Lake is releasing two new smokable hemp cultivars and marking the occasion with a sale. You can try any and all of their smokable CBD products for 30% off when you checkout with code "NewFlower."

This exclusive offer ends February 23rd at midnight ET. See their site for terms and conditions. Celebrate in style, save big, and support sustainable farming—all in one go.

Subscribe to the AM Quickie's NEW paid newsletters here!

THE BIG NEWS

Trumpocalypse: 350 Rabbis 'Say No to Ethnic Cleansing,' Denouncing Trump Plan for Gaza

  • 14 States Sue Trump, Musk, and DOGE Over Oligarch's Unchecked Power' "'There is no greater threat to democracy than the accumulation of state power in the hands of a single, unelected individual,' the states' lawsuit begins. 'Although our constitutional system was designed to prevent the abuses of an 18th century monarch, the instruments of unchecked power are no less dangerous in the hands of a 21st century tech baron.'" via ABC News, the Los Angeles Times, and HuffPost.
  • As Judges Push Back on Trump and Musk's Reign of Chaos, White House Suggests It May Ignore Rulings "The real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday, calling rulings against Trump "an abuse of the rule of law and an attempt to thwart the will of the people." via the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Post, Politico, the Guardian, HuffPost, and the Associated Press.
  • DOJ Prosecutors Resign Over Trump's 'Quid Pro Quo' in Dropping Charges Against Puppet NYC Mayor Eric Adams In her blistering resignation letter, Manhattan US attorney Danielle Sassoon writes that Trump officials have engaged in "abuses of the criminal justice process, coercive behavior, [and] other forms of misconduct" by letting Adams off the hook for corruption so that he could implement Trump's anti-immigrant agenda. via the New York Times and HuffPost.
  • DOGE 'Bulldozer' Tears Through Department of Education "'They've effectively dismantled us,' said one staffer. 'We're completely crippled,' said another." via the Washington Post, ProPublica, Politico, and HuffPost.
  • State Department Puts $400 Million Plan to Buy Armored Cybertrucks from Musk 'on Hold' After Reporters Notice "Musk has portrayed the vehicle as 'apocalypse ready,' although some people have posted videos on social media that appear to show the vehicle struggling in difficult conditions like snow." via the New York Times and Drop Site News.
  • Pete Hegseth Invites Nazi-Friendly Pizzagate Podcaster Jack Posobiec on His Big Trip to NATO Meeting in Europe The decision "has raised questions within the Pentagon about Hegseth's judgment and what he aimed to communicate to US allies." via the Washington Post and the Guardian.
  • 'God Sent Me President Trump,' RFK Jr. Says During His Swearing-in Ceremony The only Republican to vote against Kennedy's confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary, Mitch McConnell, cited his experience with childhood polio and support for lifesaving vaccines, prompting Trump to spit back later, "I have no idea if he had polio." via the New York Times, Politico, and the Washington Post.
  • Immigrant Rights Activists in California Form 'Community Self Defense Coalition' to Disrupt ICE "'If it's an apartment, a church, or building whatever it may be, we will call people to surround the place and stop them,' said Ron Gochez, spokesperson for the Union del Barrio, a political group that has built a coalition of 60 organizations 'united on the issue of defending migrants and immigrants.'" via the Los Angeles Times.

Supreme Court Likely to Weigh in on Texas Ruling Against New York Doctor Over Abortion Pills

A Texas judge yesterday fined a doctor in New York more than $100,000 for prescribing abortion pills to a woman in Dallas. The same doctor, Maggie Carpenter, faces a criminal extradition request from Louisiana for prescribing the pills to a pregnant minor in that state – a request Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also rejected yesterday. "I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana," Hochul told reporters. "Not now, not ever." But the Texas case, per the New York Times, the Associated Press, and Politico, is likely to wind its way up the federal court system as a challenge to "shield laws" in Democratic-led states like New York that protect doctors who prescribe abortion medication. "Shield laws are essential in safeguarding and enabling abortion care regardless of a patient's ZIP code or ability to pay," the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, cofounded by Dr. Carpenter, says. "They are fundamental to ensuring everyone can access reproductive health care as a human right."

Starbucks Must Hire More White Men, Missouri AG Says

Missouri's Republican Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, was elected to his first full four-year term last November. His previous claim to fame is a hopeless stunt lawsuit seeking $25 billion in damages from China over the Covid-19 pandemic. On Tuesday he launched a new quest for attention by filing a federal lawsuit against Starbucks, alleging that the company's "workface [sic] has become more female and less white" over the past five years, which Bailey calls evidence of "systemic racial, sexual, and sexual orientation discrimination." The company rejects the allegations. As the Washington Post notes, the lawsuit "comes as corporations across the country are rolling back their diversity, equity and inclusion programs as the Trump administration moves to shut down all federal DEI programs." It's also a twisted perversion of anti-discrimination law. "I'm curious if white-served coffee tastes better," Democratic state Rep. Raychel Proudie of Ferguson asks, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Doubtful!

QUICKEST QUICKIES

  • 30 Injured in Munich Car Attack on Trade Union March; Fears That Far-Right AfD Will Benefit The car, a Mini Cooper, was reportedly driven by Farhad N, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan who worked as a security guard who allegedly "had posted Islamist content on social media before the incident." via the New York Times, the Guardian, and Deutsche Welle.
  • Tim Walz and Ilhan Omar May Run for Open Minnesota Senate Seat The jockeying follows Democratic Sen. Tina Smith's announcement that she will retire, saying she is "ready to spend more time with my family." via Politico, Axios, and the Minnesota Reformer.
  • TikTok Is Back in Google and Apple's App Stores The smartphone companies acted after receiving "assurances in a letter from US Attorney General Pam Bondi that a ban wouldn't immediately be enforced." via Bloomberg News and the New York Times.
  • Stressed-Out, Overworked California Lab Techs Working on Bird Flu May Strike A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, meanwhile, finds that dairy veterinarians have been carrying undetected bird flu infections, suggesting that the virus "could be infecting cows and people in more states than have been officially reported." via Politico, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.

SOME NUMBER

100 percent

That's how much of the cost of Donald Trump's tariff plans that will be passed on to consumers, Raphael Bostic, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, tells the New York Times. The tariffs, between 10 and 25 percent, will apply to more than $1.3 trillion of US imports. "Prices could go up," Trump admitted yesterday.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

2/14: Happy Friday! And Valentine's Day! Sam and Emma speak with Jeet Heer, national affairs correspondent for The Nation, to round up the week in news. Then, they speak with Rahna Epting, executive director at MoveOn, to discuss recent reporting that Congressional Democrats are frustrated by efforts to urge them to fight back more forcefully against the Trump administration.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

Trump's Popularity CRASHES With Gen Z

Elon Musk is also a toxic chud, according to the public.

'You Don't Know What You're Talking About!' Palestinian Guest Shreds CNN's House Ghoul

GOP shill Scott Jennings takes another L.

PARTING WORDS

"It is outrageous. This is the latest attempt to erase the very existence of transgender people. The rebellion at Stonewall would not have happened without trans people. To attempt to erase their existence is utterly shameful."

-- Erik Bottcher, a New York City councilman representing Greenwich Village, speaking to the Times about the National Park Service's removal of references to trans and queer people from the website for Stonewall National Monument, commemorating the 1969 riot for LGBTQ+ rights at the the Stonewall Inn. Also yesterday, a federal judge in Maryland temporarily blocked the nationwide enforcement of Donald Trump's executive order cutting off funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to youth.

Anniversary Sale!

It's the 20th anniversary of The Majority Report, and we have the merch to prove it! Buy some swag at shop.majorityreportradio.com and help us keep going for another 20 years. Thanks!

Quickie Discount Code Corner

Hey check it out! Stuff on sale!

Check out Seder's Seeds at sedersseeds.com! 
It's growing season, so it's time to get your very own Seder's Seeds! Go to https://sedersseeds.com and get 15% off your entire order when you enter the discount code Majority

IAC Laser Engraving: Visit https://iaclasers.com and use Coupon Code MAJORITY10 at checkout to save 10% on your order. They have also updated their site recently, so if you’ve visited in the past, you’ll want to visit again and check out the new products.

Fast Growing Trees: This Spring Fast Growing Trees has the best deals online, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF their first purchase when using the code MAJORITY at checkout. That’s an ADDITIONAL 15% OFF at https://FastGrowingTrees.com using the code MAJORITY at checkout. https://FastGrowingTrees.com code MAJORITY. Offer is valid for a limited time, terms and conditions may apply.

Earthbreeze: Right now, my listeners can receive 40% off Earth Breeze just by going to https://earthbreeze.com/majority! That's https://earthbreeze.com/majority to cut out single-use plastic in your laundry room and claim forty percent off your subscription.

Blueland Cleaning Products: Blueland has a special offer for listeners. Right now, get 15% off your first order by going to https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY. You won’t want to miss this! https://Blueland.com/MAJORITY for 15% off.

Prolon: Right now, Prolon is offering The Majority Report with Sam Seder listeners 10% off their 5-day nutrition program. Go to https://ProlonLife.com/MAJORITY.

ExpressVPN: Stop handing over your personal data to the Big Tech monopoly that mines your activity and sells your information. Protect yourself with the VPN I trust to keep me safe online. Visit https://ExpressVPN.com/majority. That’s https://ExpressVPN.com/majority to get three extra months free.

Ritual: Essential for Men is a quality multivitamin from a company you can actually trust. Get 40% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/MAJORITY. This offer is only available through January 31st. Start Ritual or add Essential For Men to your subscription today.

ZBiotics: Go to https://zbiotics.com/MAJORITY to get 15% off your first order when you use MAJORITY at checkout. You can also sign up for a subscription using my code - so you can stay prepared no matter the time or occasion. ZBiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee so if you’re unsatisfied for any reason, they’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Henson Shaving: Henson Shaving is giving my audience a 2-year supply of blades for FREE. Just go to https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY, That’s https://HENSONSHAVING.com/MAJORITY. Add a razor and 100-pack of blades to your cart, then enter code MAJORITY to get the blades for free.

Shopify: Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/majority. Go to https://shopify.com/majority now to grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in.

LiquidIV: Revive yourself for the New Year. Grab your Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier Sugar-Free in bulk nationwide at Costco or get 20% off your first order when you go to https://liquidiv.com/majorityrep at checkout. That’s 20% off your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code MAJORITYREP at https://liquidiv.com.

Nutrafol: Take the first step to visibly thicker, healthier hair. For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month’s subscription and free shipping when you go to https://Nutrafol.com/men and enter the promo code TMR. Find out why over 4,000 healthcare professionals recommend Nutrafol for healthier hair.

Sunset Lake CBD: Sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com.

CozyEarth: IF you’ve never tried Cozy Earth, I've got awesome news!  You can SAVE up to 35%  off Cozy Earth right now!  But hurry... this offer won't last.  Go to https://CozyEarth.com and enter mypromo code MAJORITY REPORT at checkout for up to 35% off on your first order!  That's https://CozyEarth.com promo code MAJORITY REPORT.