Meet the most powerful regulator in DC: Gail Slater

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/05/09/gail-slater-donald-trump-antitrust-00277348

Trump Administration Launches Civil Rights Probe Into Harvard’s Hiring Practices

In a bold move against affirmative action in academia, the Trump administration has launched a civil rights investigation into Harvard University’s hiring policies. The probe, led by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), is scrutinizing whether the university has illegally prioritized race and gender in faculty hiring decisions.

Federal officials cite Harvard’s own hiring data as evidence that the university may have violated laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, sex, and national origin. According to Harvard’s records, the number of non-white tenure-track faculty increased by 37% between 2013 and 2023, while the percentage of white male professors fell from 46% to 32% over the same period.

The investigation comes amid wider federal scrutiny of racial preferences in education. Harvard is already facing lawsuits and government inquiries related to its admissions policies, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ban on race-based admissions last year.

Legal experts say the case could set a precedent for diversity hiring policies at elite universities nationwide. While Harvard maintains that its hiring practices reflect a commitment to equity and inclusion, critics argue that prioritizing diversity over qualifications could violate federal law.

Harvard has not issued an official statement regarding the EEOC probe. However, sources close to the investigation suggest that the university may seek to defend its policies under academic freedom protections. As the inquiry unfolds, it is likely to fuel further debate over the role of race and gender in hiring at America’s most prestigious institutions.

https://freebeacon.com/campus/exclusive-trump-administration-launches-civil-rights-probe-of-harvards-hiring-practices/

Kaitlynn Wheeler

@WheelerKaitlynn

🚨This past weekend at a HS track meet in PA, MALE, Sean “Luce” Allen, STOLE 1st place in the Women’s 200m.

Just look at the video. Notice the height, the size, the significantly larger build compared to the girls.

HOW would anyone deem this as fair??

Huge Title IX violation here! @AGPamBondi @POTUS @JoshShapiroPA

https://x.com/WheelerKaitlynn/status/1921972625321943192

Trump Admin Slashes Additional $450 Million in Federal Funding to Harvard

The Trump administration froze another $450 million in federal grants and contracts to Harvard on Tuesday, accusing the University of failing to take action on antisemitism and discrimination against white people on campus.

The cut — which covers grants awarded by eight unspecified federal agencies — comes on top of the $2.2 billion funding cut announced last month and an announcement last week that Harvard would be cut off from future federal grants.

In a press release announcing the latest cut, officials from a multi-agency task force cited a 300-page report from an internal Harvard task force on antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias, which was released two weeks ago and detailed complaints from Jewish and Israeli students of exclusion and hostility on campus.

“Harvard’s campus, once a symbol of academic prestige, has become a breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination,” the federal task force wrote. “This is not leadership; it is cowardice.”

The group did not mention — and appeared unconcerned by — findings of discrimination and isolation in a parallel Harvard task force report on anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian bias.

A Harvard spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The cut comes just one day after Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 condemned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s decision to pause all future grants to Harvard, writing in a three-page letter that the Trump administration had continually “disregarded Harvard’s compliance with the law.”

The task force pointed to the long-awaited final reports of the presidential task force on antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias — which included a flurry of accounts of Harvard affiliates encountering antisemitism on campus — as an example of the “appalling” treatment of Jewish students on campus.

“Jewish students were subjected to pervasive insults, physical assault, and intimidation, with no meaningful response from Harvard’s leadership,” they wrote.

The task force also singled out the Harvard Law Review, an independent student organization which is currently under a Title VI investigation for discriminating based on race and gender in article selection and journal membership. The force condemned the Law Review’s decision to award a $65,000 fellowship to Ibrahim Bharmal, who was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service following a drawn-out court process over a confrontation at a 2023 pro-Palestine demonstration at the Harvard Business School.

Unlike the first funding cut, which focused squarely on Harvard’s response to antisemitism, the Tuesday announcement also expanded its focus to race.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/5/13/second-federal-funding-cut/

Trump Energy Sec Hints at Canceling Billions of Dollars of Biden’s Green Energy Loans

Energy Secretary Chris Wright hinted that he would soon take action canceling billions of dollars' worth of Biden-era green energy loans that he said do not promote American energy security and are too risky for taxpayers.

In an exclusive interview with the Washington Free Beacon, Wright took aim at how the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office dished out billions of dollars in loans during the final months of the Biden administration. While Wright stopped short of naming particular projects he may cancel loans for, he said the Trump administration would only look to support projects that directly benefit Americans and are not entirely dependent on taxpayer money.

When asked how he will approach pending loans, Wright emphasized that the Department of Energy's core mission is "affordable, reliable, secure energy."

"So, if you've got a project that relates to those things, if you've got equity capital and math that shows your project is going to work, and you're putting your own money in front of it, we can come behind you and provide a little debt capital that can make that happen faster," Wright said. "Those are the kind of deals we'll do."

"We're not going to lend billions of dollars to companies with no money in the technology—who knows if it's gonna work? And even if it did work, it wouldn't add a lot of energy to the United States," he told the Free Beacon. "When we lend, our focus is the American people. If this loan is going to make life for the American people better, then we're in favor of it. If this loan is going give some businessman a chance at a holy grail, we're not going to lend in that case."

Wright's comments—which come as his agency continues a broad review of the Loan Programs Office's activities—reflect many of the same concerns expressed by critics who say the Biden administration weaponized its lending authority to fund risky green energy projects like solar panel assembly plants, electric vehicle battery manufacturing, and hydrogen power facilities.

Overall, the Biden Department of Energy closed on 25 loans worth $60.6 billion and issued conditional commitments on loans for 27 projects worth $46.9 billion, according to a Free Beacon analysis of federal filings. More than 80 percent of those loan closures and loan commitments came after President Donald Trump defeated former vice president Kamala Harris in November.

The largest loan the Biden administration closed came on Jan. 17, 2025, and was a $15 billion loan supporting California-based utility company Pacific Gas & Electric Company's development of solar and wind power. The largest Biden-era conditional commitment was a loan announced on Jan. 16, 2025, for long-duration battery storage projects the Michigan-based DTE Electric Company is developing.

Other loans issued in the final weeks of the previous administration include: a $9.6 billion loan to support Ford's electric vehicle battery manufacturing, $7.5 billion for Stellantis's electric vehicle battery projects, $6.6 billion for electric vehicle maker Rivian's manufacturing plant, $1.7 billion for a sustainable aviation fuel plant, and $1.5 billion for South Korean solar panel maker QCells's assembly plant.

"The Biden administration’s approach to the loan program was to give away as much money as possible and ask questions later," Tom Pyle, the president of the Institute for Energy Research and member of the 2016 Trump transition team, told the Free Beacon. "It was an irresponsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Secretary Wright should cancel as many of these loans as possible, especially the ones issued during the transition."

"The $6 billion loan to Rivian is a perfect example," Pyle said. "This company is burning through cash and has never made a net profit. Why should we be propping them up with taxpayer dollars?"

Critics also sounded the alarm on how certain projects that won Department of Energy loans under the Biden administration appeared to present conflicts of interest or threats to national security.

In one of its final loan announcements, for example, the agency awarded loans worth $14 billion to DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, two Michigan-based companies that donated tens of thousands of dollars to Biden energy secretary Jennifer Granholm's campaign when she was the state's governor years earlier. And former Loan Programs Office director Jigar Shah held a financial stake in Plug Power—which received a $1.7 billion loan on Jan. 16, 2025—through his green investment firm before joining the office in 2022.

In addition, the Free Beacon reported in Feb. 2024 that KORE Power—which the Loan Programs Office promised an $850 million loan to—is co-owned by Chinese battery maker DFD New Materials, a company run by a Chinese Communist Party official. In response, KORE Power said "reducing the equity stake of Chinese shareholders has been a priority of KORE."

Energy Secretary Wright, though, has ruled out closing the office altogether—as some Republican lawmakers have called for. Instead, he suggested the Trump administration may use it to further fund nuclear projects and clean coal power projects.

One such coal-related project may be a fertilizer plant the company Wabash Valley Resources is developing on the site of a shuttered coal plant in Indiana. The Biden administration issued a conditional commitment for a $1.6 billion loan in September 2024, but failed to close on it before leaving office.

In March, though, the Trump administration highlighted the project as a success story, "transforming a coal gasification site into a world-class, low carbon hydrogen and ammonia facility."

"I cannot describe the anxiousness and frustration we, as a fossil energy project, experienced in the last few months of the previous administration," Wabash Valley Resources CEO Nalin Gupta told the Free Beacon in an interview. "They redirected all of the limited resources of the Loan Programs Office to come up with an internal color-coded list that focused just on the administration’s priorities."

"The loans finalized in the last eight weeks should be carefully reviewed to ensure that they were all subject to the same rigorous process that the LPO applies to other applicants," Gupta continued.

Republican leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are expected to address the future of the Loan Programs Office and its funding in their portion of the budget reconciliation bill being negotiated. The panel could provide clarity on the issue as soon as Monday.

Prior to the Biden administration, meanwhile, the Loan Programs Office was relatively dormant—between 2016-2020, it approved a single loan, an up to $3.7 billion loan guarantee for a Georgia nuclear power plant project in 2019. And during the Obama administration, it lent $535 million to solar panel maker Solyndra, which filed for bankruptcy just two years later and quickly became synonymous with wasteful federal green energy spending.

But Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 reactivated the office, giving it hundreds of billions of dollars in additional lending power—a massive increase that quickly made it a centerpiece of the Biden administration's broader climate agenda.

https://freebeacon.com/energy/trump-energy-sec-opens-door-to-canceling-billions-of-dollars-in-green-projects/

The US Food and Drug Administration says it is starting the process to remove prescription fluoride tablets and drops from the market

These products are typically prescribed for babies and children who are at high risk of tooth decay because they drink water that doesn’t contain added fluoride. In Utah, for example, state health officials released guidance this month urging residents to learn more about fluoride supplements after municipal water systems were banned from adding the mineral to water.

In a news release on Tuesday, the US Department of Health and Human Services says that ingested fluoride has been shown to alter the gut microbiome. Other studies have pointed to an association between fluoride and thyroid disorders, weight gain and decreased intelligence, the news release said. They’ve never been formally FDA-approved, HHS said.

“The best way to prevent cavities in children is by avoiding excessive sugar intake and good dental hygiene, not by altering a child’s microbiome. For the same reason that fluoride may kill bacteria on teeth, it may also kill intestinal bacteria important for a child’s health,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said in the release.

“I am instructing our Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to evaluate the evidence regarding the risks of systemic fluoride exposure from FDA-regulated pediatric ingestible fluoride prescription drug products to better inform parents and the medical community on this emerging area. When it comes to children, we should err on the side of safety.”

The agency plans to complete a safety review and public comment period on the measure by October 31.

Fluoride is a mineral that can be found naturally in some foods and groundwater. It can help prevent tooth decay by strengthening the protective outer layer of enamel that can be worn away by acids formed by bacteria, plaque and sugars in the mouth. Adding fluoride to public water systems started in the United States in 1945.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that drinking fluoridated water reduces cavities by about 25% in children and adults. But the Trump administration has put increased scrutiny on the possible health impacts of fluoride.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to roll back CDC recommendations that fluoride be added to municipal drinking water and has promised that a panel of experts will review the guidelines and make new recommendations.

Kennedy can’t formally prevent communities from adding fluoride to their drinking water, but some states and cities have already followed his lead. Utah recently banned the use of fluoride in drinking water, and Florida lawmakers passed a similar ban. Other states are considering similar moves.

“Ending the use of ingestible fluoride is long overdue,” Kennedy said in Tuesday’s news release. “I’m grateful to Commissioner Makary for his leadership on this vital issue — one that directly safeguards the health and development of our children. This decision brings us one step closer to delivering on President Trump’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.”

In Utah, Dr. Stacey Bank, executive medical director of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, told CNN last week that it had been working hard to get the word out about fluoride supplements because water would no longer be fluoridated. The state recently passed a law to allow pharmacists to provide oral fluoride without a prescription.

“The main message we’re trying to get to people is that they are going to have to be proactive about getting their fluoride. This will no longer be delivered to them passively. This is something that they are going to have to take on themselves through their medical provider, their dentist, pharmacist,” Bank said.

Taking fluoride supplements off the market will leave topical options like fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash to help strengthen teeth.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association both support the use of fluoride for reducing cavities in children and adults.

“The AAP recommends using an appropriate amount of fluoridated toothpaste, fluoride varnish treatments for young children, and visiting the dentist by a child’s first birthday as part of routine oral hygiene,” the pediatrics group says on its website.

“Rigorous reviews of fluoride safety have consistently found no credible evidence linking it to systemic or adverse health issues. The AAP recommends using an appropriate amount of fluoridated toothpaste, fluoride varnish treatments for young children, and visiting the dentist by a child’s first birthday as part of routine oral hygiene,” according to a statement on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

https://lite.cnn.com/2025/05/13/health/fluoride-supplement-ban-fda

Pope Leo's brother served on same Navy ship as Steve Bannon

https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1922380306536919425

Trump Signs Historic $142 Billion Arms Deal with Saudi Arabia

In a landmark agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a $142 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, marking the largest defense cooperation agreement in U.S. history. The deal includes contracts with over a dozen American defense firms, covering air and missile defense, aerospace, maritime security, and military communications.

The agreement was signed during Trump’s visit to Riyadh, where he was warmly welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Alongside the arms deal, Saudi Arabia has committed to $600 billion in new investments in the U.S., with Trump hinting at a potential $1 trillion target.

Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia is part of a broader Middle East tour, focusing on economic partnerships rather than security matters. Notably, Israel is absent from his itinerary, raising questions about shifting U.S. foreign policy priorities.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-signs-deals-with-saudis-including-biggest-ever-142-billion-arms-agreement/

Nvidia sending 18,000 of its top AI chips to Saudi Arabia

-Nvidia will sell more than 18,000 of its latest artificial intelligence chips to Saudi company Humain, CEO Jensen Huang announced Tuesday.

-The announcement was made as part of a White House-led trip to the region that includes President Donald Trump and other top CEOs.

-Nvidia said its first deployment will use its GB300 Blackwell chips, which are among Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/nvidia-blackwell-ai-chips-saudi-arabia.html

GM Unveils New EV Battery Tech to Cut Costs and Boost Range

General Motors has announced a breakthrough in EV battery technology, introducing lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery cells aimed at reducing costs and improving range for electric vehicles.

The new batteries, set to debut in 2028, will replace expensive materials like cobalt and nickel with more affordable manganese, making EVs lighter and more cost-effective. GM claims the technology will increase energy density by 33% compared to current lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, allowing for over 400 miles of range in electric trucks while significantly lowering production costs.

Developed in partnership with LG Energy Solution, the LMR batteries will be manufactured by Ultium Cells, a joint venture between GM and LG. The company has been researching manganese-rich lithium-ion battery cells since 2015, accelerating development in recent years.

GM’s move comes as rival Ford also announced plans to launch LMR batteries before 2030, signaling a shift in the industry toward more affordable and efficient EV technology.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/gm-new-ev-battery-tech.html

Western Lensman

@WesternLensman

One of these videos generated a massive amount of outrage from Democrats and their propaganda press.

The other didn’t register a blip.

https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1922062614365880658

Starlink Approved in Saudi Arabia

Elon Musk Announces Starlink Approval in Saudi Arabia

Elon Musk has confirmed that Saudi Arabia has approved Starlink, his satellite internet service, for aviation and maritime use. Speaking at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh, Musk thanked the kingdom for its approval and hinted at future expansions, including bringing Tesla robotaxis to Saudi Arabia.

Musk also showcased Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and former U.S. President Donald Trump, emphasizing their potential role in autonomous technology. The event featured top U.S. tech executives, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who announced a major AI chip sale to Saudi Arabia.

The announcement aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to position the kingdom as a global AI and technology hub.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/elon-musk-starlink-saudi-arabia.html

Read the brutal letter from HHS to Harvard

Today, the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism released the following statement:

Harvard University has repeatedly failed to confront the pervasive race discrimination and anti-Semitic harassment plaguing its campus. This is just the latest chapter in Harvard’s long-standing policy and practice of discriminating on the basis of race as recognized by the Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, where the Court rebuked Harvard for its unlawful race discrimination in admissions. That shameful legacy has continued on as recognized by Harvard’s own Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias, which lays bare an appalling reality: Jewish students were subjected to pervasive insults, physical assault, and intimidation, with no meaningful response from Harvard’s leadership. Recent reporting has exposed the Harvard Law Review’s (HLR) pattern of endemic race discrimination when evaluating articles for inclusion in its journal. Even more troubling, the HLR awarded a $65,000 fellowship–meant to “serve the public interest”–to a protester who faced criminal charges for assaulting a Jewish student on campus. The decision was reviewed and approved by a faculty committee, demonstrating just how radical Harvard has become.

Harvard’s campus, once a symbol of academic prestige, has become a breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination. This is not leadership; it is cowardice. And it’s not academic freedom; it’s institutional disenfranchisement. There is a dark problem on Harvard’s campus, and by prioritizing appeasement over accountability, institutional leaders have forfeited the school's claim to taxpayer support. As a result, eight federal agencies across the government are announcing the termination of approximately $450 million in grants to Harvard, which is in addition to the $2.2 billion that was terminated last week.

The Task Force fully supports the Trump Administration’s multi-agency move to cut funding to Harvard, demonstrating the entire Administration’s commitment to eradicating discrimination on Harvard’s campus. As we have made clear time and again, this Task Force will not waver in its mission to root out discrimination, hate and bigotry at institutions entrusted with public funds. Harvard, and its leadership group who are tainted by the egregious infractions under its watch, faces a steep, uphill battle to reclaim its legacy as a lawful institution and center of academic excellence.

https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/anti-semitism-task-force-statement-on-additional-harvard-grants.html

Newark Air Traffic Crisis Worsens Amid Controller Shortages

Newark Liberty International Airport is facing severe disruptions, with reports indicating that at times, only one air traffic controller is overseeing up to 180 takeoffs and landings. The crisis stems from staffing shortages, outdated technology, and recent equipment failures, leading to mass flight delays and cancellations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has acknowledged the issue, citing aging infrastructure and a lack of trained personnel as key factors. Some controllers have reportedly taken medical leave due to stress, further exacerbating the situation.

In response, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed a $4.75 billion overhaul of the air traffic system, including recruitment drives, technology upgrades, and consolidation of control centers. However, industry experts warn that the crisis could persist through the busy summer travel season, affecting flights nationwide.

https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/us-news/newark-air-traffic-crisis-gets-worse-with-one-controller-to-oversee-up-to-180-takeoffs-and-landings/

Not the kind of refugees we're used to.