Trump Administration

FDIC says banks can engage in crypto activities without prior approval

| Importance: 8/10

The FDIC issued Financial Institution Letter (FIL-7-2025) on March 28, 2025, removing prior approval requirements for banks’ crypto-related activities. Acting Chairman Travis Hill announced a significant policy shift, allowing FDIC-supervised institutions to engage in crypto-related activities …

Donald Trump Travis Hill Trump Administration FDIC crypto financial-regulation banking trump-administration
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Trump EPA Creates Email Portal for Clean Air Act Exemption Requests

| Importance: 7/10

Trump’s EPA established an email portal allowing fossil fuel companies to request Presidential Exemptions from Clean Air Act regulations, enabling up to two-year compliance waivers for pollution control standards on nearly 200 toxic pollutants.

Donald Trump Trump Administration Environmental Protection Agency regulatory-capture environmental-policy executive-power
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Trump's World Liberty Financial Announces USD1 Stablecoin with Binance Backing

| Importance: 8/10

World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture co-founded by Trump’s associates, announced the launch of USD1, a stablecoin pegged 1-to-1 to the U.S. dollar. The launch involves a strategic partnership with Binance and a $75 million investment from Justin Sun, raising significant concerns …

Donald Trump Zachary Folkman Chase Herro Zach Witkoff Justin Sun +1 more crypto stablecoin financial-capture trump-network
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Musk and Trump ratchet up involvement in Wisconsin Supreme Court race

| Importance: 8/10

Musk’s PAC spent over $20 million in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race, where Tesla has a lawsuit challenging the state’s ‘factory store’ law. The race is the most expensive judicial election in U.S. history, with potential implications for car sales, abortion rights, …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Elon Musk Brad Schimel government-contracts justice-weaponization election-influence corporate-lobbying
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DOGE cuts allow Musk to cash in with SpaceX and Starlink government contracts

| Importance: 7/10

Former federal employees and watchdog groups warn that the Trump administration’s policy changes enable Elon Musk to steer lucrative contracts toward SpaceX and Starlink, potentially privatizing key government space and satellite operations

Donald Trump Trump Administration Elon Musk Mikie Sherrill Tim Whitehouse government-contracts infrastructure-privatization trump-administration elon-musk
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Government contractor who received $179M in federal contracts buys VP Vance's home for $170K over asking

| Importance: 9/10

Christopher Garcia, CEO of Health Supply US which has received $179 million in government contracts primarily from Defense and Homeland Security, purchased Vice President JD Vance’s Alexandria, Virginia home on March 14 for $1.9 million—$172,025 over the $1.69 million asking price. Garcia, who …

JD Vance Christopher Garcia Health Supply US 9 EDR LLC Trump Administration conflict-of-interest government-contracts lobbying real-estate
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FBI launches task force investigating violent attacks on Tesla

| Importance: 7/10

The FBI launched a specialized task force to investigate over 80 reported incidents of vandalism, arson, and violent attacks targeting Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and facilities across multiple U.S. states. FBI Director Kash Patel characterized these attacks as ‘domestic terrorism’ and …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Elon Musk Kash Patel FBI kleptocracy fbi domestic-terrorism political-violence tesla
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Trump White House Sells Corporate Sponsorships for Easter Egg Roll, Marking New Level of Institutional Capture

| Importance: 8/10

The 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll marked an unprecedented moment of corporate capture, with tech giants Meta, YouTube, and Amazon purchasing sponsorship packages ranging from $75,000 to $200,000. These packages included branded activation spaces, event brunch tickets, and potential meet-and-greet …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Meta YouTube Amazon +2 more government-contracts corporate-access trump-administration institutional-capture corporate-sponsorship
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SpaceX Secures Over $9.5 Billion in Government Contracts Despite Conflicts of Interest

| Importance: 9/10

SpaceX continues to receive substantial federal contracts, totaling $9.5 billion from the Department of Defense in 2025, despite congressional investigations into potential conflicts of interest stemming from Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration. These contracts include a $5.9 billion …

Donald Trump Elon Musk Trump Administration Rep. Stephen Lynch Rep. Gerry Connolly government-contracts kleptocratic-capture systematic-corruption corporate-capture
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Supreme Court Continues to Sidestep Definitive Ruling on Presidential Emoluments

| Importance: 6/10

Despite ongoing concerns about potential Emoluments Clauses violations, the Supreme Court has continued to avoid definitively ruling on the constitutional questions surrounding presidential financial conflicts. Previous cases from 2021 were dismissed as moot, leaving unclear legal standards about …

Supreme Court Trump Administration Ethics Watchdogs supreme-court emoluments constitutional-accountability legal-ambiguity
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Paul Weiss becomes first law firm to capitulate with $40M settlement

| Importance: 6/10

Paul Weiss, facing what its chair called an “existential threat” that could “destroy our firm,” became the first prestigious law firm to settle for $40 million after losing business “within hours” of being targeted by Trump’s intimidation campaign.

Paul Weiss Law Firm Trump Administration Law firm chair economic-coercion professional-intimidation legal-extortion constitutional-violation
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Musk PAC Offers $100 to Wisconsin Voters for 'Anti-Activist Judge' Petition

| Importance: 7/10

Elon Musk’s America PAC launched a controversial campaign offering Wisconsin voters $100 to sign a petition against ‘activist judges’, directly targeting the April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. The campaign involves a $1 million voter outreach strategy, including $100 per …

Elon Musk Josh Kaul Brad Schimel Susan Crawford Donald Trump +1 more kleptocracy judicial-capture election-manipulation pac-influence
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Commerce Secretary Lutnick Urges Public to Buy Tesla Stock, Violating Ethics Rules

| Importance: 7/10

In an unprecedented move, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick publicly recommended buying Tesla stock during a Fox News appearance on March 20, 2025, raising significant ethical concerns. Lutnick stated ‘It’ll never be this cheap again,’ directly contradicting federal ethics …

Howard Lutnick Elon Musk Donald Trump Trump Administration Gerry Connolly regulatory-capture corporate-influence ethics-violation trump-administration
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Trump Administration Eliminates Key NASA Scientific and Policy Offices

| Importance: 7/10

The Trump administration eliminated NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy, the Office of the Chief Scientist, and its Diversity office, affecting 23 employees and raising concerns about potential SpaceX influence and reduced climate research capabilities

Donald Trump Trump Administration Janet Petro Katherine Calvin kleptocracy nasa workforce-reduction administrative-capture
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Starlink Installed at White House, Raising Major Security Concerns

| Importance: 8/10

In March 2025, SpaceX’s DOGE team installed a Starlink satellite internet terminal at the White House, bypassing standard communication security protocols. Congressional Democrats raised significant national security concerns about potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities and conflicts of …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Elon Musk SpaceX DOGE Team Rep. Gerry Connolly +1 more regulatory-capture cybersecurity technology-infrastructure white-house starlink
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Russia Proposes Mars Exploration Collaboration with Elon Musk

| Importance: 7/10

Russia’s Direct Investment Fund head, Kirill Dmitriev, proposed a joint Mars exploration initiative with Elon Musk, offering nuclear technology and space expertise from Roscosmos and Rosatom. This marks a significant diplomatic overture in U.S.-Russia space cooperation, part of a broader …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Kirill Dmitriev Elon Musk Roscosmos +1 more foreign-influence space-exploration international-cooperation tech-diplomacy
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Trump's World Liberty Financial Raises $550 Million in Crypto Token Sales

| Importance: 8/10

World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture backed by Trump’s family, announced it raised $250 million in its second token sale, bringing total sales to $550 million. The project demonstrates potential conflicts of interest and regulatory capture in the cryptocurrency sector.

Donald Trump Trump Administration World Liberty Financial Justin Sun crypto world-liberty-financial government-contracts crypto-venture regulatory-capture +3 more
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Trump Administration Used Diplomatic Pressure to Advance Starlink in Gambia

| Importance: 7/10

The U.S. State Department, led by Ambassador Sharon Cromer, pressured Gambian officials to approve Starlink’s business license by implying potential cuts to U.S. developmental aid. The campaign targeted Lamin Jabbi, head of the Communications Ministry, and escalated to direct appeals to …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Sharon Cromer Lamin Jabbi Elon Musk +3 more media-control regulatory-capture foreign-aid starlink diplomatic-pressure
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Trump administration coerces law firms into $940 million of free legal work

| Importance: 9/10

The Trump administration pressured nine major law firms to provide $940 million worth of free legal services to defend administration policies and officials. Under threat of losing federal contracts and being blacklisted, firms like Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis, and Skadden agreed to …

Trump Administration Major law firms Paul, Weiss Kirkland & Ellis Latham & Watkins +6 more legal-extortion law-firms corruption pro-bono-coercion government-contracts +1 more
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Supreme Court Conducts Unprecedented Hearing on Presidential Emoluments

| Importance: 9/10

The Supreme Court held a rare emergency hearing addressing multiple constitutional challenges to the Trump administration’s foreign financial entanglements. Legal scholars described the proceedings as a watershed moment in constitutional law, with justices probing the boundaries of …

Supreme Court Trump Administration Constitutional Scholars supreme-court emoluments constitutional-crisis presidential-accountability
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AG Pam Bondi Announces Federal Investigation into Tesla Vandalism

| Importance: 8/10

Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened Tesla vandals with severe federal charges, characterizing the property destruction as potential ‘domestic terrorism’. The investigation targets coordinated attacks on Tesla vehicles and infrastructure across multiple states, with potential 20-year …

Pam Bondi Donald Trump Trump Administration Elon Musk kleptocracy political-intimidation infrastructure-attacks
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Top Trump official's crypto ties raise red flags as the administration touts digital assets

| Importance: 8/10

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s deep ties to the cryptocurrency industry have raised concerns about potential regulatory capture. Through his firm Cantor Fitzgerald and personal investments, Lutnick has significant financial interests in crypto firms while leading the Trump …

Donald Trump Howard Lutnick Elizabeth Warren Trump Administration crypto regulatory-capture trump-administration financial-corruption
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Justice Department Significantly Downsizes Public Corruption Investigation Unit

| Importance: 8/10

The Justice Department dramatically reduced the Public Integrity Section, cutting its staff from dozens to approximately 6 prosecutors, effectively dismantling its capacity to independently investigate government corruption. The unit, created in 1976 following the Watergate scandal, will no longer …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Pam Bondi Eric Adams David Laufman corruption regulatory-capture justice-weaponization institutional-capture foreign-influence
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Trump turns the White House lawn into a Tesla showroom

| Importance: 7/10

President Trump turned the White House South Lawn into a Tesla showroom, personally endorsing the company and Elon Musk amid declining stock values. The event raised substantial ethical concerns about presidential influence and corporate favoritism, with Trump displaying five Tesla vehicles and …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Elon Musk Tesla kleptocracy corporate-capture executive-branch ethics-violation
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Musk Pledges $100M to Trump Political Operation

| Importance: 8/10

Elon Musk informed the Trump Administration of his intent to donate $100 million to Trump’s political groups, expanding his significant financial support following the 2024 election. Musk’s America PAC had already spent over $239 million supporting Trump’s campaign, making him the …

Elon Musk Donald Trump Trump Administration government-contracts political-donations super-pac election-financing
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FAA Reviews Verizon Contract Amid Starlink Competition

| Importance: 8/10

The Department of Transportation placed the $24 billion Verizon FAA contract under review, with Elon Musk positioning Starlink as a potential alternative vendor. This review comes amid claims about the existing communication system’s reliability and potential performance issues in air traffic …

Elon Musk Donald Trump Verizon Communications SpaceX Trump Administration government-contracts infrastructure telecommunications federal-procurement
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Education Department announces 50% workforce reduction

| Importance: 6/10

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announces reduction in force (RIF) impacting nearly 50% of Department’s workforce, cutting from 4,133 to 2,183 employees. Almost 600 employees accepted voluntary separation while remaining affected staff placed on administrative leave starting March 21. …

Linda McMahon Department of Education Trump Administration education-department workforce-reduction agency-elimination project-2025
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DHS Awards $200 Million Ad Contract to Republican Firms Without Full Competitive Bidding

| Importance: 8/10

The Trump administration circumvented standard procurement processes to award a $200 million DHS advertising contract to two Republican-linked political consulting firms, bypassing competitive bidding and using taxpayer funds for a politically-motivated ‘self-deportation’ media campaign.

Donald Trump Trump Administration Kristi Noem Jay Connaughton Mike McElwain regulatory-capture government-contracts immigration-policy media-manipulation
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It's 'shoot first and ask questions later' as DOGE tries to dismantle CFPB: Official

| Importance: 8/10

Department of Government Efficiency attempted to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through mass firings, but federal judges blocked the action and ordered reinstatement of workers. The attempted dismantling affected 1,500 CFPB employees before court intervention. Multiple judges …

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) CFPB Donald Trump Trump Administration Federal judges regulatory-capture agency-dismantling court-intervention worker-rights
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FCC Grants Starlink Controversial Direct-to-Cell Service Approval at Higher Power Levels

| Importance: 7/10

The FCC granted SpaceX’s Starlink a conditional waiver to operate a high-power direct-to-cell satellite service with T-Mobile at -110.6 dBW/m²/MHz, a 770% power increase. Despite strong objections from AT&T and Verizon about potential network interference, the FCC approved the service with …

Elon Musk Donald Trump Trump Administration Jay Schwarz T-Mobile kleptocracy telecommunications regulatory-capture satellite-technology
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Elon Musk's Starlink Expands Rapidly in Federal Government Infrastructure

| Importance: 7/10

Starlink has secured contracts and deployed internet infrastructure across multiple federal agencies, including the FAA, GSA, and Customs and Border Protection. The rapid adoption has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, particularly given Musk’s close ties to the Trump …

Elon Musk SpaceX Starlink Donald Trump Trump Administration +3 more kleptocracy technology federal-contracts starlink elon-musk
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DOGE Demands $4 Million from OPM for Workforce Reduction Planning

| Importance: 8/10

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) demanded $4 million from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to fund 20 full-time positions tasked with implementing widespread federal workforce reductions. OPM was required to submit Reduction in Force (RIF) plans targeting approximately 70,000 …

Elon Musk Donald Trump Trump Administration Office of Personnel Management government-contracts workforce-reduction regulatory-capture federal-employment
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Consumer watchdog payouts in limbo as agency is defanged by Trump administration

| Importance: 8/10

The Trump administration effectively paralyzed the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in March 2025, freezing hundreds of millions in consumer protection payouts and halting dozens of ongoing corporate investigations. Under Acting Director Russell Vought, the agency’s headquarters was …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Russell Vought regulatory-capture government-contracts consumer-protection financial-regulation
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Trump Establishes Strategic Crypto Reserve, Expanding U.S. Digital Asset Strategy

| Importance: 8/10

President Trump signed an executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, committing the U.S. government to stockpile Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, and Cardano. The reserve will be capitalized through forfeited assets and aims to position the U.S. as a global leader in cryptocurrency …

Donald Trump Trump Administration Treasury Department U.S. Department of Commerce crypto strategic-reserve digital-assets trump-administration
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Federal job applicants required to write MAGA loyalty essays

| Importance: 6/10

In May 2025, the Trump administration implemented a controversial ‘Merit Hiring Plan’ requiring federal job applicants at GS-5 and above to write essays about Trump’s policies. Applicants must describe how they would advance specific executive orders, effectively creating an ideological screening …

Trump Administration OPM Federal Agencies loyalty-tests federal-employment political-screening project-2025 ideological-control
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Federal candidates asked to confirm January 6 'inside job' and 2020 'stolen'

| Importance: 6/10

Federal job candidates required to confirm January 6 was an ‘inside job’ and 2020 election was ‘stolen,’ with social media screening for MAGA loyalty indicators and campaign participation required for new hires.

Trump Administration OPM Federal Agencies loyalty-tests january-6 election-denial political-screening federal-employment
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Trump Misses Transition Donor Disclosure Deadline, Declines Federal Funding

| Importance: 7/10

President Trump missed the February 19 deadline to disclose private donors for his presidential transition, breaking a long-standing transparency practice. By declining federal funding of $19.4 million, Trump avoided requirements to cap donations at $5,000 per person and publicly list donor details.

Donald Trump Trump Administration Susie Wiles General Services Administration regulatory-capture executive-power campaign-finance transparency
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