Judd Legum

1 day ago | popular.info | Judd Legum |Noel Sims

"I'm very troubled by the reports to date about Jamal Khashoggi. We are following the situation closely, and unless a substantially different set of facts emerges, I won't be attending the FII conference in Riyadh."Those were the words of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi on October 12, 2018, explaining his decision not to attend Saudi Arabia's FII investment conference. On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post who was critical of the Saudi regime, was .

2 days ago | popular.info | Judd Legum

On Sunday, President Trump announced that the government of Qatar would be giving the "Defense Department" a luxury 747 aircraft to replace Air Force One. Critics of the deal, Trump said, were "World Class Losers."ABC News and other media outlets added a crucial detail. After Trump leaves office, the 747 gifted by Qatar would be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library. Of course, presidential libraries do not ride on luxury airplanes.

1 week ago | muskwatch.com | Caleb Ecarma |Judd Legum

"Well, I think we can do at least $2 trillion."That was the cut to federal spending promised by Elon Musk at a Trump campaign rally in late October. As he defined the objectives of the Department of Government Efficiency for the first time that day, Musk was shooting from the hip. The centibillionaire was supposed to commit to a $1 trillion cut, according to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who helped plan the speech. But Musk doubled the number in a moment of fervor.

1 week ago | popular.info | Judd Legum

In 2024, President Trump campaigned on a pledge of "mass deportation." The Trump administration is attempting to deport one million undocumented immigrants in one year, a goal Vice President JD Vance floated last summer. In pursuit of this goal, the administration has conducted dramatic raids, flouted court orders, and enlisted law enforcement from agencies not usually involved in immigration enforcement. But they aren't making much progress.

1 week ago | popular.info | Judd Legum |Rebecca Crosby |Noel Sims

In his second inaugural address, President Trump said he would "stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.” Since then, Trump and his administration have used the full power of the federal government to curtail the free speech of one of the nation's most prominent media institutions: CBS News. It started with a manufactured controversy. On October 7, 2024, CBS News' 60 Minutes aired an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.