America's Biowarfare Defenses Crippled by Enemy Attack from Trump
Early reporting from the battlefield reveals dozens of casualties among America's bio-defense jobs
Oct. 14: Trump just gutted the primary bio-terror defense agency … Trump refuses to release details of new peace deal, presumably because it has pictures of him with topless girls … More Trump tariffs take effect today, raising prices on Americans who enjoy furniture … Noem canceled …
New details about Pres. Donald Trump’s layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) include reporting that dozens of people have been laid off at America’s lead agency defending against bioterrorism.
The surprise attack by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) devastated the agency, taking out a still-unknown total number of American fighters who gave their lives careers to the war against bio-weapons.
The HHS layoffs were ordered Friday apparently to pressure Democrats into approving Republican spending levels … by weakening America’s defenses against bioterrorism.
The OMB almost immediately rescinded just over half of the layoffs, explaining that they fucked up and accidentally fired hundreds of people like professional managers often do. One of the offices fired/rehired was the Epidemic Intelligence Service, apparently because Trump remembered that epidemic intelligence can come in handy.
Instead, the Washington Post reports, Trump fired “dozens” of staffers at the HHS’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the website for which says it “leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and other public health emergencies.”
According to the Post, those fired include “individuals with top-secret clearance who work with intelligence agencies on biodefense issues such as pandemics and weaponized pathogens.”
In other words, Trump’s sneak attack dramatically lowered America’s defenses against bioweapons wielded by terrorist threats such as Antifa™, George Soros, inflatable frogs, and the Anti-Defamation League.
The ASPR’s profile and standing has grown considerably since 9/11, and it was elevated in 2022 to a full-fledged operating division. However, HHS Secretary Robert Feckless Kennedy, Jr., as part of a deorganization earlier this year announced that ASPR would be folded into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has so far failed to control or prevent the dangerous outbreak of random staff cuts.
Other fired ASPR staff did work such as:
Coordinating biodefense drills
Monitoring data from natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and even hospital cyberattacks.
Hospital attacks last year alone consisted of 238 ransomware threats and 206 data breaches. Such attacks can cost hospitals millions, although not as much as they’ll lose to Republican attacks on Medicaid. The two threats combined could force multiple closings at defenseless hospitals protected only by the Invisible Hand of capitalism.
Those fired “were designated non-essential,” according to HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon, no relation to the dead corrupt president except in his putrid heart.
It’s not clear how Trump determined which biowarfare defenders were essential. Prior to becoming president, Trump’s primary experience dealing with biological threats consisted of wearing condoms.
If you have polite questions about any of this for your representatives in Congress, you can find them here.
Trump Keeps Peace Deal Secret Like Epstein Files™
Peace was established in the Middle East on Monday, according to Pres. Donald Trump, who apparently established it.
At a summit of world leaders in Egypt, Trump and others signed, he said, “a document that’s going to spell out a lot of rules, and regulations, and lots of other things,” all of which he opposes here at home.
It’s not clear how Israel and the Palestinians will follow the rules and regulations, because they’re secret. The text and details of the deal were not released, much like The Epstein Files™.
And the deal was signed by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, none of which are Israel or Gaza.
“This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it?” Trump said to the distinguished assemblage, which did not believe it. “It’s gonna hold up, too. It’s going to hold up,” Trump added while still not being believed.
Trump now claims to have ended eight wars (debunked here), but has also started wars in at least Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and the Caribbean.
And apparently the secret rules and regulations for the region don’t include the rule of law…
NETANYA…WHO DO YOU WANNA PARDON?!? Before leaving Israel on Monday, Trump sought to import his own brand of lawlessness.
Addressing the Knesset, Trump told parliament members and Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
No, not for the war crimes he committed in Gaza. For the corruption that Trump didn’t even pretend didn’t happen.
Netanyahu faces charges of corruption crimes — long delayed by his war crimes — including bribery and fraud, for which he was indicted in 2019. He allegedly took luxury items including expensive cigars and champagne, like a Tammany Hall1 cartoon, in return for official favors, which used to be a crime in America.
Trump prefaced his amnesty plan with a phrase often used by world leaders and accomplished orators to delicately introduce a controversial proposal: “Hey, I have an idea.” Literally:
“Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don’t you give him [Netanyahu] a pardon? Give him a pardon. Come on. [Laughs] By the way, that was not in the [prepared] speeches, you probably know [no shit]. … This is wa — been one of the greatest wartime presidents [sic, Netanyahu is the prime minister]. And cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?”
Cut to: Law enforcement who have been pursuing these charges for ten years.
Cut to: Lawmakers who passed the anti-bribery laws.
Cut to: Everyone who played by the rules.
Netanyahu claims he was set up by a vast left-wing conspiracy, which is step one of the formal process for seeking a pardon from Trump.
Smash cut to: American Christian nationalists dumping Trump…
VICTORY LAP COSTS TRUMP HIS FAVOWIT WIDDLE WAP DOG Trump’s Israel performance drew boos in the U.S., and not because the people in white sheets were dressed as ghosts for Halloween.
Popular-among-idiots Christian nationalist Nick Fuentes, a former Trump backer, completed his rejection of Trump on Monday.
Fuentes, a prominent leader of Trump’s antisemitic fans, lashed out at what he called Trump’s “Israel First” remarks.
“Trump’s celebratory speech in Israel is disgusting,” Fuentes wrote. “And within minutes of the war ending they began to whitewash what happened in Gaza and get everyone to move on.”
Fuentes, a Holocaust denier, added, “We will never forget.” Of course, after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, Fuentes was ready to forget almost immediately, saying a week later that he really didn’t care that much about the conflict. He just relished the chance to isolate Israel. Which Netanyahu helpfully arranged.
Fuentes previously broke with Trump over The Epstein Files™. “The liberals were right. The MAGA supporters were had,” Fuentes said, referring to early warnings about Trump from prominent liberals like Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
FLASHBACK FBI Director Kash Patel early this month labeled the Anti-Defamation League — a leading, right-leaning group that monitors antisemitism — a “political front.” So now Trump’s losing both fascists and anti-fascists and anti-semites and anti-anti-semites.
CHART OF THE DAY In case you’ve finished all the games on your menu/placemat, see if you can spot the Gaza deal on this chart of arms dealer stock performance over the past month:
Only Presidents Can Have Cabinets
The price of imported lumber and furniture went up by 10% to 50% this morning. Which means now sellers of domestic lumber and furniture can raise their prices by 9% to 49%.
Yet another round of Pres. Donald Trump’s new taxes went into effect at midnight, so the government can collect money from consumers of every income level instead of raising taxes on just the rich.
The law gives Congress the power to levy tariffs, but Republicans don’t want it, so Trump is claiming he can slam tariffs on products made of wood for national-security reasons. Most of America’s tanks and fighter jets are made of oak and balsa.
Trump’s “reasoning” is that wood is used to build service-member housing and therefore America should have a robust domestic lumber industry, and making lumber more expensive will inspire U.S. businesses to do more lumber. Unless Trump’s deregulation means our remaining forests are strip-mined away or burnt to a crisp thanks to fossil fuel emissions.
Porter Problems
The American Prospect’s David Dayen has important pushback on all the negative press former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) is getting in California’s gubernatorial race, some of which your negative-press-noting TFN noted last week.
Porter’s getting heat for her testy demeanor in a number of videos, and Dayen concedes that there are legitimate issues regarding her management and interpersonal style. She barked at a staffer to “get out of my fucking shot.”
But Dayen argues that these issues are being amplified by people hoping voters won’t pay attention to far more important issues.
“Porter is disliked by the Sacramento establishment, not because of her interpersonal skills but because she’s more populist than they’d like and more willing to challenge the corporate interests that rule California politics.”
Seems important!
The primary isn’t until June 2, 2026, so Porter has plenty of time to right the ship. It’s a nonpartisan, top-two primary, meaning the two top vote-getters — of whatever party — will go on to the general election.
Even with a split Democratic field, Porter’s the frontrunner. That could change with blowback to these videos, but she also has the endorsement of EMILYs List and the support of the state Teamsters.
In all likelihood, the race will come down to two candidates and fucking. The question will be whether the candidates say “fucking” to their staffers or do fucking to their voters.
Noem More Airport Screenings for Noem
Homeland (sic) Security Secretary Kristi Noem has finally been canceled for real. Not the fake, persecution-complex cancelling where people exercise their freedom to criticize you and choose other sources of entertainment; this is actual cancellation.
Specifically, Noem has been starring in Dept. of Homeland (sic) Security videos airing at U.S. airports explaining that the federal government shutdown — which is now affecting air travel — is the fault of Democrats who hate America.
So now, some airports are refusing to air it, the first time airports have chosen not to air a government video.
Portland, OR, is somehow still operating an airport despite the daily strafing and bombing runs of fighter jets and regular bursts of anti-aircraft fire. But even Portland says it will still follow federal law, namely, the Hatch Act, which outlaws using public office for political gain and which the Trump administration breaks literally every single day, even National Remembrance Day for Charlie Kirk.
The Port of Portland operates the airport there and spokesperson Molly Prescott told the Washington Post, “We believe the Hatch Act clearly prohibits use of public assets for political purposes and messaging.”
State law also prohibits public workers from doing politics on the job. The airport therefore updated the Noem video ETA to “Never.”
Other airports that have canceled The Noem Show include Buffalo, NY; Charlotte, NC; Cleveland, OH; Los Angeles; Phoenix, AZ; and Seattle, WA.
National Charlie Kirk Day Today Would Have Been His 32nd Birthday If He Hadn’t Got Shot in the Neck
Today is an unofficial (so far) federal holiday, a National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk, to ensure that America doesn’t forget that insane-ass video that made tens of millions of Americans yell, “Holy fuck!” when that thing happened with the blood and the screaming.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, died doing what he loved, blaming transgender people and Black people for violence.
A Senate resolution calls for honoring Kirk by promoting “the principles of faith, liberty, and democracy that Charlie Kirk championed.” It passed with unanimous consent, so apparently the Republican-controlled Senate is okay with causes that Kirk championed…
…like releasing The Epstein Files™!
If for some reason The Epstein Files™ remain unreleased today, Americans can still honor Kirk’s life’s work with gaslight vigils, torch processions, and ceremonial cross-lightings at informal meet-your-neighbor events.
Recommended Viewing
I don’t watch a lot of video in my reporting or aggregation. I prefer transcripts. And I definitely don’t watch a lot of “viral video” clips on social media.
However, I am currently working on a series of articles on how to save TV news. So when I saw that John Oliver had done a segment on Bari Weiss becoming editor-in-chief of CBS News, I watched it. I recommend you watch it, too. When you’ve got a free half hour.
If you do watch it, I’d ask that you keep in mind that a lot of what Oliver has to say applies not just to Weiss, a non-reporter, but to a lot of media/journalism decision-makers who did come up through traditional journalism avenues. It’s a great exploration of why epistemology and intellectual rigor in the media and in our media consumption are literally the metaphorical bedrock of our democracy.
ALSO RECOMMENDED I thought had the Venezuelan-intel beat all to myself last month. Then veteran national-security reporter Seth Hettena easily lapped me, confirming and advancing my reporting about who’s feeding Pres. Donald Trump his putative intel about Venezuela.
Seth joined me for a live chat on the subject last night and pretty much convinced me I was wrong about Trump’s real casus belli for ramping up tensions with Venezuela, including murdering 21 of them. And Seth shared some new info that I’m still wrapping my head around. You can watch it here:
And if national-security stuff — including what’s done in the name of national security — is important to you, I highly recommend Seth’s Substack, The After-Action Report, here.
Taking Action
You can get info about and sign up for the general strike at GeneralStrikeUS.com.
You can find a No Kings rally near you on Saturday at NoKings.org.
Protest rock group Triple is on Bandcamp here and on Instagram here.
TCB
SUPPORTING TFN Because TFN’s growth plateaued over the summer, I tend to forget we still got plenty of new Newsfuckers! So if you’re new in these parts, welcome! And please know that TFN is only here for you every morning because every day just a few of you upgrade to a paid subscription, which is how I make my living.
Art Salatto recently did, and graciously allowed me to share his reason why:
Thank you, Art. The financial support of you Newsfuckers makes TFN possible, but the kind words are what make it possible without me going nuts. Thank you. E pluribus fuckem.
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UPDATE The page for Upcoming Elections just got an update courtesy of Newsfucker Paula Schaap. So check it out, suggest elections you’d like to see included, read up on what’s coming, and so much more!
Go get ‘em, kids! And, remember, even if you hate Donald Trump we can still root for a lengthy peace in the Middle East…
TFN creator and writer Jonathan Larsen co-created Up w/ Chris Hayes and wrote for Countdown with Keith Olbermann at MSNBC, helped launch CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° and Air America Radio, and has also worked at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Young Turks.
Historically corrupt New York City political bosses.
Pittsburgh Intl Airport is also not airing the puppy killer video
The recent John Oliver on TFP is absolutely worth watching as you point out. When I started reading TFP based on recommendations from friends, something just didn't feel right. One article in particular on funding for 'liberal causes' during the Biden years garnered the most 'this is a horrible waste' type of comment with no analysis or reason. Just crap for the most part.
When I pointed out that 'approved by congress' happens no matter who controls the show and that MacKenzie Scott also contributed millions to one of the causes after reasonable due diligence by her organization, my comment was flushed down the drain by more 'horrible waste of money' comments. I think I got one 'like' for my 'reasonableness'.
As Oliver points out TFP is an opinion site where voices can post their words with little to no research or objectivity. That TFP publishes a variety of opinions along the political spectrum, I suspect a majority are 'anti-woke' grievance-based hit pieces with a few exceptions from authors who can back up their statements (like Niall F, Sam H, Douglas M).
I may not always agree with your positions but it is great to get a laugh in while reading your words backed up by research and links to source material. Cheers.