The BLUE PRESS JOURNAL

We aim to be a voice in the ongoing political discourse, providing both factual information and opinionated analysis, from a progressive or center-left perspective, free from the direct influence of major
established Main Street Media.

  • Red State’s take hit in GOP and Trump 2025 Budget plan

    The Republican party’s ambitious plan to cut taxes, fund border security and defense spending, and advance President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda hinges on significant cuts to Medicaid. This decision, however, comes with the risk of a substantial political backlash as many constituents, red state MAGA voters, rely on this crucial program.

    Medicaid currently provides health insurance coverage to 72 million Americans, including millions of children, serving as a vital safety net in states where Trump enjoys strong support. States such as Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Arkansas are among those with the highest percentage of Medicaid recipients.

    The driving force behind this budget is a bold vision to slash mandatory spending by at least $1.5 trillion over the next decade, energizing the effort to finance an extension of President Donald Trump’s tax cuts. Yet, these tax cuts have alarmingly favored the wealthy, a fact underscored by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which highlights how they have disproportionately enriched those at the top while leaving many behind.

    The debate surrounding the future of Medicaid and other safety net programs has caused turmoil within the GOP as they search for ways to fund the $4.5 trillion in tax cuts demanded by President Trump, primarily benefiting billionaires. Previous attempts to repeal Obamacare, which would have significantly reduced Medicaid coverage and removed protections for individuals with preexisting conditions, resulted in Trump’s lowest approval ratings and contributed to Democratic victories in the 2018 midterm elections.

    Republicans have made it clear that cutting Medicaid is a key strategy for financing their tax cuts for the rich. The House Republican budget plan, endorsed by Trump, proposes slashing up to $880 billion from Medicaid to offset the cost of tax cuts. It is important to note that half of Medicaid spending benefits individuals eligible due to old age or disability.

    The Republican party’s plan to cut taxes and fund key initiatives relies heavily on reducing Medicaid funding, a decision that could have far-reaching consequences for millions of Americans and mostly in red states. 

  • The Supreme Court Stalls Firing Head Of Whistleblower Office

    The Supreme Court made a significant decision on Friday regarding the head of the federal agency responsible for protecting government whistleblowers. This marks the first ruling in a series of legal battles surrounding President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.

    In an unsigned order, the justices granted Hampton Dellinger, the head of the Office of Special Counsel, permission to continue in his role until at least February 26. This decision extends the temporary protection granted to him by a lower court.

    This ruling demonstrates the Court’s recognition of the importance of safeguarding whistleblowers and upholding the rule of law. It sets a precedent for future cases involving government accountability and transparency.

    Overall, this decision highlights the Court’s commitment to ensuring that individuals like Hampton Dellinger can fulfill their duties without fear of retaliation or interference. Story here

  • Trump tariffs sink Stock Market

    Wall Street took a hit on Thursday, with Walmart leading the charge in pulling the market off its record highs.

    The S&P 500 experienced a 0.4% decline, marking its first drop after reaching all-time highs over the past two days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average saw a loss of 450 points, or 1%, while the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.5%.

    Walmart was the main driver behind the market’s downturn, plummeting 6.5% despite reporting stronger profits for the latest quarter than analysts had anticipated. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant provided a profit forecast for the upcoming period that fell short of analysts’ expectations, as consumers nationwide grapple with persistent inflation and the looming threat of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

  • DOGE’S possible legal violations

    Elon Musk and his team are pushing for budget cuts and layoffs throughout the federal government, yet the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk, has seen its funding skyrocket to nearly $40 million. Despite being hailed as “maximally transparent” by Musk, details about the department’s spending and operations remain shrouded in secrecy.

    President Donald Trump has acknowledged that around 100 individuals are employed by DOGE, but his administration has been reluctant to disclose any information regarding the department’s activities. Both Trump and Musk have defended DOGE as a necessary tool for streamlining a bloated bureaucracy, but the consequences of their actions have been devastating. Essential programs that catered to vulnerable populations have been forced to shut down due to the budget cuts.

    Most of DOGE’s funding has been funneled from other federal agencies through the Economy Act, a law dating back nearly a century. Despite being treated as a federal agency by the Trump administration, DOGE has refused to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests, raising concerns about potential violations.

    In the midst of numerous lawsuits related to DOGE, a federal judge has questioned the government’s contradictory stance on the department’s status. While Musk has praised the cuts made by DOGE and criticized targeted agencies, Trump officials now claim that he is not directly overseeing its operations.

    The operating practices of DOGE have raised serious doubts and left many unanswered questions. The department’s ambiguous status and lack of transparency have sparked concerns about potential legal violations.

  • Fact Friday: Undocumented immigrants Tax contributions

    In 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed a substantial $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. The majority of this amount, totaling $59.4 billion, was paid to the federal government, with the remaining $37.3 billion distributed to state and local entities.

    On an individual basis, undocumented immigrants paid an average of $8,889 in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022. This translates to a significant $8.9 billion in additional tax revenue for public services for every 1 million undocumented immigrants residing in the country.

    Interestingly, over a third of the tax dollars paid by undocumented immigrants are allocated towards payroll taxes, which fund programs that these individuals are typically unable to access. Specifically, in 2022, undocumented immigrants contributed $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes, $6.4 billion in Medicare taxes, and $1.8 billion in unemployment insurance taxes.

    At the state and local levels, nearly half (46 percent, or $15.1 billion) of the tax payments made by undocumented immigrants are derived from sales and excise taxes on their purchases. The remaining contributions are made through property taxes, such as those imposed on homeowners and renters (31 percent, or $10.4 billion), as well as personal and business income taxes (21 percent, or $7.0 billion).

    Overall, it’s pretty clear that undocumented immigrants are making a huge dent in tax contributions, and it really shows their economic influence and how important they are for keeping public services running across different government levels. Just remember, they don’t get to reap the benefits from the taxes they’re putting in.

  • Trump’s betraral of American values

    President Trump’s audacious assertion that Ukraine instigated the war is a blatant affront to the very ideals that America embodies. This appalling departure from U.S. policy, boldly aligning with Russia against Ukraine in its struggle against the ruthless Russian invasion, has ignited a firestorm of indignation among policymakers and national security experts alike.

    Let’s face the facts: Russia invaded Ukraine not once, but twice, in 2014 and 2022. By echoing Russian propaganda, President Trump has abandoned Ukraine in its darkest hour, betraying our allies and democracy itself.

    Trump’s strong-arm tactics to force peace talks that heavily favor Russia are nothing short of a betrayal. His plan to end Russia’s invasion by offering Ukraine a deal to hand over 50 percent of its resource revenue for essentially nothing is depraved and foolish. This is a blowtorch to our values and principles.

    Team Trump seems to have lost its way in a fog of its own creation. Making ill-advised concessions and prioritizing a rushed end to the war over strategic thinking is dangerous. Negotiating without Ukraine and NATO at the table only serves Putin’s interests, not America’s.

    General George Patton once said, “Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser.” It’s time for Team Trump to remember that America plays to win, and that means standing with our allies, defending NATO, and protecting our national security interests. Let’s not sacrifice our values for a quick fix.

  • Trump and Musk are not exactly making the USA a safer place

    President Trump and Elon Musk made the brilliant decision to fire the National Nuclear Security Administration staff, who were responsible for safeguarding our nuclear weapons and weapon systems. Clearly, they were just a bunch of DOGEY incels who didn’t understand the importance of their job. Now, in a shocking turn of events, they are desperately trying to rehire these knowledgeable individuals, but oops – they deleted their contact information. How convenient. I’m sure this will make  the USA a safer place for all of us. Thanks, guys.

    Oh, and let’s not forget the uproar over Social Security payments to 150-year-olds. Because, you know, Trump and Musk are experts in deciphering software code that was designed to flag dates of persons that they could not verify, all they had to was ask a Social Security employee. But wait they fired them! I’m sure retired citizens in the USA are sleeping soundly at night knowing these two are on the case.

    And who needs FAA employees anyway? Trump has fired over 300. More plane crashes and deaths in the last month than in the past four years? Sounds like a great track record. I’m sure GOP Senator So-and-So is booking a flight for his family as we speak.

    Cutting funding for cancer studies and medical research? Brilliant move. Who needs smart, educated people running colleges and universities anyway? Clearly, Trump and Musk have it all figured out.

    CDC employees being fired and muzzled while epidemics run rampant? Sounds like a recipe for success. 

    And let’s not forget the plan to fire IRS phone staff right before tax season. Because who needs help with taxes, right? I’m sure honest taxpayers will figure it out on their own.

    If Trump decides to fire NOAA staff and destroy the US weather service, well, we can all just rely on our instincts to predict the weather. Who needs accurate forecasts anyway?

    Their record is evidently lacking in reason and detrimental to the interests of America. As they continue their clandestine endeavors, it is possible that the worst may still lie ahead for us.

  • Who’s playing golf … Trump … and its cost the US Taxpayers 10.7 million already!!

    Well, well, well, looks like Trump is really sticking it to the taxpayers by spending $10.7 million on golf trips already. Who knew playing golf could be so expensive? Apparently not the experts at DOGE, who are too busy ransacking the federal budget to notice. And let’s not forget about Elon Musk and his “high-IQ” team, who are too busy labeling things they don’t like as “fraud” to notice Trump’s golfing habits.

    It’s not like Trump has played golf every weekend since taking office… oh wait, he has. And he’s managed to visit his own properties nine times in his first 30 days. But hey, as long as the money ends up in the president’s pocket, it’s not corruption, right?

    In Trump’s world, spending $152 million on golf over his first four years is just business as usual. Who needs to worry about wasteful spending when you can profit off the government’s dime? So much for draining the swamp, more like filling it with sand traps.

  • Trump’s and Musk’s not-so-friendly skies

    Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is apparently giving the boot to hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees, as reported by various sources and the FAA workers’ union. Over 300 FAA employees received termination notices over the weekend while fatal plane crashes continue to pile up under President Donald Trump’s administration. The fired workers include those responsible for FAA radar, landing, and navigational aid maintenance, as well as air traffic controllers.

    The terminations are not just limited to new hires within the past year, but also include long-term employees who have recently been promoted. Air traffic controllers and other employees play a crucial role in the federal government, yet they are being shown the door.

    It’s clear that staffing decisions should be made based on an agency’s mission-critical needs, especially when it comes to public safety. It’s quite alarming to see these actions being taken in the wake of three deadly aircraft accidents in recent months.

    President Trump, who has seen more plane crashes in his first month in office than any other president, decided to take a “taxpayer-funded Daytona 500 joyride at he NASCAR race this weekend while he continues to slash the federal workforce. Because, you know, priorities.

  • Luxury hotels for immigrants another Elon Musk lie!

    Elon Musk’s assertion is just a tad off the mark. Contrary to his belief, FEMA did not hand out cash directly to New York hotels; they actually provided funding to New York City. Shocking, I know. And guess what? It wasn’t some shady, under-the-table deal either. It was all part of a program established by Congress and financed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. So, before you go accusing FEMA of throwing money at luxury hotel rooms for immigrants, maybe do a little fact-checking first.

    Oh, and by the way, FEMA didn’t just decide to start splurging on fancy accommodations for migrants out of the blue. In Trump’s first term they’ve been supporting states and organizations that assist immigrants with essential services. It’s all part of a little thing called the Shelter and Services Program, which was created in 2023 with the help of Congress. But hey, who needs accurate information when you can just jump to conclusions.  

    And let’s set the record straight – New York City isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for migrants in luxury hotel rooms. In 2024, they were actually spending less than the government’s per diem rate per night on hotel rooms. So, before you start spreading false claims about FEMA funding lavish accommodations, maybe take a closer look at the facts.

    But hey Elon, who needs truth and accuracy when you can just stir up some controversy. So, in case you were wondering, we rate this claim as False. Shocking, I know.