Creeping Authoritarianism

Thank you to so many of you who joined Olga Lautman’s and my most recent episode of Pax Americana yesterday. If you missed it, you can watch the full episode above. Below are the topics we covered this week and the show notes, courtesy of Olga. As always, please join us every Thursday at 11 AM ET for new episodes of Pax Americana. * ‘We are all afraid’: Murkowski says fear of retaliation from Trump administration is ‘real’— Sen. Lisa Murkowski said a fear of retaliation from Trump is rising to levels she’s not seen before, acknowledging this week that it is so pervasive that even the outspoken senator is “oftentimes very anxious” to speak up out of fear of recrimination. Source: Politico* Trump’s Authoritarian Attack on Universities— We break down Trump’s escalating war on universities—how federal agencies are being used to threaten funding, monitor campuses, and crush academic freedom. From the IRS to ICE, the crackdown is already underway. Source: Reuters, The Hill* National Labor Relations Board Whistleblower— A whistleblower at the National Labor Relations Board exposed that Musk’s operatives accessed and likely extracted confidential labor data — including union organizer identities and legal case files — then disabled security logs and deleted records. Shortly after, a Russian IP tried logging in using one of the DOGE-created accounts. The whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, was later targeted with a threatening note and drone surveillance after raising internal alarms.Source: NPR and another NPR article* Pentagon Officials Pressure Ally to Stop Support— Trump’s push for a Ukraine ceasefire by his 100th day is unraveling. Russia has intensified attacks, ignoring U.S. “proposals.” Meanwhile, the Pentagon reportedly pressured a U.S. ally to stop sending weapons to Ukraine, as the U.S. plans to withdraw troops from Poland and slash military support.Source: The Economist* US Derails G-7 Condemnation of Russian Missile Strike on Ukraine— After Russia launched deadly missile strikes on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing at least 35 civilians on Palm Sunday, G7 nations drafted a statement condemning the strike. The U.S. refused to endorse it, citing the need to keep negotiations with Moscow "on track." Source: Bloomberg* White House Moves to Slash State, UN, and NATO Funding— Trump has proposed cutting the State Department’s budget by nearly 50%, closing overseas diplomatic missions, and eliminating funding for most international organizations—including the United Nations, its agencies, and NATO headquarters. Source: Associated Press* Russian spy sensors found hidden in UK waters— Russian sensors suspected of trying to spy on British nuclear submarines are reported to have been found hidden in the seas around the UK. Source: The Telegram* Must Read by Julie Roginsky This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit saltypolitics.substack.com/subscribe