1st, 5th, and 6th Amendments

5.2.25

Happy Friday, readers! We’ve all made it through the week and that is cause for celebration. Welcome back to Common Sense, your source for news and analysis on the circus that is American politics and entertainment.

Trump finds few fans of his budget on Capitol Hill, even among members in his own party. Calling the budget “scorched earth,” Politico writes, “President Donald Trump is seeking massive, unprecedented funding cuts across the federal government, unveiling a budget blueprint asking Congress to slash non-defense programs by more than $163 billion while keeping military funding flat. Already, Republicans in Congress are alarmed. The proposal released Friday pressures Republican lawmakers to cleave more than 20 percent from federal coffers. Trump has already been freezing without their approval since Inauguration Day. Congress isn’t accustomed to cutting anywhere near what Trump is proposing, amplifying tension between the White House and congressional Republicans as GOP leadership works to fund the government before the Sept. 30 shutdown deadline.”

NPR: Trump budget slashes rental assistance by 40 percent… NPR reports, “In its request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the White House called the current system of federal rental assistance ‘dysfunctional’ and proposed essentially ending Section 8 and other housing voucher programs. Its plan calls for cutting rental aid by about 40% and sending that money to states ‘to design their own rental assistance programs based on their unique needs and preferences.’”

Source: NBC News

Trump says America would be ‘OK’ if recession hit… YIKES. No. No, we would not be “OK.” NBC News writes, “Trump on Friday downplayed concerns about potential economic trouble, saying everything would be ‘OK’ in the long term, even if the U.S economy experienced a recession in the short term. Asked twice by Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker whether it would be OK in the long run if there were a recession in the short term, the president said, ‘Look, yeah, it’s — everything’s OK. What we are — I said, this is a transition period. I think we’re going to do fantastically.’ Following up, Welker asked Trump if he was worried about a recession, to which he responded, ‘No.’ Asked whether he thinks one could happen, Trump replied, ‘Anything can happen, but I think we’re going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country.’ The remarks come as analysts on Wall Street are increasingly worried that the country could face a recession due to Trump’s changing tariff policy.”

Judge finds Trump violated three of 10 Bill of Rights amendments in its retribution against Perkins Coie… Hard to violate the Bill of Rights in three ways at once, but Trump managed it in an executive order overturned by a federal judge today. CBS News reports, “A federal judge ruled Friday that President Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie is unconstitutional and permanently blocked the administration from enforcing it. In a 102-page decision, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of the firm and said Mr. Trump's directive that sought to punish it sent the message that ‘lawyers must stick to the party line, or else.’” Judge Howell noted, “Using the powers of the federal government to target lawyers for their representation of clients and avowed progressive employment policies in an overt attempt to suppress and punish certain viewpoints, however, is contrary to the Constitution, which requires that the government respond to dissenting or unpopular speech or ideas with 'tolerance, not coercion.’” The judge found that the executive order violates the First, Fifth and Sixth amendments to the Constitution.

Photo credit: Reuters

Today’s Furry Friend

This stray feline didn’t want to accept human help. Then his rescuer bought some KFC…

Today’s Buzz

The Hollywood Reporter reviews Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour concert and we are jealous AF… From the review: “Beyoncé soared across SoFi Stadium in a giant neon horseshoe, and then again in a red convertible Cadillac. She mounted and rode a gleaming, mechanical golden bull — all the while belting tunes from Cowboy Carter and her decades-spanning discography. A year after releasing Cowboy Carter, the album’s accompanying tour finally kicked off in Los Angeles this week, with thousands of fans decked out in spangles, sequins and cowboy hats as Bey delivered a spectacular three-hour country hoedown that married Sergio Leone-esque filmed interstitials to eye-popping choreography and pyrotechnics.”

Photo credit: Parkwood Entertainment

Thank you for reading and for allowing us to help make sense of the chaos. We hope you have a restful weekend. Check back on Monday evening for the next edition of Common Sense.