Executive Orders
President Donald Trump signed the following Executive Orders:
None.
Congress
National
Responding to a call for nationwide protests at state capitols across the country on President’s Day this coming Monday, Trump tweeted, “He who saves his Country does not violate any law.” The statement, attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, has been considered by many to be a broad sanction to suppress any activity that doesn’t support the administration’s agenda.
“The single most un-American and anti-constitutional statement ever uttered by an American president.”
New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie, via Bluesky
Social philosophers, however, would likely posit that the moral complexities of such a statement could be widely interpreted.
Government
In a “Dear Colleague” letter to educational institutions published late Friday night, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights declared that schools have “toxically indoctrinated students” toward a “false premise” of “systematic and structural racism” and “advanced discriminatory policies and practices” against students, “including white and Asian students.”
The letter cites the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard which declared unlawful the use of racial preferences in college admissions. The letter states that the outcome “applies more broadly” to decisions that pertain to “admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.”
The Department issued a warning to schools nationwide, from preschools to postsecondary educational institutions, state educational agencies, contractors, and other “covered entities” that they have 14 days to comply with the new legal interpretation or “face potential loss of federal funding.”
According to Inside Higher Ed, a letter like this from the federal government is unprecedented:
The department has never revoked a college or state higher education agency’s federal funding over Title VI violations. If the OCR follows through on its promises, it would be an unprecedented exercise of federal influence over university activities.
Source: Inside Higher Ed.
World
Following Friday’s speech by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, today German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuked Vance’s attack on Europe’s stance toward hate speech and far-right political parties.
We will not accept it if outsiders intervene in our democracy, in our elections, and in the Democratic formation of opinion in favor of this party. That’s just not done, certainly not amongst friends and allies. We resolutely reject this.
Source: German Chancellor Olaf Schloz, Reuters.
Full video:
Vance used the phrase “never again” during his visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial on Thursday (Day 25), then on Friday chided Germany’s political parties, and European leaders in general, for refusing to work with far-right extremist groups.
Business
Also today, the NAACP released their Black Consumer Advisory guide to inform Black consumers about corporations that have recommitted to diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) efforts. Recognizing the $1.7 trillion purchasing power that Black consumers contribute annually, the guide aims to direct spending toward companies that prioritize investment in Black communities and values.
We encourage you to spend your money where you’re respected, support Black-owned businesses, and demand businesses prioritize people over profit.
Source: NAACP
Companies have been facing pressure from the Trump administration since signing an executive order on Day 1 that directs federal agencies to end “illegal and immoral discrimination programs” in government. The executive order extends to federal contractors and grantees of federal funding related to DEI initiatives, resulting in a quick abandonment of inclusivity practices.
The guide praises Delta Airlines, Apple, and Ben & Jerry’s for upholding their previous commitments, while calling out McDonald’s, Meta, and Walmart for rolling back existing initiatives.
In an exclusive announcement with the Associated Press, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said, “Diversity is better for the bottom line. In a global economy, those who reject the multicultural nature of consumerism and business will be left in the past they are living in.”
Media
Conservative author and pundit David Brooks had a few things to say about the mass firings and treatment of federal employees by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency staffers.
“I can’t tell you how many conversations I have had over the last three weeks of people who are traumatized, who describe a reign of terror in their agencies, but not only that, a reign of incompetence.”
New York Times columnist David Brooks, PBS Newshour
watch the full video
String Board Notes
On Saturday, 42 minutes later, Elon Musk replied to Trump’s tweet with 14 American flag emojis. According to the Anti-Defamation League’s Hate on Display database, “the number 14 is used by white supremacists as a shorthand reference to the so-called ‘14 Words,’ which is the most popular white supremacist slogan in the world.”
10 Minute Actions
Easy things you can do today to take care of yourself and others:
- Redirect your spending dollars.
- Donate to an organization that’s at risk of (or already) losing Federal funding. Today: Help your schools. Give to your alma mater or support a local K-12 fundraising effort.