On Tuesday’s edition of CNN’s Inside Politics, aviation correspondent Pete Muntean told host Dana Bash that it appeared the Delta Airlines flight that crashed in Toronto on Monday did so due to a landing gear malfunction. He also noted how there is no common thread linking it with other recent plane crashes, but that didn’t stop Bash and her assembled panel from noticing “this happening against the backdrop of massive cuts across the federal government, including at the FAA.” Additionally, as CNN ignored its own aviation expert, it wondered if voters would blame Donald Trump and Elon Musk for firing aviation experts at the FAA amid multiple plane crash stories. Bash began with the dreaded “but,” claiming “I'm back here with our fantastic panel. Let's broaden it out a little bit to talk about what is going on here in Washington. As he said, there's no thread between all of those except the obvious, which is that planes are crashing, which is frightening, but this is happening against the backdrop of massive cuts across the federal government, including at the FAA.”     After Bash rattled off some numbers, senior political analyst Nia-Malika Henderson replied, “So far, at least, if you, kind of, look at how Americans, Trump voters in particular, are reacting so far, this is something that they haven't really been affected by… But so far, these cuts, because they are directed at federal workers, who the right has been expert at demonizing, as lazy as working from home, as costing too much, because they have been demonized, a lot of Americans say ‘too bad, so sad,’ that they're that they're being axed. We'll see how long that lasts. We'll see if there is any trickle-down effect for average Americans.” Bash then read a tweet from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, “I just want to read what Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said. ‘I'm thankful that everyone in the flight incident in Toronto that took off from Minneapolis is safe, but we keep seeing these incidents day after day. Meanwhile, Trump's doing massive layoffs at the FAA, including safety specialists, and making our skies less and less safe. Democrats are fighting to protect the flying public.’” If CNN had a consistent standard of fact-checking, Bash would’ve recalled Muntean’s comments about the landing gear, but instead Wall Street Journal congressional reporter Olivia Beavers predicted, “It sounds like we're going to have Democrats very quickly blaming, if there's anything with investigations pointing that the president's cuts, the DOGE cuts, led to the FAA having problems with flights, but it's going to be broader than that.” Next, Politico White House and foreign policy correspondent Eli Stokols recalled how some Democrats have privately told him, “'Look, could the Department of Education be shrunk down? Has there been some bureaucracy creep over the years? Yes. But it's the way that they're going about doing it, and it's empowering Elon Musk and a bunch of 20-something tech bros to go in and sort of, before they even know what's what, just slashing systems.’”      He then declared, “It's when that is the story on one hand. And then there are other things playing out. You go to the store, there's no eggs in the fridge. You know, you see planes crashing left and right… You know, at some point people may connect the dots, and they may come to blame this administration, this government, if they have just bulldozed their way through government, taken out a lot of expertise because people don't really know what government does or is until it's doing something for them or until it's not there.”  If voters do start to make that conclusion, will CNN roll out Daniel Dale to inform them that such conclusions are unjustified? Based on Tuesday’s show, probably not. Here is a transcript for the February 18 show: CNN Inside Politics with Dana Bash 2/18/2025 12:22 PM ET DANA BASH: Pete thank you. We're extremely lucky to have you with us. Explain everything to us. Talk to you soon. I'm back here with our fantastic panel. Let's broaden it out a little bit to talk about what is going on here in Washington. As he said, there's no thread between all of those except the obvious, which is that planes are crashing, which is frightening, but this is happening against the backdrop of massive cuts across the federal government, including at the FAA. I'm just going to put some up on the screen. Hundreds of FAA employees have been laid off as part of Elon Musk going through all the federal agencies. And then beyond the FAA, we have 10 percent of the CDC workforce, 3,400 at the U.S. Forest Service, 2,200 and the Interior Department 2,000 at the Department of Energy, 1,000 at the VA. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON: Yeah. Listen. And so far, at least, if you, kind of, look at how Americans, Trump voters in particular, are reacting so far, this is something that they haven't really been affected by. You do hear from some GOP senators who are in some of these states where they're, you know, public parks, for instance, for instance, raising some alarms. But so far, these cuts, because they are directed at federal workers, who the right has been expert at demonizing, as lazy as working from home, as costing too much, because they have been demonized, a lot of Americans say “too bad, so sad,” that they're that they're being axed. We'll see how long that lasts. We'll see if there is any trickle-down effect for average Americans. BASH: I just want to read what Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said. “I'm thankful that everyone in the flight incident in Toronto that took off from Minneapolis is safe, but we keep seeing these incidents day after day. Meanwhile, Trump's doing massive layoffs at the FAA, including safety specialists, and making our skies less and less safe. Democrats are fighting to protect the flying public.” OLIVIA BEAVERS: It sounds like we're going to have Democrats very quickly blaming, if there's anything with investigations pointing that the president's cuts, the DOGE cuts, led to the FAA having problems with flights, but it's going to be broader than that. … ELI STOKOLS: Republicans like the Trump White House, they like how this is going. There's almost a sense, like we're baiting Democrats into going out and having protests, defending bigger government. I mean, they think the politics, in the main, you know, are favoring them. But I think that, I mean, and I have talked to a couple very senior Democrats who have said privately, “look, could the Department of Education be shrunk down? Has there been some bureaucracy creep over the years? Yes. But it's the way that they're going about doing it, and it's empowering Elon Musk and a bunch of 20-something tech bros to go in and sort of, before they even know what's what, just slashing systems." It's when that is the story on one hand. And then there are other things playing out. You go to the store, there's no eggs in the fridge. You know, you see planes crashing left and right. You hear about a bird flu and you hear, on the other hand, about scientists being fired at NIH. You know, at some point people may connect the dots, and they may come to blame this administration, this government, if they have just bulldozed their way through government, taken out a lot of expertise because people don't really know what government does or is until it's doing something for them or until it's not there.

What may have seemed like fleeting gossip has morphed into a movement with some genuine momentum. It all began when ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith sparked rumors that he could potentially be running for president in 2028, which has now reached a point where many are starting to take him seriously. “Does any part of you want to run for office?” a host on CNBC asked Smith in a recent interview. “I wouldn’t say that, I mean that the one thing I don’t want to do is run for office. I wouldn’t mind being in office, but running for it is a problem. I’m not one of those dudes that’s good at shaking hands and kissing babies per se and currying favor with politicians and donors,” Smith responded. “I’m not a beggar, that’s not who I am, so I don’t want to curry favor. Now, if you told me I could bypass all of that and I can go up on that stage on national television for presidential debates and go against some of the people that I’ve seen, you name the time and place, and I’ll show up,” he continued. “You tell me that I could catapult to the White House, and I could be in a position to affect millions upon millions of lives, not just in America, but the world over, yeah, that’s something I would entertain,” he added. Jason Whitlock of “Fearless” believes Smith is up to something. “The sense of entitlement that he’s willing to talk about it openly, ‘Hey, if I don’t have to earn it, and I can be given it like I’ve been given this media career, yes, I’m interested,’” Whitlock mocks. “‘If I don’t have to earn it, if I can get the nomination the way Kamala Harris got the nomination,’” he continues. “She didn’t have to win any primaries, she got anointed into that position, and so he’s basically saying, ‘Hey, we’ve already established in the Democrat Party, we’ll throw out custom tradition, we’ll throw out democracy, and just install someone as our nominee.’” “It’s an amazing, bold, lack of self-awareness, and it’s what the Democrats have established,” he adds. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Grady Judd — the outspoken sheriff of Polk County, Florida — on Tuesday morning recounted a wild tale from earlier this month, saying a violent suspect actually bit the ear of a deputy's K-9 and allegedly did a few other unlawful things. During the short clip, Judd promised viewers, "Now, I'm gonna tell you something you're just not gonna believe." 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Not so fast, cowboy. We gotta figure out what's goin' on here.' He held up arrest photos showing a pair of 26-year-old males: Angel Acosta of Lakeland and Elliot Lugo of Davenport. Image source: Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office According to the Miami Herald, deputies responded to a Davenport 7-Eleven around 8:30 a.m. Feb. 3 and found three people in a vehicle. A previous sheriff's office Facebook post said, "Two men were asleep in the front of a black 2006 Honda Accord that was parked at one of the pumps at a gas station. In the back seat was a 4-year-old girl (a relative to Elliot)." Judd said the "two dudes have gone to sleep" and "our nice K-9 deputy responds to the call ... and he wakes both of them up and asks them, 'Are you OK, do you need medical help, what's going on?'" Judd added that "they tried to crank the car and leave, and our K-9 deputy said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Not so fast, cowboy. We gotta figure out what's goin' on here.' Oh, did I tell you there was a 4-year-old little girl in the backseat?" Turns out that "Angel [Acosta] was no angel at all. In fact, he kinda acted like Mike Tyson" and "got to fightin' with the deputy," the sheriff said. Judd said the deputy "got his K-9 out of the car. Yup, hit a magic button, and the K-9 came out to help." Acosta "fought, pushed the deputy" and "bit the deputy! And then he bit the K-9 on the ear!" Judd recounted. "Well, [turnabout] is fair play, so the K-9 bit him! It was a gnashing of teeth goin' on." Judd noted that while the deputy and the K-9 were dealing with Acosta, the other suspect — Lugo — "grabs the 4-year-old and takes off runnin'. Said 'feets don't fail me now' and runs into traffic with a baby girl." The sheriff's office said Lugo ran with the girl near the intersection of Ronald Reagan Parkway and Lake Wilson Road, which is "a very busy area at 8:30 a.m. on a Monday. And drivers were maneuvering quickly to avoid [Lugo] and the girl." Another deputy ran after Lugo, the sheriff's office said, and "did the old cuff & stuff by putting him into her patrol car. The 4-year-old girl was unharmed, and turned over to [the Department of Children and Families]." The sheriff's office said Acosta and Lugo were taken to jail and both charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Acosta also was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, battery on K-9, and resisting arrest; Lugo also was charged with possession of a stolen firearm he had on him (out of Orlando), battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, and child abuse, the sheriff's office noted. Both the K-9 — named Zorak — and the deputy "will be OK, thankfully," the sheriff's office added. Judd concluded, "You can't make this stuff up." You can check out Judd's video commentary below on the incident: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Department of Government Efficiency announced on Monday that it had uncovered a significant tracking gap in the Department of Treasury's funding.The DOGE explained in a post on X that the Treasury Department uses an "identification code" to link its payments to budget line items. However, it discovered that this tracking code was optional for approximately $4.7 trillion in expenses and was often left blank, rendering the funds nearly impossible to trace.'Major improvement in Treasury payment integrity.'"The Treasury Access Symbol (TAS) is an identification code linking a Treasury payment to a budget line item (standard financial process)," the DOGE wrote. "In the Federal Government, the TAS field was optional for ~$4.7 Trillion in payments and was often left blank, making traceability almost impossible. As of Saturday, this is now a required field, increasing insight into where money is actually going."According to the Treasury Department's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, TAS described "any one of the account identification codes assigned by Treasury." The federal government's financial transactions are classified by TAS for reporting to the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget.Elon Musk responded to the DOGE's post, calling the directive to mandate the TAS field a "major improvement in Treasury payment integrity."He noted that the change resulted from a combined effort among the DOGE, the Treasury Department, and the Federal Reserve.The Trump administration clarified on Monday that Musk is not officially an employee of the DOGE and "has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself."In a court filing, Office of Administration Director Joshua Fisher stated that Musk serves as "a Senior Adviser" to President Donald Trump and holds "no greater authority than other senior White House advisers."According to the DOGE's website, within the first month of Trump's second term, the newly formed agency has already saved American taxpayers $55 billion. These savings stem from "a combination of fraud detection/deletion, contract/lease cancellations, contract/lease renegotiations, asset sales, grant cancellations, workforce reductions, programmatic changes, and regulatory savings."So far, the DOGE lists the United States Agency for International Development as the number one agency for "total contract savings," followed by the Department of Education, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Agriculture. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona introduced the COINS Act on Tuesday that would implement President Donald Trump's proposal to halt the production of new pennies. The bill, known as the Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings Act, would prohibit the production of any new pennies for the next decade, according to the bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News. It costs the U.S. Mint an average of 3.69 cents to produce a coin worth just one cent, giving Trump and his allies fiscal concerns. 'At more than $36 trillion in debt, every single cent counts.'The bill also notes that there have already been enough pennies minted to meet the demand and that further production won't be necessary for the next decade.“Eighty-five million taxpayer dollars were spent on the production of new pennies in 2024, and no one even batted an eye,” Biggs said. "President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency have spent weeks rooting out government waste and fraud. Congress must support their efforts by codifying President Trump’s America First priorities — like his move to stop minting new pennies. At more than $36 trillion in debt, every single cent counts.""For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let's rip the waste out of our great nation[']s budget, even if it's a penny at a time."This is the latest effort MAGA-aligned lawmakers have led on the Hill to prioritize responsible spending. The Department of Government Efficiency has been at the forefront of the effort and has often served as a blueprint for lawmakers. "The penny costs over 3 cents to make and costs US taxpayers over $179 million in FY2023," reads one X post from the DOGE account. "The Mint produced over 4.5 billion pennies in FY2023, around 40% of the 11.4 billion coins for circulation produced. Penny (or 3 cents!) for your thoughts."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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