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Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times,

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on President Donald Trump not to concede and to “fight hard” in the current legal battles that ensued as Democrat nominee Joe Biden declared victory.

While a number of news organizations called the presidential race for Biden, the Epoch Times will not declare a winner of the election until all results are certified and any legal challenges are resolved. State legislatures and the Electoral College are the bodies that certify presidential elections.

“We will work with Biden if he wins, but Trump has not lost,” Graham told Fox Business on Sunday.

“Do not concede, Mr. President. Fight hard.”

The Trump campaign has not conceded and has launched legal challenges in several states over allegations of voter fraud and software glitches. Both Trump and his campaign have remained defiant, with the backing of a number of other Republicans.

Graham, who recently won his reelection campaign, called on GOP colleges to “fight back, or we will accept our fate.”

“I want Pennsylvania to explain to the American people how six people, after they die, can register and vote in Pennsylvania. I want the computer systems in Michigan that flip votes from Republicans to Democrats to be looked at, and the software was used all over the country,” Graham said.

“There’s a lot of shenanigans going on here, and if I were President Trump, I would take all this to court, I’d fight back, and from a Republican point of view, mail-in balloting is a nightmare for us.”

President Donald Trump (L) visits his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va., on Nov. 3, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images); Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden (R) speaks in Wilmington, Del., on Nov. 5, 2020. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo)

Graham also said that John James, a GOP Senate candidate, should not concede in Michigan.

He added:

“The post office is now the new election center. It’s the Wild Wild West when it comes to mail-in balloting. Everything we worried about has come true, so if we don’t fight back in 2020, we’re never going to win again presidentially. A lot is at stake here.”

The longtime lawmaker remarked that mainstream news outlets are not the ones who determine an election, urging Americans to “fight back” against their hegemony.

“Do not accept the media’s declaration of Biden. Fight back,” Graham said.

Georgia officials stated that a recount will be carried out in the state, while the Trump campaign told news outlets over the weekend that it will push Wisconsin for a recount.

On Saturday, Trump’s team filed a lawsuit in Arizona, alleging Maricopa County of rejecting in-person voters on Election Day.

Biden on Saturday declared victory and said he would try to unite Americans.

More evidence has emerged from Iran that its ballistic missile capabilities as well as concealment methods have grown immensely in the past years. In a new report The Drive details that ‘ready-fire’ ballistic missiles have been filmed in an underground bunker that are capable of being moved from various underground locations into succession fire position quickly via large sophisticated missile launch “magazines”. The report describes:

Video and photos have emerged showing for the first time an underground Iranian ballistic missile facility in which groups of missiles ready to fire are moved around massive tunnels using an automated railway-type system. The vertically-stowed missile “magazine” appears to bring groups of missiles into position for rapid, consecutive launching from the cavernous subterranean bunker.

State-linked media touted that “Wagons carrying ballistic and long-range missiles can create continuous shooting conditions in this platform.”

It described further “the quantity and continuity of the missile fire will increase impressively in a safe atmosphere” protected from above-ground attack.

The ready-to-launch ballistic missiles are placed on a railway-type system which acts as a rapid rotating magazine, seen starting at the 1:20 mark below:

Iran had earlier this year showcased the successful firing of ballistic missiles fully hidden in camouflage deep under the ground, dubbed in Western media reports as “missile cities”.

It’s believed that the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) established the network of underground silos and weapons transport passageways, which stretch for miles, to repel any sudden air assault by Israel, the United States or allies.

The Drive report explained of the newly revealed bunker launch magazines:

The thinking behind the system seems to be to allow launches of ballistic missiles in quick succession. Since the missiles on their individual platforms are ready to fire, there is no need to reload individual launchers using a crane or trans-loader. The magazine method would potentially allow many more missiles to be fired from a single bunker while increasing the chances of the outbound missile strike overwhelming anti-ballistic missile defenses.

Close up on Iranian multi-missile movable underground launch platform. The dividers probably houses umbilicals and pre-launch test equipment. pic.twitter.com/yBYSPAqNzw

— Tal Inbar (@inbarspace) November 4, 2020

This along with Iran’s recently unveiled long range anti-air missile defense system called the Bavar-373, which is said to rival Russia’s S-300 system, would make any external attack a potentially very difficult one, even with the superior aerial and radar evading technology possessed by the US and Israel.

By Andrew Sheets, chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley

It’s been a year of dramatic swings, and the 2020 US election was no exception. Prediction markets put former Vice President Joe Biden’s chances at about 70% on Tuesday afternoon, 25% at 10pm Eastern Time, 50% by midnight, 35% by 3am Wednesday and 80% by 10am. It was a roller-coaster night (and week) to cap a roller-coaster year, and the election may yet provide a final twist.

For markets, the irony is that this roller-coaster of an election has meant relative tranquillity. Implied volatility has dropped sharply, and equities and credit have rallied back near local highs. Part of the reason may be that markets were already braced for uncertainty (the VIX ended October near 40), making it easier for them to follow the ‘usual’ pattern of struggling ahead of an election and improving afterwards. We saw the same in 2016.

A second key development is that ‘tail’ outcomes did not materialize. Before Tuesday, scenarios of a large sweep by Democrats seemed plausible. So did a surprise upset, given what happened in 2016. Either tail could have catalysed a large (and probably painful) adjustment to consensus positioning, but neither came to pass. Markets were left with a scenario that suggests fewer legislative changes and thus fewer portfolio changes, with one very important caveat I’ll address at the end.

With it looking likely that Democrats will control the White House, but congressional power will remain divided, the chances of a larger and more proactive fiscal stimulus have fallen. ‘Proactive’ is the operative word here, as our US public policy team sees divided power leading to increased risk that more fiscal help wouldn’t arrive until economic problems worsen.

It could mean that foreign policy sees more action than fiscal policy. We think that a Biden administration would be less open to a US-UK trade deal and more committed to the Good Friday Agreement than the current administration. Both factors would tilt the balance towards closer UK alignment with Europe and increase the chances of a ‘deal’ on Brexit. This is bullish GBP.

Reactive fiscal stimulus (or none at all) also means that developments relating to the pandemic become more critical for markets. We’ll be closely watching COVID-19 case numbers, which are rising again in the US and Europe, and announcements on a vaccine, which our biotechnology team expects later this month. While we’re hopeful on the latter, mounting case numbers and no new fiscal relief have created some downside risk to the economic data in the near term.

For US equities, this is one reason why my colleague Mike Wilson believes that the S&P 500 will stay in a 3100-3550 range as markets digest these overlapping narratives. We were at the low end a week ago and closer to the high end recently, but think that more time is needed before a ‘breakout’. This election doesn’t change our story of a sustainable economic recovery and an ongoing bull market for global equities and credit. We think that both remain intact in a divided government scenario.

What about other markets? At the moment, our bullish cross-asset exposures are concentrated in owning global credit and selling equity volatility. We think that both remain attractive, even if major fiscal support isn’t forthcoming. In emerging markets, our strategists are more constructive on EMFX and credit than equities. We remain cautious on oil, given weak fundamentals, but have turned more constructive on several large EU energy majors.

And we may see one final twist. Senate control is currently split 48-50 between Democrats and Republicans, but two Senate seats in Georgia, a state with a razor-thin margin in the presidential contest, are set for a run-off on January 5. These run-offs will determine whether we have a united or divided government, with enormous implications for policy outcomes. What we’ve just said about the election and the markets may need to be revised based on these results. We will let political experts opine on the probabilities, but expect these races to get an outsized amount of market attention. Stay tuned.

The 2020 election isn’t quite done, but as the vote count has worn on slowly, one result looks clear. The United States of America looks set to get a new president, with important implications for foreign and fiscal policy. But it’s also important to step back and pause. Markets, like politics, are fickle. The winds change, and much conventional wisdom regarding a change of government in 2000, 2008 and 2016 turned out to be decidedly wrong.

This election isn’t a ‘game changer’ but simply one more step on America’s journey. Keep an open mind, and wish it the best.

While the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has routinely strived to support people in extreme poverty by improving their health and economic mobility through various programs, the foundation may have gone off the deep end by bizarrely sponsoring an article that promotes child labor. 

The article in question was published in The Guardian’s “Global Development” section on Friday is titled “Child labour doesn’t have to be exploitation – it gave me life skills.” Underneath the header, a logo of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is visible with text that says, “Global development is supported by” the foundation. 

Written by Elizabeth Sibale, the deputy chief of party at global impact firm Palladium, praises her childhood experience in Malawi, doing hard work for her family – such as food prepping, carrying water, and babysitting her siblings – as an example of the hard work she did to mold her into the women she is today. 

“However, where do you draw the line between what has internationally deemed a crime and a natural process of transferring skills? Is international concern on child rights relevant to Africa?” Sibale said. 

She said, “contrary to popular belief, most child labourers are employed by their parents rather than in manufacturing or the formal economy.” 

Adding that “in Africa, where many areas have no social security or social services to support the vulnerable, families are responsible for educating and training the next generation to become capable adults.” 

RT News points out that her opinion piece “was apparently built on discussions at a seminar held last month by Palladium. The point that cultures have different norms on what work should be considered appropriate for a child is hardly debatable.”

RT, quoting the International Labor Organization, says child work that impeeds education or is hazardous is a form of child labor. 

“The crux of the issue is how to treat dirt-poor parents, who keep their kids out of classrooms because they are needed to support the household. Sibale and her colleagues argue that westerners should mind their cultural biases when looking at domestic chores,” RT said.

Apparently, some on Twitter were not pleased with the article, saying: “billionaire-funded ‘child labor is good’ takes has to be a new stage of capitalist dystopia.” 

billionaire-funded ‘child labor is good’ takes has to be a new stage of capitalist dystopia pic.twitter.com/yfXOe6A1gJ

— Paul Gottinger (@PaulGottinger) November 6, 2020

Someone tweeted: “Bill Gates is one of the good billionaires”.

“Bill Gates is one of the good billionaires”

— Will 💚 (@heIIbiIly) November 7, 2020

Another person said, “Being a child soldier doesn’t have to be a negative experience. I learned a lot about discipline and psychological manipulation.” 

Being a child soldier doesn’t have to be a negative experience. I learned a lot about discipline and psychological manipulation.

— Nightmare on Baker Street (@RealXanderCrews) November 7, 2020

This Twitter handle makes a good point.

Tell that to the young people in China where they want to go to college & instead are forced to work in the family farms. China is where Gates takes his models & standards for our life in the West.

— Angélique (@ange1914) November 8, 2020

Authored by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog,

Since the US has no official institution to call an election soon after the polls have closed, and people want a result fast, it has befallen on the media to make the announcement. And by and large, this hasn’t been that big a deal. But when those same media have for 4 years relentlessly hounded one of the two candidates, it should be obvious that this “system” should not be applied. If only because it has no legal status whatsoever.

However, people both in the US and abroad don’t appear to be aware of this. So when the New York Times et al declare a winner, this is seen as an “official” announcement. It is not. That won’t come until the Electoral College gathers in December (8-14th?!). And at least until then, Trump will have every right to contest the election in court. Still, “world leaders” are congratulating the “next president”. Do they really not know how this works?

The idea behind it all is obvious, of course: to make Trump look like a sore loser, and Biden the president-elect, a title the media claim they can bestow upon him. Do remember that both Biden’s and Kamala’s campaign were considered dead in the water at one point, before they were magically resurrected by the party machine, which ensured that =two people very unpopular in their own party now lead the ticket. Be careful what you wish for.

In that light. I found this intriguing. Twitter adds a warning to this Trump tweet: “Official sources may not have called the race when this was Tweeted”. I haven’t seen one instance where they attached the same warning to tweets about Biden winning and being President Elect. But wouldn’t that be the same thing?

I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2020

No, I don’t particularly mind Biden winning, Washington is a shit hole whoever occupies the White House and other posts, but this is not about Biden. It’s about the people behind him. About the people who elected him to be a candidate, and that’s not his voters; it’s the DNC, the FBI and media that made him possible.

Everyone in the MSM is talking about Trump’s alleged lies, as they have for 5 screeching years, main news networks on Thursday even cut off/short a speech by the President of the United States -that must be a first-, but nobody reflects on the 5-year neverending constant lies they have all told ABOUT Trump, on the entire Russiagate episode, the Mueller report based on only lies, the whole shebang.

The DNC that paid for the Steele dossier without which there would never have been a Mueller special counsel, commissioned by Rod Rosenstein when he was Deputy Attorney General, which was based on lies, exclusively, the FBI that used the Dossier to falsify FISA applications, people like Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler and Nancy Pelosi who kept on lying about having evidence of Russian collusion.

And still these are the people accusing Trump of lying. And they feel they can get away with it, because their media also incessantly repeated their lies, and is still doing that. Forget for a moment about what you think about Donald Trump, and tell me how you feel about an attempt to unseat an elected American president with nothing but lies.

Do you think that will be a one-off? If so, you’re blind. If Joe Biden and his handlers ever get into the White House, respect for the Office of the Presidency will still be gone, and it will be for a long time, decades. That’s the price the American people pay for the attempt to unseat Trump based on lies only. Do you really feel that’s a price worth paying? I suggest you give that some serious thought.

With Biden you don’t just get Biden, you get the entire cabal that went after Trump: the Democratic Party, the media, the intelligence agencies. And yes, Biden was and is very much part of that cabal.

How people do not find that a whole lot scarier than Donald Trump is beyond me.

If -and no that is not when- Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20 2021, that cabal will take over the country. And we’ve seen plenty indications that they intend to make it impossible for the Republicans to ever get one of their own elected as president again. Moreover they will not be investigated for what they concocted over the past 4-5 years.

How the Hillary campaign and the DNC leaked things to the FBI, and the FBI to the MSM, how they lied in courtrooms to get FISA applications on Trump campaign people like Carter Page and George Papadopoulos. How they set up Lt.-Gen. Michael Flynn so he wouldn’t be Trump’s National Security Adviser, because Flynn knew too much.

It’s a scheme so full of illegal actions that it will be devastating for the entire American political system if it is never investigated, or even if it isn’t investigated very very thoroughly, by an impartial party. And it won’t be if Biden becomes president.

The cabal wants you to think this is about Trump, and any given way to get rid of him is justifiable no matter what, but that is a very dangerous way of thinking. If crimes have been committed, they must be brought into daylight and before a court.

Problem is, of course, that at least half the nation has no idea of what’s been going on. Because they get their news and information from those media that are in on the whole deal. They won’t know that the DNC paid for the Steele Dossier, or that is was just a bunch of lies, or that the FBI knew this even before Rosenstein appointed Mueller as Special Counsel. All that has been kept away from them.

And yes, 4 years ago Trump said he would fight the swamp, but landed right in the middle of it. Early in his presidency he found himself surrounded by the likes of McMaster, John Kelly, Tillerson, and many other swamp creatures, and today he still has people like Mike Pompeo. But at least Trump is an outsider, and if anything can ever be done to drain the swamp, it will have to come from an outsider. That it may take more than 4 years is something we have to take for granted.

The swamp has fought back, and they may yet win. Joe Biden is the face of that. But people who celebrate that victory should think again, whether they like Trump or not. The swamp is not good for you, and it’s not good for your country, your rights, your freedoms. Its entire MO is to take all these away from you. This is not a partisan thing; the fat ass of the swamp easily fits and sits across the divide.

Joe Biden is not Joe Biden, the man doesn’t stand for anything other than holding on to power while getting richer off that power. He’s done it for 47 years. Term limits are desperately needed in Washington, but the only people who can make that decision are those who profit most from not having term limits. If there’s one area where McConnell and Schumer and Pelosi and Lindsey Graham agree, it’s that.

And meanwhile, Trump, unlike Joe Biden, is just Trump. He doesn’t represent a cabal, or a swamp. Even if he’s surrounded by them. Trump is not the biggest threat to America, that’s just something they’ve been wanting you to think for the past 4 years. Successfully, too, for millions of Americans.

The swamp is the biggest threat, whether their handpuppets come in a Democratic or Republican disguise. But to recognize that, you would have to be able to think for yourself, and if you read or watch the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, you simply can’t do that. You just think you can.

*  *  *

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After the best post-election week since FDR, US equity futures are extending gains in the early Asia trading session…

Nasdaq is now up over 10% from the close the previous Friday…

The driver? A media-announced Biden win? Or is it simpler than that?

As JPMorgan notes, the big vol player in TMT is back in the market…

But, as the chart shows above, JPMorgan warns that the last time this pushed Tech lower after activity died down, underperforming RTY & SPX in September.

Given the move in NDX spot, JPMorgan says that a lot of the call spread buyers in early Oct are not back in play. It matters for price as the gamma produced is meaningful. Additionally, JPMorgan’s desk has seen upside buyers of IWM/RTY…

While stocks are storming higher, bonds are unchanged and the dollar is marginally lower.

The New York State Bar Association is urging the state to adopt mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations once they become available – if ‘voluntary measures fail to protect public health’ – and has recommended following ‘current New York law‘ – including exemptions for “religious, philosophical or personal reasons,” according to the New York Law Journal.

“The authority of the state to respond to a public health crisis is well-established in constitutional law,” said Mary Beth Morrisey NY Bar association Health Law Section Task Force chair, in a Saturday statement.

“In balancing the protection of the public’s health and civil liberties, the Public Health Law recognizes that a person’s health can and does affect others,” she continued. “It may become necessary to require that certain individuals or communities be vaccinated, such as healthcare workers and students, to protect the public’s health.”

According to the Bar Association’s recommendation, “To protect the public’s health, it would be useful to provide guidance, consistent with existing law or a state emergency health powers act as proposed in Resolution #1, to assist state officials and state and local public health authorities should it be necessary for the state to consider the possibility of enacting a vaccine mandate.“

They also recognize that the public needs to believe that the vaccine is safe and that it works.

“A vaccine must not only be safe and efficacious; it must be publicly perceived as safe and efficacious.”

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

Being a legal analyst often makes you a killjoy at a party.  As millions broke out in celebration over the calling of the election for Joe Biden (including most of my immediate family), I watched with a mix of shared excitement and silent apprehension. It does appear that Biden won this election and his speech last night was the perfect pitch and message for a divided nation.  However, there are still legal challenges being filed in a half dozen, new affidavits containing troubling sworn allegations, and relatively close state contests. As someone who has covered presidential elections for networks going back to 2000, those challenges are like live torpedoes in the water – you do not know if one could actually hit below the water line. The issue for legal analysts is that, with the tabulations still occurring, there is little ability to judge allegations of voting irregularities.

We still do not know if there is evidence of systemic fraud or irregularities. Indeed, I am getting the feeling that the Trump campaign does not know. Thus far, the Trump legal team has not submitted hard evidence as opposed to heated allegations.

However, as millions celebrate at what they believe is the finish line, the greatest danger is a Rosie Ruiz election.

Forty years ago, Ruiz became an infamous figure when she was declared the winner of the 84th Boston Marathon in 1980 as the fastest woman. After all, she was seen crossing the finish line before any other woman. The problem was that eight days later, she was found to have crossed the finish line by way of the subway.

The difference between the Boston Marathon and the presidential election is that the latter is designed to avoid a short-cut president-elect. First there is tabulating of ballots, followed by the canvassing of ballots, and then certification of the results. Challenges can continue through the certification stage that should end on December 8th.

There is a certain Rosie Ruiz strategy that is used in elections, particularly in orchestrating a splashy finish and a victorious celebration.

That was the case in 1960 with the election of John F. Kennedy.  Many historians believe that Kennedy actually lost the race to Richard Nixon. Instead he was declared the winner with 49.80% of the popular vote.  Widespread voting fraud was reported in Illinois and Texas that put Kennedy over the top. 

Much of those allegations were hashed out after the media declared Kennedy the winner and the campaign set the narrative with celebrations and transition announcements.

After Bush led in Florida by only 1,784, his campaign rushed him out for a victory lap to create the image of the presumptive president elect. Thus, when the Democrats challenged the results and filed a flurry of lawsuits demanding recounts, they were viewed as fighting to reverse the will of the voters in seeking to strike ballots. The recount led to a change of only roughly 900 votes before, 41 days later, the election was effectively ended by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore.

What happened next is often overlooked. Multiple studies found that Gore likely won Florida.  However, by that time, George Bush was already sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States. The point is clear.  The important thing is not whether you were in fact victorious but whether you were victorious when you passed the line of certification.

Nevertheless, Mayor Kenney was demanding a concession “just as Al Gore did.” In reality, Gore did challenge that election and forced a recount that lasted 41 days. It turned out that the recount may not have identified the true vote count.

To the credit of Joe Biden, he showed admirable restraint in claiming victory. The question is whether he will now show even greater leadership in supporting a full and open review of key state races.

For its part, the Trump legal team will have to ramp up its game. Thus far, there has been a lack of focus and discipline . . . and a notable lack of real evidence. On Friday, a challenge in federal court in Las Vegas fizzled out for lack of such evidence in front of a clearly exasperated federal judge.

In fairness to the Trump campaign, it is difficult to produce evidence if you have not been allowed access to balloting or key records. Moreover, there is some skepticism over claims that this election was effectively flawless, even in cities with long and checkered histories with voting irregularities. We have never had an election based on such massive numbers of mail-in balloting and there are obvious concerns over authentication of ballots.  The primary concern is not that tabulation workers are filling out ballots or burning ballots. Rather the concern is how mail-in ballots were sent out, authenticated, and processed.  There are many accounts of people receiving multiple ballots, groups filling out ballots on behalf of voters, and even some cases of votes filed for deceased individuals.

In truth, the current allegations are more difficult to track than those in 2000. The Florida recount was largely mechanical and obvious. You had a bizarre “Butterfly ballot” and hanging chads on punch voting cards. The 2020 election involves questions of the authentication of ballots and calibration of tabulation equipment. If such standards are set too low, there would be virtually no instances of irregularity because the threshold standards are too low.  We simply do not know and would not know until there is greater access to information.

All elections have such problems even without the use of tens of millions of mail-in ballots. The question is whether such irregularities are systemic or merely episodic. The current margins in states like Pennsylvania are not likely to be overcome by aggregating small pockets of challenged ballots.

The Democrats have sought to ignore recounts or judicial review, the opposite position taken in 2000. The concern is that we still have had no meaningful access to the underlying evidence and, while the odds are not high, it is still possible that challenges could find traction in the courts. If there proves to be a real problem in a key state, the massive celebrations could change in character dramatically.

Again, there is currently no evidence of systemic fraud in the election but there is ample reason to conduct reviews. Biden himself should tell the Democratic Party to support such scrutiny and transparency now that the initial tabulations are being completed. That is not easy for any politician, but it would be the ultimate presidential act by the presumptive president-elect. Biden is no Rosie Ruiz. Biden has shown a respect for the process and this was a hard fought victory. He can cross the line without mass transportive assistance. This is the way to show it.

Since election day on November 3rd three top officials have departed the Trump administration, and one other was demoted. All resignations were described as ‘sudden’ and unexpected, suggesting there could be more to come. 

While there’s no significant evidence they were directly related to the election, it caused some media outlets to begin speculating that “a last-minute shake up” was on the immediate horizon, also as rumors persisted last week that Trump was set to fire CIA Director Gina Haspel as well as Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. 

Either some didn’t want to serve in what was a possible four more years of the Trump administration, or alternately knowing that Trump was not going to concede in the event of defeat perhaps didn’t want to stick around for the spectacle of Trump digging in for the legal fight.

Below is a quick rundown of the latest administration departures in order of their exit.

* * *

James Jeffrey, US Special Envoy for Syria Engagement and the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS

On Saturday a top State Department official appointed directly by the White House who oversees engagement with Middle East countries in the Levant announced that he is retiring. James Jeffrey, who for the past two years has been US Special Envoy for Syria Engagement and the Special Envoy to the Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS, is stepping down.

The 74-year old career diplomat took over the post after the resignation of Brett McGurk. Jeffrey has been criticized as being too pro-Turkish and is seen as a Syria hawk, being among past foremost voices desiring regime change in Syria. Pro-Kurdish lobbying groups further see him as too much in Erdogan’s pocket.

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

On Friday, Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, the official who oversees the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile unexpectedly resigned, or as Bloomberg White House correspondent Jenifer Jacobs reported, it appears she was pushed out. 

Lisa Gordon-Hagerty was been head of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) since 2018, the first woman to ever serve in that position, which is a semi-autonomous arm of Department of Energy (DOE) charged with overseeing the safety and security of America’s nuclear weapons.

Few details were confirmed by DOE as to the reasons behind the sudden resignation, though as Bloomberg’s Jacobs noted it remains that “some admin officials are unhappy politics are being played with semi-autonomous arm of Energy Dept.”

* * *

Bonnie Glick, Deputy Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development 

And further deputy administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bonnie Glick was pushed out Friday. Her post is the second highest at USAID which she held from 2019 through 2020.

CNN noted that “Glick’s removal from the deputy administrator post came the same day that John Barsa’s term as acting administrator of the agency expires under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, and sources believe that she was fired so he could remain at the helm.”

The administration subsequently confirmed that USAID has named Barsa to her now-vacant post. “[The] President has designated Mr. Barsa as the Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID, and he will begin those duties this evening and continue to lead the Agency in this new capacity,” USAID indicated Friday.

Neil Chatterjee, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

Also Thursday Trump demoted the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Neil Chatterjee.

According to MSN Chatterjee “may have been demoted because of his support for clean energy”:

“I knew when I embarked on this path that there could be blowback,” he told CNN on Friday. “I’m speculating, but if in fact this demotion is the result of blowback, I’m completely at peace with it. I did the right thing. I’m proud of it. I slept great last night.”

But the biggest departures could come soon this week, given the past rocky relationship between Trump and key defense and intelligence chiefs, namely Haspel and Esper.