In a move that probably isn't surprising to many, but filled breaking news this morning and flooded news channel all day, President Trump announced a few tariffs, and the new DOGE has stopped the operations of USAID.

In a weird move, the Elon Musk (how is he even in charge of anything?) Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has apparently invaded and stopped the operations of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), citing it as a criminal organization that needs to die in a message on X. The USAID is responsible for a number of support and humanitarian operations around the world, providing necessary (and probably some unnecessary) aid to people who would likely perish without the support. They're probably most widely recognized as hoards of people swarm trucks with bags of grain that proclaim "USAID" on them. I'm sure that the organization does have some room for improvement, as I think with much of the government. I'm not sure that stopping its operations and shuttering its offices is the right move.

News throughout the day went on about how this was a move accompanied by unauthorized access of confidential information by people without clearance. This alone has been beat into my head as one of the more serious crimes a person can commit since I was in the USAF. I'm sure that the DOGE people have no ill intent with any information they may find, right?

I'm waiting for Congress to get their shit together and maybe do something about this. USAID is a department established by Congress during JFK's presidency, and is not subject to presidential interruptions, according to pundits in opposition of this.

If there's going to be a legitimate DOGE, I expect them to investigate, evaluate, and recommend changes, not jump in and stop operations. Challenge budgets and even specific operations with Congress. Don't allow sweeping seizures and freezes on esoteric proclamations.

Bigger through the day has been the buzz around the tariffs that Trump enacted on Canada, Mexico, and China. China was expected, as a big part of his campaign. Mexico wasn't entirely unexpected, as he has a bug in his ear about immigration and crime from our southern border. Canada seemed to come out of nowhere, and seems to rest on a weird drug pipeline argument.

Through the day they were talking about pauses and compromises almost immediately out of Mexico. I'm sure that similar discussions and compromises will happen with Canada. China will probably just fight back.

This also needs to be stopped by Congress. The pundits were proclaiming the sweeping understanding of the probable abuse of the extensions under which the president can enact tariffs. There are guidelines, which seem to be missing from these, according to the news experts. There are guidelines and rules that the president can leverage, and then Congress is supposed to act to ensure trade is appropriately managed for the rest of it.

A Congressional report, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11030 (attached, in case it moves or disappears), contains details and discussion about this that seems to support the pundits and shows there may be something they can do to put a stop this flurry of arguable abuse Trump is enacting against the interests of the American people.