Among the most pressing issues is that Trump’s main ally in the Senate is working to ensure Trump is able to choose his own ethics officer, the person responsible for ensuring that Trump and his appointees follow ethics laws. If successful, the move could have major implications for tech billionaire and Trump promoter Elon Musk, as the ethics chief will determine whether Musk must waive conflicts of interest if named to an official position in the administration, as he requested – and if so, if he is entitled to a gargantuan tax break.

We tracked the unprecedented spread of untraceable dark money during the 2024 presidential campaign and how it was used to funds the far-right project for Trump’s second term, repress vote, and blackmail legislators to surrender to the oligarchs. And we were among the first media to sound the alarm about cryptocurrency companies launching a political spending spree to influence elections.

Since Trump abandoned all pretension to oppose corporate power, the stage is now set for an even more untraceable influx of corporate money into politics. Vice President-elect JD Vance, for example, is help lead a trial intended to convince the Supreme Court to go beyond its goal Citizens united decision and tear down some of the last safeguards that prevent megadonor money from influencing public officials. Additionally, another lawsuit filed by Trump operatives could allow dark money donations. tax deductiblefurther encouraging untraceable election expenses.

The next four years will be crucial in the fight against climate change, with the rise of artificial intelligence. consumes ever more electricity and water and increasing climate disasters claim lives, putting communities at risk, shred the insurance safety net and threaten to cause the next financial disaster.

Trump can be expected to make the situation worse. While corporate media largely ignored Trump’s climate denial during the election campaign, he was clear about his plans to increase fossil fuel production and sell off key parts of the government’s climate operations. Its efforts could be bolstered by ongoing cases before the Supreme Court aimed at intestine environmental laws, loyal Republican party opposition to declare a climate emergency, and the far right is considering weaken environmental protection.

Corporate interests have made no secret of their desire to oust consumer protection reformers like the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. Lina Khan and Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Rohit Choprait doesn’t matter who won the election. With Trump returning to power, big business will surely make good on their threats and work to eliminate anti-monopoly and political policies. pro-worker victories under the Biden administration.

A hint of what’s to come can be found in the Supreme Court, which is currently considering a Big Tech case that right-wing legal groups and pro-business trade associations are using to request the gutting of long-standing consumer protections.

While the subject was rarely discussed On the campaign trail, the stakes for the American healthcare system will be high once Trump is in power. Trump surrogates have suggested he may once again try to repeal the Affordable Care Actor at least eliminate subsidies this helped make the cost of individual health insurance premiums more affordable for 20 million people. Trump also plans to boost privatization health insurance and suggested that he would weaken reforms allowing government regulators to use Medicare to reduce skyrocketing drug costs.

Perhaps the most worrying is the danger for reproductive freedoms. Like the Lever discovered earlier this year, Vance attempted to pressure regulators remove a rule preventing police from tracking people who have abortions; now that Trump and Vance are in power, they could repeal the rule altogether.

Although such sweeping government action may seem impossible to implement, Trump’s operators already have the tools necessary to make it happen. Inasmuch as recent Leverage time episode explored, Project 2025, the sweeping plan to reshape government under Trump, highlights the key to his agenda: Schedule F, a policy that would expose federal workers to political interference and give the president broad latitude to rule through fear.

The first step to countering these efforts is to denounce them; That’s why we’ve been reporting on these issues and aim to redouble our efforts in the months and years to come. As Trump and his team take power, we will continue working to hold them accountable.