@forest-varmint.bsky.social
Reposted
This comment on r/fednews really stood out to me. Trump and Musk want people to think they're firing do-nothing "bureaucrats," but they're really getting rid of people dedicated to serving this country and keeping it operational. I hope these stories get told.
February 14, 2025 at 1:52 PM
This comment on r/fednews really stood out to me. Trump and Musk want people to think they're firing do-nothing "bureaucrats," but they're really getting rid of people dedicated to serving this country and keeping it operational. I hope these stories get told.
Reposted
“Mass terminations of probationary workers also swept through the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous agency within the Energy Department that oversees the nation's nuclear weapons.” www.npr.org/2025/02/13/n...
February 14, 2025 at 1:31 PM
“Mass terminations of probationary workers also swept through the National Nuclear Security Administration, a semi-autonomous agency within the Energy Department that oversees the nation's nuclear weapons.” www.npr.org/2025/02/13/n...
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Given "what appears to be a loyalty purge of the federal bureaucracy, what appears to be unwillingness of the Trump administration to obey court orders, maybe historians will look back and say that American democracy ended in January 2025," Paul Krugman said. www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Economist Paul Krugman on how political attitudes changed with U.S. economic shifts
We're getting a look at how the public mood and political attitudes have changed over time thanks to economic shifts and dislocation. Paul Solman sat down with Nobel-winning economist Paul Krugman to ...
www.pbs.org
February 14, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Given "what appears to be a loyalty purge of the federal bureaucracy, what appears to be unwillingness of the Trump administration to obey court orders, maybe historians will look back and say that American democracy ended in January 2025," Paul Krugman said. www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
Reposted
A court in Washington D.C. will hear a lawsuit today from undergrad students in the University of California system seeking to block the Department of Education from granting DOGE access to sensitive student loan data.
Read the lawsuit: www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/u...
Read the lawsuit: www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/u...
www.democracydocket.com
February 14, 2025 at 2:45 PM
A court in Washington D.C. will hear a lawsuit today from undergrad students in the University of California system seeking to block the Department of Education from granting DOGE access to sensitive student loan data.
Read the lawsuit: www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/u...
Read the lawsuit: www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/u...
Reposted
TODAY: A New York court will hear a challenge from Democratic attorneys general from 19 states to block DOGE's access to Treasury Department data and payment systems.
🚨 State of New York v. Trump
Learn more.
www.democracydocket.com
February 14, 2025 at 2:45 PM
TODAY: A New York court will hear a challenge from Democratic attorneys general from 19 states to block DOGE's access to Treasury Department data and payment systems.
Reposted
Terrific Moe Tkacik piece on Brad Smith, one of the under-the-radar implementers of DOGE, whose previous "government efficiency" gig was eventually proven to be a $10 billion waste of money designed mainly to bring a bunch of unnecessary middlemen into health care:
prospect.org/health/2025-...
prospect.org/health/2025-...
The DOGE Czar’s Plan to Loot Medicare
Elon Musk’s coup plotters cut their teeth at an obscure Obamacare agency that burned $10 billion testing bogus cost savings initiatives.
prospect.org
February 14, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Terrific Moe Tkacik piece on Brad Smith, one of the under-the-radar implementers of DOGE, whose previous "government efficiency" gig was eventually proven to be a $10 billion waste of money designed mainly to bring a bunch of unnecessary middlemen into health care:
prospect.org/health/2025-...
prospect.org/health/2025-...
Reposted
More beauty in diversity. Love is love.
Happy National Freedom to Marry Day!
On this day we commemorate the landmark Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that granted same-sex couples the right to marry.
Join me in celebrating love, equality, and the countless couples who have found happiness together.
On this day we commemorate the landmark Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that granted same-sex couples the right to marry.
Join me in celebrating love, equality, and the countless couples who have found happiness together.
February 12, 2025 at 2:36 PM
More beauty in diversity. Love is love.
Reposted
TODAY: Washington, D.C. court will hear a lawsuit from students in the University of California system seeking to block the Department of Education from granting DOGE access to student data.
Read the lawsuit: https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025-02-07-Complaint-1.pdf
Read the lawsuit: https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025-02-07-Complaint-1.pdf
February 12, 2025 at 1:31 PM
TODAY: Washington, D.C. court will hear a lawsuit from students in the University of California system seeking to block the Department of Education from granting DOGE access to student data.
Read the lawsuit: https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025-02-07-Complaint-1.pdf
Read the lawsuit: https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/12025-02-07-Complaint-1.pdf
Reposted
After Biden just about had inflation tamed, it is spiking today, the hottest number since early 2022. You can thank Donald Trump and his ill advised rhetoric and policies. Fools that thought he would fix this!
February 12, 2025 at 1:35 PM
After Biden just about had inflation tamed, it is spiking today, the hottest number since early 2022. You can thank Donald Trump and his ill advised rhetoric and policies. Fools that thought he would fix this!
Reposted
The author of this piece was an associate WH counsel under Reagan. He has a very polite way of explaining that what Trump is doing with DOGE is a coup. wapo.st/4hSE7Ox
February 12, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The author of this piece was an associate WH counsel under Reagan. He has a very polite way of explaining that what Trump is doing with DOGE is a coup. wapo.st/4hSE7Ox
Reposted
February 12, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Reposted
Rebuked by the pope not long after he was rebuked by countless legal scholars for his pretense the judiciary cannot set law for the administrative branch, affirmed in the famous Marbury v. Madison case.
February 12, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Rebuked by the pope not long after he was rebuked by countless legal scholars for his pretense the judiciary cannot set law for the administrative branch, affirmed in the famous Marbury v. Madison case.
Reposted
Yes. This is the question that has to be put to Trump, his lackeys, and DOJ lawyers in court: if DOGE and Trump are allegedly so concerned with waste, fraud, and abuse, why did he (*purport to*) fire all the IGs?
The answer can't be that catturd found something fishy in a spreadsheet.
The answer can't be that catturd found something fishy in a spreadsheet.
Trump and Musk claim they are trying to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.
This is the job of Inspectors General, whom Trump is firing.
Two days ago, the USAID IG explained how shutting down the agency created the risk of billions in fraud. Next day he was fired.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
This is the job of Inspectors General, whom Trump is firing.
Two days ago, the USAID IG explained how shutting down the agency created the risk of billions in fraud. Next day he was fired.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump fires USAID inspector general one day after blistering report
Paul K. Martin, appointed by President Joe Biden in December 2023, was informed of his dismissal through an email from the White House.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 12, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Yes. This is the question that has to be put to Trump, his lackeys, and DOJ lawyers in court: if DOGE and Trump are allegedly so concerned with waste, fraud, and abuse, why did he (*purport to*) fire all the IGs?
The answer can't be that catturd found something fishy in a spreadsheet.
The answer can't be that catturd found something fishy in a spreadsheet.
Reposted
Tedious to keep pointing this out, but:
1) Trump did NOT get "majority" of vote. (49+%, to KH 48+%). Biden 2020, Obama both times, GWB 2004 most recent w *majority*.
2) Carried House w smallest margin in modern times.
3) He flatly denied even knowing what Proj 2025 was.
No Proj2025 'mandate'
1) Trump did NOT get "majority" of vote. (49+%, to KH 48+%). Biden 2020, Obama both times, GWB 2004 most recent w *majority*.
2) Carried House w smallest margin in modern times.
3) He flatly denied even knowing what Proj 2025 was.
No Proj2025 'mandate'
Asked to respond to people who say he's orchestrating a hostile takeover of government, Elon Musk lies that "a majority of the public voted for President Trump"
February 11, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Tedious to keep pointing this out, but:
1) Trump did NOT get "majority" of vote. (49+%, to KH 48+%). Biden 2020, Obama both times, GWB 2004 most recent w *majority*.
2) Carried House w smallest margin in modern times.
3) He flatly denied even knowing what Proj 2025 was.
No Proj2025 'mandate'
1) Trump did NOT get "majority" of vote. (49+%, to KH 48+%). Biden 2020, Obama both times, GWB 2004 most recent w *majority*.
2) Carried House w smallest margin in modern times.
3) He flatly denied even knowing what Proj 2025 was.
No Proj2025 'mandate'
Reposted
Barely a month after predicting a new 'golden age' under President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans are struggling to move forward on the president's tax-cut agenda, despite their control of both the Senate and House of Representatives reut.rs/3QeUb1m
US Republicans find unity on taxes a heavy lift in Trump 'golden age'
Barely a month after predicting a new "golden age" under President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans are struggling to move forward on the president's tax-cut agenda, despite their control of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
reut.rs
February 12, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Barely a month after predicting a new 'golden age' under President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans are struggling to move forward on the president's tax-cut agenda, despite their control of both the Senate and House of Representatives reut.rs/3QeUb1m
Reposted
The fact that NBC can (accurately) call the Administrative Procedure Act “obscure” just shows how little Americans know about how their government works.
It literally is one of the most important laws ever enacted by Congress.
It literally is one of the most important laws ever enacted by Congress.
"Arbitrary and capricious"
A law that requires federal agencies to follow the correct process when making changes in policy is becoming a big hindrance to Trump and his shock and awe makeover of the government.
New, from me 👇
www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
A law that requires federal agencies to follow the correct process when making changes in policy is becoming a big hindrance to Trump and his shock and awe makeover of the government.
New, from me 👇
www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
This obscure law is one reason Trump's agenda keeps losing in court
Lawsuits challenging Trump policies raise big constitutional questions, but they also rely on a law that requires the government to follow the correct procedures when changing course.
www.nbcnews.com
February 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
The fact that NBC can (accurately) call the Administrative Procedure Act “obscure” just shows how little Americans know about how their government works.
It literally is one of the most important laws ever enacted by Congress.
It literally is one of the most important laws ever enacted by Congress.
Reposted
President Trump's public ultimatum to Hamas this week and his stunning Gaza takeover plan have thrown the Israeli government into a frenzy of both excitement and confusion, Israeli officials tell Axios.
"High on Trump": Netanyahu sees Trump's Gaza gambits as Israel's big chance
"There was this feeling of intoxication in the room, like all of our Gaza problems are now solved because Trump said something."
www.axios.com
February 12, 2025 at 1:06 PM
President Trump's public ultimatum to Hamas this week and his stunning Gaza takeover plan have thrown the Israeli government into a frenzy of both excitement and confusion, Israeli officials tell Axios.
Reposted
Seeing an unelected South African billionaire in the Oval Office giving a briefing next to the mute and demented US President is jarring to say the least…
They are pulling back the curtain to let us all know who is in charge.
They are pulling back the curtain to let us all know who is in charge.
February 12, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Seeing an unelected South African billionaire in the Oval Office giving a briefing next to the mute and demented US President is jarring to say the least…
They are pulling back the curtain to let us all know who is in charge.
They are pulling back the curtain to let us all know who is in charge.
Reposted
The media is utterly failing to cover what is actually happening with Musk: that he is using the power Trump has given him, along with his X platform and its relationships with right-wing media, to spread massive lies and disinformation, while they laugh off 1/2
www.emptywheel.net/2025/02/12/t...
www.emptywheel.net/2025/02/12/t...
![The exchange is bad enough: Elon basically confessed, in front of Trump, that a hoax Elon started that traveled first to Trump propagandist Karoline Leavitt and from there, through Jesse Watters’ exaggerations on Fox News, into several repetitions of the false claim by Trump was wrong.
The entire point of this presser was to substantiate Trump’s false (and undocumented) claim that DOGE [sic] had found billions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse and use that to, first, pressure judges who are putting brakes on DOGE and, then, justify giving DOGE [sic] authority to fire a bunch of people via Executive Order.
When Trump asked Elon to substantiate such claims, Elon instead vaguely pointed to people who were wealthy even though they had meager salaries — not something that should be under his review. He listed other things that are known — and were known, during Trump’s first term — which are archaic but not fraud.
And in that appearance, a journalist called Elon out for inventing something about Gaza that led Trump to lie publicly.
That should have led to stories about how, in Trump’s presence, Elon admitted he makes shit up and Trump repeats them.
For the most part, it didn’t happen:](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:65vkd7kbacss37t7uj75g2qt/bafkreih4aa64xb2oa2fux3v5cfq3y2a6gzst6fh2x4nunxbjma7trolvpa@jpeg)
February 12, 2025 at 1:06 PM
The media is utterly failing to cover what is actually happening with Musk: that he is using the power Trump has given him, along with his X platform and its relationships with right-wing media, to spread massive lies and disinformation, while they laugh off 1/2
www.emptywheel.net/2025/02/12/t...
www.emptywheel.net/2025/02/12/t...
Reposted
Russell Vought wants to slash the government down to a mass deportation force. No more medical research, no more education department, no more civil rights enforcement, no more Social Security, no more Medicaid--think of all the things he wants to cut while "begging" for more of your $ to deport ppl
Meanwhile, in Congress: OMB Director Russ Vought told senators in a private meeting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is quickly running out of money, Sen Lindsey Graham said. @jennifershutt.bsky.social @statesnewsroom.com DC www.newsfromthestates.com/article/cong...
Congress urged to move faster to provide billions for mass deportations
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Budget Committee chairman warned Tuesday that immigration and border security funding is running low, and urged House Republicans to go along with a plan that would provid...
www.newsfromthestates.com
February 12, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Russell Vought wants to slash the government down to a mass deportation force. No more medical research, no more education department, no more civil rights enforcement, no more Social Security, no more Medicaid--think of all the things he wants to cut while "begging" for more of your $ to deport ppl
Reposted
my view is that as soon as the administration froze disbursement of congressional appropriations we entered constitutional crisis territory
February 11, 2025 at 8:06 PM
my view is that as soon as the administration froze disbursement of congressional appropriations we entered constitutional crisis territory
Reposted
The great Yale historian, Timothy Snyder, expert on fascism and on Ukraine and Russia
February 12, 2025 at 12:43 PM
The great Yale historian, Timothy Snyder, expert on fascism and on Ukraine and Russia
Reposted
NEW: Trump fired the USAID Inspector General just one day after the IG filed a report critical of Trump's dismantling of the agency. www.cnn.com/2025/02/11/p...
USAID IG fired day after report critical of impacts of Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency | CNN Politics
The inspector general of the US Agency for International Development was fired on Tuesday, a day after his office released a report critical of the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agen...
www.cnn.com
February 11, 2025 at 11:44 PM
NEW: Trump fired the USAID Inspector General just one day after the IG filed a report critical of Trump's dismantling of the agency. www.cnn.com/2025/02/11/p...
Reposted
The new regime killed Black History Month. Nothing stops us from celelbrating the diverse people who made our lives better and improved our understanding of the world. I won't stop. You don't need to, either.
Strength in diversity. Beauty in diversity.
Strength in diversity. Beauty in diversity.
Most of us have used Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation & we can thank Gladys West for creating the foundation for GPS.
She used her mathematical & programming expertise to invent an accurate model of the Earth.
She was inducted into the US Air Force Hall of Fame.
She used her mathematical & programming expertise to invent an accurate model of the Earth.
She was inducted into the US Air Force Hall of Fame.
February 12, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The new regime killed Black History Month. Nothing stops us from celelbrating the diverse people who made our lives better and improved our understanding of the world. I won't stop. You don't need to, either.
Strength in diversity. Beauty in diversity.
Strength in diversity. Beauty in diversity.
Reposted
Who else wants to see this happen…👇
Like now?! 🤚
Like now?! 🤚
February 12, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Who else wants to see this happen…👇
Like now?! 🤚
Like now?! 🤚