Voices, The Peoples News
February 17, 2025
Published by Jedi Selman Since March 2000 to Inform and Educate
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This daily Voices, The Peoples News is posted through the blog function of www.MPEN-Ohio.net
# Archaeology
Sunken City Dated 3400 Years Old Emerges From a Reservoir, Identified as the Hub of a Bronze Age Empire
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/sunken-city-dated-3400-years-old-emerges-from-a-reservoir-identified-as-the-hub-of-a-bronze-age-empire/ar-AA1za0Gf
China’s Great Wall’s oldest section has been discovered and with it, has pushed back the origin of the Great Wall by 300 years.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/china-s-great-wall-s-oldest-section-discovered-pushing-back-origin-by-300-years/ar-AA1zbIGN
# Border / Immigration / Migrants / Gangs / Drugs
Trump Can’t Be Allowed to Hide the Dangers of His Deportation Agenda at Guantanamo Bay. The US government has begun to shuttle immigrants from the United States to Gitmo, post photos of them in shackles, and lock them away.
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/trump-guantanamo-bay-migrant-detention/
‘A human rights disaster’: immigrants sent into Guantánamo black hole despite no proof of crime. Homeland security chief Kristi Noem claims the US is shipping ‘criminal alien murderers’ to the Cuba naval base – but the immigrants’ true stories remain enigmatic
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/14/trump-guantanamo-bay-migrants
Guantanamo before. Is Trump’s approach different? The US has held migrants at Guantanamo before, with fewer than 100 in recent years. How does Trump’s approach differ?
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/11/the-us-held-migrants-at-guantanamo-before-is-trumps-approach-different
Texas CBP officer arrested for human smuggling: A Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges. related to his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle undocumented noncitizens for financial gain and alleged drug trafficking activity.
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/pr/2025/dojpr-021025-cbp-officer-arrested-el-paso-charged-alien-smuggling-and-drug-trafficking.pdf
Trump’s Next Fight With Mexico: Designating Drug Cartels as Terrorists. Move would give U.S. new tools to fight fentanyl trade while exposing businesses to stiff penalties
https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/trumps-next-fight-with-mexico-designating-drug-cartels-as-terrorists-a46aeb4c
The Need for Course Correction: The Risks of Treating Drug Cartels as Terrorist Threats
https://www.justsecurity.org/107770/cartels-foreign-terrorism-designation/
People from Afghanistan, Iran, China and other countries flown out as Trump’s deportation effort intensifies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/14/us-trump-deportation-panama
U.S. Deports African & Asian Migrants To Panama in diplomatic breakthrough
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-deportations-panama-african-asian-migrants/
Trump’s Huddled Masses: The trench warfare in sanctuary cities and states to protect innocent families from Trump’s ICE raids
https://prospect.org/justice/2025-02-17-trumps-huddled-masses/
# DEI [Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion]
Obama library, begun with lofty DEI goals, now plagued by $40M racially charged suit, ballooning costs. The Black-owned firm claims it was accused of underperforming in the project because of race
https://www.foxnews.com/us/obama-center-subcontractor-hired-under-dei-initiative-now-suing-40m-racial-discrimination-lawsuit
# DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]
Elon Musk’s DOGE ‘requests access to IRS taxpayer data,’ sparking privacy fears. US tax office has detailed financial data about millions of Americans, US media reported.
https://tribune.net.ph/2025/02/17/elon-musks-doge-pushes-for-access-to-irs-system-raising-privacy-concerns
DOGE scores big court win, allowed access data on 3 federal agencies: Unions and nonprofits attempted to stop Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing records at the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
https://www.aol.com/doge-scores-big-court-win-180711251.html
Elon Musk in hot water as billionaire is sued by 14 states over ‘unchecked power’ at DOGE. Unlike other legal action taken against DOGE this month, the lawsuit seeks to tackle DOGE as an entity rather than focus on individual cuts it has made to specific agencies or government departments.
https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-doge-lawsuit-14-states-2031205
Elon Musk’s mass government cuts could make private companies millions. Defense and tech firms – including Musk’s own – await potential contracts as Doge decimates US agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/16/elon-musk-doge-government-privatization
Federal government has wasted trillions. Trump and Musk are saying, ‘Enough!’
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2025/02/17/trump-musk-doge-government-waste-national-debt/78518870007/
Musk and Trump Are Cutting Popular Programs. That’s Deliberate.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/musk-trump-cutting-popular-programs-110000287.html
Elon Musk tightens grip on gov’t, sparking ‘coup’ accusations. Tech billionaire has upended the federal bureaucracy in the two weeks since US President Donald Trump took office.
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/2/4/elon-musk-accused-of-coup-running-shadow-govt-as-doge-tightens-grip
# Economy / Finance / Trade / Banks
Threat of a trade war has Canadians and Americans in border towns on edge
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/06/nx-s1-5271589/threat-of-a-trade-war-has-canadians-and-americans-in-border-towns-on-edge
Trump suggests he might impose auto tariffs on April 2
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/14/trump-auto-tariffs-april-00204436
Trump’s trade war could spiral into a debt war that sends interest rates soaring, former White House official warns
https://fortune.com/2025/02/15/trump-trade-war-debt-treasury-market-interest-rates-dedollarization/
U.S. Government Cancels Millions in Foreign Aid, Including $39 Million for Nepal
https://www.newsbreak.com/nepyork-288847545/3815589849338-u-s-government-cancels-millions-in-foreign-aid-including-39-million-for-nepal
# Education / Schools
Colleges, K-12 schools ordered by Trump administration to abolish DEI or face funding cuts
https://www.gazettextra.com/news/nation_world/colleges-k-12-schools-ordered-by-trump-administration-to-abolish-dei-or-face-funding-cuts/article_932045ac-ad49-59e9-9fe9-520fbe14d285.html
Schools serving military service members’ kids are pulling books on civil rights history after Trump’s DEI threats
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/military-schools-order-remove-dei-books-b2699252.html
The Columbia Network Pushing Behind the Scenes to Deport and Arrest Student Protesters. For some members of the WhatsApp group, speaking out for Palestine and criticizing Israel are tantamount to supporting Hamas.
https://theintercept.com/2025/02/15/columbia-alumni-israel-whatsapp-deport-gaza-protesters/
# Employment / Labor / Unions
More federal workers to be fired in ‘effort to cut government spending.’
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/17/fired-federal-workers-performance-language-doge/78886104007/
Trump warned of ‘dangerous’ federal job cuts in the FAA after four crashes. Trump’s administration began mass firings of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees on Friday, a move that comes just weeks after a fatal midair collision in Washington, D.C., and as concerns mount over air traffic control staffing shortages.
https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-mass-firings-faa-air-traffic-control-2032269
# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil
A Third Generation Driller Transitions from Oil and Gas to Geothermal
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17022025/third-generation-oil-driller-transitions-to-geothermal/
# Food General News
‘Hitting ranchers hard’: Farmers union leader blames Trump for ‘disastrous consequences’
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-hitting-ranchers-hard/
Many American farmers agree with Trump’s cuts. But those policies hurt farms most.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-trump-federal-funding-pause-161353823.html
Trump Responds to Potential EU Food Imports Ban By Doubling Down On Tariffs
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/i-dont-mind-trump-responds-to-potential-eu-food-imports-ban-by-doubling-down-on-tariffs/
Trump defiant as EU threatens US food ban: ‘They’re just hurting themselves!’ ‘That’s alright. I don’t mind. Let them do it,’ Trump says when asked about European countries saying they will ban US food imports in response to his tariffs
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/trump-defiant-as-eu-threatens-us-food-ban-they-re-just-hurting-themselves/3484295
Strengthening food stamp work requirements: Republican SNAP Proposals Could Take Food Away From Millions of Low-Income Individuals and Families
https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/republican-snap-proposals-could-take-food-away-from-millions-of-low-income
# General News
‘As an American I’m terrified’: Canadians take to social media to warn Americans of our northern neighbor’s wartime preparations
https://wegotthiscovered.com/social-media/as-an-american-im-terrified-canadians-take-to-social-media-to-warn-americans-of-our-northern-neighbors-wartime-preparations/
Elon Musk allows ‘biggest waste ever’ after failing to stop Donald Trump PR stunt. Donald Trump spent potentially millions of dollars on a trip to the Daytona 500 as Elon Musk and his DOGE program continue to lay off thousands of federal employees
https://www.irishstar.com/sport/other-sports/donald-trump-daytona-musk-doge-34690797
Haunting nuclear map lays bare where 75% of US population would perish in WW3
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Singer_11-03-15.pdf
Hundreds of air traffic control service employees getting fired.
https://san.com/cc/hundreds-of-faa-employees-fired-nuclear-workers-told-to-return-reports/
Judge calls rare hearing on a holiday in case against Musk’s DOGE
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/feb/17/elon-musk-doge-irs-donald-trump-ukraine-europe-us-marco-rubio-politics-live
A timeline of activities of a cultlike group tied to the killing of a Border Patrol agent
https://apnews.com/article/vermont-border-patrol-shooting-youngblut-lasota-zizians-8d3522fae8338cabf9f890aab054c0b4
MAGA rioter says plot to murder FBI agents covered by Trump pardon
https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-riot-pardons-2671167608/
Major agency yanks several non-white history pieces from museum: report
https://www.rawstory.com/dei-2671158947/
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Donald Trump’s Friendship Dates Back Decades as 30-Year-Old Photo Resurfaces
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/sean-diddy-combs-donald-trumpsfriendship-dates-back-decades-30-year-photo-resurfaces.html/
The Man Madison Warned Us Against. He authored the Constitution to forestall the rise of a despotic president. We’ll soon see if those safeguards suffice. Trump’s tweets, on the other hand, are pernicious and dangerous, not because he’s mastered that medium but because he deliberately peddles lies and slanders. Nor has he taken power at a time of crisis; rather, he’s claimed this to be a time of national emergency that presumably justifies his power grabs, though that emergency is not visible to the naked eye.
https://prospect.org/politics/2025-02-17-trump-man-madison-warned-us-against/
# Gov / Politics
‘Attacking your allies is crazy’: American soldier feels forced to reassure Europe a U.S. military invasion won’t happen. If there’s one thing we don’t need right now, it’s a war over Greenland. https://wegotthiscovered.com/politics/attacking-your-allies-is-crazy-american-soldier-feels-forced-to-reassure-europe-a-u-s-military-invasion-wont-happen/
‘Backhanded compliment’: Lawyer vows fierce fight as he’s put on Trump retribution list. “It is the combination of the single-minded revenge focus, coupled with the unchecked use of executive power that makes this particularly dangerous.”
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-retribution-2671167810/
Auchincloss: Trump ‘replacing the rule of law with the law of the ruler’
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5147993-auchincloss-trump-rule-of-law/
From legal settlements to business ventures, mega corporations are making deals with President Donald Trump and the Trump family
https://usaherald.com/dol-wins-15m-judgment-against-home-care-agency/
Griffin and other conflicted judges must publicly recuse themselves from Supreme Court election case
https://ncnewsline.com/2025/02/17/griffin-and-other-conflicted-judges-must-publicly-recuse-themselves-from-supreme-court-election-case/
House Republicans plot impeachment against judges blocking Trump, DOGE
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5146332-house-republicans-impeachment-judges-trump-musk-doge/
Republicans hope to jam through defense, border funding boost ahead of shutdown fight. Senate Republicans have the ambitious goal of jamming through funding boosts for defense and border security, separately from the appropriations process ahead of a mid-March deadline to prevent a government shutdown.
https://thehill.com/business/budget/5146835-senate-republicans-border-defense-funding/
Senators Britt and Cruz Introduce Bill to Protect Military Installations from Foreign Adversaries
https://calhounjournal.com/senators-britt-and-cruz-introduce-bill-to-protect-military-installations-from-foreign-adversaries/
Republicans have always been wary of women voting or even engaging in politics, while Democrats are welcoming of women. Republican activists and candidates are often surprisingly open about their craving to strip women of their voting rights.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/politics/the-gop-s-taliban-has-a-new-message-for-women-opinion/ar-AA1z86Sb?apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1
Trump actions could change the presidency. Executive Orders Mean Real Damage to U.S. Economy, Communities, and Clean Energy Gains
https://www.nrdc.org/media/trumps-executive-orders-mean-real-damage-us-economy-communities-and-clean-energy-gains
Trump administration cuts reach FDA employees in food safety, medical devices and tobacco products
https://apnews.com/article/fda-job-cuts-trump-hhs-kennedy-cdc-nih-76dee97eee8209b2605fadac34427aab
The Vast Dangers of Trump’s War On Information. With dramatic cuts to departments and efforts to restrict access to certain research, the administration is reshaping a vast data-driven world in its autocratic image.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191563/trump-musk-war-information-data
Trump-Musk Scandal at USAID Takes Unnerving Turn With Vile Leaked Memo. Can Trump and his top advisers really just act with total impunity? Or is there, just maybe, a price to be paid for starving poor people and un-indicting a corrupt mayor?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-musk-scandal-usaid-takes-110000546.html
# Gov / Politics / Global
Top Russian officials set to hold talks with US in Saudi Arabia
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-us-saudi-talks-0c7f21c2125c97fd0a1f6459eebeb65b
‘Sometimes it does take a threat’: Canada’s Conservative leader puts Trump on notice. Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader, is facing an electorate worried about Trump’s vow to annex Canada.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/world/americas/trump-canada-pierre-poilievre.html
China anger as US amends wording on Taiwan independence. The United States has “gravely backpedaled” on its position on Taiwan and sent the wrong message to “separatist forces” on the island, ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.
https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-us-statement-independence-8374f7675d25a747f00364617b1bc970
Israel’s Netanyahu signals he’s moving ahead with Trump’s idea to transfer Palestinians from Gaza
https://www.newsitem.com/ap/international/israels-netanyahu-signals-hes-moving-ahead-with-trumps-idea-to-transfer-palestinians-from-gaza/article_c86af49a-a95a-547f-952e-d02dd66ed8e3.html
# Law Enforcement / ATF / FBI / CIA
Bondi orders federal inmate transferred for execution. Bondi this week directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer inmate George John Hanson, 60, so that he can be executed for his role in the kidnapping and killing of a 77-year-old woman in Tulsa in 1999.
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/oklahoma-donald-trump-pam-bondi-b2698840.html
Democratic lawmaker: Prosecutors are ‘refusing to do a drug deal for Donald Trump.’ “When you see prosecutors in New York refuse to do a drug deal for Donald Trump, that’s what honor looks like,” said Swalwell.
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-justice-department-2671157718/
# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC]
‘Sharp departure from established procedures’: Trump DOJ slapped down by US appeals court after trying to block lower judge’s order to let Biden ethics enforcer keep his job
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/sharp-departure-from-established-procedures-trump-doj-slapped-down-by-us-appeals-court-after-trying-to-block-lower-judges-order-to-let-biden-ethics-enforcer-keep-his-job/
Trump administration blasts ‘unprecedented assault’ on its power in first Supreme Court appeal. Appointed by former President Joe Biden, Dellinger’s five-year term was set to expire in 2029. He sued after receiving an email on Feb. 7 informing him that Trump had fired him from the watchdog role, “effective immediately.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-administration-turns-to-us-supreme-court-in-bid-to-fire-agency-head/7977407.html
# Media
‘Your Country is Under Assault!’ MSNBC Hosts Melt Down Over Elon Musk — Say They’re ‘Thoroughly Concerned About How We Survive’
https://www.mediaite.com/news/your-country-is-under-assault-msnbc-hosts-melt-down-over-elon-musk-say-theyre-thouroughly-concerned-about-how-we-survive/
# Medical / Health News
DOL Wins $15M Judgment Against Home Care Agency. The court granted summary judgment, ordering the company to pay $15 million in unpaid wages and damages.
https://usaherald.com/dol-wins-15m-judgment-against-home-care-agency/
NHS admin issues putting patients off seeking care, research finds
https://thecareruk.com/patients-put-off-seeking-care-due-to-dysfunctional-nhs-admin-warn-healthcare-experts/
NIH funding cuts could cost me my life, and that of millions of others
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5145665-nih-cancer-research-halted/
Trump administration cuts thousands of HHS jobs, including CDC disease investigators
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/02/cdc-to-lose-one-tenth-of-workforce-under-trump-administration-job-cuts/
RFK Jr. Got to Work Gutting CDC Staff on Day 1. Members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) were told on Friday that they were among nearly 1,300 layoffs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/rfk-jr-got-gutting-cdc-150013816.html
# Military / DOD / General News
US special forces landing in Mexico to train marine infantry. Mexican Sen. Alejandro Moreno Cardenas explains the mission of American military instructors landing in Mexico this week.
https://www.borderreport.com/video/us-special-forces-landing-in-mexico-to-train-marines/10450939/
# Science / Science Engineers
Elon Musk faces exile from 365-year-old Royal Society scientific institution over his political behavior. The announcement comes after more than 2,700 scientists signed an open letter, penned by biologist Stephen Curry, accusing Musk of breaching the society’s code of conduct.
https://fortune.com/europe/2025/02/17/elon-musk-faces-exile-from-365-year-old-royal-society-scientific-institution-over-his-political-behavior/
# Technology / Artificial Intelligence / Cybersecurity
FDA cuts hit AI division, even as Trump invests in the technology. The office has a strained relationship with Musk’s company Neuralink
https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/16/fda-layoffs-center-for-devices-radiological-health-cdrh-artificial-intelligence-doge/
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