Voices, The Peoples News
February 19, 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
# Indigenous
Leonard Peltier Is Released After Nearly 50 Years in Prison. The 80-year-old activist, who always maintained his innocence, will serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/leonard-peltier-native-american-activist-released-prison-biden-commute-rcna192253
# Border / Immigration / Migrants / Gangs / Drugs
Deportation fears create ripple effects across undocumented migrants, legal immigrants and entire communities
https://www.yahoo.com/news/deportation-fears-create-ripple-effects-134141468.html
Trump administration cuts off access to legal services for unaccompanied migrant children
https://immigrantjustice.org/press-releases/trump-administration-ends-legal-services-funding-unaccompanied-immigrant-children
Texas border reinforced with National Guard deputized under Title 8. 300 Texas Military Department soldiers were sworn in Friday. They can apprehend and detain individuals who cross illegally. Illegal crossings in South Texas have dropped dramatically
https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/border-coverage/texas-border-national-guard-title-8/
ICE agents are arresting migrants showing up for their immigration hearings and readying them for deportation. Multiple immigration attorneys have reported witnessing clients being arrest in or around courthouses
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/ice-arrest-immigration-hearings-court-b2700382.html
3 migrants beat the Trump administration in court. They got deported the next day
https://politicalwire.com/2025/02/19/3-migrants-who-beat-trump-in-court-were-deported/
President Donald Trump’s White House social media team is coming under fire for a dehumanizing social media post that shows immigrants in chains being deported along with audio of the shackles and aircraft.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/disgusting-trump-white-house-slammed-100929029.html
Video: https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1891922058415603980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1892011125530604001%7Ctwgr%5E20617b055e7dbbd042842a29afd612be063b3989%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fwhite-house-deportation-asmr_n_67b59e2ce4b04083cc996831
# DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]
The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracks—Maybe
https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-act-doge-lawsuits/
Yet another company investigating Elon Musk’s activity was just purged by DOGE. Elon’s team has just sacked more than a dozen FDA employees who were reviewing his Neuralink project. Trump has effectively granted Musk the power to dismantle any and all opposition to his schemes from regulatory bodies?
https://wegotthiscovered.com/politics/yet-another-company-investigating-elon-musks-activity-was-just-purged-by-doge/
Social Security Battle Heats up As DOGE Eyes Federal Cuts. GOP Rep. Eyes Medicare, Social Security For DOGE Cuts: ‘We Can Move The Retirement Age Back’
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/gop-rep-eyes-medicare-social-security-for-doge-cuts-we-can-move-the-retirement-age-back/amp/
I Just Figured Out What Elon Musk’s DOGE Really Is. A protection racket should have been obvious all along.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/02/elon-musk-doge-trump-mafia-dahlia-lithwick.html
Elon Musk’s DOGE group just published classified info about a US spy agency to a public website. An easy search shows that DOGE’s database provides details on the National Reconnaissance Office, the federal agency that designs, builds and maintains U.S. intelligence satellites.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/elon-musk-doge-posts-classified-data_n_67ae646de4b0513a8d767112
# Economy / Finance / Trade / Banks / Taxes
Social Security Head Resigns as DOGE Seeks Sensitive Data: SSA has data on everyone who has a Social Security number, everyone who has Medicare, and low-income Americans who have applied for Social Security’s means-tested companion program, Supplemental Security Income,” Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works said in a statement. “It has our bank information, our earnings records, the names and ages of our children, and much more.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/social-security-chief-quits-elon-musk-doge-meddling-1235270811/
UH-OH: Trump Just Publicly Abandoned 1 Of His Biggest ‘Day One’ Promises. “I will immediately bring prices down starting on Day 1,” he said on Aug. 15, according to video resurfaced by progressive media outlet MeidasTouch, which also found him saying two days later: “Starting the day I take the oath of office, I will rapidly drive prices down.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/uh-oh-trump-just-publicly-091834188.html
Trump says tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors likely to start at 25%
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/18/trump-auto-tariffs-25-percent-april/79101169007/
Trump abdicated power to Musk. And now a 25-year-old may get access to your tax return.
https://fortune.com/2025/02/17/elon-musk-doge-access-tax-information-irs-every-american-trump/
Social Security Checks Face Multiple Hidden Deductions. The answer isn’t as straightforward as one might hope.
https://www.irmaacertifiedplanner.com/is-it-mandatory-to-have-medicare-deducted-from-social-security/
# Education / Schools
Trump administration asked to end racial segregation, CRT trainings in Illinois school
https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_1efe0010-ee0c-11ef-bdaa-8796c1f6aec3.html
# Employment / Labor / Unions
President Donald Trump’s administration targeted on Tuesday bank regulators, rocket scientists and tax enforcers for dismissal, as a federal judge gave the green light for its unprecedented remaking of the U.S. civil service, at least for now.
https://www.fidelity.com/news/article/top-news/202502182030RTRSNEWSCOMBINED_KCN3F31DA-OUSBS_1
Trump’s mass firing of probationary employees illegal, not performance-based, lawyers say
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/18/trump-mass-firings-federal-workers-illegal/79070972007/
# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil
Greenland’s rapidly melting ice and landslide-prone fjords make the oil and minerals Trump covets dangerous to extract
https://theconversation.com/greenlands-rapidly-melting-ice-and-landslide-prone-fjords-make-the-oil-and-minerals-trump-covets-dangerous-to-extract-249985
Texas pipeline project will expand natural gas supply despite climate concerns
https://www.dailyclimate.org/texas-pipeline-project-will-expand-natural-gas-supply-despite-climate-concerns-2671180350.html
Feds Approve Another Deepwater Oil Export Terminal Off Texas. An export infrastructure buildout will enable further growth in American oil production as momentum fades on a phase-out of fossil fuels, even as global temperatures continue to break records.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19022025/texas-deepwater-oil-export-terminal/
# General News
Elon Musk’s Business Empire Scores Benefits Under Trump Shake-Up
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/us/politics/elon-musk-companies-conflicts.html
Trump’s view of the world is becoming clear: America’s allies come second to its own interests. The US is sending a message to its allies: he’s putting American interests first – not theirs. And this means dealing with Russia. So, how will Europe respond?
https://theconversation.com/trumps-view-of-the-world-is-becoming-clear-americas-allies-come-second-to-its-own-interests-250144
Firing civil servants and dismantling government departments is how aspiring strongmen consolidate personal power – lessons from around the globe
https://theconversation.com/firing-civil-servants-and-dismantling-government-departments-is-how-aspiring-strongmen-consolidate-personal-power-lessons-from-around-the-globe-249089
# Gov / Politics
Trump Is Gutting Efforts to Combat Foreign Election Interference. The administration is undercutting the agency charged with preventing foreign actors from meddling in US elections.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/trump-cisa-foreign-election-interference/
The Trump Administration Is Going After Our Elections Too. Government employees have long protected the ballot from attacks. The president is preparing to fire many of them.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/02/trump-doge-layoffs-project-2025-election-security-cisa-firing.html?pay=1739981863389&support_journalism=please
Trump’s Incompetence Is Botching His Own Deregulation Spree. Turns out that when you paralyze government agencies, it only makes it harder to undo Biden-era regulations.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191673/trump-civil-service-incompetence-deregulation
Trump Expands Power With New Executive Order Attacking Constitution. Donald Trump’s latest executive order is his most blatant power grab—asserting authority over independent agencies.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191697/trump-expands-power-executive-order-agencies
Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies. The action is likely to face court challenges and test a once-fringe legal theory.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/trump-order-power-independent-agencies-00204798
Russia and US agree to work toward ending Ukraine war in a remarkable diplomatic shift
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-riyadh-talks-trump-putin-rubio-0c3beebfef5839e9d509ff58239a6bc5
Former USAID official warns China is already looking to fill void left by paused programs
https://www.voanews.com/a/china-may-fill-aid-void-left-by-usaid-shutdown-but-its-own-challenges-could-limit-it/7965690.html
Trump Grilled on Elon Musk’s ‘Billions of Dollars in Contracts’ With Agencies He’s Regulating. President Donald Trump said he was unaware of any “conflicts of interest” between Elon Musk’s business interests and the government agencies he’s regulating during a Tuesday press conference.
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/im-just-hearing-about-it-trump-grilled-on-elon-musks-billions-of-dollars-in-contracts-with-agencies-hes-regulating/
# Gov / Politics / Global
The Transatlantic Alliance in the Age of Trump: The Coming Collisions
https://www.csis.org/analysis/transatlantic-alliance-age-trump-coming-collisions
# Law Enforcement / ATF / FBI / CIA
Trump administration terminates Arizona US District Attorney
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2025/02/18/gary-restaino-us-attorney-arizona-terminated-trump/79069090007/
Trump’s firing spree rises to SCOTUS as watchdog gov’t attorney challenges termination
https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/021925_scotus_firing/trumps-firing-spree-rises-scotus-as-watchdog-govt-attorney-challenges-termination/
# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC]
Trump terminates ‘all remaining Biden Era US Attorneys’ in chilling vow to ‘clean house immediately’
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5152413-trump-firing-biden-era-us-attorneys/
# Media
Louis DeJoy announces plans to step down as Postmaster General!
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dejoy-announces-plan-to-step-down-as-postal-service-chief
Postmaster General’s Resignation Opens Door for Trump’s Privatization Plan: A January report revealed that parts of the organization are preparing to go private as they expect Trump to continue his brutal purge of the US civil service.
https://www.tag24.com/politics/us-politics/us-postal-service-privatization-could-be-on-the-table-after-postmasters-resignation-3361358
# Medicare / Medicaid
Republicans Consider Cuts and Work Requirements for Medicaid, Jeopardizing Care for Millions
https://apnews.com/article/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-congress-republicans-90ec1119f1d95de067c76f79eec7fa87
# Medical / Health News
Missouri bill would create registry of pregnant women
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5151439-missouri-bill-registry-pregnant-women-abortion/
RFK ‘s plan to make America healthy again? Round up people with mental health conditions in camps
https://www.salon.com/2025/02/19/rfk-s-plan-to-make-america-healthy-again-round-up-people-with-mental-health-conditions-in-camps/
RFK Jr. Names First Targets in Chilling Speech as Health Secretary. ‘Nothing … off limits’ in his pursuit to reduce chronic disease: His first remarks to the department since being confirmed comes as Washington reels from mass firings and funding cuts.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/kennedy-lays-out-hhs-plan-00204675
Pain Clinics Exploited Opioid Dependency to Earn Millions From Ineffective Shots. Chronic pain patients received medically unnecessary injections from Pain MD as part of a decade-long fraud scheme.
https://truthout.org/articles/pain-clinics-exploited-opioid-dependency-to-earn-millions-from-ineffective-shots/
Trump, RFK Jr. go after SSRIs in executive order. Immediately following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as health secretary, President Donald Trump instructed his administration to assess the “threat” posed to children by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants and weight-loss drugs.
https://www.aol.com/trump-rfk-jr-ssri-comments-170330755.html
# Military / DOD / General News
US military and defense contractors hit with Infostealer malware. Lockheed Martin and Boeing among those affected. The malware can exfiltrate victim’s data. Researchers discovered thousands of infected devices
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/us-military-and-defense-contractors-hit-with-infostealer-malware
Leaders of the House Armed Services Committee ask military services to list potential funding cuts
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-02-18/house-armed-services-military-cuts-trump-musk-16873528.html
Army used majority of soldiers’ food funds on other expenses, report says
https://www.military.com/daily-news/investigations-and-features/2025/02/14/over-151-million-taken-soldiers-paychecks-food-costs-spent-elsewhere-army.html
Data Breach Prompts Coast Guard to Take Personnel and Pay System Offline
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/02/17/data-breach-prompts-coast-guard-take-personnel-and-pay-system-offline.html
US Coast Guard paychecks delayed by cyberattack. Over 1,000 personnel have been affected
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/us-coast-guard-paychecks-delayed-by-cyberattack
# NASA
Musk Ignores Astronauts’ Protests to Take Shot at Biden: ‘Left Up There for Political Reasons’: Musk’s SpaceX in September launched a Crew Dragon capsule to rescue the pair, and it docked at the space station, but NASA opted to stall its return.
https://nypost.com/2025/02/18/us-news/elon-musk-says-stranded-astronauts-were-left-up-there-for-political-reasons-by-biden/
Trump Enacts Brutal Cuts at NASA. NASA? More like NADA.
https://futurism.com/trump-brutal-cuts-nasa
# Security / Surveillance
Donald Trump Making ‘Sweeping Cuts’ to Homeland Security: The Trump administration plans to dismiss hundreds of senior Department of Homeland Security officials this week to reshape the nation’s third-largest agency by removing individuals perceived as not aligning with its objectives.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-sweeping-cuts-homeland-security-what-know-2032647
# Technology / Artificial Intelligence / Cybersecurity
RedMike (Salt Typhoon) Exploits Vulnerable Cisco Devices of Global Telecommunications Providers
https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/redmike-salt-typhoon-exploits-vulnerable-devices
Trump continues federal purge, gutting cyber workers who combat disinformation. Roughly half a dozen employees at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who previously worked to counter election-related disinformation have been put on administrative leave.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/07/trump-guts-cyber-workers-00203087
Trump’s workforce blitz comes for CISA: Trump administration is poised to announce another round of large scale layoffs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and those familiar with the move fear it will unintentionally gut the agency’s top technical talent.
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-cybersecurity/2025/02/18/trumps-workforce-blitz-comes-for-cisa-00204634
# Transportation / Travel
Trump begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal DC plane crash. The impacted workers include personnel hired for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, one air traffic controller told The Associated Press. The air traffic controller was not authorized to talk to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity.
https://federalnewsnetwork.com/workforce/2025/02/trump-begins-firings-of-faa-air-traffic-control-staff-just-weeks-after-fatal-dc-plane-crash/
‘Unprecedented in Our 53-Year History’: Southwest Airlines Announces Its First Mass Layoffs Ever. The airline is eliminating 15% of its corporate workforce, including many in senior leadership positions.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/southwest-airlines-is-laying-off-15-of-its-workforce/487248
# Veterans / VA
Military Health System Beneficiaries Urged to Download Old Medical Records by April 1. The Department of Defense plans to decommission the online portal patients use to access old military health information and recommends patients download their digital medical records if they want to retain copies.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/02/18/military-health-system-beneficiaries-urged-download-old-medical-records-april-1.html
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