Voices, The Peoples News
February 21, 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
Explorers Discover First Pharaoh Tomb in Over 100 Years
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ym30v356po
# Border / Immigration / Migrants / Gangs / Drugs
US and Mexico agree to military collaboration on patrols, communication for border security
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/americas/2025-02-20/northcom-mexico-border-security-16898212.html
# DEI [Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion]
Schools in at least 46 states embrace DEI, face losing federal funding
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_15677292-efca-11ef-9c89-e73a25f783e8.html
# DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]
Bernie Sanders Warns Elon Musk Is ‘Clearly Running the Show’ and Working Toward Privatizing ‘Every Important Government Agency’: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday was forced to clarify that Musk “has been tasked with overseeing DOGE on behalf of the president,” after an earlier administration court filing said the billionaire isn’t an employee of the operation.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/bernie-sanders-says-elon-musk-152944105.html
DOGE directs IRS to lay off 6,700 probationary workers
https://thehill.com/business/5155588-irs-fires-6500-employees-tax-compliance/#:~:text=The%20IRS%20fired%206%2C700%20employees,to%20becoming%20full%20staff%20members
DOGE Puts $1 Spending Limit on Government Employee Credit Cards. The restrictions are already in place at the General Services Administration along with several other agencies. Soon they’ll roll out to most of the federal government, sources say.
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-government-credit-cards/
Trump Says Elon Musk Actually Runs DOGE, Kicking Off Legal Chaos. Who the heck is running DOGE?
https://newrepublic.com/post/191739/donald-trump-elon-musk-runs-doge-legal-chaos
# Economy / Finance / Trade / Banks / Taxes
Trump’s New Cabinet Pick Confirms Plan to Gut Social Security—and More. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has revealed Donald Trump’s true plans.
https://accountable.us/watchdog-trump-omb-pick-confirms-hes-once-again-coming-for-social-security-medicare/
Economist Warns That Elon Is About to Cause a “Deep, Deep Recession”
https://futurism.com/economist-elon-musk-recession
Trump backs Musk proposal to return billions of dollars in DOGE savings to taxpayers because ‘the numbers are incredible’
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/2/20/trump-says-he-could-give-to-20-of-doge-savings-back-to-americans
Trump’s Tariff War Explained. Trump is starting an economic war to settle political debts. Economist Brad Setser explains why this could be a very bad idea.
https://www.levernews.com/trumps-tariff-war-explained/
Trump’s Tariff Wars Leave US Small Business With Nowhere to Hide
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/international-trade/trumps-tariff-wars-leave-us-small-business-with-nowhere-to-hide
Trump Tariffs: Tracking the Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War
https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/trump-tariffs-trade-war/
# Employment / Labor / Unions
Federal workers in Boulder face uncertainty as mass layoffs ripple through government agencies. With over a dozen federal labs and at least 1,700 federal employees, Boulder workers face job losses and an uncertain future, while the broader local economy braces for the impact of abrupt Trump administration cuts.
https://boulderreportinglab.org/2025/02/18/federal-workers-in-boulder-face-uncertainty-as-mass-layoffs-ripple-through-government-agencies/
HHS is losing thousands of workers under Trump administration probationary job cuts
https://apnews.com/article/trump-job-cuts-health-cdc-0d002fd6f528a7b91ced79628bf68196
‘I feel like cruelty is the point’: For many newly fired federal workers, the way they were let go made things much worse
https://www.aol.com/feel-cruelty-point-many-newly-174439441.html
# Energy / Pipelines / Mining / Oil
Decision to fast-track fossil fuel projects sparks anger. Activists warn new designation for projects such as pipelines threatens US wetlands and waters
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/19/trump-fossil-fuel-climate
Trump faces lawsuit over offshore drilling expansion
https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/exploration-development/activist-groups-sue-to-block-trumps-offshore-drilling-expansion
# Environment / Climate / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM
People brace for impacts on land, water and wildlife after feds fire thousands over holiday weekend. Career employees were unsettled by the termination email sent by HR, which cited ‘performance issues.’
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18022025/feds-fire-thousands-over-holiday-weekend/
# Food General News
A military vet and a scientist were securing America’s food system. Trump fired them
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5301150/trump-federal-employees-fired-veteran-food-agriculture
USDA Layoffs Derail Projects Benefiting American Farmers. The blanket firing of Department of Agriculture scientists has thrown a host of climate science and crop projects into chaos.
https://www.northernag.net/thousands-of-usda-employees-fired-as-part-of-federal-workforce-reduction/
A Furious Trump Is Learning That Food Prices Are Out of His Control. Why Trump and the Republicans are struggling to lower prices
https://www.yahoo.com/news/furious-trump-learning-food-prices-110000305.html
# Gov / Politics
‘No sane country would stand for this’: Lawmakers launch effort to withdraw US from UN. Republican lawmakers have launched an effort to withdraw the U.S. from the United Nations, amid concern that the international humanitarian and human rights organization fails to promote American interests and align with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda.
https://www.aol.com/news/no-sane-country-stand-lawmakers-205419557.html
Trump’s executive order on independent agencies: What does it mean? last night Mr. Trump attempted to seize control of more or less the entire federal government. He signed an executive order purporting to bring all independent agencies–including the FCC, FTC, SEC, and perhaps most chillingly the Federal Election Commission–under his individual control.
https://natlawreview.com/article/deep-dive-what-does-mr-trumps-executive-order-seizing-control-federal-agencies
Trump’s Next Planned Cuts Guarantee Disaster—Literally. Donald Trump is expected to make cuts at a key HUD team that works on helping America recover from disasters.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191767/trump-cuts-disaster-red-states-recovery-hud
Unveiling Secrets: Congressman Burchett on Declassifying Federal Files
https://art19.com/shows/john-solomon-reports/episodes/d455c8a7-935a-4fe3-97eb-4d1458ad57c2
Murphy says he believes ‘the entire American political system is corrupted by money’
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5156353-chris-murphy-political-corruption/
Senate adopts budget resolution after marathon overnight vote-a-rama
https://rollcall.com/2025/02/20/senators-get-ready-for-overnight-budget-vote-a-rama/
DOGE Sparks Surveillance Fear Across the US Government. The US government has increased the use of monitoring tools over the past decade. But President Donald Trump’s employee purges are making workers worry about how their data could be abused.
https://www.allsides.com/news/2025-02-21-0727/defense-and-security-doge-sparks-surveillance-fear-across-us-government
Dark Shadows of Fascism Over Germany and the U.S: “Nothing is more dishonorable for a civilized people than to let itself be ‘governed’ without resistance by an irresponsible clique of rulers devoted to dark instincts.”
https://www.thedailyreview.com/opinion/columns_editorials/dark-shadows-of-fascism-over-germany-and-the-u-s/article_b58ad090-efeb-11ef-ad34-33b600de8dc5.html
GOP Lawmakers ‘Scared S***less’ of Trump’s MAGA Supporters. Some Republicans have privately expressed concerns for their safety if they don’t toe the president’s line.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/trump-congress-political-violence?srsltid=AfmBOora7TRqIUI-mo3Rixb4DHhdaw0S1B-jyvo4ZBZIovifNWUwMFxC
Dem Calls ‘King Trump’ a ‘Royal Pain in the A**’: Senator Sheldon Whitehouse was unamused by the president’s declaration that he is king.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5155073-sheldon-whitehouse-trump-king-royal-pain/
Trump and Musk Keep Spouting Bogus Numbers to Hide Their Real Agenda. Their phony “statistics” aren’t just an attempt to justify DOGE’s destruction of the government. Trump and Musk’s goal is even more duplicitous and shady.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-musk-keep-spouting-bogus-110000898.html
Green Berets and Reaper Drones: Trump’s Shadow War in Mexico. The U.S. military’s growing footprint south of the border is making the outbreak of violence—and the deployment of more American troops—far more likely.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191774/green-berets-reaper-drones-trumps-shadow-war-mexico
‘Discovery will be needed’: Trump must fork over his personal financials if he follows through with Kamala Harris ’60 Minutes’ lawsuit, CBS says
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/discovery-will-be-needed-trump-must-fork-over-his-personal-financials-if-he-follows-through-with-kamala-harris-60-minutes-lawsuit-cbs-says/
# Gov / Politics / Global
Fearing Trump will cross border militarily to pursue cartels, Mexico moves to reform constitution
https://www.newsweek.com/mexico-plans-constitutional-reforms-after-us-labels-cartels-terrorists-2033813
“Frenzy of Warmongering”: Critics of Munich Security Summit Warn of Musk, Rising Fascism in Europe
https://www.radiofree.org/2025/02/14/frenzy-of-warmongering-critics-of-munich-security-summit-warn-of-musk-rising-fascism-in-europe-2/
What does the shift in geo-political power mean for Ukraine? | Inside Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fvRLneN-pE
# Media
Elon Musk’s X Gets VIP Seat at White House Press Briefing
https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musks-x-takes-new-media-seat-in-white-house-press-briefing/
# Medicare / Medicaid
Trump Opens Door to Medicare Cuts After Backing GOP Plan to Gut Medicaid. The president’s contradictory statements in recent days “cannot mask his betrayal to millions of people across the country who believed he would lower their costs,” said one critic.
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-on-medicaid
# Medical / Health News
Trump administration fires hundreds of young scientists and health experts
https://www.ehn.org/trump-administration-fires-hundreds-of-young-scientists-and-health-experts-2671188718.html
Is it time to rethink how we measure success in immunotherapy?
https://www.statnews.com/sponsor/2024/12/13/is-it-time-to-rethink-how-we-measure-success-in-immunotherapy/
HHS orders CDC to halt some vaccine ads, saying RFK Jr. wants message focused on ‘informed consent’
https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/20/cdc-vaccine-promotions-rfk-jr-informed-consent/
Meeting of key CDC vaccine advisory panel, under scrutiny by RFK Jr., is postponed
https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/20/acip-cdc-vaccine-meeting-postponed/
Dr. Oz plans to sell insurance, hospital, and pharma stocks, step down from supplement company if confirmed
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5304170/dr-oz-bhattacharya-cms-nih-ethics-disclosures
# Military / DOD / General News
Ransom emails threaten explosions at US military installations across Okinawa. Japanese police are investigating email threats that targeted 32 U.S. military installations on the island, warning of planned explosions unless a ransom is paid.
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2025-02-20/email-threats-military-bases-okinawa-16892491.html
Pete Hegseth orders Pentagon to cut $50B. In the past, Republicans have objected to cutting military spending.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/pentagon-ordered-budget-cuts/
B-1 bombers fly over South Korea in show of force against North’s threats
https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/security/2025/february/b-1-bombers-fly-over-south-korea-in-show-of-force-against-norths-threats
# NASA / Space
Something Massive Is Shifting Deep Inside the Moon. What was that? The researchers describe their findings as the “first measurement of the Moon’s yearly gravity changes due to tides.”
https://futurism.com/the-byte/shifting-deep-inside-moon
It Kinda Sounds Like NASA Is Gutting Its Plans for a Moon Landing
https://futurism.com/nasa-gutting-plans-moon-landing-artemis
# Nuclear
Bad idea for the Trump administration to conduct a “rapid” nuclear test. “The United States has much to lose and little to gain from shattering the international consensus against explosive nuclear testing,” write a group of scientists and analysts from the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Restraint should prevail in the Oval Office.”
https://thebulletin.org/2025/02/why-it-would-be-a-bad-idea-for-the-trump-administration-to-conduct-a-rapid-nuclear-test/
# Security / Surveillance
Charles Spitzer-Stadtlander, who was working on a secret defense project, was fired recently. He said he is scared to death now and Americans should also be concerned about national security. He said the cuts to the federal workforce were ‘detrimental to national security’ after hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/us-news-doge-faa-firing-scared-to-death-fired-faa-employee-working-on-secret-defense-project-has-a-warning-for-americans-charles-spitzer-stadtlander/articleshow/118424240.cms?from=mdr
# Technology / Artificial Intelligence / Cybersecurity
Trump Team Plans Mass Firings at Key Agency for AI and Chips
https://news.bgov.com/bloomberg-government-news/commerce-agency-to-order-mass-firing-of-chips-ai-staffers
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Braces for Mass Firings. Approximately 500 NIST staffers, including at least three lab directors, are expected to lose their jobs at the standards agency as part of the ongoing DOGE purge
https://aitopics.org/doc/news:458473D9
# Veterans / VA
VA Sec. Doug Collins defends veteran’s care, benefits amid layoffs. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said Democrats are trying to “scare” voters by claiming the agency is “cutting veterans benefits.
https://news.va.gov/138540/va-secretary-addresses-benefits-rumors-video/
‘On the backs of veterans’: Senators rail against federal workforce purge as vets hit hard by cuts
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-02-19/veterans-federal-firings-trump-musk-16888063.html
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