Voices, The Peoples News
February 13, 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
# Border / Immigration / Migrants / Gangs / Drugs
Trump’s Dark New Guantánamo Plan Is Confusing His Entire Staff. Staff members across government agencies are struggling to plan Trump’s detention camp for immigrants.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191490/trump-guantanamo-plan-immigrants-confusing-staff
Fact Check: DOJ memo targets undocumented immigrants with death penalty, but only for capital crimes. A memo from Pam Bondi asked prosecutors to pursue the death penalty for groups including immigrants illegally residing in the U.S. for certain crimes.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/pam-bondi-memo-death-penalty/
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced the Department of Justice has filed civil charges against the state of New York, citing the state’s failure to comply with federal law in enforcing immigration laws.
https://www.hpenews.com/news/national/bondi-files-charges-against-new-york-governor-attorney-general-citing-immigration/article_293134c2-14da-5d3d-adf0-b8f6d1c9638a.html
ICE Wants to Know If You’re Posting Negative Things About It Online. ICE wants to hire contractors to monitor social media for threats. Those who criticize the agency could be pulled into the dragnet.
https://theintercept.com/2025/02/11/ice-immigration-social-media-surveillance/
# DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency]
DOGE—tasked with trimming federal spending—has more than doubled its budget already, disclosures show
https://fortune.com/2025/02/12/elon-musk-doge-doubles-budget-government-spending-cuts/
Elon Musk, DOGE could access your personal info. Will this impact tax refunds and Social Security? A large volume of information on the private lives of millions of Americans will be available to Musk and his associates unless the courts thwart the billionaire businessman from gaining access to the Treasury Department’s payment and data systems.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/13/elon-musk-doge-confidential-data-access-conflicts/78394553007/
Judge won’t halt Trump, Musk federal worker buyout program. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole had extended the time frame for federal employees to decide whether to take the unusual offer, which gives employees eight months of pay and benefits if they wish to depart government.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5141890-federal-judge-blocks-fork-in-the-road-program/
Elon Musk calls for US government to ‘delete entire agencies.’ ‘If you don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/13/elon-musk-doge-delete-agencies
Besides Elon Musk, who else is running DOGE? DOGE has several young engineers with minimal work experience. Musk’s deputy is known for his shrewd cost cutting plans. Several tech titans are reportedly helping DOGE
https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/elon-musk-who-else-is-running-doge/
Elon Musk’s DOGE has access to these federal agencies. Despite its name, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency group is not a formal part of the federal government — it’s an outside commission set up to advise President Trump on areas where money can be saved.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/agencies-elon-musk-doge-access-031438773.html
Elon Musk Threatens to Double Down and ‘Delete Entire Agencies’
https://www.wavy.com/news/politics/ap-elon-musk-calls-for-us-government-to-delete-entire-agencies/
‘Who the Hell Voted for… Big Balls?!’ CNN Panel Melts Down Over Musk Hires. Former Clinton adviser rages at Musk’s teenage DOGE hire. Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist, criticized the teenage adviser working for Elon Musk known by a controversial nickname
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/elon-musk-doge-edward-coristine-b2697352.html
# Economy / Finance / Trade / Banks
Treasury was ‘fully aware of the risks’ posed by DOGE access to payment systems, court filing says
https://therecord.media/treasury-fully-aware-of-risks-posed-by-doge-access-to-database
“DOGE” Access to Treasury Payment Systems Raises Serious Risks
https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/doge-access-to-treasury-payment-systems-raises-serious-risks
House Republicans unveil blueprint to extend $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and lift the debt ceiling
https://apnews.com/article/house-republicans-budget-blueprint-trump-tax-cuts-ff2bddf31f4e7cb0928139072392a091
‘People are just flipping out’: Billions in federal funding remain frozen despite court orders to keep the taps open
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4297238/posts
Elon Musk Drops Bombshell on Social Security: ‘Magnitude of Fraud is Staggering’
https://247wallst.com/personal-finance/2025/02/12/elon-musk-drops-bombshell-on-social-security-magnitude-of-fraud-is-staggering/
Survey finds majority of Americans in favor of 2 groups getting a social security increase
https://www.newsweek.com/americans-want-increase-social-security-benefits-two-groups-2029134
Trump drew the line at Social Security cuts in proposed budget, Medicaid on the chopping block
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-drew-line-social-security-180804190.html
House Republicans have released their budget plan, and in order to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy, they are planning to slash funding for Medicaid and food stamps.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/republicans-reveal-budget-plan-to-take-wrecking-ball-to-medicaid/ar-AA1yVzl2
# Education / Schools
Dept. of Education cancels scholarships for special education students
https://www.kare11.com/video/news/local/breaking-the-news/dept-of-education-cancels-scholarships-for-special-education-students/89-af7e91af-3b95-4f86-8b9f-215be7797129
# Employment / Labor / Unions
Federal Workers’ Unions Are Waging the Fight of Their Lives
https://www.yahoo.com/news/federal-workers-unions-waging-fight-110000858.html
NTEU files lawsuit to protect merit-based civil service. Under the order, agency leadership would be instructed to identify which jobs to place into a new category, in the process, make them easier to be fired arbitrarily.
https://www.nteu.org/schedulef
If Democrats Don’t Champion the Civil Service, Who Will? With the federal workforce facing an onslaught by Trump and Elon Musk, its employees—and the populace it so dutifully protects—desperately need defenders.
https://newrepublic.com/article/191422/democrats-defend-federal-workers-doge
# Environment / Climate / Infrastructure / EPA / BLM
Earthquake island: How 10,000 tremors in two weeks left Santorini deserted by the majority of its residents
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/santorini-island-earthquakes-greece-deserted-b2696328.html
Emergency declared on a second Greek island as a string of earthquakes persists
https://apnews.com/article/greece-earthquake-santorini-amorgos-emergency-2e1873887b706af3b1756f0c4fdf4feb
Emergency declared on a second Greek island as a string of earthquakes persists. The emergency measure announced on the island of Amorgos follows a similar decision for nearby Santorini on Feb. 7 after thousands of unusual tremors were registered in an undersea area near the two islands, as well as the islands of Ios and Anafi
https://www.djournal.com/news/nation-world/emergency-declared-on-a-second-greek-island-as-a-string-of-earthquakes-persists/article_401765bd-90d3-5ab1-9156-3dc6515a30c8.html
The Point of No Return: Inside the Catastrophic Melting of Greenland’s Ice Sheet. The Greenland Ice Sheet is collapsing at a pace that cannot be ignored. A newly published study in The Cryosphere confirms that this process is no longer a distant concern but an unfolding event driven by conditions that have now been quantified
https://www.abovethenormnews.com/2025/02/12/the-point-of-no-return-inside-the-catastrophic-melting-of-greenlands-ice-sheet/
Yellowstone’s Northeast Magma Reservoir: A Growing Concern. Recent research published in Nature has revealed new details about Yellowstone’s magma reservoirs, raising important questions about its future activity. The findings indicate that the volcanic system is not static and that significant changes are occurring deep below the surface.
https://www.abovethenormnews.com/2025/01/02/yellowstones-northeast-magma-reservoir-a-growing-concern/
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is once again spewing lava into the air. Visitors have flocked to watch the molten spectacle since Kilauea increased volcanic activity starting in December
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/12/hawaii-kilauea-volcano-lava-eruption
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts for 9th time with 330-foot lava fountains. One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kilauea has seen eruptions off-and-on for nearly two months since Dec. 23.
https://www.kcra.com/article/hawaii-volcano-eruption-kilauea/63775070#:~:text=Island%20of%20Hawaii.-,Kilauea%2C%20one%20of%20the%20world’s%20most%20active%20volcanoes%2C%20has%20been,have%20been%20threatened%20by%20lava
# Food General News
Coca-Cola’s CEO said the company might use more plastic packaging in the U.S. if tariffs imposed by the Trump administration make aluminum cans too expensive.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/12/coca-cola-says-trump-tariffs-could-force-it-to-increase-use-of-plastic-in-us
# Gov / Politics
The U.S. just hit its lowest score ever on an international corruption measure
https://fortune.com/2025/02/12/united-states-corruption-bribery-federal-government-transparency-international-ranking/
Presidents May Not Unilaterally Dismantle Government Agencies. The decision is up to Congress. Unilateral moves to dismantle USAID, to mothball the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , or, if Trump’s advisers have their way, to disassemble the Education Department are beyond the president’s constitutional authority.
https://www.newsbreakapp.com/n/0yssfAqW?s=a3&share_destination_id=MjUxNTI2Njg4LTE3Mzk0NTE0NDk5NTk=&pd=0H1Na41Y&hl=en_US
‘This is just staggering’: CNN national security analyst alarmed by Trump’s Russia plans
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-putin-2671144141/
Republicans release plans to advance Trump’s agenda. It includes $4.5 trillion to extend tax cuts. Senate is moving ahead with its own narrower plan focusing on border security
https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/house-republicans-release-blueprint-for-tax-relief-spending-cuts-after-tense-talks-34ed4e82
Federal officials held a news conference after a jury convicted longtime former Illinois House Speaker of 10 corruption-related charges.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_1bcafcd2-e98d-11ef-9c11-cba2f90a5dd9.html
Trump is waging war against his own government. One federal employee who spoke with NBC News said the government workforce feels like it’s being attacked regularly with “psychological warfare.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-waging-war-government-rcna190316
Hegseth’s Ukraine bombshell and Trump’s Putin call leave NATO reeling
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/13/nato-ukraine-hegseth-trump-putin
Trump vs. the Courts: Will He Drive Us Over the Constitutional Cliff? It’s about to be a constitutional crisis, if it’s not already. And we’re only three weeks in. Buckle up.
https://www.semafor.com/article/02/12/2025/a-clash-between-trump-and-the-courts-may-be-around-the-corner
Trump’s illegitimate power grab brings US closer to dictatorship. Experts warn president’s blatant violations of law could upend US government’s system of checks and balances
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/13/trump-vance-constitutional-crisis
Legal showdown looms as Trump tests limits of presidential power. The whirlwind of unilateral action on his campaign promises has pushed the limits of presidential power – and prompted legal challenges from Democrats, unions and legal groups.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70kd686k2do
Trump Is Bullying Jordan and Egypt to Help in Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza. It Isn’t Working. Even with Jordan and Egypt refusing to take in expelled Palestinians, Trump is charging on with his real estate development plan.
https://theintercept.com/2025/02/11/trump-jordan-egypt-gaza-palestinians/
Trump’s Gaza Comments Aren’t Receiving a Warm Welcome in the Middle East. Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are on the forefront of the opposition.
https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2025/02/trump-gaza-plan-displacement-egypt-jordan-saudi-response?lang=en
# Gov / Politics / Global
Egypt reportedly releases details on plan to rebuild Gaza; there’s no mention of ‘cooperation’ with the US
https://thetruestory.news/en/world/story/eafa834e-e999-11ef-b5ca-a8a1590471b5
# Law Enforcement / ATF / FBI / CIA
Private Prison CEO on Trump Deportation Surge: “One of the Most Exciting Periods in My Career”: CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger could barely contain his excitement about the Laken Riley Act and Trump’s anti-immigration executive orders.
https://theintercept.com/2025/02/11/corecivic-private-prison-trump-immigrant-detention/
# Legal / DOJ / ICJ / International Criminal Court [ICC]
‘Videos are immutable and represent the truth’: Jan. 6 footage disappears from public database, prompting lawsuit and order from judge to stop
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/videos-are-immutable-and-represent-the-truth-jan-6-footage-disappears-from-public-database-prompting-lawsuit-and-order-from-judge-to-stop/
“It isn’t an accident that we’re here now”: How the Supreme Court encouraged Trump to defy the law
https://www.yahoo.com/news/isn-t-accident-were-now-153006770.html
# Medical / Health News
Young researchers mobilize to protest Trump administration’s science policies. D.C. demonstration and a later ‘Stand Up for Science’ event take shape
https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/13/resistance-organizing-to-trump-executive-orders-on-science/
12-Year Old Relative Of Vice President JD Vance Denied Heart Transplant Because She Hasn’t Received The COVID Vaccine
https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/us-news-vice-president-vance-s-12-year-old-relative-denied-heart-transplant-for-not-being-covid-vaccinated-covid-flu-11739407796187.html
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed by Senate as U.S. health secretary
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/robert-kennedy-jr-confirmed-senate-trumps-health-secretary/story?id=118778553
# Military / DOD / General News
Factbox-Elon Musk’s US Department of Defense contracts: The contracts include:
https://www.aol.com/news/factbox-elon-musks-us-department-233959244.html
Military Effort to Scrub Diversity Programs Leads to Dead Websites and Confusion
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/01/24/military-effort-scrub-diversity-programs-leads-dead-websites-and-confusion.html
Airman Promotion Test to Tech Sergeant Delayed as Air Force Combs Documents for Subjects Banned by Trump
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-purge-references-women-minorities-200605319.html
Pentagon Purge of References to Women, Minorities in Docs Delays Air Force Enlisted Promotions
https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-purge-references-women-minorities-200605319.html
# Military / General News / Global
Germany says its warships were sabotaged as concerns mount that Russia is waging a hybrid war. The Emden, a corvette-class warship designed for operations in the Baltic Sea, had its maiden voyage called off after employees at the shipyard discovered “dozens of kilos of metal shavings” in the ship’s gearbox.
https://www.newsweek.com/report-german-nato-warship-sabotage-attempt-2029876
# NATO
NATO allies insist Ukraine and Europe must be part of peace talks
https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/02/13/nato-allies-insist-ukraine-and-europe-must-be-part-of-peace-talks/
# Science / Science Engineers
Are we in a biomedicine brain drain? Trump policies spark fears of brain drain, threatening to undermine U.S. dominance in biomedicine. Scientists express alarm and, in some cases, seek a way out
https://www.statnews.com/2025/02/12/trump-cuts-medical-research-brain-drain-young-scientists-see-better-opportunity-abroad/
# Space
Elon Musk savaged as SpaceX gets new $40m defense contract amid his cutting of federal spending
https://www.aol.com/elon-musk-savaged-spacex-gets-004849838.html
# Technology / Artificial Intelligence / Cybersecurity
Trump plans to nominate GOP insider Sean Cairncross as national cyber director
https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/trump-nominate-cairncross-cyber-director/739940/
DOGE Has Started Gutting a Key US Technology Agency. At least dozens of workers at the Technology Transformation Service were fired on Wednesday, a day after similar sudden cuts at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
https://aitopics.org/doc/news:3A27E971
Former Palantir and Elon Musk Associates Are Taking Over Key Government IT Roles. The chief information officers of at least three major government agencies have been replaced by Silicon Valley executives, including from Palantir and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
https://osae.org/aws/OSAP/pt/sd/news_article/585053/_PARENT/layout_details/false
US investigates potential national security risks posed by internet routers
https://www.wdsu.com/article/tp-link-routers-us-national-security-risk/63237740
China’s Salt Typhoon Spies Are Still Hacking Telecoms—Now by Exploiting Cisco Routers.
https://www.wired.com/story/chinas-salt-typhoon-spies-are-still-hacking-telecoms-now-by-exploiting-cisco-routers/
Salt Typhoon, a Chinese state-sponsored cyber espionage campaign, has targeted critical U.S. telecommunications infrastructure, exposing vulnerabilities and compromising sensitive data. This sophisticated operation underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures and heightened awareness among security leaders to protect against evolving threats.
https://www.wwt.com/blog/understanding-salt-typhoon-why-security-leaders-should-take-notice
A team Microsoft calls BadPilot is acting as Sandworm’s “initial access operation,” the company says. Sandworm (aka Seashell Blizzard) has an initial access wing called “BadPilot” that uses standard intrusion tactics to spread Russia’s tendrils around the world.
https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/microsoft-russian-sandworm-apt-exploits-edge-bugs-globally
# Veterans / VA
VA secretary tapped to temporarily lead 2 federal oversight offices
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2025/02/12/va-secretary-tapped-to-temporarily-lead-2-federal-oversight-offices/
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