Saturday, April 26

Domestic Politics

DOGE Whistleblower Cites Breach of Sensitive U.S. Business Data
16Apr By Patti MohrNo Comments
Big Tech, Digital Economy, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Types of News: Brief, United States

DOGE Whistleblower Cites Breach of Sensitive U.S. Business Data

NLRB Breach Impacts Labor Cases, Proprietary Information April 16, 2025—A U.S. federal worker came forward this week as a whistleblower against the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, the broad-reaching initiative President Trump created with an executive order on his first day of office. The whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, is an IT worker at the National Labor Relations Board. NLRB is a small, independent government agency tasked with ensuring that private-sector workers have rights such as collective bargaining in their workplaces. Berulis asserts that DOGE employees not only overrode standard security procedures to protect sensitive data, but they also made the system vulnerable to disclosure to a foreign adversary. A federal IT worker Daniel Berulis has informed Congr...
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Trump Scales Back Elon Musk’s Overarching Authority
7Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trump Scales Back Elon Musk’s Overarching Authority

DOGE Seeks $1 Trillion In Government Cuts File photo from Trump's first Cabinet meeting Feb. 2025 March 7, 2025--In a fiery White House meeting on Thursday that pitted Elon Musk against Cabinet officials, President Trump signaled that the appointed secretaries would have the lead role over their various departments. It's notable because up until now Musk has seemingly upstaged Cabinet officials over decisions on federal employment decisions. Uncertainty over the U.S. government overhaul impacts citizens, employees, and investors. Today, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would wait for greater clarity before deciding what direction to take. Powell added that changes in trade, regulation, fiscal policy, and immigration would impact the economy. Who's In Charge? ...
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Private Prison Firms Eye Profit in Trump Mass Detentions
18Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Types of News: Brief, United States

Private Prison Firms Eye Profit in Trump Mass Detentions

February 18, 2025--President Trump, who ran on a campaign of law-and-order and promises to focus on detaining immigrants who came to the country illegally, is already making big changes to the detention system. He reversed a Biden-administration executive order that blocked the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshals Service from signing new contracts with private detention companies. Private prison companies are taking notice and making capital investments in the expectation of winning federal contracts for detaining people. "The new year is just underway, and the landscape is already changing in ways that are likely to positively impact our business," said Damon Hininger, chief executive officer of CoreCivic. "As the new administration modifies immigration policy and enacts new legisl...
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DOGE: Trump Administration Fires Federal FAA Employees
17Feb By Patti MohrNo Comments
Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

DOGE: Trump Administration Fires Federal FAA Employees

"air traffic control tower" by Sean MacEntee is licensed under CC BY 2.0. February 17, 2025-No agency is left untouched in the Trump Administration's government overhaul. Several hundred employees from the Federal Aviation Administration received emails over the weekend informing them they have been fired. According to the Associated Press, the firings impact support staff for FAA radar, landing and navigational aid maintenance, and one air traffic controller. This comes just weeks after a fatal plane and helicopter crash in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The Impact The FAA has roughly 50,000 employees. The layoff primarily impacts staff that was newly hired or promoted in the last year. According to USA Today, the layoff affects 400 workers. The USAT article, which cited Da...
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European Commission Calls for Reforms in Hungary
9Dec By Patti MohrNo Comments
Europe, EU, Eurozone, Geopolitics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Bit, Types of News: Brief

European Commission Calls for Reforms in Hungary

EC Says It'll Withhold $1B If Changes Aren't Made December 9, 2024—The European Commission is on the verge of withholding €1 billion in funds to EU-member Hungary unless that government reforms 17 measures by the end of the year. The EC is already blocking €12 billion in funds to Hungary. Among the measures that the EC demands Hungary complete are anti-corruption and conflict-of-interest legislation, according to reporting by Politico Europe. Hungary is increasingly at odds with the European Union under the right-wing leadership of Viktor Orbán. EU lawmakers have grown increasingly discontent with EU-member Hungary over a series of infringements on human rights as well as concerns about corruption. In 2022, the EC announced that Hungary's government could no longer be considered a...
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Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024
6Mar By Patti MohrNo Comments
Domestic Politics, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024

Eye on Politics March 6, 2024-As the U.S. political cycle kicks into higher gear, it's time to take a closer look at who is running with what resources. Political action committees, known as PACs, play a significant role in U.S. elections. Below is a list of House members receiving the most PAC money, according to data from Open Secrets. The top receiver, Jason Smith, Republican from Missouri, is chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. The top five contributors to Rep. Smith in the 2023-2024 cycle are the National Association of Realtors, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Apollo Global Management, Herzog Contracting, and the Alliantgroup.
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Mexico’s Lawsuit Against Gun Makers Moves Forward
25Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Mexico’s Lawsuit Against Gun Makers Moves Forward

Appeals Court Decision Comes As U.S.-Mexico Meet On Root Causes Of Migration January 25, 2024—As President Biden faces pressure at home to stop the flow of irregular migration to the United States at the southern border, Mexico is drawing attention to one of the root causes: U.S.-made weapons in the hands of cartels. Mexico's Defense Department said this week drug cartels are armed with U.S.-made weapons intended for military use, such as grenade and rocket launchers and fully automatic machine guns. Mexico wants the weapons trafficking to stop. Furthermore, the government is demanding answers from the Biden administration.   "It is very urgent that an investigation into this be carried out," Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena said on Monday. Mexico has the third...
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EU’s Ceasefire Resolution Says Too Much, Not Enough
19Jan By Patti MohrNo Comments
Europe, EU, Eurozone, International Law, Legal Battles, Middle East, Types of News: Analysis

EU’s Ceasefire Resolution Says Too Much, Not Enough

European Parliament Passed Non-binding Statement on the Israel-Gaza Conflict January 19, 2024—Israel's war with Hamas and its destruction of Gaza has divided the European Union. The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a watered-down resolution calling for a ceasefire, the dismantling of Hamas, and the unconditional release of the remaining hostages. The resolution is non-binding and largely symbolic. The Parliament passed it with 312 votes in favor, 131 against, and 72 abstentions. What's noteworthy is not the vote or the individual phrases in it. It is that the resolution is too long-winded to have an impact. It thwarts itself at every turn. It calls for a permanent ceasefire and then says Israel has "a right to defend itself." It calls on all parties to "distinguish be...
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GUEST POST: Congress, Ukraine Is Still Germane
17Jan By Guest WriterNo Comments
Foreign Aid, International Development, Geopolitics, Type of News: Guest Post, Types of News: Analysis, United States

GUEST POST: Congress, Ukraine Is Still Germane

Don't Renege On Our Promise To Ukraine Editor's Note: The U.S. Senate is currently considering a $100 billion supplemental spending bill, S.Amdt.1371 to H.R. 815. It would provide $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel, and Taiwan, and include $14 billion for U.S. border security. As much of the world's attention has shifted to the Middle East, support for Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression is waning in some countries, including the United States. Ukrainian President Zelenskky addressed top officials from United States, the European Union, China, the Middle East have gathered for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on January 16, 2024. Op-Ed by William Slomanson Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Thomas Jefferson School of Law. William Slo...
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Biden Takes The Bullhorn, Walks The Picket Line
26Sep By Patti MohrNo Comments
Domestic Politics, Types of News: Brief, United States

Biden Takes The Bullhorn, Walks The Picket Line

President Biden joins striking workers in Michigan September 26, 2023. September 26, 2023—The power of the U.S. presidency is the bully pulpit, and today President Joe Biden put it to use. As the national autoworkers' strike grew in numbers and gained more news media attention, politicians are taking close notice. The issue is not only that the expanding strike has consequences for workers, consumers, business and the larger U.S. economy, it is also a political one. It is not cynical to say that both parties want to win the loyalties of blue-collar workers, especially in a swing state like Michigan. It's simply a practical matter in U.S. politics. Biden Comments On Workers' Pay Today, Biden wooed striking workers in person. He arrived on the scene one day in advance of a vis...
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