everylibrary – “While this “pause” will negatively impact millions of Americans, it will also considerably impact libraries. rump has demanded a freeze on all federal grants and for all agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.” The memo also calls for each agency to perform a… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Civil Liberties
The Impoundment Crisis of 2025
One First: “The Trump administration’s Monday spending freeze is likely to provoke a crisis over the constitutionality of “impoundment”—one that the justices could well have to resolve *very* soon. The move was announced in a cryptic and thinly reasoned two-page memo that went out over the signature of Matthew J. Vaeth, the acting director of… Continue Reading
Trump’s death by a thousand cuts to D.C. federal workforce
Axios: “It’s only been a little over a week since President Trump took office, but already he’s unleashed a ream of actions targeting the federal workforce — a sort of government death via a thousand cuts. Why it matters: This unprecedented stream of executive orders and memorandums is unsettling Washington households as people scramble to… Continue Reading
Big Brother Becomes Little Brother
Ken Klippenstein – Corporations are the new nation state, U.S. intelligence admits – Envious of the power and wealth of corporate America, the head of U.S. intelligence has issued a new directive calling on the spy agencies to “routinize” and “expand” their partnerships with private companies. Agencies are even authorized to incur “risk” in these… Continue Reading
ReproductiveRights.Gov Vanished, So We Brought It Back
Angela Levine – “The day after President Donald Trump began his second term, people noticed that they could no longer access a .gov web page outlining women’s rights to abortion and contraception under US law. The Biden administration created the web page, reproductiverights.gov, after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ending… Continue Reading
Local Public-Facing Immigrant Support/Advocacy Groups
Joe Katz @joekatz45.bsky.social – Local Public-Facing Immigrant Support/Advocacy Groups – Google Sheet Please note all organizations listed on this spreadsheet have some public-facing presence. Any who would like to be removed please contact [email protected]. This list is dynamic and growing. If you have additions, edits, criticisms, suggestions, etc. please contact [email protected] . Last Update 1/25/25… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 26, 2025
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 26, 2025 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on the increasingly complex… Continue Reading
More Americans Than Ever Are Living in Wildfire Areas. L.A. Is No Exception
“The New York Times has created a series of maps visualizing wildfire and smoke risk for the different parts of Los Angeles County [gift article], where several devastating wildfires have been ravaging since early January. The newspaper used wildfire risk scores data from CoreLogic, a California-based business and property analytics company, and spatial data from… Continue Reading
The Protesters’ Guide to Smartphone Security
Privacy Guides: “For most protesters, activists, and journalists, your smartphone is an essential tool you depend on for organizing with your peers, accessing and distributing information, and helping others. It also represents a great risk, as a tool that is easily appropriated by authorities for targeted and mass surveillance. The perennial question when it comes… Continue Reading
Initial Guidance Regarding DEIA Executive Orders
OPM Memorandum to Heads and Acting Heads of All Agencies, January 21, 2025. – Pursuant to its authority under 5 U.S.C. § 1103(a)(1) and (a)(5), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) is providing the following initial guidance to agencies regarding the President’s executive orders titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing… Continue Reading
Trump Orders Federal D.E.I Efforts to Shut Down by Wednesday Night
The New York Times [unpaywalled]: The Trump administration on Tuesday ordered that officials overseeing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across federal agencies be placed on leave and to take steps to close their offices by Wednesday evening. In a memo from the Office of Personnel Management, the heads of departments and agencies were ordered to… Continue Reading
The Forgotten Woman Who Transformed Forensics (by inventing the rape kit)
The Atlantic – gift article: “One of the most powerful inventions of the 20th century is also an object that no one ever wants a reason to use. The sexual-assault-evidence collection box, colloquially known as the “rape kit,” is a simple yet potent tool: a small case, perhaps made of cardboard, containing items such as… Continue Reading
