“The New York Times [no paywall] identified 45 people within the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, a group formed by Elon Musk that in a short few weeks has radically upended federal agencies. Few members have formal Washington experience. Many are software engineers. All seem to have a clear mandate: Shrink and disrupt the federal… Continue Reading
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Author Archives: Sabrina I. Pacifici
Building a Trump-Proof Tech Stack Without Big Tech
Joan Westenberg – Here’s What I’m Using [this is a long comprehensive read, and very useful especially for researchers, librarians, government, academics, journalists]: “…Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and other tech companies operating on American soil can talk a big game about their sovereignty, independence, and encryption. But talk may be all it is; there can… Continue Reading
Inside the Collapse at the NIH
The Atlantic [no paywall]: “…Without the ability to issue research grants, the NIH effectively had its gas line cut. The agency employs thousands of in-house scientists, but a good 80 to 85 percent of its $47 billion budget funds outside research. Each year, researchers across the country submit grant proposals that panels of experts scrutinize… Continue Reading
Your face could be in this database. How will it be used?
Thaddeus Johnson, a former police officer, is a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice and teaches criminology at Georgia State University. Natasha Johnson is a faculty member at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State. No Paywall: “Imagine strolling down a crowded sidewalk when police officers stop a man. In… Continue Reading
OPM memo orders larger reduction in staff
FedScoop: “Federal agencies are directed to submit reductions in force and reorganization plans by March 13, setting the stage for more workforce terminations. A memo from the Office of Personnel Management sent Wednesday [February 25, 2025] tells agency heads that their plans to reduce the workforce and reorganize departments are required to comply with the… Continue Reading
Trump Quietly Plans To Liquidate Public Lands To Finance His Sovereign Wealth Fund
American Prospect: “On February 3, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund (SWF), saying the United States will have one of the largest funds in the world. That requires raising trillions of dollars very quickly. For context, Norway’s fund is currently worth $1.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Sovereign wealth… Continue Reading
Speak Up Before VA Health Care Is Gutted
Military.com: “While controversy swirls around last week’s mass firing of 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs’ employees, a far greater threat to veterans’ health care is going completely unnoticed. Powerful leaders in Congress have quietly unveiled their plan to gut VA-delivered care, wrapped in the misleadingly titled “Veterans’ ACCESS Act.” If veterans don’t act fast, they… Continue Reading
POTUS Tracker
POTUS Tracker is owned and operated by Luke Wines. “I built a site that lets you view Trump’s Truth Social posts without going to Truth Social. It live-filters them for newsworthiness based on their content. There is a Pro option but what you see with the free version is more than enough. You have access… Continue Reading
“We Are in a Constitutional Crisis”
Statement of Law Professors and Law Teachers – American Constitution Society: “The undersigned are professors and teachers of law, dedicated to the rule of law. We believe we are in a constitutional crisis. The President has signed a number of executive orders that are beyond his constitutional or statutory authority. The President cannot change who… Continue Reading
Protect your personal information, easily take action on outdated content in Search results
Google Blog: “Seeing that others have published your personal information online can be stressful. Google’s newly-redesigned Results about you tool protects your privacy by scanning for results containing information like your phone number or address and helping you quickly remove them. Our new hub makes signing up easier than ever, and with proactive monitoring, we’ll… Continue Reading
Trump’s Legal Battles
Trump’s Legal Battles – UPDATED Feb. 25, 2025 — States, federal employee unions, various advocacy groups and several individuals have filed over 80 lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s implementation of executive orders and other initiatives. Law360 has created a database of those lawsuits, separated into categories based on their subject matter. [h/t anonymous] Also remember… Continue Reading
Fired cybersecurity chief for Veterans Affairs site warns that health, financial data at risk
AP: “Sensitive financial and health data belonging to millions of veterans and stored on a benefits website is at risk of being stolen or otherwise compromised, according to a federal employee tasked with cybersecurity who was recently fired as part of massive government-wide cuts. The warning comes from Jonathan Kamens, who led cybersecurity efforts for… Continue Reading
