YouTuber's livestream appears on White House website
A YouTube content creator whose livestream talking about investments mysteriously appeared to take over a White House website says he has no idea how it happened. The livestream appeared for at least eight minutes late Thursday on whitehouse.gov/live, raising questions about whether the site was hacked. The site is where the White House usually streams live video of the president speaking. It's unclear if the website was breached or the video was linked accidentally by someone in the government. The YouTube content creator says if he'd known his stream would go “super public like that” he'd have dressed nicer and had "more pointed topics!” The White House says it's "looking into what happened.”
Settlement calls for NPR to get $36M in government funds
National Public Radio will receive approximately $36 million in government funding to operate the nation’s public radio interconnection system under the terms of a court settlement. Monday's settlement resolves a legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump to cut off its funding. On March 25, Trump said at a news conference that he wants to defund NPR and PBS because he believes they are biased in favor of Democrats. NPR accused the CPB of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress.
Settlement calls for NPR to get $36M in government funds
National Public Radio will receive approximately $36 million in government funding to operate the nation’s public radio interconnection system under the terms of a court settlement. Monday's settlement resolves a legal dispute in which NPR accused the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of bowing to pressure from President Donald Trump to cut off its funding. On March 25, Trump said at a news conference that he wants to defund NPR and PBS because he believes they are biased in favor of Democrats. NPR accused the CPB of violating its First Amendment free speech rights when it moved to cut off its access to grant money appropriated by Congress.
Fannie Mae officials ousted after concerns over confidential data
A confidant of Bill Pulte, the Trump administration’s top housing regulator, provided confidential mortgage pricing data from Fannie Mae to a principal competitor. Emails reviewed by The Associated Press reveal the disclosure alarmed senior officials of the government-backed lending giant, who warned it could expose the company to claims that it colluded with a rival to fix mortgage rates. The emails show the data was shared with rival government-backed lender Freddie Mac by an associate of Bill Pulte, who was working on the Federal Housing Finance Agency director's behalf. Fannie Mae and the FHFA both say they take compliance with the law seriously.
US hits $38 trillion in gross national debt
The U.S. government's gross national debt has surpassed $38 trillion during the federal shutdown, marking a record high. This rapid debt accumulation is the fastest outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the debt having reached $37 trillion in August. The Treasury Department's latest report, issued Wednesday, highlights these figures. Experts warn that rising debt can lead to higher inflation, eroding purchasing power and increasing borrowing costs.
How leaders of the MAHA movement benefit from anti-science advocacy
Powerful anti-vaccine advocates and people selling potentially harmful goods such as raw milk are profiting from the push to write anti-science policies into law across the U.S. They portray the Make America Healthy Again movement as grassroots, but it’s fueled by a web of well-funded national groups led by people who’ve profited – financially and otherwise – from sowing distrust of medicine and science. The Associated Press found state legislation that includes language in the text or public testimony that explicitly spells out that a reason to change the law is to make money or increase sales for dairy farmers.
Journalists exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules
Journalists at the Pentagon turned in access badges and cleaned out their workspaces, the price for refusing to agree to new restrictions on their jobs at the seat of U.S. military power. The refusal was near-unanimous, from trade publications, wire services, television networks and newspapers, and included outlets that appeal largely to conservatives like Fox News Channel and Newsmax. Many of the reporters chose to turn in their badges together at the 4 p.m. deadline set by the Defense Department to vacate the building. Reporters said their work will continue despite the loss of access.
Secret Service dismantles threat around UN capable of crippling NYC cell service
The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. Officials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly. Forensic analysis is ongoing, and authorities suspect nation-state actors. The operation highlights new risks to the invisible infrastructure of modern cities.
Trump administration ramps up crackdown on US visa holders
The Trump administration says it’s reviewing more than 55 million foreigners who have valid U.S. visas for any violations that could lead to deportation. In a written answer to a question from The Associated Press, the State Department said all U.S. visa holders are subject to “continuous vetting.” It says it has an eye toward any indication that they could be ineligible for permission to enter or stay in the United States. The State Department’s new language suggests that the continual vetting process is far more widespread and could mean even those approved to be in the U.S. could abruptly see those permissions revoked.
US national debt reaches $37 trillion
The U.S. government’s gross national debt has surpassed $37 trillion, setting a new record. This highlights the rapid acceleration of debt on America’s balance sheet and the increasing cost pressures on taxpayers. The Treasury Department reported this update on Tuesday. The national debt reached this level years sooner than pre-pandemic projections due to heavy borrowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts warn that the growing debt could lead to reduced living standards and increased interest rates. The Joint Economic Committee estimates another trillion dollars could be added in about 173 days.
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