The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracks—Maybe

At least 8 ongoing #lawsuits related to the so-called Department of Govt Efficiency’s alleged access to sensitive data hinge on the Watergate-inspired Privacy Act of 1974. But it’s not airtight.
https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-act-doge-lawsuits/

"What Is the Privacy Act?

The Privacy Act is a #law that limits how the federal #government can collect, use, and share #information about #US citizens & other people in the #UnitedStates."

#Musk #Coup #News #USA

"The #PrivacyAct prohibits an agency from disclosing someone’s records—even within the agency—unless that person approves in writing or the agency meets one of the law’s 12 exceptions. Most of the exceptions deal with fairly specific circumstances...

But there are also two broad, vague exceptions..."
https://www.wired.com/story/privacy-act-doge-lawsuits/

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #Lawsuit #Resistance #Resist #Privacy #Law #Legal #Data #Information #Government #Politics #US #USPol #USA #News #USNews

You Are the "Inefficiency"
https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/you-are-the-inefficiency

"Musk and his online minions often refer to #liberals as NPCs, or nonplayer characters, a #VideoGame term referring to the figures who populate the background of #games...

as they see it, most of humanity is simply not #human. We are ants, or even less: bits of #programming to be moved around at Elon’s whim...

Any suffering he brings down on NPCs is meaningless"

#ElonMusk #Musk #Doge #Bigotry #Coup #Corruption #Government #HumanRights #USA

The Death of Government Expertise

Why #Trump and #Musk are on a firing spree
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/02/career-civil-servant-end/681712/

" #DOGE isn’t really a dept... and it has little to do with saving money... The whole enterprise is an attack against civil servants & the very notion of apolitical #expertise...

Modern societies, as #Americans are soon to learn, cannot function without #experts in every field, especially the many thousands who work in #public service."

#ElonMusk #Corruption #Politics #Government #US #USA

‘This is a coup’: Trump and Musk’s purge is cutting more than costs, say experts

In slashing staff and disabling entire agencies the administration is lacerating the structures of US #democracy
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/17/trump-musk-government-cost-cutting-coup

“The president is openly violating the #US constitution by taking power from #Congress and handing it to an unelected billionaire – while #ElonMusk goes after judges who uphold the #law and rule against them”

#Musk #Coup #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #USNews #USA

Back Up Everything. Even if Elon Musk Isn’t Looking at It.

Readers worried after Mr. Musk and his team were given access to federal payment systems. Here’s how to back up all your data and documents.
#GiftLink
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/14/business/personal-data-backup-musk.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w04.Zryd.XQW3ZRMFbGe-&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

"Back up everything important, everywhere you can. Do this at least once a year or so. It’s just good hygiene."

#SocialSecurity #IRS #CreditCards #Data #ElonMusk #Musk #Trump #Politics #News #US #USA

Musk Ally Demands Admin Access to System That Lets #Government Text the #Public

A worker resigned in protest rather than giving Thomas Shedd access to Notify.gov, which they said would allow him to see "all personally identifiable information moving through the Notify system, including phone numbers"...
https://www.404media.co/musk-ally-demands-admin-access-to-system-that-lets-government-text-the-public/

"Elon Musk ally #ThomasShedd requested “admin/root access to all components of the Notify.gov system”"

#Tech #Technology #Programming #Musk #Corruption #Politics #News

Trump Guts Crucial OPM Team as Elon Musk Gains Even More Power

The Office of Personnel Management has just limited access to certain government records on #ElonMusk and his #DOGE minions.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191663/elon-musk-opm-privacy-team

"The Trump administration has fired members of the “privacy team” at the #OPM, a move that will hinder #public access & scrutiny over #government records related to the #security clearances of #ElonMusk & Doge."

#Musk #Coup #Trump #Corruption #Politics #Privacy #USPol #News #US #USA

Worse & worse:

Oops: Trump-Musk Cuts Just Wrecked an NIH Org Championed by GOPers

Republicans once lavished praise on an NIH center that deals with Alzheimer’s. #DonaldTrump & #ElonMusk are hobbling it. What will those #Republicans say now?
https://newrepublic.com/article/191702/trump-musk-national-institutes-health-wrecked

"The firing of Van Keuren-Jensen, CARD’s incoming director, is seen as particularly damaging to the cause... They describe her as a leading researcher in the #Alzheimers field"

#Health #NIH #Healthcare #Musk #Trump #Politics #News

Transcript: Stephen Miller Rages on CNN as Musk’s DOGE Lie Implodes

An interview with writer Jill Lawrence, a sharp observer of Elon Musk’s #DOGE, who argues that the lies from Musk & Miller reveal how untenable MAGA’s larger “deep state” mythology has become
https://newrepublic.com/article/191677/transcript-stephen-miller-rages-cnn-musks-doge-lie-implodes

"The deep state is not deeply corrupted & shot through w/fraud. It’s not run by parasites...

#Musk is the parasite. He’s the one w/the #government contract. He’s the one getting billions & billions"

#USPol #News

The #DOGE Brain Drain Has Begun

It’s not just jobs cut & agencies gutted. It’s the talent that will be lost for generations to come.
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-doge-brain-drain-has-begun-science-government-cuts-budget-researchers

“One might ask, ‘Why are they trying to destroy the #science training pipeline?... To what end?”...

the scope of its impact... can’t be measured in weeks or months or even in #government services affected... it will be felt over the span of decades & defined in metrics like intellectual talent lost."

#Musk #GOP #Politics #News #USA #US

Unelected billionaire breaks laws to "restore" democracy

This is NOT what democracy looks like.
https://www.publicnotice.co/p/elon-musk-trump-breaking-laws-democracy

"Trump did not run on a promise to unleash an unelected... [South African immigrant] to slash-&-burn through the #government, firing tens of thousands of employees & arbitrarily canceling contracts & federal programs.

And even if he had, that still wouldn't make it legal.

...most of what Musk is doing is flatly illegal."

#ElonMusk #Musk #Trump #GOP #Politics #Law #News

"Canceling contracts without notice violates the #law. Mass firing federal employees without cause violates the law... most egregiously, Musk’s deletion of entire #government depts & Trump’s refusal to spend money as directed by budget bills violates the #Constitution...

#Congress has the power of the purse, & “feeding #USAID to the woodchipper” violates the separation of powers because Congress established the agency & allocated funds"
https://www.publicnotice.co/i/157356503/laws-are-laws

#Musk #Trump #Coup #News #US

President Elon Musk Can’t Understand How the US Government Works

Elon Musk complained that the US govt was working exactly how it was set up.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191682/president-elon-musk-no-clue-government-works

"Neither #Musk nor #Trump care about the actual structure of the #government [3 branches, checks & balances], or that it was created in direct response to the tyranny of monarchy... To them, there is only the executive branch, the reins of which Musk seems to have happily taken off of Trump’s hands."

#ElonMusk #Coup #News #USA

To Fight the Trump/Musk Purge, Federal Workers Hold Nationwide Day of Action to “Save Our Services”
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/2/19/federal_workers_strike_action_trump_layoffs

"Federal #government workers & #union members are holding protests in cities across the country in what they’re calling #SaveOurServices ...

Every major city in the country is going to have a big protest, and the locations & the times differ... go to the website:
go.workersfiremusk.com
& then you can find your local rally."

#Musk #Resist #Resistance #USA #US #Protests

More Good News That’s Bad for Trump and Elon
https://www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/more-good-news-thats-bad-for-trump-2c3

"Protests continued this week outside of #Tesla dealerships... On Monday, hundreds of demonstrators surrounded the# SanFrancisco showroom, where a small sign on the building read: “We hate him too.”
...

“Call all of your elected officials, write them, text them, email them... Do it repeatedly. Everybody from your local city council to your #US senator, because pressure bursts pipes.”

#ElonMusk #Trump #GOP #Coup #News #USA

USDA Scrambles to Rehire #BirdFlu Experts #DOGE “Accidentally” Fired

Elon Musk’s sloppy work is sending the #government rushing around for much-needed personnel.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191693/usda-bird-flu-experts-elon-musk-doge

"“Although several positions supporting [bird flu efforts] were notified of their terminations... we are working to swiftly rectify the situation & rescind those letters."...

Last week, 300 employees who oversee the US’s #nuclear stockpile were fired... then quickly invited to return"

#Musk #Trump #News #USA

Trump faces growing DOGE revolt from GOP lawmakers
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/19/donald-trump-doge-republicans-congress

"The #job and #funding cuts are now hitting #GOP lawmakers' districts and states. There's also a larger conflict brewing over whether the administration can simply bypass #Congress on these decisions...

some are quietly fuming that their #Constitutional role in controlling federal funds could be steamrolled"

#Musk #Trump #Coup #GOP #Republicans #Politics #USPol #News #USNews #US #USA

GOP Senators Are Having to Literally Beg Trump for Their Own Money

Elon Musk & Donald Trump’s spending freeze has sent #Republicans scrambling.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191699/republican-senators-beg-donald-trump-elon-musk-money

"Republican Senators are being forced to grovel at the thrones of #DonaldTrump and #ElonMusk to collect the very #funding they appropriated in the first place...

Others took more desperate means to beseech Trump’s cadre: tweeting at them."

#GOP #Musk #Trump #Coup #Congress #Politics #Government #News #US #USA

Republicans in Revolt as Elon Musk’s DOGE Continues Takeover

Republicans in #Congress are getting pissed as #DOGE keeps wreaking havoc.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191690/republicans-congress-revolt-elon-musk-doge

"Infighting is brewing among the GOP’s congressional ranks, as Elon Musk’s takeover of the #government and sweeping federal employee #purge begins to hit #red states.

...agencies like #USAID, the #FAA, and #NOAA —agencies that many #Republicans actually like & support—have been crippled."

#Musk #Trump #Coup #GOP #Politics #News #USA

Elon Musk’s lead role in destroying government sparks protests

Angry Americans gather outside Tesla dealerships & across the country
https://www.headsupnews.org/p/elon-musks-lead-role-in-destroying

"Musk’s singular, secretive & ruthless crusade to destroy broad swaths of the #government & get access to confidential #data – along with his status as an unelected foreign-born multibillionaire – have turned him into “a particularly heinous villain”"

#Resist #Resistance #Protest #ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Corruption #Politics #News #USA #US

Want a copy of the Musk “I Am Stealing From You” poster? You can buy one here:
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/pccc_2024_musk_poster_single

#Resist #Resistance #Protest #ElonMusk #Musk #Donate

The anti-Musk protest movement is expected to ramp up with Congress on recess
https://apnews.com/article/democrats-musk-trump-protests-congress-ccb64f2889d31aad8c25d37686f62d7a

" #ElonMusk is the focus for thousands of Democratic #activists launching a #protest campaign this week to fight the #Trump administration’s push to gut federal #health, #education and human services agencies.

Hundreds of protests are scheduled outside congressional offices and #Tesla dealerships"

#Resist #Resistance #Musk #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #US #USA

Elon Musk Is Faking DOGE Results to Hide His Incompetence

Elon Musk’s supposed savings aren’t entirely correct.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191707/elon-musk-fake-doge-savings-data

" #DOGE published an itemized list of canceled #government contracts Monday accounting for an alleged $16 billion in spending. Almost half of those savings were attributed to a hefty $8 billion contract...

it was only worth $8 Million, not $8 billion." [And actually only $5.5 million]

#ElonMusk #Lies #Musk #Coup #Trump #Politics #News #US #USA

Did DOGE Take Credit for Spending Cuts Related to President Carter’s Death?
[tldr: yes]

Inaccuracies on DOGE’s website raise questions about DOGE’s activities and transparency.
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/did-doge-take-credit-for-spending-cuts-related-to-president-carter-s-death

"DOGE did not terminate at least some of the contracts and leases listed on its website. Even if #DOGE played an active role in terminating some of these contracts, it may be overstating the value of its cuts."

#Musk #Corruption #Trump #GOP #Politics #USPol #Transparency #Lies #US #News #USA

Drone video truly shows NYC protest against Trump and Musk
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-musk-nyc-protest/

"The #protest took place, in part, in New York's Washington Square Park on Feb. 17, 2025 — Presidents Day...The #video showed the park's Washington Square Arch, which some users mistook for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris."

Link to video on xcancel.com:
https://xcancel.com/NoLieWithBTC/status/1891926650075369913

#Resist #Resistance #NYC #US #Musk #Trump #Twitter #Snopes #FactCheck

Trump Rambles When Reporter Confronts Him Over Filing Saying #ElonMusk Is Not DOGE Employee
https://www.mediaite.com/news/trump-rambles-when-reporter-confronts-him-over-filing-saying-elon-musk-is-not-doge-employee/

"Trump’s White House has been busy cranking out a series of contradictory explanations for what Musk’s job exactly is, referring to him as a “special employee” and the “head of DOGE” then claiming in a court filing that he doesn’t work at #DOGE at all, then the “head of DOGE” again."

#Musk #Trump #Coup #Corruption #GOP #Politics #USPol #News #USNews #US #USA

The Incompetence of DOGE Is a Feature, Not a Bug

A series of mistakes by #DOGE shows just how arbitrary & destructive this slash-and-burn strategy can get.
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-incompetence-mistakes-feature-not-bug/

"The federal #government exists to do all of the things that are definitionally not profitable, that serve the #public good rather than protect investor profits...

And if you don’t believe in the public good? You sprint through the ruination."

#Musk #Trump #GOP #Coup #Corruption #Politics #USPol #News #US #USA

Trump’s DC US Attorney Nom Targets House Dem, Expanding Effort To Stifle Trump Admin Criticism
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trumps-dc-us-attorney-nom-targets-house-dem-expanding-effort-to-stifle-trump-admin-criticism

"Acting #WashingtonDC US attorney Ed Martin is escalating his psuedo-investigations of what he describes as purported threats to billionaire #ElonMusk...

targeted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)...

designed to smother #FreedomOfSpeech and criticism of #Musk & the #Trump administration."

#FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #Politics #Coup #Corruption #GOP #News #US #USA

Trump’s #DOJ Threatens Dem Congressman Who Shared “Elon Musk Dick Pic”

Democratic Representative Robert Garcia is now being investigated by a #Trump attorney.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191787/trump-doj-threatens-democratic-congressman-garcia-elon-musk-dick-pic

"Trump’s Dept of #Justice has sent a threatening letter to Representative Robert Garcia after the #California Democrat mocked #ElonMusk last week.

...Garcia displayed a large picture of #Musk, calling it a “dick pick” and jokingly referring to the #tech mogul as president"

#FreeSpeech #FirstAmendment #News #USA

"Martin has already targeted Senate Minority Leader #ChuckSchumer... Martin has also threatened to investigate former special counsel #JackSmith...

It seems that Martin, a defender of Trump’s election fraud #lies and the #Jan6 Capitol riots, wants to use his prosecutorial power to punish anyone who dares to oppose the president or Musk."
https://newrepublic.com/post/191787/trump-doj-threatens-democratic-congressman-garcia-elon-musk-dick-pic

#FreeSpeech #FirstAmendment #Trump #Coup #DOJ #GOP #Corruption #Politics #USPol #US #USA #News #USNews

Elon Musk Loses It After Astronaut Dares Calls Out His Lie

#ElonMusk called a famous astronaut a slur simply because he countered one of his newest talking points.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191782/elon-musk-loses-astronaut-dares-calls-lie

“What a lie,” Danish #astronaut Andreas Mogensen wrote... in reply to #Musk parroting the talking point yet again on #FoxNews. “And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream #media"

Musk exploded."

#Musk #Lies #Space #Astronauts #ISS #SpaceStation

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network is one of USAID’s most data-driven programs
https://www.wired.com/story/usaid-famine-system-dismantled/

"By cutting off a program that has given various #US agencies advance notice about a potential spike in people fleeing famine, the #Trump administration...[is] hindering its goal to curb illegal border crossings. “The heavy hand #DOGE is taking... when it comes to cuts... shows a lack of understanding of how these things work, because they're complex”

#Musk #GOP #Politics #News #USA

Rand Paul Sheepishly Nods To Fact That Musk Is Not Supposed To Be In Charge Of Govt Funding
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/where-things-stand/rand-paul-sheepishly-nods-to-fact-that-musk-is-not-supposed-to-be-in-charge-of-govt-funding

"weak acknowledgements from #Republicans that...

#DOGE federal #funding freezes are not just lawless, but are also a violation of Congress’ authority to stand up agencies and fund the federal #government.

#Musk... has seized for himself one of the few powers #Congress has continued to regularly exercise — at least, up until 2025"

#ElonMusk #Coup #Trump #GOP #USPol #News #USA

Trump Contradicts His Own White House’s Legal Filing — Admits ‘I Put a Man Named Elon Musk in Charge’ of DOGE
https://www.mediaite.com/news/trump-contradicts-his-own-white-houses-legal-filing-admits-i-put-a-man-named-elon-musk-in-charge-of-doge/

"Musk’s technical role is likely to be a major point of contention in the many #legal battles involving #DOGE. If he is deemed to not have a role with the cost-cutting outfit, he may be able to avoid legal scrutiny.

But #Trump, on Wednesday, seemed to remove any doubt about who’s running the show at DOGE."

#ElonMusk #Musk #GOP #Politics #Coup #News #US #USA

The Ridiculous & Disturbing Things Elon Musk’s DOGE Staff Are Doing

Elon Musk’s teenage #DOGE workers are running amok through the federal government.
https://newrepublic.com/post/191759/elon-musk-doge-cronies-federal-agencies

“every #hacker in the world knows there are a small number of people new to federal service who hold the keys to access all US #government payments, contracts, civil servant personal info, and more,” they wrote. “DOGE is one romance #scam away from a #NationalSecurity emergency.”

#Musk #Coup #Tech #News #USA #US

DOGE Now Has Access to the Top US Cybersecurity Agency

DOGE techs Edward Coristine—the 19-yr-old known online as #BigBalls —& Kyle Schutt are now listed as staff at the #Cybersecurity & Infrastructure #Security Agency.
https://www.wired.com/story/doge-cisa-coristine-cybersecurity/

"working his way through numerous federal agencies & depts... access to systems containing sensitive #information about diplomats & many sources around the world who provide the US #government with #intelligence & expertise."

#Musk #Coup #News #US #USA

DOGE Dives Into Core National Defense and Data Systems Across Government
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/doge-dives-into-core-national-defense-and-data-systems-across-government

"DOGE currently has far deeper and far more extensive access to US #government computer systems — and is far deeper into the #NationalSecurity space — than is conceivably necessary for anything related to their notional brief & goals...

( #CISA), the agency charged w/the defense of the federal government’s civilian computer networks"

#ElonMusk #Musk #Coup #Politics #Data #Security #News #US #USA

"the DOGErs arrived at a federal #government that was complex & #decentralized in its powers...[for good reasons]

If we look at everything that #DOGE has done over the last 3+ weeks, a unifying feature is the effort to pull all of these networks together for more central control...

It’s obvious that you’d want to be very cautious about centralizing this much #power in anyone’s hands"

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/doge-dives-into-core-national-defense-and-data-systems-across-government

#Musk #Coup #Tech #Authoritarianism #NationalSecurity #Security #USA #US #News

DOGE Has ‘God Mode’ Access to Government Data

...an unprecedented ability to view & manipulate information at many federal agencies.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/02/doge-god-mode-access/681719/

"abnormal degree of power that #DOGE has already achieved...

God-mode access across the entire digital system...

federal #government does not typically grant such wide-ranging access to a single entity, let alone one... under the control of an unelected, erratic, & politically extreme actor such as #Musk.

#Coup #Tech #USPol #News #USA