February 7, 2025 Immigration, United States
Ireland’s public broadcaster RTE reports: The number of people in the United States seeking to become Irish citizens has significantly increased. The Foreign Births Register allows the descendants of Irish people who have moved abroad to claim Irish citizenship. Last November, saw the highest number of passport applications from the US in a calendar month in the ten years worth …
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February 7, 2025 Trump Corruption, Trump Lies
Axios reports: The Trump administration is being sued over its move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with unions representing workers in the lawsuit calling the action “unconstitutional and illegal.” The lawsuit that was filed in federal court Thursday seeks to block efforts to place most of USAID’s 10,000-strong global workforce on administrative leave by Friday night …
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February 7, 2025 Trump Corruption, Trump Lies
CNN reports: A representative from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was granted access to the Energy Department’s IT system on Wednesday by Energy Secretary Chris Wright [photo], two people with knowledge of the situation told CNN. Wright granted access to DOGE representative Luke Farritor — a 23-year-old former SpaceX intern — even over objections from members of …
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February 7, 2025 Trump Corruption, Trump Lies
Wired reports: US Treasury Department and White House officials have repeatedly denied that technologists associated with Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had the ability to rewrite the code of the payment system through which the vast majority of federal spending flows. WIRED reporting shows, however, that at the time these statements were made, a DOGE operative did …
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February 7, 2025 Business, Employment
Atlanta’s Fox affiliate reports: Atlanta’s hometown airline, Delta, says it is committed to its DEI program despite it being on the chopping block at other companies and within the federal government. Delta’s commitment to DEI comes as President Trump ends programs in the federal government. Last month, Trump’s executive order said “illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the …
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February 7, 2025 Republicans, Trump cultists
The Latin Times reports: Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced today she will introduce a bill to declare English as the country’s official language. USA.gov confirms that the U.S. does not have an official language, although “English is the most widely used language” in the country. Greene has also demanded Congress pass a bill to use “force” in renaming the …
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February 7, 2025 Democrats, Trump Lies
Via press release from New York AG Letitia James: New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in releasing the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of the Treasury granting Elon Musk and his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) staffers access to sensitive payment systems containing Americans’ personally identifiable information: “In …
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February 7, 2025 Crime, Trump cultists
Houston’s NPR affiliate reports: A Houston man released from federal prison in Colorado last month, after being pardoned for his crimes during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, was arrested Thursday on a charge of online solicitation of a minor dating back to 2016. Andrew Taake, 36, was sentenced to six years in prison in June 2024 after pleading guilty to …
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February 6, 2025 JMG Community, Open Thread
Variety reports: “Night Stage,” the gay erotic thriller by Brazil’s Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon, has been acquired by German distributor Salzgeber, which will release the film in Germany and Austria. The film will world premiere in Berlinale’s Panorama sidebar next week. M-Appeal is handling international sales for the film, and has released the international trailer. “Night Stage” follows an …
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February 6, 2025 Christianists, Hate Groups
USA Today reports: The Senate on Thursday confirmed Russell Vought, a key architect of Project 2025, to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget. Vought, 48, was confirmed by a vote of 53-47. He served in the same role during President Donald Trump’s first term and was responsible for overseeing the president’s budget, reviewing federal regulations and setting …
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