USA News and Discussions

[firestar464]

Pentagon turmoil deepens: Top Hegseth aide leaves post

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/1 ... e-00299508

[weatheriscool]

[caltrek]

Anti-Trump Rallies Held Across the U.S. to Protest Administration's Policies
Updated April 19, 2025

Introduction:

(CBS) Opponents of President Trump's administration took to the streets of communities large and small across the U.S. on Saturday, decrying what they see as threats to the nation's democratic ideals.

The events ranged from rallies in midtown Manhattan and in front of the White House to a demonstration at a Massachusetts commemoration marking the start of the American Revolutionary War 250 years ago.

Thomas Bassford drove from his home, some three hours away in Maine, to witness the reenactment of the Battles of Lexington and Concord and "the shot heard 'round the world" on April 19, 1775, that heralded the start of the nation's war for independence from Britain.

The 80-year-old retired mason said he believed Americans today are under attack from their own government and need to stand up against it.

"This is a very perilous time in America for liberty," he said, as he first battles of the war for Independence with his partner, daughter and two grandsons. "I wanted the boys to learn about the origins of this country and that sometimes we have to fight for freedom."

Read more here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/anti-trum ... -boston/

[firestar464]

More on that by the NYT:

https://archive.ph/iA48u

[firestar464]

[weatheriscool]

The White House has begun process of looking for new secretary of defense
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-53 ... department
April 21, 2025
1:22 PM ET
Tom Bowman

The White House has begun the process of looking for a new secretary of defense, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

NPR has reached out to the White House for comment.

This comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to find himself mired in controversy. NPR has also confirmed with the same official that Hegseth shared details ahead of last month's Yemen strikes with his wife and brother in a Signal chat on his personal phone, minutes after being updated by a senior U.S. military official. The news of the second Signal group chat about the mission was first reported by The New York Times.

In March, Hegseth shared details about action against Houthi targets in Yemen in a Signal chat with top White House officials that accidentally included a journalist.

[weatheriscool]

US FDA suspends milk quality tests amid workforce cuts

Leah Douglas
Mon, April 21, 2025 at 5:13 PM EDT 2 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for testing of fluid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division, according to an internal email seen by Reuters.

The suspension is another disruption to the nation's food safety programs after the termination and departure of 20,000 employees of the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the FDA, as part of President Donald Trump's effort to shrink the federal workforce.

The FDA this month also suspended existing and developing programs that ensured accurate testing for bird flu in milk and cheese and pathogens like the parasite Cyclospora in other food products.

Effective Monday, the agency suspended its proficiency testing program for Grade "A" raw milk and finished products, according to the email sent in the morning from the FDA's Division of Dairy Safety and addressed to "Network Laboratories."

-snip-

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-fda-suspe ... 19846.html

[firestar464]

US FDA suspends milk quality tests amid workforce cuts

https://www.reuters.com/business/health ... 025-04-21/

[firestar464]

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s bag, including $3,000 in cash, is stolen from DC restaurant

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/21/poli ... index.html

[weatheriscool]

Rubio unveils sweeping reorganization of State Department

Source: Washington Post

The Trump administration’s proposed shake-up targets human rights programs and others focused on war crimes and democracy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a plan Tuesday to significantly reorganize the State Department, saying the redesign would reverse “decades of bloat and bureaucracy.”

The proposed shake-up of America’s primary foreign policy institution coincides with the Trump administration’s efforts to reorient the United States on the world stage to align with the president’s “America First” agenda while cutting costs and downsizing staff.

The effort targets some human rights programs and others focused on war crimes and democracy, according to internal documents shared with The Washington Post. As part of the plan, senior officials would submit a path to reducing U.S.-based staff by 15 percent, according to the documents, potentially affecting hundreds of jobs.

A new Bureau of Emerging Threats would be created to focus on cybersecurity and the proliferation of artificial intelligence, among other areas, the document stated. The proposed bureau would represent a rare focus on expanding the department’s capacity.

Read more: https://wapo.st/4cEF8rU

[firestar464]

Stephen Miller Suggests U.S. Citizens Should Get Reparations for 'Damages Inflicted by Mass Migration'

https://www.latintimes.com/stephen-mill ... ion-581315

[caltrek]

The irony of it all:

Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders Says Arkansas Is In ‘Dire Need of Federal Assistance,’ but Trump Says No
by Griffin Coop
April 21, 2025

Introduction:

(Arkansas Times) Gov. Sarah Sanders said Arkansas is in “dire need of federal assistance” in an appeal letter last week after the federal government denied help after last month’s damaging storms.

Fourteen tornadoes touched down in Arkansas on March 14 and 15, leaving three dead and dozens injured.

The next week, Sanders asked President Donald Trump for a major disaster declaration, the first step in securing federal funds and other help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Sanders specifically requested help in the form of small business loans and individual assistance for people in Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties.

But the Trump administration declined to declare a disaster, meaning no federal assistance would be heading our way.

In their rejection note to Sanders’ March 21 request, the federal government said the damage wasn’t anything state and local folks couldn’t handle.

Read more here: https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/202 ... -says-no

[caltrek]

Stephen Miller Suggests U.S. Citizens Should Get Reparations for 'Damages Inflicted by Mass Migration'

https://www.latintimes.com/stephen-mill ... ion-581315

Ok, then pay reparations for damages inflicted in the form of unfair practices against immigrants and for the support of oppressive regimes that forced the migration. Also, don't forget to subtract out taxes already paid by said immigrants, especially for programs such as social security where they most likely will receive zero benefits despite paying into the program.

[firestar464]

(Sorry I forgot to add an extra comment shitting on Miller's idiocy)

[firestar464]

[firestar464]

[firestar464]

Pentagon turmoil deepens: Top Hegseth aide leaves post

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/1 ... e-00299508

Controversial Hegseth chief of staff to leave Pentagon

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/2 ... g-00308721

[firestar464]

Hegseth orders makeup studio installed at Pentagon

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hegseth-or ... -pentagon/

[firestar464]

Hegseth had an unsecured internet line set up in his office to connect to Signal, AP sources say

https://apnews.com/article/hegseth-sign ... a70e10bd9d

[firestar464]

DOJ admits case against congestion pricing in NYC is weak in internal memo

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/co ... ment-memo/

(they accidentally filed it lmao)