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Key U.S. agencies, including the FBI, State Department and the Pentagon, have instructed their employees not to comply with cost-cutting chief Elon Musk’s demand that federal workers explain what they accomplished last week — or risk losing their jobs.

The United States sent $50 million in condoms to Hamas. Diversity programs caused a plane crash. China controls the Panama Canal. Ukraine started the war with Russia.

Except, no. None of that is true. Not that it stops President Trump. In the first month since he returned to power, he has demonstrated once again a brazen willingness to advance distortions, conspiracy theories and outright lies to justify major policy decisions.

Mr. Trump has long been unfettered by truth when it comes to boasting about his record and tearing down his enemies. But what were dubbed “alternative facts” in his first term have quickly become a whole alternative reality in his second to lay the groundwork for radical change as he moves to aggressively reshape America and the world.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/32672000

US Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys have asked a federal court in Texas to end a temporary pause on a case accusing Elon Musk’s tech company SpaceX of discriminating against immigrant job applicants.

Case file: https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/SpaceExplorationTechnologiesCorpvBelletalDocketNo123cv00137SDTexS/8?doc_id=X3GIQUAF0TQ80AB63HIABKNFIUF

Summary

The Trump administration is preparing to reinstate Title 42, a public health order used during the COVID-19 pandemic to expel migrants without asylum processing, citing concerns over diseases like tuberculosis.

Internal documents show the CDC plans to classify unauthorized migrants as public health risks, allowing Customs and Border Protection to quickly deport them.

Critics argue the move is a political tool rather than a public health necessity.

The policy is expected to face legal challenges, as previous court rulings limited Title 42’s use against asylum seekers and minors.

Summary

Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU, led by Friedrich Merz, won around 29% of the vote in the snap general election, making Merz the frontrunner to form a ruling coalition.

The far-right AfD surged to 20%, nearly doubling its 2021 result, but remains politically isolated as major parties refuse to cooperate with it.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats suffered their worst result since WWII, while his coalition partners, the Greens and FDP, also lost support.

Merz faces challenges forming a government, addressing economic woes, and countering the AfD’s growing influence.

Summary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated he is willing to resign if it ensures peace or NATO membership for Ukraine.

"If it is peace for Ukraine, and if you really want me to leave my post, I’m ready," he said. "Alternatively, I can trade this for NATO membership... I’m focusing on Ukraine’s security today, not in 20 years."

His comments come amid tensions with Donald Trump, who falsely suggested the Ukrainian president was responsible for starting the war.

Meanwhile, U.S.-Russia negotiations continue without Ukraine, which Zelenskyy firmly rejects. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of Ukrainian involvement in any peace negotiations.

• ICE memo outlines new effort to deport unaccompanied minors
  

• Agents are collecting data on the migrant children and sorting them into three priority groups
• ICE moves to require fingerprinting and DNA tests of sponsors

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is directing immigration agents to track down hundreds of thousands of migrant children who entered the United States without their parents, expanding the president's mass deportation effort, according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo outlines an unprecedented push to target migrant children who crossed the border illegally as unaccompanied minors. It lays out four phases of implementation, beginning with a planning phase on January 27, though it did not provide a start date for enforcement operations.

More than 600,000 immigrant children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian since 2019, according to government data, as the number of migrants caught crossing illegally reached record levels.

Tens of thousands have been ordered deported over the same time frame, including more than 31,000 for missing court hearings, immigration court data show.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not respond to a request for comment about the memo and the Trump administration's plans.

During his first term, Trump introduced a "zero tolerance" policy that led to the separation of migrant children from their parents at the border. The children were sent to children's shelters run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a government agency housed within the Department of Health and Human Services, while their parents were detained or deported.

The separation of families, including babies from nursing mothers, was met with widespread international outrage. Trump halted the policy in 2018, though up to 1,000 children may still remain separated from parents, according to Lee Gelernt, the lead American Civil Liberties Union attorney in a related legal challenge.

People with disabilities say President Trump's DEI purge is eroding health care, education and legal protections they've only won in recent decades.

Why it matters: The Trump administration has taken actions that undermine accessibility measures — critical for leveling the playing field for people with disabilities — as part of its efforts targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

• "It's very clear that there is an orchestrated attack by conservatives to dismantle the rights of people with disabilities," said Shawn Murinko, a Washington resident who has cerebral palsy. 

State of play: Trump last month ordered an end to all federal programs that mandate or invoke accessibility, alongside diversity, equity and inclusion.

• The Department of Justice said it will penalize programs that promote accessibility.

ATLANTA (AP) — Republican state lawmakers seeking to aid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration are threatening local officials who resist with lawsuits, fines and even potential jail time.

Lawmakers in more than 20 states this year have filed legislation targeting so-called sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.

Some of those states already ban sanctuary policies but are now proposing to punish mayors, council members and other government officials who violate the prohibition.

The goal is to provide “teeth to those who are being aggrieved by local governments and local officials who are not abiding by Georgia immigration law,” said Republican state Sen. Blake Tillery, whose legislation would allow lawsuits against anyone who implements sanctuary policies. His bill recently passed the Senate and is now in the House.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was conscious but still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen Sunday following a respiratory crisis and blood transfusions, as he remains in critical condition with a complex lung infection, the Vatican said.

“The night passed quietly, the pope rested,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in an early statement.

Further clinical tests were being performed on the 88-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, and a more detailed medical update was expected later Sunday.

On Saturday, Francis suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis that required “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe through a nasal tube. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said.

Doctors said Saturday his prognosis was “reserved.”

Summary

A new H5N1 bird flu variant has become "endemic in cows," with cases detected in Nevada and Arizona, raising concerns about human transmission.

Experts warn that without intervention, the outbreak will continue, but Trump has cut CDC staff and halted flu vaccination campaigns.

The virus's spread coincides with a severe flu season, increasing the risk of mutation.

The administration has also stopped sharing flu data with the WHO and shifted its containment strategy away from culling infected poultry, raising fears of inadequate response.

JENIN, West Bank (AP) — Israel’s defense minister said Sunday troops will remain “for the coming year” in parts of the occupied West Bank where they have launched an offensive and will prevent tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians from returning, as Israel deepens its crackdown on the Palestinian territory.

Israel launched the broad offensive in the northern West Bank on Jan. 21 — two days after the current ceasefire in Gaza took hold — and expanded it to nearby areas, saying it is determined to stamp out militancy amid a rise in attacks.

Palestinians view such raids as part of an effort to cement Israeli control over the territory, where 3 million Palestinians live under military rule. The deadly raids have caused destruction in urban areas.

President Donald Trump fired Chair of the Joint Chiefs Gen. C.Q. Brown on Friday night, and said he intends to dismiss the Navy’s top admiral and the Air Force’s second in command — an unprecedented shakeup of the Pentagon’s top brass that will trigger ripple effects throughout the military.

Trump, in a Truth Social post, said he was nominating retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to take Brown’s place. Caine is a partner at Shield Capital, a venture capital firm.

Trump also has claimed Caine donned a ‘MAGA’ hat during their 2018 meeting in Iraq, which is against military regulations.

Summary

Elon Musk's email illegally demanding federal employees report their weekly tasks or face “resignation" sparked immediate backlash.

FBI Director Kash Patel instructed staff to ignore it, citing internal review procedures. The State Department and DOJ also advised employees against responding, fearing ethical violations.

The email, reaching millions, including air traffic controllers, triggered widespread confusion and resistance.

Senator Tina Smith criticized Musk's "d*** boss move."

The incident highlights a potential power struggle within the Trump administration, questioning Musk's authority.

Posting this because no one else seems to want to, and it’s a discussion worth having outside of drama or personal conflicts. I’m undecided and can see both sides, but it’s important to address.

Potential benefits of a limit:

• Frequent posters hold significant influence and could, in theory, push misinformation or propaganda (though I haven't seen evidence of this it’s a fair concern).
• A community dominated by one or two voices might discourage new members from participating.
• Encouraging quality over quantity could increase the value of individual posts.

Potential downsides of a limit:

• Could reduce overall community engagement.
• If set too low, it might discourage meaningful participation from well-intentioned members.
• It could inadvertently encourage the (mis)use of alt accounts.

These are some pros/cons but certainly not all! I encourage more discussion below.

Summary

A listeria outbreak linked to Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial frozen shakes has resulted in 11 deaths and 37 hospitalizations.

The shakes, sold to hospitals and long-term care facilities, are now under voluntary recall.

The FDA and CDC traced 38 cases in 21 states, mostly within care facilities. Symptoms of listeria, which can appear up to 10 weeks after consumption, range from mild flu-like symptoms to severe neurological issues.

Facilities are urged to stop serving the shakes and sanitize affected areas. The outbreak, with cases dating back to 2018, highlights the vulnerability of institutionalized individuals to foodborne illnesses.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.crimedad.work/post/542998

"It does suck, because everybody kind of makes fun of the Cybertruck. To the outside person, it's kind of weird, it's ugly, whatever. Once you actually get in it, drive it, you realize it's pretty frickin' cool," he says. "It's kind of been sad, because I've been trying to prove to people that it's a really awesome truck that's not falling apart, and then mine starts to fall apart, so it's just... Yeah, it's kind of unfortunate and sad."

Summary

Hunter Schafer shared that her newly issued passport incorrectly lists her gender as male, a result of Trump’s executive order requiring federal documents to use sex assigned at birth.

Despite selecting female and having her gender marker changed years ago, the new policy was applied to her application.

Schafer said she wanted to raise awareness rather than cause alarm, emphasizing that trans people will continue to exist regardless of government policies.

“A letter and a passport can't change that,” she said.

Summary

Conservative lawmakers and activists are pushing to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. Liberty Counsel’s Mat Staver declared, "It’s just a matter of when."

Some legislators, like Oklahoma Senator David Bullard, are introducing bills to challenge the ruling, while Justices Thomas and Alito have signaled interest in reconsidering it.

Though most Americans support same-sex marriage, the court’s conservative shift is concerning.

The 2022 Respect for Marriage Act ensures federal recognition but does not prevent states from restricting same-sex marriage if Obergefell is overturned.

By Valerie Volcovici. February 22, 2025. 8:36 PM EST.

Summary Musk says non-response by federal workers seen as resignation Emails sent to federal agencies demanding work summaries AFGE union vows to challenge unlawful terminations

God save the king. Drunk on power, Donald Trump spent Saturday afternoon before adoring fans, boasting of his victories, taunting his enemies and casting himself as America’s absolute monarch, supreme leader and divine emperor rolled into one.

Trump’s appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the National Harbor in Maryland began with country singer Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA and raucous cheers in a crowded ballroom that included January 6 insurrectionists.

Seventy-five minutes later, it concluded with the US president standing between two stars-and-stripes flags, pumping his fists and swaying to the Village People’s anthem YMCA.

What emerged in between was a man who has never felt so sure of himself, so contemptuous of his foes and so convinced of his righteous mission to make America great again, even if it means breaking china, cracking skulls and leaving global destruction in his wake.

Summary

At CPAC, Donald Trump falsely claimed Europe had contributed less aid to Ukraine than the U.S. and demanded Ukraine repay America with mineral rights.

He again refused to acknowledge Russia started the war and framed both sides as equal victims.

Trump called Ukraine’s leader a "dictator" while praising Putin, aligning with CPAC attendees who showed increasing pro-Russia sentiment.

His speech also included election lies, vaccine conspiracies, and personal attacks.