A staffer from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, recently got high-level access to view and change the contents of a payments system that controls tens of billions of dollars in government payments and loans to farmers and ranchers across the United States, according to internal access logs reviewed by NPR. read more
There are four distinct varieties of autism, each linked to unique genetic profiles -- a discovery that could offer new insights into the neurodevelopmental condition, according to a new study in Nature Genetics.
This summer will see three unusually short days -- including today. read more
Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former President Joe Biden's White House physician, declined to answer questions on Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee ... read more
Six agents were suspended by the U.S. Secret Service for failures connected to last year's attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, an official told ABC News.
@#9 ... Thus far under Trump policies, inflation is running 1.6% annualized.
You misspelled 3.05%. ...
Current US Inflation Rates: 2000-2025
www.usinflationcalculator.com
... The annual inflation rate for the United States was 2.4% for the 12 months ending May, compared to the previous rate increase of 2.3%, according to U.S. Labor Department data published on June 11, 2025. The next inflation update is scheduled for release on July 15 at 8:30 a.m. ET, providing information on the inflation rate for the 12 months ending June. ...
Table: Annual Inflation Rates
...
2025
Jan: 3.0
Feb: 2.8
Mar: 2.4
Apr 2.3
May: 2.4
Jun: available July 15
...
Related ...
Over 2,000 Senior-Level NASA Staff to Take White House Resignation Offer
www.extremetech.com
... NASA is hemorrhaging employees, thanks in no small part to the White House's efforts to prune the federal workforce. According to internal documents reviewed this week by Politico, more than 2,000 senior-level staff are planning to leave the agency via the Trump administration's deferred resignation program, which has also trimmed the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other federal organizations.
The documents point to 2,145 forthcoming senior-level resignations as of July 9. A majority of those resignations are among employees at the GS-13 and GS-14 levels, which are reserved for technical experts and supervisory roles, while 875 are classified as GS-15, the federal government's highest General Schedule grade level.
Nearly 85% of those leaving are "serving in mission areas like science or human space flight, with the rest performing mission support roles like IT, facilities management, or finance," Politico noted. ...
Previously ...
Treasury: DOGE will have read-only' access to federal payment systems (Februaru 4, 2025)
thehill.com
... After people working for Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly sought to gain access to a sensitive federal payment system, the Treasury Department is saying that a review of the system is underway and that staff members will have "read-only" access to the information.[emphasis mine]
Staff, working with a Treasury employee named as Tom Krause, will have access to payment system data, a letter from an unnamed Treasury official sent out Tuesday reads.
The letter describes Krause as "a longtime technology executive" with "experience in building companies and managing balance sheets" and notes that he will be given a top-secret security clearance.
"Treasury staff members working with Tom Krause, a Treasury employee, will have read-only access to the coded data of the Fiscal Service's payment systems in order to continue this operational efficiency assessment," the letter says. ...
President Trump Job Approval
www.realclearpolling.com
...
RCP Average 6/11 - 7/10
Approve: 46.2
Disapprove: 50.3
Spread: -4.1
...
Senate committee unanimously approves amendment that would preserve Jeffrey Epstein files
www.scrippsnews.com
@#2
Apparently, neither has the Fed.
From the article ...
... Federal Reserve officials debated whether tariff-driven inflation in the months ahead will be a one-time event or an ongoing problem ...
Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee, June 17-18, 2025
www.federalreserve.gov
@#3 ... Could have gone worse, he could have thrown up on him. ...
At tis point, I am not yet convinced that would have been worse.
Yes, that was a major f@@k-up, but not worse than this occurrence.
Lemme explain ...
This incident shows a total ignorance of Pres Trump regarding the country of the person he is talking with at the White House.
I mean really ...
Liberia - Culture
en.wikipedia.org
... The religious practices, social customs, and cultural standards of the Americo-Liberians had their roots in the antebellum American South. The settlers wore top hat and tails and modeled their homes on those of Southern slaveowners.[222] Most Americo-Liberian men were members of the Masonic Order of Liberia, which became heavily involved in the nation's politics. ...
... and English is the official language of Liberia, as noted here in a prior comment.
So, why didn't Pres Trump know this? Why did not his aides brief him on this before the meeting.
Oh wait, he seems to choose his aides based upon for their obsequious adulation, and not their competency.
And his major egg-on-the-face-of-America looks to be a result of that.
Another view ...
Marjorie Taylor Greene Fuels Government Weather Conspiracy After Deadly Texas Flood
www.forbes.com
... Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., fueled an ongoing conspiracy among the far-right -- that the government is behind some of the worst natural disasters -- when she said she would introduce legislation to prevent government "weather modification and geoengineering" in the wake of the deadly Texas floods. ...
@#5 ... It seem ironic that we have a Transportation secretary who has a phobia about riding in subways. ...
Being unqualified and/or incompetent seems to be an important criterion that Pres Trump uses to choose his senior staff.