Whistleblower describes DOGE IT dept rampage at America's labor watchdog
www.theregister.com

... Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation after a tech staffer at the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) blew the whistle on the ------------ DOGE's activities at the employment watchdog -- which the staffer claims included being granted superuser status in contravention of standard operating procedures, exfiltrating data, and seemingly leaking credentials to someone with a Russian IP address. ...

According to Berulis' disclosure, DOGE operatives arrived at the agency on March 3 in a black SUV that enjoyed a police escort. The same day, he claims, an agency assistant chief information officer (ACIO) told him that DOGE aides would be given accounts "with essentially unrestricted permission to read, copy, and alter data." Creation of such accounts was not standard operating procedure, but the ACIO said those rules must be ignored and the opening of the accounts was not to be logged.

Berulis's document points out that not even his CIO enjoyed the level of access given to DOGE unit operatives, and that the NLRB already had auditor accounts set up that provided enough privileges to check data without being able to edit, copy, or remove it. The "suggestion that they use these accounts instead was not open to discussion," he wrote.

"In the same conversation it was conveyed that we were to hand over any requested accounts, stay out of DOGE's way entirely, and assist them when they asked," he recounted.

Within days, Berulis says, he began to notice worrying signs, such as alerting and monitoring tools being switched off and changes to multi-factor authentication.

He also observed "gigabytes" of data "exiting" a case management application called NxGen over the network, and claimed he later saw 10 GB of data exfiltrated from the agency. ...

apnews.com

... On the rooftop patio of the General Services Administration headquarters, an agency staffer recently discovered something strange: a rectangular device attached to a wire that snaked across the roof, over the ledge and into the administrator's window one floor below.

It didn't take long for the employee -- an IT specialist -- to figure out the device was a transceiver that communicates with Elon Musk's vast and private Starlink satellite network. Concerned that the equipment violated federal laws designed to protect public data, staffers reported the discovery to superiors and the agency's internal watchdog.

The Starlink equipment raises a host of questions about what Musk and his efficiency czars are doing at GSA, an obscure agency that is playing an outsized role in the Trump administration's quest to slash costs and bring the federal government to heel. ...

RFK Jr. lays out new studies on autism, shuts down 'better diagnoses' as a cause
abcnews.go.com

... On the heels of a new report showing that rates of autism diagnoses have again increased, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he was determined to find the "environmental exposures" behind the rise and directed the National Institute of Health to launch new studies into "everything" -- from mold to obesity -- that could potentially be a factor.

Kennedy, who prioritizes autism as one of the chronic illnesses he's determined to tackle in his aim to "Make America Healthy Again," ardently pushed back against the explanation that a broadening definition of autism spectrum disorder is a meaningful contributor to more autism diagnoses. ...

Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next (1999)
www.youtube.com

An interesting tune.

If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
en.wikipedia.org

... "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. ..

Background

A propaganda poster reading "Madrid ' The 'military' practice of the rebels" at the top, and "If you tolerate this your children will be next" at the bottom; in the middle, a photomontage of a dead young child under a formation of bomber aircraft

The song's theme is inspired by the Spanish Civil War, and the idealism of Welsh volunteers who joined the left-wing International Brigades fighting for the Spanish Republic against Francisco Franco's military rebels. The song takes its name from a Republican propaganda poster of the time written in English and displaying a photograph of a child killed by the Nationalists, under a sky filled with bomber aircraft, with the song's titular warning written at the bottom.[3] ...

Tanya Donelly - Pretty Deep (1997)
www.youtube.com

Lyrics excerpt ...

genius.com

... [Verse 1]
Do I look like a liar?
Do I look like a liar to you?
Fighting crime in this time brings a girl down
Makes a body sink so low

[Chorus]
And I sink pretty deep, pretty deep, pretty deep
I sink pretty deep, pretty deep, pretty deep

[Pre-Chorus]
I wish I carried a camera
I'd have proof that you're never where you say
I wish I could fly up in a helicopter
I'd shine a blinding light on your escape
Better to show you

[Chorus]
That I'll sink pretty deep, pretty deep, pretty deep
I'll sink pretty deep, pretty deep, pretty deep

[Verse 2]
Do I look like a crier
Do I look like a cry baby to you
Fighting fire in this town wears a man out
Makes a body break so slow

[Pre-Chorus]
Remember when we all went out to Fire Island
You thought you saw a body on the beach
When we got closer it was just a tyre
And you were disappointed I could see
So I pretended
...

Donald Trump Set to Change Bank Overdraft Fees
www.newsweek.com

... A Biden-era rule that capped most bank overdraft fees at $5 is on the verge of being scrapped after the U.S. House of Representatives recently joined the U.S. Senate in voting to repeal it.

The legislation now awaits President Donald Trump's signature, which is expected later this week.

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment on this story via email.

Why It Matters

The reversal, made possible under the Congressional Review Act, would overturn one of former President Joe Biden's consumer protection initiatives. ...

Regressive Autism (2021)
goldencaretherapy.com

... The Difference Between Autism That Develops and Regressive Autism

Autism That Develops (Early-Onset Autism)

Autism that develops, also known as early-onset autism, refers to cases where symptoms are present from an early age, often before the child turns three years old. Children with early-onset autism exhibit developmental delays and differences in social, communication, and behavioral skills compared to their typically developing peers.

Regressive Autism (Late-Onset Autism)

Regressive autism, also known as late-onset autism, involves a period of typical development followed by a loss of previously acquired skills or a noticeable decline in social and communication abilities. This regression usually occurs between 15 and 30 months of age and can be sudden or gradual. ...

Polls Suggest That Native Americans Voted For Trump. The Truth May Be More Complex. (November 19, 2024)
www.yahoo.com

... An exit poll conducted by Edison Research in the wake of the 2024 Presidential Election indicated that 65 percent of American Indians voted for Donald Trump. The poll, circulated by various national news organizations, and widely cited through NBC News' exit poll page, sparked intense discussion, becoming fodder for right-wing talking heads to point to a surge of Native American support of Trump across the country.

The data, however, paints far from a complete picture. American Indians represented only one percent of the total voters surveyed, meaning that less than 300 self-identified Native American individuals were counted to represent the approximately 3.1 million registered Native American voters in the United States.

Notably, according to Native News Online, none of the exit poll locations were conducted on Tribal land. ...