14 States Sue To Block DOGE From Uncovering Government Abuses, Slashing Waste

We are now firmly in the lawfare stage of the second Trump presidency, with Democrats filing a flurry of lawsuits to hinder the new administration's agenda until a strong ruling from the Supreme Court eventually sets precedent.

In the latest legal move, a group of 14 states have sued Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, alleging that the authority granted to the billionaire and his team at DOGE is unconstitutional. The states, including Arizona, Michigan and Rhode Island, have taken aim at efforts to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce, including dismantling entire agencies, as well as their access to sensitive data.

"The founders of this country would be outraged that, 250 years after our nation overthrew a king, the people of this country—many of whom have fought and died to protect our freedoms—are now subject to the whims of a single unelected billionaire," said Arizona AG Kris Mayes in a statement reported by NBC News.

According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the lawsuit is nothing more than a "continuation of the weaponization of justice against President Trump," adding "The White House will continue to fight these battles in court, and we expect to be vindicated."

Another Thursday lawsuit from a group of government employees sought to block Musk and DOGE from accessing sensitive data and removing federal employees until "Musk is properly appointed pursuant to the U.S. constitution."

That lawsuit came on the heels of NY Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other attorneys general suing the Trump administration to block DOGE from accessing personal data housed in the Treasury department, calling it "unconstitutional." A federal judge temporarily granted that request, ruling that the states "will face irreparable harm in the absence of injuctive relief."

Meanwhile, 22 state attorneys general were separately granted a request to halt an effort by the Trump administration to make large cuts to federal research agencies.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/14-states-sue-block-doge-uncovering-government-abuses-slashing-waste

Treasury Inspector General Launches Audit Of "Fraudulent Payments" Found By DOGE

The US Treasury's Department of Inspector General is launching an investigation into "alleged fraudulent payments" found by Elon Musk's DOGE team, and will analyze the past two years of transactions within the government's payment system. The IG will also review the security controls to the system after Democratic senators freaked out over the access provided by Trump to Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.

According to a Friday letter by Treasury Deputy IG Loren J. Sciurba, the audit will take approximately six months.

"We expect to begin our fieldwork immediately," Sciurba wrote. "Given the breadth of this effort, the audit will likely not be completed until August; however, we recognize the danger that improper access or inadequate controls can pose to the integrity of sensitive payment systems. As such, if critical issues come to light before that time, we will issue interim updates and reports."

Musk claims to have found massive waste, fraud and abuse - and has launched an official government website for DOGE that will track how large the US government is, and how much DOGE has saved. The site (which still needs a little 'fine tuning') also has an 'unconstitutionality index,' which compares the number of rules passed by Congress in 2024 vs. the number of agency rules created out of thin air.

According to the report, the audit comes after Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Ron Wyden (OR) pushed for an inquiry at the US Treasury. On Wednesday, Warren, Wyden, and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raising the alarm over DOGE (and not what they've found, of course).

"Your lack of candor about these events is deeply troubling given the threats to the economy and the public from DOGE’s meddling, and you need to provide a clear, complete, and public accounting of who accessed the systems, what they were doing, and why they were doing it," wrote the lawmakers.

In short:

Several lawsuits have also been filed by labor unions and advocacy groups against DOGE's potential unauthorized access to sensitive Treasury payment systems, while five former treasury secretaries (who ostensibly oversaw massive fraud), have similarly sounded the alarm over what they say are risks associated with DOGE accessing sensitive Treasury Department payment systems.

Of course, if the following is true, DOGE may be 100% within its right to access these systems after actually having been established by the Obama administration.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/treasury-inspector-general-launches-audit-fraudulent-payments-found-doge

Outrageous Betrayal: Republican-Led Texas House Names Democrat as Speaker Pro-Tem, and Hands Half of New Subcommittees to the Left

Republicans chair all committees, as promised, while Democrats will lead half of the newly created subcommittees.

House Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed lawmakers to committees on Thursday, announcing a leadership team made up mostly of veterans who had led legislative panels under his predecessors — and appointing only Republicans to chair committees, as prescribed by the chamber’s new rules.

In a news release announcing the committee appointments, Burrows emphasized that the makeup of the committees reflected the GOP dominance in the chamber, noting that all were chaired by Republicans and that every standing committee and subcommittee was made up of a GOP majority. Burrows, however, immediately stirred criticism among hardline conservatives for putting Democrats in charge of half the chamber’s 12 newly created subcommittees.

Burrows said his committee appointments tried to ensure that lawmakers could use their expertise to contribute to the chamber’s overall goals.

“Assigning members to committees is among the most significant and intricate responsibilities of the Speaker — one that demands thoughtful consideration and a delicate balance of many factors,” he said in a statement. “Taking the time to get this right was not just necessary — it is what Texans deserve of their government, and I am confident these appointments will position the House for a productive, successful session.”

Burrows, a Lubbock Republican who is weeks into his first term as speaker, kept in place much of the leadership team assembled by his predecessor, Rep. Dade Phelan of Beaumont. He rewarded many allies who stuck with him even after the House Republican Caucus endorsed a different candidate, Rep. David Cook of Mansfield, in the speaker’s race.

Among those returning to key positions are: Rep. Greg Bonnen of Friendswood, who will lead the budget-writing Appropriations Committee; Rep. Brad Buckley of Salado, who will lead the Public Education Committee; and Rep. Morgan Meyer, who will lead the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

Also returning to their posts are Burrows allies Brooks Landgraf of Odessa who will again head the Environmental Regulation Committee and Jeff Leach of Plano who will lead the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee despite a very public disagreement with Gov. Greg Abbott over the planned execution of a death row inmate.

Burrows also shuffled around some veteran lawmakers to new roles. GOP Rep. Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi will return to his old post leading the Calendars Committee, which he ran for four terms from 2011 through the 2017 session. The panel sets the agenda for bills heard on the House floor, a crucial position that Burrows held the last two sessions.

https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/13/texas-house-committee-assignments-dustin-burrows/

Trump ejects from the Ukraine joyride, leaving the EU screaming in the backseat

Western European leaders are having a meltdown because shutting them out from talks is the only way to peace

The European Union was never in the driver’s seat on the Ukraine conflict. And now that same toddler sitting in the back with the plastic Fisher-Price steering wheel is throwing the kind of full-blown crimson-faced meltdown that makes adults chuckle.

How many times was the EU told, including by its own citizens with sledgehammer subtlety at the ballot box, to stop kissing Uncle Sam’s butt and start covering its own? Instead, its leaders cribbed America’s talking points, completely oblivious as they indulged in economic seppuku.

The EU’s entire economy-wrecking “strategy” over Ukraine was based on the fantasy that they were America’s little bro, not being used as naive pawns in a grand game that would knock them right off the chessboard. If Washington had picked peace over profit from the start, the closest thing that the Euroclowns would have seen to a military confrontation with Russia in Ukraine would have been playing Sergeant Savoir-Faire back home, armed with a map of the nearest coffee shops and a five-course lunch.

And now the previously unthinkable has happened. The jig is up on Biden’s ridiculous scam of vowing to do “whatever it takes” for Ukraine to beat Russia on the battlefield – mainly by dumping cash into US weapons which miraculously get lost en route to the frontlines after the cheque clears.

Nice racket. Too bad it’s getting people killed – something Trump’s made it clear he’s not exactly a fan of. Looks like he’s finally asked himself if there’s a way for the US to keep feasting on cash without a body count in Ukraine. Spoiler alert: he found a way, apparently. Several, in fact.

Cutting to the chase through all this messy death and destruction stuff, Trump just wants to wrap up the fighting and have Ukraine hand over its resources to cover US spending — most of which has already gone straight into the pockets of American weapons industries. And can he keep the weapon sales flowing, even without active conflict? Absolutely. Just tell NATO countries to cough up some cash for the sake of “preventive defense,” like he’s been doing relentlessly. A solid 90% of EU-bought weapons are already American, according to last year’s EU competitiveness report. And that’s not changing anytime soon – unless the EU’s itching for a tariff-spanking.

A group of European foreign ministers have issued a statement insisting that Ukraine and the EU must be at the table for any peace talks. Yeah, they’re at the table alright – the bib-wearing kiddie table, along with Ukraine. And while they’re busy twisting balloon animals and tossing around buzzwords like ‘enhancing support for Ukraine,’ totally immersed in their ‘choose your own adventure’ game where they’re obviously ‘winning,’ it turns out that Russia and the US – Putin and Trump – did something totally wild. They picked up a phone. Probably even a landline, like something out of a history book. All while the EU was bravely ‘sticking it to Putin’ by flaming him on social media while wiping croissant crumbs off their keyboard between sips of overpriced lattes.

In the wake of that call, Trump announced the start of immediate negotiations for peace. And now the EU is acting like it’s just been dumped by Uncle Sam, who’s committing the added insult of hanging around with the guy on whom they’ve been obsessively hating. “If there is agreement made behind our backs it will simply not work because you need for any kind of deal, any kind of agreement, you need Europeans to implement this deal. You need the Ukrainians to implement this deal,” said the bloc’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas.

https://www.rt.com/news/612724-trump-ukraine-european-leaders/

As DOGE Allegedly Cuts Spending the Military-Industrial Complex is Getting a Blank Check

Trump claims to cut spending, but the war machine keeps getting billions.

The two-party paradigm has once again blinded people to their own side’s corruption, and nowhere is this more obvious than with Donald Trump and his supposed crusade against government waste. While Trump’s buddy Elon Musk is busy slashing federal programs under his newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Trump himself is out here demanding even more military spending.

That’s right—the guy who claims he’s putting a check on out-of-control budgets is perfectly fine with funneling even more money into the already bloated, nearly $1 trillion-a-year military-industrial complex. Meanwhile, no one is supposed to care that he just handed Tesla a $400 million government contract to build armored vehicles—straight into the pocket of Musk, the very guy claiming to be the champion of cutting government waste.

The Hypocrisy is Blinding

According to The Independent, Trump sat down for an interview with Fox News this week, where he openly stated:

“We want to raise defense spending. I think we have to have it.”

All while claiming that DOGE will be "checking the military." The mental gymnastics required to believe both of these statements at the same time is truly astounding. You don’t “check” the military by giving them a blank check—yet here we are, with Trump pushing for even more defense spending while pretending to be a fiscal conservative.

And let’s not forget, this comes at a time when Musk’s DOGE is slashing other government programs under the guise of “cutting waste.” But cutting waste for whom? Because it sure as hell isn’t the defense contractors who get fat off of endless war and overpriced military gear.

Tesla’s $400 Million Handout—Because ‘Limited Government’ Means Enriching Your Friends

And just in case anyone thought Trump’s version of cutting spending was about actual fiscal responsibility, let’s take a look at the latest $400 million no-bid contract for armored Tesla vehicles.

As NPR reports, Musk’s own company was set to receive the lucrative contract until the State Department edited the document to remove the name "Tesla" after reports began circulating. But the contract still stands—$400 million for "armored electric vehicles," a.k.a. Cybertrucks in government-issued camo.

Remember when Trump supporters used to bash government handouts? Apparently, that outrage is very selective.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/antiwar/as-doge-allegedly-cuts-spending-the-military-industrial-complex-is-getting-a-blank-check

Anti-Trump Style Lawfare Grips Europe as Top Populist Faces Criminal Charges Over ‘Offensive’ Posters.

The Czech Republic’s globalist governing majority has voted to strip populist political leader Tomio Okamura—founder of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party and a member of the Chamber of Deputies—of legal immunity. Consequently, this will expose the Japanese-born Czech politician to prosecution over allegedly offensive campaign posters, with Okamura potentially facing a total of three years in prison.

Reminiscent of the lawfare campaign waged by former President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party against President Donald J. Trump in the United States, it appears the Czech government is seeking dubious legal means to blunt the country’s populist political insurgency. Currently, Okamura’s SPD and the ANO party—both right-wing and populist in ideology—comprise the bulk of the opposition in the parliament—and are just roughly 10 seats shy of holding a majority in the lower legislative chamber.

A series of campaign posts used by the SPD during last year’s Czech elections are at the center of the legal complaint against Okamura. One poster—apparently AI-generated—features a dark-skinned man holding a bloody knife with the caption: “Shortcomings in healthcare won’t be solved by ‘imported surgeons.’” According to the Czech police, the poster violated the law as it incites hatred against migrants and has a “racist and xenophobic undertone.”

Another poster included in the complaint features several Roma—commonly known by the exonym “Gypsy”—huddled smoking cigarettes instead of being at school. The Czech police claim this poster “has a racist undertone aimed at the Roma ethnic group.”In an interview with the Czech newspaper Deník N, police spokesman Jan Daněk suggested that the parliamentary vote to strip Okamura of immunity likely opens the door to criminal prosecution. “The initiation of criminal prosecution is the most probable outcome,” Daněk said.

Meanwhile, Okamura remains defiant, responding to the immunity vote by stating: “The governing coalition will not silence me. I am facing a political trial.”

>>22582789

https://thenationalpulse.com/2025/02/14/anti-trump-style-lawfare-grips-europe-as-top-populist-faces-criminal-charges-over-offensive-posters/

200,000 probationary federal employees fired

The Trump administration has directed federal agencies to fire most trial period and probationary staff within two days. This decision targets many of the roughly 200,000 people hired by the federal government within the last two years.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has advised agencies to dismiss employees who are still within their probationary period, typically one or two years. This directive affects 200,000 probationary employees. Additionally, about 75,000 federal employees have accepted buyouts. In total, 275,000 federal employees are impacted by these measures.

Agencies such as the Education Department and the U.S. Forest Service have already begun terminating dozens of probationary employees. The U.S. Forest Service, for example, is planning to terminate at least 3,400 people.

About 75,000 federal employees accepted the White House’s “deferred resignation” offer, which allows them to leave their roles but be paid through September. This move has faced some legal challenges, with a federal appeals court rejecting the Trump administration’s bid to pause a lower court’s order that temporarily halted the federal funding freeze.

https://citizenwatchreport.com/200000-probationary-federal-employees-fired/

Syria Warns Kurds Will Be Excluded From National Dialogue If They Don’t Disarm and Submit

Turkish DM offers to ‘relocate’ troops into northern Syria as fighting rages

The fighting between the Kurdish SDF and the forces of Turkey and its proxy the SNA continues apace in northern Syria with no signs of ending. Turkey targeted civilian infrastructure, leading to power outages and water cutoffs for some 100 Kurdish villages around Tabqa.

Turkey’s interest in Syria is driven by the Erdogan government’s desire to tamp down Kurdish autonomy in the region. Turkey is pushing the new Islamist government to do more against the Kurds, and the Turkish Defense Ministry has offered to “relocate” Turkish ground troops into northern Syria to that end.

So far, the al-Qaeda linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the new government in Syria, hasn’t moved militarily against the Kurds directly, but it has repeatedly denounced the idea of Kurdish autonomy and is stepping up the rhetoric.

The Syrian government has issued a statement warning that if the Kurds don’t agree to disarm and submit, they will be excluded from the meetings on national dialogue between various Syrian parties. The meetings are meant to produce a statement related to the eventual creation of a constitution.

The spokesman of that national dialogue committee meanwhile has insisted that the Kurdish SDF “do not represent our people,” and that only groups that the HTS believes do represent Syria will be allowed to participate.

Turkey is keen for the new Syria to eliminate all autonomy, particularly the Kurdish sort. In the past month Turkey has threatened a full invasion of Syria if the SDF isn’t totally eliminated. Turkey has also urged the HTS government to take control of the ISIS prison camps in the northeast, which are also run by the SDF.

Groups within the Kurdish autonomous government in Syria, the AANES, have emphasized the importance their ability to continue protecting their rights within the new Syria. This includes ongoing training exercises for their fighting forces, which runs contrary to Turkey’s vision for the region.

The AANES, however, aren’t focused exclusively on armed resistance to Turkey or exclusion from the conversation on where Syria is going. The group is sending representatives to the Munich Security Conference scheduled for this weekend.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pederson, applauded reports of a communication channel between the HTS government and the SDF. He did qualify this, saying that “genuine compromises” are needed for the region to become peaceful and stable.

https://news.antiwar.com/2025/02/13/syria-warns-kurds-will-be-excluded-from-national-dialogue-if-they-dont-disarm-and-submit/

>>22582830

Nov 2024

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/marius-borg-hoiby-arrested-rape-norway-royal-crown-princess-rcna180743

Astonishing amount government spent on giving migrants cars, homes and credit cards

The Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) doled out grants worth an eyewatering $22.6 billion from 2020 to 2024 to help migrants, according to a watchdog report.

According to findings by auditors OpenTheBooks, the HHS' Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) even handed out money to help migrants buy cars and homes.

Given the job of settling migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, the ORR increased the number of non-citizens eligible to receive funding under President Joe Biden.

In doing so, they handed out the funds to cover a wide range of benefits including housing, vehicles, small business loans, credit repair, legal aid and Medicaid.

Roughly $10 billion alone was shelled out to grant-receiving organizations just in 2023.

Some of the programs were also only available to migrants or refugees who had been in the country for a number of years, were employed or making double the poverty limit.

However, the majority of the $22.6 billion was spent on unaccompanied migrant children, with $12.4 billion being spent over five years.

OpenTheBooks CEO John Hart told The New York Post: 'ORR is part of a troubling trend of using nonprofit groups as ideological proxies.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14395237/government-spending-illegal-immigrants-cars-homes-credit-cards.html