Does the Federal Government Have a Right to States’ Data?; Government Technology, May 14, 2025

 Julia Edinger , Government Technology; Does the Federal Government Have a Right to States’ Data?

"A federal executive order (EO) issued in March has created questions about the government’s right to access states’ data — especially in cases where that information was collected with a promise of privacy.

Governments have increasingly prioritized inclusive data collection practices, taking into consideration things like disability and gender identity — in part as preparation for AI deployment. This shift broadens the need for governments to protect privacy, especially as federal data collection by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) creates concerns.

A March 20 EO issued by President Donald Trump, "Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos," raises questions for some.

“[The EO] … said that federally funded state programs will be required to report personal data to the federal government,” said Elizabeth Laird, director of equity in civic technology for the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), who described the new rule as a “significant shift.”...

This EO is relevant to both state and local agencies, Laird said, noting the EO did not specify what type of information and which programs will be impacted. The risk, she said, is that data that was collected for one intent could be used for another without the explicit consent of those who provided it."

Move fast and destroy things: 100 chaotic days of Elon Musk in the White House; The Guardian, May 1, 2025

 Nick Robins-Early, The Guardian ; Move fast and destroy things: 100 chaotic days of Elon Musk in the White House

"The billionaire’s newfound sway has not come without pushback and a cost. Doge’s blitz through the government has sparked furious nationwide backlash, as well as dozens of lawsuits challenging Musk’s mass firings and accusing his task force of violating numerous laws. Musk’s personal popularity has sunk to record lows, and Tesla’s profits have tanked.

A look back at the first 100 days of the Trump administration shows the extent to which Musk’s efforts have changed the US government. It also shows that what Musk framed as a cost-cutting task initiative is failing to meet its ostensible goal of finding $1tn in fraud or waste, but it is succeeding in reshaping federal agencies along ideological grounds, paving the way for private companies to fill the resulting vacuum of public services.

Musk has recently stopped physically working from the White House and stated he plans to pivot away from his government position soon, but has entrenched himself as one of the world’s most divisive political figures and gives no sign he is willing to fully give up his influence. Instead, the first 100 days of Doge shows that the scope of Musk’s ambition extends to remaking how the government deals with everything from humanitarian aid to the rule of law."

Former US social security head predicts ‘interruption of benefits’ amid Doge cuts; The Guardian, April 25, 2025

 Robert Tait  , The Guardian; Former US social security head predicts ‘interruption of benefits’ amid Doge cuts

[Kip Currier: The excerpted statements (see below) by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are moronic and deceitful. American workers have paid into Social Security and they reasonably expect and have earned the right to receive their fair share of the contributions they've made, when they decide to do so. 

Billionaires like Lutnick and Elon Musk think nothing of using every tax loophole or corporate write-off they can to make more money for themselves. Yet, these same billionaires want to deny American workers from accessing benefits from the system that they've faithfully paid into and rightfully earned.

We've all seen this "bad movie plot" before, right?

We see through the hypocrisy, sophomoric tricks, and bad faith efforts to rip off -- and take for themselves through billionaire tax cuts -- what U.S. workers have lawfully earned, don't we?

Yeah, we do! We see through your disinformation and deceptive antics, Lutnick and Musk et al. 

Call your state and federal representatives and tell them you want billionaires like Lutnick and Musk to keep their hands off the Social Security you've earned:

Directory of U.S. House Representatives: https://www.house.gov/representatives

Directory of U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/senators/index.htm ]

[Excerpt]

"Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary and also a billionaire, added further fuel by suggesting only fraudsters would complain if there was an interruption to social security payments – the very scenario O’Malley has warned of.

“Let’s say social security didn’t send out their checks this month, my mother-in-law – who’s 94 – she wouldn’t call and complain,” Lutnick told a business podcast last month. “She’d just think something messed up and she’d get it next month. A fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining.”"

Being a librarian was already hard. Then came the Trump administration; The Guardian, April 7, 2025

Rainesford Stauffer, The Guardian; Being a librarian was already hard. Then came the Trump administration

"For many librarians, the stakes of the job are high – they’re facing burnout, book bans, legislation pushed by rightwing groups, and providing essential resources in an effort to fill gaps in the US’s social safety net.

Now, as Donald Trump’s administration rolls out their agenda, many librarians are describing his policies as “catastrophic” to accessing information and the libraries themselves – institutions considered fundamental to democracy...

Elon Musk’s unofficial “department of government efficiency” recently gutted the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which the American Library Association noted greatly affects the important services they offer, including high-speed internet access, summer reading programs, veterans’ telehealth spaces and more, with the most intense losses in rural communities.

While the majority of public library funding comes from city and county taxes, according to EveryLibrary, the IMLS provides grants that support these critical services in every state...

Librarians are speaking out about what communities could lose, including internet access and workforce development in Kentucky, the Talking Book and Braille Center in New Jersey, digital hotspots in North Carolina, and much more outlined in reporting from Book Riot. As librarians grappled with losses that would directly affect their work, the IMLS Instagram accountissued posts appearing to mock grantees."