The Israel Gaza Problem Just Got Worse, Surprise Attack Kills Over 400, Roberts Rebukes Trump & More
PDS Published 03/18/2025
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Ubisoft is preparing for its employees to be hit with an onslaught of harassment as the new game, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, is set to release this week.
Right, it is highly-anticipated, but for nearly the last year, it has faced a sort of anti-DEI controversy.
This because the installation takes place in feudal Japan, and when the trailer first came out in May, people got to meet the two main characters: Naoe (Now-way) and Yasuke (yah-suh-kay).
And as you might notice, Yah-suh-kay is Black, and that prompted tons of people to cry “woke” and threaten to not play the game. [][][]
Some tied their issue with his race to the fact that the game is set in Japan, arguing the leads should be Japanese. []
And on top of that, some were also mad that the other protagonist is a woman. []
But as far as historical accuracy is concerned, Yah-suh-kay is a historical figure and Black samurai.[]
Though, that kind of added to the backlash, as some contend there are questions about his rank and samurai status, so outlets like Forbes noted there was some criticism about accuracy alongside the people who were simply mad that he is Black at all.
And even though this all started in the spring of last year, recent posts from the Assassin's Creed account are met with some replies from those who are slamming the game for being woke, or DEI, or some variation of that.[][]][[]
And now, the outlet BFM TV is reporting that Ubisoft is implementing an anti-harassment strategy for the game’s release to protect its staffers and the developers who designed it.
With one staffer telling the outlet:
"We're advised not to post on social media that we work at Ubisoft to avoid harassment.”
With that staffer noting some have already dealt with a series of attacks since the game was first presented to the public.
BFM TV also reported that Ubisoft presented an anti-harassment plan to the CSE, and while the outlet did not say what that acronym meant, Forbes said it referred to Canada’s Communications Security Establishment.[]
And this plan will reportedly involve a team monitoring and acting in the event of any targeted attack, as well as providing psychological and legal support to employees that are targeted.
With outlets like Forbes noting that as wild as this might sound:
“there have been many such instances of individual developers targeted over games deemed “woke” or anti-anti-DEI statements they’ve made. This can involve them being personally attacked and brigaded online or their actual faces being plastered on YouTube thumbnails.”
Noting that some are targeted just for progressive seeming tee shirts they've been photographed wearing, having their pronouns in their bio, or for having a certain hair color.
And so you had some responding to the news of Ubisoft having to take anti-harassment measures, the likes of Hasan Piker writing:
“the wildest meta online is content creators of every political background running targeted harassment operations in the ways that anonymous online forums used to and masquerading it as “accountability.” sending death threats to devs is not accountability, you should self reflect.”[]
Others just saying:
“The fact Ubisoft has to do this speaks volume how toxic the gaming community really is, absolutely insane.”[]
And some believe this issue is not tied to just this case or scenario.
Wired last year even noting that “DEI” has become a rallying cry for Gamergate 2.0,
Citing a postdoc at UCLA who argued, “Even if we cleansed our games of women, non-white people, queer people—which is their ask, and one we absolutely should not give in to—they would turn to insufficiently ‘masculine’ depictions of white men. This movement exists only in opposition to some polluting ‘other,’ an enemy that must be manufactured if a real enemy cannot be found.”[]
And the idea of trying to point to “others” and manufacture enemies probably sounds familiar in terms of our political landscape.
With Forbes noting that these anti-DEI social trends are now “normalized in the US government.”[]
And some have even argued that the anti-woke right has pulled some of its strategies straight from the Gamergate playbook.
With Axios writing that:
“The far right learned from Gamergate and other online movements how to use social media attacks to achieve real-world political gains in ways that many key institutions — from journalism to government to tech — are still struggling to understand.”
So I would love to know your thoughts on any aspect of this, right, on the reports that Ubisoft is taking these harassment measures, on the backlash that is leading to them being necessary.
Or on this bigger picture scale of anti woke and anti DEI permeating its way from what seems like smaller corners of the internet all the way to well, gestures broadly.
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Oh, did you get your little feelings hurt in the rap battle you started and lost? Well that’s not our fault.
That is essentially what Universal Music Group just said to Drake in a recent legal filing over his lawsuit against them.
Right, earlier this year, Drake sued UMG, which represents both Kendrick Lamar and Drake himself.
But Drake is accusing the company of defamation, alleging that when Universal allowed Kendrick to release “Not Like Us,” the label:[]
“launched a campaign to create a viral hit out of a rap track that falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him.”
And further claiming that UMG:
“knew that the salacious allegations against Drake were false [and] chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists.”
But UMG denied those allegations and yesterday filed a motion to get the suit dismissed, claiming that Drake:[]
“lost a rap battle that he provoked and in which he willingly participated. Instead of accepting the loss like the unbothered rap artist he often claims to be, he has sued his own record label in a misguided attempt to salve his wounds.”
And that’s just where the filing starts.
You also had the label saying that in a rap battle, it takes two to tango, right, and Drake used UMG’s platform to promote tracks that said Kendrick abused his wife and that one of his sons is not actually his and was fathered by his business partner:
Further adding that:
“‘Not Like Us’ did not emerge out of thin air. It was Lamar’s culminating diss track in one of ‘the nastiest lyrical warfare rap [feuds]’ in recent history…It followed the release of seven preceding tracks in which Drake and Lamar hurled increasingly vitriolic allegations at each other, including Drake’s slurs that Lamar’s son was fathered by someone else…If ever there was circumstance for the audience to ‘anticipate the use of epithets, fiery rhetoric or hyperbole,’ this is it.”
Right, arguing this is all part of the diss track genre, which is:
“centered around outrageous insults, and they would be severely chilled if Drake’s suit were permitted to proceed.”
When it comes to the specific claims levied in “Not Like Us,” UMG argued that “criticism concerning Drake’s relationships with minors predate” the song and have even been acknowledged by Drake himself.
And there also is no understating just how big the song was.
“Not Like Us” swept the Grammys and was the main event of Kendrick’s Super Bowl halftime show performance.
But Drake’s team maintains that this is the result of a defamation campaign from his own label, with his lawyer responding to UMG’s dismissal motion by saying:
“UMG wants to pretend that this is about a rap battle in order to distract its shareholders, artists and the public from a simple truth: a greedy company is finally being held responsible for profiting from dangerous misinformation that has already resulted in multiple acts of violence.”
With Drake’s initial suit noting that Kendrick’s cover art for “Not Like Us” depicts his house and street with sex offender markers on it.
And as the rap battle was ongoing, a shooting took place outside Drake’s home and left his security guard injured.
Now, as for why Drake believes his own label would defame him, well, Drake’s current deal is coming to an end. []
And the suit alleges that UMG intentionally harmed Drake’s brand to gain leverage when negotiating a new deal with him.[]
But UMG maintains it did nothing wrong by publishing “Not Like Us” and argues Drake is in the wrong for filing the lawsuit.
Noting he previously signed a petition just a few years back that condemned prosecutors for using artists’ creative expression and lyrics against them in court, with the label adding:[]
“Drake was right then and is wrong now.”
As for responses, well, as has been the case with this story, Drake is mostly getting dunked on online.
With people really loving how scathing UMG was in this dismissal motion and that Drake is getting dragged by his own label.[][][]
Right, the filing even has a header using one of Drake’s own lyrics against him, with the document starting by quoting him saying:
“Yeah, I want it all, that’s why I strive for it / Diss me, you’ll never hear a reply for it.”
Right, as far as lawsuit dismissal motions go, it’s pretty funny.
But I would love to know your thoughts on this ordeal, on the lawsuit, UMG’s reply, anything here.
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Donald Trump thinks judges he disagrees with should be impeached.
And now, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, has spoken up – issuing a rare statement criticizing Donald Trump and his allies for their attacks on the judiciary.
But with that, the starting point for this story is the Trump administration deporting dozens of alleged Venezuelan gang members by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
Right, we went over this in detail yesterday but there are at least three key points.
Right, one, it’s a law that allows the government to deport certain individuals in times of war without trial.
And while the administration claims we’re being invaded by gangs and therefore are at war, that’s kind of a hot take to say the least.
Two, despite the administration’s claims, it hasn’t provided any evidence that all those being deported are gang members or have committed any crimes in the U.S. at all. []
And three, despite the apparent lack of due process, these deportees are not just being sent back to their home country – they’re being sent to a prison in El Salvador and forced to work. []
And so with all that, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg (Bo-as-berg) issued a temporary restraining order to halt the deportations until the question of their legality could be resolved in the court system.
Notably, however, the planes were already in the air, and the administration defied the judge’s verbal directive to have them turned around –
Claiming it hadn’t truly defied the judge because his written decision didn’t also specify that the planes should be sent back.
But also claiming the judge lacked the authority in the first place.
And then, today, you had Trump writing on social media, clearly in reference to Bo-as-berg:
“This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President -”
Going on to say:
“HE DIDN’T WIN ANYTHING! I WON FOR MANY REASONS, IN AN OVERWHELMING MANDATE, BUT FIGHTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION MAY HAVE BEEN THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR THIS HISTORIC VICTORY.”
“I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!”
Notably, of course, with that, there’s several federal judges – appointed by Democratic and Republican presidents, including Trump himself – who have blocked Trump’s agenda in the past.
And with that, there’s been increasingly frequent calls for various judges to be impeached from the MAGA base as well as from those in power.
And all of this, experts say, is incredibly alarming because it’s an attack on a basic pillar of our democracy.
And so with that, Roberts, apparently could no longer stay quiet, saying in a statement:
"For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."
And notably, with that, this type of thing is extremely rare, but it still isn’t the first time Roberts has publicly clashed with Trump.
In 2018, for example, he criticized Trump for singling out an "Obama judge" who had ruled against the administration, saying:[]
"We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them.” []
But in any case, as of recording, neither Trump nor the White House has commented on Roberts’ statement.
Notably, however, even after Roberts issued his statement, you had Brandon Gill, a Republican from Texas, announcing on X that he had introduced articles of impeachment against Bo-as-berg, writing:
“He is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors and should be removed from office.” []
And to that, I just cannot stress enough that that is insane.
Okay, there’s very good reason to believe these deportations are illegal, and the judiciary has only done what it is designed to do.
And to be very clear, while a handful of federal judges have been removed from office in the past, it has been because of gross misconduct in office, such as taking bribes.
NOT as a result of individual decisions they have made. []
Because if you start getting rid of judges for that the whole system just falls apart.
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The Israeli government killed hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza – breaking its fragile, flailing ceasefire with Hamas.
And now, while many hope a deal can somehow be salvaged, a lot of people are just left wondering how many more people are going to die.
Right, with that, the surprise airstrikes early this morning? They reportedly killed at least 404 Palestinians to be exact– including five senior Hamas leaders but also women, children, and other non-combatants according to the Gazan health ministry.
A strike on a home in the southern city of Rafah, for example, reportedly killed 17 members of one family, including five children and their parents, as well as another three children and their father. []
Overall, it was among the deadliest single days of the war –
A war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of whom were reportedly women and children, as well as displaced an estimated 90% of the population and otherwise led to widespread destruction and devastation across Gaza. (BROLL: 0:21-0:31)
With Israel as a result facing evidence-backed accusations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
And of course, the war first erupting when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages –
As evidence of the atrocities committed that day have also supported accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity against the group.
But in any case, regarding this latest Israeli attack? Officials said the operation was open-ended and expected to expand.
With one official telling the Associated Press that Israel was striking Hamas’ military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks –
Also accusing Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. []
And with all that, the Israeli military has now also ordered people to evacuate areas along Gaza’s borders and head toward the center of the territory – []
With this further indicating that Israel could soon launch a new ground offensive.
And on that note, the prospect of the war continuing is raising concerns about the fate of the roughly two dozen hostages still held by Hamas and believed to be alive.
Right, notably, according to a recent New York Times analysis, at least 41 hostages have been killed since being taken captive on October 7th –
Some killed by Hamas fire, some by Israeli bullets and airstrikes, and others’ whose cause of death remains unknown.
And with that, the main group representing families of the captives has criticized the government for backing out of the ceasefire, saying it “chose to give up on the hostages.”
And adding: “We are shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas.” []
And on the flip side, you have a senior Hamas official claiming Netanyahu’s decision to return to war amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages –
Accusing the Israeli prime minister of launching the strikes to try and save his far-right governing coalition and also calling on mediators to “reveal facts” on who broke the truce.
And while, of course, we can’t know Netanyahu’s inner motivation, it is certainly true that he is facing mounting domestic pressure – which this latest move may help him weather.
Right, mass protests are already planned over not only his handling of the hostage crisis but also his recent decision to fire the head of Israel’s internal security agency: a guy by the name of Ronen Bar (Rhone-in Bar).
Right, notably, under Bar’s leadership, the agency is currently investigating ties between Netanyahu advisers and leaked classified documents as well as the possible exchange of favors with Qatari officials.
And with all that, Netanyahu has already fired or forced out a string of top officials (1, 2, 3) since the war began.
With his critics saying this has all been part of a broader campaign by Netanyahu to undermine independent government institutions. []
With the ultimate aim being to boost his reputation, silence dissent, and hold onto power in the face of pressure to not only accept his own alleged responsibility for policy failures in the lead-up to October 7, but also as he stands trial on corruption charges.
And on that note, if that is the aim, it to some extent seems to be working.
Right, his latest testimony in the long-running trial has actually been cancelled directly in response to the urgency of the ongoing “military operation” in Gaza.
While this operation has also seemingly given him a political boost – at least with extremists.
With the far-right “Jewish Power” party that left Netanyahu’s coalition in response to the ceasefire now announcing it’d be rejoining the government –
With the party’s leader saying “We welcome the return of the State of Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to intense fighting.”
And with all this, of course, Netanyahu and the Israeli far-right have seemingly been emboldened by the Trump administration.
With the White House revealing that it had been consulted by Israel about yesterday’s airstrikes and also voicing support for Israel’s actions.
And then National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes blaming Hamas, claiming the group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.” []
Right, notably, with that, Netnyahu’s office similarly said he had ordered the military operation following the “repeated refusal” by Hamas to release the hostages, and warned:
“From now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military strength.” []
But here’s the thing, right, the ceasefire and hostage release deal Hamas has refused?
Right, the first phase of that deal expired on March 1st and it saw the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the increased flow of humanitarian aid, and the release and exchange of individuals held by either side.
Also, I will say, during the first phase, Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.
But overall, the ceasefire was seen as having held.
However, it was also meant to include the start of talks to negotiate the second phase– which would see the declaration of a “permanent cessation of hostilities” Gaza;
the withdrawal of all Israeli troops;
and the release of all living hostages in exchange for additional Palestinians described as “prisoners and detainees.” []
But Israel reportedly refused to move forward with phase two, claiming that it had never been required –
With the country’s foreign minister, for example, claiming Israel received a side letter from the Biden administration “that explicitly states that there is no automatic transition between phases.” []
And instead, you instead had Israel calling for an extension of the ceasefire during which Hamas would be required to release additional hostages –
And when Hamas refused and insisted that phase two move forward as originally planned, Netanyahu announced that Israel would begin blocking the supply of food, aid supplies, and fuel into Gaza –
With him and others arguing they couldn’t commit to an end to the war as long as Hamas remained armed and in control of Gaza.
Though, notably, with that, Arab leaders have endorsed a plan to rebuild Gaza that would see Hamas cede power to a committee of independent experts until a reformed Palestinian Authority can assume control.
However, Israel has also ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.
And Hamas, while claiming to be willing to let other Palestinians run the enclave, says it won’t give up its arms until there is a Palestinian state.[]
And with that, the US and Israel flat out rejected it, instead taking steps toward implementing Trump’s Gaza takeover-slash-what many say would be ethnic cleansing proposal.
Right, with the Israeli government establishing a new office under its Defense Ministry to manage the mass transfer of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to other countries.
And American and Israeli officials have also reportedly been approaching the governments of Sudan and Somalia to talk about resettling Palestinians there, also considering Syria.
Though Trump has insisted that “Nobody is expelling any Palestinians.” []
But ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see where this goes.
Right, will Hamas buckle under the pressure from Israel? Will the war continue? And then, either way, what happens after that?
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DOGE accused of breaking into independent nonprofit that’s not part of the executive branch
I have ___ pieces of DOGE-related news I want to talk about today.
Starting with the news that DOGE is now being accused of breaking into a private non-profit that is not part of the executive branch and using law enforcement to physically remove the organization’s leaders.
Right, and this massive showdown took place yesterday at the U.S. Institute of Peace — an independent nonprofit that was created by Congress in 1984 under legislation that very notably was signed into law by President Reagan.
With the aim of USIP being to help “prevent violent conflicts and broker peace deals abroad” — according to its website.[]
But last month, Trump signed an executive order listing the nonprofit as one of four agencies to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law” as part of DOGE and Elon Musk's sweeping cuts.
And on Friday, the administration fired most of the organization’s board except for three members: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Defense University President Peter Garvin.
Then, with the rest of the board out of the way, those three went full Succession-mode, promptly firing USIP’s president and CEO, George Moose, and replacing him with Kenneth Jackson.
A State Department official who played a role in dismantling USAID.
But officials at USIP argued that Trump and Musk had no authority to gut their operations because the agency is a congressionally chartered nonprofit and not part of the executive branch.
With a lawyer for the institute saying that it was preparing to sue the administration over the board’s removal and that officials at the organization have refused to recognize the terminations.
And according to USIP officials, people working for DOGE initially tried to gain access to the agency’s D.C. headquarters shortly after the mass-firing of the board, but representatives for the institute made them leave.
Then, later that same day, DOGE officials came back two FBI agents, but they eventually left after a lawyer for the nonprofit told them it was an independent agency outside the executive branch.
But yesterday, DOGE once again turned up outside USIP headquarters — this time with what appeared to be private security — and tried to enter the building.
So officials at the institute called the police to report that DOGE members were trespassing on their property.
But when the police arrived, instead of clearing the DOGE team, they removed USIP leaders from the building — including Moose — and allowed DOGE to enter.
With DOGE saying on X that police also escorted Jackson — USIP’s new president — into the building, accusing Moose of refusing to grant him “lawful access.”[]
But Moose, for his part, painted the story in a VERY different way, accusing DOGE of illegally breaking into a building they had no right to access and physically evicting leaders it had no right to remove, adding:
“Our statute is very clear about the status of this building and this institute. So what has happened here today is an illegal takeover by elements of the executive branch of a private nonprofit corporation.”
With a lawyer for USIP also painting this as a full-fledged coup, saying the building was “seized by force, by police officers with guns acting under the authority of a resolution that we are going to get a court to declare invalid.”[]
And to that point, I really can’t emphasize how significant this is — right, while DOGE and Trump have repeatedly been accused of exceeding legal authorities in their mass-purges, this is markedly different from ANYTHING we’ve seen.
So this will be an absolutely crucial legal test to keep an eye on.
Social security employees on both sides of the aisle say that Trump and Musk are threatening benefits, despite Trump’s repeated promises (VIDEO)
And that brings us to the second piece of DOGE-related news I want to talk about.
Which is that current and former employees at the Social Security Administration who span the political spectrum are now warning that DOGE’s cost-cutting measures will hurt the agency’s ability to serve the public.
And that failure would have MASSIVE implications: the SSA sends retirement, survivor, and disability payments to more than 73 million Americans each MONTH.
Right, and it’s also super significant because Trump has REPEATEDLY promised that he will not touch Social Security benefits:
But experts and officials on both sides of the aisle say that Elon Musk and DOGE’s “cost-cutting” measures have the potential to create such massive holes in the infrastructure of the agency that they could destabilize the ENTIRE program.
Which, in turn, could threaten access to Social Security benefits.
Right, SSA staffing is ALREADY at a 50-year low, putting enormous strain on the agency and undermining its ability to serve the public.
But now they are culling even MORE in response to pressure from DOGE, with the agency announcing in recent weeks that it will cut up to 12% of its workforce while also offering early retirement and other incentives to get people to leave.
And even more recently, we’ve seen Musk ramping up his criticism of the program seemingly teeing up even MORE cuts to entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.
With him calling it “a Ponzi scheme” in a recent interview with Joe Rogan and saying on Fox News last week:
Okay, so right off the bat, there appears to be zero evidence of basically anything that he’s claiming here.
First of all, there is nothing to back up his claim that there is half a trillion to $700 billion in entitlement spending fraud — right, as Forbes explains:
“that would represent nearly a third of the $1.5 trillion Social Security paid out last year and approximately 20% of the amount spent on Social Security and Medicare combined.”
And when the administration tried to provide evidence for his claims on social media, it pointed to a Government Accountability Office estimate that fraudulent spending across the government is between $233 billion and $521 billion a year.
But that’s across the ENTIRE federal government, not just these three programs.
And as for Musk’s comments about immigrants there, undocumented immigrants aren’t even eligible to receive Social Security benefits.
And the SSA has said it collects more than $20 BILLION in annual payroll taxes from unauthorized workers.
So with this, you have tons of people accusing Musk and Trump of using blatant information to justify extreme cuts that current and former SSA employees and administrators say could break the agency.
This including Martin O’Malley, the most recent former Social Security commissioner under Biden, who said:
“Everything they have done so far is breaking the agency’s ability to serve the public.”
And you also had former Republican officials saying the same, with one administrator appointed by George W. Bush calling the efforts “extremely destructive.”
Hell, it’s even been reported that the acting secretary of the agency — who is a Trump ally — has expressed concerns about DOGE’s activities.
With him reportedly saying that Trump has made choices he “didn’t agree with,” expressing fears it “would be catastrophic for the people in our country” if DOGE made sweeping changes at the agency.
And I mean we’re talking about life-or-death situations if Social Security payments get delayed or aren’t paid out, with one claims specialist telling The New York Times:
“It will affect the public in a very tangible way. I hate to say this, but more and more people will die while waiting for a medical determination on their disability claim.”
Right, so don’t trust Trump or others in the administration when they say they won’t cut benefits — because that is essentially just a lie of omission or, at the very least, incredibly misleading.
DOGE cuts reach important nuclear scientists, bomb engineers, and safety experts
Okay, so some real scary shit, and on the note of scary shit, that brings us to the third piece of DOGE-related news.
Which is that The Times has published a new report detailing how DOGE’s cuts have reached important nuclear scientists, bomb engineers, and safety experts at the National Nuclear Security Administration.
And all in the middle of what The Times describes as the agency’s “most ambitious endeavors in a generation.”
Right, according to the outlet, the NNSA is currently “the busiest it has been since the Cold War.”
Not only does it manage America’s 3,748 nuclear bombs and warheads, but it’s also been modernizing that fleet by arming a new fleet of nuclear submarines, bomber jets, and land-based missiles as part of a $20-billion-a-year effort.
And even before DOGE came in, the agency was dealing with staffing shortages to complete this ambitious workload.
But now, amid DOGE and Musk’s hacksaw cuts to the bureaucracy, the already strained agency has essentially lost all gains it made in recent years under Biden.
Right, according to internal agency documents obtained by The Times, more than 130 NNSA employees took the Trump administration’s payout to resign, while another 27 workers were caught up in a mass firing and not rehired.
Now, notably here, a spokesperson for the Department of Energy — which oversees the NNSA — has said that most of the fired workers handled administrative and clerical tasks that were not essential to the agency’s operations.
But internal documents and interviews with 18 current and former agency officials showed that is not true for the majority of people who took the buyout.
Right, per The Times, MANY essential workers were part of those departures, with outlet also noting:
“The agency lost not only officials deeply steeped in the weapons modernization program, but also a noted arms control expert at a time when President Trump has said he hopes to restart talks with Russia and China about limiting nuclear arsenals.”
And experts say that these losses are going to seriously undermine incredibly important, incredibly sensitive top-secret nuclear work.
Additionally, multiple current and former NNSA officials told The Times that the workforce losses will undermine the agency’s ability to monitor those roughly 60,000 contract employees, with the outlet noting:
“That could encourage fraud or misuse of taxpayer dollars, rather than limit it, as Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk have vowed the new Department of Government Efficiency initiative will do.”
What’s more, agency officials also said it will be VERY hard to replace all the people who took the buyouts.
And even if they could find the right people, they don’t expect that they will be allowed to hire them under Trump and Musk’s current policies.
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For your daily dose of good news, I’ve got a story that unfortunately begins with a tragic death.
Going back to 2014, when a 29-year-old waitress in Pennsylvania named Katie got into a car crash and died. [Screenshot, 00:23]
And when a police officer climbed into the mangled car afterward, they found her purse, which they gave to her sister: Kristina Ulmer. [Image, Kristina on left, Katie on right]
With the sister discovering 100 dollars inside, realizing it was the tipes Katie had earned during her shift that morning, so she tells the Washington Post:
“Katie was such a kind person, and I remember thinking, ‘This money should go toward kindness.’ I put the purse in a cabinet in my living room, and for a long time, I wondered what I could do with that money in Katie’s memory.” [Quote]
Then, in 2018, an idea struck her.
See, she had assigned Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 to her students – right, because she’s a high school English teacher. [B roll, 02:20]
And she says she realized that the dystopian society depicted in that novel, where in her reading people lacked empathy, contrasted with the sister she knew. [Same B roll]
Explaining to ABC News:
[Clip, 00:14 - 00:27] Caption: “My Sister Katie always wanted to do something to help people from the time she was very little. She eventually settled on becoming an EMT, and she was applying to work on an ambulance right when she passed away.”
So she thought she’d encourage her students to be more like Katie, and here’s how she did it.
First, she exchanged her sister’s tips for crisp twenties at the bank and withdrew four hundred dollars more, bringing the total to 500. [Quote, find “bank”]
Then, she told the story of the car crash to her 25 students, and gave each of them a 20-dollar bill, explaining: [Same quote]
“I told them the way we prevent our world from becoming like the world in ‘Fahrenheit 451’ was through empathy and kindness. After I gave them the money, I told them I wanted them to perform an act of kindness with it, then record a little video about it.” [Quote same link]
And off they went, money in hand, kindness in their hearts.
With one student simply ordering a glass of water at a diner, then leaving a 20 dollar tip. [Quote same link, find “Diner”]
Another knitting little red caps for babies with heart problems, so they could be easily spotted in the NICU. [Same quote]
Others making homemade treats for pets at an animal shelter, even more buying toiletries and food for unhoused people. [Quote same link, find “treats”]
And for each one, they created thes deeply heartwarming videos.
[Clip, 05:04 - 05:08; Clip, 02:42 - 02:46; Clip, 08:45 - 08:56] Caption: “We combined our $20 to make cookies for people at a retirement home. … We’re here at Target getting toys for little kids in the hospital. … I went to PetSmart and bought cat litter, cat food and dog food for a local rescue.”
So pretty quick this caught on, and random people started donating money to Ulmer for the project.
With the school even setting up a fund to accept donations. [Fund]
So collectively, she says her students have now spent over 7,000 dollars on over 350 acts of kindness, and she continues doing it twice a year. [Image, Image, Image, Image]
And if you want to donate, I’ll put the link in the description; apparently she’ll actually email you a video showing how your money was spent.
With her adding that she cries every year watching them herself, so maybe you’ll get some tears out of it, too.
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