"While congressional Republicans have remained largely silent, GOP officials privately admit that the Trump administration’s offer to pay federal employees beyond the government’s mid-March funding deadline violates federal law."

GOP Officials Privately Admit Trump’s Federal Buyout Plan Violates Federal Law

https://www.washingtoninformer.com/trump-administration-federal-employees-resignation/

> Federal employees face a controversial 'deferred resignation program' under Trump administration, sparking legal and ethical concerns.

""That's not a thing. No one f***ing cares about that," the lawmaker said. "People want us to be doing more aggressive actions.""

Resistance 2.0: Furious Democrats flood the zone with acts of anti-Trump resistance

Just a moment...

(www.axios.com)

> "We can't be like, 'Oh let's let the long arc of a congressional session happen,'" said one senior House Democrat.

"The judge’s order came in response to a multi-party lawsuit filed by Democracy Forward on behalf of several organizations including SAGE, a national organization advocating for LGBTQ+ elders."

LGBTQ+ org convinces judge to block Trump's "freeze" on federal DEI funds - LGBTQ Nation

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

(www.lgbtqnation.com)

> Finally! Some good news about LGBTQ+ groups successfully fighting Trump's illegal anti-LGBTQ+ executive orders.

"Federal employee unions the AFGE and SEIU are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to stop the Treasury from sharing confidential data with the Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)."

Trump admin sued over Musk-run DOGE's access to Treasury's sensitive data

Just a moment...

(www.axios.com)

> Federal employees unions allege the Treasury secretary let DOGE reps access sensitive data in an "intrusion" that's "unprecedented."

"The government, AliKhan wrote, had "offered no rational explanation for why they needed to freeze all federal financial assistance.""

Trump's spending freeze order paused again by federal judge

Just a moment...

(www.axios.com)

> The White House's "temporary pause" on federal funding prompted confusion and backlash.

"I have made clear to House Republican leadership," he wrote, that "any effort to steal taxpayer money from the American people ... must be choked off in the upcoming government funding bill, if not sooner."

Hakeem Jeffries lays out 10-part war plan for Democrats to take on Trump

Just a moment...

(www.axios.com)

> Jeffries previewed plans to use the government funding process as leverage to reverse some of Trump's moves.

Millions march against Javier Milei in Argentina

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/02/03/millions-march-against-javier-milei-in-argentina/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=millions-march-against-javier-milei-in-argentina

> Protests took place after president’s comments at World Economic Forum

I'm glad folks are abandoning Twitter & Meta finally, but I hope they know #Bluesky has similar provenance and if we don't push for change in the commercial corporate interests currently controling it, we're just spinning the wheel. #Mastodon is better.

Bluesky Grows to 30 Million Users. Threads Adds 20 Million More Just in January - Slashdot

https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/02/01/0749206/bluesky-grows-to-30-million-users-threads-adds-20-million-more-just-in-january

> Star Wars star Mark Hamill, science fiction author William Gibson, XKCD cartoonist Randall Munroe, and The Onion have joine...

I double checked this, and was able to verify. All previously public links to content on #PrEP on the #CDC website no longer work. Perhaps there are new URLs? But at the moment, this seems to be the case. Apparently effective #HIV prevention is too #woke.

"Most of these have been in disuse since the 1980s. In Detroit, the Michigan Central Station is one such case. Shuttered, unloved, and picked over by scavengers, Central has now been resuscitated thanks to a $1 billion investment by Ford"

Unused Train Stations Across US Are Being Revitalized into Hotels, Restaurants and Even Museums

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/unused-train-stations-across-us-are-being-revitalized-into-hotels-restaurants-and-even-museums/

> Shuttered, unloved, and picked over by scavengers, Detroit Central has now been resuscitated thanks to a $1 billion investment by Ford,

“The only people who win when EPA money is shut off are corporate polluters and lobbyists who want the EPA cut down to size.”

‘They’ll have to drag me out before I go.’ EPA workers stand firm despite Trump chaos - High Country News

https://www.hcn.org/articles/theyll-have-to-drag-me-out-before-i-go-epa-workers-stand-firm-despite-trump-chaos/

> Staff outside D.C. headquarters respond to funding freeze and other orders from the new administration.

"It’s the first new pharmaceutical approach to treating pain in more than 20 years, offering an alternative to both opioids and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen."

FDA approves Journavx, painkiller designed to eliminate the risk of addiction associated with opioids

https://apnews.com/article/nonopioid-painkiller-fda-vertex-pharmaceuticals-b1dd4276fce3d88ff32e3062e95f408f

> U.S. officials have approved a new type of pain drug designed to eliminate the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioids.

Frost-fighting apples: Michigan’s native tree may hold the key to climate resilience | The Optimist Daily

Frost-fighting apples: Michigan’s native tree may hold the key to climate resilience | The Optimist Daily

Researchers are turning to the Malus coronaria to develop apple varieties that can withstand a changing climate.

The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News | (www.optimistdaily.com)

> Researchers are turning to the Malus coronaria to develop apple varieties that can withstand a changing climate.

"The exposure also includes more than a million lines of log streams containing chat history, secret keys, backend details, and other highly sensitive information, such as API Secrets and operational metadata."

DeepSeek AI Database Exposed: Over 1 Million Log Lines, Secret Keys Leaked

https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/deepseek-ai-database-exposed-over-1.html?m=1

> DeepSeek AI exposed a database containing secret keys, chat logs, and backend data, allowing full system access.

"Switching regular salt for potassium-enriched salt has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death in large trials around the world."

Why the WHO has recommended switching to a healthier salt alternative

https://theconversation.com/why-the-who-has-recommended-switching-to-a-healthier-salt-alternative-248436

> It’s a positive step, but there will be a few challenges to realising the full benefits to public health.

OPM Sued Over Privacy Concerns With New Government-Wide Email System - Slashdot

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/01/28/226206/opm-sued-over-privacy-concerns-with-new-government-wide-email-system

> An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Hill: Two federal employees are suing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to block the agency from creating a new email distribution system -- an action that comes as the information will reportedly be directed to a former staffer to Elon Musk now at...

Instead of a new jail, LA built shipping container houses for homeless people

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/shipping-container-housing-la-homeless

> The Hilda L. Solis Care First Village was named after the County Supervisor who initiated the site’s pivot to housing instead of incarceration.

Brendan Carr, Trump’s ‘Free Speech’ Warrior, Wastes No Time Violating Trump’s New Free Speech Executive Order

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/01/24/brendan-carr-trumps-free-speech-warrior-wastes-no-time-violating-trumps-new-free-speech-executive-order/

> Back in November, I explained in great detail how Trump’s new FCC chair Brendan Carr was signaling loud and clear that he intended to be Trump’s top censor. This was in contrast to both his and Tru…

Lauren Boebert Storms Women's Room Looking for a "Guy"

https://www.metroweekly.com/2025/01/lauren-boebert-storms-womens-room-looking-for-a-guy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lauren-boebert-storms-womens-room-looking-for-a-guy

> Boebert and Nancy Mace reportedly barged into a women's bathroom at the U.S. Capitol but found no trans people present.

They Followed North Carolina Election Rules When They Cast Their Ballots. Now Their Votes Could Be Tossed Anyway.

https://www.propublica.org/article/north-carolina-voters-jefferson-griffin-supreme-court-challenge

> A Republican judge is trying to overturn his election loss by challenging more than 60,000 ballots. These are some of those voters’ stories.