Notices by Steve Thompson PhD (stevethompson@mastodon.social), page 2

After meeting with Trump, Jordan’s king says his country opposes displacing Palestinians in Gaza

https://apnews.com/article/trump-abdullah-jordan-gaza-hamas-israel-1f3ef249419ce61fc5c0f41412c24cb0

#trump #gaza #jordan #press

⬆️ Vance and Musk question the authority of the courts ⬇️

https://apnews.com/article/trump-judiciary-musk-separation-of-powers-balance-checks-069c169ea1ddf6eea76f502d544c4c16

Elon Musk to Vice President JD Vance have not only criticized a federal judge’s decision early Saturday that blocks Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department records, but have also attacked the legitimacy of judicial oversight, a fundamental pillar of American democracy, which is based on the separation of powers.

#TRUMP #VANCE #COURTS #AI #DEMOCRACY #LEGAL #PRESS

Core to our democracy is our judge and jury court system. We should not be surprised if it is determined to be antiquated and replaced with AI adjudicators at some point.

Historian wants us to see lessons we’ve ignored from Hitler's rise

https://forward.com/news/639516/in-new-book-historian-describes-the-lessons-learned-and-ignored-from-hitlers-rise/

“Trump is not Hitler, by any means,” says Timothy Ryback. “But I think there are modalities that are very similar."

In his new book, “Takeover: Hitler’s Final Rise to Power”...Ryback also sets out to show how the Nazi leader came to power in a functioning democracy, enabled by rivals and fairweather allies who either underestimated him or thought they could “tame” him once he took office.

#Germany #USA

Sorting Out the Facts on ‘Waste and Abuse’ at USAID

https://www.factcheck.org/2025/02/sorting-out-the-facts-on-waste-and-abuse-at-usaid/

As President Donald Trump’s administration targets the U.S. Agency for International Development for closure or major downsizing, the White House and social media posts have highlighted four projects as examples of the agency’s “waste and abuse.” But only one was funded by USAID.

#TRUMP #USAID #FACTS #PRESS

Conservative Writer Who Accused Drag Queens of ‘Grooming’ Is Arrested on Child Molestation Charges

https://www.mediaite.com/crime/conservative-writer-who-accused-drag-queens-of-grooming-is-arrested-on-child-molestation-charges/

KEWL🌀NEWS

#CONSERVATIVES #LGBTQ #HYPOCRITES #PRESS

Senate confirms Project 2025 architect Russell Vought to lead powerful White House budget office

https://apnews.com/article/trump-russell-vought-confirmation-budget-project-2025-7d1c476694176876256e95cecbd49231

The Senate confirmed Russell Vought as White House budget director on Thursday night, putting an official who has planned the zealous expansion of President Donald Trump’s power into one of the most influential positions in the federal government.

#VOUGHT #GOP #TRUMP #PRESS

‘Directly violates the law’: Trump defying ’90 years of Supreme Court precedent’ in firing labor board member after ‘unlawful’ termination, lawsuit says

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/directly-violates-the-law-trump-defying-90-years-of-supreme-court-precedent-in-firing-labor-board-member-after-unlawful-termination-lawsuit-says/

#trump #scotus #labor #law #press

Donald Trump Says He Will Deny Visas for Transgender Olympic Athletes

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-says-he-will-deny-visas-transgender-olympic-athletes-2026896

#TRUMP #TRANS #OLYMPICS #SPORT #LGBTQ #VISAS #TRAVEL #DEI #PRESS

Google Lifts a Ban on Using Its AI for Weapons and Surveillance

https://www.wired.com/story/google-responsible-ai-principles/

KEWL🌀NEWS

#PRESS

Musk Cronies Dive Into Treasury Dept Payments Code Base

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/musk-cronies-dive-into-treasury-dept-payments-code-base

KEWL🌀NEWS

#MUSK #TREASURY #PRESS

White House says Elon Musk serving as a 'special government employee'

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/white-house-says-elon-musk-serving-as-a-special-government-employee/ar-AA1ylXtV

It’s a designation that means Musk...is working neither as a volunteer nor a full-time employee. Special government employees are asked to abide by conflict of interest requirements and ethics policies that are typically less onerous than federal employees. As a temporary position, it bypasses some of the disclosure obligations required of full-time roles.

#Musk #Trump #USA #press

Musk's Minions Deleting Digital Presence of US International Development Agency

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/musks-minions-deleting-digital-presence-of-us-international-development-agency/ar-AA1ylMz4

#musk #USAID #USA #press

Project 2025 chief celebrates as Trump executive orders overlap with playbook

https://www.alternet.org/project-2025-chief-trump/

KEWL🌀NEWS

#PRESS

Trump Media gifts DJT shares to FBI pick Kash Patel, Linda McMahon and president’s son

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/31/trump-media-djt-stock-shares-kash-patel.html

KEWL🌀NEWS

#PRESS

Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies at 78

https://apnews.com/article/marianne-faithfull-obit-rolling-stones-broken-english-54e9ba7a549142d2a40bea6d88e68a38

Marianne Faithfull, the British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied, has died. She was 78.

“One of the hazards of reforming your evil ways is that some people won’t let go of their mind’s eye of you as a wild thing,” she wrote in...a 2007 memoir.

#music #Jagger #UK

‘Sickening’: Senator says Trump’s DEI ‘blame game’ means he’s ‘afraid to answer questions’

https://www.alternet.org/trump-dei-blame/

KEWL🌀NEWS

#PRESS

OpenAI in talks to raise funding that would value AI startup at up to $340 billion

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/30/openai-in-talks-to-raise-up-to-40-billion-at-340-billion-valuation.html

KEWL🌀NEWS

#PRESS

@eff @WIRED

Downlaod it. It's free. I don't want it back.

https://mastodon.social/@SteveThompson/110659467116693605

Apple Halts Disastrous AI System That Was Making Up Fake News Stories and Pushing Them to iPhone Users

https://futurism.com/the-byte/apple-halts-disastrous-ai-fake-news

KEWL🌀NEWS

#AI #APPLE #FAKENEWS #IPHONES #JOURNALISM #PRESS