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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Tag: federal government
April 4, 2025
Education
News

Trump Admin Halts $500M to Brown University Amid Antisemitism Concerns.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: The federal government has stopped over $500 million in funding to Brown University, citing the school’s handling of antisemitism incidents following the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.

👥 Who’s Involved: Brown University, the Trump administration, and a White House official.

📍 Where & When: The funding cut affects Brown University in the United States.

💬 Key Quote: Brown Provost Frank Doyle claims in an email that while there are rumors about program cuts, there isn’t enough “information to substantiate” these claims.

⚠️ Impact: The funding cut could significantly impact programs at Brown University and highlights a broader trend affecting several Ivy League institutions.

IN FULL:

The Trump administration has decided to halt over $500 million in federal funding to Brown University, citing dissatisfaction with the university’s response to instances of antisemitism on campus. This decision may put millions allocated for Brown programs at risk, with funds previously awarded through grants and contracts now in jeopardy.

As Brown University grapples with these developments, Provost Frank Doyle addressed the campus community on April 3. He acknowledged that rumors are circulating about potential implications for the university’s research funding. However, he emphasized that there is currently insufficient “information to substantiate” these claims, urging patience as the situation unfolds.

This funding freeze at Brown coincides with a broader trend among Ivy League institutions, which have faced similar measures in response to their handling of antisemitism-related incidents following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Columbia University, another Ivy League institution, recently experienced a significant funding cut, with over $400 million revoked due to concerns it was not adequately ensuring the safety of Jewish students. This broader pattern indicates a heightened level of federal scrutiny regarding how such universities address antisemitism on their campuses.

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April 3, 2025
News

DOGE Data: Almost 50% of National Jobs Cuts are DC Govt Workers.

PULSE POINTS:

❓What Happened: Layoffs announced by employers in the U.S. increased significantly in March—but almost half are Washington, D.C. bureaucrats, according to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

👥 Who’s Involved: Federal workers and contractors, DOGE, and DOGE frontman Elon Musk.

📍 Where & When: These developments occurred in Washington D.C. during March.

💬 Key Quote: Andrew Challenger of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas noted, “Job cut announcements were dominated last month by Department of Government Efficiency plans to eliminate positions in the federal government.”

⚠️ Impact: With 497,052 layoffs in the first three months of the year, this represents the highest first-quarter total since 2009, with significant implications for federal agencies and leftist non-profits.

IN FULL:

U.S. employers announced layoffs in March at levels unprecedented since the pandemic-induced recession—but this was driven largely by sizable cuts among federal workers and contractors. Data released by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas on Thursday indicated a 60 percent surge in planned job reductions, amounting to 275,240 positions last month. This figure marks the highest since May 2020, positioning it as the third-largest monthly total recorded.

These reductions were significantly concentrated in Washington, D.C., attributed mainly to the federal government sector. Over the past two months, approximately 280,253 planned federal worker and contractor layoffs have impacted 27 agencies as the Trump administration seeks to eliminate waste and inefficiency and bring federal spending under control. The ripple effect of terminating federal aid or contracts further contributed to 4,429 job cuts, notably affecting non-profits—often engaged in leftist activism—and health-oriented organizations, possibly due to the administration’s efforts to defund abortions and transgenderism.

Andrew Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas commented, “Job cut announcements were dominated last month by Department of Government Efficiency plans to eliminate positions in the federal government.”

Judicial orders have facilitated the reinstatement of around 24,000 workers. Reports indicate a significant reshuffle within federal ranks is ongoing, documenting 3,972 rehired policymakers as part of March’s hiring plans.

An anticipated governmental employment report suggests an addition of 135,000 nonfarm payroll jobs for March, maintaining an unemployment rate of 4.1 percent.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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March 6, 2025
Lawfare

Fired Bureaucrat Concedes Job Battle After Trump Appeal Win.

Hampton Dellinger, leader of the Office of Special Counsel, has decided to step down amidst a legal battle to prevent his dismissal. Recently, his office obtained a temporary order reinstating thousands of Department of Agriculture workers affected by mass layoffs.

However, an appeals court supported President Donald J. Trump’s rationale for dismissing Dellinger, placing him on hold during the legal process. Previously, a lower court had backed Dellinger’s claim that the President exceeded his authority. Throughout his brief reinstatement, he concentrated on scrutinizing the terminations of federal employees with probationary status who were relatively new to their roles.

On Thursday, the Joe Biden appointee claimed that his battle to retain his position was driven by a desire to maintain the Office of Special Counsel’s supposed independence. He stated that the appellate court’s ruling had “effectively erased” that.

Following his departure, the future of ongoing investigations led by Dellinger remains uncertain. However, the quasi-judicial Merit Systems Protection Board has also been resisting Trump administration layoffs, reversing the dismissal of over 5,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) workers in recent days.

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Hampton Dellinger, leader of the Office of Special Counsel, has decided to step down amidst a legal battle to prevent his dismissal. Recently, his office obtained a temporary order reinstating thousands of Department of Agriculture workers affected by mass layoffs. show more
March 5, 2025
Culture
News
Politics

Trump Effect: The D.C. Mayor Is Giving Up on ‘Black Lives Matter Plaza.’

Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., is set to be renamed after a Republican lawmaker tabled legislation to cut off federal funding to the city if it is not changed. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced plans to rename the plaza, which is located only a few blocks from the White House.

The decision follows pressure from Republican Congressman Andrew Clyde of Georgia. According to Bowser’s office, the plaza will be renamed and adorned with a new mural created by local schoolchildren. However, the exact timeline for the change has not been determined.

The plaza, previously known as 16th Street Northwest and, for a time, the Avenue of the Presidents, was rebranded in June 2020 in honor of the radical left Black Lives Matter movement. This was in response to the riots following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mayor Bowser described the change as permanent.

Nearby businesses, including restaurants and hotels, have also previously expressed concerns about the economic impact of the plaza’s 2020 name change. The roadway was closed to motorists, which reportedly contributed to financial challenges for these establishments.

Congressman Clyde’s legislation echoes tactics used by President Donald J. Trump and his administration to cut federal funding from other woke initiatives.

Image by Ted Eytan.

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Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., is set to be renamed after a Republican lawmaker tabled legislation to cut off federal funding to the city if it is not changed. Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced plans to rename the plaza, which is located only a few blocks from the White House. show more
February 28, 2025
William Upton
Culture
Immigration
Politics

President Trump to Issue Executive Order Declaring English the Official Language of the U.S.

President Donald J. Trump is set to issue an executive order on Friday declaring English the official language of the United States. The order will rescind a directive by former President Bill Clinton mandating federal agencies and entities receiving federal funding provide alternatives for non-English speakers.

Since its founding, the United States has never had an official language at the federal level. However, surveys consistently show elevating English to official status is politically popular and that most Americans believe those residing in the country should speak the predominantly native language. According to Pew Research, just over eight in ten American adults say speaking English is very or somewhat important to “truly be American.”

While President Trump’s executive order rescinds the Clinton-era directive, it does not bar federal agencies from continuing to provide language assistance for non-English speakers. The Trump White House contends the President’s order will help to establish greater civic cohesion, promote national unity, and streamline government services.

Individuals seeking to become naturalized U.S. citizens already have to demonstrate an ability to speak, read, and write in English—which nearly 80 percent of Americans speak at home. Around 30 states have also passed laws making English the official language at the state level.

Notably, during his time in the U.S. Senate, Vice President J.D. Vance introduced legislation along with Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) that directed the federal government to conduct all official business in English.

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President Donald J. Trump is set to issue an executive order on Friday declaring English the official language of the United States. The order will rescind a directive by former President Bill Clinton mandating federal agencies and entities receiving federal funding provide alternatives for non-English speakers. show more
China Spying
February 6, 2025
NatSec

Congress Is Moving to Ban China’s DeepSeek App from U.S. Govt. Devices.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill plans to introduce legislation on Thursday prohibiting the use of the Chinese-owned DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot app on U.S. government devices. The legislation, prompted by national security concerns that Chinese intelligence agents could use the app to attain sensitive data, follows earlier action by Congress to bar TikTok on government devices as well.

Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) are cosponsoring the legislation, which is being driven in part by a report from Feroot Security, a cybersecurity firm. Citing the report’s findings, Rep. LaHood contends, “Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP [Chinese Communist Party] company to obtain sensitive government or personal data.”

Notably, the report identified hidden code in the DeepSeek app potentially capable of relaying user information to China Mobile, a telecommunications entity controlled by the Chinese state. China Mobile is currently barred from operating in the United States.

“Our personal information is being sent to China, there is no denial, and the DeepSeek tool is collecting everything that American users connect to it,” Feroot Security CEO Ivan Tsarynny said in a recent interview.

Meanwhile, some federal agencies have already moved to bar employees from accessing DeepSeek on their work devices. The U.S. Navy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have both banned the app, citing security concerns and the potential for Chinese espionage.

Late last year, Congress passed legislation mandating that the social media app TikTok be divested from its Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance or face a public ban in the U.S.

President Donald J. Trump extended TikTok’s deadline for 75 additional days in late January.

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A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill plans to introduce legislation on Thursday prohibiting the use of the Chinese-owned DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot app on U.S. government devices. The legislation, prompted by national security concerns that Chinese intelligence agents could use the app to attain sensitive data, follows earlier action by Congress to bar TikTok on government devices as well. show more
February 5, 2025
NatSec
News

CIA Offers Resignation Buyouts as Trump Drive to Cut Bureaucracy Continues.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is offering employees generous resignation packages as President Donald J. Trump’s administration seeks to downsize the federal government. The CIA has introduced a buyout program of “deferred resignation,” enabling employees to resign while continuing to receive pay through September of this year.

This initiative is part of broader efforts to reduce the federal bureaucracy, overseen by tech billionaire Elon Musk. Initially, national security-related agencies were partially excluded from the governmentwide offer, but CIA Director John Ratcliffe advocated for a tailored version for his agency’s personnel.

The CIA’s approach allows the agency to control the timing of accepted resignations, ensuring critical positions are not vacated simultaneously. The offer’s structure resembles the general program implemented across the federal government. Employees received an email on Tuesday outlining the chance to leave by September 30 but still receive pay for the intervening period. So far, the scheme has reduced the federal bureaucracy by around 20,000.

The effort aims to encourage long-serving CIA officers, especially those hired in the aftermath of 9/11, to consider early retirement. Ratcliffe hopes to phase out underperformers while creating advancement opportunities for promising mid-level officers currently blocked by longer-serving personnel.

President Trump first offered to buy out federal career employees after signing an executive order ending COVID-19-era work-from-home policies. Employees have until this Thursday to accept the offer, allowing them to work from home until the fall if they resign.

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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is offering employees generous resignation packages as President Donald J. Trump's administration seeks to downsize the federal government. The CIA has introduced a buyout program of "deferred resignation," enabling employees to resign while continuing to receive pay through September of this year. show more
February 4, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News

Trump ‘Buyout’ Offer Has Already Cut Federal Bureaucracy by 20,000.

According to a senior official, approximately 20,000 bureaucrats have accepted the “buyout” offer proposed by the Trump administration last week. This figure represents about one percent of the total federal workforce. The White House’s ultimate goal is to cut the bureaucracy by five to ten percent.

The buyout window remains open until Thursday, so the final tally of acceptances is likely to increase. “We expect more to come. If you see what’s happening at USAID, it’s just one piece of the puzzle,” the unnamed official told Axios, referring to the radical overhaul of the United States Agency for International Development. USAID is being effectively dismantled and having its functions absorbed into the U.S. State Department. The Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) determined it was unsalvageable.

In addition to managing voluntary departures, the administration is attempting to enforce a hiring freeze across federal agencies. However, implementing this has been challenging, with some agencies continuing to hire new staff.

Under the buyout offer, federal employees cease in-person work almost immediately—instead being directed to work from home—while still receiving their salary until September 30.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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According to a senior official, approximately 20,000 bureaucrats have accepted the "buyout" offer proposed by the Trump administration last week. This figure represents about one percent of the total federal workforce. The White House's ultimate goal is to cut the bureaucracy by five to ten percent. show more
January 29, 2025
William Upton
Politics

Trump Offers ‘Work From Home’ Hold-Overs: Take a Buyout and Leave.

President Donald J. Trump is offering a buyout through a deferred resignation for all federal career employees. The move specifically targets civil service employees who refuse to return to in-person work. The buyout offer follows an executive order issued by the President last week ending broad COVID-19-era work-from-home policies.

Federal workers have until February 6 to accept the offer, and in doing so, they effectively tender their resignation at a given date in the Fall of 2025. Until their resignation date, they will continue to be employed by the federal government and allowed to work from home—an incentive to encourage federal employees to take the buyout offer.

“After four years of incompetence and failure, President Donald Trump is committed to making our government efficient and productive again,” Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s White House press secretary, said in a statement. She continued: “American taxpayers pay for the salaries of federal government employees and therefore deserve employees working on their behalf who actually show up to work in our wonderful federal buildings, also paid for by taxpayers.”

“If they don’t want to work in the office and contribute to making America great again, then they are free to choose a different line of work, and the Trump Administration will provide a very generous payout of eight months,” Leavitt added.

The National Pulse previously reported that U.S. Senate investigators found just six percent of the federal workforce was actually working full-time and in person. This has left the average occupancy rate of a federal office building in Washington, D.C., at around 12 percent.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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President Donald J. Trump is offering a buyout through a deferred resignation for all federal career employees. The move specifically targets civil service employees who refuse to return to in-person work. The buyout offer follows an executive order issued by the President last week ending broad COVID-19-era work-from-home policies. show more
December 18, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption

Would-Be Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Almost Killed Girl, Six, During Escape, Feds ‘Stonewalling’ State Investigators.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced on Wednesday that Ryan Routh, who attempted to assassinate Donald J. Trump on September 15, faces an attempted felony murder charge for causing severe injuries to a six-year-old girl during his escape. However, she complains the federal authorities have “stonewalled” the state-level investigation into Routh.

Following the assassination attempt, Routh fled north on Interstate 95, leading to law enforcement shutting down traffic in both directions. His apprehension in Martin County precipitated a multi-car crash on the highway, which nearly resulted in the death of the young girl.

Moody stressed that Florida investigators faced significant resistance in their efforts to independently investigate Routh’s actions, saying the state authorities “offered to be a partner” to the federal authorities, but “we immediately were confronted with a lack of willingness to allow us access to the crime scene, an unwillingness to provide evidence that was collected, an unwillingness to allow us to accompany witness interviews, and the list goes on and on.”

“[P]rosecutors and federal agents… made known that they intended to shut down our investigation and invoke federal jurisdiction in doing so,” she added.

FROM THE TOP.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder described this obstruction as political, originating from “way above the men and women of the FBI.”

“This was not normal from our federal partners. This was not ground-level FBI agents. This came from much higher, way above those FBI agents,” he said.

Governor Ron DeSantis is backing Moody, saying, “The feds have stonewalled Florida’s investigation of the Trump assassination attempt at every turn, and I appreciate AG Ashley Moody and her team for plowing forward despite such resistance. The tide will turn on January 20th and we fully expect that the federal roadblocks will be removed.”

In October, Florida filed a lawsuit against the Biden-Harris Department of Justice and Attorney General Merrick Garland for obstructing Florida’s investigation.

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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced on Wednesday that Ryan Routh, who attempted to assassinate Donald J. Trump on September 15, faces an attempted felony murder charge for causing severe injuries to a six-year-old girl during his escape. However, she complains the federal authorities have "stonewalled" the state-level investigation into Routh. show more