#social security advisory committee

[davidhencke]

Social Security watchdog warns ministers of flaws in the scheme to scrap pensioner winter fuel allowances

Department for Work and Pensions In a polite but tough message to Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, the Government’s official advisory body on social security, has exposed flaws in the government’s implementation of its rushed policy to abolish winter fuel allowances for 9.3 million pensioners and encourage the poorest to claim pension credit. It also undermines the government’s…

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Emily Singer at Daily Kos:

Donald Trump's co-president, Elon Musk, admitted on Wednesday that he probably can't cut $2 trillion from the federal budget as he had promised, running into the political reality everyone told him existed but that he refused to accept because he’s a billionaire who thinks he knows better than everyone else. In an interview with Mark Penn, the contemptible political strategist who once backed Democrats but now has become a Trump defender, Musk said that his toothless Department of Government Efficiency advisory committee can probably cut only half of the original $2 billion he promised to slash. "I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion],” Musk said in the interview, which aired on Musk's disinformation platform X. “And if we can drop the budget deficit from $2 trillion to $1 trillion and free up the economy to have additional growth, such that the output of goods and services keeps pace with the increase in the money supply, then there will be no inflation. So that, I think, would be an epic outcome.” When asked what specific things he'd cut, Musk offered nothing concrete. “It’s a very target-rich environment for saving money. … It’s like being in a room full of targets—you could close your eyes and you can’t miss,” Musk said, a metaphor so stupid he almost sounds like his buddy Trump. Experts always said Musk's $2 trillion goal was unattainable.

The entire federal budget in fiscal year 2024 was $6.75 trillion, with massive chunks of it spending that is either legally or politically impossible to cut, including Social Security, Medicare, defense spending, and debt service. “Our federal budget is about $7 trillion a year. And I still think that they're talking about that $2 trillion number with serious purpose, that that's what they're looking at. And it would be unimaginable that we could find $2 trillion in savings out of seven in one year," Maya MacGuineas, president of the nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, told NPR in November. Even finding $1 trillion in cuts, as Musk now says he can achieve, will be extremely hard.

Elon Musk knows what we all admitted: DOGE was just a ripoff scheme.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

#20yrsago Forever War with better sex, Starship Troopers without the lectures: Old Man’s War https://memex.craphound.com/2004/12/12/forever-war-with-better-sex-starship-troopers-without-the-lectures-old-mans-war/

#20yrsago Cable companies will expire your Six Feet Under recordings after 2-4 weeks https://memex.craphound.com/2004/12/12/cable-companies-will-expire-your-six-feet-under-recordings-after-2-4-weeks/

#15yrsago FDIC sends a big F-U: completely blacked out documents in response to WaMu takeover freedom of information requests https://web.archive.org/web/20100114010713if_/https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2009/12/the_fight_for_wamu_documents.html

#10yrsago IBM’s banking security software demands the right to spy on you https://yro.slashdot.org/story/14/12/11/2233234/bank-security-software-eula-allows-spying-on-users

#10yrsago US Christian terrorism: the other white meat https://web.archive.org/web/20141205144046/https://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/12/04/3599271/austin-shooter-christian-extremism/

#10yrsago Senate IP address vandalizes Wikipedia to scrub “torture” from CIA torture report https://mashable.com/archive/senate-wikipedia-torture-report

#5yrsago Teespring removes Techdirt’s “Copying is Not Theft” tees for copyright infringement, and won’t discuss the matter any further https://www.techdirt.com/2019/12/12/teespring-takes-down-our-copying-is-not-theft-gear-refuses-to-say-why/

#5yrsago The three biggest Chinese business scams that target foreign firms https://web.archive.org/web/20200107202820/https://www.chinalawblog.com/2019/12/china-scams-our-annual-holiday-edition.html">https://web.archive.org/web/20200107202820/https://www.chinalawblog.com/2019/12/china-scams-our-annual-holiday-edition.html

#5yrsago A Wechat-based “mobile court” presided over by a chatbot has handled 3m legal procedures since March https://web.archive.org/web/20191207192051/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/12/07/asia-pacific/crime-legal-asia-pacific/ai-judges-verdicts-via-chat-app-brave-new-world-chinas-digital-courts/#.Xev7n2bP1qY

#5yrsago Facebook promised to provide academics data to study disinformation, but their foot-dragging has endangered the whole project https://socialscience.one/blog/public-statement-european-advisory-committee-social-science-one

#5yrsago DJ Riko is back with the 18th annual Merry Mixmas mashup album! http://djriko.com/mixmases.htm

#5yrsago Family puts Ring camera in children’s room, discovers that hacker is watching their kids 24/7, taunting them through the speaker https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-hackers-are-breaking-into-ring-cameras/

#5yrsago 2019 was the year of voice assistant privacy dumpster fires https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-12-11/silicon-valley-got-millions-to-let-siri-and-alexa-listen-in

#1yrago An Epic antitrust loss for Google https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/12/im-feeling-lucky/#hugger-mugger

[shoujoboy-restart]

16-year-old non-binary student Nex Benedict was beaten to death at Owasso High School in Oklahoma.

Self-described stochastic terrorist and January 6th Capitol rioter Chaya Raichik, owner of the social media account Libs of TikTok, has become infamous for her viral harassment and moral panic campaigns targeting minorities— with an emphasis on vilifying LGBTQ+ existence. Since 2021, Raichik’s posts targeting advocates for and members of the LGBTQ+ community have been followed with a deluge of violent death threats (including lynching threats against the Los Angeles Unified School District). Nowhere has Raichik’s influence been more visible than Oklahoma, where her anti-LGBTQ+ exploits earned her an official position on the Oklahoma Department of Education’s Library Media Advisory Committee by controversial far-right Superintendent Ryan Walters. Under Walters’ leadership, Oklahoma has been aggressively working to ban books and education on LGBTQ+ issues in schools across the state, with Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond��stating that proposed rules to ban LGBTQ+ books and content were “unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.” It’s been confirmed that Raichik’s posts have fueled multiple bomb threats against schools specifically in Oklahoma. Officials from Oklahoma told NBC News that they believe Chaya Raichik’s anti-LGBTQ+ culture warring “sparked threats in their localities with her posts on social media that digitally heckle people such as drag performers, LGBTQ teachers and doctors who treat transgender patients.”   One of these instances was at the Owasso School District (just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma). In 2022, Chaya Raichik targeted an Owasso teacher for speaking out in support of LGBTQ+ students who lacked acceptance from their parents. Raichik’s post was shared thousands of times on social media and resulted in the teacher getting condemned and harassed until they resigned. The posts Raichik made about the teacher were later deleted, but have been archived. It’s unclear what prompted the deletion of the posts by Raichik. We know Raichik’s Libs of TikTok posts have contributed to a culture of intolerance against LGBTQ+ youth in schools, and now this hate may be manifesting beyond mere threats. This month, a non-binary 16-year-old student at Owasso High School was brutally murdered in the girl’s restroom. According to local news outlets and family, Nex Benedict was beaten by three older female students. The mother of Benedict’s best friend told KJRH News that "one of the girls was pretty much repeatedly beating [Benedict’s] head across the floor.” Reports say Benedict was unable to take themselves to the nurse’s office after a teacher finally intervened in the brutal assault. For reasons that remain unclear, Owasso High School refused to call an ambulance for 16-year-old Nex Benedict, who died from their injuries in the hospital the next day. A motive for this killing has not been shared by law enforcement, but we know that schools in Oklahoma have been specifically pushing violent eliminationist rhetoric against transgender and non-binary youth— a fact exemplified by the state’s hiring of Chaya Raichik following her incitements of terror against the state’s schools over LGBTQ+ rights.  “This is the inevitable result of the anti trans moral panic,” said civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo, who shared an article about Benedict’s death published by the Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents Blog. “This is horrifying, and comes as lawmakers are increasingly spreading fear over trans people in bathrooms,” wrote LGBTQ+ journalist and advocate Erin Reed regarding this murder.

[eretzyisrael]

Adeel Mangi is not a victim of “Islamophobia,” “bigoted smears” or anti-Muslim discrimination, as Timothy Lewis’s recent Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed asserted. The real reasons bipartisan senators, Jewish organizations and others oppose confirming Mangi as a federal appellate judge (one step below the U.S. Supreme Court) are the following:

Mangi was until recently an advisory director and repeated donor to a viciously antisemitic, anti-American, pro-terror organization—the so-called “Center for Security, Race and Rights” (CRSS) at Rutgers Law School; Mangi evaded questions and improbably professed ignorance about key matters (including antisemitism, terrorism and Middle East issues) that are likely to come before the federal appellate court; and Mangi has absolutely no judicial experience.

It is absurd to claim that a bipartisan group of senators oppose Mangi’s confirmation because Mangi is Muslim. The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed another recent Muslim nominee for a federal judgeship: Zahid Nisar Quraishi.

The majority of appellate judicial nominees have years of prior judicial experience and a record of judicial decisions that can be vetted. In public statements and letters, leading Jewish organizations involved in combating antisemitism, including: our organization, the Zionist Organization of America; Americans Against Antisemitism; StopAntisemitism; Students Supporting Israel; and the Coalition for Jewish Values (representing over 2,500 rabbis) noted that it is dangerous to elevate Mangi to a lifetime Court of Appeals judgeship when he has no judicial record to examine, which is not even to mention his alarming CRSS involvements.

Among other horrors, while Mangi was on CRSS’s Advisory Board (referred to as its “brain trust”), CRSS celebrated the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks’ 20th anniversary by hosting terror-affiliated speakers, including Sami Al-Arian, who was convicted for funneling funds, goods and services to the designated terror organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad. CRSS also hosted a group whose officials have connections to Al-Qaeda and Hamas networks, the notorious antisemite and anti-Israel propagandist Rashid Khalidi, and Israel-bashing BDS groups and leaders including Jewish Voice for Peace, Peter Beinart, Khaled Elgindy and Marc Lamont Hill (who was terminated by CNN for antisemitic comments).

Furthermore, CRSS’s website posted a resource guide listing and linking to numerous antisemitic, anti-Israel, BDS and terror-linked organizations, films, books, journals, “educational resources,” websites, podcasts and reports.

CRSS’s website also included CRSS Executive Director Sahar Aziz’s open letter praising and justifying Hamas terrorism and denying Israel’s right to self-defense while Hamas launched 4,500 rockets at Israel in May 2021. Aziz recruited Mangi to the CRSS advisory board. The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey stated that “Aziz has regularly and consistently promoted vile antisemitic propaganda” on social media and elsewhere.

In addition to his own donations and services, Mangi obtained donations from his law firm for CRSS.

During his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Mangi repeatedly refused to condemn viciously antisemitic, anti-Israel CSRR events and statements by reciting this mantra: “I do not have the expertise or factual background to express views regarding the complex history of the conflict in the Middle East, which is irrelevant to my potential work on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.”

Of course, condemning antisemitism and antisemitic Israel-bashing does not take expertise; it just takes courage. Moreover, antisemitism and Middle East issues are highly relevant to potential cases on the Third Circuit, including cases seeking remedies for antisemitic attacks and harassment on college campuses and city streets; cases regarding antisemitic boycotts; and cases brought by victims of Hamas and other terror groups under federal victims of terrorism and victims of torture statutes. Mangi is unfit and unqualified to fairly judge these important matters and should not be confirmed.

[gabriellademonaco]

Crown Princess Mary’s Official Engagements in October 2023:

03/10: Opening of Parliament

03/10: The Mary Foundation Presidium Dinner

05/10: Visit to Danish Hospital Clowns

12/10: 50th Anniversary of BUPL

12/10: Meeting with the Crown Princess Mary Center Advisory Committee

15/10: Prince Christian's 18th Birthday - Balcony Appearance

15/10: Prince Christian's 18th Birthday - Gala Dinner

23/10: Visit to New York - UN Mission Reception

24/10: Visit to New York - UN Day Conferences & Promoting Denmark’s Candidacy for the UN Security Council 2025-2026

25/10: Visit to North Carolina - World Anti-Bullying Forum 2023

30/10: 130th Anniversary of Offside Social Gardens

31/10: Meeting with Rare Diagnoses Association

[lingyunxiang]

Martha Olney is a Teaching Professor Emerita in Berkeley's Economics Department. She joined the department in 1991 as a Research Associate at the Institute of Business and Economic Research. She was a visiting associate professor from 1992 to 2002, when she became an adjunct professor. She was promoted to Teaching Professor (Senior Lecturer with Security of Employment) in July 2017 and retired in July 2022. She served as Chair of the Department's Undergraduate Committee for 9 years, 2012-2021. Professor Olney organized and hosted the Economic History Lunches for graduate students and faculty from 1996 until her retirement in 2022. Prior to joining Berkeley, she was an associate professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she had taught since 1984. She has also taught at Stanford University (2001) and Siena College (2011-2012). She received her PhD from Berkeley in 1985. Professor Olney is the recipient of multiple teaching and mentoring awards including Distinguished Teaching Awards from UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley's Social Science Division, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, plus awards from Phi Beta Kappa, the Economic History Association, The Stavros Center for Economic Education, and UC Berkeley's Faculty Award for Outstanding Mentorship of GSIs. She is a member of the American Economic Association, Business History Conference, Cliometric Society, Economic History Association, and the Social Science History Association. She previously served on the academic advisory board of the Financial Services Research Program of George Washington University and on the boards of the AEA's Committee for the Status of Women in the Economics Profession, and the Business History Conference. She is currently a member of the board of the AEA's Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession (CSQIEP) and the AEA's Task Force for Outreach to High School and Undergraduate Students in Economics.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Washington: President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of Devin Nunes, CEO of Truth Social and former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, as Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). Trump shared the news on Truth Social, praising Nunes’ experience and contributions to intelligence oversight. “I am pleased to announce that I will appoint Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes as Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, which consists of distinguished citizens from outside of the Federal Government,” Trump posted. He highlighted Nunes’ role in exposing what Trump referred to as the “Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax” during his tenure on the House Intelligence Committee as a key qualification. Trump added, “Devin will provide me with independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s activities. Congratulations, Devin.” Who Is Devin Nunes? Born on Oct. 1, 1973, in Tulare, California, Nunes is of Portuguese descent, with his family emigrating from the Azores to California. After attending Tulare Union High School, he pursued higher education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, earning a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and a master’s degree in agriculture. Nunes began his public service career as one of California’s youngest community college trustees, serving on the College of the Sequoias Board from 1996 to 2002. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 to lead California’s Rural Development efforts under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nunes later represented California’s 21st and 22nd congressional districts from 2003 until his departure to head Trump Media & Technology Group. Role of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board The PIAB is an independent entity within the Executive Office of the President tasked with advising the president on the effectiveness of the Intelligence Community in meeting national security needs. It has access to classified intelligence and reports directly to the president. Nunes’ appointment comes as President-elect Trump moves quickly to assemble his national security and foreign policy teams following his victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Trump secured 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226. Nunes is expected to balance his leadership at Truth Social with his new responsibilities on the PIAB, where he will contribute to shaping U.S. intelligence policy during Trump’s second term. Click here for Latest Fact Checked News On NewsMobile WhatsApp Channel For viral videos and Latest trends subscribe to NewsMobile YouTube Channel and Follow us on Instagram [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Washington: President-elect Donald Trump has announced the appointment of Devin Nunes, CEO of Truth Social and former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, as Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). Trump shared the news on Truth Social, praising Nunes’ experience and contributions to intelligence oversight. “I am pleased to announce that I will appoint Truth Social CEO Devin Nunes as Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, which consists of distinguished citizens from outside of the Federal Government,” Trump posted. He highlighted Nunes’ role in exposing what Trump referred to as the “Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax” during his tenure on the House Intelligence Committee as a key qualification. Trump added, “Devin will provide me with independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s activities. Congratulations, Devin.” Who Is Devin Nunes? Born on Oct. 1, 1973, in Tulare, California, Nunes is of Portuguese descent, with his family emigrating from the Azores to California. After attending Tulare Union High School, he pursued higher education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, earning a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and a master’s degree in agriculture. Nunes began his public service career as one of California’s youngest community college trustees, serving on the College of the Sequoias Board from 1996 to 2002. He was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2001 to lead California’s Rural Development efforts under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nunes later represented California’s 21st and 22nd congressional districts from 2003 until his departure to head Trump Media & Technology Group. Role of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board The PIAB is an independent entity within the Executive Office of the President tasked with advising the president on the effectiveness of the Intelligence Community in meeting national security needs. It has access to classified intelligence and reports directly to the president. Nunes’ appointment comes as President-elect Trump moves quickly to assemble his national security and foreign policy teams following his victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Trump secured 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226. Nunes is expected to balance his leadership at Truth Social with his new responsibilities on the PIAB, where he will contribute to shaping U.S. intelligence policy during Trump’s second term. Click here for Latest Fact Checked News On NewsMobile WhatsApp Channel For viral videos and Latest trends subscribe to NewsMobile YouTube Channel and Follow us on Instagram [ad_2] Source link

[keep-both-eyes-on-trump]

Trump Watch #10

More nominations by Trump: 

Massad Boulos as senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. 

Boulos is a Lebanese American billionaire businessman and father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany. 

His appeal centers on his ability to engage with different factions within Lebanese politics including Hezbollah and Lebanese Forces Party. 

Chad Chronister to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

Chronister is a sheriff from Hillsborough County, Florida. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a masters’ in criminology. 

Florida Attorney General, Ashley Moody, has praised his work on the opioid crisis.

He arrested a pastor for holding church services while under stay-at-home orders in March 2020 and is facing MAGA backlash for it.  

Kash Patel to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

Patel is a former public defender who spent several years as a Justice Department prosecutor before serving as a staffer for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where he ran the committee’s investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 campaign. 

He has embraced Trump’s rhetoric about a “deep state,” called for a “comprehensive housecleaning” of government workers who are disloyal to Trump, and referred to journalists as traitors.  

Charles Kushner to serve as US ambassador to France. 

Kushner is a real estate billionaire and father-in-law to Ivanka Trump. 

He was pardoned by Trump in December of 2020 after serving two years in prison for tax evasion and retaliating against a federal witness. Chris Christie, a US attorney, called it “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes” he prosecuted.

John Phelan as secretary of the navy. 

Phelan is the founder and chair of Rugger Management LLC, a private investment firm in Florida, and donor to the Trump campaign. 

He has no military experience, and would be the first permanent Navy secretary without military experience since 2009. 

He serves in an advisory position for Spirit of America, a non-profit that supports the defense of Ukraine and Taiwan. 

Keith Kellogg as Special Envoy to Ukraine and Russia. 

Kellogg is a decorated three-star general who is a staunch supporter of an “America First” national security agenda. 

He has been Trump’s top advisor on defense issues and served as chief of staff on Trump’s National Security Council during Trump’s first term.

He is co-chairman of the American First Policy Institute’s Center for American Security and wrote chapters in the group's policy book which lays out a Trump national security agenda. 

He has shown support for Ukraine, but states it is in the best interest for Ukraine and America to seek a ceasefire and negotiate a peace agreement with Russia. 

Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health.

Bhattacharya is a physician and Stanford University health researcher who criticized pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

He was one of three authors of the The Great Barrington Declaration, an open letter released in October 2020 that challenged lockdowns and mask mandates and called for speeding herd immunity by allowing low-risk individuals to get infected with COVID-19.

He faced restrictions on social media platforms because of his views and was a plaintiff in Murthy v. Missouri, a supreme court case that contended federal officials improperly suppressed conservative views in their efforts to combat misinformation. 

Jim O’Neill as deputy secretary of HHS.

O’Neill previously served in HHS under George W. Bush, and he was considered by Trump to head the FDA in 2016. 

He has expressed disdain for federal regulation and called for the FDA to only consider safety of a drug to approve it for use rather than safety and efficacy. 

Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Carr would be elevated from commissioner to chair of the FCC; he will not require Senate confirmation.

He has stated “combating tech censorship is going to be one of the top priorities” for him in order to “restore Americans’ right to free speech.” 

He penned Project 2025’s chapter on the FCC calling for restricted immunity offered by Section 230 for tech giants and tamping down on businesses’ ability to censor protected speech. He also wants tech companies to be more transparent about algorithm changes and decisions to block or demonetize users. 

Like Trump, Carr has taken aim at broadcast media and indicated he will take Trump’s complaints about various news outlets like CBS, NBC, and ABC seriously. 

Howard Lutnick for commerce secretary. 

Lutnick is a billionaire investor and Wall Street CEO.

He will be responsible for enforcing the tariffs Trump campaigned on, for which he has expressed support. He has also expressed support for tax cuts and cryptocurrency where, like Trump, he has business interests.

[jbfly46]

Need a job? Here’s a list of federal agencies you can apply to for employment:

- Administrative Conference of the United States

- Administrative Office of United States Courts

- Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

- Agency for International Development

- Agriculture Department

- Air Quality National Commission

- Air Transportation Stabilization Board

- American Battle Monuments Commission

- Amtrak Reform Council

- Antitrust Modernization Commission

- Appalachian Regional Commission

- Architect of the Capitol

- Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board

- Arctic Research Commission

- Armed Forces Retirement Home

- Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

- Assassination Records Review Board

- Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation

- Broadcasting Board of Governors

- Census Monitoring Board

- Central Intelligence Agency

- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

- Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission

- Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board

- Civil Rights Commission

- Commerce Department

- Commission of Fine Arts

- Commission on Immigration Reform

- Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy

- Commission on Review of Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States

- Commission on Structural Alternatives for the Federal Courts of Appeals

- Commission on the Advancement of Federal Law Enforcement

- Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry

- Commission on the Social Security Notch Issue

- Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled

- Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements

- Commodity Futures Trading Commission

- Competitiveness Policy Council

- Congressional Budget Office

- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

- Consumer Product Safety Commission

- Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

- Corporation for National and Community Service

- Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency

- Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia

- Crime and Security in U.S. Seaports, Interagency Commission

- Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission

- Defense Department

- Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

- Delaware River Basin Commission

- Denali Commission

- Education Department

- Election Assistance Commission

- Electronic Commerce Advisory Commission

- Emergency Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loan Board

- Emergency Steel Guarantee Loan Board

- Energy Department

- Environmental Protection Agency

- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

- Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency

- Executive Office of the President

- Export-Import Bank

- Farm Credit Administration

- Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation

- Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board

- Federal Acquisition Regulation System

- Federal Communications Commission

- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

- Federal Election Commission

- Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council

- Federal Housing Finance Agency

- Federal Housing Finance Board

- Federal Labor Relations Authority

- Federal Maritime Commission

- Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service

- Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission

- Federal Pay, Advisory Committee

- Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council

- Federal Register, Administrative Committee

- Federal Reserve System

- Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

- Federal Trade Commission

- Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission

- Financial Stability Oversight Council

- General Services Administration

- Government Accountability Office

- Government Ethics Office

- Government Publishing Office

- Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council

- Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation

- Health and Human Services Department

- Homeland Security Department

- Housing and Urban Development Department

- Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor Commission

- Immigration Reform Commission

- Independent Counsel Office

- Indian Arts and Crafts Board

- Indian Claims Commission

- Indian Gaming Commission

- Information Security Oversight Office

- Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development

- Institute of Museum and Library Services

- Inter-American Foundation

- Interagency Council on the Homeless

- Interior Department

- Internal Revenue Service

- International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico

- International Broadcasting Board

- International Development Cooperation Agency

- International Joint Commission, United States and Canada

- International Trade Commission

- James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation

- Japan-United States Friendship Commission

- John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board

- Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries

- Justice Department

- Labor Department

- Legal Services Corporation

- Library of Congress

- Marine Mammal Commission

- Maritime Administration

- Medicare Payment Advisory Commission

- Merit Systems Protection Board

- Millennium Challenge Corporation

- Mississippi River Commission

- National Aeronautics and Space Administration

- National Archives and Records Administration

- National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare

- National Capital Planning Commission

- National Commission on Libraries and Information Science

- National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States

- National Council on Disability

- National Credit Union Administration

- National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities

- National Gambling Impact Study Commission

- National Indian Gaming Commission

- National Institute for Literacy

- National Labor Relations Board

- National Mediation Board

- National Park Service

- National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)

- National Science Foundation

- National Security Council

- National Transportation Safety Board

- National Women's Business Council

- Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation

- Nuclear Regulatory Commission

- Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

- Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission

- Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight

- Office of Government Ethics

- Office of Management and Budget

- Office of National Drug Control Policy

- Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation

- Office of Personnel Management

- Office of Science and Technology Policy

- Office of Special Counsel

- Overseas Private Investment Corporation

- Panama Canal Commission

- Peace Corps

- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

- Postal Rate Commission

- Postal Regulatory Commission

- Postal Service

- President's Commission on White House Fellowships

- President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency

- Railroad Retirement Board

- Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board

- Regulatory Information Service Center

- Resolution Trust Corporation

- Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation

- Securities and Exchange Commission

- Selective Service System

- Small Business Administration

- Smithsonian Institution

- Social Security Administration

- State Department

- State Justice Institute

- Surface Transportation Board

- Susquehanna River Basin Commission

- Tennessee Valley Authority

- Thrift Depositor Protection Oversight Board

- Trade and Development Agency

- Transportation Department

- Treasury Department

- Truman Scholarship Foundation

- U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

- U.S. Enrichment Corporation

- U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

- U.S. Information Agency

- U.S. Institute of Peace

- U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

- U.S. International Trade Commission

- U.S. Office of Special Counsel

- U.S. Sentencing Commission

- United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

- United States Court of Federal Claims

- United States Court of International Trade

- United States Institute of Peace

- United States International Trade Commission

- United States Postal Service

- United States Trade and Development Agency

- Veterans Affairs Department

- Vietnam Education Foundation

- White House Commission on Presidential Scholars

- White House Office

- Women's Bureau

- Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Maggie Fox at The Fuller Project, via The Guardian:

As they prepare to take control of the White House and Congress next month, conservatives are eyeing cutbacks to federal programs that help tens of millions of women pay for healthcare, food, housing and transportation. Slashing or overhauling social support programs, long a goal of Republican lawmakers, could be catastrophic for women experiencing poverty. Supporters contend the social safety-net programs are already grossly underfunded.

“With this new administration that is coming in … I really am concerned about the lives of women. We are seeing so many policies, so many budget cuts,” said Christian Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women. Republicans say they want to keep campaign promises to cut government spending, and three major programs make easy targets: Medicaid, the joint state/federal health insurance program for people with lower incomes; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a cash-allowance program that replaced welfare; and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), widely known as food stamps. While conservatives frame cuts as making government more efficient and even restoring freedom, advocates for and experts on families with little or no income say reducing these programs will throw more people – especially women and children – further into poverty. “It is going to fall heavily on women,” said Elaine Waxman, a senior fellow in the Income and Benefits Policy Center at the Urban Institute, a non-profit research organization.

Predicting precisely what Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration will do is difficult. Congressional leaders are close-mouthed about negotiations, and the president-elect has not finished putting together his advisory team. None of the spokespeople contacted for this story returned calls or e-mails. But organizations known to advise top leaders in Congress and the previous Trump administration have laid out fairly detailed roadmaps. Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for the incoming administration, denies its proposed changes will harm women, saying instead that marriage and “family values” will improve their economic situations. “Marriage, healthy family formation, and delaying sex to prevent pregnancy are virtually ignored in terms of priorities, yet these goals can reverse the cycle of poverty in meaningful ways,” reads the section on proposed changes to TANF and Snap.

Numerous other groups that have studied the problem say forcing or even encouraging marriage will not make poverty disappear. And a recent study by a team at the University of South Carolina found that when state laws make it harder for pregnant women to get divorced, they’re more likely to be killed by their partners. Trump has promised not to attack the two most expensive and popular government programs: social security and Medicare. But he and Congress are up against a deadline to extend his 2017 tax reforms, which raised the federal deficit. They’ll have to cut something, and social spending programs, especially the $805bn Medicaid program, are low-hanging fruit for conservatives. Trump repeatedly tried to slash Snap during his last tenure in office: his 2021 budget proposal would have cut the program by more than $180bn – nearly 30% – over 10 years. Conservatives in Congress have continued these efforts and, with majorities in the House and Senate, they may be able to get them through next year. The Republican Study Committee, whose members include about three-quarters of the House Republican caucus, recommends more work requirements for Snap and TANF.

[...] Snap currently helps 41 million people buy groceries and other necessities every month. Women accounted for more than 55% of people under 65 receiving Snap benefits in 2022, according to the National Women’s Law Center, a gender justice advocacy group. About one-third of them were women of color, the NWLC said. Among other things, cutting these programs will trap women in dangerous situations, the NWLC said: “SNAP helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault establish basic economic security.” TANF, which provides cash assistance, overwhelmingly benefits women. In 2022, 370,000 TANF adult recipients were female and 69,000 were male, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Perhaps Medicaid is the most tempting target for conservatives because they can use it to undermine the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The GOP has been gunning for the ACA since it was signed into law without a single Republican vote in 2010.

Republicans and their he-man woman-haters club agenda blooms with their inane proposals to cut subsidies such as SNAP and WIC that are primarily used by women.

[lboogie1906]

Eva Clayton (September 16, 1934) a Democrat, became known as a vigorous advocate for the concerns of African Americans and for social improvement. Known for being the first African American woman to be elected to Congress in the state of North Carolina.

She was born in Savannah, Georgia. She attended Johnson C. Smith University where she received her BS. She received her MS at North Carolina Central University. She enrolled at the University of North Carolina Law School.

She was the director of Health Manpower Development Programs for the University of North Carolina and Assistant Secretary for Community Development for the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development. She served as a member and chair of the Warren County Board of Commissioners.

She ran for a congressional seat and won in 1992 with over 68 percent of the vote. Her victory made history, as she became the first African American woman to represent the state of North Carolina as well as one of two African Americans elected to Congress from that state for the first time since Reconstruction.

She has served on the Agriculture and Budget Committees and the Department Operations, Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee. She was the co-chair of the Democratic Task Force on Health and a member of the Social Security Task Force.

She has been the executive director of the Soul City Foundation, which specializes in low incoming housing, and been a member of the Congressional Advisory Board of the National Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy. Clayton was the principal sponsor of the “Patients Bill of Rights” bill. She sought to reduce crime in inner-city schools and fight drug abuse.

She was reelected to Congress for four additional terms and retired from that body in 2003. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #alphakappaalpha

[its-suanneschafer-author]

Continuing my review and summarization of Project 2025, Chapter 21 covers the Dept of Commerce. Please pay special attention to #8. You’ll get a chuckle out of it.

1. Streamline and rearrange multiple bureaus: the International Trade Administration, the Bureau of Industry and Security, the Development Finance Corporation, US Trade and Development Agency, Export-Import Bank and consider if they should even exist

2. Consolidate the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau and the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics into a more manageable, focused, and efficient statistical agency

3. Dismantle the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service because they are the “drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity” and privatize the Weather Service, Marine Fisheries Service, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Services, and the Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

4. Fully staff the Office of the Secretary with political appointees who must that ensure that funds are not being diverted to programs which do not align with Administration priorities. NB: Political appointee ≠ qualified appointee, simply a Trump "yes" man.

5. Get rid of all advisory committees which are hostile to conservative principles 

6.Ensure that Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary positions are and senior policy and decision-making positions are always held by political appointees 

7. Promulgate policies to better prevent technology and weapons transfer

8. This is a great line! When authoritarian governments explain what they plan to do, believe them unless hard evidence demonstrates otherwise. NB: When authoritarian political parties explain what they plan to dominate believe them.

9. Withdraw the 30x30 Executive Order, the Associated America the Beautiful Initiative which “advance an agenda to close vast areas of the ocean to commercial activities" such as fishing and off-shore drilling"

10. Get rid of the Marine Mammal Protection Act

11. Elevate the Office of Space Commerce to set a robust and unified whole-of-government commercial space policy that cements U.S. leadership in a crucial industry of the future

12. Place political appointees in the Census Bureau to align it with conservative principles and add a citizenship question and reevaluate the race/ethnicity questions

13. Abolish the National Advisory Committee and reevaluate all other committees including the Census Bureau National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations as it is a “hotbed for left-wing activists intent upon injecting racial and social-justice theory into the governing philosophy of the Census Bureau.”

14. Eliminate funding for the  Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and competitiveness of minority-owned businesses.

15. Review federal policy regarding free speech online and provide policy solutions to address big tech’s censorship of speech.

[betshy]

Nigerians Will Only Be Able to Get Healthcare Related Visa Sponsorships in the UK

The UK government's recent announcement regarding immigration from Nigeria has sparked considerable debate and controversy. The decision to restrict entry for Nigerian professionals, with the exception of healthcare professionals, as a means to reduce net migration has raised concerns and garnered significant attention. This policy change effectively means that only individuals involved in activities overseen by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be permitted to enter the UK. The implications of such a decision are far-reaching and have elicited varied responses from different stakeholders. It remains to be seen how this measure will impact the Nigerian community and the healthcare sector in the UK. In recent years, Nigeria has seen a surge in the number of its citizens seeking healthcare-related visa sponsorships in the UK. This trend has sparked a debate among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the general public about the reasons behind this phenomenon. One of the main reasons why Nigerians are increasingly looking to the UK for healthcare-related visa sponsorships is the lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure and resources in Nigeria. Many Nigerians face challenges accessing quality healthcare services in their home country due to a shortage of healthcare professionals, medical equipment, and facilities. As a result, they often turn to countries like the UK for better healthcare opportunities. Furthermore, the UK has a long-standing reputation for providing high-quality healthcare services and has a well-established healthcare system that attracts healthcare professionals from around the world. Nigerian healthcare professionals see the UK as a lucrative destination for advancing their careers and gaining valuable experience in their fields. Additionally, the UK offers a range of visa sponsorship options for healthcare professionals, making it easier for Nigerians to secure employment in the healthcare sector. With the UK's National Health Service (NHS) facing a shortage of healthcare professionals, there is a demand for skilled workers to fill vacancies in hospitals and clinics across the country. According to the GOV.UK (2023), these are key measures also being taken to reduce migration: - Stopping overseas care workers from bringing family dependants and requiring social care firms in England to be undertaking Care Quality Commission registered activities to sponsor visas, which will come into force on 11 March. Last year 120,000 dependants came via this route.   - Increasing the earning threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50% from its current position of £26,200 to £38,700 from 4 April 2024, encouraging businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration, while bringing salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs.  - Reforming the Shortage Occupation List into an Immigration Salary List. We will end the 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations and we have asked the Migration Advisory Committee – an expert independent panel that advises the Government on immigration policy - to review the composition of the list in line with the increased salary thresholds.  This will be included in the Immigration Rules laid on 14 March. - Raising the minimum income for family visas to £38,700 in line with the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route to ensure people only bring dependants to the UK they can support financially and will apply to all British and settled sponsors under the five-year partner route. We will raise the minimum income for family visas incrementally in stages, to give predictability to families, starting at £29,000 from 11 April and rising to £38,700 by early 2025. - We will be asking the MAC to review the graduate route to prevent abuse, protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education and ensure it works in the best interests of the UK. As it can be seen, only healthcare Nigerians will be allowed in the UK to work. This is great news, but there are still many loopholes which allow the abuse of the system, and most of them now want to settle down in the United Kingdom even if they do not feel welcome here. This poses iatrogenic complications that can be avoided. While the UK provides a valuable opportunity for Nigerians seeking healthcare-related visa sponsorships, there are concerns about brain drain and the impact it may have on Nigeria's healthcare system. The migration of healthcare professionals to other countries could exacerbate the existing healthcare workforce shortage in Nigeria and hinder efforts to improve the country's healthcare infrastructure. In order to address this issue, policymakers in Nigeria need to invest in healthcare education, training, and infrastructure to retain healthcare professionals and improve the quality of healthcare services in the country. By creating more opportunities for healthcare professionals to practise and advance their careers in Nigeria, the country can reduce reliance on foreign healthcare systems and strengthen its own healthcare sector. Overall, while Nigerians may currently be seeking healthcare-related visa sponsorships in the UK due to greed, it is important for policymakers to work towards improving the healthcare system in Nigeria to ensure that healthcare professionals have the resources and support they need to provide quality care to all Nigerians. Read the full article

[padhaicrew]

Parent-Teacher Collaboration: Enhancing the Educational Experience at IIS University

At Girls University in Jaipur, we understand the important part parents play in their daughters' education. We believe that promoting strong collaboration between parents and teachers is necessary for enhancing the educational experience and making the success of our students. In this blog, we'll discuss the value of parent-teacher collaboration and show the efforts made at Jaipur's Girls University to encourage meaningful interaction between parents and teachers. 

The Importance of Parent-Teacher Collaboration

Supporting Student Success: When parents and teachers collaborate, they can provide clear encouragement and backing to students, allowing them modify challenges to achieve success in school.

Holistic Development: Collaboration between parents and teachers enables a more comprehensive approach to education, dealing with not just educational requirements but also social, emotional, and behavioral facets of student development.

Initiatives at Girls University in Jaipur

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Girls University in Jaipur arranges regular parent-teacher conferences to provide chances for open communication and feedback. These meetings enable parents to talk about their daughters' progress, strengths, and fields for improvement with their teachers.

Parent Education Workshops: The university performs parent education seminars on topics like effective study habits, teenage growth, and supporting mental health. These programs equip parents with important knowledge and abilities to better help their daughters' learning goals.

Online Platforms: Girls University in Jaipur utilizes online platforms and means of communication to keep parents informed about school activities, lessons updates, and important announcements. This promises that parents are fully engaged in their daughters' education, even from a distance.

Volunteer Opportunities: The university promotes parents to take part in different educational activities and events, developing a sense of community and collaboration. Parent volunteers contribute to enriching the learning process for all students and improve the bond between school and home. 

Collaboration Beyond the Classroom

Community Engagement: Girls University in Jaipur encourages community engagement initiatives where parents, teachers, and students come together to take part in service projects, festivities, and outreach activities. These activities not only improve relationships but also promote values of empathy, compassion, and social responsibility in students.

Parent Advisory Committees: The university defines parent advisory groups which include members from different communities to provide input and feedback on school policies, programs, and efforts. With this cooperative approach, parents are guaranteed a say in how their daughters' education is developed.

Conclusion:

Collaboration between parents and teachers is fundamental to enhancing the learning process at Girls University in India. By promoting open communication, providing resources and support, and including parents in the decision-making processes, we work to create an accepting and empowering environment where every student is able to succeed. By working together, we can make sure that our daughters get the education and support they require to realize their full potential and develop into capable secure future leaders.