News From Around the Web
#10 Elon Musk’s DOGE Asks for Access to IRS Taxpayer Data - ABC News, Dr. Thom. Ph.D., CPA, TMK, Jeff Stein, Patrick Bet-David, Adrianne Curry, Kory Yeshua, and Tosca Austen on X
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has requested access to an Internal Revenue Service system that retains the personal tax information of millions of Americans, two sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. The system, known as the Integrated Data Retrieval System, is used by IRS employees to review tax information, issue notices and update taxpayer records. Access to the files, which is tightly controlled within the agency, had not been granted as of this weekend, several sources told ABC News. Still, the request itself has been received with alarm both within the government and among privacy experts who say that granting Musk access to Americans' private taxpayer data could be extraordinarily dangerous.
#9 Elon Musk Claims There Are 150-Year-Olds on Social Security - Eric Revell for FOXBusiness, Elon Musk/Robert Sterling, Right Angle News, Chuck Nellis The Phoenix, and Mark Hemingway on X
Billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday claimed that a cursory review of Social Security records by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) found evidence that the safety net program is paying benefits to 150-year-olds. Musk, who has been tasked with leading DOGE as a special government employee, spoke to reporters on Tuesday from the Oval Office of the White House with President Donald Trump and said DOGE found payments going to beneficiaries listed as being around the age of 150, though he didn't go into detail about the claims."There's crazy things, like, just a cursory examination of Social Security and we've got people in there that are about 150 years old," Musk said. "Now, do you know anyone that's 150? I don't. They should be in the Guinness Book of World Records, they're missing out."
#8 Trump Admin Seeks Permission to Fire Head of the Office of Special Counsel - Greg Wehner for Fox News, George, The Gateway Pundit, Walter Curt, and HuffPost on X
The Trump administration has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, hoping to get permission to fire the head of the federal agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers. The emergency appeal, obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday, could likely be the start of a steady stream of court filings by lawyers of President Donald Trump and his administration aimed at reversing lower court rulings that have delayed his priorities for his second term in office. The appeal seeks to prevent Hampton Dellinger from resuming his role as the head of the Office of Special Counsel.
#7 Which Agencies Have Been Hit by Federal Layoffs? What to Know About NPS, NIH, IRS, More - Mike Snider and Joey Garrison for USA TODAY, Derrick Evans, Benny Johnson, US Homeland Security News, David Lim, Brandy Zadrozny, Adam Feuerstein, and KING 5 News on X
In a flurry of activity at the end of the week, the Trump administration fired more than 10,000 federal workers across multiple agencies as part of its "large-scale reductions" in the government workforce. This is likely just the beginning of the job cuts, as President Donald Trump and top White House aide Elon Musk seek to continue slashing agency budgets. Trump signed an executive order Tuesday seeking a significant reduction in the size of the government. It instructs heads of federal departments and agencies to make "large-scale reductions in force."
#6 Elon Musk Encouraged to Crack Open Fort Knox and Audit the $425 Billion Gold Reserves Inside — And Rand Paul Wants to Help - Ryan King for New York Post, Dr. J.J. Levine, zerohedge, Wall Street Gold, Alex Jones and Wall Street Apes/Lisalovesshells on X
Elon Musk could get a golden audit. The world’s richest man got encouragement Sunday to bring his cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) into one of the most secure places in the world: Fort Knox. Sen. Rand Paul called for a review of the vault’s massive gold reserves — worth an estimated $425 billion based on market rates — in response to the tech mogul’s musings about the stash. Musk, 53, drew attention to a user who asked him to “take a look inside Fort Knox just to make sure the 4,580 tons of US gold is there.” “Surely it’s reviewed at least every year,” Musk replied to X user Zerohedge. “Nope. Let’s do it,” Paul (R-Ky.), 62, chimed in, referring to the Army installation south of Louisville...
#5 Trump Admin Reforms ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children’ Policy to Prevent Trafficking - Neil Munro for Breitbart, Maddie Rowley/The Free Press, and Holykisses on X
President Donald Trump’s deputies have reformed the Democrats’ 2008 “Unaccompanied Alien Children” (UAC) program to shrink migrant smuggling by labor traffickers and by illegal migrant parents. “This is another big win,” said the Immigration Accountability Project. “It would mean fewer children handed over to sex or labor traffickers.” But Democrat-affiliated pro-migration groups lament the reforms, which will require government officials to verify the legal or illegal status of people who volunteer to “sponsor” the many youth migrants who are welcomed across the border and housed in government-funded hostels...
#4 ‘Woke Is Their God’: Ex-Dem Fundraiser Says Party ‘In Shambles’ After 2024 Election Losses - Aubrie Spady for Fox News, Tim Young, Laura Loomer, Xi Van Fleet, and Dinesh D'Souza/LindyLi on X
A prominent former fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) revealed that donors are fed up with the Democratic Party, claiming that it is in "shambles" following the presidential election. Lindy Li, a well-known fundraiser who raised money for the Democrats' 2024 presidential campaign, announced her exit from the party in December after being ostracized for criticizing then-Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Speaking to Fox News Digital after President Donald Trump assumed office, Li, who has raised tens of millions of dollars for Democrats over the years, said the party she once stumped for is now "completely rudderless."
#3 U.S. Conditionally Approves Vaccine to Protect Poultry From Avian Flu - Jon Cohen for Science Adviser, Lisa Christine, Nicholas Hulcher MPH/Peter A. McCullough MD MPH, Tired of being politically correct, and Cynthia Farr Kinkel on X
With egg prices in the United States soaring because of the spread of H5N1 influenza virus among poultry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) yesterday conditionally approved a vaccine to protect the birds. President Donald Trump’s administration may therefore soon face a fraught decision on whether to join the ranks of other nations—including China, France, Egypt, and Mexico—that vaccinate poultry against H5N1. Although many influenza researchers contend that vaccination can help control spread of the deadly virus, the U.S. government has long resisted allowing its use because of politics and trade concerns that many contend are unscientific. The USDA approval may signal a shift in policy linked to the Trump administration’s worries about egg prices. Even with the conditional approval, USDA must still approve its use before farmers can start to administer the vaccine because special regulations apply to H5N1 and other so-called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses...
#2 Posting Hateful Speech Online Could Lead To Police Raiding Your Home in This European Country - CBS News, Eric Daugherty, NEWSMAX, ib, Derrick Evans, RadioGenoa, and Hans Mahncke/Friedrich Merz on X
If you've ever dared to read the comments on a social media post, you might start to wonder if civilized discourse is just a myth. Aggressive threats, lies, and harassment have unfortunately become the norm online, where anonymity has emboldened some users to push the limits of civility. In the United States, most of what anyone says, sends, or streams online — even if it's hate-filled or toxic — is protected by the First Amendment as free speech. But Germany is trying to bring some civility to the World Wide Web by policing it in a way most Americans could never imagine. In an effort, it says, to protect discourse, German authorities have started prosecuting online trolls. And as we saw, it often begins with a pre-dawn wake-up call from the police...#1 Protests Are Set to Take Place on Presidents Day. Here’s Why - Chandelis Duster for NPR, Susan Baker, Jonathan Jacobs, Andrea Schaffer Employment/Labor Law, Dr. CZ, Wake Up NJ, and Miami New Times on X
Protests are set to take place in several major cities across the U.S. on Monday, the Presidents Day holiday, according to activists. These demonstrations are being organized by the 50501 Movement, which stands for "50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement." The protests are a response to what organizers describe as "the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration." This marks the second nationwide protest by the group, following an event held on Feb. 5. The protests follow a series of executive orders signed by President Trump, including actions led by billionaire Elon Musk, which have...
