Category «Censorship»

The war on DEI is a smoke screen

The Verge – [unpaywalled] “Violent metaphors abound for what’s happening in Washington: Elon Musk and his allies have taken a “slash-and-burn” approach to the government and a “sledgehammer” to government institutions, doing away with supposed waste and excess while leaving the fundamental structure intact. All of this is being done with the stated goal of …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Education, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

The SAVE Act Would Disenfranchise Millions of Citizens

CAP: “The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act has been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation would require all Americans to prove their citizenship status by presenting documentation—in person—when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. Specifically, the legislation would require the vast majority of Americans to rely on a …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation

Data Rescue Project

Data Rescue Project – There are many individuals, organizations, and community-based resources that document and assist with rescuing efforts. Below is the list of tools, data sources, library guides, and articles we are aware of and their associated scopes. This list was developed from the original Data Rescue Google Doc. Please email suggestions to [email protected]. …

Subjects: Censorship, Congress, E-Government, Economy, Education, Financial System, Health Care, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

The Venn Diagram of Trump’s Authoritarian Actions

Kottke.org:  Professor Christina Pagel of University College London has mapped the actions of the Trump administration’s first few weeks into a Venn diagram (above) with “five broad domains that correspond to features of proto-authoritarian states”: Undermining Democratic Institutions & Rule of Law; Dismantling federal government Dismantling Social Protections & Rights; Enrichment & Corruption Suppressing Dissent …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Congress, Courts, E-Government, Education, Government Documents, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Federal workers say they increasingly distrust platforms like Facebook

The Verge: “As Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have sought to gut and remake the federal government to their liking, federal workers have changed how they communicate with one another and with friends. They have locked down communication channels, migrated to new platforms, and what was once skepticism has grown into deep distrust — …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, E-Records, Economy, Financial System, Health Care, Internet, Knowledge Management, Privacy, Social Media

Implementing President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Workforce Optimization Initiative

Josh Marshall: “This new EO signed today appears to create DOGE as a shadow government across the entire federal government. Each agency/dept will be assigned a DOGE minder who will work with the Secry or Director and essentially be in charge of all new hiring and/or firing. People have been saying the Elon is President. …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Congress, Economy, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

How Trump Could Remake the Supreme Court for a Generation

The Nation: Donald Trump is poised to become the first president since FDR to have appointed the majority of high-court justices. His potential picks are terrifying.This article appears in the March 2025 issue, with the headline “The Supreme Trump Court.” Donald Trump’s first term as president gave the republicans control over the most dangerous body …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Congress, Courts, Defense, Economy, Education, Energy, Environmental Law, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Health Care, Knowledge Management, Legal Research

Don’t let Donald Trump and Elon Musk talk us out of democracy

Law Dork – “President Donald Trump and shadow-president Elon Musk are losing. When Justice Department lawyers go to court, trying to defend many of Trump and Musk’s actions, DOJ has regularly lost — and often face tense moments in court before being dealt those losses. On Monday, for example, Judge John Bates, a George W. …

Subjects: Censorship, Courts, E-Government, E-Records, Government Documents, Legal Research

The List of Trump’s Forbidden Words That Will Get Your Paper Flagged at NSF

Gizmodo –  “It’s fascism, plain and simple.Every federal agency in the U.S. is currently trying to figure out how to purge forbidden words from documents posted online, in a desperate attempt to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive order to purge “DEI” from every facet of American life. And nowhere is that effort more bizarre …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Education, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Elon Musk’s AI Fueled War on Human Agency

The New Yorker [unpaywalled]: “…To run his agency [DOGE], Musk brought on a group of tech-company managers and inexperienced twentysomethings whose credentials included internships at SpaceX. We watched as this crew began interrogating federal employees about their jobs, interfering with the system that controls payments at the Treasury Department, and trawling government budgets while Musk …

Subjects: AI, Censorship, Civil Liberties, Climate Change, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents

Recent CRS and GAO Reports Highlight Key Issues of Trump Administration

2/3 – USAID Under the Trump Administration (CRS) 2/3 – No More Deference: Sixth Circuit Relies on Loper Bright to Strike Down Net Neutrality Rules (CRS) 2/3 – Food Safety: Status of Foodborne Illness in the U.S. (GAO) 2/4 – Recent White House Actions on Immigration (CRS) 2/6 – Federal Workforce Downsizing: Voluntary and Involuntary …

Subjects: Censorship, Economy, Food and Nutrition, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Health Care, Internet, Legal Research

Anatomy of an AI Coup

Tech Policy News: “Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology for manufacturing excuses. While lacking clear definitions or tools for assessment, AI has nonetheless seized the imagination of politicians and managers across government, academia, and industry. But what AI is best at producing is justifications. If you want a labor force, a regulatory bureaucracy, or accountability …

Subjects: AI, Censorship, Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research