Timothy Pratt, The Guardian; #AltGov: the secret network of federal workers resisting Doge from the inside
"Calling itself #AltGov, the network has developed a visible, public-facing presence in recent weeks through Bluesky accounts, most of which bear the names or initials of federal agencies, aimed at getting information out to the public – and correcting disinformation – about the chaos being unleashed by the Trump administration."
Pranshu Verma, The Washington Post ; Elon Musk ridiculed a blind person on X. Then a mob went to work
[Kip Currier: Elon Musk repeatedly shows us exactly who and what he is: the richest person on the planet and a man who is to be pitied for the severe impoverishment of character, decency, and ethical principles from which he suffers.
We can't easily counter the hate speech, disinformation, and chaos that are the democracy-damaging byproducts of this wannabe-Bond-villain's amoral philosophical approach to life. But we can support the brave souls whom Musk and his minions ruthlessly target with their cyberbullying and scare tactics.
Thanks to all those willing to stand up for the rule of law, fairness, accountability, truth, service to those in need, and human dignity.]
[Excerpt]
"Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette works at the Project on Government Oversight,a nonpartisan watchdog group focused on reducing bureaucratic waste. He also happens to be blind. So when he criticized Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service in testimony on Capitol Hill last week, Musk unleashed an online attack Hedtler-Gaudette described as “surreal” in its juvenile bigotry.
First, Musk retweeted a post on X noting that the “blind director of watchdog group funded by George Soros testifies that he does not see widespread evidence of government waste” and added two laughing/crying emojis. The tweet garnered more than 21 million views, and sparked dozens of hateful messages to Hedtler-Gaudette’s account...
Digital rights experts say the situation has created an unprecedented imbalance in power. Musk’s massive online following, his ownership of a social media platform where he can dictate content moderation rules, and his position heading a government entity with access to private data, give him a unique ability to threaten those who question him and chill dissenting speech."
Lisa Rein , The Washington Post; As Musk reshapes the government, some ask: Where are the guardrails?
"Some dismissed civil servants are preparing lawsuits against the administration, citing the guardrails that Congress erected to protect their jobs. Legal experts are closely watching to find out if they will survive."
Sean Beeghly | U. Pittsburgh School of Law, US, Jurist news; Trump administration asks US Supreme Court to remove order blocking firing of ethics agency head
"The Trump administration prepared an application on Sunday asking the US Supreme Court to remove a lower court order blocking the firing of the head of the Office of Special Counsel. The request argued the order was “an unprecedented assault on the separation of powers that warrant[ed] immediate relief.”...
The Office of Special Counsel was created in 1979 to serve as “a secure channel for federal employees to blow the whistle by disclosing wrongdoing.”"
"A theme of Mr. Trump’s presidency is likely to be the clash of his duties running the country with the remnants of his decades as a hard-charging businessman. But federal rules and precedent make a couple of things clear. Mr. Trump will have no immunity from lawsuits involving his corporate ventures, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling involving Paula Jones, one of President Bill Clinton’s accusers. And nothing will stop Mr. Trump’s family from continuing to run its vast international web of businesses. Federal ethics laws and conflict-of-interest statutes that apply to other federal employees and cabinet members do not apply to the president."
