Trump backs idea to send “DOGE savings” welfare checks to Americans

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune

“President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he likes the idea of giving some of the savings from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency back to U.S. citizens as a kind of dividend. He said at an investment conference in Miami that the administration is considering a concept in which 20% of the savings produced by DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts goes to American citizens and another 20% goes to paying down the national debt. Trump also said the potential for dividend payments would incentivize people to report wasteful spending.” (02/20/25)

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/02/20/trump-backs-doge-dividend-musk/

Thomas L. Knapp

“Iowa will go Democratic when Hell goes Methodist”

Source: Jake Porter’s Analysis & Investigations
by Jake Porter

“Growing up on the Missouri/Iowa border, I remember the 1990s when both states could be described as politically purple. It wasn’t uncommon for both Democrats and Republicans to hold statewide offices at the same time. Both states stayed politically purple up until recently. Today, both have moved far to the right. To get a good picture of how rural America has moved, we can look to Iowa.” (02/20/25)

https://jakeporter.substack.com/p/iowa-will-go-democratic-when-hell

Thomas L. Knapp

Data leak exposes 14 million customer shipping records

Source: Fox News

“Hipshipper, a shipping platform used by sellers on eBay, Shopify and Amazon, accidentally exposed millions of shipping labels with personal customer information. Researchers at Cybernews found the exposed data in December 2024, but it wasn’t fixed until January, meaning it was open for at least a month. Hipshipper helps people ship packages to over 150 countries, offering tracking, free insurance and easy returns. The exposed shipping labels are important because they detail what’s inside the packages and where they’re supposed to go. However, an unprotected AWS bucket held over 14.3 million records, mainly shipping labels and customs forms. Researchers from Cybernews said, ‘Cybercriminals can use leaked data to carry out scams and phishing attacks. For example, criminals might pretend to be trusted businesses and send fake messages using specific order details to trick people into sharing personal or financial information.'” (02/20/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/huge-data-leak-exposes-14-million-customer-shipping-records

Thomas L. Knapp

To Curb Government Waste, Musk Should Start With Pentagon Contractors… Like Himself

Source: OtherWords
by Chisom Okorafor

“With an annual budget rapidly approaching $1 trillion, the Pentagon already gets more discretionary tax dollars than any other agency. Now congressional Republicans are proposing to hike that figure by anywhere from $100 billion to $150 billion, while slashing funding for programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs that help keep Americans on their feet. Lawmakers have it backwards: We need to invest more in those programs and less in the Pentagon, which simply can’t account for how it’s spending our money. We have to curb our endless spending on the military, and put that money back into our real needs, like creating jobs, educating students, protecting our planet, and much more. Late last year, the Pentagon failed its mandatory audit, yet again. This isn’t the first time this has happened, either; in fact, the Pentagon has failed every audit it’s ever undergone.” (02/20/25)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/pentagon-contractors-waste

Steve Trinward

Greenlandic Grievances With Denmark and Trump’s Annexation Plan

Source: Antiwar.com
by Joseph D Terwilliger

“One of my favorite places on Earth, Greenland, has suddenly become the center of worldwide attention as US President Donald Trump reiterated his 2019 proposal that the US should do whatever it takes to acquire Greenland from Denmark. Trump’s interest stems from Greenland’s strategic location between the US and Russia, its large untapped deposits of oil, uranium, and rare earth minerals, and its control over Arctic trade routes, particularly the Northwest Passage, which is becoming increasingly navigable as Arctic sea ice disappears. … Because of my familiarity with the region, I knew immediately that Trump’s proposal would provoke a strong reaction in Greenland, where political leaders and everyday people alike see independence, not recolonization by the US, as their future.” (02/20/25)

https://original.antiwar.com/joseph_terwilliger/2025/02/19/greenlandic-grievances-with-denmark-and-trump-annexation-plan/

Thomas L. Knapp

Researchers link a gene to the emergence of spoken language

Source: SFGate

“Why did humans start speaking? Scientists suggest genetics played a big role – and they say the evolution of this singular ability was key to our survival. A new study links a particular gene to the ancient origins of spoken language, proposing that a protein variant found only in humans may have helped us communicate in a novel way. Speech allowed us to share information, coordinate activities and pass down knowledge, giving us an edge over extinct cousins like Neanderthals and Denisovans. The new study is ‘a good first step to start looking at the specific genes’ that may affect speech and language development, said Liza Finestack at the University of Minnesota, who was not involved with the research.” (02/20/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/researchers-link-a-gene-to-the-emergence-of-20172835.php

Thomas L. Knapp