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The administration of US President Donald Trump has begun mass layoffs of 10,000 employees at healthcare institutions as part of a campaign to reduce federal employees. Security prevented some employees from entering the building a few hours after they received notice of their dismissal. The layoffs affected several well-known agencies within the US Department of Health and Human Services, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The layoffs included dismissal of leading scientists overseeing public health, cancer research, and vaccine and drug approval. This raises concerns about how the US will respond to ongoing emergencies - such as the measles outbreak and the spread of bird flu. ''The FDA as we've known it is finished, with most of the leaders with institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of product development and safety no longer employed," former Commissioner Robert Califf wrote in a LinkedIn post. "I believe that history will see this a huge mistake," he wrote. "It will be interesting to hear from the new leadership how they plan to put 'Humpty Dumpty' back together again." Mass layoffs in US healthcare sector

Some Palestinians are ignoring the latest evacuation orders — even if it means risking their lives. “After one year and a half of war that has exhausted everyone, children and their parents, too, are just worn out physically and mentally,” said Rosalia Bollen, UNICEF’s communication specialist. For the past month, Israel has blocked all food, fuel and supplies from entering Gaza, and aid groups say there are no more tents or other shelter supplies to help the newly displaced. On Tuesday, the World Food Program shut down all its bakeries in Gaza, on which hundreds of thousands rely for bread, because it had run out of flour. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/as-israel-advances-in-gaza-many-exhausted-families-flee-again-some-can-t-bear-it/ar-AA1C7D9L?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=EDGEXST&

Unfortunately Israel will not allow any foreign journalists into Gaza to verify reports of deaths. Obviously Jewish supporters such as Aizenberg are keen to downplay civilian casualties, however widespread bombing as conducted by Israel on Gaza will inevitably lead to heavy loss of civilian life. I quote the BBC: Unicef uses figures released by Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry - figures which Israel has consistently disputed. The figures are seen by the UN and other international institutions as being reliable. International journalists, including the BBC, are blocked by Israel from entering Gaza independently, so are unable to verify figures from either side.

"Over 300 children killed since Israel's new Gaza offensive, Unicef says - BBC News" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0r5827dke1o The United Nations agency for children says that at least 322 children are reported to have been killed since Israel launched a renewed offensive in Gaza two weeks ago. Unicef said at least 609 other children were reportedly wounded during the same period. "The ceasefire in Gaza provided a desperately needed lifeline for Gaza's children and hope for a path to recovery," said Unicef Executive Director Catherine Russell. "But children have again been plunged into a cycle of deadly violence and deprivation."

An efficiency drive is a nice cover story but the real reason Musk, etc want to cripple federal government and return power to the states is their fear of anti trust legislation. The government could break their powers of monopoly over data, and hence their immense wealth. Fear of a revival of legislation of regulatory reforms and anti trust prosecutions as started under Biden, and previously successfully conducted by Teddy Roosevelt against monopolistic practices, gives the tech bros sleepless nights. Wake up America and topple the barons.

Israel killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers one by one, says UN | Israel-Gaza war | The Guardian

Vance, a man without charm. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/video/news/danish-first-minister-responds-after-vance-stakes-us-claim-for-greenland-we-dont-appreciate-your-tone/vi-AA1BTqHc?ocid=socialshare&t=58

The Gaza protests: a mixture of anti Hamas, anti Israeli blockade of aid and food. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/video/gaza-protests-explained/vi-AA1BLRSh?ocid=socialshare&pc=EDGEXST&cvid=972401311d174c5aedfa111d4172395f&ei=48

Folks should watch this video to see the damage Vance is doing to the US image/ foreign relationships, in this case, with Denmark.

On Wall Street, there is talk that Trump's tariff policy's aim is to make world leaders build factories in the US and strengthen their own currencies to help US manufacturing. In 1985, Washington persuaded Japan, Germany, Britain and France to coordinate on devaluing the dollar in the Plaza Accord. The White House thinks it can leverage threats of tariffs and withdrawn US security guarantees to dictate terms. But Europe is rearming by building up its own defence base rather than buying US-made weapons, and longstanding US allies are planning independent nuclear deterrents. Rather than bow to Trump, the global response “has been to look for alternatives”. China, which is already struggling with sluggish demand, also has no interest in doing a deal that harms its own exporters, says Neil Shearing of Capital Economics. With foreigners buying large amounts of dollar-denominated assets, Americans can consume more than they produce. One way to fix this would be to limit those inflows by imposing capital controls, but that would lower US living standards and damage the dollar’s status as the global reserve currency. George Saravelos of Deutsche Bank argues, “There is a fundamental inconsistency” between Trump’s desire “to maintain dollar reserve status” and many of the proposals currently floating around for engineering a weaker dollar.'' Talk of a Mar-a-Lago deal rests on a “misidentification” of the true sources of imbalanced global trade, namely very large fiscal deficits in the US and a very high savings rate in China. What is the Mar-a-Lago Accord and why is it getting attention from Wall Street?

Edward Coristine, known as "Big Balls," and a member of the Government Efficiency Department (DOGE), has been reported to have provided technical services to the cybercriminal group EGodly. In 2022, Big Balls ran a company called DiamondCDN that provided network services. Among his clients was the website of the group EGodly, active on Telegram, which boasted about stealing data, including phone numbers, and stealing cryptocurrencies, and hacking into email accounts of justice authorities. They also disseminated private data of an FBI agent who was conducting an investigation against them. Reuters was unable to verify the truth of these boasts, but an FBI agent confirmed that the group was suspected of making false reports. Musk advisor linked to cybercriminal group sparks security concerns

The world, including its left wingers, was laughing about Biden, obviously senile, being in charge of the US. Couldn't a country of 340 million people find someone better to be in charge? But no! He's replaced by an egomaniac, narcissistic idiot whose sole criteria for service in his admin is undying loyalty to him whatever lies and lunacy he sprouts. Low, low quality all round in this current US admin.

The whole notion of US ' intelligence ' was hurt. Talking about operations about to happen on mobile phones, one in Russia and one in Saudi. The world is laughing at the US government incompetence and stupidity.

What has this got to do with Hamas or Palestinians? I'm on the left and I support the Palestinians. I'm against Hamas and it's violent rule, glad to see the recent anti- Hamas demonstrations in Gaza. However I couldn't see many Teslas amongst the ruins created by the Israelis mass bombings so your headline confused me.

From Wikipedia: President Joe Biden ordered the strikes, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak convened his cabinet to authorize British participation.[19][20] American officials said the strikes were intended to degrade Houthi capabilities to attack Red Sea targets rather than to kill leaders and Iranian trainers.[18][21] As of 2 January 2025, the Houthis recorded 931 American and British airstrikes against its sites in Yemen, resulting in 106 deaths and 314 injuries.

Terrible transport costs, carbon tax, from the end of the world ( sorry NZ) to the rest of the globe.

Very bad for the environment tree wise.

I agree, no Israel. That's Bolton's idea. The idea of bringing in countries far from the Atlantic is to strengthen the alliance and countries that counter empire building authoritarian regimes, i.e, China and Russia, and possibly the USA if it really goes down the same path, though Bolton suggests Trump may consider staying in NATO if it expands.

The state’s legislature on Tuesday advanced a bill allowing children as young as 14 years old to work overnight shifts. If the new law is passed, teenagers would be able to work overnight jobs on school days. They are currently prevented from working earlier than 6:30 am or later than 11 pm per state law. Other changes including eliminating working time restrictions on teenagers aged 14 and 15 if they are home-schooled and ending guaranteed meal breaks for 16 and 17 year olds. Florida debates lifting some child labor laws to fill jobs vacated by undocumented immigrants | CNN Business

The only country engaging in war in Europe is Russia, now seemingly backed by the US.

The article suggests the 4 other countries in the 5 Eyes will be very cautious about sharing Intelligence with the US. Not that they will stop spying.

Five Eyes, the most important intelligence network in the Western world, binds the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand into a tapestry of shared espionage. But now it is unravelling. Witkoff has, allegedly, been wandering Moscow with his personal phone. Russian intelligence will have penetrated his handset. as easily as the Saudi Arabians, and the other Gulf countries he has also visited. Every resident in Saudi or the UAE is famously aware that their communications are so bugged they can sometimes hear recordings of themselves mid-chat. US-allied intelligence agencies will now be scrambling to try to figure out what secrets of theirs Witkoff may have stored on his phone. The most important intelligence sharing network in the west is being ruined by America - here’s how Questions now remain: How many other officials on the Signal chat were using their own personal phones? Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard refused to tell the Senate Intelligence Committee whether she was using a government-issued secure phone for the chat or her personal device. The only conclusion that can be drawn is she and others in the US admin cannot be trusted to share intelligence.

Wasn't SEATO dissolved in 1977? ASEAN members protect each other military wise ?? I'll believe it when I see it.

I wouldn't include Israel, that's Bolton's opinion.