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Will DOGE Be Effective In Cutting Wasteful Spending?
What happened to "read only" access. Are those red flags about unfettered access proving to be valid? -
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Trump Issues Stern Warning After Airstrikes on ISIS in Somalia
Donald Trump has sent a strong message to America’s enemies following precision military airstrikes on senior Islamic State (ISIS) operatives in Somalia. “We will find you, and we will kill you,” the former president declared in a statement released on social media. Trump announced that he had personally ordered the strikes against a senior ISIS attack planner and other terrorists under his command. “This morning I ordered precision military air strikes on the senior Isis attack planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia,” he stated. In his statement, Trump took aim at President Joe Biden and his administration, claiming that they had failed to act decisively in eliminating this particular threat. “Our military has targeted this Isis attack planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn’t act quickly enough to get the job done. I did!” Trump closed his remarks with a final warning to terrorist organizations: “The message to Isis and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘we will find you and we will kill you!’” His words echoed a famous line from the 2008 action film *Taken*, in which Liam Neeson’s character delivers a similar warning to his enemies. Despite Trump's criticism of Biden, the recent strikes align with U.S. counterterrorism efforts under the current administration. In December, the U.S. launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria, responding to concerns that the terror group might regain strength as the situation in the region remains unstable. Biden addressed these operations by reaffirming the U.S. commitment to preventing ISIS from regaining a foothold. “We’re clear-eyed about the fact that Isis will try to take advantage of any vacuum to re-establish its capabilities to create a safe haven,” Biden said. “We will not let that happen.” Those strikes, which involved B-52 bombers, F-15 fighter jets, and A-10 ground attack aircraft, successfully targeted ISIS leaders, operatives, and training camps, according to CNN. The U.S. military remains active in the fight against the group, ensuring that ISIS is unable to rebuild its networks or threaten global security. As Trump and Biden exchange words over their approaches to combating ISIS, the U.S. continues to employ precision military tactics to prevent the resurgence of terrorist organizations. Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2025-02-03 -
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Released Hostage Emily Damari Tells Keir Starmer she was held in UN Facilities
Emily Damari, British-Israeli who was held hostage by Hamas for 15 months in Gaza, has revealed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that she was detained in a United Nations facility and denied medical treatment throughout her captivity. The 28-year-old was kidnapped from her home on October 7, 2023, by Hamas gunmen, who shot her in the hand and leg and killed her pet dog. During a phone call with her mother, Damari disclosed that she had been held for a period in facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) but was never given access to medical care. She explained that the only medical aid provided to her was a single bottle of expired iodine, despite her severe injuries, including the loss of two fingers on her left hand and an unhealed wound in her leg. Following the conversation, her mother, Mandy Damari, took to X to share the harrowing details. "Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities and denied her access to medical treatment after shooting her twice. It's a miracle that she survived, and we need to get aid to remaining hostages now," she wrote. Rihards Kols MEP: UNRWA's complicity in Hamas' crimes is undeniable. Israeli hostages were held captive on its premises—funded in part by the EU budget. Along with colleagues, I urge @antonioguterres to shut down UNRWA. The UN must uphold its own values, not enable terrorism. In response to the allegations, UNRWA issued a statement to Sky News, expressing relief over the release of the hostages. "We at UNRWA are relieved that hostages have been released. We hope all others will be released too. It is also a relief that Ms. Damari has finally been reunited with her family," the agency said. Addressing the claims that hostages were held in their premises, the agency added, "Claims that hostages have been held in UNRWA premises, even if previously vacated, are very serious. We have repeatedly called for independent investigations into claims of misuse and disregard of UN premises by Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas." The revelation about Damari’s captivity comes as a new Israeli law goes into effect, banning UNRWA operations on Israeli land, including in East Jerusalem, and cutting off contact with Israeli authorities. Israel has long been critical of the agency, arguing that it perpetuates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by conferring refugee status to the descendants of refugees—a classification not given to any other group of refugees worldwide. Additionally, Israeli authorities have accused UNRWA of fostering anti-Israel sentiment in its schools and of enabling Palestinian dependence on aid for decades. Furthermore, Israel has alleged that some UNRWA employees have been involved in acts of terror, including participating in the October 7 attacks, while hundreds more have ties to terrorist organizations. Based on a report by Sky News 2025-02-03 Related Topics: January 30 Deadline Approaches for UNRWA to cease Operations in Jerusalem UK Pledges Additional £13m to UNRWA Amid Controversy Over Alleged Terrorist Ties We did not know’: Hamas data center directly under UNRWA Gaza City HQ European Parliament Denounces UNRWA Role in Inciting Violence, Antisemitism UNRWA neutrality must be strengthened, independent review finds UNRWA textbooks were pivotal in radicalizing generations of Gazans — watchdog Victims of October 7 Attack Sue UNRWA for $1 Billion, Accusing It of Aiding Hamas -
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Trump Administration Scrubs Vaccine and LGBT References from Federal Websites
The Trump administration has removed references to LGBT health and information on certain vaccines from federal websites, including those of major public health agencies. This move aligns with a memo issued on Wednesday, directing agencies to halt all "programs that use taxpayer money to promote gender ideology" and to take down related online content by Friday afternoon. President Trump has previously issued executive orders banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the government and formally recognizing only two sexes—male and female. When questioned by reporters on Friday about whether federal websites would be altered to eliminate diversity-related content, Trump stated, "If they want to scrub the websites, that's OK with me." DEI programs are designed to foster participation from people of diverse backgrounds in workplaces and institutions. Supporters argue that such initiatives help address historical and systemic discrimination, particularly among underrepresented groups such as racial minorities and the LGBTQ+ community. However, critics claim these programs can create divisions and result in reverse discrimination. By Saturday, key public health agencies had seemingly erased webpages containing discussions on gender, sexually transmitted diseases, and LGBT health. Several pages on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website now display error messages. A yellow banner on the CDC’s homepage informs visitors that the website is "being modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders." Among the missing resources is the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a long-standing study examining topics like nutrition, mental health, physical activity, and sexual activity among high school students. The tool used to access this data is no longer available, and its landing pages have vanished. An archived version of the website, accessible via the WayBack Machine, reveals that the pages were still live as recently as mid-January. One portion of the study previously explored whether students "felt that they were ever treated badly or unfairly because they are or people think they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning." Another webpage titled "Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth" was also removed by Saturday morning, though archived versions remain accessible. A section dedicated to "Health Disparities Among LGBTQ Youth" similarly disappeared. The archived version of this page highlighted how "stigma, discrimination, and other factors put them at increased risk for negative health and life outcomes." These removals have raised concerns among health advocates and researchers who rely on government data to inform public health strategies and policy decisions. The CDC serves as a primary repository for official government health data and research. The recent deletions signal a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape the presentation of health information, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ and youth-related issues. The full extent of these changes remains unclear, but advocacy groups and researchers continue to monitor the situation closely. Based on a report by BBC 2025-02-03 -
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Labour’s Watered Down Immigration Policy Shift Sparks Backlash
Labour is rolling back key border laws aimed at preventing illegal migrants from gaining UK citizenship and enforcing scientific age assessments on asylum seekers. The Home Office has announced the repeal of Tory-introduced rules that barred small boat arrivals from ever becoming citizens and revoked powers that allowed ministers to classify asylum seekers as adults if they refused scientific age checks. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, condemned the decision as a “total capitulation to people smugglers” and warned it would “make the UK the soft touch of Europe.” However, government sources defended the move, arguing that the previous Tory government had failed to implement these measures effectively. They pointed out that the powers had never actually been used since they were introduced. Last week, Home Office ministers unveiled the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which they claim will strengthen efforts to tackle the small boats crisis. However, the legislation’s details reveal that large sections of the Illegal Migration Act, passed in 2023, will be repealed. That act had previously made almost anyone entering the UK illegally ineligible for settled status and, ultimately, citizenship. Additionally, it allowed officials to treat asylum seekers as adults if they refused scientific age assessments. Philp expressed concerns that reversing these measures would lead to “dangerous young men being placed with teenage girls” and insisted that “Starmer is a weak Prime Minister. He is weak on borders and is weak when it comes to protecting our borders, our children, and our people. I will fight tooth and nail against this craven capitulation to illegal immigrants and people smugglers when the Bill comes to Parliament.” A significant concern among critics is that many asylum seekers falsely claim to be minors to increase their chances of being granted refugee status. Official data from the first half of last year showed that more than 1,300 migrants were caught pretending to be underage after being flagged by authorities. Government figures also indicate that three-quarters of unaccompanied minors were granted asylum in the year leading up to last September, compared to only half of adult applicants. Those classified as minors receive school placements and are housed by local councils rather than placed in migrant hotels. Currently, UK officials can only classify someone claiming to be a child as an adult if their appearance “very strongly suggests they are significantly over 18 years of age.” In contrast, other European nations, such as France and Germany, routinely use medical testing, including X-rays of hand and wrist bones, molar teeth scans, and MRI scans of knee and collar bones, to determine age more accurately. The powers to conduct such assessments were approved in the 2022 Nationality and Borders Act, but they have yet to be enforced. The 2023 Illegal Migration Act went a step further, allowing ministers to mandate that asylum seekers refusing scientific age tests be treated as adults. Labour has now decided to retain the weaker provisions from the 2022 law while reserving the right to introduce stricter measures in the future if necessary. A government source pushed back against accusations that Labour is relaxing border security, insisting that “Labour will continue to use age assessment and won’t hesitate to go further in legislation if needed.” They also argued that the ban on citizenship for illegal arrivals had left asylum seekers in limbo, preventing their cases from being processed. Labour has pledged to clear the backlog of 177,000 asylum cases, which has resulted in 35,000 migrants being housed in hotels at an annual cost of £3 billion. Suella Braverman, the former home secretary who championed the Illegal Migration Act, strongly criticized Labour’s new approach, accusing the government of “decriminalising illegal migration.” She argued that the new Border Security Bill “removes all the security and provisions we had put into place to keep the UK safe and is a disgrace.” “To put it bluntly, it is an insult to the British people. It shamefully opens up our borders and disgracefully allows illegal immigrants to become citizens,” Braverman said. “If you enter the UK illegally, you should be detained, deported, and banned from ever returning.” Reform MP Rupert Lowe also condemned the changes, describing the asylum system as being “as soft as a boiled maggot.” He called for a stricter stance, stating, “Zero tolerance is required. It is abundantly clear that thousands of males are fooling the incompetent Home Office through lies over their age, sexuality, religion, and more. It is a scam. The word of the migrant is often taken as the truth, with ‘the benefit of the doubt’ regularly implemented as official policy.” Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2025-02-03 -
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Rachel Reeves Dodges Key Question on Living Standards Under Labour
Sir Keir Starmer and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, entered office with a clear promise: to increase prosperity and put more money into people’s pockets. However, months into their tenure, tangible evidence of economic improvement remains elusive. When The Times interviewed Reeves, the key question was straightforward—will people feel better off by the end of the year? Yet, it was the one query she refused to answer directly. Despite being pressed repeatedly, Reeves sidestepped the issue, eventually stating, “This is a whole parliament project to make people better off.” Her reluctance to provide a definitive answer underscores a major challenge for Labour. The party has positioned itself as a champion of economic growth and wealth creation, yet current forecasts suggest a different reality. The Office for Budget Responsibility projects that Reeves’s tax-raising budget will likely slow growth throughout this parliamentary term. Real household disposable income, the key measure of how much money people have after accounting for taxes and inflation, is expected to rise by a mere 0.5 percent annually during this period. While stronger-than-expected wage growth has offered a glimmer of hope, economists warn that this could prompt the Bank of England to maintain higher interest rates for longer, potentially limiting financial relief for households. Reeves’s hesitation in addressing whether people will feel better off this year stems from factors beyond her control. Interest rate decisions by the Bank of England, as well as global economic shifts—such as the potential for tariffs on UK imports if Donald Trump returns to the U.S. presidency—are far more likely to dictate short-term economic conditions than any immediate policy changes by Labour. On Wednesday, Reeves unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at boosting growth without placing additional strain on government finances. These include plans to expand Heathrow Airport and reform planning regulations. However, the impact of these measures will not be felt for years, perhaps even decades. Labour remains cautious about what it perceives as a critical Conservative error—making bold promises and failing to deliver. Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has argued that this approach damaged trust in politics, a mistake Labour is determined to avoid. Consequently, Starmer and Reeves have spent much of their early tenure emphasizing the dire state of the public finances. Their message has been clear: Britain is broken, and while Labour intends to fix it, the process will take time. The party’s gamble is that by the next general election, voters will feel an improvement in their financial circumstances. However, some within the cabinet are questioning this strategy. They argue that waiting too long to deliver tangible economic benefits risks being too little, too late. As one insider put it, attempting to “fatten the pig on market day” may not be enough. With Labour’s approval ratings slipping in the polls, they may have a point. Based on a report by The Times 2025-02-03
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