- Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter
- Posts
- Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter
Opinion piece defends Musk, blames Congress for decades of reckless spending
Our take: The “DOGE” department has drawn strong reactions from both supporters and naysayers since it was first discussed. Supporters argue the bloated federal government is rife with waste, fraud and abuse that need to be eradicated to save US taxpayers unnecessary taxation. Naysayers argue that DOGE is the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to pound in a picture hanging nail is gutting vital government programs with little regard for the implications. This article is clearly in the former category.
Musk is an unelected genius spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, dismantling programs and terminating tens of thousands of employees in a whirlwind of chaos.
Based on most news coverage of DOGE, Americans may well have thought that Musk had recruited a bunch of inexperienced tech nerds to cut jobs and slash the deficit. But the DOGE leadership team's interview with Baier last week showed that isn't true.
The panel included former rocket scientist Steve Davis, Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia, software engineer Aram Moghaddassi, health care entrepreneur Brad Smith, former Morgan Stanley banker Anthony Armstrong, Cloud Software Group CEO Tom Krause and former oil executive Tyler Hassen.
In the interview, Musk said the team's goal is clear and their methods are sound: "We want to reduce the spending by eliminating waste and fraud, reduce the spending by 15%, which seems really quite achievable."
Musk acknowledged that the DOGE team has made mistakes, but said they measure "twice, if not thrice, and cut once."
The proof will be in the pudding. DOGE has been at it for a few months now, and in our world (as small and insignificant as it is), we have yet to see any impacts from the cuts made. We have also yet to see any benefits from said cuts. It seems like this is an exercise that will take years to determine how effective it has been.
COURTESY: USA TODAY
Maine sues USDA over freezing funds after state refuses to comply with executive order
Our take: President Trump campaigned on several issues. Restoring women’s rights and protections in sports was one such issue. Trump issued an executive order banning males from participating in women’s sports. He warned any state that defied the order would risk federal funding cuts for violating the order. Maine decided to test that hypothesis, and refused to ban men from women’s sports, citing state law. The USDA has cut funding to Maine because of the decision. Maine is now suing the USDA.
Maine has come into the national spotlight after Gov. Janet Mills clashed publicly with President Donald Trump over allowing transgender athletes to play sports.
Several federal agencies said they would investigate Maine as a result, but on April 2, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins notified the state it would freeze some funding that goes to schools. Rollins said the state was violating Title IX by refusing to follow Trump's ban on trans women in sports.
Maine's state law prohibits schools from denying students equal opportunity to sports based on gender identity. The lawsuit claimed that funds for programs to help pay for food for kids and vulnerable adults were not accessible as a result of the freeze. The lawsuit alleged that freezing the funds was done without proper procedure, calling it "arbitrary and capricious."
The constitution is very clear that federal law always supersedes any state law. It is hard to see how Maine wins this argument. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, as it will likely inform other states considering flouting the executive order.
COURTESY: USA TODAY
Teacher arrested after trying to have her husband killed for $2k
Our take: A teacher in Ohio learned the hard way that you get what you pay for.
Stephanie Demetrius, 44, is charged with conspiracy, a first-degree felony.
Demetrius approached a student on March 26 at the Academy for Urban Scholars High School, located in the eastern part of the city, and asked the student to kill her husband in exchange for the cash bounty, Franklin County, Ohio, municipal court records say.
Court records say Demetrius gave the teen $250 as a "down payment."
Police got a copy of a recorded phone call between the student and Demetrius where the substitute teacher gave the student information about when her children would be out of the home so the murder could be committed, according to court records.
"When asked if the neighbors would hear the gunfire, she advised that they don't care about the neighbors," court records say.
During an appearance in Franklin County Municipal Court on Thursday, Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Parker Schwartz said Demetrius' estranged husband had obtained a protection order against her. Demetrius has previous mental health issues and had made homicidal threats in the past, Schwartz alleged.
We are not in the murder for hire business, but we do know this much. If you are going to go down this road (don’t do it - you should not), you want a professional. Heart surgery, nuclear physics, and murder for hire are 3 endeavors best left to the experienced professionals.
COURTESY: AOL.COM
Tip of the day
Your energy and time are limited. Be careful where you spend them and what you say yes to.
Quote of the day
“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on.” — Sheryl Sandberg