✊ Biting Back

☀️ April 21, 2025 ☀️

🐾 Now Let’s Sic ‘Em! 🐾

Of all places… DOGE is planning to shut down the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) only field office in Louisiana — smack in the middle of the infamous "Cancer Alley" — one of the most dangerous regions for workers in the country.

Louisiana is home to over 200 chemical plants and refineries and has seen a string of explosions, toxic exposures, and worker injuries. Just weeks before the announcement, Iraq War veteran Mathew Roberts died in a forklift accident at a chemical plant near Baton Rouge — an incident OSHA is was actively investigating.

Now, with DOGE circling, that investigation and others like it could face long delays or disappear into the ether altogether.

Former OSHA officials and safety advocates warn this comes with serious risks: fewer inspections, less accountability, and more preventable tragedies.

And what’s the projected savings expected from all these risky cuts? A measly $100k.

The “DOGE Me” State. DOGE Unleashes Cuts Across Kansas City, a Midwestern Federal Hub.

DOGE has gutted offices, axed grants, and driven thousands of civil servants out of their jobs in Kansas City — a city where nearly 30,000 people work for the federal government.

Workers showed up only to find their badges deactivated — entire teams in health, family services, and IRS operations have been cut, with little notice and zero backup plans.

The IRS workers alone might be downsized by 6,000 in Kansas City, with even more cuts affecting all different sectors of the federal workforce.

With a concentrated amount of job loss on this scale, the ripple effects through the community are expected to be profound. Restaurants, service industries, housing, even schools — all will feel the impact of skyrocketing localized unemployment, a sharp decrease in incomes for families, and a possible mass exodus as these workers leave the city to find jobs elsewhere.

Re-search & Rescue. DOGE Is Now Threatening Academic Journals.

First it was the universities, and now the leash is tightening even further on academic freedom. That’s because DOGE is sniffing around peer-reviewed journals, sending not-so-veiled threats to editors under the guise of rooting out “bias” and “misinformation.”

One top target? The CHEST Journal, a leading medical publication, whose editor received a letter demanding answers about the journal’s editorial standards, how it handles “competing viewpoints,” and whether it censors dissenting opinions.

This kind of bullying is consistent with Trump & DOGE’s other actions thus far. Nearly $3 billion in NIH contracts have been shredded, all NSF research grants are frozen for a “DEI review,” and foundational studies on Alzheimer’s and cancer have been tossed aside. With funding drying up, even top researchers are considering fleeing the country’s anti-science climate.

But, like Harvard did recently, some journals are not turning tail and running. The American Journal of Public Health and some others have announced they’ll scrutinize all work from government scientists, citing past political meddling and data censorship.

In the face of this over-reach, physicians and researchers are calling for unity, warning that DOGE’s campaign is about more than budget cuts — it’s about dominating discourse and silencing truth in the name of faux patriotism.

Master of Arts. National Gallery Faces DOGE Scrutiny Amid DEI Backlash.

Continuing on our theme… DOGE has also turned its attention to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., signaling potential changes for the institution. DOGE bros met with NGA leadership to discuss the museum’s legal status, raising concerns about possible budget cuts or restructuring. ​

The NGA, a public-private partnership established by Congress in 1937, receives significant federal funding for its operations. In fiscal year 2024, Congress appropriated $209 million to the museum. While the NGA does not use government funds for art acquisitions, most of its jobs are federally funded. ​

This development comes amid the Trump administration's broader efforts to reshape federally funded cultural institutions. An executive order issued in January declared DEI initiatives to be "illegal and immoral discrimination programs," leading to the closure of DEI offices at both the NGA and the Smithsonian Institution. Another executive order in March directed the elimination of "divisive narratives" from national museums. ​

The NGA has made strides in diversifying its leadership and exhibitions in recent years, including hiring its first curator of African American art and showcasing works by Native American and Haitian artists. These progressive efforts may now be at risk as DOGE evaluates the museum's alignment with the administration's priorities.​

The meeting between DOGE and NGA officials underscores the administration's intent to exert greater control over cultural institutions and reassess their funding and programming in line with its agenda.

Biting Back. DOGE Protest Roundup.

As the backlash against DOGE, Musk, and Trump grows, we spotlight just a few of the countless protests that happened around the country over the weekend...

Vancouver, Washington. Protesters lined Andresen Road in front of a Tesla dealership, forming a human chain that stretched for blocks. Approximately 1,000 participants held signs and chanted slogans opposing DOGE’s federal budget cuts. There was also a coordinated moment of silence to honor federal workers affected by DOGE's layoffs.​

Miami, Florida. In downtown Miami, a massive crowd of demonstrators gathered outside a Tesla showroom, waving inverted American flags as a symbol of distress.

San Francisco, California. Hundreds gathered on Ocean Beach to form a massive human banner spelling out "Impeach & Remove" — referring to Co-Presidents Trump & Musk.

"Hegseth Shared Yemen Strike Details with Family in Private Signal Chat"
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to dig himself a deeper hole. Now, it’s being reported that he shared classified details of U.S. airstrikes in Yemen — including F/A-18 flight schedules — with his wife, brother, and personal lawyer in a private Signal group. The chat, created on Hegseth’s personal phone, is now under review by the Pentagon’s inspector general. The leak has triggered mass firings, a widening investigation, and accusations that the Pentagon is spiraling into chaos — fueling doubts about Hegseth’s future in the role… which is pretty much what everyone has been saying all along.

“Kash Patel Took FBI Plane to NHL Game and GF’s City”
FBI Director Kash Patel is under fire for using government jets for personal travel, including booty call flights to Nashville — where his girlfriend lives — and Long Island to watch a hockey game. While Patel did conduct official business on at least one Nashville trip, it's unclear if the others were work-related. He also recently flew to a UFC event in Miami with Trump, raising even more concerns about his use of agency resources. Surely, DOGE will have a lot to say about this wasteful sp— Oh, nevermind.

“DOJ Wants to Step in for Trump in E. Jean Carroll Appeal”
Trump’s Justice Department wants to take over his appeal in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case, arguing that his denial of her assault allegations in 2019 was part of his presidential duties. The Westfall Act gives federal employees immunity for actions within their official role, but critics say Trump's comments were personal, not professional.

“Musk & Thiel Connected Startup Vying for $700b Payments Program”
The Trump administration and DOGE are quietly positioning a Musk- and Thiel-backed startup, Ramp, to take over a $700 billion federal payment program, SmartPay. Despite having no prior government clients, Ramp landed private meetings with top officials, received a fast-tracked pilot offer worth up to $25 million, and began prepping before the RFI was even public. Critics say the deal reeks of favoritism and bypasses normal contracting rules — while federal employees were left scrambling after DOGE froze agency credit cards. Right out of Musk’s self-dealing playbook.

“DOGE is Helping to Create Trump’s ‘Gold Card’ Scheme”
DOGE is now helping build the infrastructure for Trump’s you-thought-it-was-an-SNL-sketch $5 million “gold card” visa program, which is basically just a fast-track to U.S. citizenship for the ultra-rich. The plan, pitched as a replacement for the EB-5 program, is being developed by a bizarre squad of Musk-appointed interns and two already infamous DOGE bros: a 25-year-old with racist posts and a 19-year-old who calls himself “Big Balls.” Despite no legal framework in place, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claims billions have already been made. The program signals a shift toward a future where only the wealthy can buy their way into America — a luxury boarding pass into Trump and Musk’s startup-style nation.

Well, that was a lot to chew on… Again.

So as your reward, here are a few treats.

Some doggy goodness to calm your nerves… lift your spirits… and get you through to tomorrow…

Paws Off!

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🐾 And until then, do your best to stay pawsitive!