🏠 New DOGE-House

☀️ April 2, 2025 ☀️

🐾 Now Let’s Sic ‘Em! 🐾

Remember that dramatic incident at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) a couple weeks ago? The one where DOGE officials were blocked from entering the USIP building to wreak their usual havoc... But then, they returned with police and forced their way in?

Well, as the Big Lebowski would say: “New shit as come to light, man!”

Turns out that DOGE has reportedly seized full control of that USIP building and is attempting to hand over its $500 million headquarters to the General Services Administration—for free.

Court documents have revealed that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have instructed the transfer of USIP’s assets—including the valuable DC real estate—to the GSA. The letter explicitly requests the transfer be done with no reimbursement, calling it “in the best interest of the United States.”

In response to this and DOGE’s other actions, former USIP leaders have sued Trump, DOGE, et al — accusing them of trying to unlawfully dismantle an independent agency.

A ruling on whether DOGE can complete this $500 million real estate grab is expected soon, but it looks like it might already be too far gone.

Chewed Toy. DOGE Shreds CDC Work on Gun Injuries, Sexual Assault, Opioid Overdose Data.

Well this is depressing… Thousands of CDC employees were blindsided Tuesday morning when they received emails instructing them to resign — thanks to Health & Human Services Secretary (and DOGE lapdog) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

In a grim reminder that the CDC isn’t just about disease and pathogens, these layoffs hit critical public health programs focused on gun injury data, sexual violence prevention, birth defects, smoking, air quality, and reproductive health.

Entire teams were dismantled with no warning—including those responsible for maintaining national injury statistics used by lawmakers and for evaluating the impact of CDC-funded health initiatives.

Per usual with DOGE-related actions, employees describe a chaotic, demoralizing atmosphere. Security scrambled to let laid-off staff back into buildings for hastily arranged meetings. Some employees discovered their severance letters included incorrect information, which could impact their payouts. Others described staying glued to their screens at night, afraid of losing access without notice.

But beyond the treatment of these employees, what’s perhaps even more troubling and upsetting is the potential for lost information and erased data. Staffers say there’s no plan to preserve or replace their work: “It’s not a reorganization. It’s just removal.”

Can we get #FURFK trending? Grr.

Zoomies. Brain Drain: Majority of Scientists Are Considering Leaving America.

Nature polled over 1,200 scientists and discovered that a whopping 75 percent said they're now considering leaving the United States — with Europe and Canada emerging as top choices for places to bolt to.

This all directly due to DOGE and Trump’s continued assaults on science funding, cutting staff at critical agencies and departments, and replacing experts with anti-vax cranks.

The consequences of DOGE’s actions aren’t theoretical, as DOGE continues gutting agencies, handing pink slips to federal health workers, and halting entire research pipelines. Grants are drying up, trials are stopping mid-run, and even prestigious NIH-funded researchers are looking elsewhere. Universities, once innovation powerhouses, are also being defunded and drained.

One scientist said his inbox is full of offers from overseas universities who are treating the American exodus as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.” The ripple effect of this could seriously lead to U.S. competitiveness being permanently damaged — especially in fast-moving fields like AI.

But as long as they exit with “efficiency,” then short-sighted Musk and DOGE should be happy, right?

Barked Up the Wrong Tree. Trump Administration Admits It Wrongfully Deported A Protected Immigrant.

Gasp! What’s this? An admission of failure from the Trump Administration? This will certainly be a day to remember.

Turns out, during that whole “turn those planes around” back-and-forth legal drama between the Trump administration and a federal judge, a Maryland father, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, was wrongly deported to El Salvador due to what it calls an “administrative error.”

Despite having legal protection from removal since 2019, Abrego Garcia, ICE screwed the pooch and now acknowledges that it actually knew about his protected status, and yet the mistake was still carried out "in good faith." (Not sure how they square those two facts, but okay.)

Disturbingly, the mistake wasn’t realized until his terrified wife spotted him in government-issued photos, and she restated that the MS-13 gang ties ICE used to justify his arrest were bogus, based on bullshit flimsy hearsay from a “confidential informant.”

Trump officials now claim their hands are tied because he’s in Salvadoran custody, yet they simultaneously still continue to repeat unsubstantiated claims about his alleged gang connections.

Meanwhile his wife, a U.S. citizen, is devastated and left to raise their three kids (one with autism) alone. With no contact since March 15, and mounting evidence that ICE violated a court order, advocates warn this case may be just the tip of the iceberg in a system run by chaos, cruelty, and unchecked power.

What was supposed to be a safe, legal life in the U.S. has turned into a nightmare, so we wanted to give this troubling non-DOGE story a spotlight just because it’s so emblematic of how DOGE operates too. It’s a stark and upsetting reminder how recklessness in the name of quotas, numbers, or even “efficiency” has a real human cost.

Tortured DOGE Department. New TikTok Trend Shows People Trading In Their Teslas To Taylor Swift’s Music.

Now here’s a TikTok trend we can get behind…

Apparently, the latest viral trend features videos of people trading in their Teslas while Taylor Swift’s "Look What You Made Me Do" plays over it.

In acts of personal rebellion (like this example video), scores of different drivers can be seen ditching their Teslas while Taylor says: “I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ’cause she’s dead.”

Then, when the chorus and beat kick in, the same drivers are then seen in new vehicle upgrades like the Porsche Macan Electric, Rivian R1S, and even the electric Hummer.

Thousands of commenters are cheering the switch, not just for the aesthetics or engineering upgrades, but for the ethical statement. “Change is GOOD—when your principles/morals are important. #byetesla”

This viral trend matches the groundswell of protests happening nationally at Tesla showrooms. And when Hummer drivers are getting applause for ethical decisions, then you know your reputation’s truly gone to the dogs.

"DOGE Lawyer Accused of Racism & Violence Now Oversees Foreign Aid"
Deeply troubling allegations have been dug up about Jeremy Lewin, the 28-year-old DOGE lawyer now tasked with leading policy and programs at the hollowed-out remains of USAID. By troubling we mean… threatening a girl with a knife and asking why he shouldn't “gut her and cut right now”… repeatedly making racist remarks, like believing “non-white people were inherently of ‘lower value’ than white people”… and displaying violent, misogynistic behavior. "Violent rages were kind of his thing, and I definitely saw him throwing things at people,” said a former classmate. And now this is the guy who’s in charge of foreign aid programs and helping vulnerable communities abroad. We simultaneously are boiling with WTAF rage, and yet also are not at all surprised.

“Cory Booker Breaks Record for Longest Senate Speech”
Senator Cory Booker has made history with the longest recorded speech in Senate history, speaking for more than 24 hours straight in protest of Co-Presidents Trump & Musk’s policies. He started at 7:00 pm Monday and continued until 8:05 pm Tuesday evening. Poetically, the previous record holder who Booker surpassed was Strom Thurmond in 1957. Now that is some Good Trouble.

“Split Outcomes After Yesterday’s Special Elections”
Several key races came to a head yesterday. Two of the most high profile were elections to fill House seats in Florida vacated by National Security Advisor & Signal Expert Michael Waltz and Teenage Prostitution Aficionado Matt Gaetz. Ultimately, Republicans Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis won. However, in brighter news, Susan Crawford was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, defeating Trump-endorsed Brad Schimel, who Elon Musk had infamously backed with $20 million and paid voters in cash. Democrats were energized by the results, seeing this as a denouncement of the Co-Presidents’ policies.

“Rubio Orders Diplomats to Scour Student Visa Applicants’ Social Media”
The U.S. State Department is tightening the protocols for vetting student visa applicants — sniffing through their social media for any signs of support for "terrorist activity." The directive instructs consular officers to dig into the online lives of visa applicants, looking for any evidence that could lead to visa denial. Officers are ordered to screenshot any "potentially derogatory" content, ensuring it remains part of the applicant's permanent record, even if later deleted. This move follows a series of visa revocations and arrests linked to pro-Palestinian campus activism, raising concerns about the potential muzzling of free speech and academic freedom.

“Apparently Waltz Used Gmail for Sensitive Communications Too”
Still! Even! More! SignalGate! So now it’s been revealed that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has been using a personal Gmail account to conduct official business, including discussions about sensitive military deployments. This follows his SignalGate blunder when he accidentally added — oops, we mean his phone accidentally “sucked up” — a journalist into a Signal chat where attack plans on Yemen were being discussed. Vance and others want Waltz gone, but Trump doesn’t want to give any enemies the satisfaction of a “win.” Notice, none of these decisions are being made in the name of national security. Face-palms don’t even cover this anymore.

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…

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🙌 Thanks for reading. See you on Thursday.  

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