💾 Unsheltered Data

☀️ April 17, 2025 ☀️

🐾 Now Let’s Sic ‘Em! 🐾

Trump’s latest executive order has opened the floodgates for DOGE to access and centralize data across federal and state agencies, stripping away long-standing privacy barriers in the name of ye olde “efficiency.”

By eliminating information silos, the directive allows DOGE to pool personal data — from Social Security to immigration status to third-party databases — into what privacy experts warn could become an enormous, unregulated surveillance warehouse. Civil rights advocates argue this move undermines international human rights standards and invites profiling, discrimination, and political targeting.

The order bypasses transparency norms, sidestepping legal safeguards like the Privacy Act's requirements for notice and public input. Without intervention, DOGE’s data dragnet threatens to muzzle public trust and weaponize federal databases against already-targeted communities — immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, student protesters, and future whistleblowers alike.

Pro Bone-o. Legal Pack Mobilizes To Assist Federal Workers Fired By DOGE.

As the federal workforce continues to get DOGE’d, a coalition of unions and advocacy groups has launched a new legal support pack… the Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network.

Their mission? Match wrongfully terminated or endangered federal workers with volunteer / pro bono attorneys who are willing to play attack dog on their behalf.

There’s power in numbers, and the coalition includes major players like AFL-CIO, AFGE, NTEU, Democracy Forward, and the Partnership for Public Service. Together, they're mobilizing thousands of lawyers to provide free consultations and potential representation for federal workers feeling the heat of DOGE’s anti-civil service purge.

The move comes as DOGE continues its campaign to “streamline” agencies by slashing jobs. Partnership CEO Max Stier didn’t mince words, posting: “No one should lose their job because of an unelected billionaire’s agenda.”

If you know someone who could benefit, the Network’s website can be found here.

All Stick, No Carrot. DOGE Is Scrapping the Government’s Free Tax Filing Program.

DOGE and the Trump administration are pulling the plug on the IRS’s free tax-filing system, Direct File — a move that critics say is a gift to big tax prep corporations.

Originally launched under Biden to make filing taxes simple and free, the tool had started rolling out nationwide and was slated to expand in 2026 — until Elon Musk’s DOGE operatives halted its development last month. Despite its popularity with users, the program faced heavy lobbying from commercial tax firms who stand to lose billions.

Musk previously boasted about axing 18F, the tech agency behind Direct File, and the IRS team working on it was quietly reassigned. Senator Elizabeth Warren blasted the decision, saying Trump and Musk are “going after Direct File because it stops giant tax prep companies from ripping taxpayers off.”

So for those who had been relying on this free service, they’ll now have to pay money just to pay taxes.

Unprotected Rex. DOGE Cuts May Strip Safety Nets from Migrant Workers.

A top labor attorney is sounding the alarm on DOGE’s latest round of cuts, warning they could gut workplace protections for migrant workers and increase deadly job site conditions.

Already-dangerous industries like construction — where immigrants make up about 25% of the workforce — could see even less oversight, as DOGE downsizes the Department of Labor and OSHA. With fewer inspectors and weakened enforcement, bad actors in the labor market may go unchecked.

The problem is that many employers hiring migrants “are already the worst offenders” and often lack even basic safety protocols. OSHA data shows Musk’s own companies, including SpaceX and Tesla, have more than 50 active safety cases. The AFL-CIO and federal statistics show Latino and immigrant workers are dying at rising rates — a trend experts fear DOGE’s cuts will only accelerate.

Bull-DOGE. DOGE Tried to Control Independent Nonprofits That Receive Federal Funds.

In a chilling escalation of its control agenda, DOGE attempted to assign its own staff into the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice — simply because it once received federal funding.

Vera — an independent nonprofit that works to transform the U.S. justice system by reducing incarceration, advancing racial equity, and expanding access to legal representation — pushed back, pointing out that its DOJ grants were already terminated, and DOGE backed off… at least for now.

But according to a transcript of the exchange, the DOGE bros admitted the plan was to assign teams across all nonprofits receiving Congressional funds.

Experts say the move threatens the independence of civil society. “It’s a terrifying harbinger,” said Vera’s president Nick Turner. Nonprofit leaders are calling it a blatant abuse of power — akin to government operatives infiltrating independent watchdogs.

DOGE has already seized control of other federally-funded nonprofits like the U.S. Institute of Peace, prompting lawsuits over its legality. Advocacy groups warn that if this precedent stands, no organization receiving federal dollars is safe from political interference.

"Mike Johnson Blames Medicaid for… Creating Gamers?"
Say what now…? House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed Medicaid for young men supposedly staying home playing video games instead of working, pushing for work requirements in the Trump administration’s latest attempt to slash the safety net. Johnson claimed that “able-bodied” men are draining resources from the truly needy and need the “dignity of work.” Asinine on multiple levels, but mostly because the data doesn’t even track. Most Medicaid recipients under 65 are already working or unable to due to caregiving or disability. The narrative seems to be just a bone thrown to his anti-welfare base. Meanwhile, the U.S. remains an outlier globally for not providing universal healthcare — something even China, Russia, and Mexico manage.

“DOGE Eyes Shutting U.S. Embassies in 30 Countries”
The Trump administration is eyeing a dramatic retrenchment of America’s diplomatic presence, with an internal State Department document recommending the closure of nearly 30 embassies and consulates worldwide. The cuts — driven by DOGE’s agenda to shrink the federal footprint — target embassies in places like Malta, Luxembourg, and South Sudan, and consulates in France, Germany, the UK, South Korea, and others. Services like visa processing and citizen support would be offloaded to neighboring posts, potentially leaving Americans and local diplomacy in the lurch. State isn’t confirming the leaked list, but insiders warn this would weaken U.S. influence just as global rivals like China expand their reach.

“China Clamps Down on Rare Earth Minerals, Leaving U.S. Defense Exposed”
With Trump’s trade war turning up the heat, China has slapped export restrictions on seven rare earth elements vital to U.S. defense tech — think fighter jets, drones, missiles, and radar. A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies warns that the U.S. has no current capacity to replace this supply, making it dangerously reliant on Beijing. Though the Pentagon is working on building up domestic processing by 2027, CSIS says output will still fall short. The U.S. is now scrambling to develop alternatives while China tightens its grip.

“Elon Musk Tweets at Women, Offering the Chance to Have His Babies”
Sooo…. Apparently, Elon Musk, who’s fathered at least 14 children with four known women, is reportedly recruiting more brood bitches via Twitter DMs. The Wall Street Journal reveals Musk has messaged conservative influencers like Tiffany Fong, offering to have children with them, sometimes without having even met. Fong turned him down, then saw her platform engagement tank as a result. Ashley St. Clair, who actually does have a child with Musk, is now suing him over custody after refusing a $15 million hush agreement. Sources say there may be even more Musk offspring unknown to the public. His fixer, Jared Birchall, has been working to keep a lid on it all, telling St. Clair that Musk “can’t allow people to share his life information.” All of this stems from Musk’s obsessive fear of population collapse. One word: Ew.

“Trump's Tariff War Brings Good News for Putin: Ruble is Now World's Best Performing Currency”
…Just sayin.

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 Friday.  

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