Page 17 - Us Government

TikTok to let US Android users download app via kits on its website

Apple and Google have not reinstated TikTok to their app stores since a US law took effect on January 19 requiring its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell on national security grounds or face ban

Donald Trump pauses 'de minimis' repeal as packages pile up at US customs

The initial change, implemented with just over 48 hours' notice, caused the USPS to temporarily stop accepting packages from China and Hong Kong earlier this week

Musk to bring back DOGE staffer who resigned after report of racist posting

Elon Musk said on Friday he is re-hiring a staff member at the Department of Government Efficiency who resigned a day earlier after he was linked to social media posts that espoused racism. Musk, in a post on his social media network X, said he would bring back Marko Elez after Vice President JD Vance called for him to be rehired. President Donald Trump later endorsed his vice president's view. Marko Elez resigned Thursday after The Wall Street Journal linked the 25-year-old DOGE staffer to a deleted social media account on X that posted last year, I was racist before it was cool and You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity, among other posts. The account in September included a post that said, Normalize Indian hate." The vice president's wife, Usha Vance, is the daughter of Indian immigrants. Vance, in a post on Musk-owned X, said Elez should be brought back and blamed journalists who try to destroy people. I obviously disagree with some of Elez's posts, but I don't

US Attorney probe threats against govt employees following Musk's referral

Martin reaffirmed his commitment to investigating any unethical actions, emphasised the importance of holding accountable those who abuse American taxpayer dollars

Judge halts Trump order of USAID workers' leave giving them 30 day deadline

A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on paid leave. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, sided with two federal employee associations in agreeing to a pause in plans to put the employees on paid leave as of midnight Friday. The workers associations argue that Trump lacks the authority for his swift dismantling of a six-decade-old aid agency enshrined in congressional legislation. CLOSE IT DOWN, Trump said Friday on social media of USAID. Crews used duct tape to block out the agency's name on a sign outside its Washington headquarters Friday, and a flag was taken down. Someone placed a bouquet of flowers outside the door. A group of a half-dozen USAID officials speaking to reporters Friday strongly disputed assertions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the most essential life-saving programs abroad were getting waivers to ..

Forced leaves start for thousands at USAID under Trump's plan to gut agency

Forced leaves pulling all but a small fraction of staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development off the job around the world began Friday, while employees turned to federal courts to try to roll back the Trump administration's swift dismantling of the six-decade-old aid agency and its programs worldwide. A judge was holding a hearing Friday afternoon in the lawsuit from federal workers associations, who argue that President Donald Trump lacks the authority to shut down an agency enshrined in congressional legislation. CLOSE IT DOWN, Trump said Friday on social media of USAID. Crews used duct tape to block out the agency's name on a sign outside its Washington headquarters Friday, and a flag was taken down. Someone placed a bouquet of flowers outside the door. A group of a half-dozen USAID officials speaking to reporters Friday strongly disputed assertions from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the most essential life-saving programs abroad were getting waivers to ...

House lawmakers push to ban Chinese AI app DeepSeek from US govt devices

A bipartisan duo in the the US House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place for the popular social media platform TikTok. Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., on Thursday introduced the No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act," which would ban federal employees from using the Chinese AI app on government-owned electronics. They cited the Chinese government's ability to use the app for surveillance and misinformation as reasons to keep it away from federal networks. The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans," Gottheimer said in a statement. We simply can't risk the CCP infiltrating the devices of our government officials and jeopardizing our national security." The proposal comes after the Chinese software compa

Trump wants Ukraine's rare earth elements as condition of further support

President Donald Trump on Monday indicated that he wants to reach an agreement with Ukraine to gain access to the country's rare earth materials as a condition for continuing US support for its war against Russia. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump complained that the US had sent more in military and economic assistance to Ukraine than its European partners, adding, We're looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they're going to secure what we're giving them with their rare earth and other things." Trump suggested that he's received word from the Ukrainian government that they'd be willing to make a deal to give the US access to the elements critical to the modern high-tech economy. I want to have security of rare earth, Trump added. We're putting in hundreds of billions of dollars. They have great rare earth. And I want security of the rare earth, and they're willing to do it. Trump, who had previously said he'd bring about a rapid end to the war, said talks are ongoin

Musk's DOGE commission gains access to sensitive Treasury payment systems

The Department of Government Efficiency, run by President Donald Trump's billionaire adviser and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has gained access to sensitive Treasury data including Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, according to two people familiar with the situation. The move by DOGE, a Trump administration task force assigned to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations, means it could have wide leeway to access important taxpayer data, among other things. The New York Times first reported the news of the group's access of the massive federal payment system. The two people who spoke to The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, on Friday sent a letter to Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressing concern that officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment .

Most US govt websites online and accessible despite reported pause plan

Trump has moved quickly to quash federal diversity initiatives since taking office on Jan. 20

Blocking all funding to 'woke programmes', says US State Department

Prioritising the welfare of American citizens, the US State Department released an official statement where it stated that no foreign is entitled to those benefits

What is ChatGPT Gov? OpenAI's new AI tool for built for US government use

OpenAI believes AI can enhance government efficiency, boost productivity, and support public sector work in key areas like health, infrastructure, and security

State Department halts new funding for nearly all US aid programmes

The State Department has frozen new funding for almost all US foreign assistance, making exceptions to allow humanitarian food programmes and military aid to Israel and Egypt to continue. The sweeping order threatened a quick halt to countless projects globally aiding health, education, development, job training and other efforts by the United States, the largest provide of foreign aid. It appears to begin enforcement of a pledge to eliminate aid programs that President Donald Trump judges not to be in US interests. The order sent in a cable to US embassies worldwide and obtained by The Associated Press prohibits new government spending, which appears to limit programs to running only as long as they have cash on hand. Some leading aid organizations on Friday were interpreting the directive as an immediate stop-work order for US-funded aid work globally, a senior aid organization official said. Many would likely cease operations immediately so as not to incur more costs, the ...

Irritated with WADA, US Congress may give govt authority to stop payments

A bipartisan group of lawmakers looking for reforms at the World Anti-Doping Agency reintroduced a bill that would give the White House permanent authority to withhold money from the drug-fighting agency. The Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act would make permanent an already temporary ability to hold back the money. It would put more teeth behind the government's recent decision not to pay $3.6 million to WADA a move WADA said would cost the U.S. its seat on one of its top policymaking boards. The federal government has long been critical of WADA. The agency's handling of a doping case involving Chinese swimmers who were allowed to compete despite testing positive reignited tensions that have simmered since the Russian doping scandal erupted in 2014. My colleagues and I have a message for WADA, the IOC, and any other international organization who tries to strong-arm the United States: we are calling your bluff, and we won't be silenced in our mission to promo

Not sure if US should be spending anything on Nato, says Donald Trump

Washington finances 15.8 per cent of the 32-member military alliance's yearly expenditure of around $3.5 billion, joint-largest share, alongside Germany

Trump pardons anti-abortion activists who blockaded clinic entrances

President Donald Trump has announced he would pardon anti-abortion activists convicted of blockading abortion clinic entrances. Trump called it "a great honour to sign this". "They should not have been prosecuted," he said as he signed pardons for "peaceful pro-life protesters. The people pardoned were involved in the October 2020 invasion and blockade of a Washington clinic. Lauren Handy was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for leading the blockade by directing blockaders to link themselves together with locks and chains to block the clinic's doors. A nurse sprained her ankle when one person pushed her while entering the clinic, and a woman was accosted by another blockader while having labour pains, prosecutors said. Police found five fetuses in Handy's home after she was indicted. Trump pardoned Handy and her nine co-defendants: Jonathan Darnel of Virginia; Jay Smith, John Hinshaw and William Goodman, all of New York; Joan Bell of New Jersey; Paulette Harlow and Jean ..

Rubio confirmed as secy of state, becomes 1st member of Trump's Cabinet

Marco Rubio, the US Senator from Florida, was on Monday unanimously confirmed as the Secretary of State, making him the first member of the Cabinet of President Donald Trump to be confirmed. Rubio, 53, as a Senator last year had introduced a bill in the Congress that proposed to treat India at par with its allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies regarding technology transfers and support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity. The bill also sought to bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India. All the existing 99 senators voted in favour of Rubio, including Rubio himself. There is currently one vacancy in the Senate after Vice President J D Vance resigned as the US Senator from Ohio. A US Senator from Florida since January 3, 2011, Rubio is considered as a hawkish US Senator with regard to China. He is banned from entering China, which sanctioned him twice in 2020. The top ...

Trump signs first round of orders, ends federal work from home rule

Soon after taking charge as the 47th US president on Monday, Donald Trump signed a first round of executive orders aiming to assert control of the federal workforce, and withdraw from the Paris climate treaty, among others, to halt a slew of orders passed by the previous Joe Biden administration. Among the executive orders Trump signed with a flourish in front of a cheering crowd was one mandating that federal workers return to their offices five days a week. The move followed the new president's pledge to end the work-from-home culture that became common during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last month, at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said he planned to dismiss federal employees who don't return to office to comply with the order. Trump also ordered a federal hiring freeze on his first day back in office, mirroring an action he took at the start of his first term to try to reduce the size of government. The order suspends hiring for new positions and many op

Making YMCA great again: Why Trump loves the 'Village People' disco song

YMCA, a disco number released originally in 1978, has become a constant feature at the majority of Donald Trump's Maga) public rallies

Trump-aligned group hints at blueprint to target 'sanctuary' jurisdictions

The ominous letters went to hundreds of state and local officials across the US two days before Christmas. It was a potential blueprint for how the Trump administration may attack sanctuary jurisdictions that resist mass deportations. They threatened criminal prosecutions and lawsuits going after officials' personal finances. They invoked RICO, the federal statute often used to fight organized crime. You and your subordinates could potentially face up to 20 years in prison, America First Legal, a group led by current and former advisors to President-elect Donald Trump, said in the letter. Its president, Stephen Miller, will be deputy chief of policy in the new administration and is a longtime architect of Trump's immigration policies. The letters' targets: city, county and state officials in America's sanctuary jurisdictions, a term rooted in medieval laws that today encompasses a range of protection for immigrants, particularly those living in the U.S. illegally. Sanctuary ...