February 13th, 2024 - The Further Enshittification of the U.S.

#1 The Senate has confirmed Robert F Kennedy Jr. for US health secretary as the measles outbreak in West Texas expands. Look for that to get worse under his 'leadership'. If you want to stay safe from food recalls, viruses, and whatever else is coming— start looking elsewhere for reliable information.

#2 The USS Harry S Truman, the flagship of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, collided with MV Besiktas-M, a merchant vessel, north of the Suez Canal

#3 Canadians are cancelling their tourist trips to the US over the 🍊🍕💩 's tariffs.

#4 Here is a link to a Google doc of the 🍊🍕💩 's executive orders by category - from @zombiespaceship on instagram. They’re doing their best to keep it updated.

#5 The Alt National Park Service account on Bluesky announced, "Education Department employees on probation were abruptly dismissed without cause across the department this morning. Staff have been warned that more layoffs are coming. Musk’s staff placed about 100 Education Department employees on administrative leave due to their mostly tangential connections to DEI programs."

Also - Across the government, probationary employees and Schedule A workers—including individuals with severe physical, psychiatric, or intellectual disabilities, as well as veterans—are being let go.

The firings are affecting a wide swath of federal workers, and include employees responsible for education, small business grants, and the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. (source: northernpublicradio.org)

#6 Today, Manhattan’s U.S. attorney, Danielle R. Sassoon, resigned rather than obey an order from a top Justice Department official to drop the corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams. Here's her letter to AG Bondi.

The officials who oversaw the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section - Kevin O. Driscoll and John Keller, also resigned as well. It needs to be stated that these are all people the Trump crew chose.

Simply put, there is no non-corrupt reason for dismissing Eric Adams’ case. The Trump DOJ is itself obstructing both justice and the rule of law. - lawyer Jeff Roush

#7 Conservative groups have launched a PR campaign to frame the Comstock Act of 1873 as an anti-drug trafficking law. One expert compared it to the Nixon administration’s manufactured War on Drugs.

#8 The administration is now working on coming for the organizers and the activists protesting against it.

#9 "If the circulating H5 viruses become more transmissible between humans, we are not going to be able to control transmission as the viruses will spread rapidly and often subclinically,"

#10 The National Park Service has removed "T" and all mention of transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument.

This is all part of the Christian Nationalist Plan:

Christian Right tips to fight transgender rights: separate the T from the LGB

Last week, from Thursday, October 13 through Saturday, October 15 the anti-LGBT hate group Family Research Council put on its annual Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC., A prime networking event for the Christian right where anti-LGBT and anti-Muslim rhetoric is rife, this year’s summit welcomed its first sitting president as a speaker, Donald Trump.

Southern Poverty Law CenterHélène Barthélemy

#11 Elon Musk's human shield saying, in a Tucker Carlson interview, "We're in Space x and quietly just do whatever we want." All three laugh heartily at it in response. Oh, so 'preciocous'.

#12 Around 4pm, independent journalist Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) posted on Bluesky: All probationary employees at OPM were just fired in a mass phone call.

Acting Director Chuck Ezell told staffers, "I encourage you to use this as an opportunity for your next step forward," per recording I reviewed.

On site staffers were given less than an hour to leave.

#13 President Trump’s takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington has prompted an outcry in the cultural community, with several artists resigning their posts or canceling engagements at the center.

Issa Rae announced on social media on Thursday that she was canceling an engagement next month at the Kennedy Center.

Renée Fleming has stepped down as artistic adviser to the Kennedy Center. Ms. Fleming is still scheduled to perform at a Kennedy Center concert in May celebrating American composers, including Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein and Margaret Bonds.

Ben Folds is going to resign his post as an adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra, which is overseen by the Kennedy Center.

Shonda Rhimes resigned as treasurer of the Kennedy Center’s board on Wednesday.

Adam Weiner of the rock band Low Cut Connie said on Thursday that he was canceling an appearance at the Kennedy Center next month.

#14 Jeep owners are being hit with pop-up ads inside their cars.

#15 Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) has fired 1,000 probationary employees and put out a press release bragging about the money they’re saving.

#16 NASA has been Ordered to Remove Anything About ‘Women in Leadership’ From Its Websites.