Congressmen clean Vietnam memorial to honor fallen
In the early morning rain, a group of congressmen -- some still in suits after an all-night voting session -- cleaned the memorial to the 58,000 Americans killed in the Vietnam War. Margaret Brennan has more.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Has Big Brother arrived? Inside the secretive Trump effort to centralize government data on millions of Americans
The Trump administration is reportedly leaning on an Elon Musk-allied tech company to build wide-ranging data tools pooling government information on millions of Americans and immigrants alike. The campaign has raised alarms from critics that the company could be furthering Musk's DOGE effort to vacuum up and potentially weaponize – or sell – mass amounts of sensitive personal data, particularly against vulnerable groups like immigrants and political dissidents. In March, the president signed an executive order dedicated to 'stopping waste, fraud, and abuse by eliminating information silos,' a euphemism for pooling vast stores of data on Americans under the federal government. To carry out the data effort, the administration has deepened the federal government's longstanding partnership with Palantir, a tech firm specializing in building big data applications, which was co-founded by Silicon Valley investor, GOP donor, and JD Vance mentor Peter Thiel. Since Trump took office, the administration has reportedly spent more than $113 million with Palantir through new and existing contracts, while the company is slated to begin work on a new $795 million deal with the Defense Department. Palantir is reportedly working with the administration in the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Internal Revenue Service, according to The New York Times. Within these agencies, the firm is reportedly building tools to track the movement of migrants in real time and streamline all tax data. The company is also reportedly in talks about deploying its technology at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Education, both of which have been targets of DOGE, and which store sensitive information about Americans' identities and finances. 'We act as a data processor, not a data controller,' the company insisted in response to the Times report. 'Our software and services are used under direction from the organizations that license our products. These organizations define what can and cannot be done with their data; they control the Palantir accounts in which analysis is conducted.' The Trump administration has reportedly pursued a variety of efforts to use big data to support its priorities, including social media surveillance of immigrants to detect alleged pro-terror views, and American activists who disagree wit Donal Trump's views.. Earlier this month, a group of former Palantir employees warned in an open letter that the company was 'normalizing authoritarianism under the guise of a 'revolution' led by oligarchs.' 'By supporting Trump's administration, Elon Musk's DOGE initiative, and dangerous expansions of executive power, they have abandoned their responsibility and are in violation of Palantir's Code of Conduct,' the employees wrote. Previous reporting from CNN and WIRED has described efforts at the Department of Homeland Security to build mass data tools to support tracking and surveilling undocumented immigrants, a key priority for the White House as deportations still aren't reaching levels necessary to meet Trump's promise of rapidly removing millions of people from the country. The effort has involved merging data from outside agencies like Social Security and the IRS, according to WIRED. 'They are trying to amass a huge amount of data,' a senior DHS official told the magazine. 'It has nothing to do with finding fraud or wasteful spending … They are already cross-referencing immigration with SSA and IRS, as well as voter data.' Since Trump took office, DOGE operatives, many of whom are unknown to the public nor have been vetted, have rapidly sought access to data at key agencies, including the Departments of Education and the Treasury, as well as the Social Security Administration, often over the objections of senior staff. The efforts have prompted scores of lawsuits against DOGE. At Social Security, the administration also moved thousands of living, mostly Latino undocumented immigrants into the agency's 'Death Master File' in an attempt to pressure them to leave the country. DOGE itself is reportedly under audit for its action by the Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog. An April letter from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee warned of DOGE's 'extreme negligence and an alarmingly cavalier attitude' toward sensitive data. It claimed a whistleblower had described how 'DOGE engineers have tried to create specialized computers for themselves that simultaneously give full access to networks and databases across different agencies.' The 'whistleblower information obtained by the Committee, combined with public reporting, paints a picture of chaos at SSA [Social Security Administration] as DOGE is rapidly, haphazardly, and unlawfully working to implement changes that could disrupt Social Security payments and expose Americans' sensitive data,' the letter reads.'
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Sen. Joni Ernst sparks crowd's anger with ‘we all are going to die' response to Medicaid cut questions
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst was met with shouts and groans when she said 'we all are going to die' as she addressed potential changes to Medicaid eligibility at a town hall in north-central Iowa on Friday. She had been consistent in her message throughout the contentious forum at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, as she defended the tax and immigration package that has passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. Facing several constituents concerned about cuts to Medicaid, she defended the $700 billion in reduced spending, saying it would keep immigrants in the U.S. illegally and those who have access to insurance through their employers off the rolls. Advertisement Sen. Joni Ernst was met with shouts and groans when she said 'we all are going to die' when citing the potential changes that could be made to Medicaid eligibility at an Iowa town hall Friday. IB Photography – Then someone in the crowd yelled that people will die without coverage. 'People are not … well, we all are going to die,' Ernst said, drawing groans. Advertisement 'So, for heaven's sakes. For heaven's sakes, folks.' 'What you don't want to do is listen to me when I say that we are going to focus on those that are most vulnerable,' Ernst went on. 'Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid we will protect.' House Republicans last week muscled through the massive spending and tax cut package, dubbed 'the big, beautiful bill' at the urging of President Donald Trump, by a single vote. Advertisement Ernst had the forum held at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, while she also defended the tax and immigration bill that had passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. WAAY 31 News It now moves to the Senate. Ernst made clear Friday that any measure that emerges from the Senate will look different from the House version. Republicans have defended the new work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents and stepped up eligibility verification, saying the generated savings will sustain the program for vulnerable populations. Advertisement Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage. A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade. Video of Ernst's comment started making the rounds among Democrat elected officials and candidates. Ernst is up for reelection in 2026. 'This morning, Joni Ernst said the quiet part out loud:' Republicans do not care 'about whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer,' said Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic National Committee, in a statement.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Homeland Security lists Oregon, Washington places as ‘sanctuary jurisdictions' amid pressure for Trump administration's mass deportation plans
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released a list of what they say are 'sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law' amid . The Trump administration has criticized sanctuary states and cities, claiming their policies of not enforcing immigration law put the safety of American citizens in jeopardy. The new list, , includes the entire states of Oregon and Washington, along with numerous cities and counties in the Pacific Northwest. The Trump administration says each jurisdiction identified will receive formal notification of not complying with federal status and are demanding they review and revise their policies. Which is the most commonly misspelled word in Oregon? about the list of 'sanctuary jurisdictions,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, 'These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens … We are exposing these sanctuary politicians who harbor criminal illegal aliens and defy federal law. President Trump and I will always put the safety of the American people first. Sanctuary politicians are on notice: comply with federal law.' The cities in Oregon included on the list are as follows: Portland Beaverton Hood River Eugene The counties in Oregon listed by Homeland Security as a 'sanctuary jurisdiction' are: Clatsop County Columbia County Harney County Klamath County Lake County Lane County Lincoln County Linn County Marion County Multnomah County Tillamook County Umatilla County Union County Washington County Yamhill County Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Meanwhile, in Washington state, 36 of the state's 39 counties were listed: Asotin County Benton County Chelan County Clallam County Clark County Columbia County Cowlitz County Ferry County Franklin County Garfield County Grant County Grays Harbor County Island County Jefferson County King County Kitsap County Kittitas County Lewis County Lincoln County Mason County Okanogan County Pacific County Pend Oreille County Pierce County San Juan County Skagit County Skamania County Snohomish County Spokane County Stevens County Swinomish County Thurston County Wakhiakum County Walla Walla County Whatcom County Whitman County The cities specifically listed by Homeland Security as 'sanctuary jurisdictions' are: Seattle Everett Olympia Tacoma Yakima Hillsboro will welcome another popular fast food spot in June The list comes on the , which threatened to cancel federal funds to sanctuary cities. Portland City Council President Elena Pirtle-Guiney the executive order 'appears to me to be just another attempt to try to bully Portland, Oregon, and other cities and states around the country into enforcing federal immigration laws when our law enforcement needs to be focused on local issues.' Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
