Latest news with #DOGE-style
New York Post
14 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Ex-NY Young Republicans leader Gavin Wax gets nod for FCC spot
WASHINGTON — The former leader of New York's Young Republicans was endorsed Saturday by an outgoing member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fill his vacancy. FCC commissioner Nathan Simington told The Post in a phone interview Saturday that Gavin Wax, 31, 'would be a great' replacement and had been hearing 'buzz' about a potential nomination from President Trump. 'I don't want to get ahead of the president,' said Simington, who has served at the FCC since the Senate confirmed him as Trump's pick in December 2020, before adding: 'Trump has been very smart and creative with his picks in general. And he seems willing to look outside of, I guess, the establishment … or Beltway insiders.' 4 FCC commissioner Nathan Simington told The Post in a phone interview Saturday that Gavin Wax, 31, 'would be a great' replacement and had been hearing 'buzz' about a potential nomination from President Trump. AP Simington, who previously served as an associate at law firms like Mayer Brown as well as in a senior advisory role at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, is departing the FCC after his term expired last year and he stayed on in the intervening months as a holdover. Wax is currently serving under the Republican appointee as chief of staff and senior adviser at the FCC. If confirmed, he would be the youngest-ever FCC commissioner since 1945, when Democrat Charles Denny was confirmed at age 32. 'I came in as someone whose experience was primarily on the international trading side of wireless finance, and so I've been reading a lot of telecom reg[ulations],' he explained. 'Gavin and I have collaborated on a lot of writing, and I think the common thread of tying it together is a desire to take a fresh look at telecom.' 4 Simington is departing the FCC after his term expired last year and he stayed on in the intervening months as a holdover. AP 'Gavin has spent a lot of effort with me thinking through questions of 5G industrialization. … I would expect [him] to focus on what it means to get smart manufacturing up and running at high scale in the United States,' he added. The two co-authored an op-ed in the conservative Daily Caller last month calling for 'DOGE-style' reforms at the FCC to do away with 'outdated practices that burden consumers, broadcasters, and taxpayers alike.' Established as part of the Communications Act of 1934, the five-member FCC regulates TV, radio, internet, satellite and cable industries, approves licensing and auctions off the use of spectrum for services like 5G. 4 'I don't want to get ahead of the president,' said Simington. 'And he seems willing to look outside of, I guess, the establishment … or Beltway insiders.' AFP via Getty Images As for his work chairing the Young Republicans, Simington noted: 'The commission is an organization of 1,600 people. … I have to say when I got Gavin's resume, the line items about the sizes of the events that he had organized and put on … my response was, this guy can clearly do things that I would find very challenging.' Wax hosted the group's annual holiday gala in previous years. Trump was the keynote speaker for the event in 2023. The FCC currently has two Republican commissioners including Simington and two Democratic commissioners. 4 Wax hosted the group's annual holiday gala in previous years. Trump was the keynote speaker for the event in 2023. Kevin C. Downs Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks announced that he was stepping down Friday, leaving another vacancy. Olivia Trusty was previously nominated as the third Republican to serve on the panel of commissioners and is in the process of being confirmed by the Senate. Chairman Brendan Carr, a Republican, has led a series of reforms at the agency since Trump returned to the White House, including targeting diversity practices at Verizon and hinting at broader changes to so-called 'Section 230' protections for big tech companies. The latter has been the subject of furious debate by Republicans due to the liability shield it provides the platforms, even as some Facebook admitted to taking advantage of the tool to censor Americans' views online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neither the White House nor Wax immediately responded to requests for comment.
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Why both the Left and the Right are failing American workers
Working-class voters had high hopes that Donald Trump would help them out economically: Inflation and the economy were top priorities for Trump voters in 2024. These voters have seen the fading of the American Dream first-hand: Over 90% of Americans did better than their parents in the decades after World War II, but only half born in 1980 will. Why? A major reason is that employers pocketed workers' fair share of productivity increases. Wages used to rise when productivity did; if that had continued, workers' wages would be 43% higher than they are today. 6 Only half of Americans born in 1980 are doing better than their parents, with the root causes far harder to solve than mere DOGE-style cost cuts by President Trump and Elon Musk. FRANCIS CHUNG/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock You won't hear about this from President Trump. Instead, his villain is foreign trade, and his solution is to use tariffs to bring back blue-collar jobs. But tariffs won't work quickly, because onshoring means building new factories, which takes years. And it may never happen. Meanwhile, tariffs threaten to take away the only real benefit workers got from globalization: cheap Nikes, T-shirts, and party favors. To add to that, the Trump administration is DOGE-ing away stability at the Veterans Administration and Medicaid, which middle-class and rural Americans rely on. In short, the right isn't doing right by Lunchpail Joe and Jane. But neither is the left. Instead, it's obsessing nonstop about Trump's flouting of democratic norms — that's all progressives want to talk about. Defense of democracy was a top priority for those who voted for Kamala Harris, but way, way down for those who voted for Trump. The left also wants to talk about how DOGE is firing government workers, making professionals' jobs unstable and nerve-wracking. 6 Attacks on Obama-era healthcare initiatives are another reason American workers are feeling the pinch, some critics claim.. Getty Images Welcome to our world, say non-college voters. Thirty years ago, sales personnel at Macy's had full-time jobs with benefits. Today, associates worry constantly about whether they will accrue enough hours to pay the rent, in jobs that typically lack health insurance. As a result, many workers without degrees are working all kinds of hours. A 38-year-old construction worker described the impact on family life: 'People can't get or stay married because it takes so much effort to survive. My ex-fiancée said, 'You're never around.' But I was working to get a better life for us. No one has time for their kids. It's the American Nightmare.' 6 Today, associates worry constantly about whether they will accrue enough hours to pay the rent, in jobs that typically lack health insurance. Bloomberg via Getty Images DOGE is placing college-educated professionals where workers without degrees have been for decades — worried sick about how they're going to support their families. Don't expect workers to care. In earlier eras, the left was focused on good jobs for blue-collar workers and universal programs to ensure stability for the middle class, like Social Security, Medicare, and VA home loans and college benefits. In the 1970s, the focus changed to prioritize issues of greater concern to liberal college grads: environmentalism, racism, and sexism. As political priorities changed, so did 'feeling rules' that set the parameters of our heartstrings. A good lefty should feel angst about climate change, the poor, LGBTQ+, racism, and immigrants. But blue-collar Americans who vote for Trump? They're deplorable. If you care deeply about people disadvantaged by race, gender, and country of origin — but ignore class disadvantage — then people disadvantaged by class will seek solace by flocking to those who channel their anger. In both Europe and the US, those who flock to the far right are middle-status voters in routine jobs, holding on for dear life and just waiting for the other shoe to drop. A reality check: Democrats have generally done better for working people than Republicans. Obamacare is only the most recent example. The Trump administration has cut funding to programs that underlie the stability of middle-class Americans, like the VA and Social Security, creating overly lengthy wait times. 6 'Out-classed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back' by Joan C. Williams. 6 Author Joan C. Williams. This is what the left should be focusing on, not the defense of democracy. Americans who feel they've been screwed for the last 40 years feel democratic institutions haven't delivered for them. If Democrats are seen as defending the status quo, they won't win over non-college voters who feel like the status quo isn't working for them. And nearly two-thirds of Americans lack college degrees. Without them, Democrats can't win elections. Here's the bottom line. My message for Republican powers-that-be is a question: Does the current business climate, rife with chaos, instability, and the corrosion of both democratic norms and the US credit rating, really work for you? If you'd prefer a more orderly political and business climate, you need to deliver a stable, middle-class future for Americans without college degrees. 6 The Trump administration is DOGE-ing away stability at the Veterans Administration and Medicaid, which middle-class and rural Americans rely on. Getty Images My message for Democratic powers-that-be is also a question: Do you want to win elections? If you do, you need to change policies and feeling rules to deliver both economic stability and respect for non-college voters. Because if you don't, what you now see is what you'll get. There's your coalition out of this mess. Joan C. Williams is director of the Equality Action Center at UC Law San Francisco and the author of 'OUTCLASSED: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back.'
USA Today
4 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
A student sent DOGE-style emails to Brown administrators. Congress gave him a spotlight.
A student sent DOGE-style emails to Brown administrators. Congress gave him a spotlight. 'Instead of answering, Brown's response was retaliation,' rising junior Alex Shieh told lawmakers during a congressional hearing. Show Caption Hide Caption Is Alex Shieh Brown University's version of Elon Musk? What he has to say Shieh is facing potential discipline after asking Brown staffers about their jobs. WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans on June 4 rallied to the defense of a Brown University student who was investigated by the Ivy League school after he sent administrators DOGE-style emails asking them to justify their jobs. During a congressional hearing, GOP lawmakers lauded the rising junior, Alex Shieh, for shedding light on what they viewed as administrative bloat at prestigious colleges. Democrats, meanwhile, criticized their counterparts for complaining about college costs while voicing support for President Donald Trump's major domestic policy bill, which would make federal financial aid less available for many students across higher education. Though Shieh was ultimately cleared of student conduct violation charges, his story grabbed national attention. It also underscored widespread debates about free speech on campuses beyond Brown and the high sticker prices of degrees at some universities. The primary focus of the congressional hearing was to discuss whether some of the country's most selective colleges have violated antitrust laws in their financial aid policies. Accusations of malfeasance by financial aid offices have prompted major litigation in recent years, including a 2022 price-fixing lawsuit against more than a dozen prominent schools, including Brown. After a protracted court fight, the Rhode Island university settled with a group of students for nearly $20 million in July 2024. (The school continues to deny any wrongdoing.) Read more: 'Please Admit': Rampant donor preferences alleged in college financial aid lawsuit In February, after Trump regained the White House, he brought in tech billionaire Elon Musk to helm the Department of Government Efficiency. Shock spread through the federal workforce when DOGE abruptly asked nearly every agency employee to provide a list of five things they'd accomplished over the prior week. At the time, Musk warned that those who didn't respond would be "furthering their career elsewhere." In March, Shieh took a page out of Musk's book. As part of an investigation for the Brown Spectator, a conservative and libertarian school publication, he sent similar questions to nearly 4,000 Brown administrators. According to Shieh's website, he asked them to explain their roles, what tasks they had performed over the prior week and how Brown students would be impacted if their positions were eliminated. "Some of them answered, and the ones who answered seemed to have pretty useful jobs," Shieh told lawmakers on June 4. "I guess we can infer that the ones who didn't have jobs that are not so important." In early April, the university launched a preliminary student conduct review of Shieh for improperly using data accessed through a school platform. He was cleared a month later of facing any disciplinary action. In the months since, Shieh's case became a rallying cry for Republicans, who have doubled down on their criticism of Ivy League universities in recent months, as Trump slashed billions in federal funding for schools like Brown, Harvard and Columbia. "Mr. Shieh, thank you for stepping forward and letting the country know what's going on at these elite universities," Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said at the hearing on Capitol Hill. Brian Clark, a Brown spokesperson, said in a statement that the university has grown its workforce responsibly over time. Its staff members are vital to the school's work, including medical care and scientific research, he said. "While the national conversation about higher education finances and costs is important, it's regrettable that a witness in today's hearing offered so many misrepresentations about Brown's students, employees and efforts to provide an exceptional educational experience and conduct high-impact research," he said. Democrats, including Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, echoed that criticism during the hearing. "This is much ado about nothing," he said. Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Reform UK cost-cutting unit to scrutinise council
Lancashire County Council is being scrutinised by a team from Reform UK which has modelled itself on Elon Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the US. Council leader Stephen Atkinson said the group - made up of software engineers, data analysts and forensic auditors - will help to root out wasteful spending so they can reinvest in frontline services. Reform UK said the work will be carried out free of charge and will not be a drain on the council's budget. However, Unions have warned the cost-cutting unit it will face a fight if it suggests sacking staff at the Reform-controlled authority. The party, which took control in May, hopes the DOGE-style audit will revitalise the council, which employs 32,500 people. Atkinson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "It's important that we work collaboratively with our officers to look at the efficiencies that can be achieved and we are committed to doing this. "We are confident we can deliver the savings and are well underway with the analysis. We expect the initial findings to be available over the next few weeks. "We have been clear that we will be focusing our policies on what is most important to residents so we can make a real difference." Party leader Nigel Farage has said people working within Reform-controlled councils on climate change and diversity projects should should seek "alternative careers". Asked if such staff in Lancashire should fear for their jobs, Atkinson said: "Staff know what our policies are – we will follow process, we will be respectful and we will be dignified, but we have an electoral mandate to deliver what we said we would do." Union leaders said they were sceptical of the plan. Mike Short, head of local government at UNISON, said: "Reform's auditors will find the cupboards are bare. "People living in Reform-controlled local authorities want to know the vital services they rely upon will continue. That should be new councillors' top priority." Pete Billington, secretary of the Lancashire Association of Trades Union Councils, said the hundreds of millions of pounds saved during more than a decade of austerity rendered the DOGE process in Lancashire "meaningless". He added: "The only way they're going to [achieve their aim] is by sacking people and cutting services. "I just can't see the unions taking any attempt to cut employment without a massive fight." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Reform UK to give council Musk-style audit Lancashire County Council
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump ally Elon Musk stepping back from political spending: ‘I think I've done enough'
After blazing a colorful, controversial and litigious path through Washington, D.C., tech billionaire Elon Musk says he's stepping back from political spending. The announcement at the Qatar Economic Forum comes as the Tesla, X, and SpaceX boss is set to take a step back from President Donald Trump's administration, where he helmed the quasi-governmental Department of Government Efficiency. Musk told the crowd that he plans to "do a lot less' political spending 'in the future,' adding: 'I think I've done enough,' Politico reported. According to Politico, Musk sidestepped a question about whether his decision to retreat from political fundraising came in response to pushback he's received from his prominent role in Trump's White House. 'If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I don't currently see a reason,' he said, according to the online news organization Musk poured over $290 million of his own money into the 2024 election to support Trump and Republicans. But he was unable to translate that into post-election success. He was rebuffed in Wisconsin, where his preferred candidate for the state's Supreme Court was vanquished by a Democratic candidate who sailed to victory, Separate reporting by The Atlantic, detailing what it described as Musk's 'decline and fall,' paints a picture of a Washington outsider who was unable to build the alliances he needed to carry out his mission of dramatically reducing the size of government. While Musk remains close to President Donald Trump, his 'decision to focus elsewhere has been greeted as a relief by many federal leaders, who have been busily undoing many of his cuts in their departments or making DOGE-style changes on their own terms,' The Atlantic's Michael Scherer and Ashley Parker reported. 'Cabinet leaders—who did not appreciate being treated like staff by the man boasting about feeding their fiefdom into a 'wood chipper' — have widely ignored some of his efforts, such as his February demand that all federal employees send weekly emails to their supervisors laying out their accomplishments in bullet points," Scherer and Parker wrote. Worcester councilor deposits large donation haul after confronting police at ICE raid Trump's meeting with South African president spirals into false claims Mass. Senate eyes dramatic liquor license overhaul, but long road remains Defense Department accepts Boeing 747 from Qatar for Trump's use 'Now is the time': Harvard calls for donations amid wave of federal cuts Read the original article on MassLive.
