Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) sent messages to all members of Congress terminating their positions, stating “Your performance has not been adequate to justify further employment.” All Democratic and independent members of Congress, as well as two Republicans, found themselves locked out of their offices after everything inside had been confiscated.   read more

The FDA has come under scrutiny for allegedly playing favorites when it comes to giving out grants. Complaints have surfaced within the scientific community about FDA funding for research being conducted by members of the agency’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. In helping to support those efforts, the agency has chosen to reject “several projects deemed by an NIH panel to have greater scientific merit,” conducted by researchers not represented on the committee   read more

In the wake of congressional investigations into the agency’s work, the IRS now will only screen about 20% of all applicants requesting tax-exempt charitable status, even though concerns still exist about groups committing fraud and abusing the tax code for political purposes. The change will certainly make the workload easier at the IRS. An 80% reduction in reviews will translate into processing up to 50,000 fewer 501(c)(3) applications a year.   read more

“The court has gotten this exactly right,” said Reba Boyd Wooden, a humanist who was a plaintiff in the case. “Whether a person is atheist, agnostic, humanist, or simply doesn’t want a religious wedding, this decision means they can now have these wonderful occasions solemnized by a celebrant who shares their life-stance.” In having its law struck down, Indiana will join Florida, Maine and South Carolina as states that allow humanists to officiate at weddings.   read more

The world has developed a craving for almonds, which is good for California farmers, who produce 80% of its global supply. But it’s also bad news for the water supply of the state, particularly as it goes through its worst drought on record. Almonds are a highly water-intensive crop, with more than a gallon of water used to produce each one. Multiply that by 2 billion pounds—the amount of almonds California grows each year—and there's a serious downside for the state.   read more

Taking photos of public art or being a minority is enough to land an American on the federal government’s watch list for being suspicious, which is now being challenged in court. The plaintiffs contend the Suspicious Activity Reporting program is much too broad, resulting in innocent people being added to the database. The program also sweeps up details about individuals exercising their First Amendment rights. Others have done nothing except be a member of certain ethnic groups.   read more

Alabama voters can now carry firearms into polling places. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange announced last week that guns are allowed in the voting booth, regardless of what a local county decides. The announcement came after a sheriffs group called on the state’s counties to prohibit unconcealed guns from polling places. The group felt that weapons might intimidate some voters from casting ballots. Chambers County asked Strange for a legal opinion.   read more

A European study says organic foods are higher in antioxidants than conventional crops, lending weight to the claims that natural farming methods produce healthier things to eat. “It shows very clearly how you grow your food has an impact,” said ecological agriculture professor Carlo Leifert. “If you buy organic fruits and vegetables, you can be sure you have, on average, a higher amount of antioxidants at the same calorie level.”   read more

For more than 70 years, Pennsylvania law has allowed major parties to intimidate other parties by suing them, claiming their qualifying signatures are invalid. Furthermore, the third parties are liable for legal costs of defending their petitions. That has caused third-party politicians to pull out of races. But a federal court has ruled that the Green Party and others like it don’t necessarily have to foot the bill the next time the “big boys” threaten a lawsuit.   read more

The first African-American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship and to hold a three-star rank among all the armed services, Michelle Howard was promoted last week to four-star admiral. The promotion made her the first woman, and first African American, to climb so high in the Navy. She now holds the second most important post in the Navy, as vice chief of naval operations. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said it shows “how far we have come, and how far she has helped bring us.”   read more

The smaller deficit, estimated at $583 billion, was caused by slower defense spending, less-than-anticipated spending on Hurricane Sandy rebuilding and smaller-than-expected costs of Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance subsidies. During the depths of the recession, the deficit reached $1.4 trillion. Budget cuts since have meant the government is spending less, but that has also slowed job growth, so tax receipts have not increased as much as they might have.   read more

When the tipped minimum was last raised, it was set at half the regular minimum of $4.25 an hour. But while the regular minimum has increased somewhat regularly, the tipped wage has not, thanks to efforts by the National Restaurant Association, a lobbying group for restaurant owners. Now tipped workers’ wage is only 29.4% of the regular minimum. If it had been raised to account for inflation alone, the tipped minimum would now be $3.72.   read more

Under this law, a U.S. government employee attempting to enforce federal regulations for firearms, accessories and ammunition that were manufactured and sold in Kansas could be charged with a felony. The law also allows those who would be prohibited by federal law from owning firearms to own such “Kansas-only” weapons, allows guns to be manufactured without serial numbers and permits the manufacture of guns designed to fool metal detectors.   read more

Earlier drafts of the rule proposed a 40% cut in USDA inspectors and a 20% increase in line speeds. Some of the government inspectors would be replaced by those working for the processing company. Those changes drew protests, both from the standpoint of food safety and that of workers’ rights. The USDA refuses to release the new rule to the public and has won’t say if those concerns have been addressed in the final proposal.   read more

On June 2, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Shaun Donovan, who had served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) since the start of the administration, to be its director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He was confirmed by the Senate on July 10 by a vote of 75-22.   read more

The Dutch study looked at the population of 15 types of birds and found a consistent decline in the population where Imidacloprid was present in surface water. Researchers believe the chemical kills off the insects that the birds eat, but they’re still unsure of the reason for the population decline. Other research has fingered neonicotinoids for the recent die-off of honeybees.   read more

Judge Terry P. Lewis noted that in employing political operatives to craft Republican-friendly boundaries, the GOP had violated a state law intended to make the election process more balanced and fair. He even quoted George Washington in warning of the use of “cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men.”   read more