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

Facebook has quietly developed software for China to suppress posts from appearing in people’s news feeds in specific geographic areas. The feature was created to help Facebook get into China. It illustrates the extent to which Facebook may be willing to compromise one of its core mission statements, “to make the world more open and connected,” to gain access to a market of 1.4 billion Chinese people. Several employees have left Facebook after expressing misgivings about it.   read more

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed state police to create a special unit to investigate reports of hate crimes, saying it's in response to what he called "ugly political discourse" that didn't end with the election. He plans to push for legislation that expands protections under New York's human rights law to all students statewide. Cuomo also wants to create the nation's first emergency legal defense fund to ensure all immigrants have access to representation.   read more

Donald Trump boasted he knew more about fighting terrorists than America’s generals. But now his focus on them worries national security experts, who say Trump could place undue emphasis on military force in foreign policy. Trump’s inclination runs counter to civilian control of the military — a constitutional principle that protects the U.S. from becoming like Pakistan or Turkey, where the military is a political player. "We are not a militaristic society, nor do we want to be,” said Gen. Ham.   read more

Mining claims on 30,370 acres north of the nation's first national park would be prohibited for at least two years while a long-term ban is considered, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said during a visit to Montana. It's part of the Obama administration efforts in its last days to keep industry out of natural and environmentally sensitive areas. Republicans and industry representatives have promised to seek their reversal once Donald Trump takes charge of the White House.   read more

“I’m...a very busy businessman and I don’t have time to fact-check everything that I put out there," said Eric Tucker, who wrote the original tweet. His comment on Twitter the night after the election turned into a fake-news phenomenon that, within an hour, was cited by Donald Trump. It is an example of how, in an ever-connected world where speed often takes precedence over truth, an observation by a private citizen can quickly become a talking point, even as it is being proved false.   read more

The report said the problem was far worse than originally believed. In the last three years, the agency produced at least 19,000 cards that included incorrect information or were issued in duplicate. Also, more than 2,400 immigrants who were approved for two-year conditional resident status were instead given cards that were good for 10 years. The agency had also had used incomplete fingerprint records to grant citizenship to hundreds of people who were to have been deported.   read more

The case could now go to the Supreme Court, where its fate may rest with a single justice, Anthony Kennedy, who has expressed a willingness to strike down partisan gerrymanders. Should the court affirm the ruling, it could upend the next round of state redistricting for elections nationwide, most of which are likely to be conducted by Republican-controlled legislatures. “It is a huge deal,” said Prof. Gerken. “For years, everyone has waited for the Supreme Court to do something on this front."   read more

"There is no out, honestly, there is no way out," said the single mother from Houston. "Even if you want to do the right thing, you want to pay your citation, you get caught up in this spider web of citations that are tangled up with late fees and surcharges and there is no...way out." She is among thousands of Texans living in poverty who have found themselves ensnared in a legal system that brings increasing debt and often lands them in jail because they are unable to pay traffic fines   read more

The findings come 41 years after the close of the Vietnam War. Since then, veterans have become increasingly distrustful of the VA. They maintain that their exposure to Agent Orange, which contained the toxic chemical dioxin, has harmed their own health and has been passed on to their children. The VA had been expected to announce its decision this year, but officials now say that will be left to the administration of Donald Trump.   read more

Pompeo has called for harsher treatment of suspected terrorists and opposed Obama’s Iran deal to limit its nuclear capability. On NSA monitoring of Americans’ communications, Pompeo said, “I believe that program has proven to be a very valuable asset for the intelligence community and for law enforcement.” He praised tech firms for complying with government surveillance requests. He also suggested that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden be given the death penalty.   read more

Trump on the campaign trail pledged to break up trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, deport illegal migrants and build a wall to keep out millions from Mexico and Latin America, sending shockwaves across a region that for two centuries has looked northward for policy guidance. Nobody in the region is expecting much from Trump in terms of really productive policy. That leaves room for China to play a much more important role," said China expert Margaret Myers.   read more

All of Obama's environmental accomplishments are at risk from Trump's presidency. Trump loathes regulation and wants to increase oil and gas drilling and the use of coal. He said he believes climate change is a hoax and has vowed to "cancel" U.S. involvement in the landmark Paris Agreement on global warming. He may also weaken or kill the Clean Power Plan, a cornerstone Obama policy meant to reduce carbon pollution from the nation's power plants as part of an effort to combat climate change.   read more

Pence has long presented himself as a champion of a free press. But his gubernatorial administration has argued against the public release of emails and other documents that could shed light on his tenure as governor. His office has withheld documents, delayed responses or flatly denied public records requests filed by news organizations. Yet he aggressively criticized Hillary Clinton for refusing to release emails sent from a private server she maintained while secretary of state.   read more

More than 110,000 students, including disproportionate numbers of black and disabled students, were subjected to paddling or a similar punishment in 2013-14. King said it would be considered "criminal assault or battery" against an adult. "[It] has been clearly and repeatedly linked to negative health and academic outcomes for students, "he said. "It is opposed by parent organizations, teachers unions, medical and mental health professionals and civil rights advocates..."   read more

In their lawsuit, Pawnee residents say the 27 companies operate wastewater injection wells even though they know the method causes earthquakes. Oklahoma has had thousands of earthquakes in recent years, with nearly all traced to underground wastewater disposal. "We have clients who don't allow their children to go upstairs because they're afraid the roof will fall in on them," said Curt Marshall, an attorney for the residents. "There's a lot of fear; when is the next big one?"   read more

Shortly after Donald Trump was elected president, the Southern Poverty Law Center encouraged people to share details about potential hate crimes. By the next day, they’d received 250 reports – more than they’re used to seeing in six months. Then the FBI released its latest national tabulation, which showed a 67% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes. Those worried about the consequences of Trump’s triumph have seized on these reports to express concern over emboldened white nationalists.   read more