All posts tagged: Dismantle

German conservatives pile pressure on von der Leyen to dismantle Brussels ‘machine’ – POLITICO

German conservatives pile pressure on von der Leyen to dismantle Brussels ‘machine’ – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“This EU Commission machine just keeps going on and on and on,” said Merz at a September business event in Cologne. “Let me put it in somewhat vivid and figurative terms: We need to throw a spanner in the works of this machine in Brussels now, so that it stops.” A proposal in an earlier draft of the conservative strategy paper went even further than the latest version, threatening the EU’s purse strings by making member countries’ budget contributions conditional on the Commission’s success in cutting regulation. That proposal — which was likely deemed too radical — has since been dropped. For its part, the EU’s executive arm has attempted to cut back on regulations by putting forward a series of omnibus packages meant to simplify existing laws, especially regarding the Commission’s Green Deal. However, the German conservatives argue those measures are far from enough. Von der Leyen already clashed with capitals over cutting red tape ahead of the February EU summit in Alden Biesen. After Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz …

Inside Linda McMahon’s effort to dismantle the Department of Education : NPR

Inside Linda McMahon’s effort to dismantle the Department of Education : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

DAVE DAVIES, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. I’m Dave Davies. In filling out his Cabinet, President Trump has tapped some colorful characters, sometimes TV hosts and talking heads whose views appeal to him. His pick for secretary of education, Linda McMahon, has television experience of a different kind, talking smack in pro wrestling rings, often with her husband, wrestling mogul Vince McMahon, known for his showmanship and allegations of sexual abuse. Our guest, writer Zach Helfand, has written a profile of Linda McMahon in The New Yorker. She is no clown, he finds. She proved to be a savvy businesswoman as CEO of the family wrestling empire. And when Trump tapped her to head the Small Business Administration in his first term, Helfand writes she was a steady and effective leader. Many describe her as capable, kind and empathetic. She came to her new role with little experience in education policy but an unwavering commitment to Trump’s goal of eliminating the department altogether. While only Congress can formally abolish the Cabinet-level agency, Helfand writes that …

Politics Home | If Labour Doesn’t Revamp The Civil Service, Reform UK Will Dismantle It, Warns Hermer

Politics Home | If Labour Doesn’t Revamp The Civil Service, Reform UK Will Dismantle It, Warns Hermer

Published by Sam Flores

3 min read3 hr Attorney General Richard Hermer has warned that failure by the Labour government to improve Whitehall delivery will pave the way for Reform UK to “dismantle” the civil service. Writing for The House on Thursday, Hermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said: “We cannot leave the defence of effective government to those who would dismantle it. “Those who have a vested interest in talking down the state’s ability to change people’s lives for the better, who want to tear away safeguards for working people.” The Attorney General’s warning comes after the Labour government on Thursday announced a series of reforms designed to speed up government decision-making and tackle what it described as a “consultation culture” in Whitehall.  In addition to reducing the number of consultations, the government will use AI to identify red tape, as well as streamline the ‘write-round’ process, which ministers use to reach collective decisions. PoliticsHome revealed in November that write-rounds, which involve written correspondence between ministers, were frustrating government figures, who felt that the procedure was creating unnecessary delays.  …

Hungarian opposition picks top business executives to dismantle Orbán’s rule – POLITICO

Hungarian opposition picks top business executives to dismantle Orbán’s rule – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Zoltán Tarr, the No. 2 in Tisza, said the priority was to find “good managers” who could implement that change. He explained that another advantage of recruiting from corporate boardrooms — rather than hiring political veterans — was that the new ministers would not be tainted by previous government experience that would compromise their ability to slash back Orbán’s role in the state. “We mostly go to the business world to find names because we have certain rules. We cannot deal with people with certain government ‘baggage.’ And that really limits the possibilities for us,” he told POLITICO in an interview. Tarr added that trying to regain access to Hungary’s currently frozen EU funds would also require skills familiar to executives. “There will be a pragmatic relation with Ursula von der Leyen and Brussels … it’s like business, but mutually beneficial, for Hungary and the EU, and a keeping-your-word kind of business,” he said. So far, only five names for a potential Cabinet have been confirmed, apart from leader Magyar, who would be prime minister. …

Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration’s Actions to Dismantle Voice of America Are Illegal

Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration’s Actions to Dismantle Voice of America Are Illegal

Published by Sam Flores

A federal judge ruled Saturday that Kari Lake, President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, did not have legal authority to take the actions she’s done to largely dismantle the Voice of America. The decision’s effect on VOA operations was not immediately clear. Lake called the decision by U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth “bogus” and said it will be appealed. Voice of America, which has transmitted news coverage to countries around the world since its formation during World War II, is operating with a skeleton staff in only a handful of languages after Lake terminated contracts and laid off most of its employees. Lake had been chosen by Trump to effectively lead the agency that oversees Voice of America and other services like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. But she has not received Senate confirmation for her role, and Lamberth said she did not have authority to act in that capacity due to laws that guard against unqualified government appointments. “Only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act’s exclusive …

Sacramento deputies dismantle sprawling illegal gambling network after lengthy investigation

Sacramento deputies dismantle sprawling illegal gambling network after lengthy investigation

Published by skeptic

Sacramento County detectives say they have broken up what they describe as a “large-scale illegal gambling network operating in our region and impacting residential communities,” the result of an investigation that stretched on for months and focused on a suspected criminal organization. The Sheriff’s Office shared details of the case in a Facebook post, explaining that the inquiry began in April 2025. At that point, detectives “began investigating a criminal organization suspected of violating California Penal Code 330 (illegal gambling) and 337a(a) (bookmaking).” Over time, investigators zeroed in on six people they believe played key roles in a network of underground casinos spread across Northern California. Authorities identified Theaplus Osborne, Dana Green, James Frazier, Herman Hawkins, and Thurston Bershell among those involved. Deputies gather during a nighttime operation captured on arrest video. Credit: Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook According to investigators, the operation followed a clear chain of command. They allege Osborne directed activity at eight separate gambling locations while “multiple co-conspirators handling daily operations.” Many of the sites were set up “out of …

Hundreds of United Methodists rally to dismantle ICE outside Capitol

Hundreds of United Methodists rally to dismantle ICE outside Capitol

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Less than a day after President Donald Trump defended his mass deportation campaign during his State of the Union address, more than a thousand United Methodists and their allies rallied outside the U.S. Capitol, calling on Congress to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. “We demand that ICE and CBP be dismantled,” said retired United Methodist Bishop Minerva Garza Carcaño at the rally. “We demand that ICE and CBP be defunded.” That demand was underscored by speaker Rep. Shri Thanedar, who last month introduced the Abolish ICE Act. In addition to Thanedar, who is Hindu and an immigrant from India, Democratic Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon and Delia Ramirez both spoke, and the two drew on Christian rhetoric, with Scanlon telling attendees to be “salt and light” and Ramirez quoting from St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer for peace. “When universities, and legacy media and law firms and corporations have failed to meet the moment, our faith communities have stepped up,” said Scanlon. Ramirez, a United Methodist, said, “God is …

Politics Home | Labour Women Push Starmer To Dismantle ‘Boys’ Club’ After Mandelson Scandal

Politics Home | Labour Women Push Starmer To Dismantle ‘Boys’ Club’ After Mandelson Scandal

Published by Sam Flores

5 min read3 hr As he prepares to address the women’s Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) on Wednesday afternoon, Keir Starmer is being urged to make the Peter Mandelson scandal a watershed moment in tackling a perceived boys’ club in his party. The revelation that the Prime Minister appointed Mandelson as US ambassador despite being aware of his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein has triggered the most perilous period of his premiership so far. In the last few days, he has lost his chief of staff and director of communications, while on Monday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told him to resign. The Mandelson affair has caused anger and frustration among Labour women in particular. Labour had 190 women MPs elected at the 2024 general election, the largest number ever returned to the House of Commons by a single political party. However, many women in the party believe that recent revelations over how Mandelson was appointed typify a deep-rooted misogyny within Labour, with former special adviser Baroness Ayesha Hazarika describing last week’s events as “shameful” for her party.  “I have never …