All posts tagged: purge

Trump’s latest science purge could bring major risks, experts say

Trump’s latest science purge could bring major risks, experts say

Published by Sam Flores

The Trump administration’s recent firing of the entire 22-person board of the National Science Foundation has drawn condemnation from lawmakers, scientists and their advocates across the country, who say the decision is irresponsible and based on political control. Members of the National Science Board, made up mostly of scientists, reportedly received emails last Friday informing them that they would be removed from their positions effective immediately. “No reason was given,” former board member, Yolanda Gill, an employee at the Information ‌Sciences ⁠Institute of the University of Southern California, told Reuters. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a ranking member of the House Science Committee, blasted the decision as “a real Bozo the Clown move” by President Donald Trump. “The NSB is apolitical. It advises the president on the future of NSF,” Lofgren said in a statement on Saturday. “It unfortunately is no surprise a president who has attacked NSF from day one would seek to destroy the board that helps guide the foundation.” “I am deeply disappointed, though I cannot say I am entirely surprised,” former board …

X’s Big Bot Purge Wiped Out a Lot of People’s Secret Porn Feeds

X’s Big Bot Purge Wiped Out a Lot of People’s Secret Porn Feeds

Published by skeptic

Justin Diego doesn’t typically avoid the spotlight. He’s a celebrity news influencer with 617,000 combined followers across YouTube and Instagram. So when he created a secret account on X in 2024 to keep track of his favorite OnlyFans creators, he appreciated the anonymity it provided him outside of his main accounts. Diego primarily used the burner account to bookmark and like solo content and masturbation videos, and never posted. But when he logged in to X over the weekend, he was notified that the account had been suspended. Beginning this month, X has escalated its efforts to crack down on automated accounts. The company’s head of product, Nikita Bier, noted that the platform was flagging and suspending bots at a rapid pace—“208 bots per minute and growing,” he posted on April 9. But the large-scale campaign, which is intended to remove fake, inactive, or spam accounts in bulk, has also led to the suspension and deletion of accounts used by humans—including many used to privately curate niche porn. The company has a policy against “inauthentic …

Pam Bondi May Be Just the Beginning of Trump’s Purge

Pam Bondi May Be Just the Beginning of Trump’s Purge

Published by José Betancourt

After Pam Bondi’s ouster today, which followed Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s firing last month, Cabinet secretaries and other senior administration officials were anxiously eyeing their phones, wondering whether they’d be next. One top official didn’t have to wait long: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removed the chief of staff of the Army, General Randy George. Several people familiar with the White House’s plans told us that there are active discussions about others leaving the administration, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters, said that the timing is uncertain and that President Trump has not yet made up his mind. But what was once an unofficial motto of the second Trump term—“no scalps”—no longer applies. Trump had been reluctant to get rid of any of his top lieutenants, viewing firings as a concession to the Democrats and the media. Even in the past few months, there had been an edict that no Cabinet …

Italy Tourism Minister Quits in Meloni’s Post-Referendum Purge

Italy Tourism Minister Quits in Meloni’s Post-Referendum Purge

Published by Sam Flores

By Angelo Amante and Alvise Armellini ROME, March 25 (Reuters) – Italy’s ⁠beleaguered ⁠Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche resigned ⁠on Wednesday, belatedly obeying a call to go from Prime Minister Giorgia ​Meloni who is trying to reset her government after a bruising referendum defeat. Reeling from the rejection of ‌her judicial reforms in the March ‌22-23 vote, Meloni on Tuesday secured the resignation of two scandal-hit officials and also asked Santanche, ⁠long accused ⁠of financial wrongdoing, to leave her tourism post. “Dear Giorgia, As you have ​officially requested, I hereby tender my resignation,” Santanche wrote in a statement, saying she was going “only in response to a request (from) the leader of my party”. While insisting that she should not be made a scapegoat for ​a referendum defeat “which was certainly not my fault,” she said she had “no difficulty saying ‘I obey’ ⁠and ⁠doing what you ask of ⁠me.” Santanche — a member ​of Meloni’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party — initially resisted the highly unusual public demand from ​the head of the government, ⁠who …

How to Organize Your Tech and Purge That Random Box of Cables

How to Organize Your Tech and Purge That Random Box of Cables

Published by skeptic

While it is an absolute privilege to lay hands on the latest tech, my home as a gadget reviewer often resembles a warehouse. Piled high with cardboard boxes and cables trailing everywhere, just getting to my desk is a battle on some days. Every surface is littered with chargers, security cameras, routers, and phones. To manage the flow of devices and preserve my sanity, I had to get organized. I won’t lie to you. It’s not fun to purge your random cable collection, sorting stuff into labeled boxes, and letting go of old gadgets you no longer use. But you can benefit from my experience, and I promise it will make your life easier. It’s tough to start, but once you have a system, you will never return to the chaos. Start With Your Box of Random Cables Photograph: Simon Hill If you don’t know what it is, you are not allowed to keep it. We all have a box of random cables—a tangled mess that we lug with us on every house move and …

Autocracy in America: Purge the Public Servants

Autocracy in America: Purge the Public Servants

Published by Daniella Wilson

Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Overcast | Pocket Casts Kathleen Walters was only 23 days away from qualifying for early retirement at the IRS when she decided to quit, rather than acquiesce to a Trump-administration request that she break the law and compromise millions of people’s privacy. She’s one of hundreds of thousands of civil servants who have left or been fired from their federal-government jobs in the past year. In this episode, host Anne Applebaum speaks with Don Moynihan, an expert in the history of public policy from the University of Michigan. He explains how the destruction of America’s civil service is part of the administration’s greater effort to create a government that derives its power through unprecedented means and fundamentally disrupts democracy as we know it. The following is a transcript of the episode: [Music] Kathleen Walters: I thought I would be at the IRS for six months when I joined, and those six months turned into almost two decades. My name is Kathleen Walters, and  I was an …

China’s Xi Targets His Close Ally in Purge

China’s Xi Targets His Close Ally in Purge

Published by Sam Flores

By Mei Mei Chu, Antoni Slodkowski and Michael Martina BEIJING/WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) – China’s investigation into its top general is taking President Xi Jinping’s ‌years-long corruption ​purge into his innermost circle, underlining that even close personal ties do ‌not offer protection when it comes to loyalty to the party leadership. China experts said Xi’s move against his long-term ally and Politburo member Gen. Zhang Youxia also concentrates even more ​power in the president’s hands, makes the already secretive command of China’s military more opaque, and suggests that a near-term attack on Taiwan is less likely. “Zhang’s removal means that truly nobody in the leadership is safe now,” said Jonathan Czin of the Washington-based Brookings Institution, who called ‍the investigation “astonishing”. Czin, who spent years as a top China analyst for the ​Central Intelligence Agency and, in 2021-2023, served as the director for China at the United States National Security Council, added that the probe marked a “profound shift” in Chinese politics. The change is remarkable as past purges targeted people who may have had …

China’s top general under investigation in latest military purge : NPR

China’s top general under investigation in latest military purge : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

FILE – Gen. Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission attends the opening session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Ng Han Guan/AP/AP hide caption toggle caption Ng Han Guan/AP/AP BEIJING — The Chinese military’s top general is being investigated for suspected serious violations of discipline and law the Defense Ministry said Saturday, Zhang Youxia, the senior of the two vice chairs of the powerful Central Military Commission, is the latest figure to fall in a long-running purge of military officials. Analysts believe the purges are designed both to reform the military and to ensure loyalty to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who also chairs the military commission. They are part of a broader anti-corruption drive that has punished more than 200,000 officials since Xi came to power in 2012. Another member of the commission, Liu Zhenli, has also been placed under investigation by China’s ruling Communist Party, a Defense Ministry statement said. Liu is the chief of staff of the commission’s Joint Staff Department. …