BY MATT BERG
& CROOKED MEDIA |
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When I’m censured, I’m singing Freebird.”
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SALUTE (AND BOOT) THE VETS
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The Trump administration is rocking the Department of Veterans Affairs with cuts, raising fears about the future of healthcare and services — and the potential consequences of speaking out.
- President Donald Trump is planning to slash 80,000 jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the agency that takes care of some 10 million veterans in the United States. It’s a core part of gazillionaire Elon Musk’s mission to downsize the government like it's one of his Silicon Valley startups. But there are other real-world impacts: The Department of Government Efficiency is also planning to cut hundreds of contracts — including one for research on post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Two senior employees who lead research teams at a VA branch were recently put on administrative leave, according to an internal memo obtained by What A Day, which adds that others across the country have already suffered the same fate. These are often physicians who help guide studies and treat patients, too.
- It’s unclear exactly why they were pushed out. But one of them may have said more publicly, or to the press, about the inner workings of the agency than the bosses wanted, according to the memo.
- “One of the [people] placed on administrative leave shared with me — and gave me permission to share with you — that there was an allegation of (and I am paraphrasing here) ‘inappropriate distribution of VA material,’” reads the memo, written by a top local VA official. “I have not encountered this as a reason for administrative leave … in my decades as a VA employee.” The official expressed concern that putting multiple researchers on administrative leave could be “a coordinated effort.”
Supervisors weren’t told in advance that the two employees would be placed on leave, according to the memo, which sounds an alarm about the changes.
- “My fear is that simultaneously placing a group of VA researchers around the nation on administrative leave sends the chilling message that we must not let others outside the VA know how severely impacted the research service is by the executive orders,” the memo reads. “I hope I am incorrect; I can not imagine a worse message than, ‘How dare you tell anyone how bad this is!’”
- The official urged other VA employees to be “circumspect in your communications.” Although Elon Musk’s DOGE isn’t explicitly mentioned in the memo, his chainsaw-wielding tendencies are scaring top leadership at the VA. “My opinion is that most who like to ‘move fast and break things’ have never built anything that anyone actually needs or relies on,” the memo reads, an obvious criticism of Elon Musk’s tech bro mentality.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is a crucial service for veterans: “Our mission is not a luxury good or a retail or advertising platform.”
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WHAT A SPONSOR
The world as we know it feels on the verge of collapse... war in Europe, chaos in the Middle East, US-China competition. But how did we get here? Rewind to the 1990s with None Of The Above, a new limited podcast series produced by the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group. We dive into the decade’s most pivotal events and foreign policy decisions, from covert CIA operations to NATO enlargement. Across ten episodes, you’ll hear from experts, journalists, and former government leaders as they unpack a decade that continues to shape the world today.
Whether you experienced the 1990s firsthand and want to walk down memory lane, or just want to better understand that post-Cold War moment, ‘90s Rewind has something for everyone. We explore failed democracy in Russia, the rise of the Taliban, the end of apartheid in South Africa, China’s economic rise, and much more. You can tune in to the first three episodes now. To catch the rest, make sure you subscribe to None Of The Above on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen... you don’t want to miss it!
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Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) broke with Democrats on the issue of transgender athletes in sports: “I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” Newson said on the first episode of his podcast. That’s a big deal because Newsom is seen as a likely 2028 presidential contender, so we’ll see if Democrats start to change their tune, too.
Remember those awesome penny press souvenirs you’d get on vacation? Well, they might be going away if the Treasury Department stops minting new pennies, as Trump has pledged. Getting rid of pennies isn’t a terrible idea (it costs 3 cents to make one), but can we please keep these whimsical little machines? Surely our nation’s couches hold a strategic reserve of pocket change we can draw from in just such a crisis. |
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LET'S MEET, IRL
Lovett or Leave It is kicking off a new run of live shows in Los Angeles! Joined by some very special guests, Lovett will break down the biggest (and dumbest) stories in politics—because even in these bleak times, the news should at least make you laugh. Don’t miss today’s show at Dynasty Typewriter in LA, featuring Emily St. James & Natalie Morales. Get your tickets now at crooked.com/events!
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