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Thursday, February 20, 2025

Social Security Administrator Tapped to Lead Agency After Nearly Being Fired by Boss for Cooperating with DOGE

Daily Wire: Leland Dudek was an obscure bureaucrat at the Social Security Administration who dedicated his career to stopping fraud. But when he worked with the Department of Government Efficiency to do just that, he came close to being fired. “At 4:30pm EST, my boss called me to tell me I had been placed on administrative leave pending an Investigation,” Dudek wrote on LinkedIn. “They want to fire me for cooperating with DOGE,” he wrote in a now-deleted post obtained by The Daily Wire. Then, a stunning reversal occurred. It was Acting Social Security Commissioner Michelle King who was gone from the agency. And Dudek was reinstated with a big promotion — taking her job leading the massive agency on an interim basis (Daily Wire). Luke Rosiak: At 4:30pm, Leland Dudek’s boss put him on leave for helping DOGE find fraud. “They want to fire me,” he wrote. “I confess. I helped DOGE understand SSA.” Within hours, it was his boss who was fired, and the longtime SSA waste-watcher was elevated to lead the whole agency (X).

New Poll Shows Democrats Have 22 Percent Approval Rating

Townhall: On Wednesday, Quinnipiac University released a new poll, with this one coming less than a month after their late January poll… According to the latest poll, Democrats in Congress have just a 22 percent approval rating, while 68 percent disapprove. Not only is that a record low, with Quinnipiac having asked such a question among registered voters since March 2009, but they’re also facing heat form their own voters. By 49-40 percent, Democratic voters disapprove of the way Democrats in Congress are doing their job (Townhall). Interactive Polls: 22% of voters approve of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job, which is an all-time low (X).

United States Adds Multiple Cartels to Foreign Terror List

Townhall: Following President Donald Trump’s direction and executive action, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to designate a number of Mexican and South American drug cartels as terrorist organizations… The move is a fulfillment of President Trump’s executive order on the matter, which he signed on his first day back in the White House on January 20 (Townhall). Rapid Response 47: The U.S. has officially declared the following as Foreign Terrorist Organizations: Tren de Aragua, MS-13, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the United Cartels, the Gulf Cartel, the Northeast Cartel, and the Michoacán Family (X).

Pro-Hamas Protestors Descend on Jewish Neighborhood in NYC

Townhall: The pro-Hamas crowd in America is still up to their antics. A horde of anti-Israel protesters swarmed an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in New York City in Tuesday and engaged in violence against Jewish residents. Footage circulating on social media shows the mob marching through the street while chanting “Zionists go to hell,” “Palestine is Arab,” and “Settlers go back home, Palestine is ours alone” (Townhall). Elad Eliahu: Anti Israel protesters prepare to march through the heavily Orthodox Jewish area of Borough Park in Brooklyn chanting “Palestine is Arab” and “Settlers go back home, Palestine is ours alone” (X). Breaking911: PALESTINIANS ATTACKING JEWS IN NYC: Despite a ceasefire, Palestinians are currently violently protesting and attacking Jews in the heart of the Orthodox Jewish community in Boro Park, Brooklyn, NY (X).

Trump Cancels Approval for NYC’s Congestion Toll Program

Fox News: President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to block the New York City congestion pricing toll program. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy penned a letter informing New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday that the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) approval of the pilot program was “not authorized by law.” “New York State’s congestion pricing plan is a slap in the face to working-class Americans and small business owners,” Duffy also said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “Commuters using the highway system to enter New York City have already financed the construction and improvement of these highways through the payment of gas taxes and other taxes. But now the toll program leaves drivers without any free highway alternative, and instead, takes more money from working people to pay for a transit system and not highways. It’s backwards and unfair” (Fox News). Libs of TikTok: Kathy Hochul claimed she put money back in people’s pockets because NY was originally going to charge $15 for congestion pricing and instead only charged $9. Trump just killed it. NY’ers will now be charged 0. Ultimate savings (X)!

DOGE Learns $2 Billion of Taxpayer Funds Sent to Nonprofit Connected to Failed Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey Abrams

Free Beacon: DOGE discovered $2 billion in taxpayer funds set aside for a fledgling nonprofit linked to perennial Georgia Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams (Free Beacon). Libs of TikTok: Power Forward Communities was only a few months old with just $100 in the bank when it received the $2 billion grant in 2024. On their website, they listed partnerships with two other nonprofits, both founded by Stacey Abrams. Abrams also serves as senior counsel for Rewiring America, an organization that leads a coalition of groups including Power Forward Communities (X). Paul Szypula: That enormous amount of money was discovered by DOGE. The huge scandal revolves around funds earmarked for a group linked to the biggest election denier ever. It’s a gargantuan story of fiscal gluttony (X)!

Governor Newsom’s Gas Price Hike Temporarily Halted

KCRA: The clean air rules the California Air Resources Board recently updated, which were expected to raise gas prices in the state, are officially on hold. According to a market notice posted on CARB’s website on Tuesday, the changes the board approved to its Low Carbon Fuel Standards have been rejected by California’s Office of Administrative Law. The office ensures that state agency regulations are clear, necessary, legally valid, and available to the public. The updated LCFS standards were at the center of controversy last fall. The Air Resources Board approved them days after the November election without giving California drivers an understanding of how the decision would impact gas prices. After at first saying the updated standards could result in an increase of 47 cents per gallon, CARB walked the number back and refused to analyze the potential cost impacts to consumers (KCRA). California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones: Newsom’s plan has always been to jack up the price of gas so high that you’re forced into an expensive EV… Newsom’s Air Resources Board has 120 days to address the issue and resubmit. Our Senate Bill 2 will protect Californians by repealing the gas price hike and holding this corrupt Administration accountable for trying to deceive the public (X).

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Investigating Why She Was Allowed to Leave for Ghana Trip During Wildfires

Ed Morrissey: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you … progressive ‘leadership’ in a nutshell. Said nutshell provided by Southern California’s leading progressive nut, in fact. Elex Michaelson, a reporter for Fox’s Los Angeles affiliate, sat down with Mayor Karen Bass to discuss the many failures around the devastating wildfires that left thousands homeless. Bass insists that she is investigating all of the failures, including why she was “allowed” to go to Ghana as weather services and the LA Fire Department sent out warnings of potential disaster (HotAir). Collin Rugg: LA Mayor Karen Bass says she’s investigating why she was allowed to go on a trip to Ghana days before the LA fires. Investigating someone else for something you did is wild. Bass: That level of preparation really didn’t happen. So it didn’t reach that level to me. No one said you shouldn’t have gone on a trip. Reporter: Why didn’t it happen? Bass: I don’t know. That’s what we are investigating (X).

Delta Airlines Prioritized DEI Over Flight Safety Ahead of Plane Crash in Toronto

Daily Mail: Endeavor Air has been slammed on social media for being too focused on DEI after one of their planes crashed at Toronto Airport on Monday. The Delta subsidiary had been operating Flight 4819 when it crash-landed at Toronto Pearson Airport amid windy weather. The cause of the crash – which left 18 people with minor injuries – is not yet known, with the 80 people onboard making it out alive after it ended up on its roof (Daily Mail). Libs of TikTok: The Delta plane that crashed in Toronto was operated by Endeavor Air, a regional airline that, according to their TikTok, is fixated on promoting all-female “unmanned” flights (X).

10.

McDonald’s Will Allow White Applicants for Scholarship After Discrimination Lawsuit

New York Post: McDonald’s will expand a scholarship for Hispanic and Latino students to white applicants after the burger giant was served a DEI lawsuit from a group opposed to affirmative action. Founded 40 years ago, McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship awards Hispanic and Latino high school seniors with at least one Latino parent money to support their college endeavors. This year, McDonald’s HACER scholarship has already had over 3,000 applications and has awarded over $33 million since its founding. However, the American Alliance for Equal Rights sued McDonald’s for unlawfully discriminating against students from other ethnic groups (New York Post).

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