The Daily Populous

Tuesday February 18th, 2025 day edition

image for Social Security head steps down over DOGE access of recipient information: AP sources

The Social Security Administration's acting commissioner has stepped down from her role at the agency over Department of Government Efficiency requests to access Social Security recipient information, according to two people familiar with the official's departure who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration ‘s acting commissioner has stepped down from her role at the agency over Department of Government Efficiency requests to access Social Security recipient information, according to two people familiar with the official’s departure who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

In the meantime, the agency will be led by a career Social Security anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner.”.

King’s exit from the administration is one of several departures of high-ranking officials concerned about DOGE staffers’ potential unlawful access to private taxpayer information.

Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group for the preservation of Social Security benefits, said of DOGE’s efforts that “there is no way to overstate how serious a breach this is.

“The information collected and securely held by the Social Security Administration is highly sensitive,” she said.

The future of Social Security has become a top political issue and was a major point of contention in the 2024 election. »

Zelenskyy: US saying things today that are very pleasing to Putin

Authored by pravda.com.ua

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD, as reported by European Pravda.

Details: Zelenskyy commented on the possibility of territorial concessions to Russia in the upcoming "peace talks," emphasising that Ukraine "will not surrender its territories legally".

"The US is saying things today that are very pleasing to Putin. »

Jewish man mistakes two Israeli tourists for Palestinians and opens fire on them in Miami

Authored by theguardian.com

A Jewish man in Miami Beach is facing charges of attempted murder following accusations that he opened fire on two men he believed were Palestinians but reportedly turned out to be Israeli visitors.

Brafman allegedly fired 17 times, striking one victim in the left shoulder and grazing the other’s left forearm.

“This just the latest example of the hate targeting the Palestinian-American community in this country and Palestinians in their homeland. »

GTA 6: Rockstar is reportedly planning Roblox/Fortnite-style user-generated content

Authored by videogameschronicle.com

Rockstar has reportedly met with top Roblox and Fortnite creators about the potential to build custom game experiences inside GTA 6.

It’s claimed that Rockstar is planning to allow creators to modify GTA 6’s game environment and assets to bring their own intellectual property into its sandbox.

Notably, in 2023 Rockstar acquired CFX.RE, the group behind some of GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2’s most popular modding tools. »

‘No kings on Presidents Day’ rings out from protests against Trump and Musk

Authored by apnews.com
image for

In Florida and California, local media outlets reported on hundreds of protesters carrying out “Not my Presidents Day” protests.

The “No Kings” theme was orchestrated by the 50501 Movement, and marked the second set of protests criss-crossing the nation in less than two weeks.

Both sets of rallies denounced Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, the leader of Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, a government organization designed to slash federal spending. »