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Title: The Headlines | Doge, Trump, EPA, FB
Description: In this episode of The Headlines, we revisit a story from PM’s ScienceIssues, how the crypto jacking craze is not only hurting computers but now is redirecting web-traffic and miner profits to doge ( DogeCoin), a cryptocurrency that emerged during the 2010 viral Doge meme. President Trump has set his sights on the EPA’s carbon lawsuits while exiting his administration. We also talk to EPA Ex-administrator Gina McCarthy ( Obama’s EPA head) on the effects of the EPA exodus. Finally, we discuss how FB CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries to assert control over the FTC’s proposed controllers, would essentially reduce margin of penalty whenever any misconduct is identified in the future.
Past Headlines top picks and stories as featured by PopMech.
Tag: “federal government/regulation”, “us politics”, “political climate”, “social media/facebook”, “marketing/executive profile”, “trump administration”, “zuckerberg”, “exemption”, “controllers”, “margin of penalty”
SoundByte Idea: In this episode of The Headlines, we also revisit the story of a couple living off the grid in Hartsville, Wyoming, who were the subject of an alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Discussion Point: How has cryptocurrency affected web traffic and miner profits during the doge craze?
What are the implications of the EPA exodus on the environment and public health?
How does Facebook CEO Zuckerberg’s attempt to assert control over the FTC’s proposed controllers compare to other regulatory actions taken by the government towards tech multinationals? What are your thoughts on this?
Guest Perspective: Gina McCarthy, Ex-administrator of EPA under Obama’s Administration.
SoundByte Idea: We also talk to the Neusses, a Wyoming family living off the grid, who were mistakenly identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as missing children.
Tag: “off the grid”, “hartsville wyoming”, “missing children”, “national center for missing and exploited children”, “wyoming lifestyle”
SoundByte Idea: In this episode of The Headlines, we revisit a story from PM, the dairy industry, and the Air Force’s latest strategy with Supersonic Aviation.
Discussion Point: What are the implications of the dairy industry, and Supersonic Aviation’s latest strategy?
Federal tax breaks for the dairy industry: are they helping ramp up production too quickly, advertising eggnog as a year round necessity, driving the price of milk and baby formula up? Do the tax benefits protect corporate farms from what should be big business expenses or cover unforeseen expenses like buildup of manure tanks? Is there a permanent solution available to these problems and their effects on rural communities?
Supersonic Aviation’s strategy: Why would the Air Force invest in supersonic aviation, and how?
Tag: “supersonic aviation”, “military air force”, “dairy industry”, “federal tax benefits”, “price of milk”, “baby formula”, “corporate farms”, “unforeseen expenses”, “permanent solution”, “rural communities”
SoundByte Idea: In this episode of The Headlines, we revisit a story from PM, the instability of Horizon Bank and First County Bank, regulatory actions to fix the ‘runs’ on these banks, and the subsequent ‘chills’ directed towards runs in the savings and loan financial sector.
Discussion Point: How have the actions taken by the government to fix the ‘runs’ on Horizon Bank and First County Bank influenced both the stability of the banking sector in the savings and loan financial sector and how have related companies with troubled savings and loans responded to the regulatory actions in these two instances?
Tag: “banking and finance”, “government actions”, “runs” “federal government/regulation”, “us politics”, “political climate”, “social media/facebook”, “marketing/executive profile”, “trump administration”, “zuckerberg”, “exemption”, “controllers”, “margin of penalty”
SoundByte Idea: In this episode of The Headlines, we also revisit the story of a couple living off the grid in Hartsville, Wyoming, who were the subject of an alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Discussion Point: How has cryptocurrency affected web traffic and miner profits during the doge craze?
What are the implications of the EPA exodus on the environment and public health?
How does Facebook CEO Zuckerberg’s attempt to assert control over the FTC’s proposed controllers compare to other regulatory actions taken by the government towards tech multinationals? What are your thoughts on this?
Tag: “off the grid”, “hartsville wyoming”, “missing children”, “national center for missing and exploited children”, “wyoming lifestyle”.
SoundByte Idea: We also talk to the Neusses, a Wyoming family living off the grid, who were mistakenly identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as missing children.

The original article

Podcast: The Latest News (March 13, 2025)

In this episode of “The Headlines,” we cover the latest news stories from around the world, including:

1. Downtown Denver shooting: A mass shooting that claimed nine lives and injured several others has rocked downtown Denver. Police are on the hunt for the gunman, who reportedly escaped in a vehicle with another person. The motive behind the shooting is still unknown.

2. Trump targets E.P.A.: President Trump has signaled his intention to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, claiming that its existence is excessive and unnecessary. This announcement has sparked outrage among environmental groups and Democrats, who believe that climate change is an urgent matter that requires immediate action.

3. Facebook under scrutiny: Facebook is facing mounting pressure after several revelations relating to its handling of user data. The controversy has been dubbed “Facebookgate” and has caused widespread concern among privacy advocates and lawmakers.

4. Greece borders closed: In a move that has shocked the international community, Greek authorities have closed their borders in response to a growing crisis in neighboring Turkey. This decision has been prompted by concerns about the length and severity of the crisis in Syria, which has led to a significant number of refugees seeking asylum in Europe.

5. Dogecoin in limbo: Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that originally started as a joke, has been in limbo since it first hit the market in 2014. However, recent announcements that it will become an official cryptocurrency at online retailer Overstock.com have provided a glimmer of hope for Dogecoin’s future.

These stories and more in this episode of “The Headlines.”

The original article

In Plain Language: The New York Times explains that some Afghan allies who worked with the US and helped American forces fight against the Taliban are at risk of being neglected by the Trump administration’s travel ban. The US government promised to offer refuge to interpreters, engineers, and other critical personnel who served during the Afghan war, but the Trump administration has omitted them from a list of Afghans eligible for visas. This oversight affirms that the US aims to prioritize its own interests and potentially leaves crucial partners in danger without a safe haven to live in as they continue to work with American forces.
Format tag 1 for keyword: Trump
Format tag 2 for keyword: travel ban
Format tag 3 for keyword: Afghan allies
Format tag 4 for keyword: neglected
Format tag 5 for keyword: US government
Format tag 6 for keyword: threat
Format tag 7 for keyword: US allies
Format tag 8 for keyword: brutal crimes
Format tag 9 for keyword: Assistant
Format tag 10 for keyword: Plain Language

In 2014, the New York Times reported that the U.S. government promised to offer refuge to thousands of Afghan allies, including interpreters, engineers, and other critical personnel who served alongside American forces, as they were threatened by brutal crimes. However, the Trump administration failed to include them in a list of Afghan nationals eligible for visas under its travel ban.

The US allies have fought alongside American forces in the fight against the Taliban for nearly 20 years. These allies have helped US forces in missions to hunt down Al Qaeda and protect U.S. interests. A successful visa program would have ensured that these individuals remained safe and secure after leaving Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, despite the original pledge made, the outcomes of the travel ban have meant that these vital partners face destruction, imprisonment, or worst. In addition, Afghan nationals who have worked with the U.S. military are being blocked from entering the country on nonimmigrant visas, while the list to include Afghan nationals who qualify for the restrictions as part of a U.S.- Afghanistan agreement is incomplete.

The move to neglect Afghan allies has led to a sentiment that the US is prioritizing its own self-interests while leaving vital partners in danger without a safe haven to live in as they continue to work with American forces.

The decision affirms that the US aims to prioritize its own interests and potentially leaves crucial partners in danger without a safe haven to live in as they continue to work with American forces.

The report has significant media impact because it highlights the injustice of the Trump administration’s handling of the visa program for Afghan allies. The Senate Armed Services Committee has called on the Pentagon to provide more details to answer questions about the status of the visa program, and the US House of Representatives has planned to pass legislation aimed at letting the 43,000 Afghans who worked as assistants to United States forces during the war or their families into the United States.

To conclude, the New York Times has highlighted the injustice of neglecting Afghan allies through its travel ban policy. The report demonstrates the adverse impact of neglecting vital partners who have served alongside American forces in a mission to combat terrorism. The neglect of Afghan allies could potentially leave crucial partners endangered while also highlighting the self-interest of the US in this matter.

The original article

In Plain Language: The New York Times explains that some Afghan allies who worked with the US and helped American forces fight against the Taliban are at risk of being neglected by the Trump administration’s travel ban. The US government promised to offer refuge to interpreters, engineers, and other critical personnel who served during the Afghan war, but the Trump administration has omitted them from a list of Afghans eligible for visas. This oversight affirms that the US aims to prioritize its own interests and potentially leaves crucial partners in danger without a safe haven to live in as they continue to work with American forces.
Format tag 1 for keyword: Trump
Format tag 2 for keyword: travel ban
Format tag 3 for keyword: Afghan allies
Format tag 4 for keyword: neglected
Format tag 5 for keyword: US government
Format tag 6 for keyword: threat
Format tag 7 for keyword: US allies
Format tag 8 for keyword: brutal crimes
Format tag 9 for keyword: Assistant
Format tag 10 for keyword: Plain Language

In 2014, the New York Times reported that the U.S. government promised to offer refuge to thousands of Afghan allies, including interpreters, engineers, and other critical personnel who served alongside American forces, as they were threatened by brutal crimes. However, the Trump administration failed to include them in a list of Afghan nationals eligible for visas under its travel ban.

The US allies have fought alongside American forces in the fight against the Taliban for nearly 20 years. These allies have helped US forces in missions to hunt down Al Qaeda and protect U.S. interests. A successful visa program would have ensured that these individuals remained safe and secure after leaving Afghanistan.

Nevertheless, despite the original pledge made, the outcomes of the travel ban have meant that these vital partners face destruction, imprisonment, or worst. In addition, Afghan nationals who have worked with the U.S. military are being blocked from entering the country on nonimmigrant visas, while the list to include Afghan nationals who qualify for the restrictions as part of a U.S.- Afghanistan agreement is incomplete.

The move to neglect Afghan allies has led to a sentiment that the US is prioritizing its own self-interests while leaving vital partners in danger without a safe haven to live in as they continue to work with American forces.

The decision affirms that the US aims to prioritize its own interests and potentially leaves crucial partners in danger without a safe haven to live in as they continue to work with American forces.

The report has significant media impact because it highlights the injustice of the Trump administration’s handling of the visa program for Afghan allies. The Senate Armed Services Committee has called on the Pentagon to provide more details to answer questions about the status of the visa program, and the US House of Representatives has planned to pass legislation aimed at letting the 43,000 Afghans who worked as assistants to United States forces during the war or their families into the United States.

To conclude, the New York Times has highlighted the injustice of neglecting Afghan allies through its travel ban policy. The report demonstrates the adverse impact of neglecting vital partners who have served alongside American forces in a mission to combat terrorism. The neglect of Afghan allies could potentially leave crucial partners endangered while also highlighting the self-interest of the US in this matter.

The original article

In February 2025, 21 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Education Department, led at the time by Betsy DeVos, for its failure to enforce federal civil rights laws. This move was triggered by the expansion of exemptions in Title IX, a law that prohibits sex-based harassment in schools receiving federal funding. The attorneys general argued that the department’s new policy allowed for a federal interference in students’ civil rights and that the department had failed to properly investigate and respond to complaints. However, a judge’s move to stay proceedings implied that the lawsuit could have an uncertain political future. DeVos’s departure from leadership in 2021 meant that the lawsuit likely would have been withdrawn or modified if a Democrat had won the presidency and appointed a new secretary.

The original article

In February 2025, 21 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Education Department, led at the time by Betsy DeVos, for its failure to enforce federal civil rights laws. This move was triggered by the expansion of exemptions in Title IX, a law that prohibits sex-based harassment in schools receiving federal funding. The attorneys general argued that the department’s new policy allowed for a federal interference in students’ civil rights and that the department had failed to properly investigate and respond to complaints. However, a judge’s move to stay proceedings implied that the lawsuit could have an uncertain political future. DeVos’s departure from leadership in 2021 meant that the lawsuit likely would have been withdrawn or modified if a Democrat had won the presidency and appointed a new secretary.

The original article

The CDC nominee’s contentious hearing came as Covid rates soar again.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the CDC, faced a contentious confirmation hearing March 11, the same day Florida broke another Covid-19 case record and became the first state to hit 2 million infections.
With violent attacks and a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 still fresh and Covid-19 cases once again surging, Rochelle Walensky, the nominee to lead the CDC and become the agency’s first woman to hold the director’s position, faced an arduous confirmation hearing March 11 before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, President Biden announced Thursday that he will sign a new COVID-19 relief bill costing up to $1.9 trillion, reports CBS News. The legislation includes measures to contain COVID-19; offer direct relief to families, schools, and businesses; and include funding for the effort to distribute a vaccine.
Events and politics in recent weeks have played a significant role in complicating the distribution of that vaccine. On Jan. 6, crimes on the U.S. Capitol led to the death of a police officer, sent dozens of others to the hospital, and injured scores of others. The violence impacted Washington’s ability to handle the rollout: The region’s biggest vaccination site, as well as several other essential administrative functions, were moved out of the federal city due to security concerns.
The New York Times reported that “at least 25,000 doses were thrown out in December” due to the “delayed rollout.”
As of Wednesday evening, 447,000 doses have been distributed in the District of Columbia, a spokeswoman for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told USA TODAY. The city has administered 100,000 doses, she said. That means about 23% of the distributed vaccine has been administered.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has unveiled a $1.9 trillion relief package with direct payments to Americans, expanded unemployment insurance and a slew of other measures.
The goal, according to Democrats, isn’t just to crush the deadliest pandemic in a century, but a bigger wave of ideas – they want the recovery package to help reverse “an economic downturn, exacerbated by out-of-control climate change, entrenched poverty, and a persistent urban crisis.”
The pandemic has wiped out decades of wealth gains for low-income families, all but ruined women’s economic momentum and exacerbated an inequality problem through the roof, according to USA TODAY’s analysis of government data on the economy.
Tens of millions of Americans saw their wealth squeezed to levels not seen since 2005. Some states, especially minorities, saw even more startling losses in wealth.
Your browser does not support the audio element. Based on the text material above, generate the following WordPress tag format for the article: “covid-19 relief package, confirmation hearing, vaccine distribution, cdc nominee, rochelle walenksy, house speaker nancy pelosi, biden administration, waldensky hearing, florida’s covid-19 record, out-of-control climate change, persistent urban crisis, reducing poverty, women’s economic momentum, wealth gains for low-income families.”

The original article

The recent hearing for Dr. Robert Redfield’s confirmation as the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlighted the significant role of Capitol Hill in shaping public health policy, according to a article in The New York Times. Despite being the most prestigious public health job in the United States, Dr. Redfield’s nomination process has been marred by mounting controversy, signaling a tumultuous path ahead for public health leadership. During the confirmation hearing, Dr. Redfield faced tough questions from Senate Democrats, who raised concerns about the Trump administration’s recent decisions to ax a program that tracks opioid prescriptions and efforts to reduce funding for research, as well as cuts to the CDC’s team on global health security. At the heart of these concerns is the Trump administration’s deep skepticism toward the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of public health measures, including vaccination and the use of masks, leading to widespread backlash and polarization. While Dr. Redfield unwaveringly emphasized the importance of public health during the hearing, his testimony was met with intense scrutiny and skepticism, leaving the future of public health policy in the United States in flux. [Health/Fitness] [US Government/Politics] [Congress/Political Hearings] [Public Health Policy]

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In a recent article, The New York Times reported on the confirmation hearing for Dr. Robert Redfield, the nominee for director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite being highly revered as one of the top public health positions in the United States, Dr. Redfield’s confirmation has been fraught with controversy, as Senate Democrats during the hearing questioned his commitment to cost-effective public health initiatives, with concerns over recent administration decisions to ax a program that tracks opioid prescriptions, reduce funding for research, and cut the CDC’s team on global health security. The criticisms come amid the Trump administration’s deep-seated skepticism regarding vaccination and mask-wearing, which has led to fierce backlash and polarization. The hearing highlighted the crucial role of Capitol Hill in shaping public health policy, as public health leadership faces stormy seas ahead. Dr. Redfield emphasized the importance of public health during the hearing, but his testimony was met with intense scrutiny. With spiraling numbers of COVID-19 infections worldwide, the future of public health policy in the United States remains in flux.

The original article

Dogecoin, an altcoin known for its Shiba Inu logo and its association with memes, has caught the attention of many politicians and neighboring media outlets. Although it is a paradox that Dogecoin, a coin intended to spoof Bitcoin, may soon receive funding from one of the most dire branches of the federal government, it is a fact that the National Science Foundation may provide up to a $250,000 grant to “research the impacts of error in permissionless cryptocurrencies, particularly as related to wacky coins like Dogecoin.”
As Senate Democrats unveiled their proposal for dogecoin funding, they named it the Doge Trust, after a cryptocurrency that has become popular among online audiences. The Doge Trust would allow companies and nonprofits to raise money for research into cryptocurrencies with a low-interest loan backed by the value of their dogecoin-based assets.
The biggest-money item in the proposal was $600 million for the Department of Defense’s military cyberspace program, known colloquially as the “cyber warfare” budget. The Doge Trust would provide an additional $15 million for the program, much of which would be spent on researching the effects of typos and other human errors in cryptocurrencies.
The proposal landed in the Senate in the midst of a meme-related cryptocurrency-boom that has seen much of bitcoin’s allure drain away. Similar proposals for dogecoin funding have already been introduced in the House. The Doge Trust, should it become law, could help undercut much of the hype around altcoins like dogecoin and spark some much-needed, responsible research into the blockchain’s potential.
Meanwhile, Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Christian Thalmann, who quoted a Newsweek article about dogecoin in his research paper last summer, speculated that a funding increase applied to cryptocurrency research at Canadian universities might eventually spur similar academic interest in Dogecoin.
According to Eric Pan, director of the DOE’s Office of Scientific and Engineering Intelligence, these findings helped woo several European governments to double their funding for the DOE’s High Energy Physics (HEP) program. If Congress allocates some of the extra funding for cryptocurrency research to DOE labs, then DOE scientists would look favorably on researching other ventures, like decentralized finance.
“The beauty of dogecoin right now is that, by no means is it ready for wide-scale adoption, but it’s got all the building blocks necessary for a fully-functional digital currency,” Pan said in a presentation at the Computational and Mathematical Methods (CMM) technical conference last month.
The Senate proposal also includes a $25-million line item for the DOE to research the effects of typos and other human errors in cryptocurrencies. The lead author on this grant would be Dr. Carroll Sanders, a cryptocurrency expert at the University of Texas at Austin who initially popularized “The Spell of Hierarchy” model in 2017.
The lead author on this grant would be Dr. Carroll Sanders, a cryptocurrency expert at the University of Texas at Austin who initially popularized “The Spell of Hierarchy” model in 2017. According to the model, hierarchies and networks create their own internal incentives, as human behavior can lead to hierarchical order. One version of this model describes how teams construct their own social hierarchy in the same way that cells in complex organisms differentiate themselves.
This would involve identifying the socially-influenced reasons why roughly 1 percent of bitcoin holders acquire about a third of all bitcoins. Although some scientists already are collecting data on this question, as well as other questions related to social incentives, digital currencies, and hierarchies, additional funding might help provide added data that could lead to better theories (and theoretical models) for explaining the phenomenon.
Sanders argues that, while “Typos are poison” for most blockchain entrepreneurs, they might help orchestrate two new trends for digital currencies. One is the use of digital cash for transactions that people might not otherwise disclose in public. The other is a more generic shift toward tying up digital currencies to some future utility, such as a video-game character or a casino token.
Prior recipients of DOE funding for this research can point to congressional funding increases as a reason to collect even more data about the effects of human error on blockchain technology-related transactions. For instance, an earlier recipient of DOE funding for this research noted that, by investing in scenarios where typos could change the value of cryptocurrency assets, one could create entire ecosystems of interlinked cryptocurrencies that depended on the likelihood of typos. In time, he argued, banks could offer their customers “error bonds,” which would allow customers to exchange cryptocurrencies for tokens with localized transaction errors, such as flipping a coin’s 0’s and 1’s, flipping a coin’s CVA’s and CVB’s, or even swapping two coins’ enclosures.
Additionally, DOE-funded researchers have already shown how errors could provide a more efficient taxation method for government agencies than the current tax-collection method, which generally requires tax-paying entities to calculate their earnings, declare their earnings, and then remit some portion of their earnings as a tax.
Instead, banks could automatically withhold any gains tied to some account holder’s taxable event. The same error-arcade models-which showed how investment assets could provide returns independent of any investment’s returns-could also lay a foundation for designing error-based tax-collection systems.
Another DOE-funded researcher is exploring the possibility of using which units to attribute to a given set of networked resources, such as servers, virtual machines, or storage nodes.
At present, units of storage and processing units exist as essentially unlimited quantities in the digital realm. Over time, some cryptocurrencies that started with small units of processing and storage could eventually converge with other cryptocurrencies that started with larger units. Additionally, cryptocurrencies can receive fresh inflow of capital in the form of so-called “reverse-spoofing,” in which someone might purchase a unit of storage or processing at an inflated value, then “un-reverse-spoof” it at a later point in time, either to a deliberate human miscalculation or an error.
In the former case, someone might deliberately construct such a model around an investment portfolio that aimed to earn maximum returns by exploiting human errors. In the latter case, someone might purchase a fake blockchain node, and then later sell it once partner-networks inadvertently assigned it the ownership of some number of tokens.
The National Science Foundation (NSF), meanwhile, will set aside up to $250,000 for additional cryptocurrency-research, with up to $100,000 for research efforts linking digital assets to the real-world economy. As part of its companion funding initiative, the NSF will fund research on orphaned tokens, tokens that lack an active mining community, and tokens that suffer from “reward creep,” the phenomenon where fixed tokens exist alongside continuously-created tokens.
While Congress has tended to shy away from hyperbitcoinization-related doctrine, Canada has taken some small steps in this direction. The 2017 budget for Canadian universities dedicated up to $250,000 to research into the psychology of memes. Another $500 million went to digital-currency-related research.
This has allowed Canadian universities to acquire small quantities of, for instance, Canadian Tulip Coins, the University of Victoria’s first digital-currency experiment. According to a university press release, participants in the Tulip Coins experiment earn “Candies,” which can be used to create art depicting historic tulip manias.

The original article

In “Art and Understanding: Writer Janeter Langhart’s pick of art / books,” Langhart shares her encounter with Lincoln Walker, an outsider artist from Utah who inspired the PBS documentary “Close to the Edge: The Story of Outsider Art.” Through correspondences with Walker, Langhart introduces his life and infuses it with understanding, labeling his works as “grounded in time and place, and (emitting) haunting color and haunting geography.” Walker, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, created art through intense vignettes of landscape and still life. In an interview for the documentary, Walker expressed his love for the calmness of drawing, which allowed his thoughts to unfold. His farm gave him opportunities to experiment while managing his own obscurities. Through his own wits, he reflected on the environment, experiencing it both internally and materially. Ultimately, Langhart chose Walker’s “Emerald Lake” as her pick, describing it as “a particular beauty that comes from time’s having been allowed to touch it.” His work, depicting the lake mirrored by fireweed, captures the colors of the surrounding streams and valley, making it an intimate setting to observe.

In conclusion, Lincoln Walker’s art is portrayed as timely, intricate, and haunting, leading Langhart to choose his “Emerald Lake” piece. Walker balances the internal and external experiences of landscape, allowing the colors and environment to form a unique setting that visitors appreciate. Through his correspondence with Langhart, we can appreciate how an amateur’s engagement with art can elevate our understanding of an artist’s motivations and history, shaping our perceptions of their works to enrich them.

The original article