you don't say 💀🫠
Don Moynihan@donmoyn.bsky.social · 3w agoGood article that identifies Joe Gebbia and the National Design Studio as the spirtual heirs of DOGE but also fail to mention that Gebbia posts white nationalist messaging daily. Is that no longer notable? www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
"DOGE has evolved with some of its members and agenda embedded across the government, continuing to reshape the federal bureaucracy behind the scenes." They are not being held accountable to the public, nor are they working in the public interest. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
DOGE was supposed to be dead. Its remnants are everywhere.
The fallout from Elon Musk’s cost-cutting venture can be found across the government if you know where to look.
washingtonpost.com
"A 2025 report from minority staff on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations estimated $21.7 billion in waste by DOGE during the first six months of its existence. Vought told Pocan he didn’t know how much was spent on DOGE workers ... ."
No plans for a DOGE after-action report, Russell Vought says
The OMB director essentially acknowledged DOGE’s phase-out and told House lawmakers he could provide an “assessment” of the Elon Musk group’s work if needed.
fedscoop.com
Let’s reflect on the DOGE “legacy”. It caused complete havoc, led to a ton of good people losing their jobs, reduced government spending by $0(it actually increased spending), and stole all of Americans’ data.
Weird how this never applies to the Second Amendment.
Kate Riga@kateriga.bsky.social · last mo.Kavanaugh says that Constitution is an "enduring document" and that new exceptions to birthright citizenship can be added for "modern situations that were unknown or unanticipated by the Constitution’s Framers"
This is so brilliantly done. Every single person should watch this, but particularly men. Gentlemen, if you're not speaking out strongly about women's right to vote & making phone calls regularly to your representatives, then you're not doing enough to be an ally. For those who do, Thank you❗️💥❤️💥❤️
Remember this scene the next time a corporate reporter tries to insist that a rural diner full of white men in their 60s is somehow a more authentically "American" place, somehow more representative of who we are as a nation.
Greg Pak@gregpak.net · 2mo agoKNICKS IN FIVE KNICKS PRIDE BROOKLYN
"It is not a contract between equals. It is a loyalty oath, enforced with the full weight of federal prosecutorial power, demanded of people who already swore a different oath — to the Constitution."
Trump wants all federal employees to sign NDAs
A breathtaking expansion of the culture of governmental secrecy
donmoynihan.substack.com
I thought we needed to indulge ourselves in a little of the spectacular this week. I share a fabulous recipe on @contrariannews.org and talk about the difference between sublime flamboyance and vulgar excess. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta with Rum-Roasted Cherries
A touch of the spectacular.
open.substack.com
We've been doing a little tidying up at 18f.org—a good opportunity to remind folks that the 18F guides and blog are archived on the site for anyone to use. After all, they belong to you!
18F: We’re dedicated to the American public. And we’re not done yet.
For over 11 years, non-partisan civil servants at 18F proudly served the American people to make government technology work better.
18f.org
this is america. you could find yourself within 100yds of a shooting at any time, in any place. school, the grocery store, a movie theater, a block party, a public park… it happens to regular people every day. but this week we’ll get 50+ weepy op-eds because it happened to the guys who write op-eds
It's not hyperbole in the least to say Musk purchased a six-month shadow presidency for $280 million and used the power of that shadow presidency to 1. Steal the government’s data, 2. Permanently damage the state’s ability to regulate his businesses, and 3, kill non-white people.
David Roberts@volts.wtf · 3mo agoStill feel like "Musk and his crew of incels destroyed a bunch of stuff they didn't understand and thereby hastened the deaths of millions of children" did not get the public attention it warranted.
Still feel like "Musk and his crew of incels destroyed a bunch of stuff they didn't understand and thereby hastened the deaths of millions of children" did not get the public attention it warranted.
USAID Whistleblower Says It Was Even Worse Than People Knew
Political appointees wanted a quiet drawdown, the whistleblower says. DOGE wanted an execution.
wired.com
“Agency relocations do not create more effective or efficient government. ... These relocations do not bring our government closer to the people it serves. In fact, nearly 87% of the federal workforce is already working nationwide outside of Washington, D.C."
Partnership for Public Service statement on relocation of U.S. Forest Service headquarters
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.
ourpublicservice.org
Trump does not want peace, he does not want security, he does not care about lost lives and he does not want to work with Europe. He wants to help Putin/Russia and make as much money as possible. That is all this is. Everything else is a steaming pile of BS.
over a year ago, i gave a talk at the xoxo conference about a mural, a mcdonald’s, and a man. (but it was also secretly about life, and legacy, and meaning.) finally, i’m blogging the full story, with behind-the-scenes details, and a video of the talk. enjoy. cabel.com/wes-cook-and...
Wes Cook and the Centralia McDonald's Mural
A personal story about discovering a mural in a McDonald's, an unknown artist named Wes Cook, saving the mural, and a conference talk about the whole thing.
cabel.com
"What took generations to build is being dismantled in months, and with it goes not just expertise but what remains of the shared American faith in expertise itself."
The Atlantic@theatlantic.com · 7mo agoAt the end of Donald Trump’s first year back in office, roughly 300,000 fewer Americans worked for the government. Franklin Foer spoke with 50 federal employees who were either fired or forced out:
Only way we're going to prevent synthetic user research from becoming entrenched is to shame its proliferation. Timely read
Gregg Bernstein (he/him)@gregg.io · 8mo agoUser researchers already document findings at a faster velocity than orgs can act on them. It strains credulity that tech leaders are clamoring for even more yet worse AI-generated findings. My new blog post, "The only winning move is not to play." gregg.io/the-only-win...
In September, I (and many other accessibility advocates) reviewed the America by Design website, finding sloppy AI-generated code and accessibility bugs. @notus.com wrote on it, and also spoke to many amazing folks from @alt18f.bsky.social and @ethanmarcotte.com www.notus.org/trump-white-...
'Sloppy' Code and Accessibility Issues: The Trouble With Trump's Silicon Valley-Inspired Web Design Project
“Some of these sites feel like another round of ‘move fast and break things,’” a former federal web designer told NOTUS.
notus.org
We deserve leaders focused on small business, our farmers, and hard work over self-interest. That’s why I’m a candidate for MD-29 State Senate! Our movement is based on innovation, affordability, and growth. Join us! www.chuck4md.com #SOMD #innovation #solutions #Flip29 #VoteForChuck #Chuck4MD
"This campaign to weaken the federal civil service has targeted the very people who keep our government running and provide essential services that we all rely on ... . Of the roughly 2.3 million employees who make up the civilian workforce, more than 80% work outside the Washington, D.C., area."
Federal Harms Tracker -Cost to Your Government
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working towards effective government for the American people.
ourpublicservice.org
We have some news to share with you. 🥄 Today we took legal action to challenge our termination, filing an appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. We did this because we believe the elimination of 18F violated safeguards that exist to protect a nonpartisan civil service.
18F files legal challenge
A statement about 18F’s appeal filed with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.
18f.org
18F was a US government group helping government departments improve their use of technology which got recently wood-chipped. Here's a good overview of their work plus lessons learned: which apply to any large organization. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/lear...
Learning From the Legacy of 18F
Although the government has terminated 18F—the team that modernized government tech—its legacy offers lessons for future digital services.
lawfaremedia.org
The administration got rid of 18F under the cover of night. People who own skyscrapers are afraid of 100 people who make websites. Not because of the latest tech fad, but because we proved the government can be fixed, the government can be made better and the government can work for the people.