Bee Vicars

Please cite your sources.

If there's a Bill that concerns you, take a snapshot of the paragraph that concerns you and provide the LINK to that Bill.

Explain why. Provide context.

There's a lot of meming and screaming but what I really want are facts. I'd like to see the direct source.

WaPo quote: “A Washington Post review of Kennedy's public appearances found he also promoted these centers as particularly beneficial for Black youth. "Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, on SSRIs, benzos which are known to induce violence and those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented, to live in a community where there'll be no cellphones, no screens. You'll actually have to talk to people," Kennedy said in a June 2024 episode of the 19Keys online show”

Even the most disturbing RFK Jr. headline always manages to have a detail inside creepier than you could have imagined. I’m sorry, did you just say Black kids should have a chance to get “re-parented”???? Gift link wapo.st/4hW2xGI

Passing this along.

This is why Deaf communities tried to tell NAD. 🤷🏾‍♂️ www.axios.com/2025/02/08/a...

Because I'm Deaf, I look for Deaf content in Bluesky using the search function.

"Tone deaf" pops up a LOT.

I can't say that I'm a fan.

We are not responsible for this fiasco.

Find another word, such as oblivious, insensitive, tactless, or out of touch.

bsky.app/search?q=ton...

It's how I became Deaf in utero. Not a disease you want to dismiss.

www.cnn.com/2025/02/07/h...

Update: They were removed from our reviewer assignments completely. I'm so sorry to all those graduate students. Anonymous to protect the identity of the NIH employee I spoke to...I am on study section next month to discuss F awards. We were just instructed to put the F31-Diversity applications on the bottom of our priority list for review because there is a chance we may not be able to review them. My heart is breaking for the grad students and their mentors that put so much work into these just for them to be disqualified and thrown out.

Just in case you thought that removing DEI criteria would mean that everyone is competing equally: NIH is removing grad students from underrepresented backgrounds from the applicant pool altogether. Their applications will not be considered. Other students, not from these backgrounds, will be.

This is very scary. Please share this info in ASL widely so folks know their rights. youtu.be/1Q-fpFGqLes?...

Day 11

I hope today wasn't an actual coup of the US government, led by Elon Musk.

I spoke to former Treasury and OMB officials, and they said Elon Musk accessing government payment systems could give him the power to selectively turn off payments. They described what this really means in very clarifying terms. See below:

newrepublic.com/article/1910...

Mr. Musk’s team has also taken on a range of roles, including I.T. staff members and detectives. Mr. Trump has said that Mr. Musk’s job includes carrying out his executive orders. And so Mr. Musk has tried to deploy his engineers to find ways to turn off the flow of money from the Treasury Department to things that Mr. Trump wants to defund.

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/29/u...

Aaaah. Nevermind. 😑

Trump administration rescinds funding freeze directive, memo shows Trump’s administration has rescinded its sweeping directive that sought to pause potentially trillions in loans, grants and financial assistance, according to a memo.

It's been a chaotic week - and this is the first time in 10 days, that I've felt a smidgen of hope.

Federal court mandates and massive public outcry "might" have influenced this reversal of OMB memorandum M-25-13.

Be vigilant. Speak up. Be LOUD.

abcnews.go.com/Politics/tru...

Image Text: Secretary's Order 03-2025-To Cease and Desist All Investigative and Enforcement Activity Under Rescinded Executive Order 11246. Date: January 24, 2025 1. Purpose. To immediately cease and desist all investigative and enforcement activity under the rescinded Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity (September 24. 1965), and the regulations promulgated under it. DOL no longer has any authority under the rescinded Executive Order 11246. This order applies to all DOL employees, including OFCCP, OALI, and ARB. 2. Authorities. This Order is issued pursuant to the President's Executive Order, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity (January 21, 2025), which repeals Executive Order 11246 and its subsequent amendments. 3. Orders. a. Cease and desist all investigative and enforcement activity under the rescinded Executive Order 11246 and the regulations promulgated under it. This includes all pending cases, conciliation agreements, investigations, complaints, and any other enforcement-related or investigative activity. b. Notify all regulated parties with impacted open reviews or investigations by January 31, 2025, that the EO 11246 component of the review or investigation has been closed and the Section 503 and VEVRAA components of the review or investigation are being held in abeyance pending further guidance. 4. Privacy. This Order is subject to applicable laws, regulations, and procedures, including the Privacy Act. This Order does not apply where prohibited by law. 5. Effective Date. This order is effective immediately. Vincent N. Micone, III Acting Secretary of Labor Date: January 24, 2025

Department of Labor (DOL) no longer has any authority to enforce Executive Order 11246, which as been rescinded.

ON HOLD:
What is Section 503 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (People with Disabilities)

Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)

Source: www.dol.gov/newsroom/rel...

Cultural shift strategy: the right floats an idea designed to stoke outrage ex "ASL interpreters are distracting and using up valuable resources meant for you, our base". Influencers perpetuate the IDEA, it gets media attention, the base buys in. Legislators can pass laws against marginalized people without fear of repercussions framing it as a mandate from their voters or a way to take the resources back to those who "deserve" them

Also want to say a bit about why things like removing accessibility page, ASL, and screen reading capabilities from the White House website matter. It feels performative, and it is. It's a coordinated effort to shift cultural norms.

The acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (the feds' H.R. department) is telling federal employees to rat out their DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) colleagues by emailing "DEIAtruth@opm.gov."

chcoc.gov/sites/defaul...

Both DEI and DEIA have been eliminated in the Federal workplace. Note: DEIA includes accessibility.

So if you are a disabled, white, straight, cis-male and think that you're protected... you're not.

Link to the executive order: www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

(b) The Federal contracting process shall be streamlined to enhance speed and efficiency, reduce costs, and require Federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with our civil-rights laws. Accordingly: (1) Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965 (Equal Employment Opportunity), is hereby revoked. For 90 days from the date of this order, Federal contractors may continue to comply with the regulatory scheme in effect on January 20, 2025. (ii) The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs within the Department of Labor shall immediately cease: (A) Promoting "diversity"; (B) Holding Federal contractors and subcontractors responsible for taking "affirmative action"; and (C) Allowing or encouraging Federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in workforce balancing based on race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin.

(iii) In accordance with Executive Order 13279 of December 12, 2002 (Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations), the employment, procurement, and contracting practices of Federal contractors and subcontractors shall not consider race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin in ways that violate the Nation's civil rights laws. (iv) The head of each agency shall include in every contract or grant award: (A) A term requiring the contractual counterparty or grant recipient to agree that its compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government's payment decisions for purposes of section 3729(b) (4) of title 31, United States Code; and (B) A term requiring such counterparty or recipient to certify that it does not operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws.

BREAKING: In a new executive order sent out by the White House, Donald Trump has revoked the federal contractor nondiscrimination executive order, EO 11246, that was signed by Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and has protected employees of businesses seeking federal contracts from discrimination ever since.

Image of whitehouse.gov/accessibility page giving a 404 error with a sketch of the white house and the words Page Not Found

Motherfuckers.
whitehouse.gov/accessibility

Lambda Legal condemns in the strongest terms President Trump’s first actions in office targeting LGBTQ+ people, everyone living with HIV, and communities of color.

We are prepared to challenge them in court.

Our full statement: lambdalegal.org/newsroom/us_...

#FearlessAndFightingBack

Initial Rescissions Of Harmful Executive Orders And Actions – The White House By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as

Shit.

www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Image: a cartoon illustration of some blocks (dominos-style) with people holding up each block. The first one says, “Trans Rights” and then, “Gay Rights”, “Women’s Rights”, “Free Speech”, “Freedom of Religion”. Text under cartoon: “United We Stand - Divided We Fall”.

It’s been “open season” on trans 🏳️‍⚧️ people for some time now and things are about get much worse.

More than ever, your #transgender family members, friends, co-workers and colleagues need YOUR support.

Check in on them. Tell them you love them and have their backs.

#LoveAlwaysWins #TransRights

The broligarchs have a vision for the new Trump term. It’s darker than you think. The real reason Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos are supporting Trump.

Worth a read:

www.vox.com/future-perfe...

Executive Orders The President of the United States manages the operations of the Executive branch of Government through Executive orders. After the President signs an Executive order, the White House sends it to the ...

Executive orders enacted today will roll back transgender protections, which is very concerning.

For a list of executive orders, see this page (after it's been updated).

****
Note: Transphobic comments will be deleted and corresponding poster blocked.

www.federalregister.gov/presidential...

Image Description Be Evil Be G + brotherhood_of_evil_gays "The insurance business is completely screwy now. You know they've reintroduced the death penalty for insurance company directors?" "Really?" said Arthur. "No, I didn't. For what offence?" Trillian frowned. "What do you mean, offence?" "I see." - The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This quote is from the last book in The Hitchhiker series, Mostly Harmless, by Douglas Adams.

It was published in 1992.

Not a new issue, and it's one that is spiraling out of control.

Trump assembling US cabinet of billionaires worth combined $340bn President-elect tapping mega-rich backers for positions that will give them power to cut spending on public services

A cabinet of mega-rich to cut spending on public services that are used by the poor and vulnerable.

Services that they do not use or need.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...

Article Heading: Doctors are raising alarm about insurance company’s plan to put time limit on coverage for anesthesia during surgery

Of course, nothing can go wrong by putting a time limit on anesthesia. /s

www.cnn.com/2024/12/05/h...