DAGR Weekly Reader W3-APR
“This is a taste of what it's like to be 'other' in this country. Because, now, we are ALL 'other'! ~ Whoopi Goldberg
Palantir: The New Deep-State
A former Palantir employee is sounding the alarm. The tech company, founded by Peter Thiel, claims they can revolutionize government systems with their AI-powered software. They’ve been hired by the Department of Defense, the FBI, ICE, and even Wendy’s. Now DOGE will likely hire Palantir as well. 16-min video.
The Classroom, More Perfect Union, Apr 18, 2025
USDA’s Regional Food Business Centers Caught in Federal Funding Freeze
The program, which supports business development for local and regional farms, has been put on ice since the Trump administration took office. Grants have been blocked, even if purchases were already made by grantees. Food will be in even shorter supply.
Lisa Held, Civil Eats, Apr 16, 2025
Bonus: An incomplete list of USDA programs frozen so far
How a defunct gang registry helped deliver Kilmar Abrego García to a Salvadoran prison
Federal officials have launched a full-throated effort to label Abrego García a gang member and “a terrorist,” an argument based on a gang survey that was decommissioned amid questions over racial profiling. Fairly detailed background suggests WaPo is trying to rehabilitate itself after losing some of its lead journalists and subscribers.
Washington Post, Apr 19, 2025
The Real Reason El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele Cozied Up to Trump
The self-described “coolest dictator” has big secrets to hide. Reveal host Al Letson spoke with El Faro director Carlos Dada about the emerging security alliance between the U.S. and El Salvador and the controversial deal to send deported U.S. migrants to the country’s notorious prison(CECOT).
Mother Jone, Apr 14, 2025
Musk’s Latest Fraud Finding Isn’t What It Seems
Musk’s team found cases of seemingly fake people receiving unemployment benefits. But that fake data exists for a reason. It was a filing method to preserve both real data and possible fraud. Rush to judgment, DOGE boys? No, just rush.
Emily Badger, The New York Times (Gift Link), Apr 12, 2025
ARCHIVE: Trump’s ‘climate’ purge deleted a new extreme weather risk tool. We recreated it!
The Guardian has recreated a searchable climate future risk tool developed by Fema but then deleted
Oliver Milman and Andrew Witherspoon, The Guardian, Mar 26, 2025
ARCHIVE: Thousands More People Are Moving In Than Out of Fire- and Flood-Prone America
Fueled by migration to Texas and Florida, Americans are moving in the wrong direction, according to this 2024 investor advisory. However, recent shifts in migration patterns in California and Florida may indicate that residents are becoming more responsive to climate risk
Redfin, report, Aug 05, 2024