Tag: Layoffs

“I’m sorry we don’t have office supplies. We have to bring in our own pens and paper and marking pens, because the VA doesn’t have it.”

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

‘These cuts will hurt veterans.’ Concerns voiced about Trump administration VA budget reductions.

He said that through the years they were able to modernize and now he relies on the VA Hospital in Madison for his primary health care.

He said he was there recently and became alarmed to hear about cuts now under the Trump administration.

“When I was up there six weeks ago for an incident, I asked one of the nurses, ‘Can I get a pad of paper and a pen to just write some stuff down in the interim between the examinations,’” the veteran recounted. “And she said, ‘I’m sorry we don’t have office supplies. We have to bring in our own pens and paper and marking pens, because the VA doesn’t have it.’”

…

“Don’t just thank me for my service. Tell me what you’re doing to make this country better,” he said.

“Of course people are going to be laid off because of this”: US autoworkers react to the launch of Trump’s global tariff war

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Within hours of the imposition of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs against the world, the impact was felt by autoworkers in North America, with the announcement of thousands of layoffs by Stellantis at plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Of course people are going to be laid off because of this”: US autoworkers react to the launch of Trump’s global tariff war

Social Security rushing service cuts at White House request, sources say

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

The Social Security Administration is rushing cuts to phone services at the White House’s request, the agency’s acting commissioner told Social Security advocates in a meeting on Monday, two sources who attended tell Axios.

Social Security rushing service cuts at White House request, sources say

Previously:

Trump’s Billionaire Commerce Secretary: Only ‘Fraudsters’ Will Complain If Social Security Checks Don’t Arrive

No, 150-Year-Olds Aren’t Collecting Social Security Benefits

Trump’s Medicaid reversal should worry Social Security recipients.

How Musk Sold Out America’s Veterans – OpEd

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

How Musk Sold Out America’s Veterans – OpEd

Former service members around the country already feel the repercussions, which include cuts to transportation programs for disabled veterans, reduced telephone support for caregivers, and the postponement or cancellation of suicide prevention trainings.

Other veterans report the cancellation of therapy groups and longer wait times for appointments as well as disruptions to medical studies, including a clinical trial on a new medication with the potential to treat cancers of the mouth and throat. Some facilities eliminated staff members especially trained or certified to perform certain roles, delaying the requisition and delivery of medical supplies.

As always happens amid Musk’s ham-handed raids, the cuts at the VA commenced without the slightest foresight or sense. Among many other examples, officials summarily canceled hundreds of contracts with outside providers, only to immediately scale back the reckless decision after realizing they needed the help performing essential work like physician recruitment and burial services.

Kaldahl, who receives hearing aids, eye care, and other services from the VA, has to travel to larger cities, such as Superior, Wisconsin, or Minneapolis, to receive care unavailable at a clinic near his home.

Elon Musk’s Cruel Cuts Expose What MAGA Really Thinks of Veterans

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Elon Musk’s Cruel Cuts Expose What MAGA Really Thinks of Veterans

Key takeaways:

  • 60 percent of the 16 million Americans who have served in the military supported Donald Trump, and 55 percent believed his policies would benefit veterans, but many veterans have been fired due to massive cuts by Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
  • Nearly 6,000 veterans have already lost their jobs due to the cuts, and an estimated 100,000 veterans could be out of work when all is said and done, with around 36,000 disabled veterans facing unemployment and difficulty in finding private-sector jobs.
  • The federal government plays a critical role for veterans, providing professional opportunities and support for those transitioning from military to civilian life, but the mass firing of federal workers, including many veterans, will have devastating effects on communities and individuals across the country.

UAW Stellantis workers protest in the streets from coast to coast

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

WASHINGTON—Back in the days when Stellantis was Chrysler, there was a sense of camaraderie on the shop floor, veteran Auto Workers say. Not anymore. Not under Stellantis. All they perceive now is corporate greed, satisfying investors, and filling honchos’ pockets with workers’ dollars.

UAW Stellantis workers protest in the streets from coast to coast

02-2024: The UAW Strike Saved Their Shuttered Plant, But the Fight Is Just Beginning

Eight months ago, the idling of the Belvidere Assembly Plant had local United Auto Workers questioning their next steps.

2023: Stellantis commits nearly $5B to Belvidere with new UAW contract

The revival of the Stellantis plant is a stunning reversal of fortunes for Belvidere, Ill. But workers say they won’t rest until they see the concrete being poured.

2022: All Biden’s Green Job Losers

Climate industrial policy is costing 1,350 workers their jobs at a Stellantis plant in Illinois.

Israel and Hezbollah Are Escalating Toward Catastrophe (it’s not looking good for the IOF)

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Ignore the propaganda. I’ve quoted the most relevant parts of the articles:

09-23-2024 – Israel and Hezbollah Are Escalating Toward Catastrophe

For Israel, the incentives also argue against a large-scale war with Hezbollah. After nearly a year of fighting in Gaza, the IDF is tired, munitions stockpiles are depleted, public support for Israel’s leaders is weak, Israel’s economy is suffering, and its international and regional standing have significantly eroded. And IDF military planners are well aware that Hezbollah’s more advanced fighting capabilities and sophisticated weapons arsenal would make the Gaza campaign look like child’s play.

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