States sue to stop DOGE accessing Americans’ personal data – National & International News – FRI 7Feb2025
States sue to stop DOGE accessing Americans’ personal data.
Ukraine: Zelensky offers Trump mineral deal in exchange for US security support.
States sue to stop DOGE accessing Americans’ personal data
Attorneys general in 19 Democratic states have filed suit to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the personal data of millions of Americans. Earlier this week, Congressional Democrats raised alarms over DOGE employees allegedly accessing the treasury department’s Central payment system.
The system manages social Security benefits, veterans’ benefits, tax refunds and other direct payments to Americans. It also contains sensitive information on millions of Americans including their social security numbers and bank account numbers.
No one is sure why DOGE employees sought to access this data or what they intended to do with it. The White House, apparently anticipating legal action, announced yesterday that they would be limiting access to this data to only two DOGE employees who would have read-only access.
Today, a reporter asked President Trump why DOGE needed access to this data at all. “It doesn’t, but they get it very easily,” Trump responded. “And we don’t have very good security in our country, and they get it very easily”.
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Ukraine: Zelensky offers Trump mineral deal in exchange for US security support
Displaying a previously classified map of Ukraine’s vast rare earth mineral deposits, President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to make a deal with President Trump. Zelensky offered to open these deposits up to American investment and development in exchange for US security guarantees. Ukraine will need continued weapons and support either to continue its war effort, or to deter future Russian aggression in the event of a truce deal.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that he was open to negotiations for an end to the conflict, in exchange for territorial concessions from Ukraine. Putin also said that he would like to meet with President Trump. Trump has likewise expressed willingness to meet with Putin, but no date has been set.
Zelensky hopes to meet with President Trump before Putin does, “otherwise it will look like a dialog about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he said.
Nearly 3 years into this war, Russia controls about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, which Russia has held since 2014. Russia also controls about half of Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits. Russian forces continue to make gains in Eastern Ukraine, where much of the mineral deposits are located. However, there are also valuable titanium deposits in Western Ukraine, far away from the front.
Ukraine has a growing manpower shortage and struggles to fill its lines at the front. The Biden administration had urged Zelensky to lower the draft age below the current limit of 25. This has not happened, but Ukraine will soon launch a recruitment drive offering lucrative incentives to persuade men 18 to 24 to join the military.
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