Dave Bondy
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Monday February 10, 2025
February 10, 2025

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WASHINGTON D.C. - President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered all federal departments and agencies to provide lists of employees who are underperforming, as it seeks to shrink the workforce and awaits a court ruling related to its deferred resignation offers.

A memo sent by the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday directs the agencies to submit names of every employee who has received less than a “fully successful” performance rating in the past three years and to note whether the workers have been on performance plans.

The memo, which was viewed by The Associated Press, also emphasized that the agencies report any obstacles to making sure they have “the ability to swiftly terminate poor performing employees who cannot or will not improve.”

The memo seeks the employee’s name, job title, pay plan and other details, as well as whether that employee is “under or successfully completed a performance improvement plan within the last 12 months.”

The office also is asking if an agency has proposed or issued a decision in such cases, and whether any action is being appealed or challenged, as well as any outcome.

The data is due by March 7. Click here to read more.

 

The House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on December 18, 2019, after a White House whistleblower went public with evidence that Trump abused his powers by withholding military aid to Ukraine in order to dig up dirt on his rival, Joe Biden. In the complaint, the whistleblower claimed to have heard from White House staff that Trump had, on a phone call, directed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to work with his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to investigate Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. The whistleblower who triggered the impeachment was a CIA analyst who was first brought into the White House by the Obama administration.

Reporting by Drop Site News last year revealed that the CIA analyst relied on reporting by a supposedly independent investigative news organization called the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which appears to have effectively operated as an arm of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which President Trump has just shut down. Click here to read more.

 

CHICAGO, IL - The Chicago Teachers Union rejected recommendations from a neutral factfinder. The union will be free to strike after the report is public for 30 days and the union gives 10 days’ notice of striking.

The Chicago Teachers Union may soon be going on strike against the mayor it bankrolled into office.

The union announced it rejected recommendations from a neutral third-party “fact finder” in its latest phase of negotiations with Chicago Public Schools. That moves the teachers union one step closer to going on strike against CPS and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who gained control of City Hall after CTU funneled $2.3 million into his campaign coffers.

The union thought having Johnson in office would facilitate negotiations this time around. “This year’s CTU contract negotiations will be different than any other,” CTU wrote in an April 2024 bulletin. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall is cutting off taxpayer funds for municipalities that provide sanctuary to illegal immigrants.

The Richland Township Republican on Thursday introduced House Resolution 19 to block state appropriations for local governments that shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement.

“I would like to see us use funding as a way to punish these sanctuary jurisdictions,” Hall told reporters Thursday. “Let me say it differently: I think it should be an incentive – increased funding beyond what’s constitutionally required is an incentive for things like working to have safer communities through complying with ICE and working and partnering with ICE.” Click here to read more.

 

SAULT ST. MARIE, Mich- U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week arrested a member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in Sault Ste. Marie as he tried to cross into the U.S. from Canada.

“Violent criminal organizations and transnational gangs like Tren de Aragua are a plague upon our communities that rely on fear and violence to reign terror on hardworking and law-abiding residents,” Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Travis Pickard said in a statement cited by MLive.

“By coming together as a law enforcement community to successfully locate and arrest these fugitives across state lines, we have sent a resounding message that we are united in our efforts to dismantle these violent criminal networks and put an end to the lawlessness they spread.” Click here to read more. Click here to read more.

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September 09, 2026
E-bike crashes involving kids are getting attention in Michigan — and now a state lawmaker wants tougher rules. Would new age restrictions go too far? Michigan EBikes news

E-bike crashes involving kids are getting attention in Michigan — and now a state lawmaker wants tougher rules. Would new age restrictions go too far? #Michigan #EBikes #news

00:01:04
Gladwin mayor challenges city administrator contract clause, calls it a ‘gag order’

Gladwin mayor challenges city administrator contract clause, calls it a ‘gag order’

00:13:48
New tuition-free classical charter school to open in Midland this September

MIDLAND, Mich. — Families in the Midland area will soon have another public school option when Founders Grove Classical Academy opens Sept. 8, offering a tuition-free classical education for students beginning in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The public charter school, located on Wheeler Street, will add one grade level each year until it becomes a K-12 school.

“There is no other school in the greater Tri-City area right now that really offers a tuition-free classical education,” said Sara Ladwein, board president of Founders Grove Classical Academy.

00:16:33
Michigan High School Students depicts Charlie Kirk murder during school
School district is investigating

LIVONIA, Mich. — Livonia Public Schools says administrators at Churchill High School took action after becoming aware of a student’s reported depiction of the killing of Charlie Kirk.

According to information provided to Keeping it Real, a student reportedly arrived at Churchill High School dressed to depict Kirk being killed, including what appeared to be fake blood running down the student’s neck.

The incident raised questions about how the school responded and whether the depiction violated district policies.

A photograph of the student in the costume was subsequently posted to a non- affiliated

Churchill Instagram account, with the song “We Are Charlie Kirk.”

I have obtained a copy of the photo, but due to its disturbing nature, I have chosen not to publish it.

Keeping it Real contacted school officials seeking an explanation of what happened and how administrators handled the situation.

Stacy Jenkins, administrator of district communications, said Churchill High School officials learned about the situation at the beginning of the school day and acted quickly.

 

“Churchill High School administration was made aware of the situation at the start of the school day and swiftly addressed it with the student involved,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins acknowledged that the depiction was inappropriate.

“While we cannot prevent every poor choice a student may make, we can ensure that inappropriate behavior is addressed when our administration becomes aware — that is exactly what occurred in this situation,” Jenkins said. “The depiction was inappropriate and did not align with our expectations for student behavior.”

The district’s response does not specify what action was taken involving the student or whether disciplinary measures were imposed.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns about how schools handle depictions or references to real-world political violence, particularly when they involve students.

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September 10, 2026
News they don't want you to see
Thursday September 10, 2026
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September 09, 2026
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Wednesday September 9, 2026

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Michigan pays out smaller portion of pothole damage claims

Michigan drivers who traverse state highways often incur vehicle damage from potholes. Many of Michigan’s roads tend to be riddled with potholes that blow out tires, crack windshields and break suspensions.

Some drivers seek state compensation, but only about 12% of those people received it last year, according to a document that Michigan Capitol Confidential obtained via a records request.

Michigan paid 10 out of 86 claims for pothole-related damages in 2025, totaling $4,844, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Those 10 people who received compensation from the state claimed damages caused by potholes on I-75, I-96, US-12, M-77, M-89, Saginaw Street, Plymouth Road, and Fort Street. Click here to read more.


 

Trump Asks SCOTUS to Permit Voter Verification System Ahead of Midterms

On Tuesday, Solicitor General John Sauer wrote to SCOTUS asking the justices to stay an order from Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by former President Joe Biden.

In June, Sooknanan issued an order preventing the government from using an updated Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. The updates greatly streamlined the process for states to purge voter rolls of ineligible voters.

According to Sauer, Sooknanan’s order is “indefensible” and “threatens the integrity of upcoming elections by vacating the federal government’s authority to internally use Social Security data when fulfilling its duty to respond to requests by States to verify the citizenship of individuals for voting and other purposes.”

“The order will irreparably harm the federal government, the States, and the public by depriving the government of an effective tool to verify the eligibility of registered voters and benefits applicants under various state and federal programs,” Sauer writes to SCOTUS. Click here to read more.


Stay in contact with family with push to talk nationwide waterproof walkie talkies. Click here to learn more and get an extra 10% off.

 

Click here to learn more and get an extra 10% off.

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Illinois woman accused of killing son represented by Casey Anthony attorney

A mother accused of killing her young son before trying to harm herself will be represented by an attorney who helped defend Casey Anthony.

Corie Walsh, 40, is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old son, Barrett, who was found dead in her suburban Chicago home. Walsh also had what was described as self-inflicted injuries.

Walsh’s first court appearance was set for Tuesday morning and she is being represented by Andrea Lyon, an attorney who has dubbed herself the “Angel of Death Row.”

Lyon helped defend Casey Anthony, who was found not guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter in a highly publicized and controversial case. Lyon is arguing Walsh was suffering from a psychotic episode. Click here to read more.

 

NYC releases 170,000 pages of long-sought 9/11 health, air quality records

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the release of more than 170,000 pages of records detailing the government’s response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the aftermath, including documents related to air quality and health concerns.

In a press release, the city said it also settled two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch, ending a years-long legal dispute over access to post-9/11 health and air-quality records.

First responders, elected officials and families have sought the records for years. Mamdani’s FY27 budget includes $34 million to create and maintain the public portal.

The portal includes about 170,000 pages covering post-9/11 health concerns, air quality and the city’s response. Among the records are the Harding Memo, 68 boxes of documents discovered in 2025 and records related to World Trade Center 7. Click here to read more.

 

Florida blocks 10 CDL training schools after federal regulators remove them from registry

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida education officials are blocking 10 commercial driver training schools from recruiting new students or collecting tuition after federal regulators removed the providers from a national registry as part of a crackdown on commercial driver training.

The Florida Department of Education announced Tuesday that it is taking action against the 10 schools following their removal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry.

Through the Commission for Independent Education, the state ordered affected licensed programs to immediately stop advertising, recruiting, enrolling new students and collecting tuition while their federal removal remains in effect.

The schools must also identify students who have been affected, provide refunds where required and report to the state on corrective actions and communications with federal regulators. Click here to read more.

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