Monthly Archives: February 2025

Nope. There are no 150-year-olds on Social Security. It’s COBOL!

Elon Musk claimed that his team found 150-year-old people collecting Social Security! He implied there were dead people being sent benefits, with checks cashed by someone else. But no—the people getting paid are very much alive.  They are collecting their own … Continue reading

Posted in Cyber, Technology, TTG | Leave a comment

Senate’s MAHA caucus readies legislation as RFK Jr. is confirmed

Throughout his confirmation process, Kennedy focused on the need to address nutrition and food systems to improve the country’s overall wellbeing — a reframing of the usual health policy debates in Congress. The Senate’s Make America Healthy Again Caucus, formed … Continue reading

Posted in Health Care, Policy, TTG | 31 Comments

Munich Security Conference in the shadow of Donald Trump

The traditionally close ties between the US and Europe have defined the Munich Security Conference for decades. Despite some differences, there has always been a solid foundation. Everyone worked well together and respected each other. But since US President Donald Trump has come into … Continue reading

Posted in Europe, Russia, TTG, Ukraine Crisis | 47 Comments

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Renames Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg

While flying aboard a C-17 from Joint Base Andrews to Stuttgart on February 10, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum renaming Fort Liberty in North Carolina to Fort Bragg. The new name pays tribute to Pfc. Roland … Continue reading

Posted in Policy, TTG | 30 Comments

Worldwide count lets backyard birders ‘be part of a great big effort’

Cathy Dyson | Fredericksburg Free Lance Star When talking with birdwatchers, in person while they listen for species or over the phone as they gaze out the window at feeders, remember the cardinal rule. Bird sightings come first, conversations, second. … Continue reading

Posted in Local News, Nature, TTG | 6 Comments

Baltic grid divorce will further isolate Russian exclave in the EU

Kaliningrad faces new isolation within Europe as the Baltic States have opted for the European electricity grid over Russia’s. When the Soviets won Königsberg in 1946, the fortress-like slice of land between Poland and Lithuania was their bulwark in the … Continue reading

Posted in Baltics, Energy, Russia, TTG | 29 Comments

Trump’s suggestion that US ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip is rejected by allies and adversaries alike

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump’s proposal that the United States “take over” the Gaza Strip and permanently resettle its Palestinian residents was swiftly rejected and denounced on Wednesday by American allies and adversaries alike. Trump’s suggestion … Continue reading

Posted in Borg Wars, Israel, Palestine, TTG | 154 Comments

“Trump says he will continue funding Ukraine’s war effort — but he wants something rare in return”

President Donald Trump says he wants access to Ukraine’s bonanza of rare earth and critical minerals in exchange for the billions of dollars in military aid Washington has been supplying to Kyiv. It’s an idea previously suggested by Republican senators … Continue reading

Posted in TTG, Ukraine Crisis | 46 Comments

In NASA asteroid samples, scientists discover key building blocks of life

In samples taken from a distant asteroid, scientists have discovered a host of organic molecules, including key building blocks of life. The surprising finding suggests the chemical ingredients necessary for life may have been widespread across the early solar system. … Continue reading

Posted in Science, Space, TTG | 16 Comments