All posts tagged: cut

As DOGE Tries to Cut Costs, Its Expenses Are Growing Larger and Larger

As DOGE Tries to Cut Costs, Its Expenses Are Growing Larger and Larger

Billionaire CEO and White House advisor Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has amassed roughly 30 staffers with the goal of slashing the US government’s budget. As it’s targeted president Donald Trump’s number one bogeyman — diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) — something ironic is happening: even as it’s trying to cut costs across the government, the so-called department’s expenses are ballooning. As Business Insider reports, DOGE’s spending more than doubled from $6.75 million to $14.4 million between January 30 and February 8, according to its latest financial filings. While that’s still quite a bit less than the roughly $60 million the Biden administration set aside for the United States Digital Services last year — the department was reincarnated as DOGE — it’s nonetheless a sign that Musk is quickly racking up bills, despite employing underqualified high school grads, drug sellers, and racist shitposters. Meanwhile, according to DOGE’s dubious back-of-the-envelope accounting, the department is purportedly saving the government “approx. $1 billion/day.” “A good start, though this number needs to increase to > $3 billion/day,” …

Afraid to Cut Anything From the Military Budget, Elon Is Now Sending a DOGE Boy to Make Cuts at Veterans Affairs

Afraid to Cut Anything From the Military Budget, Elon Is Now Sending a DOGE Boy to Make Cuts at Veterans Affairs

Image by SDI Productions / Getty Images Amid his quest to trim $2 trillion from the federal budget, Elon Musk has set his sights on the Department of Veterans Affairs — but not, of course, the military that necessitates such post-service care. In a statement to Military.com, a VA spokesperson confirmed that one of the young men working for Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been sent there, and has been granted access to the department’s computer systems. “The DOGE employee will be solely focused on improving VA performance and efficiency and will not have access to veterans’ or VA beneficiaries’ data,” the department’s press secretary Pete Kasperowicz told the website, in what seems to be an attempt to soften the optics. It remains unknown which of the “DOGE boys” working for Musk’s government takeover office has been granted access to VA computers. As Kasperowicz explained, the DOGE worker is focused in part on “identifying wasteful contracts,” though it’s hard to imagine anything happening at the VA costing nearly as much as the $466.3 billion taxpayer dollars …

Nissan Planning To Cut Up To 2,000 U.S. Jobs And Reduce Production By 25%

Nissan Planning To Cut Up To 2,000 U.S. Jobs And Reduce Production By 25%

Nissan plans to cut 1,500–2,000 U.S. jobs and reduce production by 25% as part of a strategic review, according to GuruFocus. It aims to close a production line at its Smyrna, TN plant by April and another at its Canton, MS plant later in the year. The company is reviewing its EV production and investment strategy. Spokesperson Shiro Nagai stated the reports are unofficial, and Nissan declined further comment. However, it wouldn’t be an unreasonable move for the automaker which has struggled in recent years and is in the midst of considering a merger. Recall back in late December we wrote that the struggling automaker was considering a tie-up with Honda that would make it the world’s third largest automaker.  Facing competition from EV leaders like Tesla and China’s BYD, Japanese automakers are uniting to cut costs and accelerate their transition to electric vehicles. Honda’s president, Toshihiro Mibe, stated last month that the companies plan to form a joint holding company, maintaining their brands while Honda leads management. A merger agreement is targeted for June, …

Setting fire to a million acres of California could cut smoke by half

Setting fire to a million acres of California could cut smoke by half

Firefighters in California during a prescribed burn San Francisco Chronicle via Getty You can fight fire with fire, even in the flammable forests of the western US. According to an analysis of California’s record-breaking 2020 fire season, intentionally burning land can reduce the severity and amount of smoke from wildfires that burn those areas later on, even when accounting for smoke from the intentional fires themselves. “We show that there is a net benefit,” says Makoto Kelp at Stanford University in California. The idea of “prescribed burning” is… Source link

UK to unveil ‘Humphrey’ assistant for civil servants with other AI plans to cut bureaucracy

UK to unveil ‘Humphrey’ assistant for civil servants with other AI plans to cut bureaucracy

A week after the U.K. government announced a sweeping plan to make big investments into AI, it’s laying out more details around how this will take shape in the public sector. On the agenda: AI assistants to speed up public services; data-sharing deals across siloed departments; and a new set of AI tools — dubbed “Humphrey” after a character on an old U.K. TV political sitcom — to speed up the work of civil servants. The plans will be formally unveiled at a press conference Tuesday headed up by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), along with two other departments, Work and Pensions and Health/Social Care. Per the U.K. government’s AI site, the projects’ progress appears to be in the very early stages. For example, a plan to bring more AI services into the customer-facing side of the NHS are only at the stage of a “charter” committing to the concept. Other projects include links to Github repositories to check out some of the work to date.  It’s not clear how many people …

Meta’s factchecker cut has sparked controversy – but the real threat is AI and neurotechnology

Meta’s factchecker cut has sparked controversy – but the real threat is AI and neurotechnology

Mark Zuckerberg’s recent decision to remove factcheckers from Meta’s platforms – including Facebook, Instagram and Threads – has sparked heated debate. Critics argue it may undermine efforts to combat misinformation and maintain credibility on social media platforms. Yet, while much attention is directed at this move, a far more profound challenge looms. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) that processes and generates human-like language, as well as technology that aims to read the human brain, has the potential to reshape not only online discourse but also our fundamental understanding of truth and communication. Factcheckers have long played an important role in curbing misinformation on various platforms, especially on topics like politics, public health and climate change. By verifying claims and providing context, they have helped platforms maintain a degree of accountability. So, Meta’s move to replace them with community-driven notes, similar to Elon Musk’s approach on X (formerly Twitter), has understandably raised concerns. Many experts view the decision to remove factcheckers as a step backward, arguing that delegating content moderation to users risks amplifying echo …

Schools bill ‘won’t cut pay’, says Phillipson

Schools bill ‘won’t cut pay’, says Phillipson

Sweeping schools reforms “will not cut teachers’ pay” and will restore academies “to their core, intended purpose” of raising standards, Bridget Phillipson has insisted as she batted back criticism of her schools bill today. The education secretary spoke in Parliament this afternoon during the second reading of the children’s wellbeing and schools bill. The bill passed after a Conservative attempt to bring it down failed. Here’s what we’ve learned so far. 1. Reforms ‘won’t cut teachers’ pay’ Labour’s proposal that academies be forced to follow national pay scales for teachers has prompted warnings from the Tories that “thousands” will face a pay cut. Some trusts pay teachers above national rates. The country’s largest has flagged concern about the consequences of Labour’s plans. Phillipson was pressed today to confirm “there is nothing at all in this bill that would result in a teacher in any school getting a pay cut”. The education secretary said: “I will reiterate today that the measures in this bill and the changes that we will bring forward to the school teachers …

Nikki Glaser reveals 10 jokes she cut from her Golden Globes monologue

Nikki Glaser reveals 10 jokes she cut from her Golden Globes monologue

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Nikki Glaser has revealed 10 jokes that she cut from her Golden Globes monologue for being “too mean.” The 40-year-old stand up comic has earned widespread acclaim for her first stint hosting the awards ceremony. On the Monday morning (January 6) following the ceremony, Glaser appeared on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show to discuss her set. After receiving some pushback on social media for a joke about Diddy, Glaser revealed she cut a second reference to Diddy: “This is the last time all of you will be the same room together until the Diddy trial.” The comedian explained that she felt the joke she kept in about Diddy worked better, and also that it would be risky to accuse “people in the room of being involved in that… they might turn on you.” Another joke cut was about the Vatican thriller Conclave: “It’s about the choosing a …

6 useful Final Cut Pro 11 features that will have creatives excited – including iPad users

6 useful Final Cut Pro 11 features that will have creatives excited – including iPad users

Kerry Wan/ZDNET You don’t have to be a professional video editor to understand just how practical, efficient, and impactful the latest update to Final Cut Pro is. Apple today is launching the high-anticipated refresh to its in-house editing program, Final Cut Pro 11, along with updates to its cross-platform variants: Final Cut Pro for iPad and Final Cut Camera. Also: I’ve used Final Cut Pro for video editing for years – here are my 5 essential tips The big focus with Final Cut Pro 11 is unquestionably AI and how the Mac, powered by Apple’s language model in MacOS Sequoia, can help automate and streamline your workflow, whether it’s identifying moving objects for cropping and editing or transcribing and captioning.  “Our creative apps give artists, producers, directors, and editors around the world the tools they need to express themselves and realize their artistic vision,” said Brent ChiuWatson, Apple’s senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps, in a Wednesday press release. Below, I’ve highlighted the best new features available with the free new update. 1. …

Funding cut may force trusts to scrap expansion plans

Funding cut may force trusts to scrap expansion plans

More from this theme Recent articles Academy trusts have been left up to £100,000 out of pocket following the government’s sudden decision to scrap capacity funding – with fears expansion bids could be stopped in their tracks.  Leaders revealed that the move to scrap the latest round of trust capacity funding (TCaF) has left them having to absorb six-figure costs and wondering “where trusts sit” in the education landscape.  The Department for Education also axed the trust establishment and growth (TEG) fund and academy conversion payments – but said it had no plans to end any other expansion grants.  Lucia Glynn Consultant Lucia Glynn said: “With the loss of that funding, it’s almost as if a rug has been pulled from under everyone because conversations [about growth] that will have been going on for a year, 18 months… may no longer be able to be fulfilled.”  The TCaF provides cash to help MATs develop their capacity and take on underperforming schools, particularly in education investment areas. But many trusts pay for the improvements before receiving …