Former employees of the General Services Administration’s 18F digital tech consultancy team filed an appeal Wednesday challenging their alleged wrongful termination and the “targeted” shuttering of the program by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year. The employees, represented by the law firm Mehri & Skalet, submitted a class-action appeal with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board to request a hearing and have their removal reversed. Former 18F leaders Lindsay Young, Miatta Myers, Christian Crumlish, James Tranovich and Kate Fisher are named as appellants, representing that larger class of about 80 terminated permanent and term employees from the team who served for more than a year. The group claims that GSA — along with the Office of Personnel Management, DOGE and the Office of Management and Budget — lacked a “valid reason … for the [reduction in force] targeting 18F” that took place Feb. 28, and claimed the action was a result of “retaliation.”

Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored enterprise overseen by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is enlisting data analytics giant Palantir in a new partnership aimed at cracking down on mortgage fraud. Under the agreement, Palantir’s technology will be deployed to uncover fraud in mortgage packages before they reach Fannie Mae. Priscilla Almodovar, president and chief executive officer of Fannie Mae, said the tech will allow the organization “to see patterns quicker.” “We’re going to be able to identify fraud more proactively, as opposed to reactively,” Almodovar said during a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C. “We’re going to be able to understand the fraud and stop it in its tracks. And I think over time, this really becomes a deterrent for bad actors, because we’re creating friction in the system when they do bad things.” FHFA Director Bill Pulte, who also serves as chairman of the Fannie Mae board, said the financial crimes division that monitors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac “is only able to root out crime that it gets made aware of.” Palantir’s red-flag approach, meanwhile, tips off those investigators to conduct probes they otherwise might not have known to launch.Almodovar recalled an exercise where Palantir’s technology was given four actual loan files to assess. The tech, she said, scoured the “reams of paper” and identified instances of fraud in 10 seconds. The same exercise could take human investigators roughly two months.

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Former 18F employees file appeal of DOGE firings; Fannie Mae partners with Palantir on mortgage fraud detection

Big brands warn investors of rising consumer boycotts over DEI policies, political divides, and corporate accountability, highlighting social activism financial risks.

Consumer Boycotts Stun Big Retailers Impacting Profits

Call Tyrone Show 05 28 2025

MIT closes DEI office, redefining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies amid African American community concerns and institutional equity debates.

MIT DEI Office Ends Alarming Future for Students

DEI initiatives boost Black empowerment and company reputations by enhancing trust, doubling employee engagement, and increasing 21% profitability, while retracting DEI risks damaging brand perceptions and talent retention.

DEI's Vital Power for Black Empowerment and Brands

Recent US military grooming policy changes disproportionately impact Black servicemembers with Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB), exacerbating racial disparities through stricter enforcement and reduced medical accommodations.

Painful US Military Grooming Rules Target Black Troops

Texas DEI ban impact on higher education diversity, African American and LGBTQ+ students face reduced support as SB 37 restricts curriculum, threatening equity and academic freedom.

Texas DEI Ban Sparks Higher Ed Future Crisis

Join host, Dr. Sam Bowden Akbari, and Vanessa Barrios, RPA’s Director of DEI Initiatives to dive into Vanessa’s main project, the Healthy Regions Planning Exchange (HRPE), a national consortium of planning organizations working to improve health equity through better urban planning. 
Materials we discuss can be accessed below!

RPA’s Healthy Regions Planning Exchange website: 
https://rpa.org/work/campaigns/health-equity

RPA’s HRPE key publications and blog posts include:

Addressing Racial Inequality in Planning: https://rpa.org/latest/lab/addressing-racial-inequality-in-planning 

Investing in Infrastructure for Healthy Communities: 
https://rpa.org/work/reports/infrastructure-healthy-communities 

Pathways to Health Equity: https://rpa.org/work/reports/pathways-to-health-equity 

Preventing Another Ida: Stormwater Management and Basement Apartments in Central 

Queens: https://rpa.org/work/reports/hurricane-ida-stormwater-management-queens 

Federal Dollars for Local Infrastructure: Tracking IIJA Funding in Our Region: https://rpa.org/latest/lab/tracking-iija-funding 

Demystifying Federal Funding for Healthy Communities: https://rpa.org/latest/lab/demystifying-federal-funding-for-healthy-communities 

Fostering Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Change: https://rpa.org/latest/lab/fostering-cross-cultural-collaboration-and-change-reflecting-on-the-lakota-media-summit 

Housing as a Framework for Health Equity: https://rpa.org/work/reports/housing-as-a-framework-for-health-equity 

Reclaiming Public Space for Health Equity: https://rpa.org/work/reports/reclaiming-public-space-for-health-equity 

ACT-LA’s “Metro as a Sanctuary” report: https://www.act-la.org/metro-as-a-sanctuary-report/ 

E2: Embedding Healthy Equity in Planning ft. Vanessa Barrios

In episode 37 of Generationship, Rachel Chalmers chats with Latrice Barnett and Kanika Chander from The Majority Collective about their mission to empower underrepresented founders. The conversation covers the practical benefits of fractional expertise, the importance of defining clear company strategies, and a thought-provoking exchange on the opportunities and pitfalls of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of entrepreneurship.

Subscribe

Generationship - Ep. #37, Optimism with a Plan with Latrice Barnett and Kanika Chander

Dean Megan Pugh's dismissal at UNC Asheville over DEI comments underscores the campus's contentious shift away from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies. The article explores how these changes affect African American students, addressing historical disparities and campus inclusivity amid broader educational equity debates.

UNC Asheville's DEI Struggle: Dean Pugh's Shocking Exit

President Trump reinstates Confederate military base names, reigniting debates on racial justice and historical symbols amid concerns over costs and marginalized communities’ representation.

Chilling Return of Confederate Base Names Angers Black America

Bank Jumpin

BEACH HOUSE INTERLUDE

Ray discusses the actual, historical meaning of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) with Dani Munroe, The President of CenterFocus International, as well as the Founder of the Martha's Vineyard Chief Diversity Officer Summit 

https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/vineyard-gazette-media-group/juneteenth-panel

This program is supported by Cronigs Market, Morning Glory Farm, and MV Wine and Spirits

The Vineyard Current - June 15th, 2025 (Dani Munroe)

Scottsdale's new social studies curriculum sparks debate on Black Lives Matter, police incidents, and NFL protests. Parents, law enforcement, and critics clash over DEI alignment and content, highlighting curriculum controversy in education and racial justice.

Scottsdale's BLM Curriculum Clash Sparks Outrage

Juneteenth funding cuts from corporate and government DEI pullbacks threaten community celebrations, impacting events like Denver's Juneteenth Music Festival and Nashville's Music City Freedom Fest as sponsors withdraw support amid economic and political shifts.

Juneteenth Funding Cuts A Grim Blow to Black Celebrations

Dr. Ricky Jones, Professor of Pan African Studies at the University of Louisville, author and political analyst, speaks his mind at the Louisville League of Women Voters Annual Meeting, held June 26, 2025, on a number of topics including what he views as race-based hypocrisy, misinformation and interference in academic affairs on the part of Kentucky local and state government.

Election Connection | Dr. Ricky Jones | League of Women Voters Annual Meeting | 6-24-25

In this episode Madison interviews Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco. Sheriff Bianco talks about California's homeless problem, protecting parents rights, California fire management, campaigning for Governor and the media controversy surrounding his 2020 BLM riots in Riverside. Bianco for Governor 2026 Website:&nbsp; Watch Video episode&nbsp; Go to Protect Our Kids (POK) website for resources and weekly articles to support you in the fight for our kids.&nbsp; Or please consider donating to Protect Our Kids.

Sheriff Chad Bianco:Thoughts on Governing California

In this episode Mark interviews Sam Sorbo. A successful Hollywood film actress, author, and producer, she stepped back from her own career to immerse herself in the home education of her three young children for over a decade. Recognizing the shortcomings of our institutional education system led Sam to understand that there is much more to education than academics. As an education freedom advocate, Sam's mission is to help parents and their children emancipate from our modern school system. &nbsp; Find all of Sam’s books, movies, articles, and education activism at her website  Watch Video episode&nbsp; Go to Protect Our Kids (POK) website for resources and weekly articles to support you in the fight for our kids.&nbsp; Or please consider donating to Protect Our Kids.

Home Schooling: The Emancipation from Public Education

A podcast covering the latest news & trends facing top government leaders on topics such as technology, management & workforce. Hosted by Billy Mitchell on FedScoop and released Monday-Friday.

Heavybit is the leading early-stage investor in enterprise infrastructure. Since 2013, we've helped launch and scale visionary technical startups—from DevSecOps and feature flagging to AI code generation and beyond. We go hands-on from day 0, backing founders as they turn code into companies and build the future of software from the bottom up to the top down.

Tune in to the Call Tyrone Show on WOLB 1010 AM Baltimore on Wednesdays from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST. The Call Tyrone Show is hosted by LTC (Ret.)Tyrone Bost, owner of BPPW Piping and Pipe Welding. We talk about real issues and uncover the ‪truth‬ that is hidden in plain sight by discussing the facts behind the poverty, unemployment, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and politics.

Forward Radio is independent, listener-sponsored, volunteer-powered, grassroots community radio WFMP-LP Louisville, Kentucky. We have been broadcasting at 106.5fm and live-streaming at forwardradio.org since April 9, 2017. Please donate at forwardradio.org to keep us on-air. It costs $20/day to keep this programming coming your way.

RPA Radio is the official podcast of Regional Plan Association (RPA). We discuss all things regional planning across the tri-state region. 

RPA is the oldest metropolitan planning organization in the US. We use urban planning, research, and advocacy to help make the tri-state region a better place to live.

One of the last radio stations in the United States that not only features local/regional content, but never forgets that radio is a one on one mode of communication. And, of course, we bring you classic rock/folk/world music from the 20th Century, but Americana from the last and this century as well.

Bringing you podcast & social media content relevant to American liberty & political news. Get ready to laugh while being informed.

New tracks tagged #Dei