SOCIAL SECURITY

 The Social Security Administration has identified $800 million in cost savings for fiscal 2025.

The savings come from the SSA reevaluating contracts and grants, payroll, information technology, consolidating office space, and making policy changes to travel and printing.

“For too long, SSA has operated on autopilot,” acting SSA Commissioner Lee Dudek said in a statement. “We have spent billions annually doing the same things the same way, leading to bureaucratic stagnation, inefficiency, and a lack of meaningful service improvements. It is time to change just that.”

COMING HOME

 CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s two stuck astronauts are just a few weeks away from finally returning to Earth after nine months in space.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have to wait until their replacements arrive at the International Space Station next week before they can check out later this month.

Trickle up economy

Instead of giving $$$ billions in corporate welfare and $$$$ trillions in so called stimulus that go in the wrong hands, why not give $1 million dollars to each American. There are 365 million people living here. It would be much cheaper than all the other plans our government has.  This would be a one shot deal and what a way to trickle up the economy.

China spying

 The Philippines has arrested three people on suspicion of espionage after they were caught with intelligence related to military installations and other sensitive sites, allegedly collected from a vehicle.

Newsweek contacted the Chinese foreign ministry and the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with emailed requests for comment.

ON NOTICE

 Defence Secretary John Healey has put Vladimir Putin - whose economy is faltering with huge inflation - on notice with a firm: "we see you" after a Russian naval vessel known for mapping key underwater infrastructure briefly skirted UK waters. Aiming squarely at the Kremlin commander - who is apparently 'eyeing up' a NATO nation - he declared: "We see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country."

external revenue service

 Incoming President Donald Trump said he will establish an External Revenue Service to collect tariffs, duties and all revenue that comes from foreign sources. Taxing foreign countries for their trade with the U.S. is a major shift from the last century when the U.S. focused on taxing its own citizens via the Internal Revenue Service.

Trump made the announcement on his social media platform Truth Social on Tuesday.

Shooting down the Drones

 (Bloomberg) -- Germany is giving its armed forces the ability to shoot down unidentified drones suspected of spying on military bases, industrial facilities and other critical infrastructure, according to people familiar with the matter.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s cabinet is expected to pass a draft amendment to the Aviation Security Act on Wednesday. That will enable the military to use force against unmanned aerial vehicles in order to prevent a serious accident or attack, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the plan is not yet public. Authorities previously relied on jamming transmitters to disable drones, but certain recent models appeared to be resistant to the technology.