I’m seeing reports of ppl not getting their Social Security checks. Here’s who gets their checks 1st or 3rd of the month:
Filed for benefits before 1997
Expats
Some cases RE state Medicare payments
Get Supplemental Security Income
Reporters, go find those people!
/1— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Everyone else receives their payments the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Wed based their birthday /2
— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 3:27 PM
BTW, note that the people paid at the beginning of the month are many of the most vulnerable; they’re over 80, &/or they’re disabled, &/or they’re poor. The relatively healthy 70 year old middle class Trump voters don’t start getting their payments until next Wednesday.
— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
🚨🚨🚨A 25-year-old DOGE engineer working with Elon has access to a “top-secret” federal system and reportedly has the ability to alter how government payments are made to citizens. #Coup
www.thedailybeast.com/revealed-the…
[image or embed]— Nick Hennen (@newsman.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 2:16 PM
One (of many) reason for the rumors, per the Daily Beast:
A 25-year-old engineer in Elon Musk’s DOGE has access to a “top-secret” federal payment system within the Treasury Department, a report said Tuesday.
The engineer, Marko Elez, reportedly has the ability to alter the code responsible for the vast majority of payments the U.S. government makes to its citizens, including Social Security, tax returns, and much more.
Elez was identified by sources who spoke to WIRED, making him the seventh young DOGE staffer to be unmasked on Musk’s team, which has shaken up Washington as the billionaire tries to made good on his promise to cut billions of federal spending.
The supposed whiz kid has been granted access “not just to read but to write code” within the U.S. Payment Automation Manager and Secure Payment System at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, WIRED reported.
These systems are said to be housed on a “top-secret mainframe” that hosts information about government payments amounting to more than a fifth of the U.S. economy. That includes grants and payouts to government contractors that would likely include private sector competitors to Musk’s companies…
WIRED’s report claims Elez has beyond “read only” powers in his role, however, which has granted him the ability to “navigate the entire file system, change user permissions, and delete or modify critical files.” There is no evidence to suggest Elez has acted nefariously with his newly-acquired access, however.
That has not stopped alarm bells from ringing in certain circles of the federal government. Talking Points Memo reported there are fears Elez may “go haywire” and cause serious damage…
Records suggest Elez graduated from Rutgers University—a public university in his native New Jersey—in 2021 and went on to work Musk’s space company, SpaceX, where reports say he focused on vehicle telemetry, starship software, and satellite software.
Elez then joined Musk’s team at X, WIRED reported, where he worked on search AI. It appears he has no prior experience in government work, but Musk has been resharing posts that have claimed this is a good thing for his young team…
Possible trigger point:
www.newsweek.com/why-some-ame…
???
[image or embed]
— Ksut Edualc (@cmtusk.bsky.social) February 4, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Newsweek doesn’t supply a lot of detail, but from my admittedly limited experience, these expats — whatever their political leanings — are a self-selected group who do not hesitate to share their experiences or their problems with their elected representatives… or with their social circles.
Mark
I get my payment on the 4th Wednesday of the month.
It arrived last Wednesday just like it was supposed to.
satby
That will be the trigger for a lot of folks, including MAGA twits, if those SS deposits don’t hit bank accounts next week and the week after. As outrageous as all this is, it’s also too “techy” for the average person to quite grasp. And I suspect that Musk and his Muskrats are just stupid/ arrogant enough to mess with that.
Edit: I will be away from home when my SS is supposed to hit. But that’s not until the third Wednesday of the month.
satby
@Mark: they weren’t in the systems last Wednesday
MagdaInBlack
The Newsweek article does say this:
“According to the notices, individual suspensions occurred because the required Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire was not received by the appropriate Federal Benefits Unit. This form is needed each year to confirm eligibility for payments abroad.”
Can I still have hope?
satby
@MagdaInBlack: yeah, it doesn’t seem to be related to the Muskrats yet. The first signs (other than what we already know) will be payments due to go out the second and third Wednesdays.
And lawsuits are already filed over the access granted to them.
MagdaInBlack
@satby: Well, there’s plenty of time yet for them to f with that, isnt there? Yes, morning snark. My hair has been smoldering over this since Friday.
satby
@MagdaInBlack: easy to say, I know; but try not to freak out until it’s time to freak out. There’s too much in play including lawsuits pushing back on almost all of this. And I’m not joining doomers who think injunctions and adverse rulings won’t stop them, at least not yet.
In the meantime, Alison Gill (Mueller, She Wrote) has started a Patreon project to fundraise for legal support of federal workers who may be dragged into court by this administration: Fed Oath. I’m contributing there, I think it’s a good idea.
lowtechcyclist
I don’t know if this has been brought up earlier, but the WaPo had a piece on Elmo’s status as a “special governmental employee” (gift link).
Since we have a pretty good idea of what Musk’s wealth consists of, his being exempt from financial disclosures is pretty much the least of our worries. What I noticed was the absence of anything about a SGE’s possible authority over others: could a SGE give orders directly to regular Federal employees, or would they have to come from someone in their chain of command? Could a SGE hire other SGEs, like this crew of young techies he’s brought along with him? What’s their legal status as employees, and what’s their authority over regular employees?
This story was filed yesterday morning, so these questions were already rather obviously in need of answering. But the writer didn’t even bring them up, let alone answer them.
john (not mccain)
I get my SS on the 3rd and it was there Monday like it was supposed to be.
MagdaInBlack
@satby: That’s why my hair is only smoldering so far =-)
Eta: mostly I’m just furious over all of it. Panic is a waste of energy.
satby
@john (not mccain): They weren’t fully in the systems by then.
This has just been blowing up since Friday, and we have no idea if they’re stupid enough to actually shut off SS payments. But if they try, it won’t show up until next Wednesday, most likely. I suspect they’ll go after more obscure stuff first. USAID isn’t obscure, but most Americans erroneously think we give too much foreign aid.
Baud
I asked about his vote. So here’s the info
That leaves Fetterman.
p.a
Well when someone in tRump’s gvt responds to a judge’s “very unfair, socialistic” pro-Constitution decision with “fuck you”, what exactly is to be expected from tRump’s DoJ?
MagdaInBlack
As LETO mentioned last night, let us not forget the VA>
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/02/04/infinite-nightmares-once-veterans-data-swept-musks-takeover-of-treasury-system.html
Mark
Elon Musk taking over the government. The U.S. taking over Gaza. Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Tariffs temporarily lifted on Mexico and Canada. Gonna make Canada the 51 state. Going to take over Panama. The FBI and CIA being shut down.
The sun hasn’t even come up on Wednesday morning yet. Welcome to crazy town.
Professor Bigfoot
I started taking my SS a couple of years ago– somehow, under the revised Medicaid rules I was qualified (I didn’t apply, it just happened!) and when my SS deposits started they showed up on the 3rd of the month.
Mine came on time this month (whew!) but…
Suzanne
So, in (very) local news, there was an assault and robbery at the dry cleaners on the next block from my house. The gentleman who owns the place was knocked out by two men who stole his wallet and money from the store. They smashed him in the head with a fire extinguisher.
The local news did a story on the incident and noted that he was hit with a fire hydrant. I swear to FSM, does no one know what words mean?!
Waldo
The only question now is whether this ends with Elon hanging from his heels in front of a gas station or an EV charging station.
Phylllis
Mine is due next Wednesday. I bank with USAA & it usually shows up a day or two early as a pending transaction. I guess we shall see.
TBone
Whelp, if we don’t get hubby’s SS deposit next month (this month’s was on time and cleared the bank already), I’m telling my accountant to electronically file my income tax return as usual, but I’ll send my check to the IRS in April without a signature. I will write in on the signature line “EAT ME.”
🎶
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gj2iGAifSNI
Ten Bears
(chokes just a little) I got mine, I’m not in any of those groups (spouse got hers, she is)
I too have seen rumors of checks not delivered, but have yet to actually speak with someone whos’ check hasn’t. Leaves me wondering about those “hearing rumors … ”
It don’t lead if it don’t bleed …
TBone
The 7am movie on TCM is titled, fittingly, The Doorway To Hell.
Professor Bigfoot
@john (not mccain): Mine showed on Saturday morning. <whew>
TBone
Time to make the
donutscat food slurry in the food processor. It has a very unappetizing odor BLECH. But my little fluffy buddy is continuing to show The Will To Live YAY!lowtechcyclist
@TBone: Yay indeed!!!!
Baud
@Suzanne:
That’s awful that he was assaulted with a fire engine.
(Hope he’s recovering ok.)
Professor Bigfoot
Anybody know anything about this? A new website targeting Black federal workers.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/federal-health-workers-terrified-dei-website-publishes-list-targets-rcna190711
Betty Cracker
There’s a big Red-Shouldered Hawk on a rampage in front of our place this morning. It strafed a couple of moorhens and sent them fleeing in a screaming panic. Then it flew at a Belted Kingfisher, causing that bird to change course and fly across the river, rattling loudly all the while. It perched in a tree and then dropped down toward a Little Blue Heron wading below and scared the shit out of it — literally.
Not sure what’s up with the hawk. They occasionally prey on other birds, but only very small ones, AFAIK. My guess is it has a nest nearby and is hyper vigilant. I’m calling it Drama Hawk since it’s terrifying the lagoon.
MomSense
I haz your treasury is a helluva fucking thing for the ransom note when Melon Husk decides to deliver it.
TBone
@MomSense: 🎯
Professor Bigfoot
@Betty Cracker: Drama Hawk.
On a rampage.
Girl, you don’t need no TV, you got all the entertainment a human could want outside your front door! roflmao
TBone
@Professor Bigfoot:
I’ma look them up and write to Propublica and C.R.E.W. and anyone else I can think of so we can PUBLISH THEIR NAMES.
Take THAT mofos.
https://americanaccountabilityfoundation.com/
The AAF “Our Team” page:
https://americanaccountabilityfoundation.com/our-team/
Looks like the “Team” is ONE fucking guy brave enough to put his name and photo up. Tom Jones, VILLAIN OF THE DAY.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Accountability_Foundation
The other fucking guy:
Matthew Buckham (R-Coward)
I love Wikipedia, this entry was updated TODAY to reflect the current nefarious deeds.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/02/04/colorado-bennet-hickenlooper-no/
A news piece from yesterday. Nothing else from any of the local outlets or larger corporate ones.
Hoodie
I imagine these wiz kids are running some sort of Palantir/Musk AI against these payment systems in a paranoid pursuit of the mythical “waste, fraud and abuse.” Of course, this will be made even more fun by these systems inevitably hallucinating all sorts of conspiracies. It wouldn’t be surprising for this to first show up in something foreign like expat SS payments. Might also have something to do with the fixation on USAID. Recall that Musk had a long history of mainlining conspiracies on X.
prostratedragon
The same person who was induced to freeze like this at a press conference yesterday assures us of this:
Ceci n est pas mon nym
I get mine 2nd Wednesdays officially, but for the last 5-6 months it’s arrived on the preceding Friday without explanation. So by Saturday I’ll know if something’s different.
prostratedragon
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: Chicago is up today, noon at Federal Plaza, where Sens. Duckworth and Durbin have offices.
MomSense
@prostratedragon:
I love that for her.
Jesus Christ I knew that mass delusion was a thing in Hitler’s Germany but to see it happening (points everywhere) is something else again.
Professor Bigfoot
@TBone: It’s enough to bring out ones inner Luigi, I swear to God.
TBone
@Professor Bigfoot: I FEEL THAT!
This “Foundation” is a powerful arm of P2025 (Heritage Foundation offshoot). Plenty of Wikipedia bibliography listings. Jane Mayer took them to task but they still need my foot up their asses.
Kay
@prostratedragon:
NBC parrots what Trump official says to comfort themselves that everything is fine.
“Power not unchecked” lol.
Kay
@prostratedragon:
So CLEARLY submitted entire to NBC by the Trump White House.
They’re just pumping out raw propaganda at this point.
JML
@prostratedragon: Susie Wiles is “in control” of EM and his band of bandits? Arrest her too.
Parfigliano
@Waldo: Gas station or charging station. It’s all good.
TBone
PSA
TBone
Comment #45 awaiting moderation gave contact info for C.R.E.W. and Propublica.
Easy enough for anyone to look up since it did not pass muster.
Shalimar
@prostratedragon: I don’t think it is a good idea for her to claim authority over what Musk does without knowing what he actually plans on doing. They will need a scapegoat when the whole system goes ass-up, and Wiles already has experience with that kind of blame from working for DeSantis.
TBone
Am shot out from lack of sleep but will sleep when I’m dead. So. It. Goes.
prostratedragon
@JML: I’m pretty sure she’s deluded|leading from behind|flatout lying about that. Aside from it’s joke value, suggests that somebody somewhere over there is feeling a little heat.
Jackie
@prostratedragon:
Read that this morning. I’m waiting for the FFOTUS/Susie joint press conference forcefully reiterating that reassurance.
HA! I crack myself up.
prostratedragon
@Shalimar: Why, why do people keep leaping into the abyss?
TBone
@Professor Bigfoot: for your reading pleasure:
(crooksandliars)
prostratedragon
@Jackie: Someone should point out to herhow widely that photo of her from the Gaza press conference has been distributed.
TBone
@TBone: The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde is giggling hahahahahaha!
p.a.
Local sports talk laughing (sardonically) about FNFL’s (fucking nfl) removing 3 year old “end racism” slogans from Superdome endzones and replacing them with “choose love” and “everyone together” (or some-such) because tRump will be there.
Not that “end racism” was anything besides a meaningless slogan given owners’ politics…
NotMax
@prostratedragon
To achieve orchasm?
//
Raoul Paste
@JML: ‘ Arrest her too’
Now yer talkin.
TBone
@TBone: Author’s note:
Kay
@p.a.:
The efforts by media and billionaires to demand we “come together” now that they won are so offensive.
I don’t remember media and billionaires scolding the country about “division” during Biden. Why the changed tone?
Soprano2
@Kay: Most of the press is showing themselves to be worse than useless, aren’t they? Pretending this is something normal.
BlueGuitarist
@Betty Cracker:
thanks for observing, writing, posting this.
Kay
@Soprano2:
Treasury Department Says DOGE’s Access to Payment Data Is ‘Read Only’ https://www.wsj.com/articles/treasury-department-says-doge-access-is-read-only-2563712d
Good, thorough piece about Treasury Departments response to public outcry.
Lesson : standing outside yelling and refusing to go away works. They respond.
Kay
Hundreds of activists rallied Tuesday outside the Treasury Department, where lawmakers argued that Musk was a threat to democracy and citizens’ private data.
Bravo. Good job.
p.a.
@Kay:
@Soprano2:
The American economy is so fucking robust, in the past in part due to immigration, I fear it may be able to churn along for a while even though I’ve come to believe it will take a W-type collapse at least to crack the media and idiot-voter bubble and get these trash out of office. Assuming voting is still a thing. I was never a “heighten the contradictions” guy, but now I see no other way forward. And I’m retired, rely on SS, Medicare & IRA. 😱😡🤢
Kay
@p.a.:
Agree. The Biden economy can’t boom forever, though, and we know for a fact that austerity and GOP dogma kills growth. I’m betting it stalls.
The Thin Black Duke
@Kay: The next pandemic should do the job.
Scout211
I guess there is an actual limit to President Musk’s power. Who knew?
Yes, confusing messages never happen with the Trump administration.
/s
rikyrah
Good Morning Everyone 😊 😊 😊
satby
@Kay: other reports, including from whistle blowers inside, say otherwise. Here, from Wired
Also from TPM, though it’s using Wired as a source. Per Josh Marshall:
TBone
@Scout211: I would like to know who it was that said that No. In my ideal world haha.
🎶
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qdX9OTo8W04
Jackie
Those of us living in red states… buckle up :(
Glory b
@Kay: Evergreen…
https://thereformedbroker.com/2016/12/13/every-unified-republican-government-ever-has-led-to-a-financial-crash/
prostratedragon
@NotMax: >tsk< I might have known …
Kay
@Glory b:
Housing prices are already dipping here. Its a correction – they were insanely over valued – but my county crashed early in Bush’s Right wing economy. I knew we were tanking beginning in 2006. There was a disconnect between how people were spending and what they were making – just like there is now. Spending is real – its not a perception or a guess. A transaction that can be counted. People have been spending like crazy for the last four years. Its not sustainable.
Professor Bigfoot
@TBone: Given that it’s strictly a civil matter, I doubt anything really changes.
I like it, but my inner Luigi is like that Kylo Ren meme: “MORE!”
Baud
@rikyrah:
Good morning.
Kay
@satby:
Absolutely. Agree. Treasury might be lying. But now we have a statement where they assured us we were safe, which will be useful if they are lying – in the lawsuits.
We needed a response.
TBone
@Professor Bigfoot: At least they took their moneymaker away hahahaha! I’m still sitting on mine over here laughing it off!
Hugo ain’t such a Boss now with the little wreath.
snoey
@Kay: I smell weasel. Musk’s people don’t have to change the data, just add some code that looks at the payment vouchers and decides not to pay them without a trace as to why.
Kay
@snoey:
There’s three big lawsuits coming up. We’ll find out a lot thru that process.
TBone
@snoey: your Spidey Senses level: expert.
prostratedragon
From Carl Bergstrom:
The course materials are free and online.
TBone
@prostratedragon: cool, thank you! Have bookmarked for a day when I’ve had more sleep so’s I can fully grok and have retrieval.
Kay
@snoey:
Musk DOES respond to lawsuits. The Delaware Chancery Court is the only entity that has ever told him “no” and actually enforced it.
https://www.mccarter.com/insights/delaware-court-of-chancery-rejects-elon-musks55-8b-tesla-compensation-package-again/
Matt McIrvin
@p.a.: I think things are more fragile than they were in 2017, because of all the persistent dislocations from the COVID pandemic, bird flu and various wars, Trump’s new love of throwing bombs at international trade, and the general weakness in the tech sector where employers have become convinced they don’t need workers.
Trump’s fans gave him credit for “fixing the economy” then for basically doing nothing. It was pretty strong, but they got permission to believe that it was strong that they didn’t have before, and he didn’t do anything to break it. So they concluded that he’d fixed the economy.
But this time, he’s doing stuff to break it, just to swing his dick around. So they get the same permission to believe but there could be a time limit.
The justifying rhetoric they’ve given has been that this is some kind of necessary shock therapy to make the country stronger in the long run. But I wonder about the limits of patience with that.
TBone
@Kay: how will there be a paper trail to follow this time, I wonder…
They’re not signing checks to Stormy Daniels anymore.
Kay
@Betty Cracker:
I’m going to Miami with my daughter Friday. I had air miles and she had hotel points so we put them together for a little trip. We’re going to the botanical garden. I love all those crazy south Florida plants with the air roots and everything.
Scout211
WaPo with some actual reporting.
(Web archive version) U.S. government officials privately warn Musk’s blitz appears illegal
TL;DR: Musk’s machinations are illegal and dangerous in multiple government agencies
LAC
@Professor Bigfoot: Thank you!I am so fucking tired of this not being as important. Does anyone not see why they are targeting and harassing the federal workforce? Do we only react when it is money?
BlueGuitarist
@TBone:
thanks for posting this!
Had been wondering where things stood with this case.
Kay
@Scout211:
Seems illegal to me! I wonder what happened to media’s intense interest in secure communications and data systems?
Kay
Remember when the NYTimes and CNN had all those reporters making shit up and pretending they were experts in communication systems, servers and security?
I guess they reserve that for campaign season, and use against a Democrat.
Matt McIrvin
@LAC:
@Professor Bigfoot: This is a lot like Woodrow Wilson’s re-segregation of the federal workforce 110 years ago.
Princess
@prostratedragon: Susie Wiles is doing her hair like Trump’s mother.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Professor Bigfoot: Jesus.
“Donating to Democrats” is one of the crimes that gets you on the hit list. Need I point out that that is not a legitimate reason to fire a federal worker?
Down the road, there are going to be billions of dollars in wrongful termination lawsuits. And we the taxpayers will foot the bill.
catclub
@Mark:
One point of this is to make us waste energy on making sure that something that should be automatic, still happens. Now I am thinking about making sure federal pension deposits arrive.
Professor Bigfoot
@Matt McIrvin: Exactly so. This is how we know it’s possible.
I wonder if the “media” 110 years ago cheered him on.
I know that his domestic policies were not taught in my history class like his foreign policy (League of Nations, etc.)
Quinerly
@Kay:
I have been recommending this site for what’s going on at Treasury.
https://www.crisesnotes.com/
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Scout211: Yes, confusing messages never happen with the Trump administration.
Shock, shock I am.
I was also thinking “This is Phony Stark we are talking about, a man who cheats at video games, so what is the cheesiest, most pathetic thing Musk could be up to at the treasury?” I came up, having that microbruh try to tack a gooy onto the those goverment 70s era main frame servers and then claim Musky AI did it all, and now everyone invest in Musk’s new AI.
Glory b
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: Same here.
Miss Bianca
@prostratedragon: REMAIN CALM, EVERYBODY! SUSIE WILES HAS *GOT* THIS!
LAC
@Professor Bigfoot: https://www.threads.net/@luckylaqher_art/post/DFsmMlKvjEJ?xmt=AQGz-dpm1Bk11-TjRIo_Y9nhQaLYKQqvCFkVd5K88pdctw
Gloria DryGarden
@Waldo: asking for a friend?
Miss Bianca
@Kay:
Ha ha HA ha ha, you funny!
The Unmitigated Gaul
@Waldo: Magnificent!
The Unmitigated Gaul
@Miss Bianca: Oh, THANK GOD!😂
Ruckus
@Waldo:
If my SS gets taken away, I will be 10,000% pissed off. Rather than just 100%.
I payed into SS my entire 60 yrs of working life. I earned my SS payment. I live on my SS payment. So did people on shitforbrains side of the aisle. So did everyone else with a legal job in this country.
I EARNED MY MONTHY PAYMENT.
Effectively it is my money that I am being paid. Effectively if SS money is being stolen by shitforbrains and his “buddy” they are stealing from ALL of us old farts, including people on his side of the waste canal that is these 2 shitforbrains assholes running OUR government. The wealthiest man in the world is stealing the money WE PAID INTO SS, and/or paid in federal taxes. He is destroying OUR government, stealing OUR everything. And his buddy, that citizens elected to be president is going to do nothing to protect this country and is likely assisting him in destroying OUR government and country.
Good times?
Ruckus
@MomSense:
It’s humanity. When everything goes off the rails, some take some action if they can, some shout at the sky, some shout at the moon and some run like their pants are on fire. Guess which of the four courses can be positive? Guess which course we all need to be a part of. Even a very minor part.
Our country is being attacked from the inside. It doesn’t get fixed easily. Our “president” is allowing and/or participating in this. I wonder how well tesla will do after this?
Ruckus
@MomSense:
As much as we may not want to admit it, hitler was human. So is shitforbrains and his buddy.
Humans can give their life to safe someone else, they can rob banks and countries. Humanity is a wide range of humans, from the very bottom of the deepest swamp to the top of the highest mountain and every level in between. Even the vast middle. We can be and are all the possible levels and even levels we can’t understand. Hence the saying “It takes all kinds”
Ruckus
@prostratedragon:
They leap because they think there is some treasure at the bottom waiting for them.
They are delusional.
Noskilz
My disability direct deposit arrived slightly earlier than usual, on Thursday, just before Musk’s minions went to town on the Treasury – but historically it wasn’t uncommon for it to arrive on the 2nd. I haven’t found that mine has a particularly fixed date – I vaguely recall being told it can technically take as long as the 5th before it can be considered late.
But I also wouldn’t be surprised if those whose payments that hadn’t been dispatched before the muskmelons ran amok might be experiencing delays. I’ve seen a certain number of claims on bluesky about payments being listed as suspended or not arriving, but I haven’t seen any comprehensive treatment of the matter – is there some pattern based on State, ethnicity, age, nature of disability, or just random screw-ups caused by careless meddling with complex systems?