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President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama / Getty

BY: Kathryn Covert August 7, 2017 3:15 pm

An unofficial shadow office "stocked with Obama loyalists" is quietly working in Washington, D.C. to carry out the previous administration's science agenda.

The group of science experts who left the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) after President Donald Trump took office "is informal yet organized," according to areport from the health-oriented news website Stat.

Members of the new groupwhich numbers in the dozenshave provided counsel to Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill, consulted with scientific societies, and have held group-wide strategy sessions, according to Stat. They have also helped analyze the impact of White House budget proposals and policies, including the decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord.

The former officials have remained engaged out of a so-called "sense of necessity," according to Stat. They view Trump as a threat to science, a stark contrast from the self-described "science geek," former President Barack Obama.

"There was no chance that this team was going to go work only in Silicon Valley or for lobbying firms," a former staffer told Stat. "A lot of people feel a sense of personal responsibility to use what we learned for the greater good at a time when the federal government is averse to things we think are really important."

The group's members see themselves as the true purveyors of science in the face ofthe new administration waging what "feels like a frontal attack" on science, according to Stat. Tom Kalil, a former deputy director for technology and innovation at OSTP and a top science and technology adviser on former President Bill Clinton's National Economic Council, argued how disagreeing with the Trump administration goes beyond partisan policy disagreements.

"I think there are just more instances in which there seems to be a willful disregard for the facts," Kalil said.

The former OSTP staffers said they are "simply worried about the future of science policy," noting Trump's proposed budget cuts,Stat reported.

"What policy process resulted in the Trump administration thinking the NIH needed less money?" asked former OSTP staffer Kumar Garg. "Was OSTP at the table?"

The former Obama officials see Trump's lack of action in regard to OSTP staffing as especially harmful, according to Stat:

Roughly 100 staff members from the Obama administration have left OSTP since January. The Trump administration has added only "about 10 new members" since then, according to an administration official who was not authorized to speak on the record.

Even once a planned OSTP expansion is complete, the office will have roughly 60 employees, equivalent to its size under former President George W. Bush but a far cry from the 135 or so employed as recently as December.

Trump's approach to OSTP contrasts with the Obama White House, an office that announced it would appoint John Holdren as OSTP director and special assistant to the president for science in December 2008, a month before Obama even took office.

In contrast, Trump has not appointed a top science adviser.

The Trump administration argues it is approaching scientific issues differently than the Obama administration. A Trump administration official said the office has received less attention because other "power centers" in the administration have emerged to lessen its role, especially on the technology side. Those centers include the Office of American Innovation, led by Jared Kushner, and 18F, the startup-inspired wing of the General Services Administration.

At the same time, the administration has taken steps to restaff OSTP. Michael Kratsios was hired as deputy chief technology officer. Kratsios previously served as chief of staff to Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley mogul who helped select Trump's health staff during the transition. Sean Bonyun, a former communications staffer for Rep. Fred Upton (R., Mich.) and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, was brought in as legislative lead.

In July, an OSTP official said there were 35 employees in OSTP, and 12 employees in the department's science division, the Hill reported. The official said the division is organized and divided differently under the Trump administration compared to the Obama administration.

The approach would be consistent with the Trump administration's vocal efforts to reduce waste and inefficiencies in the federal government.

Nonetheless, the different approach has not quelled the fears of former OSTP staffers. They will reportedly continue to operate quietly to furtherObama-era policies.

There are ethical and legal restrictions over what former science officials can do, and many former staffers are wary of making too big a splash, Stat reported.

"I've tried to keep a low profile in terms of my volunteer policy work," said one former OSTP official who spoke to Stat on the condition of anonymity. "If I'm advocating for something as a former Obama official, it might not be particularly effective."

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Former Obama Officials Operate Shadow Network to Push Science Agenda - Washington Free Beacon

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Monday, August 7, 2017, 3:45 PM

James Dolan may be a Trump donor, but the Knicks latest hire has strong ties to the previous administration.

Craig Robinson, the brother-in-law of former President Barack Obama, has accepted a front-office position with the Knicks concentrating on player development, a source confirmed of a Yahoo! report. The 55-year-old worked one year in a similar position with the Milwaukee Bucks, as the Vice President of Player and Organizational Development.

Prior to that, Robinson was the head coach at Brown University and Oregon State for a combined eight seasons, amassing a 124-133 record. Robinson is also a former Princeton teammate of Knicks president Steve Mills, and both graduated with degrees in sociology.

Its hard to imagine they took a tougher course than Fixin the Knicks.

Under Mills, the team has added people to three front office positions (two more than Phil Jackson ever did): Robinson in a player development role, Scott Perry as GM and Gerald Madkins as an assistant GM. Its unclear who the Knicks will push out of the front office as a result, but Vice President of Player Personnel Clarence Gaines is a strong candidate as the only holdover brought in by Jackson.

As the Knicks push their youth movement, player development and Robinsons role becomes paramount. During Robinsons lone season in Milwaukee, the team developed an unlikely Rookie of the Year in Malcolm Brogdon.

The Knicks, meanwhile, are trying to build around Kristaps Porzingis, 22, Willy Hernangomez, 23, Frank Ntilikina, 19, and Tim Hardaway Jr., 25.

We have some very talented young players on this team that we can grow with, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said last month. The veterans can help in that development and you never know what happens these young guys, maybe theyre ready to step it up. Were going to push them.

The coaches and I are going to give them every opportunity to show what they have. To try to develop them the best we can.

Robinson had an active role in Obamas 2008 presidential campaign, and introduced Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention. He also once green-lighted Barack to date his sister seriously after a pickup game that doubled as a vetting process.

When I played basketball with Barack, he was quietly confident, which means he had good self-esteem without being cocky. He was certainly a team player he wasn't a pig, he passed when he was supposed to pass, and he cut when he was supposed to cut. To me, that speaks to a lack of selfishness, Robinson told Esquire Magazine. He had natural leadership ability, because he didn't just pass me the ball because he was dating my sister.

Dolan might disagree. The Knicks owner pledged money to help elect Obamas opponents in 2008 and 2012 John McCain and Mitt Romney, respectively. More recently, he donated over $300,000 to help get Donald Trump elected over Obamas preference Hillary Clinton.

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Knicks hire Craig Robinson, Bucks executive and Obama's brother-in-law, for front-office job - New York Daily News

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Aug 7th 2017 8:38AM

Social media went wild on Saturday when video of Malia Obama rocking out and rolling around at Lollapalooza music festival went viral.

The video, posted by TMZ, shows the daughter of former President Barack Obama jamming while the Killers performed. Her dance moves -- which included air drums, drops to the floor and rolling around -- immediately sent Twitter into a frenzy.

Click through to see the varied reactions to the eldest Obama daughter's dance moves:

14 PHOTOS

Social media reacts to Malia Obama's Lollapalooza dancing

See Gallery

i want to be friends with malia obama so badly. she got the fakest damn friends sneaking pics of her at parties. would never be me

Malia obama be in the news for enjoying life every year lmao

Me following Malia Obama around to make sure nobody is recording her https://t.co/bnm7AJ6MXW

I'm not sure wtf Malia Obama was doing I just know yall better leave her alone & let her do it. https://t.co/J98eaLHseZ

Bruh can we get Malia Obama some new friends ?

Lmaoooooooo why is Malia Obama always caught doin sumthing Wild?! This ain't right Sis desperately need some new fr https://t.co/wHR6Qjozer

Bruh why Malia Obama at Lollapalooza on the ground looking like this https://t.co/76Jlafbfo1

Here is Malia Obama... now remember kids, don't do drugs... https://t.co/rMZ7t3Ecvm

We should focus instead, on our current President's kid, who's obtaining blackmail info from Russia at the moment & leave Malia Obama alone

Malia Obama's secret service agents or bodyguards or whatever need to start collecting cellphones at the door

You'd have to be a proper slug to film / photograph Malia Obama having fun at Lollapalooza and sell it to the media

All this talk about Malia Obama dancing "wildly" is uncalled for. She's 19, let that woman live.

TBH aren't we all Malia Obama during Mr Brightside?

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"Was that really Malia Obama on the ground? She got a demon? What happened," one Twitter user commented.

"19 yr old Malia Obama goes crazy at drug & alcohol filled music festival! #FakeNewsMedia Silent!" another Twitter user with the "Make America Great Again" hashtag in his profile exclaimed.

Malia Obama made waves last year when she was spotted on stage at the same Chicago event.

The former first daughter is set to begin her college career at Harvard University this September.

RELATED: Malia and Sasha Obama through the years

37 PHOTOS

Malia and Sasha Obama through the years

See Gallery

Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Democrat Barack Obama (2nd R), wife Michelle and their daughters Malia (R), 3, and Sasha (L), 6, spend time in their Chicago hotel room, November 2, 2004. Obama faces Republican candidate Alan Keys in the first Senate race with two African American candidates.

(REUTERS/John Gress)

Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia (R) listen as her husband Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks during a campaign stop in Oskaloosa, Iowa, July 4, 2007. REUTERS/Keith Bedford (UNITED STATES)

Sasha Obama walks from Jorge's Sombrero restaurant after a meal with her father U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and her sister Malia and mother Michelle in Pueblo, Colorado November 1, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (USA)

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is cheered by supporters after winning the Democratic Iowa caucuses in Des Moines, Iowa January 3, 2008. Obama is seen with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia (L) and Sasha.

(REUTERS/Jim Young/UNITED STATES)

'U.S. first lady Michelle Obama laughs while her daughter Malia reads a book to patients at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington. Also is Obama's other daughter Sasha.

(Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images)

U..S President Barack Obama's daughters Malia and Sasha Obama watch the inaugural parade from their father's reviewing stand in Washington January 20, 2009. Barack Obama became the first black U.S. president on Tuesday and declared it is time to set aside petty differences and embark on a new era of responsibility to repair the country and its image abroad.

(REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/UNITED STATES)

Sasha Obama, the youngest daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, smiles as she looks at her sister Malia as they wait to collect takeout lunch at Nancy's restaurant in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, August 26, 2009.

(REUTERS/Jason Reed/UNITED STATES POLITICS)

U.S. President Barack Obama's daughters Malia (L) and Sasha play with the first family's dog Bo as they wait for Obama's return to Washington after a day trip to Ohio and Pennsylvania, where he participated in economic rallies, September 15, 2009.

(REUTERS/Mike Theiler)

President Barack Obama speaks onstage as Michelle Obama, Sasha Obama and Malia Obama look on during TNT's 'Christmas in Washington 2010' at the National Building Museum on December 12, 2010 in Washington, DC.

(Theo Wargo via Getty Images)

Malia Obama and Sasha Obama attend the first White House Dance Series with their mother, First Lady Michelle Obama, in the East Room of the White House September 7, 2010 in Washington, DC. The dance event was a tribute to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Judith Jamison, a famous modern dancer, choreographer and muse to Alvin Ailey.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama enjoys a "shaved ice" with his daughter Malia at Island Snow Hawaii while on vacation in Kailua January1, 2010.

(REUTERS/Hugh Gentry)

U.S. President Barack Obama walks with his daughter, Sasha, as they look at the White-Handed Gibbon at the Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii January 3, 2010.

(REUTERS/Larry Downing)

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, sit for a family portrait in the Oval Office, Dec. 11, 2011.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

(Photo by Pete Souza/White House/Handout/Corbis via Getty Images)

11/23/12- The White House- Washington, DC

First Lady Michelle Obama, first daughters Malia and Sasha and first dog Bo receive the 2012 Christmas Tree.

(Photo by ImageCatcher News Service/Corbis via Getty Images)

11/21/12- The White House- Washington, DC

President Barack Obama and his daughters Malia and Sasha.

(Photo by ImageCatcher News Service/Corbis via Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama celebrates with first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (R) and Sasha at their election night victory rally in Chicago, November 7, 2012.

(REUTERS/Jason Reed)

Sasha (L) and Malia Obama, daughters of US President Barack Obama, take a photo of themselves during the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC.

(JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama speaks to a cashier as he pays for books with daughter Malia at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington on November 30, 2013 as part of Small Business Saturday.

(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama walks from Marine One with his daughter Sasha as they return to the White House in Washington January 5, 2014. Obama and his daughters were returning from a two week holiday vacation.

(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

Malia Obama and Sasha Obama speak onstage at TNT Christmas in Washington 2014 at the National Building Museum on December 14, 2014 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

U.S. President Barack Obama's daughters Sasha (L) and Malia listen to their father during the pardoning of the National Thanksgiving Turkey "Cheese" at the White House in Washington November 26, 2014.

(REUTERS/Gary Cameron)

Sasha Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, participates in the turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. In a tradition dating back to 1947, the president pardons a turkey, sparing the tom -- and his alternate -- from becoming a Thanksgiving Day feast. This year, Americans were asked to choose which of two turkeys would be pardoned and to cast their votes on Twitter.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Malia Obama (R) and Sasha Obama after arrival at Malpensa Airport in Milan, on June 17, 2015.

(Photo by Andrea Spinelli/Corbis via Getty Images)

Malia Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, participates in the turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. In a tradition dating back to 1947, the president pardons a turkey, sparing the tom -- and his alternate -- from becoming a Thanksgiving Day feast. This year, Americans were asked to choose which of two turkeys would be pardoned and to cast their votes on Twitter.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Malia and Sasha Obama attend the national Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse south of the White House December 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. The lighting of the tree is an annual tradition attended by the president and the first family.

(Photo by Olivier Douliery- Pool/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama and daughter Malia make their way to board Air Force One before departing from Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on April 8, 2016. Obama is heading to San Francisco to take part in a Democratic National Committee roundtable discussion and to attend a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser.

(MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (L) and Sasha (R) walk to Air Force One as they depart from Roswell, New Mexico, U.S., June 17, 2016.

(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

U.S. President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia walk from Marine One to board Air Force One upon their departure from O'Hare Airport in Chicago April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Barack Obama and First lady Michelle Obama's youngest daughter Sasha (C) picks up her food at the Z-burger chain during the "I'm with Hillary" promotion in Washington, U.S., October 28, 2016. Customers using the password received a free hamburger today. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

Sasha (L) and Malia Obama, the daughters of U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama walk to Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., June 17, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Malia Obama attends the 2016 Budweiser Made in America Festival at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 4, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch)

HAVANA, CUBA - MARCH 22: (L-R) Malia Obama, Sasha Obama, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama react to the first run scored during an exhibition game between the Cuban national baseball team and Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Estado Latinoamericano March 22, 2016 in Havana, Cuba. This is the first time a sitting president has visited Cuba in 88 years.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Malia Obama (L) and Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco attend an Iftar dinner at the royal palace in Marrakech, June 28, 2016. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

Sasha Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, attends her first State Dinner in honor of the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau at the White House in Washington March 10, 2016.

(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Malia Obama attends a State Dinner at the White House March 10, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Hosted by President and First Lady Obama, the dinner is in honor of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and First Lady Sophie Gregoire Trudeau of Canada.

(Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (R) and Sasha (L) board Air Force One at Cape Cod Coast Guard Air Station in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, U.S., August 21, 2016.

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Malia Obama's Lollapalooza dance moves send social media into frenzy - AOL

Barack Obama turned 56 years old Friday -- and the former president received lots of birthday greetings from Democrats, celebrities and other supporters.

But how did the Republican Party mark the occasion?

The GOP decided to troll Obama, using job figures from the first six months of the Trump administration.

1 million new jobs in 6 months. 209k new jobs in July. Unemployment rate at 16 yr low. Thanks, @POTUS!, the GOP tweeted.

Instead of showing video of President Trump gloating about the strong job numbers, however, the GOP showed footage of Obama, in June 2016, trying to convince a crowd that big job gains just wouldnt be possible under Trump.

Interspersed between Obamas remarks is a clip from a cable news networks report about Taiwanese tech firm Foxconns recently announced plans to build a $10 billion plant in Wisconsin a deal that could bring as many as 3,000 jobs to the U.S., as Fox News reported.

Not mentioned in the tweet or its video is another deal, which was announced on Obamas birthday: Plans by Toyota and Mazda to jointly open a $1.6 billion plant in the U.S. that could bring as many as 4,000 new jobs to the States, as Fox News reported.

But Trump himself touted that deal in a Friday tweet.

Of course, trolling on Twitter is a two-way street. For example, just two days earlier, the Democratic National Committee's communications team jabbed at Republicans about the ball used at the annual DNC-RNC softball game.

The Dems noted that the ball, stamped with Trumps name, was made in China.

Link:
GOP trolls Obama on his birthday -- with tweet about Trump's ...

Throughout former President Barack Obamas time in office, then-reality TV star Donald Trump often mocked him for taking vacations. But now, Trump is set to head out on one of his own.

On Friday, hell head to his New Jersey golf course for a 17-day trip, according to The Associated Press.This comes on top of the many other weekends hes spent either there or at his Florida resort. In fact, hes already outpaced Obama in time spent on the green.

Trump lamented multiple times that Obamas trips were costing taxpayers big time. But a recent analysisby the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch found that eight years of Obama vacations cost just under $100 million. According to CNN,Trumps trips during his first 80 days alone have cost $20 million.

I would rarely leave the White House because theres so much work to be done, Trump said last yearduring his presidential campaign. I would not be a president who took vacations. I would not be a president that takes time off.

The president, like his predecessors, has the right to take a vacation.But the trip has put his past criticism of Obama in a new light. Here are some comments that have not aged well (including a bonus birther reference!):

The rest is here:
These Donald Trump Tweets About Barack Obama's Vacations Didn ...