Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats

PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
Fucking fucks.
www.kare11.com

Shareholders sue UnitedHealth Group after murder of Brian Thompson

The lawsuit alleges the healthcare giant did not adjust its 2025 earnings outlook to factor in how the killing of Brian Thompson would impact operations.
www.kare11.com www.kare11.com
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www.nbcnews.com

UnitedHealth CEO suddenly steps down for 'personal reasons'

Stephen J. Hemsley returned as CEO after Andrew Witty's surprising decision to leave the insurance giant. UnitedHealth's stock fell 17% on Tuesday.
www.nbcnews.com www.nbcnews.com
UnitedHealth has been the focus of sharp criticism over the health insurance industry's practices and has seen its stock plummet in the past year.
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As my wife put it: "That 'sharp criticism' has also seen its CEO plummet in the past year."

--Patrick
 
Piotyr

Piotyr

Hey, good on you, Omaha:

Taniel (@taniel.bsky.social)

RESULT: Omaha's Republican Mayor Jean Stothert just lost to her Democratic challenger John Ewing. Stothert, who was running for a fourth term, resorted to anti-trans ads and messaging around who uses bathrooms in the final stretch of the campaign. Ewing will be Omaha's first Black mayor.
bsky.app bsky.app
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
1/ Trump will lift all U.S. sanctions on Syria, ending a decades-long policy that labeled the country a state sponsor of terrorism. “We’re taking them all off,” Trump said, calling the sanctions “brutal and crippling.” Trump said the decision aimed to “give them a chance at greatness,” despite Syria’s new president Ahmad al-Sharaa’s past leadership of a jihadist group tied to al-Qaeda. The White House confirmed Trump will meet Sharaa on Wednesday – the first U.S.-Syria presidential encounter in 25 years. The move follows pressure from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and others to reengage Damascus after the Assad regime collapsed in December. (CNBC / Axios / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN / ABC News)


2/ Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a $1 trillion package of Saudi investments in U.S. defense, energy, tech, infrastructure, and health care. Official figures, however, don’t match. Conference signage listed $300 billion in deals; the White House cited $600 billion. Trump offered no documentation, but declared that “We did this in essentially two months” even though many agreements are nonbinding. At the same time, the Trump Organization is expanding business projects across the Gulf, including a $5.5 billion luxury golf resort in Qatar, a high-rise hotel in Dubai, and ongoing real estate developments in Saudi Arabia. Trump’s family is also tied to a cryptocurrency venture that recently secured a $2 billion investment from an Emirati firm. The White House has not released a list of participants or clarified whether any announced deals involve Trump-linked entities. (Bloomberg / The Hill / Washington Post / CNN / Axios / Associated Press)


3/ Chuck Schumer placed a hold on all Justice Department political nominees over Trump’s plan to accept a $400 million jet from Qatar, calling it “naked corruption” and a “grave national security threat.” The jet would serve as Air Force One during Trump’s term, then transfer to his presidential library. Attorney General Pam Bondi approved the deal, but also previously lobbied for Qatar. Schumer demanded Bondi testify and the DOJ disclose Qatari activity tied to Trump. Top Republicans have also raised concerns, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune saying there were “lots of issues” with the gift. Sen. Rand Paul called it “the wrong signal.” Trump continued to dismiss the backlash, saying: “Only a stupid person would turn down that kind of an offer.” Trump Organization recently closed a $5.5 billion business deal with Qatari Diar, a state-owned firm. (New York Times / Politico / The Hill / NBC News / Axios / NBC News / CNBC / CNN / New York Times / Popular Information)


4/ Inflation rose 0.2% in April, and 2.3% from a year earlier – the slowest annual pace since February 2021. The figures show little immediate impact from Trump’s April tariffs, which included a 10% duty on all imports and a 145% levy on goods from China (later cut to 30% in a 90-day deal). Core inflation held at 2.8%, with price increases concentrated in housing and utilities. Analysts warned that the effects from Trump’s tariffs haven’t hit yet as businesses continue to sit on pre-tariff inventory. Economists expect prices to rise as new shipments arrive. (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Associated Press / NPR / CNBC)


5/ U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained a U.S. citizen and Global Entry member for nearly two hours at Chicago O’Hare Airport after his return from France. Twitch streamer Hasan Piker said agents questioned him about Trump, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. “They kept saying stuff like, ‘Do you like Hamas?’” he told viewers. Piker said the agent clearly knew his identity and pushed him to say something incriminating. Homeland Security denied targeting him, calling his story “lying for likes.” DHS official Tricia McLaughlin added: “Our officers are following the law, not agendas.” Piker responded on Twitter: “the dhs response is so funny cus they’re not even disputing that it happened, they’re omitting the insane questions that were asked, & instead claiming that i wasn’t targeted for my political beliefs. why’d y’all ask me about trump, israel, houthis, hamas and my twitch bans then?” (Washington Post / TechCrunch / User Mag / HuffPost / The Hill / Rolling Stone / The Guardian)


6/ The Episcopal Church cut ties with the U.S. refugee resettlement program after the Trump administration asked it to help resettle white South African Afrikaners. “We are not able to take this step,” Bishop Sean Rowe said, citing the church’s opposition to racial favoritism and its ties to anti-apartheid leaders in Southern Africa. Trump granted refugee status to Afrikaners through an executive order, claiming they face “genocide” and “race-based discrimination” in South Africa. Meanwhile, the administration has stopped nearly all other refugee admissions, including those from war zones and religious persecution cases. (NPR / The Guardian / NBC News / New Republic)


7/ In a first, a federal judge in Pennsylvania backed Trump’s use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. U.S. District Judge Stephanie Haines – a Trump appointee – ruled that Trump can invoke the law against individuals he designates as part of a foreign terrorist group, but said the administration must give 21 days’ notice in a language migrants understand. Despite intelligence officials rejecting that Tren de Aragua has direct ties to Venezuela’s government, Haines said Trump’s designation nevertheless carries legal weight: “There is a factual basis for President Trump’s conclusions.” Other courts, however, have blocked the same policy, calling it an illegal stretch of a wartime law never used outside formal war. Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. wrote earlier this month that Trump’s action “exceeds the scope of the statute” and fails to show any invasion “by the military of any foreign nation.” The ACLU, meanwhile, said it will appeal, calling the law “not intended to cover migration or ordinary criminal activity.” (Politico / Washington Post / Axios / The Hill)


The midterm elections are in 539 days.


✏ Notables.

  1. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. waded into Washington, D.C.’s Rock Creek with his grandchildren over the weekend, despite federal warnings that the water contains unsafe levels of bacteria, including E. coli. Kennedy posted photos showing himself submerged and fully clothed – apparently in jeans. “A swim with my grandchildren […] in Rock Creek,” he wrote. Swimming has been banned in all District waterways since the 1970s due to contamination from sewage overflow. The National Park Service warns that “contact with the water [is] a hazard to human […] health.” The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to questions. (New York Times / ABC News)
  2. The Trump administration cut another $450 million in federal grants to Harvard, adding to the $2.2 billion already revoked over claims of antisemitism and race discrimination. A government letter said Harvard “forfeited the school’s claim to taxpayer support” by failing to confront harassment and bias, calling the campus a “breeding ground for virtue signaling.” The administration also threatened Harvard’s tax-exempt status, foreign student program, and access to future federal grants. (Associated Press / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)
  3. The Democratic National Committee moved to invalidate David Hogg’s election as vice chair weeks after he pledged to spend $20 million backing primary challengers against safe-seat Democratic incumbents. The DNC Credentials Committee voted 13–2 to recommend a new election for Hogg and fellow vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta, citing a procedural complaint that the February vote violated gender equity rules. While the complaint predates Hogg’s campaign, the ruling gives party leadership a clear path to remove him. (Politico / New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News)
  4. Biden’s top aides privately discussed putting him in a wheelchair if he won a second term, according to Original Sin, a new book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson. The book says that “Biden’s physical deterioration – most apparent in his halting walk – had become so severe” that staff delayed any use of a wheelchair until after the election. Physician Kevin O’Connor warned that one more fall could require it. After Biden tripped over a sandbag in 2023, aides changed his routines: shorter walking routes, sneakers instead of dress shoes, and extra handrails. They also walked beside him across the White House lawn to catch him if he fell. (Axios / The Hill / CNN / The Guardian / Rolling Stone)
  5. Senator Mike Lee introduced a bill that would make most pornography a federal crime by expanding the legal definition of obscenity. The proposal mirrors Trump-backed Project 2025, which calls for jailing porn producers and shutting down tech companies that host adult content. “This content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted,” Lee said, though the bill leaves penalties for possession unclear. (Gizmodo)
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Piotyr said:
Hey, good on you, Omaha:

Taniel (@taniel.bsky.social)

RESULT: Omaha's Republican Mayor Jean Stothert just lost to her Democratic challenger John Ewing. Stothert, who was running for a fourth term, resorted to anti-trans ads and messaging around who uses bathrooms in the final stretch of the campaign. Ewing will be Omaha's first Black mayor.
bsky.app bsky.app
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Well as much as I want to take credit for voting for Ewing, Stothert isn't the one who put out those ads. It was a PAC that was hidden behind at least 3 different LLCs and the funding is unknown. Granted, she never came out and denounced them, but she's not the author of them.

A local investigative team looked into the fliers and found that the website for the PAC was a hastily thrown together WordPress site that is a single page touting the "Omaha Leadership Fund". That page has a link to a YouTube channel with no videos on it. The address given for the whois does not exist and there's no other identifiable information. Still, the investigators were able to find out that the companies behind the (fake) PAC were Axiom Strategies, JetLinx, and Common Sense Nebraska. All of these are big Trump leaning organizations who are run in the background. The PAC is run by the mother of our former governor, Pete Ricketts, who was basically given a senate seat after he left office due to term limits. Ricketts, by the way, has sponsored 3 bills in the senate - all of them relating to abortion. Make all abortions illegal, stop sale of Plan B, and make it a federal crime to perform an abortion on a minor who has crossed state line. No exceptions, by the way, for rape or incest. Oh, and he's so pro-life he personally paid for illegal drugs to be brought into Nebraska to be used in executions after the unicameral overrode his veto banning the death penalty. He's a piece of shit. Oh, and he owns the Chicago Cubs so he has no end of money. It helps when you make your first 100 million working as the COO of a company your daddy runs.

All in all it's a miracle the people of Nebraska stepped up and got rid of Stothert. I know Omaha tends to be the blue dot in the state but there's an awful lot of influence peddling that goes on at the local level and the fuckery at the state and federal on Nebraska's behalf is incredible.

Anyway, I'll stop now. I have strong feelings about this and have done a LOT of studying on the murkier side of this shit.
 
Sara_2814

Sara_2814

Dave said:
Well as much as I want to take credit for voting for Ewing, Stothert isn't the one who put out those ads. It was a PAC that was hidden behind at least 3 different LLCs and the funding is unknown. Granted, she never came out and denounced them, but she's not the author of them.

A local investigative team looked into the fliers and found that the website for the PAC was a hastily thrown together WordPress site that is a single page touting the "Omaha Leadership Fund". That page has a link to a YouTube channel with no videos on it. The address given for the whois does not exist and there's no other identifiable information. Still, the investigators were able to find out that the companies behind the (fake) PAC were Axiom Strategies, JetLinx, and Common Sense Nebraska. All of these are big Trump leaning organizations who are run in the background. The PAC is run by the mother of our former governor, Pete Ricketts, who was basically given a senate seat after he left office due to term limits. Ricketts, by the way, has sponsored 3 bills in the senate - all of them relating to abortion. Make all abortions illegal, stop sale of Plan B, and make it a federal crime to perform an abortion on a minor who has crossed state line. No exceptions, by the way, for rape or incest. Oh, and he's so pro-life he personally paid for illegal drugs to be brought into Nebraska to be used in executions after the unicameral overrode his veto banning the death penalty. He's a piece of shit. Oh, and he owns the Chicago Cubs so he has no end of money. It helps when you make your first 100 million working as the COO of a company your daddy runs.

All in all it's a miracle the people of Nebraska stepped up and got rid of Stothert. I know Omaha tends to be the blue dot in the state but there's an awful lot of influence peddling that goes on at the local level and the fuckery at the state and federal on Nebraska's behalf is incredible.

Anyway, I'll stop now. I have strong feelings about this and have done a LOT of studying on the murkier side of this shit.
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Can confirm, Ricketts is a useless waste of oxygen who only serves the MAGA loyalists.

Also, yay for Omaha!
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
  1. Trump lifts all U.S. sanctions on Saudi ally Syria at Riyadh forum, despite its new president being a former al-Qaeda member.
  2. Trump sends Rubio to Istanbul for Ukraine-Russia talks, urging unity with Putin as Zelenskiy demands U.S. and EU sanctions if he refuses.
  3. India rejects Trump’s claim that U.S. trade incentives led to Pakistan ceasefire, says no discussion of trade occurred during talks.
  4. Musk’s government efficiency team deletes $122 million in active contracts from its “Wall of Receipts” after report exposes false savings claims.
  5. NIOSH director and key teams reinstated ahead of RFK Jr.’s congressional hearing on HHS layoffs, but major worker safety programs remain shuttered.
  6. Trump administration cuts another $450 million in grants to Harvard, bringing total frozen funding near $3 billion in escalating fight over campus control.
  7. USDA restores climate and conservation content after lawsuit over Trump purge that removed key farm support tools from public websites.
  8. EPA plans to weaken drinking water rules by rescinding PFAS limits.
  9. Hegseth plan would cut more than 120 senior officer roles, building on earlier move to slash nine top generals under Trump administration downsizing push.
  10. Gabbard fires top National Intelligence Council officials and moves office from CIA in Trump-backed purge targeting officials tied to ‘deep state’ narrative.
  11. Days after his failed confirmation as U.S. attorney, Ed Martin takes over as DOJ pardon attorney and vows to review Biden pardons.
  12. Federal judge in Pennsylvania’s Western District approves Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans accused of gang ties.
  13. Federal grand jury indicts Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan for allegedly helping undocumented man evade ICE agents through courtroom’s back exit.
  14. 20 Democratic-led states sue Trump administration over threats to withhold disaster and infrastructure funds from sanctuary jurisdictions.
  15. HUD blames Biden-era housing cost surge for early end to emergency housing voucher program aiding up to 60,000 people.
  16. Federal appeals court blocks Florida’s drag show law as overly broad, citing First Amendment violations.
  17. Schumer blocks all DOJ nominees over Qatar’s $400 million jet gift to Trump with unknown strings attached.
  18. Musk secures Saudi approval for Starlink while promoting Tesla ventures during Trump-led investment trip.
  19. Tesla board chair Denholm dumps $200 million in stock as company faced backlash over White House entanglements while Musk urged employees to hold.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

RFK Jr. is not stating actual facts about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in exaggeration and non-literal commentary.

--Patrick
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
  1. Trump presses Qatar to leverage its ties with Iran to broker nuclear deal.
  2. White House halts U.S. involvement in November G20 summit in South Africa after Trump claims genocide against white farmers.
  3. Kennedy tells Congress “people shouldn’t take medical advice from me” despite being the nation’s top health official.
  4. Trump’s surgeon general nominee promoted psychedelic therapy and credited mushrooms with helping her find love.
  5. PA Gov Shapiro warns rural hospitals will close and hundreds of thousands of people would lose health insurance under GOP Medicaid cuts.
  6. Kennedy claims he is protecting Head Start funding weeks after Trump budget sought to eliminate the program.
  7. National Weather Service seeks internal transfers to fill 155 vacancies as Houston office loses all management and Kansas facility ends 24/7 operations, but hiring freeze remains.
  8. 87 migrants charged with trespassing on military property after entering new Texas border buffer zone in the first week.
  9. Gabbard fired intelligence officials who released memo contradicting Trump’s justification for deporting Venezuelan immigrants.
  10. Attorney General Bondi sold at least $1 million in Trump Media stock on day Trump announced sweeping tariffs.
  11. Judge rules Justice Department illegally retaliated against American Bar Association for joining lawsuit against Trump administration
  12. Milwaukee judge charged with helping immigrant evade ICE cites judicial immunity in motion to dismiss federal case.
  13. Federal judge orders release of Georgetown scholar held in ICE custody for two months, ruling detention violated First Amendment rights.
  14. Trump administration says it lacks power to bring back Venezuelan deportees despite Trump claiming he could with one phone call.
  15. Noem tells Congress conditions could justify suspending habeas corpus for immigration enforcement.
  16. Montana judge strikes down ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors as unconstitutional.
  17. Prosecutor in Trump classified documents case invokes Fifth Amendment during House Judiciary Committee interview citing fear of retaliation.
  18. Nationwide outage blocks U.S. passport verification system used by DMVs.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
1/ Trump scaled back tariffs on Chinese imports after being warned that his trade policies were hurting “Trump’s people.” White House aides warned that the 145% duties imposed in April were hurting truckers, longshoremen, and manufacturers. Polling also showed Trump underwater on the economy for the first time, and business leaders warned of price hikes, canceled orders, and job losses. “The key argument was that this was beginning to hurt Trump’s supporters,” one official said. As a result, Trump agreed to a deal cutting tariffs to 30%, while China lowered its own to 10%. The pact delivered no major wins beyond a pledge to keep talking, but gave Trump political cover to back down. (Washington Post / New York Times)

2/ Trump still plans to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, even though converting the 13-year-old aircraft into Air Force One could cost U.S. taxpayers more than $1 billion and may not be completed before he leaves office in 2029. The plane would need to be dismantled, stripped of potential surveillance equipment, and rebuilt with classified communications and defense systems. “Every square centimeter of that plane would have to be reviewed,” Sen. Thom Tillis said. Trump, however, called it a “gift” and said rejecting it would be “stupid,” despite having condemned similar foreign donations in 2016 as corrupt. “Qatar—these are people that push gays off buildings,” Trump said then, attacking the Clinton Foundation for accepting funds from Middle Eastern countries. The Constitution bars federal officials from accepting foreign gifts without congressional approval, but House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the move, saying the jet was “a gift to the United States.” Meanwhile, Qatar Airways struck a $96 billion deal to buy 210 Boeing jets, the largest widebody order in the company’s history. (NBC News / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / Politico / HuffPost / New York Times / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg / Bloomberg)

3/ Trump claimed Saudi Arabia pledged $600 billion in investment during his Middle East trip, but the White House released details for only $283 billion. Many deals were vague, lacked timelines, or had been previously announced. The biggest was a $142 billion defense package – nearly double Saudi Arabia’s 2025 military budget – with no delivery schedule. Other deals included U.S. companies like Google, Oracle, and Uber committing billions to Saudi tech projects. At the same time, Trump’s sons promoted new Trump Tower developments in Dubai and Jeddah, and pitched their crypto firm’s stablecoin to Gulf investors. (CNBC / Axios / Associated Press / New York Times / Bloomberg / CNN)

4/ A Chinese tech company with no revenue and just eight employees plans to buy up to $300 million of Trump’s $TRUMP memecoin. GD Culture Group said in an SEC filing that it will fund the purchase through a stock deal with an unnamed investor based in the British Virgin Islands. The company sells products on TikTok and noted in March that “the Chinese government may intervene or influence its operations at any time.” Trump launched the $TRUMP coin three days before taking office. The coin financially benefits Trump by generating revenue through Trump-affiliated entities, though the exact structure and arrangements haven’t been disclosed. Ethics experts say the setup allows foreign money to flow into a venture tied directly to a sitting president. (New York Times / Wall Street Journal)
  • House Speaker Mike Johnson supports banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. “I don’t think we should have any appearance of impropriety,” Johnson said, while also expressing “sympathy” for members struggling to manage on a $174,000 salary. He said some lawmakers feel they “at least” need to trade stocks to “take care of their family.” Johnson, who does not trade stocks himself, said he believes the system has been “abused in the past” and that “a few bad actors discolor it for everyone.” (Politico / Business Insider / The Hill)
5/ Rep. Shri Thanedar forced a House vote on impeaching Trump, filing seven articles that accuse him of corruption, abuse of power, and unconstitutional conduct. Thanedar introduced the resolution without caucus support, days after drawing a second primary challenger. House Democrats called the move reckless and self-serving with Jerry Nadler saying “This is idiotic.” Several lawmakers said Thanedar falsely implied leadership backed the measure and listed colleagues as co-sponsors without their consent. Party leaders moved to kill the resolution, calling it a distraction from Republican spending cuts. “Our focus is on health care being stripped away,” Rep. Pete Aguilar said. Nevertheless, Thanedar refused to back down, saying, “I took an oath […] so did Mr. Trump. He has violated his oath.” (Axios / Associated Press / Axios)

poll/ 59% of Americans pessimistic about the state of politics in the U.S. – down from 66% last July. 55% of Republicans are optimistic about their party’s future – up from 47% last year – while 35% of Democrats felt the same – down from 57%. (AP-NORC)

poll/ 31% of Americans believe the Trump administration is handling the ongoing measles outbreak responsibly, while 40% disagreed, and the rest were unsure. The U.S. is currently facing its largest single outbreak of measles in 25 years. (USA Today)

poll/ 40% approve of Americans Trump’s job performance, while 56% disapprove, including 42% who strongly disapprove. Trump is also underwater on inflation (31% approve, 63% disapprove), the economy (38% approve, 55% disapprove), trade (36% approve, 57% disapprove), health care (36% approve, 52% disapprove), and immigration (47% approve, 49% disapprove). Border security (52% approve, 42% disapprove) is the only issue has a positive net approval rating. (Strength in Numbers)

The midterm elections are in 538 days.


✏ Notables.

  1. The Trump administration killed a proposed rule that would have forced data brokers to get Americans’ consent before selling their Social Security numbers, financial histories, and other personal data. Acting CFPB director Russell Vought formally withdrew the rule without a press release or public statement, citing a shift in “interpretation” of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The decision followed a letter from the Financial Technology Association, a fintech lobbying group, that called the rule “harmful to financial institutions.” (WIRED / TechCrunch / Bloomberg)
  2. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency deleted $122 million in claimed savings after federal agencies revived dozens of contracts. DOGE removed 31 canceled-but-reinstated contracts from its “Wall of Receipts,” including one worth $108 million that the Department of Veterans Affairs reinstated just eight days after scrapping it. The group, however, left 12 other revived contracts on the site while still claiming $121 million in savings. DOGE continues to claim $170 billion in total savings even though at least $243 million of that comes from cuts that no longer exist. (New York Times)
  3. A federal grand jury indicted Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan for helping an undocumented immigrant escape arrest from immigration agents outside her courtroom. Prosecutors said Dugan directed Eduardo Flores-Ruiz through a private exit after confronting the agents and telling them they needed a different warrant. “Judge Dugan then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of the courtroom through the ‘jury door,’” the FBI said. Agents chased and arrested Flores-Ruiz outside the courthouse. The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan, calling it “in the public interest.” Her lawyers called the arrest “unnecessary” and said she “asserts her innocence.” The Trump administration, meanwhile, said the case sends a message: “If you break the law, we will prosecute you.” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / New York Times / CNN / Axios)
  4. The Trump administration made a deal to allow 17 relatives of Sinaloa cartel leader Ovidio Guzmán López enter the U.S. Footage showed the group crossing the border near Tijuana with suitcases, escorted by U.S. agents. None of the family members face charges in Mexico. Guzmán López, son of El Chapo, is expected to plead guilty after giving up information on rival traffickers. Mexico’s top security official, Omar García Harfuch, said that “It is evident that his family is going to the U.S. because of a negotiation or an offer that the Department of Justice is giving him.” Trump, who once claimed Mexico was sending criminals and “rapists,” has not explained why cartel relatives received safe passage. (Associated Press / New York Times / New Republic)
  5. California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed freezing new Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults and charging existing enrollees $100 per month. The changes would start in 2026 and 2027, respectively, and are expected to save California $5.4 billion by 2029. Newsom framed the rollback as a fiscal necessity: “We’re just capping it.” His office, meanwhile, blamed the move on a $12 billion budget deficit and a $16 billion drop in state revenue tied to Trump-era tariffs. The Medi-Cal expansion cost $2.7 billion more than expected last year. (CalMatters / Los Angeles Times / Politico / NBC News / New York Times)
  6. 20 sued the Trump administration over threats to withhold disaster relief and infrastructure funds unless states help identify undocumented immigrants and assist with deportations. California Attorney General Rob Bonta called it “a blatantly illegal attempt to bully states.” Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation told states they must share data with ICE and eliminate diversity programs or risk losing money for airports, bridges, and emergency services. “We are experiencing creeping authoritarianism in this country,” Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha said. (Axios / CBS News)
  7. The Trump administration will roll back federal limits on four toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water, reversing parts of a 2024 Biden-era rule designed to reduce cancer and other health risks. The EPA will rescind mandatory limits for GenX, PFBS, PFHxS, and PFNA while delaying enforcement of existing rules for PFOA and PFOS until 2031. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claimed the move allowed for “common-sense flexibility.” (CBS News / Washington Post / Politico / The Hill)
  8. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Congress that “people should not be taking medical advice from me” – despite leading the nation’s top public health agency. Kennedy made the comment under questioning about vaccines, saying that “My opinions about vaccines are irrelevant” while refusing to say whether he would vaccinate his children today. Rep. Rosa DeLauro responded bluntly: “You’re the secretary of HHS […] it’s horrifying that you will not encourage families to vaccinate their children.” (ABC News / NBC News)

end note/ The End of Rule of Law in America. “The 47th president seems to wish he were king – and he is willing to destroy what is precious about this country to get what he wants.” (The Atlantic)
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Uuuuugh what do you do trapped in a house with 90 year olds who want to talk politics because they think the Bible should be taught in school
 
Bubble181

Bubble181

Option A: try to explain that the Freedom of Religion means that teaching the Bible would mean also having to teach the Quran, the Vedas, and any other Holy Book since they're all on equal footing.
Option B: turn on Soylent Green, point their wheelchairs in the direction of the TV, and let them watch an instructional video on how to help society as a person who can no longer create value for shareholders.
Option C: flamethrower.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
blotsfan said:
Assuming you have to maintain a relationship with these people, just keep your mouth shut. If you don’t, then idk, kill them?
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Bubble181 said:
Option A: try to explain that the Freedom of Religion means that teaching the Bible would mean also having to teach the Quran, the Vedas, and any other Holy Book since they're all on equal footing.
Option B: turn on Soylent Green, point their wheelchairs in the direction of the TV, and let them watch an instructional video on how to help society as a person who can no longer create value for shareholders.
Option C: flamethrower.
Click to expand...
Yeeeaah, it's my grandparents. I'm going with Blots' plan, in as much as I can (you guys KNOW I can't resist political discussion, especially when something is said that is blatantly, obviously false).

It's just sad to see the nicest lady I ever known talk about how Trans people are "against god" when I know this is a position that her 65 year old failed son (my uncle) who is one of those "I watch OANN because Fox News went woke" ultraconservatives who moved back in with them for 30 years when his marriage and career fell apart.

There's a reason I don't spend a lot of time with these folks... but it's become very obvious that this might be my last opportunity to see my grandparents before they're gone... so I had to.
 
HCGLNS

HCGLNS

Ask which Bible. They respond with a simple answer. Ask which version. They respond confused. Respond with "Oh. 《Dramatic Pause》 So are you excited about the NFL draft?"
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
1/ Trump’s tax bill would add at least $2.5 trillion to the deficit, with the true cost reaching $5.2 trillion if Republicans extend temporary cuts as planned. The bill delivers $3.8 trillion in tax breaks, mostly for corporations and high earners, while cutting Medicaid, food stamps, and clean energy programs to offset a fraction of the cost. The average top 1% household would get a $65,000 tax break; the bottom 20% would get $90. However, the bill is struggling to get through Congress with at least three Republicans on the House Budget Committee saying they will vote no – enough to block the bill from advancing – while some moderate Republicans are calling the cuts politically toxic and fiscally unstable. (Washington Post / Politico / The Hill / NBC News / Bloomberg / New York Times / CNN)

2/ Walmart will raise prices this month as Trump’s tariffs drive up costs on imported goods. “We aren’t able to absorb all the pressure,” CEO Doug McMillon told investors, pointing to increases already visible on basics like bananas. Meanwhile, retail sales in April rose 0.1% – down from 1.7% in March – as shoppers pulled back spending after rushing to buy ahead of price hikes. Separately, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned of a tougher economic landscape ahead, saying: “We may be entering a period of more frequent, and potentially more persistent, supply shocks.” (New York Times / NPR / Wall Street Journal / Axios / CNBC)

3/ The Trump administration used U.S. diplomats to pressure African governments into fast-tracking approvals for Elon Musk’s satellite company while Musk was working in the White House. In Gambia, Ambassador Sharon Cromer warned that U.S. aid, including a $25 million power project, was under review, which a senior official described as a threat: “The implication was that they were connected.” After a meeting in Washington, Cromer bypassed Gambia’s telecom regulator and urged the president to approve Starlink directly. The effort involved close coordination between the State Department and Starlink, who described their goal as to “ram this through.” Records show similar pushes in at least four other countries, often tied to U.S. trade talks and aid cuts. Kristofer Harrison, who served as a State Department official in the George W. Bush administration, said: “If this was done by another country, we absolutely would call this corruption. Because it is corruption.” (ProPublica / ABC News / The Hill)

4/ Trump told Apple CEO Tim Cook to stop expanding iPhone production in India and instead build more devices in the U.S. Apple plans to shift about 25% of global iPhone production to India, aiming to reduce reliance on China. Nevertheless, Trump said he told “Tim Apple” that “I don’t want you building in India […] I said to Tim, I said, ‘Tim we’ve treated you really good, we put up with all the plants that you built in China for years […] we’re not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves.” Trump also claimed India offered him a trade deal with “literally no tariff” on U.S. goods, though he gave no details. Trump imposed a 26% “reciprocal” tariff on Indian imports last month. (Axios / CNBC)

5/ House Democrats opened an investigation into Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million private jet from Qatar, while Senate Democrats moved to block $3.5 billion in arms sales to Qatar and the UAE. Lawmakers accused Trump of soliciting a bribe, citing the timing of the jet offer and his complaints about delays to a new Air Force One. “This isn’t a gift out of the goodness of their hearts — it’s an illegal bribe,” Sen. Chris Murphy said, who introduced resolutions to halt arms deals that include Reaper drones, Chinook helicopters, and radar systems. Rep. Jamie Raskin, meanwhile, called the jet plan “a clear violation of the Constitution,” noting that Trump wants the plane to go to his library after leaving office. Trump defended the deal, claiming critics would rather taxpayers “pay, TOP DOLLAR.” Attorney General Pam Bondi, who approved the deal’s legality, previously lobbied for Qatar and now faces demands to testify and release legal memos. (Politico / Fox News / NBC News)

6/ Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million in Trump Media stock on April 2 – the same day of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement. While Bondi’s disclosure form doesn’t show the trade’s timing or price, it does show that she sold up to $500,000 in Trump Media warrants. The stock dropped 13% in the days that followed. Bondi had until early May to divest under her ethics agreement, but instead sold ahead of the tariff announcement. Bondi previously worked for the SPAC that merged with Trump Media. (ProPublica)

The midterm elections are in 537 days.

✏ Notables.

  1. The U.S. gave Iran a formal nuclear deal proposal for the first time, pushing Tehran to cap uranium enrichment and allow inspections in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump said Iran “sort of agreed,” warning that “this is not an offer that will last forever.” A top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, meanwhile, said Iran would only sign if all sanctions end and it can continue low-level enrichment for civilian use. (Axios / NBC News / CNN / Bloomberg)
  2. The Department of Homeland Security asked the Pentagon for 20,000 National Guard troops to help with immigration crackdowns inside the U.S. If approved, it would be the first time Guard units are used this way. A Defense Department official said lawyers are reviewing whether troops would take part in arrests or only provide support. Trump previously told DHS to bring in 20,000 officers from state and federal agencies. And, about 2,000 agents from the ATF, DEA, and U.S. Marshals were reassigned to help with arrests this week. (New York Times)
  3. The National Weather Service is “not ready” for hurricane season, with at least four forecast offices no longer staffed overnight and 155 critical jobs still vacant. NOAA called the situation a threat to “mission-critical operations,” but remains bound by a government-wide hiring freeze. Nearly 500 staff have been forced out under what one official described as a push for “efficiency.” (ABC News / Washington Post)
  4. The Trump administration canceled more than 1,400 federal research grants, including over 100 tied to online misinformation, despite no evidence any projects involved censorship. Officials say the cuts are meant to protect free speech by preventing government-funded research from influencing how online platforms moderate content. None of the canceled projects, however, called for censorship. The National Science Foundation, NIH, and Pentagon ended funding for studies on AI-generated fakes, foreign propaganda, and public health misinformation. (New York Times)
  5. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered the FDA to review mifepristone regulations based on “new data” from an anti-abortion think tank report that has not been peer-reviewed or published in any medical journal. The report, released by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, claims high complication rates but includes misleading data, such as counting ectopic pregnancies, which mifepristone neither causes nor worsens. (The Guardian)
  6. Florida banned fluoride in public water – the second state to do so after Utah. Gov. Ron DeSantis called water fluoridation “forced medication” that violates “informed consent.” The law, tucked into the state’s Farm Bill, bars unspecified “additives,” effectively ending statewide fluoridation starting July 1. DeSantis cited claims of health risks based on disputed research. (ABC News / NBC News)
  7. DOGE claimed that 40% of phone calls to the Social Security Administration about changing direct deposit information came from fraudsters. But SSA data shows phone-based direct deposit fraud makes up less than 0.0003% of total benefits. In April, SSA launched new anti-fraud checks in response to those claims. The system flagged two suspicious cases out of more than 110,000 phone claims. The policy delayed payments, slowed retirement processing by 25%, and forced some people to visit field offices. SSA admitted in an internal memo: “No significant fraud has been detected from the flagged cases.” (Nextgov)
  8. The White House has released just 29 transcripts out of 146 public remarks Trump made during his first 100 days in office – about 20%. Missing transcripts cover some of his most controversial comments, including false claims about Jan. 6, praise for Putin, and a rant about aircraft carriers using “a new theory” involving magnets. The administration stopped emailing transcripts five days after taking office and hasn’t posted any since March 13. Asked why, communications director Steven Cheung replied: “You must be truly fucking stupid if you think we’re not transparent.” Previous administrations routinely released all transcripts compiled by nonpartisan staff. Trump’s White House, meanwhile, still claims to be the “most transparent” in history. (HuffPost)
  9. Trump’s June 14 birthday military parade will cost taxpayers up to $45 million. The event, framed as the Army’s 250th anniversary celebration, includes 6,600 troops, 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 25 tanks, along with a fireworks show and country music concert. The price tag excludes city expenses like road repairs and cleanup. Trump defended the cost, calling it “peanuts compared to the value of doing it.” (Washington Post / USA Today / Reuters)

/end note. Stephen Miller re-emerges as an ‘untouchable’ force in Trump’s White House. “The ‘president’s id’ is leaving his mark on domestic and foreign policy with knowledge acquired in Trump’s first term and power delegated in this term.” (NBC News)
 
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