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Timothy Taylor's avatar

It seems as if a lot of what is happening right now is meant to misdirect attention of the media from what Trump is up to. Amy Gleason, who appears to be on vacation in Mexico, must be surprised to learn she is administering DOGE. Meanwhile, European news outlets have reported that Ukraine was threatened with having Musk's starlink, critical to their war effort, turned off if they didn't agree to giving their rare earths resources to the US. The whole rare earth resources issue is new with Trump. The US had not made it's support of the Ukrainians conditional on being "paid back" when it was given by the Biden administration as approved by the Congress.

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Kimberly Milless-Ruiz's avatar

I am no lawyer but isn't this extortion?!?! How awful is it for a sitting US president to leverage a country's war, people's deaths and a country's safety for money!!?? What a POS! Just embarrassing. (I edited my spelling on "countries" ... I am pretty sure I could get a job in the White House releasing statements with all my improper use of apostrophes! lol!)

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Russell John Netto's avatar

Trump has apparently obtained no security guarantees from Russia, while giving away the house, and he's also going to require Ukraine to hold a presidential election obviously to try and install a pro-Russian administration (as they've already done in Georgia). Al, this has been achieved without Trump and Putin meeting each other once.

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Liz L's avatar

Yes! Blackmail by Musk. There was never any kindness behind his actions. Always a dark motive

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steve jensen's avatar

This is what they want.

DJT sells influence to those who can afford his crypto-quid pro quo-coin. Musk wants to privatize ATC, NOAA (and use his satellites system to track) and create an online currency (tax and bank data).

I'm sure there's more things like this going on involving others.

If you know of more scams, add here, please.

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Russell John Netto's avatar

That's not strictly true. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the U.S. has provided assistance worth $119.8 billion since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Only around $4 billion has to be repaid, and the repayment deadline is as late as 2065, according to prior agreements. But it's largely true: Trump wants the US not only to be repaid in full but with interest of over 100% (and rising - yesterday he claimed the minerals deal could be worth a trillion dollars to the US). We also learned yesterday that he had failed to obtain any security guarantees for Ukraine from Russia which means a MInsk 3.0 ceasefire agreement (or no agreement at all, since Putin now believes he can win the war).

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Cindy Gailey's avatar

I don't know who Amy Gleason is. Heard she was in Mexico on vacation. Who picked her, whoever she is, to run Dogeball? I'm sure one of Muskox's rich friends fed him the info on rare earth minerals. Pretty petty bullying to want a country to 'pay back' for our support. Sick.

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Nancy G Leveson's avatar

I heard that Lindsey Graham was playing golf with Trump, and Trump said he didn't know why he should care about Ukraine. Apparently, Graham then told him about the rare earth minerals. Then Trump's eyes lit up.

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Russell John Netto's avatar

I'm assuming that Graham first had to explain to Trump what a rare earth mineral was and why they were important?

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Sara F Sparling's avatar

Who can mention that there’s a national purchase boycott on this Friday? No online or credit card purchases; no buying from Amazon, Costco, Target, all the biggies; only sudden needs for food or medicine from local stores, hopefully with cash or checks.

Can you announce this?

If not, who could?

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The BobCaster©'s avatar

https://thepeoplesunionusa.com/

Consider it mentioned.

(I wasn't going to shop on Friday, anyway. I wonder if that counts?

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SAWSAN ALHADDAD's avatar

Yes it does.

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Jim Steadman's avatar

Heather - Your daily letters are terrific. But would you consider changing your pronunciation of DOGE to either Dozh (or maybe to Dodge) instead of continuing to use Doggy? Doggy automatically brings to mind a couple of wonderful dogs who were members of our family and far better than anyone at DOGE.

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Russell John Netto's avatar

Why defer to Musk? He's already insisting that his absurd-looking Robo-van should be pronounced Rob-O-van.

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Jim Steadman's avatar

Because I (and perhaps others, as well) don't like to think of our beloved Basset when reading about the scoundrels in control now. They are not in the same category - the dog was a true friend. Musk is nothing more than an insidious stench emanating from a rotten core.

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Russell John Netto's avatar

I forgive you!

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FeralAF's avatar

They can't answer who's in charge of DOGE? Should all be fired immediately.

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Liz L's avatar

Didn’t Massie vote no because the budget cuts were not enough? I’m so sick about all of this.

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Russell John Netto's avatar

There was an article in the New Yorker yesterday by Keith Gessen that mentioned a paper written in June last year by a group at the European Council on Foreign Relations, led by Jeremy Shapiro, a former Obama Administration official on what Trump 2.0 was likely to bring. It seems they were right on the money so far, with even worse yet to come - https://ecfr.eu/publication/imagining-trump-2-0-six-scary-policy-scenarios-for-a-second-term/

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Annie Amalie Gisvold's avatar

A similar theft took place once before (at least once) and that happened in 16th century England with the destruction of the monestaries. Here is a brilliant lecture by Clare Asquith on the subject and on the Essex rebellion, what it really was about, and where she also demonstrates how Shakespeare primarily was a political writer:

https://youtu.be/pvvrQlxx88A?si=k4rfguc9sIet9dIR

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Evelyn Gaede's avatar

I almost lost my subscription! It was a gift and I didn't know so deleted something, not sure what!

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Jacqueline Gargiulo's avatar

I've read a better pronunciation for DOGE... DODGY. 😁

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Bambi Feaster's avatar

Dumb question. How does one change their subscription

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The BobCaster©'s avatar

Very top of page, right hand corner. Click on your picture to get to your account info.

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SAWSAN ALHADDAD's avatar

I really can’t understand this greed. How much money will ever be enough to satisfy these greedy ……s? (Fill in whatever noun you want).

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Kendall Hunter's avatar

This is what they voted for. Elections have consequences. It's not that I want this, it's that people need to WAKE THE F**K UP, and if this doesn't rouse them, nothing will.

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Marigene Larew's avatar

Hello Heather, from Down Under. For the first time in several months of listening or reading your words, I could not play your podcast. No idea why not.

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