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DOGE cuts, global confusion and the devastating effect on an HIV/AIDS organization in Mozambique.Mozambique has the second-largest AIDS epidemic in the world. And Gaza province is the hardest hit spot in the country. NPR's Juana Summers recently traveled there to see how the Trump administration's cuts left aid organizations scrambling.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Matt Ozug, Vincent Acovino and Alejandra Marquez Janse.It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy
Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias sits down with Skye Perryman, CEO of Democracy Forward, to break down the legal fight against Trump's $1.788 billion slush fund — and why the Department of Justice made a huge legal mistake. They also discuss Democracy Forward's efforts to expose DOGE's voter data security breaches, and how their work is an important reminder that due process is available to all of us. Even when going up against the president.Subscribe to our free newsletters or upgrade to support our work: https://bit.ly/3OK7w4A Learn more about Democracy Forward: https://democracyforward.org/
Donald Trump promised lower prices and a stronger economy. Instead, Americans facing a devastating economic shock in the coming months. Matt Robison speaks with Anne Kim and Ira Shapiro, co-editors of Betrayed: America Didn't Vote for This, about the long-term consequences of Trump's second term, the damage to institutions, the rule of law, government competence, medical research, and democracy itself.Then Matt is joined by Lawrence Winnerman to discuss his blockbuster analysis of why rising energy costs, supply-chain disruptions, inflation pressures, and the AI economy may be setting the stage for a major economic downturn. They explore the hidden costs of the Iran conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, the growing gap between Wall Street and the real economy, and whether artificial intelligence could eliminate millions of white-collar jobs.Subscribe to Worth Knowing for independent analysis you won't find anywhere else: https://worthknowing.substack.com#Trump #Economy #Recession #Inflation #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Politics #Project2025 #Substack #WorthKnowing #LawrenceWinterman #AnneKim #IraShapiro #DonaldTrump #EconomicCrisis #WhiteCollarJobs #MiddleClass #Tariffs #Iran #StockMarket00:00 Introduction: Actions, consequences, and America's coming economic shock01:17 Why Trump won in 2024—and why many voters feel betrayed03:35 Introducing Anne Kim and Ira Shapiro04:29 The most destructive thing Trump has done06:26 DOGE, federal workforce cuts, and institutional damage08:17 Elections, democracy, and public trust10:24 What insiders say privately about Trump13:12 The assault on the rule of law15:02 Damage that may never be reversed16:10 Can America's political culture recover?18:07 Why former Trump voters are turning against him19:11 The meaning of "Betrayed"21:18 Trump's legislative legacy and the SALT deduction debate22:05 What the authors hope this book will accomplish23:17 Citizen action and political accountability24:07 Can institutional damage be repaired?25:08 Has Trump created a playbook for future presidents?26:31 The critical choice facing America in 202828:38 Transition to Lawrence Winterman29:42 The economic consequences are coming30:20 Oil tankers, inventory cushions, and delayed inflation33:19 When consumers will begin to feel the impact34:13 Why even reopening the Strait of Hormuz may not help35:18 The long-term "stupidity tax"36:32 Known consequences vs. unknown consequences37:13 AI spending, recession risks, and economic distortion39:34 AI, white-collar jobs, and the coming disruption40:16 Why the stock market is disconnected from the real economy41:11 Are tech CEOs quietly preparing for a major shift?43:04 AI layoffs and corporate adoption44:08 Could AI replace millions of white-collar jobs?45:12 Is the AI boom becoming a bubble?46:06 What AI means for writers, creators, and Substack47:18 How AI is changing work inside major corporations49:39 Could AI create more jobs than it destroys?50:25 The productivity gap explained52:33 What happens during economic transitions?53:37 Ross Perot's "giant sucking sound" revisited54:34 Trump's failure to prepare America for AI55:14 Policy ideas to soften the transition56:20 Universal basic income and other proposals57:24 Why the real problem is that we're not having the conversation58:03 The benefits—and risks—of technological progress59:14 Should AI be taxed?1:00:04 Why America may already be running out of time1:01:00 Final thoughts and next week's episode
Alex breaks down the explosive shakeup at CBS News, where Bari Weiss's overhaul of 60 Minutes has triggered a newsroom revolt and raised questions about the future of one of America's most trusted institutions. From the firing of veteran journalists to Scott Pelley's remarkable public confrontation with Weiss's new executive producer, Alex examines whether this is a necessary reinvention—or the "DOGE-ing" of American journalism. Along the way, he explores what happens when powerful institutions are remade from the inside and why one veteran reporter decided to say the quiet part out loud.
Thursday, May 29th, 2025 A federal judge STRIKES DOWN Trump's entire executive order targeting the Wilmer Hale law firm for political retribution; Judge Chutkan allows a lawsuit seeking to enjoin Elon Musk and DOGE's operations to proceed; another federal judge has ordered the release of the Russian scientist that brought inert frog embryos into the US; yet another judge blocks Trump's attempt to stop congestion pricing in New York; immigration courts are dismissing cases of those sent to El Salvador potentially cutting off their return; the Government Accountability Office rebuffs Trump's power grab; another SpaceX Starship launch fails while Musk cries about people not liking him; U-Haul bans Patriot Front nazis after they rented their trucks for a march in Kansas City; the Tate brothers have been charged with rape and sex trafficking in the UK; Nancy Mace's former staff claim she had them create burner accounts to promote her online; Trump gets mad about the Wall Street acronym TACO during a press conference; and Allison delivers your Good News. MSW Media, Blue Wave California Victory Fund | ActBlue Guest: Adam Klasfeld All Rise News All Rise News - Bluesky Adam Klasfeld (@klasfeldreports.com) - BlueSky Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) - Twitter Federal judge on Trump DOJ's defense of orders targeting BigLaw: "Give me a break" | AllRiseNews Stories: Immigration courts are dismissing cases of those sent to El Salvador, potentially cutting off their return | NBC News US judge allows states' lawsuit against DOGE to proceed | Reuters US judge grants Russian-born Harvard scientist bail in immigration case | Reuters Judge temporarily blocks Trump from retaliating against New York over congestion toll | ABC Action News Tate brothers face rape and trafficking charges in the UK | AP News SpaceX launches another Starship rocket after back-to-back explosions, but it tumbles out of control | AP News Nancy Mace's Former Staff Claim She Had Them Create Burner Accounts to Promote Her | WIRED Trump's not happy about Wall Street's name for tariff flip-flops | POLITICO Congressional Agency Rebuffs Trump Bid to Expand Power Grab | Democracy Docket U-Haul bans Patriot Front members after trucks rented in KC for march | The Kansas City Star Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Savage evaluates President Trump's record through a self-styled "Trump scorecard," grading key campaign promises, successes, or unfinished business. He offers concern about the war with Iran, the growing national debt, the failure to abolish the IRS, unresolved conflicts in Ukraine, unreleased Epstein and JFK files, the lack of a Fort Knox audit, and what he sees as a failure to hold officials accountable for past scandals. At the same time, he credits Trump with creating DOGE, exposing an estimated $300 billion in government waste, and securing the border without additional spending.
Jill Biden is on a media tour to support a new book and the headlines are coming fast and furious. Plus, the latest on a DOJ lawsuit that Biden wants squashed because, many believe, it could reveal his mental state. And we dive into trillions of dollars in fraud just discovered and how DOGE is still quietly working in the background.
Jill Biden is on a media tour to support a new book and the headlines are coming fast and furious. Plus, the latest on a DOJ lawsuit that Biden wants squashed because, many believe, it could reveal his mental state. And we dive into trillions of dollars in fraud just discovered and how DOGE is still quietly working in the background.
DESCRIPTION Today's broadcast dives into explosive new allegations of government waste, fraud, and abuse uncovered by the Trump administration and DOGE investigators. Tara and Lee break down jaw-dropping figures involving welfare overpayments, fraudulent SBA loans, fake nonprofits, Medicaid abuse, and taxpayer-funded NGO schemes that allegedly siphoned hundreds of billions from the federal government. The show also covers California legislation critics say would criminalize investigative journalism targeting nonprofit fraud, plus growing outrage over activist groups receiving taxpayer money while journalists and whistleblowers face intimidation. SUMMARY This episode focuses on the Trump administration's aggressive anti-fraud campaign and the staggering amounts of taxpayer money allegedly lost through government programs over the last two decades. Tara highlights claims that trillions may have been stolen through welfare fraud, Medicaid abuse, fake nonprofit organizations, and fraudulent COVID-era SBA loans. The conversation also examines the political implications of the crackdown, including accusations that Democratic officials ignored or protected fraud networks tied to activist organizations and NGOs. Tara argues new legislation in California targeting citizen journalists and nonprofit investigations reflects growing panic among political elites as public scrutiny intensifies. The show closes with discussion about DOGE operations continuing behind the scenes, federal prosecutions expanding nationwide, and the broader debate over government accountability and taxpayer transparency. KEY TOPICS DOGE fraud investigations SBA loan fraud allegations Medicaid and welfare overpayments NGO funding controversy California journalism legislation Government waste and abuse Federal fraud prosecutions Immigration nonprofit scrutiny Biden administration oversight criticism Trump administration anti-fraud efforts SEGMENT HIGHLIGHTS “DOGE Never Went Away” Tara discusses claims that DOGE investigators are still actively uncovering major fraud operations inside federal agencies. “$186 Billion In Overpayments” Breakdown of massive welfare and Medicaid overpayment figures reportedly tied to ineligible recipients. “The $200 Billion SBA Bombshell” Reaction to new allegations involving fraudulent PPP and SBA loan programs. “California's War On Citizen Journalists” Discussion about controversial legislation critics say would punish investigative reporting targeting nonprofit misconduct. “The NGO Money Pipeline” Tara explains claims that taxpayer money was routed through activist organizations and nonprofits with little federal oversight. QUOTE OF THE DAY “They are trying to criminalize journalism because the fraud is finally being exposed.” SOCIAL MEDIA TEASER Every day brings another MASSIVE fraud revelation. Tara breaks down the exploding DOGE investigations, billions in alleged government waste, California's push to silence citizen journalists, and why Democrats are panicking as prosecutions ramp up.
DESCRIPTION A bizarre and explosive federal case is raising serious questions about oversight inside America's intelligence agencies. Tara and Lee break down the shocking allegations against a CIA official accused of possessing $40 million in gold bars, millions in cash, fake credentials, and fraudulent military claims — all while allegedly submitting fake government paperwork. Plus, the hosts connect the scandal to broader conversations about massive government fraud, SBA loan abuse, welfare overpayments, and what DOGE investigators continue uncovering behind the scenes. OPENING TEASE A CIA official allegedly walks away with $40 million in gold bars… and nobody noticed? Tara and Lee react to one of the wildest federal fraud stories yet while diving into the staggering amount of waste, abuse, and corruption investigators say is hiding inside the federal government. SEGMENT BREAKDOWN SEGMENT 1 — THE GREAT DISHWASHER STRIKE Tara jokes about a long-running office feud over dishwashing detergent Story about refusing to clean the office kitchen until management responded Humorous setup comparing workplace controls to government oversight failures SEGMENT 2 — THE CIA GOLD BAR SCANDAL FBI arrests CIA official accused of stealing public money Allegations involving $40 million in gold bars and $2 million in cash Discussion of missing receipts and nonexistent oversight Hosts react to reports that luxury watches and gold bars were recovered SEGMENT 3 — FAKE DEGREES & FRAUDULENT MILITARY CLAIMS Accused official allegedly fabricated degrees from Clemson and RPI Claims of fake military reserve status and fraudulent leave pay Questions raised about CIA hiring and vetting practices Discussion about broader concerns involving the intelligence community SEGMENT 4 — GOVERNMENT FRAUD EVERYWHERE Continued discussion about DOGE uncovering fraud across federal agencies SBA loan fraud and welfare fraud revisited Discussion of hospice fraud, food stamp fraud, and home healthcare abuse Hosts argue fraud investigations are exposing systemic failures SEGMENT 5 — DEEP STATE & ACCOUNTABILITY Debate over corruption inside federal agencies Questions about who approved the missing gold bars Discussion about political influence inside intelligence agencies Concerns about taxpayer accountability and government waste KEY TALKING POINTS CIA official accused of possessing $40 million in gold bars Missing documentation and oversight failures Fake degrees and fabricated military claims Luxury watches and cash seized in investigation DOGE fraud investigations expanding across government SBA, welfare, food stamp, and hospice fraud concerns Questions surrounding intelligence agency accountability QUOTE OF THE DAY “You gave him tens of millions of dollars in gold bars… and didn't even make him sign the form?” THUMBNAIL TEXT OPTIONS $40 MILLION IN GOLD?! CIA FRAUD EXPOSED WHERE DID THE GOLD GO? FBI RAID SHOCKER THEY NEVER CHECKED?! GOVERNMENT FRAUD EVERYWHERE SEO KEYWORDS CIA gold bars scandal, FBI investigation CIA official, government fraud, DOGE investigations, SBA fraud, welfare fraud, PPP loan fraud, fake military records, fake college degree scandal, federal corruption, intelligence agency scandal, taxpayer fraud, government waste, Clemson degree fraud, Rolex seizure SOCIAL MEDIA CLIP TITLES “CIA Official Accused Of Taking $40 MILLION In Gold” “Nobody Checked The Paperwork?!” “DOGE Keeps Finding BILLIONS In Fraud” “Fake Degrees Got Him Into The CIA?” “This Government Fraud Story Sounds Fake… But It Isn't” “Who Approved The Gold Bars?!” HASHTAGS #CIA #FBI #Fraud #GovernmentWaste #DOGE #Politics #Corruption #BreakingNews #Trump #GoldBars #Podcast #News #TaxpayerMoney #GovernmentFraud #Conservative FINAL SUMMARY Today's episode blends humor and outrage as Tara and Lee react to a stunning federal investigation involving a CIA official accused of possessing millions in gold bars, cash, and luxury items while allegedly fabricating credentials and abusing g ...
DESCRIPTION New fraud revelations continue pouring out as the Trump administration and DOGE uncover billions in questionable payments, fraudulent loans, and alleged abuse of taxpayer-funded programs. Tara and Lee break down shocking welfare overpayment figures, fraudulent PPP loans, controversial California legislation critics call the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” and growing battles over redistricting in South Carolina and Texas politics. Plus, explosive claims about NGOs, food stamp fraud, and why conservatives say the political establishment is panicking as investigations ramp up. OPENING TEASE Every single day another jaw-dropping fraud number drops — billions in welfare overpayments, fraudulent PPP loans, fake nonprofits, and now even allegations of food stamp scams stretching overseas. Meanwhile critics say Democrats are trying to criminalize citizen journalism and silence investigators exposing the system. Tara and Lee unpack the latest political firestorm. SEGMENT BREAKDOWN SEGMENT 1 — DOGE STILL OPERATING? Discussion about Elon Musk confirming DOGE operations continue behind the scenes Claims that fraud investigations are accelerating daily Stephen Miller statement suggesting fraud crackdowns could significantly reduce national debt Debate over Medicaid and welfare “overpayments” versus outright fraud SEGMENT 2 — SHOCKING FRAUD NUMBERS $186 billion in alleged welfare and Medicaid overpayments discussed Claims of trillions lost to fraud since 2003 SBA announcement regarding fraudulent PPP loans Discussion of criminal prosecutions and recovery efforts underway SEGMENT 3 — CALIFORNIA'S “STOP NICK SHIRLEY ACT” Criticism of proposed California legislation targeting citizen journalism Debate over nonprofit oversight and investigative reporting Concerns raised about penalties for sharing investigative footage online Discussion surrounding immigrant nonprofits and transparency SEGMENT 4 — SOUTH CAROLINA REDISTRICTING WAR Shane Massey criticized over opposition to Republican redistricting efforts Debate over congressional maps and party representation Hosts argue Republicans are failing to maximize political advantage Discussion of South Carolina tax policies and state leadership frustrations SEGMENT 5 — TEXAS CULTURE WAR HEATS UP Debate over Texas candidate James Talarico and church library materials Discussion of gender identity books and LGBTQ topics aimed at youth Vegan campaign clip controversy revisited Broader conversation about cultural battles inside American politics SEGMENT 6 — FOOD STAMP FRAUD & NGO NETWORKS Allegations involving food stamp fraud schemes in Massachusetts Discussion about NGOs allegedly avoiding federal oversight Claims that Democrat-controlled states resist sharing program data Debate over immigration, welfare systems, and taxpayer accountability KEY TALKING POINTS DOGE investigations allegedly uncovering billions in fraud Welfare overpayments versus organized fraud operations PPP loan fraud prosecutions increasing California bill targeting investigative journalism sparks backlash South Carolina Republicans divided on redistricting strategy Texas political and cultural battles intensifying Food stamp fraud allegations tied to immigrant communities NGOs and government accountability under scrutiny QUOTE OF THE DAY “Every single day another shocking fraud number drops — billions here, billions there, and nobody can believe how deep it goes.” THUMBNAIL TEXT OPTIONS BILLIONS STOLEN? DOGE UNCOVERS MORE FRAUD THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE THIS MASSIVE WELFARE SCAM? DEMOCRATS IN PANIC MODE THE FRAUD NEVER ENDS SEO KEYWORDS DOGE fraud investigation, Trump administration fraud crackdown, PPP loan fraud, Medicaid overpayments, welfare fraud, California journalism bill, Nick Shirley Act, Shane Massey redistricting, South Carolina politics, Texas politics, James Talarico controversy, NGO fraud allegations, food stamp fraud, Elon Musk DOGE, JD Vance fraud investigation SOCIAL MEDIA CLIP TITLES “DOGE Just F ...
Oil Drops – Still highest cost for Memorial Day in years Consumer Sentiment Drops again New Fertilizer coming – Kinda Soilent Green vibe Everyone is talking about SpaceX PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - Oil Drops - Still highest cost for Memorial Day in years - Consumer Sentiment Drops again - New Fertilizer coming - Kinda Soilent Green Concept - Everyone is talking about SpaceX Markets - Nothing Really Matters - Anyone can see - New HIGHS - Governments picking the winners again - CHIPS ! - Concentration NVDA - Over the weekend, Jensen Huang said that his forecast of a $200 billion market for CPUs includes China, signalling Nvidia still sees significant long-term demand in the market amid ongoing U.S.-China technology tensions. - During an earnings call on Wednesday, Huang said Nvidia's new "Vera" central processors give it access to a new $200 billion market. - So, once again the PR machine is running overtime to make sure there is no reason for anyone to sell the stock - needed to make this clarification over the weekend - Nvidia has received licenses from the U.S. government to sell its H200 chips but has not received approval from Chinese officials who are fostering China's own chip suppliers. Consumers - Consumer sentiment has tumbled to a fresh record low in May as fears of higher prices grow due to the U.S.-Iran war and elevated oil prices, the University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers said Friday. - The index of consumer sentiment fell to 44.8 from a preliminary reading of 48.2. It's also well below the 49.8 level seen at the end of April. Consumers Upset South Korea - Record after record... - This is an impressive chart - Two companies -Samsung and SK Hynix -----40% of the entire KOSPI index's total market capitalization. Kospi Index Who Believes this Crap? - U.S. forces have conducted “self defense” strikes in southern Iran early Tuesday, with U.S. Central Command saying that this was to “protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.“ - “U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire,” Hawkins added. - Meanwhile there was some talk over the weekend that --- 1) We are very close to a deal and it will happen soon ----2) We are in no rush for a deal ----3) How many times is this same line going to be used to try to push the price of oil down (it did move towards $90 after the weekend resumption of futures trading) - Neither side can agree on anything... Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the United States has seen some progress towards a deal but that more work was required, while Iran's foreign ministry said the differences remained deep and significant. - Tiresome CEO of Ford - Did you know -??? - The CEO of Ford (Jim Farley) is cousin to Chris Farley Farley and Farley Crops - Farmers worldwide are under pressure due to the Iran war disrupting supplies of conventional nitrogen fertilizers, forcing them to improvise ahead of the fall planting season. - Some farmers are turning to age-old solutions like manure, while others are experimenting with newer technologies, including waste-based inputs and microbial products. -----Circular bio-economy The crisis is giving fresh momentum to products that have long struggled to gain widespread adoption, with demand for biofertilizers and biostimulants rising and companies seeing rising interest and increased sales. - Municipal wastewater and treated human urine, which contain high levels of nutrients that can be processed. ---- So, if your corn is a little extra yellow this summer - now you know... Government's Hand - Quantum computing shares popped last Thursday, as the U.S. government said it would award $2 billion in grants to nine firms operating in the space. - IBM is the biggest beneficiary of the package, with the U.S. Commerce Department agreeing to give the firm $1 billion. - Chipmaker GlobalFoundries is receiving $375 million, while other grant recipients D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing and Infleqtion will be awarded $100 million. - Shares of D-Wave added 33%, Rigetti soared 30% and Infleqtion skyrocketed about 31%. - Funding will come from the 2022 Chips and Science Act. More Money Throwing - Nvidia Corp. bought $500 million worth of rights for shares in Corning Inc. as part of a partnership to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure. - Corning pledged to increase US fiber production capacity by more than 50% to supply more optical fiber for AI data centers. - The partnership includes Corning's plan to construct three new complexes in North Carolina and Texas, which is estimated to create more than 3,000 new US jobs. DEBT - Global debt hits new record, IIF (institute for International Finance) report shows - Global debt rose for a fifth consecutive quarter in Q1 2026, increasing by more than $4.4 trillion to a record high of over $350 trillion, with the increase concentrated largely in the United States and China. - Investors shows signs of shift away from Treasuries - Global debt-to-GDP ratio stable around 305% - NOTHING TO SEE HERE Global Debt More Charts AI Reality? - Starbucks retires AI tool nine months after North American deployment - Tool was part of CEO Brian Niccol's campaign to fix product shortages - AI tool miscounted items, leading to errors, Reuters has reported Starbucks cites need for consistency, supply chain improvements in ending program More AI - Elon Musk's Grok is seeing minimal adoption in US government - even though it's cheap- - Grok lags far behind OpenAI and other rivals that analysts call more capable - Data shows uptake by corporations is also weak, suggesting Grok's problems stretch beyond government - Is it possible that corps don't trust Musk after the way he heavy handled the DOGE process? - Is this going to impact SpaceX growth story? Employment and Ai - The co-founder of AI company Anthropic said on Monday that the development of artificial intelligence cannot be left solely to technology companies, urging greater oversight from religious leaders, governments and civil society. - Speaking at the presentation of Pope Leo's first encyclical, addressing the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, Chris Olah said there was "a real possibility" that AI will displace human labour "at very large scale". Scared - China is restricting overseas travel for top AI professionals in private firms, requiring them to get approval from relevant authorities before embarking on overseas travel. - The government is targeting talent within the AI sphere, including startup founders, researchers, and executives, and adding individuals to the list based on assessments of their critical importance to the country. - The restrictions risk undermining the ability of AI firms in China to recruit and retain talent, and may force engineers with global ambitions to choose between staying home or going abroad earlier in their careers. CHIPS - Micron topped a $1 trillion market value for the first time on Tuesday as shares popped 18%, driven by insatiable artificial intelligence demand for its memory chips. - The stock surge came as UBS tripled its price target on the stock from $535 to $1,625 a share, citing long-term agreement opportunities with partially fixed pricing. - “We believe the market will start to put a more ‘normal' multiple on the stock and MU will continue to re-rate higher as more details emerge about the structural changes AI has driven to the entire memory complex,” the firm wrote. SpaceX - Lots of interest on this... - Lots of clients calling on this and we are working on this for them - Here is a bit of a reality check... --- First - company still losing billions of dollars - some may look past that - - Weird inclusion period for indices and that may take stock up due to required buying ahead of the inclusion (keeping a floor on prices in the beginning) ---- SpaceX plans to allow a large portion of its shares to become eligible for resale before the usual six-month restriction period post-IPO, under a staged system conditioned to the company's performance, a company filing shows. - The approach, designed to avoid a large wave of shares hitting the market at once, would depart from the standard 180-day lock-up that has prevailed in the U.S. Most companies going public restrict early investors from selling shares to help stabilize the stock. - Valuation somewhere between $1.5T and $2T (a year ago it was like $400 million) - Valuation in December was $750 M - Rationale for the big valuation: SpaceX is leveraging its satellite network to build massive, space-based AI data centers, which take advantage of limitless solar energy and off-planet cooling Retail - Ross Stores Inc. raised its sales and profit guidance after first-quarter results surpassed consensus estimates, aided by strong customer traffic among younger shoppers. - The company reported sales of $6.01 billion and earnings of $2.02 per share, with same-store sales growing 17% in the period, a record for Ross. - Ross now expects full-year same-store sales to grow 6% to 7%, and earnings of $7.50 to $7.74 per share, with executives citing increased customer traffic as a key driver of profit. Meanwhile - Walmart issued a worse-than-expected financial outlook amid soaring gas prices. - Finance chief John David Rainey said high tax returns may have muted some of the impact high gas prices had on shoppers in the first quarter, indicating consumer pressures could rise in the current quarter - The big-box retailer issued fiscal first-quarter results that beat Wall Street's expectations on the top line but were only in line on the bottom. - The retailer said it's expecting adjusted earnings per share to be between $2.75 and $2.85, lower than expectations of $2.91, according to LSEG. - Walmart said it anticipates net sales will rise between 3.5% and 4.5% for the year. Ferrari - Electric - Ferrari (RACE) is trading lower today after the company unveiled its first fully electric vehicle, the Ferrari Luce, marking a major strategic shift away from its traditional combustion-engine supercar identity. - The Luce is a four-door, five-seat ultra-luxury EV developed with former Apple (AAPL) design chief Jony Ive, featuring a quad-motor setup producing over 1,000 horsepower, a 0--60 mph time of roughly 2.5 seconds, and a price tag around $640,000. - Despite these headline-grabbing performance specs, investors reacted negatively because the design is seen as a sharp break from RACE's iconic styling, with many critics arguing it looks closer to a mass-market EV than a traditional Ferrari. Saying goodbye - One of America's once-dominant beer brands is being discontinued after more than 175 years. - Schlitz Premium, a beer brand that traces its roots to Milwaukee in the 1840s and was once among the largest breweries in the country, is being put "on hiatus," parent company Pabst Brewing Co. confirmed Friday after Wisconsin Brewing Company announced it would brew the brand's final batch later this month. - "Unfortunately, we have seen continued increases in our costs to store and ship certain products and have had to make the tough choice to place Schlitz Premium on hiatus," Zac Nadile, Pabst head of brand strategy, said in a statement to Milwaukee Magazine. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Announcing the THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN for SALESFORCE (CRM) Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt! FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter
Republican voters are sending a clear message to the GOP establishment. Todd breaks down Ken Paxton's decisive primary victory over John Cornyn in Texas and explains why the America First movement continues reshaping Republican politics nationwide. Todd also examines redistricting battles in states like South Carolina and Indiana, exposing why Republicans refusing to use constitutional political power could hand control back to Democrats. Plus, hear Stephen Miller's eye-opening comments on waste, fraud, and abuse inside federal entitlement programs — and why reforming the system could fundamentally change America's fiscal future. Conservative principles, constitutional authority, and government accountability take center stage in today's Toddcast.
Republican voters are sending a clear message to the GOP establishment. Todd breaks down Ken Paxton's decisive primary victory over John Cornyn in Texas and explains why the America First movement continues reshaping Republican politics nationwide. Todd also examines redistricting battles in states like South Carolina and Indiana, exposing why Republicans refusing to use constitutional political power could hand control back to Democrats. Plus, hear Stephen Miller's eye-opening comments on waste, fraud, and abuse inside federal entitlement programs — and why reforming the system could fundamentally change America's fiscal future. Conservative principles, constitutional authority, and government accountability take center stage in today's Toddcast.
EPISODE SUMMARY A stunning new report claims the federal government may have lost more than $3 trillion to fraud and improper payments since 2003 — and the Trump administration says that number could actually be much higher. Tara and Lee break down the jaw-dropping welfare and Medicare overpayment scandal, why DOGE and JD Vance are aggressively auditing decades of federal spending, and how COVID-era policy changes allegedly supercharged abuse in blue states. Then, the conversation turns global as allegations intensify over Chinese Communist Party influence operations inside the Democrat activist ecosystem, including claims of funding connected to radical protest movements and political influencers. The show also dives into escalating tensions with Iran, mining operations in the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns surrounding ongoing Middle East negotiations tied to the Abraham Accords. From massive government waste to international power plays, this episode connects the dots between fraud, foreign influence, and geopolitical instability. FEATURED STORIES Trump administration estimates at least $3 trillion lost to fraud and improper payments since 2003 Welfare and Medicare “overpayments” surged to $186 billion in the final Biden fiscal year JD Vance and DOGE intensify anti-fraud investigations across federal agencies Questions emerge about state-level oversight failures after COVID policy changes Allegations of Chinese Communist Party funding tied to activist and political networks Growing scrutiny of foreign influence laws and political funding pipelines Iran accused of mining the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing negotiations Debate intensifies over Middle East strategy and Abraham Accords diplomacy KEY TAKEAWAYS Federal anti-fraud investigations are now reaching back decades, not just targeting recent spending. Improper payment estimates may represent one of the largest financial scandals in U.S. history. Debate is growing over how states handled welfare eligibility verification during and after COVID. Foreign influence and activist funding networks are becoming a larger political flashpoint. Middle East negotiations remain volatile as tensions with Iran continue escalating. SEO KEYWORDS Trump fraud investigation, JD Vance DOGE, $3 trillion fraud, Medicare fraud, welfare overpayments, government waste, China influence operations, Democrat protests, Iran Strait of Hormuz, Abraham Accords, Trump administration news, political podcast, federal fraud scandal, CCP funding allegations, foreign agent registration SOCIAL MEDIA POST
In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Liz Crandall, a former US Forest Service field ranger who was fired by DOGE last February and has since transitioned into advocacy, activism, and podcasting, serving as the host of Rangers of the Lost Park. In this one, Liz walks us through nine years of climbing the federal government's career ladder, from GS3 volunteer to permanent employee, and what it actually felt like to receive the phone call telling her it was over. She breaks down the DOGE firing process, the spam-looking emails that nobody believed were real, the Fork in the Road offer that most people didn't take, and what it looked like inside a Forest Service office where even the people who voted for the administration were crying. She also shares what it took to go from a person who was trained never to talk to the press to someone doing live CNN, the roadless rule and why she thinks rescinding it is a bad idea, her crown jewel podcast guest Ken Burns, and two pants-shitting stories from her hitchhiking days that she's been dreading telling us since she booked this. We wrap the show with hikers who discovered human remains in Vermont, the celebrity names we can never remember, how I butchered the boy who cried wolf, the triple crown of the worst gifts to give your kids, and an ALL TIME listener email and poop story. Topo Athletic: Use code "TREK15TOPO" at topoathletic.com. Gossamer Gear: Use code "BACKPACKERRADIO" for $20 off LT5 Trekking Poles at gossamergear.com. OnX Backcountry: Through Memorial Day, use code "TREK70" for 70% off at onxmaps.com [divider] Interview with Liz Crandall Rangers of the Lost Park Podcast Rangers of the Lost Park Instagram Liz's Instagram Time stamps & Questions 00:05:34 - Processing 00:10:30 - Reminders: Join us for Chaunce's live podcast sendoff, subscribe to The Trek's Youtube, check out our new merch, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:17:25 - Introducing Liz 00:18:10 - What's the story behind your ranger raccoon tattoo? 00:24:47 - Tell us about working in wildlife rehab between Forest Service seasons 00:30:23 - How did you go from wildlife rehab to becoming a field ranger? 00:33:00 - What do the GS pay grades mean and how does the Forest Service career ladder work? 00:36:39 - What were your biggest accomplishments climbing from GS-3 to GS-6? 00:41:13 - When did things start going wrong under the new administration? 00:43:01 - What were the Fork in the Road emails from DOGE actually saying? 00:47:15 - What happened when the February 14th firing emails went out? 00:52:06 - Is there any optimism that fired feds could get their jobs back? 00:53:32 - How fast did you go from being fired to becoming an advocate? 00:57:41 - What was it like representing all fired feds in the press? 01:00:15 - Discussion about the State of the Union and lobbying in DC 01:02:18 - What do you disagree with about the Forest Service and BLM? 01:09:25 - How did Rangers of the Lost Park get started? 01:10:31 - How did you land Ken Burns as a guest? 01:15:26 - What were the biggest takeaways from your Ken Burns interview? 01:17:46 - What are some of the top remaining battles for public lands? 01:20:48 - How do you respond to people who aren't affected by these issues? 01:26:45 - Where do you get your validation when the wins are invisible? 01:28:45 - Triple Crown of Liz's best podcast guests 01:31:20 - How do you find joy in a world of bad news? 01:34:07 - Pants-shitting stories from Liz's hitchhiking days 01:43:17 - What's your most underrated piece of backpacking gear? 01:45:45 - Tell us about your mountain lion and grizzly bear encounters 01:56:40 - Peak Performance Question: What is your top performance-enhancing or backpacking hack? Segments Trek Propaganda: Hikers Discover Human Remains Near Vermont Appalachian Trail by Kelly Floro QOTD: What celebrity names can you never remember? Parenting Thing of the Week Triple Crown of the worst gifts to give young kids Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, JaredNotFromSubway, Jason Kiser, Jason "The Snail" Snailer, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, Dakota J, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.
Register here to attend the live virtual event "Why Investors Are Targeting Oklahoma Real Estate in 2026" on Thursday, May 27th at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Keith explains how rent payments are starting to factor into credit scores, boosting accountability for tenants and strengthening landlords' position. He introduces the "GRE Duck" to show how a plain long-term rental can quietly build wealth through several profit centers beyond visible cash flow. Keith also shares why he expects a new era of heightened inflation and how owning real assets with long-term fixed-rate debt can help investors stay ahead of it. Finally, Keith is joined by a GRE Investment Coach, Naresh Vissa, to highlight Oklahoma as an under-the-radar, business-friendly market that many investors see as a promising "next place" for cash-flowing rentals. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/607 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments. For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text FAMILY to 66866 Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. To get in the best physical, mental, and professional shape of your life, go to DanielThomasHind.com and apply for Daniel's intensive 1-on-1 coaching for burnt-out entrepreneurs and executives. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review" For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript: Keith Weinhold 0:01 Welcome to GRE. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. The American consumer is in real trouble today, and persistent inflation is poised to make it worse. How should real estate investors adjust their strategy? Learn the difference between delinquency, default, and foreclosure. Why making an early mortgage payoff is almost always ill-advised, then we explore an investment market that's poised for potential today on Get Rich Education. Keith Weinhold 0:32 You know, Mid South Homebuyers, that top Memphis turnkey provider, I learned that a secret weapon behind their explosive growth is more than just you buying their properties. It's an executive coach for nine years now. Their CEO, Terry Kerr, and his COO, Pat Nix, have worked privately with a coach who I've now learned from too, and he doesn't market himself online anywhere. After 12 years behind the scenes, that coach is now making himself available exclusively for GRE listeners. His name is Daniel Thomas Hind. If you're a hard-charging business owner or investor who wants to get in the best shape of your life, physically, mentally, and professionally, you can fill out an application for a free consult. This is private one on one coaching for those willing to go to uncommon lengths to achieve uncommon results. Thanks to Daniel, we've all become better leaders, better operators, and better men. It started by showing up for ourselves. Now it's your turn. Go to danielthomashind.com H I N D, that's danielthomamashind.com and sign up before spots fill. Keith Weinhold 1:45 Flock Homes helps multifamily owners exit the operator grind, whether it's your sixplex or a 50 unit apartment through a 721 exchange. This defers your capital gains tax. It's a strategy long used by institutions. Now you can swap tenants and toilets for passive income and zero management. Request your initial valuations. See if your property qualifies at Flock homes.com/gre that's F L O C K homes.com/gre Corey Coates 2:18 You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is Get Rich Education. Keith Weinhold 2:34 Welcome to GRE from Arcadia, California to Arcade New York, and across 188 nations worldwide. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to Get Rich Education. Around here, we don't look at a house and see four walls, we see five profit centers quietly doing jumping jacks behind the drywall. At the same time, most people seem to think cash flow is something that you catch in a stream. Hey, well, Who's in trouble out there amidst persistent and rising inflation? Well, you know the answer, it's just another reflection of the K-shaped economy and the hollowing out of the middle class. Now we can look at how many Americans are missing their mortgage payments. The mortgage delinquency rate is historically between one and 2% That just means that's the proportion of borrowers that get seriously behind on their mortgage payments. That's the normal range over the long run. Today's figure is pretty low at 1.1% so on the low end of that historic one to 2% range. So homeowners are in good shape, but credit card and automobile loan delinquencies are now deeply concerning, and a lot of times these people can be your rent paying tenant for credit card delinquency. Back in 2022 the rate was 8% Now 13% of credit card users are seriously behind on their payments. How about automobile delinquency? Back in 2022 it was 3.6% Now it's 5.6% and then there's student loans. The proportion of seriously delinquent student loans is 10.3% That's the highest since 2020 So the average borrower entering student loan default is now fully 40 years old. Before the pandemic, it was just 36 and a half. Now, there's surprisingly few hard statistics on the exact average age at which Americans fully pay off student loans, but the best available evidence from a platform. Called the Education Data Initiative, it suggests that the typical borrower who successfully repays on a standard timeline finishes somewhere in their early to mid 40s, and a substantial share of borrowers still carry student debt into their 50s and even 60s, so the US student loan crisis is intensifying. How about your tenant in that rent payment? About one in eight renters are behind on their rent payments per the CFPB. Almost every tenant catches up. Some live a paycheck to paycheck timing game. The payment that renters are most likely to miss is for credit cards, and, like I just put the numbers to, they are more than twice as likely to miss a credit card payment than they are an automobile payment. To most tenants, losing the car would mean losing the job, so they'll make the car payment before the credit card payment, and eviction is catastrophic, so they don't want to face that. They'll make that rent payment before a credit card payment too. Alarmingly, half of American credit card users carry balances from month to month, fully half the average interest they're paying is 21 to 22% I mean, sheesh, if Luboo is in a collection of wildly overpriced Stanley tumblers that all look big enough, waste of money. Now, some debtors can tap home equity to pay their consumer debt, but a lot of them aren't homeowners, all right. So, what does this all mean for residential income property owners? Well, since 1980 rent increases have compounded at 3.9% annually, that's the number, so almost 4% rent growth since about the time that Ronald Reagan became president, but rent growth is currently lagging behind this, and I expect that rent hikes will continue to be pretty paltry for the next couple years. Inflation is stressing tenants' consumer purchases too much for them to deal with steep rent hikes. The median household income of a US renter is $55,000 Overall, it's $84,000 All right, so to be clear, that 84k household income is not for homeowners, it's 84k overall for every American household. The 55k number is just for renters. What all this means is that this coming higher wave of inflation from the Iran war, where you're now poised to potentially see the highest rate of inflation of your entire life occur in the next couple years is that when you're looking at adding rental property on your pro forma, you can see how the numbers would be with those historic 3.9% rent increases each year, but it's wiser to run your numbers with no rent increase at all, because higher inflation on all these consumer products means it's less likely that they can handle a rent hike Keith Weinhold 8:25 In the mortgage world. What's the difference between delinquency, default, and foreclosure, anyway? Because some people use a couple of those terms interchangeably, but there is a difference. The timeline is that once you're 30 days late, that is delinquency, and this condition occurs the moment that a single payment is missed. And at this early stage, your bank still hopes that this is temporary, because the bank actually doesn't want to take back your property. They're not in the business to do that. They want you to be able to keep making your payments in general, because if a borrower keeps missing payments and a bank has to take possession of the property, well, then that bank has to pay legal fees and court costs, and even property taxes if they end up taking back the property. Yeah, the bank pays all of that if they have to take it all right, so that's 30 days. What about when a borrower gets to 90 days late on payments, where we're trending closer to the bank having to take back the property? Well, 90 days, that's the point at which we're in mortgage default. When a homeowner's 90 days late on payments, the lender kind of says to themselves that bank is saying, hey, this is serious, and they file what's called a notice of default with both the homeowner and the courts at the 120 day mark. This is pre foreclosure, right? So, after about four months or more of missed pay. Payments and state timelines vary. Texas is famously Formula One fast, really lender friendly, then, but timelines can drag on for one to three years in a bunch of northeastern states, Florida, Illinois and Ohio, so they're more borrower protective, and during Covid, this was overridden, and even fast states became slow. Beyond 120 days of non-payment, this is foreclosure, the legal seizure process. This is when the home sells that auction to the highest bidder. That's sort of like Sotheby's for distressed drywall, but if no bidder raises their paddle, well, then the property returns to the bank and becomes R E O. You've probably heard this term before, that stands for real estate owned, R E O. It also kind of means bank owned, and bank owned is the phrase that kind of makes more sense. That's what REO is, all right. Yes, this is when the bank becomes the home's reluctant landlord, and if the occupant has not left, the bank can formally file for eviction. Banks don't like being in this position, and they might sell the home cheaply. Why would they do that? Because, again, banks are not in the business of owning property, and they don't want to pay those holding costs, besides paying legal fees and court costs, and the banks now having to pay property tax because they do temporarily own that foreclosed upon property. Now they're also usually paying for maintenance, repairs, and insurance, a non-paying borrower like this can typically cost a lender 1000s per month. So this is the difference between delinquency, default, and foreclosure. But, like I said, we are at a time when mortgage delinquency rates are historically low. Instead, it's consumer debtors that are more likely to default today on things like their credit cards and their automobile loans. The takeaway for real estate investors here is that in today's inflationary times, renters are increasingly cost-burdened, rent increases are historically slow. That's sort of the bad news. And then the upside, the good news is it also means that tenants must delay home ownership and keep on renting from you, because as they struggle to pay these rising expenses, it's also harder and harder for them to form a down payment and go buy their own place, that's the real lesson with the parts of the economy where you see default trends today. Keith Weinhold 12:52 Now, if you're an income property owner, like I am, you probably have mortgages with a bunch of different banks, lenders like I do. You've probably noticed more than once that various banks and mortgage servicers, a lot of times, they feature these early payoff tools, enticing you to pay your mortgage off ahead of time, before it goes its full 30 year term, or whatever your full loan duration is. I mean, a lot of banks love it when you try to pay off your own early. It's often good for them and bad for you. And there are a few reasons that banks do this. They reduce their default risk if a bank convinces you, the borrower, to aggressively pay down your principal. It also builds equity faster, and you become less likely to walk away, so it's safer for the bank during downturns. Say there's a borrower with a 300k property and a 50k loan balance, meaning it's mostly paid off. Oh, that's far less risky to the bank than one with a 300k property and a 200k loan balance, meaning that you have less equity in it. So banks value stability. Another reason that some banks want to roll out the red carpet to try to get you to pay off your mortgage early is because banks recycle capital. They don't simply hold every mortgage for 30 years. A lot of loans are sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or they're bundled into mortgage-backed securities, or they're serviced for fees. So your originating bank, when they first made that loan with you, oh, they've already earned their origination fees and servicing income and cross-selling opportunities, so getting principal back from you sooner allows them to reissue new loans sooner, and see rising interest rate environments like we've been in lately that changes the incentives for banks too, because if current mortgage rates are higher than your old rate a. Wow, then banks really love getting your old low rate loan paid off. Just say, for example, you have a 3% mortgage that you got five years ago, and new mortgages today are 7% Oh, if you pay off or refinance the old loan, oh well, now the bank can redeploy that money into higher yielding loans. Now they can lend it out at today's 7% that is really valuable to them. So encouraging your payoff, that is often just some consumer service positioning and marketing. You'll see messaging like, hey, make extra payments, or hey, you can own your home faster if you make extra principal pay downs, that's sort of marketing psychology. Because emotionally, a lot of consumers, they're not thinking big, they still emotionally love debt freedom, because a lot of them don't even consider true financial freedom is something that's in the realm of possibility for them, so banks provide tools because customers oftentimes want them and like them. Regulators actually like this position too. It's positioned as responsible lending optics, and financially healthy borrowers are deemed to be safer customers, but a bank sure does not want delinquency or foreclosure from a wealth building perspective. Productive low-cost debt benefits you, the borrower, enormously. Keith Weinhold 16:34 And on previous episodes, I've talked extensively about how making extra principal pay downs on your mortgage is a bad idea, and that's whether it's rental property or your own home, and you know, I'll bring a new example to this for you. It might feel good to pay off your mortgage faster. Your bank probably likes that, as I just explained, but feeling good doesn't build your wealth. Let's just take a 400k mortgage at a 6% mortgage rate. We'll keep it simple. With a 30 year loan, your payment is about 2400 monthly, so you'll pay 864k over the life of the loan. Well, instead, with a 15 year loan, your payment's 3376 and you'll pay just 608k over the life of the loan. So, by paying extra principal with the 15 year, you save about 255k in interest over the life of the loan, and that's it. Most people stop right there, and they think, oh well, then the 15 year paying down principal faster than that has got to be the smarter way, look, I can point to this on paper and show you, no, but with that extra about $1,000 per month of mortgage payment that you made by going with the 15 year, if instead you would have just invested that at an 8% return, you would have about 1.1 million more dollars in your pocket. Some people say they sleep better because their house is paid off, but I would rather sleep knowing that my money is growing faster than my debt is costing me. I only used 8% as a return, too. If your dollars were instead invested in a different vehicle, say in buy and hold income property. We know that it can be multiples higher than 8% and all the while, if we keep our own money and avoid making an early pay down, our cash is also going to remain more liquid than if we sunk it into the house, because houses make terrible banks. It is indeed rather myopic to make extra principal payments on a mortgage loan in most cases. In fact, somewhat related to this, coming up on a future show, I'm going to tell you about the biggest financial expense you will ever have in your life, it is not taxes, it's not housing, it's not interest charges, it's not inflation, it's not paying for children, and it's not health care. Most people have never heard of it. The biggest financial expense that you'll ever have in your life. I'll talk about that coming up in a future episode. Keith Weinhold 19:23 Is today's American housing market a buyer's market or a seller's market? In fact, it's somewhat of a discussion that you can have. There's not a clear cut answer, because more so than usual, it depends on which region of the nation you're looking at. As we know, six months of available supply is a balanced market nationally. There's only 4.4 months of existing housing supply, but almost twice that much new housing supply. National median home values are only up about 1.1% year over year. And what's the future of the investment market? Good, I'm going to discuss this and more with a guest later today. I would like to seriously thank you for your listenership. GRE is a platform largely built on long form trust, podcast listeners, newsletters, coaching calls, and referrals, releasing a show 52 weeks a year for between 11 and 12 years now, and the show is delivered every week from me, a real human flesh and blood host with a pulse and sometimes a cowlick in my hair, really human stuff going on here. I say this because robot podcast hosts are becoming more common, though I still wouldn't say that robot hosts are widespread. Amazon's Alexa Plus now produces AI-generated podcasts featuring chats between two robot co-hosts, but here on GRE it's always been human delivered with no plans to change that promise, and speaking of human connection, I learned that a number of successful guests that you've heard here on the show, they've gotten counsel from a rather special executive coach that's really developed some of these people that you've heard on the show. This coach has helped people show up as the best version of themselves and build them into better leaders, better operators, and better men and women, just like you, I know there's a gap between who you are and who you could be. When someone points out that gap to you, that can be a motivator alone, and when you learn the steps to close that gap, you really start to fulfill your potential. It often takes a trained eye from the outside to get you on the right trajectory and build the sort of person that compounds and builds you closer to your optimal self and people of enormous success have a coach or mentor behind them. Steve Jobs did, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Taylor Swift does the accountability piece alone is often enough to elevate your performance. I just learned about this coach this year. This man has been the behind the scenes key to success for a number of not just real estate related pros and GRE guests, but other people too. And interestingly, he hasn't marketed himself online anywhere. Well, I got curious, I learned more about him and kind of tracked him down, and he and I had a great lunch in California together not long ago, and I have since learned from him after 12 years behind the scenes. Well, it was quite a successful lunch, because that coach is now making himself available exclusively for GRE listeners. His name is Daniel Thomas Hind, the number of people with life-changing testimonials from working with him is pretty remarkable. So, if you're a hard-charging business owner or investor, and you want to get in the best shape of your life, physically, mentally, or professionally, you can fill out an application for a free consult. It's private one on one coaching, if you're willing to go to uncommon lengths to achieve pretty uncommon results. Thanks to Daniel, we've all become better leaders, better operators, better men. It started by showing up for ourselves. If it sounds interesting to you, now it can be your turn. You might at least look into it, since it is close personal one on one coaching. He can only help a limited number of people. So, complete an application before spots fill. You can go to Daniel Thomas hind.com H I N D is how you spell his last name, that's Daniel Thomas hind.com More next, I'm Keith Weinhold. This is Get Rich Education. Keith Weinhold 24:05 What if you got your mortgage loans the same place I get mine? You sure can at Ridge Lending Group, NMLS 42056 They provided GRE listeners with more loans than anyone, because Ridge specializes in investment property. They'll help you build a long-term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequal, and even chat directly with President Chaley Ridge. While it's on your mind, start at Ridge Lending group.com That's Ridge lendinggroup.com Keith Weinhold 24:36 Let me ask you something: if you've worked hard to build wealth, is your money positioned to actually support your goals. A lot of accredited investors leave capital sitting in cash because it feels safe, but inflation and missed income opportunities can quietly erode its value. Freedom Family Investments offers Freedom Notes for investors seeking structured income backed by real estate. It's a straight. Forward approach built on real assets, not speculation. In full disclosure, I'm an investor myself. What I like is that their team walks you through how it all works, so you can decide if it aligns with your portfolio and income goals. Every investment carries risk, and nothing is guaranteed, but with a track record of consistent on-time investor payouts, they built real credibility. Go to freedomfamilyinvestments.com to book a clarity call, or text family 266866 that's Family 266866 Keith Weinhold 25:38 This is Peak Prosperity's Chris Martinson, listen to Get Rich Education with Keith Weinhold and Don't Quit Your Daydream. Keith Weinhold 25:52 For an in-house chat, I'd like to welcome back our head investment coach here at GRE. He has his MBA, but perhaps more importantly, he's an active real estate investor himself, and he spends his days helping GRE listeners cut through the noise and actually make smart real estate investing decisions, and this means helping you figure things out, like what market fits your goals, whether cash flow appreciation or even showing a tax law should be your priority, and how to think about financing and what properties, the exact properties pass the smell test, and maybe most importantly, helping investors like you avoid expensive mistakes. And yes, the coaching is free to GRE listeners at GRE Investment coach.com And basically, if the real estate world feels like Costco on a Saturday afternoon, he helps you find the free samples, find the exit, and get the good deals without getting run over by a shopping cart. It's time for you to share with the audience. Naresh Vissa. Naresh Vissa 26:53 Thanks a lot, Keith, for having me back on the show. Always a pleasure to connect with our loyal GRE listeners and followers, Keith Weinhold 27:01 a lot of loyal listeners, some that have listened to all 600 plus episodes, starting from back in 2014 and Naresh we continue to see income property builders provide incentives that we haven't seen in years. Tell us about it. Naresh Vissa 27:19 We're at a key point in this real estate cycle, Keith, regarding incentives, because we had GRE, and I think investors will tell you this, not just through GRE, but maybe in their hometowns and their local markets, that they're seeing incentives that they've never seen before, and a major reason for this is understanding why these incentives are there in the first place. If we go back five years to 2021 we didn't really see any incentives in 2021 outside of maybe like one year of free property management, which isn't the most enticing incentive out there, but today we are seeing more incentives than we've seen, at least in my career as a real estate investor, which is not very long, it's only about 10 years, but in my career as a real estate investor, in my career as a real estate investment coach, and a major reason for that is because providers, we call them providers, we can call them local market builders, or specialists, or flippers, wholesalers - we'll just call them sellers - they want to offload inventory, they want to sell their homes as quickly as possible. And why is that? Because we're not in a 2021 environment anymore, where a property gets listed and within three hours the first offer comes in, and within 24 hours multiple offers are in, and within two days of property is sold. We're not in that environment anymore. There are a variety of factors about why we're not in that environment. Part of it is economy related, part of it we talked at length about Doge, and the government contracts that have been cut. I mean, we're talking about hundreds of billions of dollars that are worth of dollars that are no longer pumping into the US economy, and the many jobs associated with that. We're also talking about the artificial intelligence, so the tech industries for the last few years, have not necessarily downsized, but changed their job functions, or removed, just eliminated job functions entirely, and this has affected markets, not the entire United States, but it's certainly affected some markets that we operate in, Florida, certainly in Texas, you can look at Austin, Texas, for example, and see the impact that the artificial intelligence and AI has had in the sector there. There are just all sorts of reasons, and so this is why builders, they're not building as much. So there were five years ago what are called spec homes. And pre construction homes, pre construction homes are homes that are to be developed and they get buyers ahead of time and they don't build until they get a buyer and then they build and they complete the property. Pre construction homes are not being done anymore as compared to custom home. A custom home is when you have a buyer and the building has started, the buyer has paid a good portion of the building, and the property is complete. But in pre-construction, they haven't even broken ground, they haven't even gotten permits, and a lot of investors have been scared away from that, saying, Why get a home like that when I can just buy a spec home or a custom home. A spec home is a home where the builder just builds a property and they hope that a buyer is going to come after it's built, and the problem with that, as we're seeing today, this is why builders are trying to offload their inventory. It's because so many of these spec homes were built because these builders thought, oh, 2021 2022 those are such amazing years, but now in 2026 they built these homes, and there aren't buyers throughout the building process, they weren't able to get buyers, and there still aren't buyers available, so what do the builders want to do, they want to offer really, really enticing incentives, because it's very highly likely they took out some type of construction loan, and they took out some other type of loan, and they've got all this debt on the property. Builders are not landlords, builders build, they want to build something and sell it off. They do not want to hold on to it and let something just sit there, that builders make money by selling their property, so all these different reasons are why we're seeing incentives like we've never seen before. And to give you an example, instead of one year of property management, we're seeing two years of property management. Yeah, instead of closing cost credits, we're seeing builders and sellers in general actually pay money to buyers, so they close on a property. Let's say they, instead of a closing cost credit, you close on a property, they'll literally just wire you or overnight you a check for x amount of dollars, and this is not like $1,000 $2,000 We've had some investors get up to $50,000 mailed to them after closing on a property, so I think this is a really, really good time for investors to find deals. You brought up Costco earlier, I'm like the Costco finder, it's a really, really good time to find deals, because through networks like GRE we have access globally, not just mainland 48 states, not just United States, not just globally, whether it's teak timber parcels in South America or in Central America, or it's duplexes, quads, single family homes in mainland United States, we have access to these deals, to these incentives, whereas your average person, they're just reading some headline saying, oh, real estate is a bad investment right now, and home values are supposed to crash, and there's so many homes available for sale, and there's going to be this big crash, and and inflation is very high, which means interest rates are really high. That's like the general consensus, but that's what the mainstream news media is telling, and that's what's creating a consensus. Keith Weinhold 33:29 That's what clicks and fear. Yes, Naresh Vissa 33:31 that's where I say that there are GRE is here to find those diamonds in a rough to find those incentives to find those good deals to find those markets, just like even in the stock market, the stock market can be at all-time highs, but you can still find those diamonds in the rough that are good, high-quality companies. Maybe they're undervalued. There's always going to be some type of diamond in the rough. I don't think we've ever gone through a period in our lifetimes where it was like, oh, everything is going so well, and there's nothing to invest in. There's nothing we should just do nothing with our money. I don't think there's ever been a point. There's always in any asset class in any industry. So that's why I say right now I'm seeing incentives. That's how I began this conversation. I'm seeing incentives that I've never seen before, and I'm excited to share them with all of our GRE followers. Keith Weinhold 34:24 Yes, there's never perfection in a market like a panacea, where everything is tuned in just right, and it's really not a buyer's market nationally, in a sense. Now it sort of feels that way, because in 2021 to 2022 we had such a frenzy and such a run up in such a seller's market that things have come somewhat back more into balance. We still have substantially less than six months of supply on a national basis, but yes, to your point, some people are really cashing in on. These incentives, and that's created a pickup in activity recently that you've seen with investors. Naresh Vissa 35:07 I have absolutely seen a pickup in activity, and there could be.. I don't want to speak in absolutes.. there could be a variety of reasons for this. Number one is the stock market has consistently reached all-time highs for the past few weeks or so, and many people, they liquidated some of their portfolio, they liquidated some of those stocks, and said, all right, it's time to get into real estate. Another reason is, yes, you do see these headlines that are doom and gloom, next big crash, and there are some markets in Florida, for example, in Texas, for example, in the DMV area, DC metro area, Maryland, Virginia, and even in some parts of California, you do see a stagnation in home values, maybe even a decline in home values in some of these areas, but I bring them up because some areas where investors own are still thriving and doing really well, and many of those investors who we work with at GRE, they opted to 1031 and say, you know what, I had this property, it appreciated by 60% since I bought it, 60% 50% whatever it might be, and I want to cash out. Well, I don't want to necessarily cash out, but I want to sell in 1031 into an undervalued market, or a market where the homes have declined, or maybe it's an up and coming market. For those who don't know, 1031 is special tax favored strategy from the tax code that allows real estate investors to sell a property and to essentially replace it with a like kind property, and there's tax break, you don't have to pay a capital gains tax or anything on it. There's nothing like that with stocks. So, if you sell a stock, for example, you can't get a more expensive stock with that capital gain and avoid paying the capital gains tax. Unfortunately, you can't do that for stocks, but for real estate, you can. So, we've had several investors do that, where they, 1031 they said this market, it's taken off, maybe it could go down, who knows, but I'm selling at the peak, and I want to buy somewhere else, so that's what we help people do, that's what I help people do, I help them find those deals, those incentives, those markets that could be up and coming, or maybe that declined, and that's why still it makes a lot of sense to be on the lookout for those deals. Keith Weinhold 37:47 Now, one such place is potentially the Oklahoma market. Last week here on the show, I had your co-host for an upcoming event with me, Richard, whom is an Oklahoma City provider, and we were sort of a phrase that I use, Naresh, is that next place, that next place, Oklahoma City, where the prices haven't run up, it's business friendly, and you do have these affordable prices, and you have landlord-friendly laws, potentially that next place where your dollar goes further, and as the Oklahoma City Thunder go deep in the playoffs, you know the nice thing about Oklahoma is that you can still buy real estate there without needing an NBA contract to afford it. In fact, we were spotlighting their $145,000 new build detached single family rental. Now it is tiny, and it comes with both LVP flooring and granite. I mean, it's something that sort of sounds like science fiction in Metro New York City and coastal California. I don't know if paying 145k would even give you permission to look at a house, but that's one opportunity that we've been talking about here. Niresh, Naresh Vissa 39:03 let me talk a bit about Oklahoma, because this is a market that we haven't covered much. In fact, we, I would say, have never covered it in writing. It's not heavily featured throughout GRE's history. Yeah, it's not prominently featured on our website. This is a newer market, and I brought up the term up and coming, so I brought up the 1031 people are 1031 into up and coming markets. Oklahoma is an up and coming market. It's a very landlord friendly state, it's a very tax friendly state. The property taxes are significantly lower in Oklahoma, for example, compared to a Texas or a Florida, which are two very popular in real estate investment states. Investors go after Oklahoma is not quite as high, their home insurance isn't anywhere as high as a Florida, for example, but the best part. It is because of all these different factors. Oklahoma has a lot of industry, and we'll go into it this Thursday on our webinar. Go to GRE webinars.com to register, but Oklahoma, the tourism is getting up and running. The energy industry still has a very important part to play in this world's energy consumption, Oklahoma, it's got huge academic areas. You have Oklahoma University, you have Oklahoma State, you have a plethora of Tulsa has a very strong university there. You have medical schools there. Oklahoma is an underrated state. People don't think about Oklahoma when they think about what are the greatest states in America, or what state that I want to move to, but Oklahoma, I think, is that next up-and-coming state, because there's actually more stuff now. I brought up tourism, you brought up the Oklahoma City Thunder, they never had really any professional sports teams, what, 20 years ago, Keith Weinhold 41:02 right? Naresh Vissa 41:03 And the Thunder now are the best NBA teams. They have been the best, and I'm rooting for them. So this is all good. That's the Oklahoma City area, where the Thunder play, but, like I said, I brought up other markets, like Tulsa, where we have inventory, and there are a few others that we're going to cover, but mostly the best properties that we're going to cover on Thursday are in the Oklahoma City area, places within 45 minutes, 50 minutes from Oklahoma City. So, as you're watching the webinar and following the Oklahoma City Thunder, that should only kind of enhance as the team does better and as Oklahoma gets more publicity, and is on TV more, and you see all those nice stills on TV, and those shots, and ESPNs covering the city, that's all very good for real estate, and for publicity, and this is like an intangible reason to invest in Oklahoma that actually makes a very big difference. So, overall, Oklahoma is what I would call, like I said earlier, up and coming, the home values, because it's up and coming. You can't get $145,000 new construction property anywhere in the United States right now. When I say anywhere, there's a little bit of hyperbole there. If you look to some boondock towns and cities, yeah, you'll find them, but are they really good renters markets? Are they good appreciating markets? Well, in fact, the most of the state of Oklahoma is now, and definitely that Oklahoma City area is. So, I'm excited about this online special event we're having this Thursday, because, like I said, this is a new market, just like the team, I mean, so many fans are just new to Oklahoma, you know, like Oklahoma, like what's in Oklahoma. Well, attend our special event this Thursday, GRE webinars.com and we're going to get down to the nitty gritty of it. I think this is out of all the up and coming markets I've covered over the last 10 years, I think this is the best one, because the problems I had with some of these up and coming markets, like Memphis, for example, crime.. it's why are they up and coming? Why are the home value solo? Well, you know, crime was a major issue. There's no comparison between an Oklahoma City or a Tulsa and Memphis, for example, or a Baltimore. There's no comparison when it comes to esthetics, when it comes to newness, niceness, crime, homicides, no comparison. So, to me, this is a no-brainer. And I think investors should be really excited about this. Keith Weinhold 43:32 There is anticipation for Thursday's live event, which you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. You'll learn about real estate investing, you'll get to chat with Naresh and the co-host, Richard, that provides there. Ask any questions that you want to have answered in real time. The event name is why investors are targeting Oklahoma real estate this year. It is this Thursday night, the 20-eighth, 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific. Sign up is open@grewebinars.com It's free. Naresh, we all look forward to seeing you Thursday night. It was great having you here. Naresh Vissa 44:06 Thanks a lot, Keith. Looking forward to seeing everybody. Keith Weinhold 44:15 Yes, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the reigning NBA champions, and they've gone deep into playoffs again this season, but what you'll find more interesting about Oklahoma City's real estate investment market is that it's business friendly, still affordable population growth, job growth. There are still good deals. You don't need to have a venture capital exit just to put some rental property in your portfolio, and while those $145,000 properties are small detached cottages with LVP and granite, there are other single family rental and duplex styles, all new build, everything here is new construction, the. Like a nice looking 565k duplex in Edmond, Oklahoma. I'm looking at a photo of it right now. Edmund abuts right up against Oklahoma City. Between 2010 and 2020 it had whopping population growth of 16% That is not random. People vote with their moving trucks. Learn more about Oklahoma's growth in energy, aerospace, aviation, logistics, and tech, along with Oklahoma City's downtown revitalization. This creates the rent-paying tenants with stable incomes that we need at the event, the provider is even offering two years of free property management, and they handle all the tenant placement for you. Save your spot for Thursday now@grewebinars.com Our team will see you then. Next week, we'll have Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki back here on the show with us. We'll see you Thursday. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream. Unknown Speaker 46:08 Nothing on this show should be considered specific personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial, or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. The host is operating on behalf of Get Rich Education LLC exclusively. Keith Weinhold 46:36 The preceding program was brought to you by Your Home for Wealth building get richeducation.com
A devastating newly issued report by the Pentagon inspector general is consistent with whistleblower statements that DOGE quietly fired Pentagon officials in the team tasked with preventing civilian deaths in U.S. military operations. Dina Doll reports. Avocado Mattress: Go to https://AvocadoGreenMattress.com/misstrial and check out their mattress and furniture sale! Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Visit https://meidasplus.com for more! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show The Ken Harbaugh Show: https://meidasnews.com/tag/the-ken-harbaugh-show Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered
Una settimana hot. Il caldo dà alla testa, salute mentale 1,2 miliardi di persone nel mondo ne soffrono. I Gen Z ricevono 120 notifiche al giorno. La storia del Doge e il tentato rapimento di Marco Van Basten.
Tensions rise as Donald Trump's actions toward Iran spark global reactions while America faces growing concerns over border security, fraud investigations, USAID funding, AI regulation, and the future of the Democrat Party.In this explosive discussion, Gene Valentino breaks down the latest political chaos, government corruption allegations, Elon Musk's future tech ambitions, and why many Americans believe the nation is at a turning point. From Ukraine funding questions to AI dangers and DOGE investigations, this conversation covers the headlines mainstream media won't fully address.Watch now and decide for yourself where America is headed next.
The conclusion of our two-part episode from Morgan Stanley and MUFG's Japan Summit looks at structural shifts in Japan's economy and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's strategic growth agenda.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Seth Carpenter: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Seth Carpenter, Morgan Stanley's Global Chief Economist and Head of Macro Research. This is Part 2 of our podcast from the Japan Summit.It's Friday, May 22nd at 8 am in Tokyo.I might stick with equities for just a minute, and Sho, just to dig deeper into the equity market. Jonathan expressed some of the bullishness. Anything you want to elaborate on where the real strong conviction on this positive view about Japanese equities is coming from?And then just as a warning, I'm going to come back to you and ask, if you're wrong, where could you be wrong? Because again, I think where we add value most to clients is not just giving a clear view, but also pressure testing that view.Sho Nakazawa: Our constructive view on Japan equities comes down to one simple point. Three structural changes are still continuing. So, the first is shifting macro environment. The combination of stable inflation and wage growth is a kind of phenomenon we have not seen, at least in my lifetime. It changes corporates and households' behavior, especially in terms of balance sheet management.And then secondly, the corporates profit improvements. We do not see it as a cyclical recovery. We see it as a structural change. As in the past, Japan corporates heavily relied on cost-cutting amid a deflationary environment. But today, price pass-through is improving, and the Japan corporates are becoming better positioned in growth profit in nominal growth environment.The third is corporate governance reform. Awareness of the capital efficiency has clearly increased. We continue to see share buybacks, dividends increase, and a portfolio restructuring as well. And on top of that, the Takaichi administration has made growth investment and crisis management investment as well.Of course, the Middle East situation is a source of noise. But structurally is a supporting factor for Japan equities secular bear market, which is a view Jonathan has held for very long time, has actually becoming stronger.But let me say that if I'm wrong, maybe I should be more bullish. In fact, the two key drivers here, if we assess the bear case scenario on Japan equities…So, one key driver should be the upside come from the investors constructive view on the Japan fiscal efficiency. And on a micro level, the corporate behavior changing faster than market expects. If we assess the recent rise in long-term yields, it reflect the concern to the Japan fiscal position and that BoJ behind the curve.It would weigh on the Japan equity valuation because it raises cost of capital and it weighs on the Japan equity valuation. But on the other hand, [the] Japanese government will disclose its basic policy in June. And if it could include a credible plan to improve Japan's fiscal positions, perhaps under Japan version of DOGE, which is led by Financial Minister Katayama-san, I think it could alleviate the excessive concern toward the Japan's fiscal position, and it [could] lower the cost of capital on Japan equities.You know, micro level, the corporates behavior is already changing, as I mentioned. But there's still plenty, you know, space for Japan corporates to utilize non-cash generating assets such as cash and deposit, which is equivalent to 60 percent of GDP. The ratio is far higher than our global peers.So, if Japan corporates move further to capital efficiency or portfolio restructuring or use some excess capital, I think there should be additional room for Japan equity market to re-rate higher.Seth Carpenter: All right. So, if you're wrong, it's insufficient bullishness. That's a great place to be.So, so Koichi, Jonathan and Sho are bullish on equities. And so, do you expect big shift in capital flows, and would that drive further appreciation of the currency? How do you think about the global investors' view of Japan? And what it means for capital flows on the one hand, and the value of the currency on the other?Koichi Sugisaki: As for the capital flows, I think under this fresh regime, what's the notable change among the Japanese financials? That they are shifting away from the fixed income product, I mean, like JGBs.Given the current attractive yields, you maybe wonder[ing] why the banking sectors buy the JGBs. But according to the recent disclosures, they have not purchased the JGBs much because their lending activity performed very well. So, as far as their lending activity have performed well, they have no incentive to make money in the securities investment.You know, their lending activity have accelerated thanks to the corporate CapEx investment to improve the productivity amidst the labor shortages in Japan. Once the banking sector starts to see some slowdown or some symptom of the lending activity to slow down, in such a case, they are quickly shifted to the securities investment and the JGB market will change the world.But so far, you know, lending growth [has] accelerated much. You know, the April lending growth is around 6 percent on the year-on-year basis, very strong. So, I think the banking sector still not have a[n] incentive to buy the JGBs.As for the lifers, [the] case is much more serious, I think. Because of the younger ages shifting towards the equities to defend the asset, particularly under the new NISA scheme [which] was launched in 2024. The younger peoples basically allocate their asset to the equities rather than the saving type of the products.Which means that the lifers are struggling to make, to gather the new monies. And this means that the demand for the long-term JGB to shrink. And the Japan lifers already filled the duration this much by 2023 to prepare for the new regulations starting from this fiscal year. Now, fortunately, they already finished the duration this much, this type of operation by 2023. But the yield [has] gone up from 2024, thanks to the BoJ's normalization.So, under such conditions, they are now struggling to the high market loss on the long-term JGBs. And some of lifers are now facing the impairment loss accounting. That actually [makes] lifers a net seller of the long-term JGBs rather than the buyers.Seth Carpenter: Okay, super helpful. Okay, we focused a lot on near-term developments, the energy shock, first quarter GDP. But we can think about a longer-term growth scenario. And there, I think AI comes in at times. Chetan, you've talked about the near-term super cycle, and I think there's a near-term aggregate demand side to AI, but over the longer term, maybe it's more supply.When I think about where growth is going, though, I also think about shifts in the strategy for policy. So maybe Yamaguchi-san, you can talk to me a bit on your take of Prime Minister Takaichi's policies. What do we think is likely to get announced? When? How do you see it affecting the long-term growth outlook for Japan?Takeshi Yamaguchi: [The] Japanese government publishes growth strategy report and the basic policy on fiscal management or honebuto policy in June every year. But I think this year's, you know, documents will be pretty important because these are the first documents under the Takaichi administration.And these documents will set the direction of economic policy by Takaichi-san, Sanae Takaichi. Or Sanae-nomics. Compared with Abenomics, I think Takaichi-san focuses more on the supply side issues, you know, supply domestic investment. While Abenomics focused more on the exit from deflation, focusing on demand side policy, particularly, you know, monetary easing.In the growth strategy report, the focus will be strategic investment in 17 strategic areas, including AI, especially, you know, AI robotics, semiconductors, defense and space, cybersecurity, and content industry and so on.Another important point of Sanaeconomic system, there's overlap between these strategic investment areas and national securities. The government will also update its defense strategy by the end of this year, and there'll be a increase in the defense budget target. The focus will be a lot on, you know, I think, dual use technologies, and also resilience of supply chains going ahead.Another important point is, I think there will be a change in the budget formation process. I think, under deflation there's effectively cap on non-social security spending. But I think this government will likely allocate budget, you know, for multi-investment. So, I think the budget process will be more flexible. And they put more emphasis on the initial budget rather than the supplementary budget.So, I think, these documents will be pretty important to monitor going ahead. But overall, I think, the government – yes, they do care about the market conditions. They will likely avoid massive, you know, expansion. But I think a slight expansion, especially in the area of strategic investment is likely to happen.Seth Carpenter: Very helpful. Alright, that's the end of the panel. Thank you very much to my colleagues. And this is where I have to shift back into podcast mode to say thank you for listening. And if you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please share it with a colleague or friend today. Thank you very much, everybody.
What was USAID? How did DOGE destroy it, and with what impacts to global health and stability? Nick Enrich's book "Into the Wood Chipper" details the demolition of the agency that for less than 1% of the US budget saved 92 million lives globally. Listen to him tell the tale.
In episode 2062, Jack and Miles are joined by award-winning tv writer, comedian, creator of Gone Native, and author of We've Been Here the Whole Time!: A Not So Sacred Guide to All Things Native America, Joey Clift, to discuss… Give It Away Give It Away Give It Away Give It Away Now, Everyone Is Suddenly Remembering That Elon Musk Canceled “Ebola Prevention”, Robot’s Moonwalk Fail Goes Viral, Who Put Travis Scott In A Music Festival Comedy? And more! Blanche: "I don't understand what 'Epstein investigation' means. As for Jeffrey Epstein himself? Yes, he's dead." BLANCHE: Anybody in this country is eligible to apply if they believe they are a victim of weaponization VAN HOLLEN: An individual who was pardoned by Trump went on to molest 2 children... Can you commit to not making that person eligible for a payout? BLANCHE: You're obviously lying Epstein files? ‘Perfect Storm’: How Trump’s Aid Cuts Are Fueling the Ebola Outbreak Here is Elon Musk bragging about how he "accidentally" canceled all Ebola prevention efforts Clip of Elon Musk admitting DOGE cancelled Ebola aid funding goes viral as cases surge Musk says DOGE ‘restored’ Ebola prevention effort. Officials say that’s not true. Trump Self Dealing Is Kind of Insane Robot’s Moonwalk Fail Goes Viral Watch the moment a dancing robot collapses mid-performance - before its body is dragged off stage Travis Scott Praises Owen Wilson’s ‘Superhero, Super Father S–t’ in ‘Rolling Loud’ Movie Trailer Owen Wilson Loses His Son at a Music Festival and Befriends Travis Scott in Rolling Loud Trailer Rolling Loud The Movie (Teaser) Opinion: “A Star Is Born” Is A Very Good Movie Produced By A Very Bad Company Movie about Rolling Loud festival faces backlash over Travis Scott casting in light of Astroworld tragedy No Escape Plan: How missed warning signs at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival led to one of the worst U.S. concert tragedies Rapper Travis Scott avoids charges over fatal crowd crush at his 2021 Astroworld Festival Travis Scott and Live Nation Settle Almost All Wrongful Death Suits Stemming From Astroworld Festival in Houston Family of Youngest Astroworld Victim Settles Last Remaining Wrongful Death Lawsuit The Astroworld Tragedy Examines the Fatal Concert Through Survivors’ Eyes LISTEN: Don't Break by ZEPSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Castro Indicted & Democrat Chaos EPISODE DESCRIPTION The DOJ indicts former Cuban leader Raul Castro over the 1996 civilian aircraft attack that killed Americans, while political controversy erupts inside the Democrat Party over radical rhetoric, antisemitism accusations, and growing fears of extremism. Tara and Lee also dive into explosive allegations of federal fraud, DOGE investigations, Medicaid abuse, and a major South Carolina redistricting fight that could reshape congressional power. HOOK From Raul Castro's indictment to accusations of extremism inside the Democrat Party and billions in alleged federal fraud — today's show covers political chaos on every front. KEY TALKING POINTS DOJ indicts Raul Castro over the 1996 plane shootdown USS Nimitz strike group increases pressure on Cuba Trump administration vows accountability for Americans killed overseas Obama-Castro relations contrasted with Trump's Cuba policy Debate over communism, authoritarianism, and modern political rhetoric Controversy surrounding Democrat candidate Graham Plattner Discussion of “armed revolution” rhetoric and political extremism Marine Galindo backlash over comments targeting “American Zionists” Jared Moskowitz threatens expulsion effort if elected Democrat leadership criticized for limited response Allegations of massive federal fraud uncovered through DOGE investigations Senator Joni Ernst cites $1.4 billion per day in fraud allegations Senator John Kennedy discusses Medicaid abuse claims South Carolina redistricting battle intensifies Shane Massey and GOP infighting over congressional maps SEO KEYWORDS Raul Castro indictment, Trump Cuba policy, Marine Galindo controversy, Graham Plattner, DOGE fraud investigation, Joni Ernst fraud claims, John Kennedy Medicaid fraud, South Carolina redistricting, Shane Massey, Jared Moskowitz, Cuba news, political commentary podcast, Tara Servatius, Lee Cunningham, conservative talk radio SOCIAL MEDIA POST
More To The Story: When Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, went looking for government agencies to axe last year, one of its first targets was the US Agency for International Development. Established during the Cold War to counter Soviet influence, USAID spent billions of dollars on food aid, public health, and emergency relief for some of the world's most vulnerable populations. In return, the US hoped to gain allies and goodwill. Call it a decades-long exercise in soft power. But since President Donald Trump returned to office, soft power is out. And so is USAID, which has been slashed and reorganized. The Trump administration is trying to close the agency altogether by September. This has led to some horrific consequences for the people who relied on USAID to survive. On this week's More To The Story, ProPublica's Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Brett Murphy join host Al Letson to talk about their on-the-ground reporting from Africa and how the Trump administration's aid cuts are leading to devastating, even deadly, consequences.Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Copy editor: Nikki Frick | Digital producer: Artis Curiskis | Deputy executive producer: Taki Telonidis | Executive producer: Brett Myers | Executive editor: James West | Host: Al LetsonRead: Russell Vought Raided USAID Budgets He Helped Gut to Pay for His Own Security (Mother Jones)Listen: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping Our Country (More To The Story)Read: Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera. (ProPublica)Listen: Paper Trail (ProPublica) Donate today at Revealnews.org/more Subscribe to our weekly newsletter at Revealnews.org/weekly Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
So much for common ground… Buckle up because this week Jillian Michaels sits across from Sam Seder, host of The Majority Report, for a bare-knuckle debate on government waste, Iran, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, DOGE, USAID and more. Nothing was off-limits. If you wanted a polite, coordinated conversation, go somewhere else. This is a full-throated ideological fight. In this episode, they tear into: The Global Health & Foreign Aid Crisis: The dismantling of USAID is front and center — is America's withdrawal from international NGO funding a necessary correction or a catastrophic failure? The debate gets heated fast, with the "last-mile" operational collapse in Uganda and the human cost of overnight co-investment mandates laid bare. The Mamdani-Khomeini Comparison: The Iranian diaspora isn't staying quiet — and this is where things get truly combustible. Jillian comes in swinging, amplifying the voices of exiles who lived through the revolution and are drawing chilling parallels between Mamdani's ideological framework and the Ayatollah's early intellectual positioning and Sam gets outraged. The Iran Conflict & The Fog of War: A fierce legal and ethical battle erupts over the recent strikes in Iran. The tragic Minab school bombing, the possibility of flawed targeting intelligence, and the complex question of civilian protections when military assets are embedded in non-military infrastructure all get put under the microscope. Russia, Ukraine & the NATO Fault Line: With the war grinding into a new phase, they go head to head on whether Western alliance commitments are a stabilizing force or a provocation that made this conflict inevitable DOGE, PBMs, and Domestic Warfare: The heat turns inward to tackle domestic deregulation, the rising influence of the Department of Government Efficiency, and whether the new delinking and transparency rules under the TrumpRx framework are liberating healthcare or creating new corporate loopholes for PBMs to exploit. Two distinct worldviews. Absolute zero consensus. Who held their ground, and who got exposed? Stream the full, unfiltered debate now and drop your thoughts in the comments below. OneSkin: Get 15% off OneSkin with the code KEEPINGITREAL at https://www.oneskin.co/KEEPINGITREAL #oneskinpod Skims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear at http://www.skims.com/jillian #skimspartner Beam: Visit https://shopbeam.com/REAL and use code REAL to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For years, the United States invested heavily in disease prevention programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through USAID, funding efforts to strengthen health systems, improve sanitation, and prepare for outbreaks like Ebola. But before the current crisis erupted, the Trump administration that aid. Experts say those reductions likely weakened early detection and response efforts as the DRC descended into what is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, with hundreds infected and more than a hundred deaths reported. Independent media has never been more important. Please support this channel by subscribing here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 Join this channel with a membership for exclusive early access and bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/fiveminutenews.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. CONTENT DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed on this channel are those of the guests and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Anthony Davis or Five Minute News LLC. Any content provided by our hosts, guests or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything, in line with the First Amendment right to free and protected speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week we explore how workers and their allies are confronting authoritarianism—and building power from the ground up. This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate DESCRIPTION [Original Release Date July 9, 2025]: The United States is moving towards authoritarianism, but there is still a window of opportunity to reverse course. What could improve the chances of re-balancing power in the nation, and advancing towards that multiracial democracy that many still dream of? The answer is worker organizing, say Alex Han and Tarso Luís Ramos. "When we look at the history of U-turns from democratic backsliding to democratic revival, the success rate is about 50 percent," says Ramos. "Where there's active, vibrant union participation, the odds go up to about 80 percent." So what's holding Labor back? In early May of 2025, Laura sat down with Ramos and Han at a conference on “Labor in the Age of Authoritarian Politics”, held at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) in New York. Ramos is a leading expert on the U.S. Right Wing and former Executive Director of Political Research Associates. He now serves as Senior Advisor to Future Currents, a strategic planning group of social and economic justice leaders. Han has spent most of his adult life in the labor movement, as an organizer and elected president of a large Chicago local. In 2023, he became Executive Director of In These Times, the long-running Chicago-based progressive magazine. In the wake of mass layoffs and the abduction of Kilmar Abrego García, a union member wrongly exported to El Salvador and now held in Tennessee, can enough workers and their allies band together to make a difference? “I think of all of these times where I've shown up at a protest and I know every single person there. When that happens, I know we're not winning today.” - Alex Han “I think the coup that we did not prepare for was the force accelerator that most people experience as DOGE. It's the Musk and Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen set of actors . . . They're interested in ringing the profits out of the public sector, and they're interested in accelerating the demise of civilian governance altogether.” - Tarso Luís Ramos Guests: Alex Han: Executive Director, In These Times Tarso Luís Ramos: Senior Adviser, Political Research Associates; Senior Fellow, Future Currents RESOURCES: - Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel Sundays 11:30am ET, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode) and airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: •. Labor Movement v. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack [Special Report] Watch / Listen: Episode • Masha Gessen and Jason Stanley: Is It Doomsday for U.S. Democracy? - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are Ee Entering "End Times Fascism?" - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Bernie Sanders & AOC: "Fighting Oligarchy" with People Power [Special Report] - Watch / LISTEN: episode • Bernie Sanders "Fighting Oligarchy" LISTEN: Full Uncut Conversation • 'God & Country': Rob Reiner & Dan Partland on the Rise of Christian Nationalism in U.S. Politics - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation Related Articles and Resources: In These Times magazine Political Research Associates Future Currents Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
Blue Alpine Cast - Kryptowährung, News und Analysen (Bitcoin, Ethereum und co)
In a live conversation on YouTube, Lawfare Editor in Chief Benjamin Wittes sat down with Lawfare Senior Editors Anna Bower, Eric Columbus, and Roger Parloff to discuss Judge Boulee denying Fulton County's motion for the return of the 2020 election ballots seized by the FBI, a judge ordering the National Endowment for Humanities to rescind DOGE-backed cancellation of grants, oral argument in Mark Kelly v. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and more.You can find information on legal challenges to Trump administration actions here. And check out Lawfare's new homepage on the litigation, new Bluesky account, and new WITOAD merch.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This month on Laura Flanders and Friends, we're revisiting conversations around work, workers, and the Labor Movement on the Move. This week we explore how workers and their allies are confronting authoritarianism—and building power from the ground up. Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters. DESCRIPTION [Original Release Date July 9, 2025]: The United States is moving towards authoritarianism, but there is still a window of opportunity to reverse course. What could improve the chances of re-balancing power in the nation, and advancing towards that multiracial democracy that many still dream of? The answer is worker organizing, say Alex Han and Tarso Luís Ramos. "When we look at the history of U-turns from democratic backsliding to democratic revival, the success rate is about 50 percent," says Ramos. "Where there's active, vibrant union participation, the odds go up to about 80 percent." So what's holding Labor back? In early May of 2025, Laura sat down with Ramos and Han at a conference on “Labor in the Age of Authoritarian Politics”, held at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) in New York. Ramos is a leading expert on the U.S. Right Wing and former Executive Director of Political Research Associates. He now serves as Senior Advisor to Future Currents, a strategic planning group of social and economic justice leaders. Han has spent most of his adult life in the labor movement, as an organizer and elected president of a large Chicago local. In 2023, he became Executive Director of In These Times, the long-running Chicago-based progressive magazine. In the wake of mass layoffs and the abduction of Kilmar Abrego García, a union member wrongly exported to El Salvador and now held in Tennessee, can enough workers and their allies band together to make a difference? “I think of all of these times where I've shown up at a protest and I know every single person there. When that happens, I know we're not winning today.” - Alex Han “I think the coup that we did not prepare for was the force accelerator that most people experience as DOGE. It's the Musk and Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen set of actors . . . They're interested in ringing the profits out of the public sector, and they're interested in accelerating the demise of civilian governance altogether.” - Tarso Luís Ramos Guests: Alex Han: Executive Director, In These Times Tarso Luís Ramos: Senior Adviser, Political Research Associates; Senior Fellow, Future Currents RESOURCES: - Watch the episode released on YouTube.; PBS World Channel Sundays 11:30am ET, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode) and airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast. Full Episode Notes are located HERE. Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes: •. Labor Movement v. Fascism: Worker Organizers & Labor Educators Are Under Attack [Special Report] Watch / Listen: Episode • Masha Gessen and Jason Stanley: Is It Doomsday for U.S. Democracy? - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are Ee Entering "End Times Fascism?" - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation • Bernie Sanders & AOC: "Fighting Oligarchy" with People Power [Special Report] - Watch / LISTEN: episode • Bernie Sanders "Fighting Oligarchy" LISTEN: Full Uncut Conversation • 'God & Country': Rob Reiner & Dan Partland on the Rise of Christian Nationalism in U.S. Politics - Watch / LISTEN: episode &/or full conversation Related Articles and Resources: In These Times magazine Political Research Associates Future Currents Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel
Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders on day one of his second term in 2025. One of those executive orders was the beginning of the end for the agency known as USAID. It was started in 1961 by President Kennedy in order to advance human survival around the world, stabilize economies in the developing world and make the path to peaceful democracy smoother. It was, and for all these intervening years remained, a noble cause credited with saving the lives of tens of millions around the world by treating and preventing serious health issues such as HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, tuberculosis, malaria and more. And while not a focus of Project 2025, somehow it became a target for dissolution by President Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE team. Decades long dedicated staff, with expertise in this field, were summarily fired with the new Administration caring little of past success and future necessity. Nicholas Enrich, a former civil servant who worked at USAID through four administrations, focusing on Global Health initiatives, had seen enough before he, too, was dismissed and had written some powerful memos that became part of the public record. He documents what happened and why he continued the fight in his new book, “Into the Woodchipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID.”
On this week's edition of Le Show, Harry brings us regular features like News of Inspector's General, News of Smart World, Truth Social Audio with Donald Trump, News of A.I., News of the Godly, and The Apologies of the Week. He also considers Kash Patel's trip to Hawaii, the House of Doge, and how American farmers are being impacted by the war in Iran.
Story of the Week (DR):Trump is bringing Tim Cook, Elon Musk, and a dozen other CEOs to Beijing for his Xi summitTechnology & AIElon Musk – CEO, Tesla and SpaceXTim Cook – CEO, AppleJensen Huang – CEO, Nvidia (joined as a last-minute addition after a personal call from the President)Cristiano Amon – CEO, QualcommSanjay Mehrotra – CEO, Micron TechnologyDina Powell McCormick – President, MetaJim Anderson – CEO, CoherentFinance & InvestmentLarry Fink – CEO, BlackRockStephen Schwarzman – CEO, BlackstoneDavid Solomon – CEO, Goldman SachsJane Fraser – CEO, CitigroupAerospace & ManufacturingKelly Ortberg – CEO, Boeing (reportedly finalizing a massive 500-jet deal during the trip)Larry Culp – CEO, GE AerospacePayments & ServicesMichael Miebach – CEO, MastercardRyan McInerney – CEO, VisaAgriculture & BiotechBrian Sikes – CEO, CargillJacob Thaysen – CEO, IlluminaPaypal agrees to $30 million settlement with Trump's Justice Department over 'illegal DEI'The company launched a $530M Economic Opportunity Fund in 2020 for Black and underrepresented minority businessesDid not fight this in court, just surrenderedTo make the DOJ happy, PayPal had to ditch its race-based criteria; instead, it now funnels that financial support to veteran-owned businesses and companies in farming, manufacturing, or technology. A direct “black” to “white” transferAny company that launched a race-specific grant or loan program after 2020 is now officially in the DOJ's crosshairs, and "social justice" is being litigated as "civil rights fraud."PayPal board:“Independent” chair David W. Dorman (2015-; 17%)member of the Dell Technologies BoardMichael Dell and Donald Trump are BFFs: Dell pledged $6.25B to Trump AccountsJonathan Christodoro (2015-; 13%): a disciple of billionaire Carl Icahn (former Managing Director at Icahn Capital), one of Trump's oldest and most vocal alliesFounder PayPal Mafia Trump BFFs: Musk (DOGE), David Sacks (AI and Crypto Czar), Peter Thiel (JD Vance creator)Frank Yeary (2015-; 12%): Intel director since 2009 and chair since 2023It Was One of DOGE's Most Absurd Abuses. A Court Finally Exposed ItThis whole saga centers on a major legal showdown between the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The case is a consolidated lawsuit (often called the NEH-DOGE lawsuit) filed in May 2025 by groups including the Authors Guild, the American Historical Association, and the Modern Language Association. On May 7, 2026, U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon issued a massive 143-page ruling. She essentially nuked DOGE's attempt to defund hundreds of humanities projects, calling their process a "textbook example of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination."The AI Purge: Instead of a professional review, DOGE staffers (described in court as young "technologists" with no background in humanities) ran thousands of grant descriptions through ChatGPT.DOGE staffers—mostly described as 20-somethings with "zero experience in the humanities"—attempted to dodge government transparency laws by conducting official business on Signal with auto-delete enabled. The court found this was a blatant violation of the Federal Records Act, proving that "efficiency" is often just code for "avoiding a paper trail."The Woke Filter: They told the AI to flag anything related to "DEI." This backfired spectacularly when the AI flagged projects on Holocaust survivors, Appalachian history, and Italian-American archives simply because they used words like "identity," "culture," or "women."DOGE didn't actually read the grants they cut. Instead, they used ChatGPT and basic keyword searches to flag any program containing "incriminating" words like "history," "culture," "identity," or "BIPOC." If the AI thought it sounded "woke," the funding was axed—a move Judge Colleen McMahon called a "textbook example of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination."In perhaps the most "mask-off" moment of the proceedings, it was revealed that DOGE staffers flagged and canceled a documentary about Jewish women's slave labor during the Holocaust. The reason? Their AI-driven filter decided that focusing on "Jewish cultures" and "female voices" made it an illegal DEI program. Apparently, documenting Nazi atrocities is now "radical identity politics."The ruling highlighted a minor detail the administration seemed to forget: DOGE isn't a real government agency. The judge noted that DOGE had absolutely no lawful authority to terminate congressionally appropriated funds. They were essentially a group of private-sector bros playing President with the NEH checkbookThe Redirect: The court found that the $100 million "saved" wasn't actually returned to the Treasury. Instead, it was being funneled into the administration's own projects, like the "National Garden of American Heroes."Why Two Big Companies Just Cut Paid Family Leave MMFor the last decade, a tight labor market forced companies to compete for talent with generous perks. Now, with the job market cooling and employees having less leverage to quit, companies like Deloitte and Zoom are quietly rolling back benefits.Zoom, the company that became the face of remote work, has slashed its paid parental leave. Birthing parents saw their leave drop from up to 24 weeks to 18 weeks, while non-birthing parents were cut from 16 weeks down to 10.Deloitte is making deep cuts, but not for everyone. The reductions specifically target “Center” employees—the administrative, IT, and finance support staff who generally earn less—rather than the high-earning consultants. Their leave was halved from 16 weeks to just eight.Beyond just time off, Deloitte is axing its $50,000 reimbursement program for adoption, surrogacy, and IVF for these support roles.I Hate Working 5 Days': Zoom CEO Eric Yuan Says AI Could Shrink Workweeks To 3 Days In A Major Future ShiftGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Chipotle CEO [Scott Boatwright] tells customers to ‘just ask' if they want bigger portions after downsizing accusations: “You should ask for a little more ... We serve big, beautiful bowls and burritos. Full stop, no questions asked. If you want more, just ask the team member. I promise you there's never a team member on that line that's going to say no.” 886 to 1MM: Oil shortages DR MMBeer demand stumbles as gas prices surge, data showsI mean, isn't this the double best? Less idiots driving drunk AND less idiots DRIVING!Oil shortages are even hitting colored snack bagsUgly snacks, maybe less eating!Assholiest TRIGGERIEST of the Week (MM):Brett BlundyVictoria's Secret unveils allegations against activist investor, loses board directorBlundy, Australian billionaire who launched Bras N Things, a classy establishment sold to Hanes, and currently chairs Lovisa, a fast fashion jewelry business, bought 13% of VS and thinks he can run it betterHe's disappointed with VS acquisition of Adore Me (online retailer) and the drop in earningsMeanwhile, Lovisa's 1Y market returns: -22% vs. ASX +4% TRIGGERED:Blundy, a fucking Australian billionaire blowhard, chairs LovisaLovisa board: Blundy, Mark McInnes (“deputy chair”), John Cheston (CEO), Bruce Carter, Tracey Blundy (wife), John Charlton, Sei Jin Alt (woman, Asian)Brett and Tracey own 40%+ of sharesZero merit directorsExec team: John, Mark, Victor, Chris - zero womenBlundy is targeting VS, whose board is…Donna James, Hillary Super (CEO), Irene Britt, Sarah Davis, Jacqueline Hernandez, Rod Little, David McCreight, Mariam Naficy, Lauren Peters, Anne SheehanExec team: 4 women, 1 manThis is the ultimate mansplain - some chest thumping billionaire walks into a room full of women, pushes them out, takes over… and this from the filing:“On November 13, 2025, members of the Board held a videoconference call with Mr. Blundy to inform him that the Board had determined, in accordance with its fiduciary duties, that appointing Mr. Blundy to the Board would not be in the best interests of VS&Co or its stockholders. In an effort to reach amutually agreeable resolution, the Board proposed collaborating with BBRC and Mr. Blundy on (i) adding one mutually-agreed new independent directornot affiliated with BBRC to the Board, (ii) Mr. Blundy's participation in a review with the Board of the Company's capital allocation, (iii) entering into alonger-term information sharing agreement and, in the context of a negotiated resolution with BBRC and Mr. Blundy, an agreement on customary standstill restrictions, and (iv) taking down the Rights Plan. After this call, the Board delivered to Mr. Blundy the following letter explaining its rationale for rejecting his candidacy and proposing a new framework for a mutually agreeable resolution:“The potential for significant reputational and legal risk to Victoria's Secret arising from (1) your pattern of hiring executives with a history of serious allegations of sexual harassment or other misconduct, and (2) the reported and alleged instances of harassment and highly inappropriate employee policies that occurred under your oversight at companies you controlled or effectively controlled.The proxy should just say, “Australian white male billionaire who is cool sexually harassing women while selling them underwear wants to take over massive underwear store run by women”Elon Musk and Sam AltmanMusk first…Sam Altman Accuses Elon Musk of Laughing at Memes During Important OpenAI MeetingsMusk's China trip during OpenAI trial prompts apology from his lawyer for CEO's absenceTRIGGERED: This is the man child trillionaire we're supposed to take seriously - does his mom fold his socks for him? Does he eat Cheerios out of a frisbee for breakfast? These are our male adult role models?Musk apparently was too busy for the trial, but during talks of absorbing OpenAI into Tesla, he wasn't too busy to spend a long time forcing everyone to look at his fucking dopey idiot manboy memes that made him laughReminder time: Musk is in charge of who gets internet in military conflict (Starlink), gutted the government (DOGE), is trying to implant chips in brains (Neurolink), and used everyone else to get his billions (Tesla was bought, subsidized, SpaceX subsidies, Boring Company steals municipal money to dig holes…)Altman next…Sam Altman faces awkward grilling over 'toxic culture of lying'ChatGPT Told a 19-Year-Old How to Mix Drugs — His Mother Found Him Dead the Next MorningWHEN YOU PUT A SOCIOPATH AND MANCHILD IN CHARGE OF A WORLD DESTROYING DEVICE, IT TURNS OUT IT'S BADWarren Buffett DRPut the folksy “I'm just a guy eating a werther's original candy making money” schtick aside, where he says they pick great management and let them do their thing - this is “their thing”:TRIGGERED: Electric Company Says It's Cutting Off an Entire Town So It Can Sell All Its Power to Data CentersThere is so much to hate here:Tech billionaires building data centers for AI: checkNV Energy is wholly owned by Berkshire Energy which is owned by Warren Buffett: checkTrump appointed asshole running regulatory agency that represented utilities: checkThe town is Lake Tahoe - 50,000 residents have to find a new source of electricity in ONE YEAR because Buffett/Berkshire/NV Energy decided the re-route all energy to data centers for AIGoogle, Apple, MSFT all have facilities, 12 data center projects in Northern NevadaNevada would have to ask woke California to build hundreds of millions of dollars worth of transmission lines in a year to get to Tahoe, FERC would have to approve other changes (Chair Laura Swett, Trump appointee, represented electric utilities and the firm wrote pieces about the glory of data centers - one of the Amicus Briefs they wrote in 2024 was on behalf of… NV Energy)Of the fines issued by FERC this year, 99% are one company: an energy efficiency companySince Trump was elected, FERC has issued fines targeting blue state utilities and renewables at a more than 2:1 rateSo the people are fucked - maybe Warren can tell them to power their town on See's Candy sugar rushesHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Kids with fake mustaches can fool high-tech age verification systemsMM: Waymo recalls 3,800 robotaxis after glitch allowed some vehicles to 'drive into standing water'Who Won the Week?DR: Steve Roth, the CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, expressed his support for fellow billionaire and the Citadel CEO Ken Griffin: “I must say that I consider the phrase tax the rich — quote tax the rich — when spit out with anger and contempt by politicians both here and across the country, to be just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs”MM: Lawyers - literally everything now is a lawsuit and everyone is a lawyer. PredictionsDR: NYC Mayor Mahmdani asks Steve Roth for “just little more” and Roth replies: “I'm not a fucking Chipotle, commie scum.”MM: Chili's CEO wakes up at 5 a.m., runs daily, and uses that time to generate ideas for the business: On a run next Thursday, May 21, Chili's CEO Kevin Hochman stops short and says out loud, “What if the Big Crispy Chicken Sandwich was BIGGER???”
How does a trader or investor differentiate one cryptocurrency from another? Join IBKR's Senior Market Analyst Steven Levine, along with Bitwise Asset Management's Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan, and Head of Research Ryan Rasmussen, as they discuss a host of different crypto assets, including Bitcoin, Ether, AVAX, ADA, SOL, XRP, Bitcoin Cash, DOGE, and many others. The conversation also explores the technology behind these currencies, certain unique use cases, and an outlook on the ever-evolving digital asset industry.
Elon Musk reporter Theo Wayt discusses the talent exodus at SpaceX AI and Elon Musk's "DOGE-style" restructuring of the company. We also talk with Rocket Drew about closing statements in the Musk v. OpenAI trial as well as Co-Executive Editor Martin Peers & Jason Dean, SF Bureau Chief, about the brewing conflict between OpenAI and Apple. Lastly, we get into the future of Apple with iPhone engineer and Nest Co-founder Matt Rogers and the nuclear energy race with Jemima McEvoy.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/trump-officials-vcs-love-nuclear-power-startups-brute-force-approachhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/openais-apple-partnership-sourshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/cerebras-shows-ipo-market-will-pay-messy-ai-mathhttps://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/the-briefing/cerebras-ipo-stock-pop-apple-openai-dramahttps://www.theinformation.com/newsletters/dealmaker/cerebras-payday-includes-tiger-spvsSubscribe: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agendaTITV airs weekdays on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Follow us:X: https://x.com/theinformationIG: https://www.instagram.com/theinformation/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@titv.theinformationLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theinformation/Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:13 - SpaceX AI Exodus: 50+ Exits Since Acquisition10:17 - Musk v. OpenAI: Jury Deliberations Begin17:53 - Cerebras IPO Pop & OpenAI's Apple Conflict30:06 - Early iPhone Engineer Matt Rogers on OpenAI Hardware48:06 - Valar Atomics: The Race to Turn on Nuclear
Former Department of Justice pardon attorney Liz Oyer describes being pulled out of a meeting, told to pack up her belongings, and walked out by security the same day. Her offense, she said, was refusing to recommend that the attorney general restore gun rights to a politically connected celebrity without the information she believed was necessary to make that judgment safely. “Once you compromise your integrity, you cannot get it back,” she said. That moment sets the tone for a candid conversation about what it means to serve inside the Department of Justice, and what happens when career lawyers believe the institution they devoted themselves to has changed. Moderated by Stanford Law professor Pam Karlan, this episode brings together Oyer, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Rosen, and former DOJ civil rights lawyer Stacey Young for a discussion of public service, prosecutorial independence, clemency, civil rights, professional ethics, and the difficult questions of when to stay, when to leave, and when to speak out. The panel, recorded at a live law school event and presented by the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law, offers a close look at the professional obligations of government lawyers from people who spent years doing the work: Rosen supervising more than 1,000 prosecutions stemming from January 6; Oyer overseeing the federal pardon process and thousands of clemency petitions; and Young working in the Civil Rights Division while also founding the DOJ Gender Equality Network. Karlan, herself a former DOJ official, draws out the deeper questions behind their stories. Links: Former DOJ Lawyers Discuss Duty, Integrity, and Public Service During Stanford Law Panel >>> Stanford Law page Connect: Episode Transcripts >>> Stanford Legal Podcast Website Stanford Legal Podcast >>> LinkedIn Page Rich Ford >>> Twitter/X Pam Karlan >>> Stanford Law School Page Stanford Law School >>> Twitter/X Stanford Lawyer Magazine >>> Twitter/X (00:00:00) Introductions and what drew each panelist to DOJ (00:08:24) Loyalty inside the institution (00:11:19) January 6th pardons: impact on prosecutors and lack of vetting (00:32:04) Liz Oyer's firing over the Mel Gibson gun-rights recommendation (00:43:23) The "stay or go" dilemma and the bifurcated job market (00:47:15) Rebuilding DOJ: norms vs. enforceable laws and the communications problem [00:57:00) Student Q&A: red lines, accountability, and the Epstein files Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Brandon Gill joins us to talk about Fraud, midterms, and can Republicans and Democrats work together on taking fraud head on. https://www.seanspicer.com subscribe for an ad free version of this podcast Beam - https://www.shopbeam.com/SPICER to receive 40% off your order Patriot Mobile - https://www.PatriotMobile.com/SPICER for 1 free month Buy your copy of Trump 2.0 here: https://a.co/d/67kKgje Todays show is sponsored by: Beam - www.shopbeam.com/SPICER to receive 40% off your order Are you tossing and turning at night and running on fumes during the day? If so, then you are missing out on the most important part of your wellness, sleep. If you want to wake up refreshed, inspired and ready to take on the day then you have to try Beam's Dream powder. This best-selling blend of Reishi, Magnesium, L-Theanine, Apigenin and Melatonin will help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed. So if you're ready for the best night of sleep you ever had just head to https://shopbeam.com/SPICER to receive 40% off your order. Patriot Mobile - PatriotMobile.com/SPICER for 1 free month Take a stand for faith, family, and freedom—switch to Patriot Mobile. Patriot Mobile provides PREMIUM service on all three major U.S. networks. Patriot Mobile has the same or even better coverage, backed by 100% U.S.-based customer support. Get unlimited data plans, mobile hotspots, international roaming, and more with Patriot Mobile. Take a stand as a PATRIOT by going to https://PatriotMobile.com/SPICER or call 972-PATRIOT for a FREE month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Fair Fight Action CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo (who's now been called to testify before a state Senate panel investigating the now-defunct New Georgia Project) joined me to vent over the state of civil rights & marginalized voter rights in a post-'Callais' environment. Lauren spoke of the need for a "new civil rights movement." Well, that new coalition is assembling Saturday in Selma - first at the Edmun Pettis bridge - with nearly a hundred organizations gathering to re-invigorate a civil rights movement that's seen a century of gains almost entirely wiped away in the last sixteen months. - - - Make no mistake: this isn't just about silencing Black voters. There's also been the targeted effort to eviscerate the Black middle class - starting with DOGE disproportionately terminating Black women from career federal jobs that, for generations, had been a 'safe haven' of sorts from hiring bias & pay discrepancies. It's not enough they want to dilute a Black family's voting power; they'd also taken aim at a Black woman's purchasing power, too. - - - It's no wonder, then, why Southern-born, Southern-raised Bakari Sellers 'lost his cool' as the smug Kevin O'Leary insisted Black people need to simply "get over it." Personally, I think Bakari showed great restraint.- - - Lastly, having recently binged 'Mad Men' and being - as many of you are - engulfed in 'The Handmaids' Tale' and it's spin-off, 'The Testaments,' I feel like both franchises provide some insights into what MAGA is taking women and minority women back to, but also the sort of Dystopian dream world the conservative patriarchy seems more closely aligned to than the diverse, expressive nation they currently live in.
If you ask Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor how he thinks about the role of AI in his agency's mission, he'll tell you he sees two different prevailing perspectives: one with a “big OPM” mission and another for “little OPM.” At least that's how he described it to me recently at UiPath's Fusion conference in Washington, DC. During our interview, Kupor shared about juxtaposition, emerging AI use cases that OPM is driving forward, and much more. The Department of Homeland Security intends to continue its work with Cellebrite, a provider of digital forensics hardware and software tools, according to forecast documents released last week. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the department's Homeland Security Investigations unit, plan to award a five-year, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a $100 million ceiling to the vendor later this year. Cellebrite's products enable the agency to access data from cellphones, tablets and — more recently — unmanned aerial vehicles. The Israeli firm's data extraction capabilities are “the most widely utilized and deployed computer forensic tool” within HSI, per the document. Cellebrite has been deployed across DHS, including its reported use within the Secret Service to break into the phone of the man who shot President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., in 2024. DOGE's playbook for using artificial intelligence to eliminate regulations was on full display at the Department of Housing and Urban Development last summer with the introduction of an AI tool built for the “extermination” of federal housing rules. Documents obtained by Democracy Forward via Freedom of Information Act requests reveal a PowerPoint presentation delivered at HUD on SweetREX, a tool named for DOGE associate Christopher Sweet, according to Wired reporting last August. The new documents, shared with FedScoop, laid out a multistep process in which all HUD regulations would be analyzed by the AI. The tool would then provide recommendations to “keep, delete, or partial delete” each rule, per the presentation. Attorneys would review the suggestions and agency staffers would make the final decision. HUD regulations cover everything from the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex in mortgage assistance to providing legal aid for foreclosure-related issues. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.
Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, Mark Dunlea talks with NYPRIG Blair Horner to give an update on the budget. Then, Ren Lee gets an update from Humanities NY, a year after they lost much of their funding due to DOGE cuts. Later on, we hear from Sarah Abrahams who tells us all about pet therapy. After that, Craig Neslor of Albany Comedy Corner has an interview about Laughing Out Loud, an elevated comedy experience show with Duncan Harris and Roger Harris. Finally, this week, Thom Francis welcomes poet, artist, and musician Matthew Klane to the mic. Hosts: Caelan McPherson and Richard Sleeper Engineer: Henry VanHaverbeke
Humanities NY suddenly lost much of their funding due to DOGE cuts in 2025. One year later, we get an update on the state of their organization and hear from HNY Executive Director Sara Ogger who spoke with Sanctuary Executive Director Ren Lee who relates to this story from personal experience.
A Daily Wire investigation blew the lid off of alleged Medicaid fraud in Ohio—and the Trump Administration is already taking notice. In this episode, investigative reporter Luke Rosiak goes behind the scenes of the months-long probe, explaining how a federal data trove from DOGE exposed billions of dollars in questionable Medicaid payments, funded by the American taxpayer. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2778- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.Goldbelly - Go to https://goldbelly.com and get 20% off your first order + free shipping with promo code WIRE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Kash Patel is not as think as you drunk he is … again. And if you tell someone about it, he'll strap you to a polygraph.The DC Circuit seems likely to side with Senator Mark Kelly in his lawsuit against Pete Hegseth for trying to steal his pension.The DOJ subpoenaed a hospital in Rhode Island for medical records of kids receiving gender affirming care. While the parties were negotiating, the DOJ filed a petition to enforce in Texas, which their hand-picked Judge Reed O'Connor instantly granted. Now the hospital has appealed to the Fifth Circuit (ughhh) and the Rhode Island Child Advocate has filed a motion to quash in the District of Rhode Island.Our Doofus of the Day is Chief Justice John Roberts. It won't always be someone on the Supreme Court, but when you stand up in front of hundreds of lawyers to whine about how unfair it is that people think your obviously political Supreme Court is political, how could we resist?MAIN SHOW:The 11th Circuit has joined two other circuit courts of appeal in ruling that the Trump administration cannot use the mandatory detention provisions of the Immigration and Naturalization Act to hold any immigrant, anywhere in the US, for any length of time and with no opportunity for a bond hearing.The DOJ is so desperate to hire lawyers that they're offering signing bonuses and tipping current employees with “retention incentive allowances” to keep them from fleeing. Turns out, competent lawyers don't like harassing trans kids for sport and indicting Democratic politicians on spurious grounds.Judge Coleen McMahon ruled that DOGE illegally dismantled the National Endowment for the Humanities when the bros fed the grantee database into ChatGPT with an instruction to find grants were “DEI.”The Southern Poverty Law Center says the government's public lies about the case — lookin' at you, Todd Blanche — are so egregious that the court should hand over the grand jury transcript.Judges in Rhode Island and Texas are dueling over the DOJ's subpoena for the medical record for transgender minors.READING LIST:How Professional Wrestling Prepared Linda McMahon for Trump's CabinetKash Patel's Personalized Bourbon Stashhttps://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/05/kash-patel-fbi-bourbon/687066/Kash Patel ordered polygraphs of more than two dozen members of his team, sources tell MS NOWhttps://www.ms.now/news/kash-patel-ordered-polygraphs-of-more-than-two-dozen-members-of-his-team-sources-tell-ms-nowDOJ Offers Lawyers $25,000 Signing Bonuses as Hiring Lagshttps://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-offers-lawyers-25-000-signing-bonuses-as-recruitment-lagsUS. SPLChttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73223865/united-states-v-southern-poverty-law-center-incIn Re: Administrative Subpoena 25-1431-032 [Texas action]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73276712/in-re-administrative-subpoena-25-1431-032/In Re: Motion to Quash Administrative Subpoena to Rhode Island Hospital [Rhode Island action]https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73290254/in-re-motion-to-quash-administrative-subpoena-to-rhode-island-hospital/“Chief Justice John Roberts says American public wrongly views the justices as ‘political actors'” [NBC News]https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/chief-justice-john-roberts-says-justices-are-not-political-actors-rcna343958Hernandez Alvarez v. Warden (11th Cir. immigration) [docket via CourtListener]https://storage.courtlistener.com/pdf/2026/05/06/ismael_perez_v._assistant_field_office_director_krome_north_service.pdfAmerican Council of Learned Societies v. McDonaldhttps://www.courtlistener.com/docket/70035052/american-council-of-learned-societies-v-mcdonald/How Professional Wrestling Prepared Linda McMahon for Trump's Cabinethttps://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/27/linda-mcmahon-profileShow Links:https://www.lawandchaospod.com/BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPodThreads: @LawAndChaosPodTwitter: @LawAndChaosPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On today's podcast, Lawfare Associate Editor for Communications Anna Hickey talks to Nicholas Enrich, former acting assistant administrator of Global Health at USAID, about his book, “Into the Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower's Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID.” Enrich details the agency's dismantling during the early months of the Trump administration and whether those doing the dismantling understood the consequences of their actions. He also discusses the impact on global health programs, the role of political appointees and DOGE, and the consequences for international aid and U.S. global health security.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, the team discusses the surprising reports of the Trump administration seemingly reversing its stance when it comes to AI safety and regulation. They also look into what exactly is going on with the Hantavirus outbreak, and whether we should be worried. Also — we get into the story of how a former federal employee who was ousted by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency is now running for office. Plus, a Spirit Airlines laid off employee shares with us how they experienced the company's shutdown news last weekend and what they'll miss most about the job. Articles mentioned in this episode: A Federal Worker Was Fired for Filming DOGE. Now She's Running for Congress | WIRED What the Spirit Airlines Implosion Means for Your Vacation | WIRED Join WIRED's best and brightest on Uncanny Valley as they dissect the collision of tech, politics, finance, and business, from the newest ventures to the effects of inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots on social protests. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
In this episode, host Steve Chen sits down with Mark Miller — journalist, author, and retirement expert behind RetirementRevised.com — to unpack the biggest changes hitting Social Security and Medicare right now. Mark shares his personal experience claiming both programs, explains why “later is better” for most Social Security claimants, and breaks down the trust fund depletion risk without the fear-mongering. The conversation covers the real-world impact of DOGE-driven SSA staffing cuts, why traditional Medicare beats Medicare Advantage for most people, the landmark $2,000 Part D out-of-pocket cap, and the quiet Medicare Savings Program rollback buried in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Mark's no-nonsense take: understand the rules, claim strategically, and shop your Medicare coverage every single year.
Welcome back to The Majority Report On today's program: After turning his back on every campaign promise and tanking the economy for a meaningless war, Donald Trump's approval rating is nearing historic lows. Nicholas Enrich, former civil servant who worked at USAID under four administrations joins the program to discuss his new book: "Into the Wood Chipper: a Whistleblower's Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID" In the Fun Half: Senator Richard Blumenthal asks three different Trump judicial nominees if Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and all three refuse. Meanwhile, as Blumenthal questions the nominees, Senator Chuck Grassley is caught on a hot mic asking why they won't acknowledge Biden's victory. Senator Chris Coons asks a Trump judicial nominee if Trump is ineligible for a third term per the 22nd amendment and the nominee is afraid to acknowledge the law and close the door on a third term. WNBA star Kelsey Plum does not understand how marginal tax rates work. If you have been listening to MR for more than a week than you know that marginal tax rate literacy is his passion project. The Daily Wire has had to layoff 50% of their employees after they failed in their children's content endeavor. All that and more. To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: COZY EARTH: Go to cozyearth.com/MAJORITYREPORT for an exclusive 20% off. TRUST & WILL: Get 20% off trustandwill.com/MAJORITY AURA FRAMES: Exclusive $25-off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/MAJORITY. Promo Code MAJORITY SUNSET LAKE CBD: Today is the last day to us coupon Code "MayDay26" for $8 off all smokable hemp products and vape carts at SunsetLakeCBD.com Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.
More than three dozen former federal workers who quit or lost their jobs last year, in the wake of cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, are now running for political office. Most, but not all, are Democrats who say the assault on public service led them to seek change by standing for office. We spoke with three candidates running for Congress in the upcoming midterms. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Nicholas Enrich, former civil servant who worked at USAID under four administrations and the author of Into The Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower's Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID (Summit Books, 2026), talks about the effects of DOGE cuts on USAID, and of his efforts to publicize them and what the cuts meant for countries receiving U.S. assistance. Photo courtesy of United States Coast Guard via Wikimedia Commons: USAID packages being delivered by United States Coast Guard personnel.