Bits n’ pieces from east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact. 

A recent sampling:

While most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs are not yet activated, Trump’s trade war has cost companies more than $35 billion in lost sales and higher costs, Reuters reported.

Elon Musk, set loose by Trump to cut federal spending via DOGE, did so while under the frequent influence of ketamine, Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and more, various media reported. When Fox News asked about useage, Musk did not say yes or no; he implied it was “false news.”

Musk’s federal spending cuts were made while frequently using ketamine, Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and more, various media reported. Fox News asked Musk about the allegations. He did not say yes or no and implied it was “false news.”

Musk has stepped away from DOGE, but it’s infiltrated by his hires, numerous media reported.

A judge has ruled that 14 states can pursue their lawsuit against Musk and DOGE, saying the states presented a valid argument that “Musk and DOGE’s conduct is unauthorized by law.”

Fallout from Musk’s DOGE includes a “DC brain drain” that’s impeded scientific research, shrinking the Centers for Disease Control, maiming USAID (330,000 deaths so far) and imposing crippling measures on agencies like Social Security, and those that help veterans and protect consumers.

Musk promised to slash $2 trillion; he now claims he cut $175 billion. Axios said an outside analysis verified the savings were $16 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump as asked his aides if Musk’s savings were “all bullshit?”

DOGE’s silver lining for Musk include cuts to at least six agencies that had either fined his companies or were investigating them (such as for the safety of his self-driving Teslas).

Musk’s DOGE motivations: he’s been concerned that investigations of his businesses would “take me down.” He aimed to halt that with Trump’s election, The New York Times reported. They also wrote that Musk has installed billionaire Peter Thiel’s Palantir data analysis firm into place across the government, and employees have concerns it could be used against citizens. (The Nation said Thiel declared at a 2009 conference “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”)

Forbes says Musk is now about $170 billion richer due to his association with Trump.

Of 238 Venezualan immigrants sent to El Salvador’s mega-prison, only 32 had been convicted of crimes in the U.S. ProPublica reported that the Trump Administration was aware of that their crimes were primarily non-violent, but nonetheless all were labeled terrorists.

The Alliance of Retired Americans says the House Republican’s budget will harm seniors, such as removing minimum nursing home staffing requirements and locking in high drug prices.

Sen. Joni Ernst defended her party’s budget proposal for the largest cuts in Medicaid history: “Well, we are all going to die.” She later apologized and invited people to “embrace Jesus Christ” for eternal life. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office says 10.3 million will lose health care coverage.

Problems were found in a recent Make American Healthy Again report. The on-line publication NOTUS found non-existent study citations and misinterpretations of scientific studies.

Relevant headlines: Federal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law [lawsuits say the tariffs exceeded Trump’s authority. The blockage has been paused]; ICE ‘Grabbing People Out of Their Cars’ on Martha’s Vineyard [they’re demanding 3,000 arrests daily, sometimes detaining legal residents and U.S. citizens]; Trump laments Qatar luxury airplane gift “much too big” for his own use; $14 billion in clean energy projects have been canceled…[10,000 new clean energy jobs likely impacted]; Trump administration cancels $766 million Moderna contract to fight pandemic flu [for developing a vaccine for a bird flu that is spreading to mammals and people, negating the $175 million already invested]; GOP shields insurers’ algorithms [their budget proposal imposes a 10-year ban on state and local laws regulating AI]; “The Largest Upward Transfer of Wealth in American History” [referring to Republican’s federal budget proposal]; Judge Blocks Parts of Trump's [Executive Order to] Overhaul of US Elections, Including Proof-of-Citizenship Requirement [she said the president generally does not have the power to regulate federal elections] and, Aide to Rep. 

Nadler is handcuffed amid confrontation with federal agents [peaceful protestors were advising detained immigrants they had the right to remain silent, and were threatened with arrest; a staff member who invited some in was handcuffed and accused of harboring rioters. Nadler called it an intimidation attempt]. Another headline: Palestinians gunned down while trying to reach food aid site in Gaza. Non-profit Oxfam says Gaza’s entire population is now “at crisis levels of hunger.” Finding food and water is a constant struggle. To help: Oxfam, 77 N. Washington Street, Ste. 500, Boston, MA 02114.

Blast from the past: “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” William Shakespeare, 1564-1616. English playwright, poet; his works remain popular worldwide.