Part of the NIH granting was for St Jude’s Children’s Hospital. What is wrong with these Administration idiots. The outrage for this should not know any political lines. News organizations gotta keep the pressure up.
This is one of the examples I've been looking for -- I know people who voted for Trump who send a contribution to St. Jude's every time they are asked. I can't wait to lift this one up.
The trade-off - nip all the travel and security funding for a greedy felon, his family and his billionaire buddy in exchange for life saving research and life saving medical care for children.
Me too! I have a grand son who has a severe, life threatening allergy to peanuts. Trump made light of this serious condition in a post. I think the man is evil!
Ann: I agree. Do you know how much security alone cost for that convicted felon to attend the Super Bowl? Millions!! Security for his family? They want to attend: Let them pay for their own security. He can borrow from his pal Elona.
I also think doge should look at the GOP in the house. Collecting their paychecks while not actually working should be Considered Fraud, waste and abuse!
I don't know what was in the minds of any of the voters, but I do know that Trump explicitly denied anything to do with Project 2025 and he wasn't pressed on it. Supposedly, people voted for less inflation -- cheaper eggs. Some probably voted for madness, chaos, destruction -- 'getting back at the man'??? Some voted for a man not a woman and some voted for a white not a colored and some voted for a Republican not a Democrat. And, of course, there was voter suppression.... Trump also never campaigned on Musk being the hatchet man or having a cabinet of billionaires and abusers and traitors, etc.. When Musk said that there would be 2 years of suffering, he wasn't pressed on it -- who was supposed to suffer and what for??? The public's reaction to Trump's first funding freeze caused him to stop it. The overwhelming number of phone calls to representatives in D.C. is reminding those people that the public is vast and demanding.
Mike, you are right here. Individual stories of kids who are harmed, set against Toddler-Musk's poor little rich boy actions could make a big difference. He clearly cares for no one but himself and believes himself to be brilliant when he is just a very rich child-man who is about average but was and remains lucky. Holding him and his bad behavior against a child in need might turn some people's attention to stopping the toddler playground from their destructive behavior.
Ruth, the big problem with musk, as I see it, is his greed. He can never have too much money, and what he has, obscene though it is, is never enough. That is all he cares about: getting more. He does not care about starving or ailing children, or anyone who is poor.
Susan, you have nailed Toddler-Musk. he got rich too young, before he developed a decent personality that could include others. He can hardly communicate effectively when he is either interviewed or just asked to comment. Greedy is his first name and he proves it every day. It seems to me that any money he has gained since the election should be removed from his coffers and given to USAID, NIH and the other agencies that he has damaged with his ignorant cruelty. I would love to see him in jail, a high-security prison where no one can get at him or free him. I bet a lot of people would be delighted with that, probably every person who has ever worked with him.
Jerry, the problem is that Toddler-Trump is lazy, a deadbeat. He gets others to do his work for him, then claims the credit or blames them if everything is not just as he likes it. He uses and abuses people. Unfortunately, his supporters either love that kind of person and wish they could be just like him, or they don't care what he is and like to remain ignorant of what he really is, so they can whine "I didn't know."
Mary, I think that is partly true. However, in addition, they saw that their Toddler-Trump was running against a woman of color and as dedicated white people and white wannabees, who despise women and people of color, they were "called" to vote for a felon who cares for nothing and no one but himself and the power and money he can steal from everyone around him including his supporters. They whine about the Dems doing so much harm to them while it is the guys they voted for who have only contempt for them who have done it, every single time. The Democrats are blamed for not paying enough attention to working people while they are the only party in 50 years who have done anything to help anyone but rich white people. The disconnect is intense. Dems need to keep trying to make this a more perfect union while Repubs keep doing everything they can to destroy our democracy. The whiny white people will still vote for the "R" rather than for those who actually want things to be better. It is amazing how well brainwashing works.
He bought a bunch of companies, and has other people run them. Now boredom is his biggest challenge. I really wonder if either one of them know what’s going on in every community in the country. Not likely with their news sources.
Susan and Ruth, you are both right. I believe both Trump and Musk are literally incapable of showing any compassion for the rest of humanity. And they will never “learn” it.
Ruth, Elon has eleven kids. WTH is wrong with him? They are probably just props for him. He may have a lot of money, but he is a worthless human being!
Mike, I am truly sorry for those children because unless their moms are really terrific people, those children would have a good chance they will turn out just like their father and that would be beyond sad.
T Allen, Toddler-Musk is so busy trying to accumulate money and cheat as many people as he can, while not calling it cheating, that he has no brain space to remember anything like his kids' names. I am guessing he might forget his own name. OK, I could make it easy, Toddler-Musk, handmaid to Toddler-Trump. That would work.
What is wrong is they don’t care, period. It is not about governing, it is not about helping to keep this country at the forefront of world affairs. It is simply about personal enrichment, psychopathy, and pure evil.
These are perfect examples of what should be shown where the MAGA crowd will see it: pictures of Trump smirking at the game with the $$$ it cost to have him there next to dying children at the Mayo Clinic!!
These people need visuals everywhere they "might" be able to relate to!
Vanity-Man is cheap and doesn’t like spending his own money. How much does he give to charity? Inquiring minds want to know. What has he cost us already? The Super Bowl stunt was a total waste. How many times has he travelled to play golf in the last few weeks? Thanks Mike N for focusing on things that can be proven with facts not lies.
Some experts on authoritarians believe Trump deliberately hires incompetent people because he really doesn't care if they are good at their jobs, as long as they know he's the one w/ power. I imagine he is hugely uncomfortable being around people who are noticeably smarter and who don't cave.
Laurie, I think Toddler-Trump is scared of anyone who is smarter than he is and maybe even more competent. I believe he went with the Fox hosts because he could tell that he could manipulate them with no problem. Toddler-Trump is a good manipulator, a con artist and Republicans bought the whole pile and keep snacking on it as long as Toddler-Trump or now, Toddler-Musk tells them to. Trump's handlers know he is not only incompetent, but dealing with dementia, but they go with it because otherwise, they would have no real power. I still keep wondering if Toddler-Trump has an earpiece through which he is being fed what to say at any given time. I am guessing someone is working with him on putting some affect into his voice too because when speaking "off the cuff" he has no affect and hardly changes his pitch as he used to, doing that up and down almost hypnotic voice.
He has a very, very annoying sing song voice pattern. I always turn the sound off when he speaks. Plus he ALWAYS lies and generalizes with never, ever a specific fact or example. NEVER! It is always millions of dollars of fraud, waste, and abuse with no specifics. Doesn’t anyone ever wonder about examples to validate his lies?
Happy Valley, Toddler-Trump used to have that sing-song hypnotic voice, but in the past year or so, that is mostly gone which may be why people don't really listen to what he is saying. There is no hypnotic pitch change to it (probably due to his dementia that is becoming more pronounced). The Trump-Klan votes for Toddler-Trump anyway because of his racism, misogyny, and xenophobia, and theirs. People do complain about his fraud, use, an abuse of tax-payer funds, but their challenges are mostly unheard and certainly not repeated as the truths they are by the right-wing media which benefit significantly from the fraud while they blame everyone in the opposition, inaccurately for what the Toddler-Trump toddler playground are doing. One thing that would help us all to remember and take seriously, whatever Toddler-Trump and his trumpers and trumpettes accuse Democrats of doing, it is actually Toddler-Trump's Klan that are doing it and to a greater extent than imaginable, every time.
There is a lot of truth to that thinking. We know he only cares about his own physical safety and being able to pay his debt service. Now that Trump has Bessent and Musk to make periodic multi-million-dollar payments direct from US Treasury accounts to him, he’s set.
I sense some kind of doubt that there was an "assassination" attempt. I keep looking at trump's right ear when the press photographers shine a light on it. Do you see any scar?
Jerry, unfortunately, they are not thinking about intelligence, they are mostly scared white people who have been primed to believe white people are being "replaced" and their paranoia, which is also groomed won't let them see the truth that their skin color is just a shallow characteristic that means only what someone wants it to mean, and they really do want it to mean something big, superior. White skin for them means superiority over everyone else, so intelligence is a given. Disgusting, but what I have noticed.
Laurie, I read the book when it came out and have found that it fits a lot of people. I did not find that to be true, though when I worked for the federal government, well, except for Reagan who was president when I worked in DC.
Bravo to your daughter for choosing such important work! The push-back against these illegal cuts is growing. They must be stopped, for the health and safety of all humanity.
I have a son who does neuroscience research for a living. I don’t know if his research will be impacted by the NIH cuts. This whole situation is crazy! Can we please send Elon into space on one of the SpaceX rockets ASAP?
I read about lawsuits targeting the illegal acts that are gushing out of the Trump regime. I read about judges enjoining illegal behavior by the Trump regime. Then there’s Elon doxing a judge’s daughter. Who will enforce court orders?
I do not want to send Elon on an expensive Rocket. A prison would be much better. Yes, we would have to pay to keep him there, but he would not have more children and he would not be a HERO riding into Space.
Mary Greenwald: Since Elon Musk is crazy, keep him in a prison cell and Virtual-Reality (VR) goggles and headset with outer-space VR and tell him he is in a Space-X capsule to Mars, and Musk will be happy and so will we!
I am sending this far and wide. This ——hits home! Yours is 1 of 10 amazing Substacks to which I am a paid Subscriber. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your hard work. And your chicken photos.
Let’s go, folks! Indivisible.com will give you Feb 17 (President’s Day) locations where you can enter your zip code and find a location (state or local) to participate.
Trump’s Super Bowl visit, which he left early cost about $20 million. Imagine what this would fund in NIH research, USAID relief, education programs, healthcare for rural and underserved communities, etc. what did he accomplish during his short time at the Super Bowl— other than his team favorite Kansas City Chiefs losing and the Philadelphia Eagles, winning and owned by a Democrat and managed by a great group of women. But, remember Trump was the first president to attend a Super Bowl. Maybe that’s what Trump accomplished— he won his itty bitty trophy of being first!!!!
And, Joyce your daughter is doing such important research. I know you are so very proud!!!!
Not related to this but I just read the complaint brought by numerous Jewish and Christian denominations against Homeland Security and ICE (the plaintiffs are well-represented by an institute out of Georgetown Law). I hope this suit gets some media attention. I love that it relies upon the interpretation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 573 U.S. 682(2014).
Actually, it is 27 different faiths and religions that are suing Homeland Security and the administration for letting ICE look for immigrants in their places of worship. My church is one of them (Episcopal).Our new Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe. The key points in his message are: "We believe their struggles reveal the heart of God".
"We cannot worship freely if some among us live in fear".
"By joining this lawsuit, we are seeking the ability to gather to fully practice our faith".
"We ask us all to see that our true citizenship is in God's kingdom".
"The meek shall inherit the earth, the merciful shall receive mercy, and the captives shall go free". Regardless of what each of us believes, it is for all of us,
this might be a duplicate post, but JustSecurity has a litigation tracker here, as of today you can find TWO cases in this list under “ Executive Action: Immigration enforcement against places of worship ”
So many of these groups go back more than a hundred years and have thousands of congregants. It was actually a good history lesson to read the complaint.
Per Reich, "When Trump was sworn into office, Musk’s six corporations were under more than 32 continuing investigations conducted by at least 11 federal agencies, according to a review by The New York Times.
"Most of these cases are now closed or likely to be closed soon, and the agencies that initiated them are being defanged by Musk and Trump.
"Which means Musk’s corporations are worth far more because they are no longer restrained by the government. And as their major shareholder, Musk is the big winner."
Back to work, everyone. Call your members of Congress and your governor. Write letters to the editor and post on social media. Join and financially support the pro-democracy groups actively opposing Trump-Musk, such as Indivisible, Public Citizen, Democracy Forward, the ACLU.
You have to wonder what would happen if Muck or T contracted a rare form of cancer and there was no research that could help. Do they think they don't live in the same environment as the rest of us?
Paula, it is one of the toddler traits to think they are invincible. Toddler-Trump was very sick when he had COVID, but that was hardly mentioned. There was a collection of drugs, none of which he had pushed, that were able to bring him out of it, unfortunately. He and Toddler-Musk don't think they will get sick, although Trump does have the beginnings or more of dementia which his handlers know but are working hard to cover up. He will come up with all kinds of ridiculous whines and not be able to go with them until he demands others act on them. He has helped put into office people who are stupid enough to go along with the demented ravings which is so dangerous for us and the world.
Trump actually has been diagnosed with narcissism by his niece. She is a licensend clinical psychologist.
The people he put in office are more greedy than they are stupid. They know that Trump is mentally ill and they "play" him to their own sick advantage.
Good point, but at the same time they have access to some of the best healthcare in the country should they need it, whereas us peons need to GoFundMe our cancer care.
First, puff out your chest and be proud of that daughter of yours! There are many daughters, and sons, who are finding their dreams and their opportunities limited by a mad-man and his ego-maniacal Igor. And there are many others who will not benefit from the research and discoveries of these young, dedicated scientists - life-saving, life-giving research will go unfunded and the American people, indeed, the whole world will be the less for it. Is that really Making America Great Again? Or is it just A Fool's Folly?
So what do we do???? Yes, I know we flood the switchboards. But Adam Schiff is my senator and already on board. I have emailed my support and donated. What more can I do? For your daughter? For so many other daughters and sons? - and what if he decides to ignore the courts????? That scares me the most.
Make sure Schiff hears from the democrats because you know the MAGAS are baraging him. 4 republican contacts to 1 Democrat contact is what I read so let them know you are happy with what they are doing.
My niece is a genetic counselor at St Jude’s Childrens’ Hospital in Memphis. My younger sister is a scientist in biomedical research in Boston area. These people are doing things that benefit people, and, in my niece’s case, CHILDREN, and Musk and Trump are defunding them. Hideous and heartless.
This messes things up in even more ways than you describe. I know two people working at a national lab. When funding is held up like this, plans cannot be made in advance, so the $200 airfare and hotel for an important meeting turns into a $600 airfare and far more expensive hotel cost. Not to mention that it creates so much additional work for people who are struggling to do everything they have to do as it is, all under considerable restraints already. It's a cluster F, and it ends up costing more in the end. So much for Mr. doge-bag and his savings
And much of the longer-term cost will be measured as brain drain, the flight of talent and expertise to universities, research institutes, etc., in countries that aren't regressing at light speed to the Dark Ages.
With all that good food we are ready for the fight, Joyce. We are growing and gathering in strength. The courts are at work for us. Where the courts need to be backed up, we will back them up by taking to the streets en masse. I will work on that plan, if you and daughter can keep us fed. On every street in which Mump plans to travel, it will not be possible. When they ignore the courts, our first wave of protestors will cross the Rappahannock and the Potomac. We will be in the hundreds of thousands, but only until our reserves arrive after crossing the Chattahoochee, the Susquehanna, and the Delaware. Then we will be in the millions. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/peaceful-and-lawful?r=3m1bs
Your communications are informative, noninflammatory, and human. Your daughter's work and her expression of her work is like music to a parent. Thanks. As always.
Your daughter's achievements is a testament to you Joyce.
"We've of course received stop orders on countless studies already - but worse yet are the studies that will never start, on everything from the environmental causes of Alzheimer's, to new tests for cancer, to novel treatments to improve adolescents' mental health."
Can't this zombie president even consider for one second that the absence of medical research can personally affect him and his family??
My heart goes out to your daughter, Joyce, and to all of her friends and colleagues. I hate hearing what is happening to basic research. I have been a science oriented guy since childhood (watching Mr Spock on the original Star Trek almost 60 years ago. Real science shows like "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" too). I am convinced that the GOP - at a very basic level - is not just anti-science but anti-intelligence. They think because they are wealthy they can escape / ride out any crisis that may occur. (Maybe even escape to Mars some day if that becomes necessary.) They are so full of themselves and care so little for everyone else that "the death of science" is just a big ho-hum to them. And they don't care if the rest of us have any basic intelligence beyond that needed to serve them. They sit on the gold "thrones" and laugh at the "suckers and losers" who spend many years in pursuit of Ph.D's.
How can America (and the world) gain the upper hand over the forces of anti-intellectualism? By celebrating its accomplishments! And by laughing at MAGA...
"Hey... MAGA... do you like using your smart phone? You do... well, prove it by supporting science! No? Okay... then give me your smart phone. I'm gonna smash it, because it's a product of something you hate!!!"
I was thinking the other day about parallels to many regimes that view intellectuals as the least desirable citizens, like China's Cultural Revolution or Germany's targeting intellectuals in WWII - never mind they are the same folks who perform life-saving surgeries and engineer new things they depend on.
I’m really sad. “Cutting the rate to 15% will destroy science in the United States. This change will break our universities, our medical centers and the entire engine for scientific discovery.” … I recently read where Germany abandoned science in the 1930’s and has never regained a leadership role.
Part of the NIH granting was for St Jude’s Children’s Hospital. What is wrong with these Administration idiots. The outrage for this should not know any political lines. News organizations gotta keep the pressure up.
This is one of the examples I've been looking for -- I know people who voted for Trump who send a contribution to St. Jude's every time they are asked. I can't wait to lift this one up.
The trade-off - nip all the travel and security funding for a greedy felon, his family and his billionaire buddy in exchange for life saving research and life saving medical care for children.
Yeah. It costs 3 million for * to go to Mar a lago. $18 million for the Superbowl.
That is absolutely disgusting! I appreciate you sharing that information.
Makes me want to become a warrior!
Me too! I have a grand son who has a severe, life threatening allergy to peanuts. Trump made light of this serious condition in a post. I think the man is evil!
Yes, he is evil.
Annie git yer gun.
LOVE the “*”. (Although asterisks are useful. He isn’t. (Being a useful idiot doesn’t count.)
Why can’t the MAGA crowd see that his whole family is a bunch of grifters??
They're not MAGA anymore. Now, they're NAPs (Nazi American Party). And they can't see because they drank the kool-aid and are part of the cult.
Because there are none so blind as those who will not see.
Ann: I agree. Do you know how much security alone cost for that convicted felon to attend the Super Bowl? Millions!! Security for his family? They want to attend: Let them pay for their own security. He can borrow from his pal Elona.
Maybe, but there should be no trade off because scientific research is so important to life.
The real money waste is the defense department. Am I surprised that this is not investigated?
I also think doge should look at the GOP in the house. Collecting their paychecks while not actually working should be Considered Fraud, waste and abuse!
That’s where Musk and Trump can make billions for them self. I use the word make loosely here.
Reminder. The people of Alabama overwhelmingly voted for this madness.
I don't know what was in the minds of any of the voters, but I do know that Trump explicitly denied anything to do with Project 2025 and he wasn't pressed on it. Supposedly, people voted for less inflation -- cheaper eggs. Some probably voted for madness, chaos, destruction -- 'getting back at the man'??? Some voted for a man not a woman and some voted for a white not a colored and some voted for a Republican not a Democrat. And, of course, there was voter suppression.... Trump also never campaigned on Musk being the hatchet man or having a cabinet of billionaires and abusers and traitors, etc.. When Musk said that there would be 2 years of suffering, he wasn't pressed on it -- who was supposed to suffer and what for??? The public's reaction to Trump's first funding freeze caused him to stop it. The overwhelming number of phone calls to representatives in D.C. is reminding those people that the public is vast and demanding.
Sadly.
But Musk/Trump/Vance is who they voted for. They knew exactly what they wanted and they voted.
Mike, you are right here. Individual stories of kids who are harmed, set against Toddler-Musk's poor little rich boy actions could make a big difference. He clearly cares for no one but himself and believes himself to be brilliant when he is just a very rich child-man who is about average but was and remains lucky. Holding him and his bad behavior against a child in need might turn some people's attention to stopping the toddler playground from their destructive behavior.
Ruth, the big problem with musk, as I see it, is his greed. He can never have too much money, and what he has, obscene though it is, is never enough. That is all he cares about: getting more. He does not care about starving or ailing children, or anyone who is poor.
Susan, you have nailed Toddler-Musk. he got rich too young, before he developed a decent personality that could include others. He can hardly communicate effectively when he is either interviewed or just asked to comment. Greedy is his first name and he proves it every day. It seems to me that any money he has gained since the election should be removed from his coffers and given to USAID, NIH and the other agencies that he has damaged with his ignorant cruelty. I would love to see him in jail, a high-security prison where no one can get at him or free him. I bet a lot of people would be delighted with that, probably every person who has ever worked with him.
Same with Trump. He has no life experiences.
Jerry, the problem is that Toddler-Trump is lazy, a deadbeat. He gets others to do his work for him, then claims the credit or blames them if everything is not just as he likes it. He uses and abuses people. Unfortunately, his supporters either love that kind of person and wish they could be just like him, or they don't care what he is and like to remain ignorant of what he really is, so they can whine "I didn't know."
Voters wanted the FELON. They liked what they saw in Trump's first term and they wanted an even better Trump again.
Mary, I think that is partly true. However, in addition, they saw that their Toddler-Trump was running against a woman of color and as dedicated white people and white wannabees, who despise women and people of color, they were "called" to vote for a felon who cares for nothing and no one but himself and the power and money he can steal from everyone around him including his supporters. They whine about the Dems doing so much harm to them while it is the guys they voted for who have only contempt for them who have done it, every single time. The Democrats are blamed for not paying enough attention to working people while they are the only party in 50 years who have done anything to help anyone but rich white people. The disconnect is intense. Dems need to keep trying to make this a more perfect union while Repubs keep doing everything they can to destroy our democracy. The whiny white people will still vote for the "R" rather than for those who actually want things to be better. It is amazing how well brainwashing works.
He bought a bunch of companies, and has other people run them. Now boredom is his biggest challenge. I really wonder if either one of them know what’s going on in every community in the country. Not likely with their news sources.
Susan and Ruth, you are both right. I believe both Trump and Musk are literally incapable of showing any compassion for the rest of humanity. And they will never “learn” it.
Not only MUSK!
Ruth, Elon has eleven kids. WTH is wrong with him? They are probably just props for him. He may have a lot of money, but he is a worthless human being!
Mike, I am truly sorry for those children because unless their moms are really terrific people, those children would have a good chance they will turn out just like their father and that would be beyond sad.
Just look at Rump’s offspring and how they turned out. There may still be a chance for Barron but that is fading fast.
DNA of Donald and Melania. Good luck with that!
The little boy who he constantly uses as a shield on his head. WTF!
Here's what's wrong with him: he knows he's a Frankenstein figure and uses his kid as an accessory to infuse a shred of humanity to his image.
He has twelve children.
Wonder if he actually supports the upbringing of those children or if the Moms have to sue for support. What do you bet it’s the latter?
He doesn't even remember all their names!
T Allen, Toddler-Musk is so busy trying to accumulate money and cheat as many people as he can, while not calling it cheating, that he has no brain space to remember anything like his kids' names. I am guessing he might forget his own name. OK, I could make it easy, Toddler-Musk, handmaid to Toddler-Trump. That would work.
🤮great topic for reporters.
What is wrong is they don’t care, period. It is not about governing, it is not about helping to keep this country at the forefront of world affairs. It is simply about personal enrichment, psychopathy, and pure evil.
That’s why I call the people who supported him evilgelicals!
Beautifully stated. Evil is a good starting point...
Media should be highlighting the actual patients who are suffering from the shutdowns of their potentially lifesaving clinical trials.
Agree! But media should be telling the truth about everything and they're not.
These are perfect examples of what should be shown where the MAGA crowd will see it: pictures of Trump smirking at the game with the $$$ it cost to have him there next to dying children at the Mayo Clinic!!
These people need visuals everywhere they "might" be able to relate to!
Your operative word is “idiots”. Nothing else needs saying.
Vanity-Man is cheap and doesn’t like spending his own money. How much does he give to charity? Inquiring minds want to know. What has he cost us already? The Super Bowl stunt was a total waste. How many times has he travelled to play golf in the last few weeks? Thanks Mike N for focusing on things that can be proven with facts not lies.
Thank you for that information. I have several friends i want to drop that little tidbit on!
You are welcome.
Mike,
ARe you under the illusion that they care whether sick children live or die?
This is what you get when deeply ignorant people (Trump, Musk, Trump’s nominee for HHS head) are given decision authority far beyond their capability.
Some experts on authoritarians believe Trump deliberately hires incompetent people because he really doesn't care if they are good at their jobs, as long as they know he's the one w/ power. I imagine he is hugely uncomfortable being around people who are noticeably smarter and who don't cave.
Laurie, I think Toddler-Trump is scared of anyone who is smarter than he is and maybe even more competent. I believe he went with the Fox hosts because he could tell that he could manipulate them with no problem. Toddler-Trump is a good manipulator, a con artist and Republicans bought the whole pile and keep snacking on it as long as Toddler-Trump or now, Toddler-Musk tells them to. Trump's handlers know he is not only incompetent, but dealing with dementia, but they go with it because otherwise, they would have no real power. I still keep wondering if Toddler-Trump has an earpiece through which he is being fed what to say at any given time. I am guessing someone is working with him on putting some affect into his voice too because when speaking "off the cuff" he has no affect and hardly changes his pitch as he used to, doing that up and down almost hypnotic voice.
He has a very, very annoying sing song voice pattern. I always turn the sound off when he speaks. Plus he ALWAYS lies and generalizes with never, ever a specific fact or example. NEVER! It is always millions of dollars of fraud, waste, and abuse with no specifics. Doesn’t anyone ever wonder about examples to validate his lies?
Happy Valley, Toddler-Trump used to have that sing-song hypnotic voice, but in the past year or so, that is mostly gone which may be why people don't really listen to what he is saying. There is no hypnotic pitch change to it (probably due to his dementia that is becoming more pronounced). The Trump-Klan votes for Toddler-Trump anyway because of his racism, misogyny, and xenophobia, and theirs. People do complain about his fraud, use, an abuse of tax-payer funds, but their challenges are mostly unheard and certainly not repeated as the truths they are by the right-wing media which benefit significantly from the fraud while they blame everyone in the opposition, inaccurately for what the Toddler-Trump toddler playground are doing. One thing that would help us all to remember and take seriously, whatever Toddler-Trump and his trumpers and trumpettes accuse Democrats of doing, it is actually Toddler-Trump's Klan that are doing it and to a greater extent than imaginable, every time.
There is a lot of truth to that thinking. We know he only cares about his own physical safety and being able to pay his debt service. Now that Trump has Bessent and Musk to make periodic multi-million-dollar payments direct from US Treasury accounts to him, he’s set.
Two people were killed in his “assassination” attempt. Does he care, hell no!
I sense some kind of doubt that there was an "assassination" attempt. I keep looking at trump's right ear when the press photographers shine a light on it. Do you see any scar?
No! It’s because he is a crook and he plans to crook the United States of America for the next four years and beyond.
How does he manage to be in a world where more than half the population is smarter than he is?
Oh they're trained not to let on.
Yes! One would think even ignorant people would want a president who is smarter than them.
Jerry, unfortunately, they are not thinking about intelligence, they are mostly scared white people who have been primed to believe white people are being "replaced" and their paranoia, which is also groomed won't let them see the truth that their skin color is just a shallow characteristic that means only what someone wants it to mean, and they really do want it to mean something big, superior. White skin for them means superiority over everyone else, so intelligence is a given. Disgusting, but what I have noticed.
Ah, living examples of the Peter Principle!
My father bought dozens of copies of that book to hand out.
Laurie, I read the book when it came out and have found that it fits a lot of people. I did not find that to be true, though when I worked for the federal government, well, except for Reagan who was president when I worked in DC.
You are showing your age!😂
Deeply ignorant voted for him!
This what you get when you voted for Trump. Or did not vote because - you know - that Black WOMAN
Bravo to your daughter for choosing such important work! The push-back against these illegal cuts is growing. They must be stopped, for the health and safety of all humanity.
I have a son who does neuroscience research for a living. I don’t know if his research will be impacted by the NIH cuts. This whole situation is crazy! Can we please send Elon into space on one of the SpaceX rockets ASAP?
I read about lawsuits targeting the illegal acts that are gushing out of the Trump regime. I read about judges enjoining illegal behavior by the Trump regime. Then there’s Elon doxing a judge’s daughter. Who will enforce court orders?
Please tell me Elon publicizing info on the judge’s daughter is illegal and he will be sued somehow?
If it’s illegal, he should be arrested and charged with a crime. He doesn’t have any immunity.
I do not want to send Elon on an expensive Rocket. A prison would be much better. Yes, we would have to pay to keep him there, but he would not have more children and he would not be a HERO riding into Space.
He won’t be a hero if he gets stuck on Mars. Nationalize SpaceX and cancel those bloated contracts. Just like farmers’ contracts got “frozen.”
Mary Greenwald: Since Elon Musk is crazy, keep him in a prison cell and Virtual-Reality (VR) goggles and headset with outer-space VR and tell him he is in a Space-X capsule to Mars, and Musk will be happy and so will we!
I am sending this far and wide. This ——hits home! Yours is 1 of 10 amazing Substacks to which I am a paid Subscriber. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your hard work. And your chicken photos.
Let’s go, folks! Indivisible.com will give you Feb 17 (President’s Day) locations where you can enter your zip code and find a location (state or local) to participate.
Indivisible.org! My apologies!
Trump’s Super Bowl visit, which he left early cost about $20 million. Imagine what this would fund in NIH research, USAID relief, education programs, healthcare for rural and underserved communities, etc. what did he accomplish during his short time at the Super Bowl— other than his team favorite Kansas City Chiefs losing and the Philadelphia Eagles, winning and owned by a Democrat and managed by a great group of women. But, remember Trump was the first president to attend a Super Bowl. Maybe that’s what Trump accomplished— he won his itty bitty trophy of being first!!!!
And, Joyce your daughter is doing such important research. I know you are so very proud!!!!
Not related to this but I just read the complaint brought by numerous Jewish and Christian denominations against Homeland Security and ICE (the plaintiffs are well-represented by an institute out of Georgetown Law). I hope this suit gets some media attention. I love that it relies upon the interpretation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 573 U.S. 682(2014).
It's a great lawsuit brought by my wonderful former colleague Mary McCord at Georgetown. A really important case.
Actually, it is 27 different faiths and religions that are suing Homeland Security and the administration for letting ICE look for immigrants in their places of worship. My church is one of them (Episcopal).Our new Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe. The key points in his message are: "We believe their struggles reveal the heart of God".
"We cannot worship freely if some among us live in fear".
"By joining this lawsuit, we are seeking the ability to gather to fully practice our faith".
"We ask us all to see that our true citizenship is in God's kingdom".
"The meek shall inherit the earth, the merciful shall receive mercy, and the captives shall go free". Regardless of what each of us believes, it is for all of us,
Dr. Martin Luther Kinf, Jr.: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”.
Wonderful!!
What’s the name of this action?
this might be a duplicate post, but JustSecurity has a litigation tracker here, as of today you can find TWO cases in this list under “ Executive Action: Immigration enforcement against places of worship ”
https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/
There is a case filed Jan 27 by Philadelphia Friends, and a case filed by a large list of plaintiffs Feb 11.
If you mean the lawsuit, it is called the freedom to worship lawsuit
Thank you!
More specifically, Ron and Hope:
Here's a full list of the plaintiffs, for those curious:
Mennonite Church USA
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Central Atlantic Conference United Church of Christ
The Central Conference of American Rabbis
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Church of the Brethren, Inc.
Convención Bautista Hispana de Texas
The Episcopal Church
Fellowship Southwest
Friends General Conference
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
General Commission on Religion and Race of the United Methodist Church
Latino Christian National Network
Massachusetts Council of Churches
The New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
New York State Council of Churches
North Carolina Council of Churches
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church
The Rabbinical Assembly
Reconstruction Judaism
Rhode Island State Council of Churches
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church
Wisconsin Council of Churches
Wisdom, Inc.
Mostly mainline Protestant and Jewish organizations and ecumenical conferences formed to coordinate social justice and charity activities.
So many of these groups go back more than a hundred years and have thousands of congregants. It was actually a good history lesson to read the complaint.
It is truly hard to comprehend the purposeful destruction of key federal agencies like the NIH, FBI, CFPB, CIA, as this attempted coup continues.
Robert Reich reminds us that Musk increases his wealth BECAUSE he's destroying our government - here's the link: https://robertreich.substack.com/p/fraud
Per Reich, "When Trump was sworn into office, Musk’s six corporations were under more than 32 continuing investigations conducted by at least 11 federal agencies, according to a review by The New York Times.
"Most of these cases are now closed or likely to be closed soon, and the agencies that initiated them are being defanged by Musk and Trump.
"Which means Musk’s corporations are worth far more because they are no longer restrained by the government. And as their major shareholder, Musk is the big winner."
Back to work, everyone. Call your members of Congress and your governor. Write letters to the editor and post on social media. Join and financially support the pro-democracy groups actively opposing Trump-Musk, such as Indivisible, Public Citizen, Democracy Forward, the ACLU.
ONWARD!
You have to wonder what would happen if Muck or T contracted a rare form of cancer and there was no research that could help. Do they think they don't live in the same environment as the rest of us?
Yes, I imagine they think they do. Or that they're immortal.
Then, won't they be surprised when they wake up one day to find themselves the servants of Beelzebub.
Laurie, hey, wasn't Toddler-Trump told by Dr. Jackson, his White House physician that he would live to be 200?
Paula, it is one of the toddler traits to think they are invincible. Toddler-Trump was very sick when he had COVID, but that was hardly mentioned. There was a collection of drugs, none of which he had pushed, that were able to bring him out of it, unfortunately. He and Toddler-Musk don't think they will get sick, although Trump does have the beginnings or more of dementia which his handlers know but are working hard to cover up. He will come up with all kinds of ridiculous whines and not be able to go with them until he demands others act on them. He has helped put into office people who are stupid enough to go along with the demented ravings which is so dangerous for us and the world.
Trump actually has been diagnosed with narcissism by his niece. She is a licensend clinical psychologist.
The people he put in office are more greedy than they are stupid. They know that Trump is mentally ill and they "play" him to their own sick advantage.
EXACTLY! Wat are they, STUPID, or convinced nothing will touch THEM...
They do the same thing with the environment, as if they don't breathe the same air we do.
Good point, but at the same time they have access to some of the best healthcare in the country should they need it, whereas us peons need to GoFundMe our cancer care.
This is true, but if the research hasn't been done it isn't available to them either.
I was thinking that same thing. Karma; what goes around, comes around. It would be poetic justice.
It will happen one way or another
First, puff out your chest and be proud of that daughter of yours! There are many daughters, and sons, who are finding their dreams and their opportunities limited by a mad-man and his ego-maniacal Igor. And there are many others who will not benefit from the research and discoveries of these young, dedicated scientists - life-saving, life-giving research will go unfunded and the American people, indeed, the whole world will be the less for it. Is that really Making America Great Again? Or is it just A Fool's Folly?
So what do we do???? Yes, I know we flood the switchboards. But Adam Schiff is my senator and already on board. I have emailed my support and donated. What more can I do? For your daughter? For so many other daughters and sons? - and what if he decides to ignore the courts????? That scares me the most.
Donate to Public Citizen and the other organizations that are bringing suit as well as to universities.
Make sure Schiff hears from the democrats because you know the MAGAS are baraging him. 4 republican contacts to 1 Democrat contact is what I read so let them know you are happy with what they are doing.
I wish Schiff had not voted AYE for Little Marko and Doug (in charge of Veteran's Affairs)
My niece is a genetic counselor at St Jude’s Childrens’ Hospital in Memphis. My younger sister is a scientist in biomedical research in Boston area. These people are doing things that benefit people, and, in my niece’s case, CHILDREN, and Musk and Trump are defunding them. Hideous and heartless.
Cruelty is the point
Bingo
This messes things up in even more ways than you describe. I know two people working at a national lab. When funding is held up like this, plans cannot be made in advance, so the $200 airfare and hotel for an important meeting turns into a $600 airfare and far more expensive hotel cost. Not to mention that it creates so much additional work for people who are struggling to do everything they have to do as it is, all under considerable restraints already. It's a cluster F, and it ends up costing more in the end. So much for Mr. doge-bag and his savings
And what will this do to the people who want to enter these fields? Talk about demotivating.
And much of the longer-term cost will be measured as brain drain, the flight of talent and expertise to universities, research institutes, etc., in countries that aren't regressing at light speed to the Dark Ages.
With all that good food we are ready for the fight, Joyce. We are growing and gathering in strength. The courts are at work for us. Where the courts need to be backed up, we will back them up by taking to the streets en masse. I will work on that plan, if you and daughter can keep us fed. On every street in which Mump plans to travel, it will not be possible. When they ignore the courts, our first wave of protestors will cross the Rappahannock and the Potomac. We will be in the hundreds of thousands, but only until our reserves arrive after crossing the Chattahoochee, the Susquehanna, and the Delaware. Then we will be in the millions. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/peaceful-and-lawful?r=3m1bs
Your communications are informative, noninflammatory, and human. Your daughter's work and her expression of her work is like music to a parent. Thanks. As always.
Your daughter's achievements is a testament to you Joyce.
"We've of course received stop orders on countless studies already - but worse yet are the studies that will never start, on everything from the environmental causes of Alzheimer's, to new tests for cancer, to novel treatments to improve adolescents' mental health."
Can't this zombie president even consider for one second that the absence of medical research can personally affect him and his family??
A psychopath doesn’t have the capacity to self-reflect.
My heart goes out to your daughter, Joyce, and to all of her friends and colleagues. I hate hearing what is happening to basic research. I have been a science oriented guy since childhood (watching Mr Spock on the original Star Trek almost 60 years ago. Real science shows like "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" too). I am convinced that the GOP - at a very basic level - is not just anti-science but anti-intelligence. They think because they are wealthy they can escape / ride out any crisis that may occur. (Maybe even escape to Mars some day if that becomes necessary.) They are so full of themselves and care so little for everyone else that "the death of science" is just a big ho-hum to them. And they don't care if the rest of us have any basic intelligence beyond that needed to serve them. They sit on the gold "thrones" and laugh at the "suckers and losers" who spend many years in pursuit of Ph.D's.
How can America (and the world) gain the upper hand over the forces of anti-intellectualism? By celebrating its accomplishments! And by laughing at MAGA...
"Hey... MAGA... do you like using your smart phone? You do... well, prove it by supporting science! No? Okay... then give me your smart phone. I'm gonna smash it, because it's a product of something you hate!!!"
I was thinking the other day about parallels to many regimes that view intellectuals as the least desirable citizens, like China's Cultural Revolution or Germany's targeting intellectuals in WWII - never mind they are the same folks who perform life-saving surgeries and engineer new things they depend on.
I’m really sad. “Cutting the rate to 15% will destroy science in the United States. This change will break our universities, our medical centers and the entire engine for scientific discovery.” … I recently read where Germany abandoned science in the 1930’s and has never regained a leadership role.
When you are paying professionals you are going to have high overhead. These institutes cannot rely on donations. Stupid clowns Ksum and *