Well, there has been a lot of funding slashing in the government in the last 100 days.

All without congressional approval. All at the whim of the mad dictator.

Libraries, defunded. This will need congressional approval.

Vital research to keep us healthy, defunded. This will need congressional approval.

Needed aid to the poorest countries of the world, defunded.

Consumer protection bureau, defunded.

Medicaid that provides healthcare to millions of lower income Americans, not yet defunded but through the machinations of the House Republicans cutting Medicaid is the only way to do what is in the bill they presented. Basically defunded.

NPR and PBS, defunded. You bet I increased my sustaining member contribution to NPR immediately. This is basically an attack on the first amendment. But to the mad dictator is is striking back against people who tell the truth about him.

This is your reminder that 1% or less of the NPR and PBS funding comes from the government. The bulk of the rest is made up of sustaining members and fundraising. My first ask of the post- Join your local NPR and help them resist.

All of this is by executive order as the mad dictator goes around one of the branches of the government.

He is getting hung up by the third branch though. There are lawsuits, so many lawsuits, protesting his illegal actions. Two hundred and twenty to be exact.

There have been protests, nationwide protests against his administration and many of the companies who fell into line to his wishes. The latest was yesterday, 5/1/25.

Down to brass tacks this is a tantrum by a spoiled brat who doesn’t like it when people tell the truth about him and his friends. Well, I say friends.

A lot of this is distraction from the real work of dismantling the constitution that is going on at 1600 Pennsylvania.

They just hope that we aren’t paying attention.

They just hope that by torturing those who they deem lesser than themselves, of those countries they deem lesser than the US, that we are so distracted by the crap that’s going on we don’t pay attention when it counts.

My second ask of the post- Let them know, however you can, that we as American citizens ARE paying attention and that WE DON’T LIKE IT.

My third ask of the post is to ignore what you can, while paying attention. This kind of bottom feeder antics are to generate attention. Because that is what they want, attention. Don’t give it to them.

But Kate, aren’t you giving into their attention whoring with this post?

Yes, but it is a small amount of attention that hopefully spurs others to ignore their bullshit. There is a reason that I only post about political nonsense on Fridays. And healthcare nonsense on Tuesdays. I don’t want to give them the oxygen to fan their flames into a maelstrom.

But the reason that no Republican congress or president has dared to defund PBS is that no one wants to go on record as killing Big Bird.

Make them feel seen.

Make them feel shame.

Or pointing and laughing has always belittled the bully.