Vought cancels USDA Food for Progress food aid grants

By spocko, on May 19th, 2025%

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and man who embraces traumatizing Federal Government workers, directed the US. Department of Agriculture to cancel all the grants. for the Food For Progress program.

The Food for Progress program sends U.S. commodities abroad for agricultural and economic development projects, providing an important foreign market for farmers and enhancing food security in poorer countries.

The next day a 30 foot tall banner of Donald Trump was hung at the USDA.

Russell Vought Photoshopped on a 30 foot tall Banner at USDA

30 foot banner of Trump hung at USDAon the day after Vought canceled all grantsin the Food For Progress food aid program

Last week i talked to someone who knew about this program, he told me how canceling all these grants was going to hurt American farmers. I had called him trying to quantify the economic hit to farmers in Nebraska following shutting down USAID.

When I heard about the canceling of all the grants. I started thinking about how the Republicans in Nebraska, like Rep Mike Flood, will spin the contract cancelations. He supported DOGE cutting USAID. I wondered why the . . . → Read More: Vought cancels USDA Food for Progress food aid grants

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What is the pilots’ union doing to keep passengers safe right now?

By spocko, on May 9th, 2025%

My email to the Air Line Pilots Association Int’l.

“I saw your statement yesterday, ALPA Endorses New Air Traffic Control Modernization Proposal. ALPA President Stands with DOT Secretary Duffy to Unveil Critical Aviation Infrastructure Plan, my question has the pilots’ union considered refusing to fly until fired Air Traffic Controllers are rehired, their numbers are INCREASED, (and not just with more white males?)

Also, has ALPA explained why the previous approved infrastructure plan was delayed? Specifically, how Elon Musk stopped the use of secure fiber link from Verizon for the communications upgrade to push the unvetted, insecure Starlink?

Does ALPA have an opinion on the length of the delay Starlink would cause in the upgrade? (Since it has not been tested.)

In my last piece I quoted Captain Wendy Morse, First Vice President of the Air Line Pilots Association Int’l (ALPA), from her talk about safety at their 50th board of Directors meeting

Captain Wendy Morse, First Vice President of the Air Line Pilots Association Int’l (ALPA)

where she quoting NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy at the 68th Annual ALPA Air Safety Forum in D.C

“The NTSB is with you. We’re not going back on safety. Together it’s . . . → Read More: What is the pilots’ union doing to keep passengers safe right now?

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Creating stories that get people to take action

By spocko, on May 1st, 2025%

When I talk to people about creating stories I always ask. “What is your goal?” What are the headlines you want to see? What do you want to happen? What STOPS that from happening? Who are your allies? Who is fighting you?

I worked with two brilliant journalists who have since died. One was a trade press editor. He said there are three stories in the trade press, X vs Y, Poised to explode and Too soon to tell.

He also worked with me when I coached executives to talk to the press. He told them he could tell when they were lying. He used a quote from Emerson,

“Don’t say things. What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

The former financial journalist said you always have to know, “Who is making money and who is losing money.” And, when she couldn’t get the real story because the subject was hiding it, to motivate her to get the story her editor said, “We don’t run puff pieces, not getting the story hurts YOU. Think of it like this, ‘This . . . → Read More: Creating stories that get people to take action

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Creating stories in a world where fear of retaliation is real

By spocko, on May 1st, 2025%

I had a great call yesterday about the kind of data, stories and experts the local media needs for a story. And then how the local GOP politicians dismiss the story. We discussed how fear of retaliation from the Trump admin and MAGA on social media keeps everyone quiet.

I talked about how I had lined up some experts to talk about how the USAID cuts hurt people in foreign countries, and how how they hurt the farmers in the Midwest.

Having the experts and data is one thing, but most farmers wouldn’t know that the money for food aid they got from USAID is not very coming back. 

I asked WHO are the subcontractors who bought the food to sell to USAID? Will they talk? Why not? Fear of retaliation. 

I had wanted to develop local stories people can use on TV. But Big Ag won’t talk publicly. They cut deals to stay “whole” while smaller farmers just know if the money comes in or it doesn’t. 

I had wanted the USAID cuts to Food Aid to be a big story, but it was drowned out by new stories. I saw how local politicians got a list of . . . → Read More: Creating stories in a world where fear of retaliation is real

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