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
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?
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
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
By spocko, on April 16th, 2025%
We have hard evidence that the DOGE staff changes to computer systems have done damage.
Jeff Hauser was on the Nicole Sandler show talking about Musk DOGE Watch.
The whistleblower on Maddow talked about what was done with in National Labor Relations Board. He said that the same is happening in other agencies. I believe that Elon Musk and the policies of DOGE must be stopped. The more we learn about what they are doing, the more clear it will become they have to be stopped. How to stop them is one question, what to do next is another. Major corporations, industry groups and economists KNOW DOGE is destabilizing government. But they are afraid to say it. So we do.
#ElonMusk and the policies of #DOGE must be stopped.
My premise is that while we can link deaths to kids in South Sudan to the USAID cuts in food aid in America, that’ not big enough to register. DOGE changes to the computer systems need to be big enough to lead to the deaths of THOUSANDS of Americans. Specifically, white, male Republican Americans.
DOGE and Musk are not just making simple “mistakes” but are doing . . . → Read More: What is DOGE doing? Can they be stopped?
By spocko, on April 14th, 2025%
I saw my friend Alex Lawson on Maddow Friday April 12, 2025. He said,
Alex Lawson, ED Social Security Works on The Rachel Maddow Show, Friday April 12, 2025
a missed check for some people is a death sentence, a missed check for some people is going to mean that they are out on the street. So we have to come together. And understand that when this catastrophic failure happens, and I believe it will, there’s no indication that they’re trying to fix things, just accelerate it. 73 Million people rely on Social Security. Imagine the chaos that will come when those checks don’t go out. Rachel, it is going to be a scenario that’s hard to imagine how catastrophic it will be.
Alex Lawson, ED Social Security Works on The Rachel Maddow Show, Friday April 12, 2025
I put the date of the warning in here, because it’s important. Here’s how America currently works:
Someone on the left says something bad is going to happen and we need to stop it before it happens. Nobody listens. The thing happens. Then, the people who were warned, who also knew it would likely happen but didn’t want to stop the thing, . . . → Read More: For some people, a missed check is a death sentence. What to do before & after DOGE kills
By spocko, on March 25th, 2025%
I’m LOVING what I’m seeing on MSNBC about Town Halls! I want to see more! But what if there isn’t one around you?
Right now DOGE & Musk are shutting Social Security offices all across the country and cutting phone services that will force the elderly and disabled to go to their local Social Security office. Alex Lawson of Social Security Works talked to Nicole Sandler about how to set up a rally at your local Social Security Administration office. Sam Seder of The Majority Report talked about it today.
"Every single member of congress needs to be pressured because of what they are doing to Social Security." @samseder.bsky.social @majorityreport.bsky.social @socialsecurityworks.org is setting up people to rally at their local #SocialSecurity offices. Go to HandsOffSocialSecurity.org[image or embed]
— Spocko (@spocko.bsky.social) March 25, 2025 at 1:20 PM
The rallies at Social Security offices will bring the issue to the media, which is great, but we know how people live in media bubbles. Fox News won’t cover them. But they might make the local news. Lately I’ve been talking to some activists on how to reach the “normies” who only watch their local TV news, and prepare for the . . . → Read More: Who to call NOW, before your Social Security is disrupted? Alex Lawson @socialsecurityworks.org
By spocko, on February 23rd, 2025%
Chelsea Milburn, a disabled Navy vet, was fired from her job because of sweeping cuts to federal agencies. But her story won’t be on Fox “News”
When I saw Elon Musk wielding a chainsaw at CPAC I knew it would be shared everywhere. MAGA people LOVE that image, “He’s owning the libs! AWESOME! An Alpha male cutting Federal Government waste!” But what they won’t see are the lives destroyed by the illegal and reckless cuts.
The pattern we are seeing is a massive sweeping cut, then outrage. If it is so egregious or outrageous like Nuclear Security it’s “an accident” and they try to rehire the people fired. Now you would THINK that if it hits a program or constituent base that Republican politicians care about, they would stand up for their own people. But that hasn’t happened. We see them go on TV and say, the cuts are a good thing.
She needs to be on Fox “News” so people can connect Musk’s cuts & the betrayal of vets to GOP senators who aren’t helping her, but praising Musk. But that is not going to happen because Fox is busy talking about how the cuts are justified. They . . . → Read More: Vets Lives Are Being Destroyed By Federal Cuts
By spocko, on January 24th, 2025%
I got into a conversation with some friend’s about the Dem’s failure to prepare for the nomination hearings. I KNEW that there were multiple weaknesses in them, but I also know that the Trump team had a strategy to push them through.
I saw lots of complaints about Dem Senator questions at the hearings. It is hard, especially when Team Trump uses these tactics
1) Withholding evidence
2) No background checks by FBI AND the FBI doesn’t share the info with all committee members
3) Coach candidates to give non-answers and to give technically correct, but misleading answers
“It wasn’t an NDA, It was a”non- disparagement clause in the divorce proceedings”
4) Threaten people who have legit questions about their qualifications, or have issues about their character. See what they did to Sen. Joni Ernst.
I started looking into Tulsi Gabbard. Howie Klein wrote about her at Down With Tyranny. Will Senate Republicans Draw The Line At Tulsi Gabbard? Very Very Unlikely Subhead: Does Trump’s Crazy Hare Krishna Belong To Putin?
I learned a lot. There are multiple weakness that could be exploited if someone was in charge of a PR campaign to derail her . . . → Read More: Hey Dems! You can derail Tulsi’s nomination
By spocko, on December 18th, 2024%
I’m a HUGE fan of A Closer Look on the Seth Meyer show. It’s written by Sal Gentile and the supervising producer is Emily Erotas.They have a limited series podcast called A. Closer Look Back, talking about what they learned during Trump first term & what they can do to prepare for Trump 2.0. It’s insightful & funny and I highly recommend it.
Listening to this podcast and Rachel Maddow’s recent show on preparing for Trump’s next term got me thinking.
Who has a media and social media strategy to mess with Trump this time around? And, because nothing seems to hurt Trump, who is focusing on busting his nominees & minions? I ask because I don’t see the Dems doing it.
I wondered what I can do. Who can I help that I think is doing good work to counter the RW narrative? I looked at what was breaking thru the RW narrative IN MULTIPLE SPACES. One was comedy. So I wrote the best comedy writers & producers I knew about & asked them this question:
Dear Sal & Emily:
How can we on the left help you prepare for the scandals of nominees, so the COMEDY bits . . . → Read More: Questions for Sal Gentile and Emily Erotas about the A Closer Look Back podcast
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