This week, Lisa and David talk about JD Vance visits with new pope; Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive form' of prostate cancer; Tornadoes sweep multiple US states; Secret Service questions Comey over alleged Trump threat post; Trump’s mideast trip; DHS considering reality show where immigrants compete for citizenship; Trump’s Truth Social posts and Taylor Swift feud; Moody's downgrades US credit rating, citing rising $36T debt; Trump’s “big beautiful bill”; GOP / Trump factions and fractures; Sean Combs “Diddy” trial first testimony; unable to justify refugee status under international refugee law, Trump unilaterally declares white South Africans refugees; David is worried about young people trusting misinformation over facts; and more.
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” isn’t just about tax cuts it quietly guts federal protections and reshapes entire agencies. Here’s what’s buried inside:
Closure of the U.S. Department of Education
25% expansion of logging in national forests, bypassing environmental reviews and fast-tracking timber production
Rollbacks on clean energy incentives, cutting tax credits for EVs and renewables, gutting key climate provisions
More public lands opened up for drilling, mining, and logging, with royalty breaks for fossil fuel companies
Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, ending U.S. participation in global climate efforts
Executive Order 14215, forcing independent federal agencies to follow White House legal interpretations and centralizing authority under the presidency
Pension changes for federal workers hired before 2014, cutting take-home pay by raising required contributions, reducing future payouts, and eliminating early retirement supplements
REINS Act-style regulation repeal, where major federal rules expire unless Congress re-approves them every 5 years allowing Trump to quietly erase protections without rewriting laws
Expanded executive control over agency budgets, allowing the White House to move federal funds internally without explicit congressional approval
Restoration of impoundment powers, giving Trump the ability to block or delay spending already passed by Congress reviving powers stripped after Watergate
Creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing White House–aligned teams inside every federal agency with access to internal systems and influence over hiring and daily operations
Sharp cuts in regulatory enforcement, with agencies like the EPA, CFPB, and Labor and Transportation Departments halting enforcement of key safety, environmental, and anti-discrimination rules
Trump’s personal control over economic policy, strengthening his power to direct tariffs, pressure private companies, and dictate pricing with little resistance treating the U.S. economy like his own business
This bill isn’t just “big.” It’s a roadmap for dismantling oversight, hollowing out federal protections, and handing Trump sweeping, unchecked control. Read the fine print.
By Alt National Park Service (as shared on FB)
Links:
Outrage Overload Youtube Channel
Ex-FBI boss interviewed by Secret Service over Trump seashell post (BBC)
DHS mulls reality show for immigrants seeking US citizenship (The Hill)
Trump lashes out at Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen in bizarre social media rants (SF Chronicle)
30-year Treasury yield jumps above 5% after Moody’s downgrades U.S. credit rating (CNBC)
The Real Reason Those White South Africans Are Here (The Nation)
European leaders consult Trump to align response to Russia-Ukraine talks (Aljazeera)
What judges have said about birthright citizenship and nationwide injunctions (PBS)
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