The Skepticrat

On this week's episode: The big beautiful bill goes on a parliamentarian diet ... Donald Trump tries to bomb himself into a peace prize ... And Matt Gaetz's mom isn't mad; she's disappointed.

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Headline Sources:

Big Beautiful Bill’s passage in serious question: http://npr.org/2025/06/25/nx-s1-5445185/trump-gop-megabill-senate

Can Mamdani’s Energetic Campaign Be a Blueprint for Democrats?: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/us/politics/mamdani-campaign-democrats.html
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/06/maga-bigots-are-losing-their-minds-over-a-muslim-socialist-possibly-becoming-nycs-mayor/

Bombing Iran but isolationist style:  https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/22/us/politics/trump-iran-decision-strikes.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-program-israeli-us-attacks.html#link-58d1cda
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce9x809vgrro

Noah's idiot congressman nominates Trump for peace prize: https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-sycophant-buddy-carter-leads-charge-to-get-trump-a-nobel-peace-prize/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/25/pakistan-trump-nobel-peace-prize-nomination-iran-strikes https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-nobel-peace-prize-nomination-withdrawn-ukraine-russia-2089818

A Boise Bar’s “Hetero Awesome Fest” Was a Straight-Up Flop: https://www.them.us/story/boise-bar-hetero-awesome-fest-daniel-hamrick-protest-song
https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/dozens-attend-hetero-festival-in-idaho-boise/277-64864d25-d10a-49d8-bb05-57b943c08ab8

Matt Gaetz's embarrassing text conversation with his mom is revealed by person sitting behind him on a plane: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14842867/matt-gaetz-messages-mother-advice-trump.html

On this week's episode: We’ll go full tea on the Musk-Trump breakup ... At least 1.6% of America showed up to make sure Trump had a shitty birthday ... And Heath's getting married.

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Headline Sources:

Best worst best best messy breakup fight of all time: https://www.cnn.com/business/timeline-elon-musk-trump-x-dg
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-musk-timeline-twitter-truth-social-apology-regret-b2767891.html
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/11/politics/musk-vance-wiles-phone-call

Trump’s expensive stupid teeny tiny parade: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/13/us/trump-military-parade.html
And wanting to use it on protesters: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/politics/trump-military-parade-protests.html

Democratic lawmaker forcibly removed from Kristi Noem’s press conference: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygn48djrko

NYC mayor's race in final stretch with Andrew Cuomo somehow still in front: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/nyregion/debate-takeaways-mayor-nyc.html
Mamdani and Lander cross-endorse each other to leverage ranked-choice voting: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/nyregion/mamdani-lander-endorsement-nyc-mayor.html

New China trade ‘deal’ takes US back to where it started: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/11/us/politics/us-china-trade-deal-trump.html

Anti-Trump protests are yuge: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/06/14/no-kings-protests-anti-trump-rallies-us/

On this week's episode: Make America Healthy Again starts to sound an awful lot like the great reset ... We start wondering why there isn’t a Pulitzer for “best press conference question” ... And X hits a person like a Tesla on autopilot.

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Headline Sources:

MAHA report is full of enormous amounts of nonsense: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/maha-report-mostly-data-vibes
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/05/30/maha-report-ai-white-house/

Harvard wins initial court fight to keep its international students: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/us/harvard-international-students-trumps.html

A hidden measure in the big beautiful bill would crown Trump king: 
https://www.justsecurity.org/113529/terrible-idea-contempt-court/

Donald Trump learns about TACO trade: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-lashes-viral-taco-trade-meme-stand/story?id=122323324

Elon leaves the White House with a bunch of lies: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/us/politics/fact-check-elon-musk-trump.html

Elon Musk got punched in the face by a 5-year-old: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/us/politics/elon-musk-black-eye.html

On this week's episode: Donald Trump is Qat-hard pressed to refuse a gift ... RFK Jr. goes swimming in water that had disgusting, disease-causing sewage in it before he got in ... And the White House has a very special birthday boy.

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Headline Sources:

Trump does a Middle East bribing tour: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/us/politics/trump-middle-east-visit.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/12/trump-plane-qatar-politics/ https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-administration-qatar-links-2072706

DHS Reviews Reality Show Pitch Where Immigrants Compete for US Citizenship: https://ground.news/article/kristi-noem-working-on-reality-show-pitting-immigrants-against-each-other-for-citizenship

Trump's big beautiful bill is doomed: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/05/16/gop-hard-liners-block-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-taxes-immigration/ https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-put-house-notice-wont-accept-trump-agenda-bill-chan-rcna206705

RFK Jr. goes swimming in sewage with his family: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/us/politics/rfk-jr-rock-creek-bacteria.html
And openly admits you should NOT take health advice from him: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/politics/rfk-jr-hhs-overhaul-hearing.html

TX Democrats propose resolution to ban Cruz from college playoffs calling him a "well known curse": https://ground.news/article/houston-democrats-eyeing-to-end-cruz-curse-with-banning-of-senator

Trump’s fascism parade will cost well over $45 million: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/us/politics/trump-parade-army-birthday-cost.html

On this week's episode: Elon Musk spends infinity dollars for everyone to hate him ... Americans "celebrate" DJT’s first 100 days of the term ... And Trump drove our Chevy to the levy but the levy was high.

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Headline Sources:

Elon Musk on his way out: 
https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-tesla-government-cuts-c47211544c5382a6207779ee95c6060b 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/02/musk-doge-cuts-congress-budget/ 
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/30/business/tesla-board-elon-musk-ceo-search/index.html

Anonymous HHS report recommends conversion therapy without consulting any experts:
https://ground.news/article/trumps-health-agency-urges-therapy-for-transgender-youth-not-broader-gender-affirming-health-care_577b6d

Trump says kids need to take some economic pain:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/us/politics/trump-tariffs-dolls-comment.html
Tariff nonsense being claimed as a "winning deal" by Howard Lutnick:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/28/business/economy/howard-lutnick-trump-tariffs.html

Trump celebrates 100 days in office with sycophantic cabinet meeting:
https://newrepublic.com/post/194648/maga-far-right-reaction-trump-kim-jong-il-style-cabinet-meeting

Apple Violated Antitrust Ruling, Federal Judge Finds:
https://ground.news/article/apple-violated-antitrust-ruling-federal-judge-finds_60156e

Pete Hegseth is having a really bad time: 
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/22/pentagon-infighting-hegseth-fired-officials-00302709 
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/28/nx-s1-5380220/trump-hegseth-pentagon 
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5271365-colin-carroll-pentagon-official-fired/

On this week's episode: A Democratic senator gets to do his very own Taken movie ... The Secretary of Education gets a little saucy ... And Vice President Vance shows off his football skills with a very sad endzone jance dance.

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Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent:
https://bsky.app/profile/susiedent.com

Headline Sources:

Senator meets with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/us/politics/abrego-garcia-chris-van-hollen-el-salvador.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/18/nayib-bukele-tweet-margaritas-kilmar-abrego-garcia/
https://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-wrongful-deportation-kilmar-abrego-garcia-el-salvador/story?id=120803843

RFK seeks the 'environmental' cause of autism; scientists say it's not that simple:
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5366676/autism-cdc-rates-rfk-research

SCOTUS keeps hold on Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship but sets May arguments: https://ground.news/article/61859ea0-7270-41a4-a748-faa73998aee4

Trump’s Education Chief Linda McMahon Repeatedly Calls AI ‘A1’ in School Speech: https://gizmodo.com/trumps-education-chief-linda-mcmahon-repeatedly-calls-ai-a1-in-school-speech-2000587329
A.1. responds after Linda McMahon mistakes it with AI: https://www.yahoo.com/news/1-responds-linda-mcmahon-mistakes-181537903.html

CNN Data Chief Says Talk About Trump World Is Part Of A 'Fanciful Universe': https://ground.news/article/do-americans-regret-voting-for-trump-here-are-the-facts-worldnetdaily-by-wnd-staff?utm_source=headline-link&utm_medium=share

JD Vance drops college football national championship trophy: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/us/politics/jd-vance-ohio-state-football-trophy.html

On this week's episode: The punishment for coming here gets almost as bad as being here ... Even podcasters will be impressed with how long Cory Booker can vamp ... And Heath asks ChatGPT how to fix the country, but he's not allowed to say the answer for legal reasons.

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Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent:
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Headline Sources:

Trump’s fascist deportations are catching US citizens: https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/04/04/judge-orders-trump-administration-bring-back-md-man-mistakenly-deported/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2025/04/05/us-citizens-deported-immigration/

Nancy Mace got an activist arrested after he shook her hand - charges just got dropped: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/04/nancy-mace-got-an-activist-arrested-after-he-shook-her-hand-charges-just-got-dropped/

Release of Signal chat leads to SO MUCH LYING: 
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trumps-top-intelligence-officials-claim-no-classified-information-was-rcna197954
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/gabbard-ratcliffe-senate-hearing-signal-yemen-texts-rcna198047
NSA Director gets fired by Trump on the advice of Laura Loomer: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/04/03/nsa-director-fired-tim-haugh/
Phone numbers, emails, and passwords of Gabbard, Waltz, and Hegseth found online: https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/pete-hegseth-mike-waltz-tulsi-gabbard-private-data-and-passwords-of-senior-u-s-security-officials-found-online-a-14221f90-e5c2-48e5-bc63-10b705521fb7

Cory Booker delivers record setting “are we really letting this happen?” speech: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/nyregion/cory-booker-speech-reactions.html

Eric Adams will skip the Democratic primary and run for reelection as an independent:
https://apnews.com/article/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-independent-1bfd61ad5d266b030996dfe516c77a17

Trump tariff strategy cites economists - they all said he's stupid: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/04/tariffs-economists-trump-formula/
And he clearly copied his homework from an AI overview: https://www.theverge.com/news/642620/trump-tariffs-formula-ai-chatgpt-gemini-claude-grok

On this week's episode: Federal courts rule on if we can have a deportation catapult ... Trump voters argue that at least he makes the planes crash on time ... And Heath was excited by a headline about the Kennedy assassination but then he realized it's about JFK.

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Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent:
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Headline Sources:

Judge Appears Skeptical of Trump’s Use of Wartime Law to Deport Venezuelans:
nytimes.com/2025/03/21/us/politics/trump-deportations-alien-enemies-act-block.html
Mahmoud Khalil got abducted by the US government: apnews.com/article/columbia-protests-immigration-detention-mahmoud-khalil-755774045e5e82849e3281e8ff72f26d

Trump tries to dismantle the education department: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/can-trump-dismantle-education-department.html

Trump pretends Joe Biden’s pardons don’t count: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/business/media/autopen-biden-trump-conspiracy-theory.html

Trump has Tesla sales event on White House lawn: washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/16/elon-musk-tesla-trump-sales-republicans/

DOGE is ridiculously inefficient:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/22/irs-tax-revenue-loss-federal-budget/https
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/lawmakers-fear-doge-cuts-will-drive-away-generation-federal-workers-rcna197085

Were the Kennedy Files a Bust?...Not So Fast, Historians Say: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/politics/jfk-assassination-files-cia.html

On this week's episode: Al Green is the only guy with those glasses from “They Live” ... The US will raise its ticket prices just when nobody wants to come anymore ... And Hillary Clinton's pizza and ping-pong dungeon remains a secret...for now.

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Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent:
https://bsky.app/profile/susiedent.com

Headline Sources:

Trump’s Joint Address to Congress is filled with insane lies: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/04/g-s1-50488/trump-congress-joint-address-fact-check
https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/03/06/trans-mice-claim-false-donald-trump-transgenic/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/yes-biden-spent-millions-on-transgender-animal-experiments/

U.S. and Ukrainian Officials to Meet Next Week About Path to End War: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/ukraine-zelensky-trump-russia.html

Trump plans to offer "gold card" visas for $5 million:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-gold-card-eb5-visa-5-million-immigration-oligarch-cbs-news-explains/

Trump seems to be falling out of love with Musk: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/06/trump-musk-cabinet-federal-worker-cuts/
https://mashable.com/article/tesla-cybertruck-mardia-gras-new-orleans-boo
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/03/04/congress/gop-town-halls-richard-hudson-00210024

Luigi Mangione pleads with fans to stop sending him so many photos: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/luigi-mangione-court-update-fan-mail-b2706446.html

Released "Epstein Files" disappoint anticipators; a Republican rickroll didn't help: https://time.com/7262658/epstein-files-released-reactions-disappointment-republicans-rickroll/
https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-files-pam-bondi-trump-1a6af3e9fa1cfb6d267985a971a4929a
https://www.nj.com/politics/2025/03/maga-already-calling-on-trump-to-fire-ag-pam-bondi-heres-why.html

On this week's episode: We cover the heilz and lows of CPAC ... The AP will ask us what we heard about Trump’s latest presser ... And in addition to an apanthropist, Heath is also a misanthropist based on REALLY hating 49.8% of the people.

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Another amazing word of the day from Susie Dent:
https://twitter.com/susie_dent

Headline Sources:

CPAC highlights including Elon Musk waving a chainsaw and Steve Bannon doing a nazi salute: https://apnews.com/article/musk-chainsaw-trump-doge-6568e9e0cfc42ad6cdcfd58a409eb312
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5156631-elon-musk-cpac-5-takeaways/
https://apnews.com/article/steve-bannon-cpac-nazi-salute-gesture-wave-43a06de6184fe58940c8ae3d743bc6ba

Fox News, CNN, and Other News Outlets Urge White House to Drop Ban on The AP: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/business/media/ap-white-house-ban-cnn-fox.html

Trump parrots Russian propaganda about Ukraine: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/world/trump-putin-russia-ukraine.html

DOGE fires nuclear safety staff, then has to unfire them after deleting their email accounts: https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/17/climate/trump-nnsa-nuclear-staff-reinstated/index.html

New Kennedy Center President Says Trump Wants to “Make Art Great Again”: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/kennedy-center-changes-trump-christmas-show-1236143238/

Chris Kluwe arrested for protesting MAGA library installation: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/former-nfl-punter-chris-kluwe-arrested-anti-trump-protest-city-council-rcna192978