lrmcleod

Richard Gere on Trump: "USAID was probably the most pure thing America did up to that moment. It was a giveaway program to needy people. He stopped that day one. It was insane." "Needy people" and it's funding a transgender opera in Colombia

I spent the last few months talking to people across the political spectrum, and to people who want nothing to do with politics at all. Here is what I learned. We are not a divided country. We are a country being divided, on purpose, by an American oligarchy that profits from the fight. They’ve captured our government, denied our healthcare, looted our treasury, and saddled us with crippling debt. I believe in a New New Deal. Healthcare as a human right. The right of every family to a decent home, and an end to endless wars. And a dividend paid to every American from the AI economy, because these machines were built on the whole of human inheritance. That inheritance belongs to all of us, and not just to the handful of men playing God with our very existence. And none of it happens if we just move on. Donald Trump, his family, and his administration are robbing us blind, not just of our money, but of our faith in one another, and they have to answer for it. Truth and reconciliation, not revenge. Then we break the system that let them do it. The question is not whether we will lose our democracy. The question is whether we will fight to take back what has already been stolen. I learned in recovery that you can’t heal what you won’t name. Neither can a country.

If you had to pick between Ilhan Omar being deported or Adam Schiff going to prison, what would you choose?

The FCC has been working to restore balance to the broadcast airwaves. We’re now taking another step forward in that effort. Trusted sources of news have been held back by rules that protect Hollywood, New York, and other national interests. The FCC will vote on replacing that regulation with a case-by-case approach that lets good deals get done while blocking any deal that fails to promote the public interest.

WOW🚨: NBC and ABC are refusing to air President Trump’s primetime address live on their main broadcast networks tonight. They’re shifting coverage to streaming platforms (like ABC News Live and NBC News NOW) instead, while keeping regular programming on TV.

I regret voting for Trump. I thought his second term would bring a more relaxed, confident, level-headed, business-minded version of him. He surrounded himself with a strong cabinet, had Elon Musk on his side, and it genuinely felt like we were going to get something different. Instead, we’ve gotten what feels like an erratic, aggressive, and unpredictable presidency. I’m not saying I would have voted for the Democrats. I just think we needed someone else. This has been one of the slowest summers I’ve seen for businesses. I’m still out here every day talking to restaurant owners, bar owners, salespeople, and other business owners. The same thing keeps coming up: sales are down. People aren’t eating out as much, drinking as much, or spending like they used to. Hours are getting cut, and prices are still too high. The stock market has been incredibly volatile, and the constant headlines and market swings don’t inspire confidence. Meanwhile, it feels like the people closest to him keep getting richer while everyone else is left dealing with the uncertainty. I honestly believed we were going to get something better. Instead, I feel like a lot of us were sold a version of Trump that never showed up.