Welcome back everyone for another deep dive.
Guy sent in some really interesting stuff this week.
Yeah, this one is a doozy.
It is, it's wild.
Right, so let's jump right in.
We're looking at this document titled,
2025 to five,
day 16 of 1,460 days to go,
electoral vote news of the day.pdaf.
It's a daily political newsletter, I guess you could call it.
Yeah, covers all sorts of current events.
Yeah, and the tone is, well, it's kind of cynical.
A little bit.
Yeah.
Sometimes humorous too.
Yeah, definitely.
And we've got a lot to unpack.
Trump's got some interesting ideas about Gaza.
There's been some shake-ups in the government.
And we'll even touch on what some former presidents are up to these days.
It sounds like a plan.
All right, let's start with the big one, Trump's plan for Gaza.
This so-called Gaza redevelopment plan is getting a lot of attention.
Yeah, it's definitely eye-catching.
The newsletter actually quotes Trump directly from a press conference.
He talks about taking over Gaza and developing it.
Taking over, developing it, that sounds a bit ominous.
It does.
And he even throws out the idea of turning it into a luxury resort.
A luxury resort in Gaza.
That's a...
Yeah, it's quite the image.
The author of this newsletter doesn't hold back.
They call it ethnic cleansing, straight up.
Wow, that's a serious accusation.
It is.
And they even go as far as to include the EU's definition of ethnic cleansing,
you know, using force or intimidation to remove a specific group from an area.
Right.
So essentially they're saying Trump wants to force the Palestinians out of Gaza
to make way for this resort.
That seems to be the implication.
And the newsletter goes on to talk about the potential consequences of such a plan,
you know, international backlash, increased Palestinian resistance,
and even the risk to U.S. soldiers if they were to get involved.
So not exactly a peaceful solution.
No, not at all.
And the author seems pretty convinced that Trump can't be talked out of this,
that no one can dissuade him.
Well, that's a cheery thought.
Let's move on to something a little lighter.
This newsletter has a section called Crazy Pants Roundup.
Oh, yeah, that's always a fun one.
What exactly is a Crazy Pants Roundup?
Basically, it's a quick rundown of all the other crazy stuff
the Trump administration has been up to.
Wolf, for starters, there's talk of buyouts and potential layoffs of federal employees.
Really?
Yeah.
Even those who worked on the January 6th cases.
The investigations into the attack on the Capitol.
Those are the ones.
And those potential layoffs are already facing legal challenges.
I can imagine.
And then there's that whole thing with Trump demanding the full transcript
of Kamala Harris' 60 Minutes Interview.
Oh, yeah.
He claims it was edited in a way that constitutes illegal false advertising.
False advertising for a news interview?
I don't even know how that works.
Me neither.
But he's filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS over it.
$10 billion?
That's insane.
It's a lot of money, that's for sure.
What else is in this Crazy Pants Roundup?
Let's see.
Trump's going to be attending the Super Bowl,
which is actually a first for a sitting president.
Huh.
I didn't know that.
That's interesting.
And coincidentally, the NFL just decided to remove all end racism messaging from the end zone.
You don't think that's a coincidence, do you?
The NFL says it's unrelated, but the timing is definitely suspicious.
Very suspicious.
OK, what else?
Well, Trump is also pushing to create a US sovereign wealth fund.
Wait, a sovereign wealth fund?
Don't those usually require a massive budget surplus?
Like from oil revenue or something?
Exactly, which is why a lot of economists are scratching their heads over this one.
Yeah, that doesn't make much sense.
OK, keep going.
All right.
There's an executive order targeting pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses.
Another one aimed at solving California wildfires
by releasing billions of gallons of water from reservoirs.
From reservoirs.
Wouldn't that water just end up in the ocean?
Well, according to the newsletter, it wouldn't even reach the fires.
It's more of a symbolic gesture than anything else.
So typical Trump, more optics than substance.
Pretty much.
And there are efforts to block wind energy projects.
It will push to remove DEI terms from academic papers,
diversity, equity, inclusion, all that.
It's like he's trying to erase any progress that's been made.
It definitely seems that way.
And to top it all off, he's talking about abolishing the Department of Education
by executive order, no less.
Abolish the Department of Education?
Is that even legal?
It's unprecedented, and it would definitely face legal challenges.
But that's the kind of stuff we're dealing with here.
So we got potential ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
A whole bunch of executive orders targeting everything from education to energy.
And a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS.
It's a lot to process.
It is.
And we haven't even gotten to his cabinet picks yet.
Oh, boy.
I'm almost afraid to ask.
Well, let's just say they're interesting choices.
Interesting how?
Well, for starters, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been confirmed as HHS-designate.
Wait, RFK Jr., the one with the anti-vaccine views.
The very same.
It seems Republican senators are falling in line,
even if they have reservations about him.
So it's a loyalty test.
Seems like it.
And Tulsi Gabbard has been confirmed as DNI and Pete Hegseth as Pentagon chief.
Wow, those are some unexpected choices, to say the least.
The newsletter points out that many Republicans probably know these are bad appointments,
but they're too afraid to oppose Trump directly.
To fear is the name of the game, I guess.
It appears so.
But on a lighter note, this newsletter also covers some interesting post-presidential career paths.
Oh, good.
I need a break from all this doom and gloom.
Well, it seems Joe Biden is following in Obama's footsteps
and has signed with CAA for speaking engagements and entertainment ventures.
Really?
Joe Biden the entertainer?
That's hard to imagine.
It's a trend we're seeing more and more former presidents going that route.
They've got the name recognition, the platform, and let's be honest,
the potential to make a lot of money.
Yeah, I guess that makes sense.
But it's a very different approach than, say, Jimmy Carter's post-presidency.
Speaking of Jimmy Carter, he just won a Grammy for narrating a book.
Wow, good for him.
That's actually really cool.
It is.
It's a good reminder that there are different ways to approach life after the White House.
Well, this newsletter certainly gives us a lot to think about.
It does.
We've only just scratched the surface.
I know, right.
We'll have to dive deeper into all this next time.
Agreed.
Let's take a break and come back trash for part two.
Sounds good to me.
See you soon.
See you.
All right, we're back and ready to dive back into this wild political newsletter.
Yeah, where did we leave off?
Oh, right, all those crazy cabinet appointments.
And Trump's just like complete disregard for pretty much anyone.
Yeah, it's definitely a shift in how things are done in Washington.
But it makes me wonder, is this really the new normal?
Like, are we just going to keep seeing these kinds of power grabs and just bizarre decisions?
Well, it's hard to say for sure, but it's not like everyone is just sitting back and taking it.
You know, there are people pushing back against this stuff.
Oh, yeah.
You mentioned something before the break about the Democrats in New York.
Right.
The newsletter talks about how they're trying to delay filling Elise Stefanik's vacant house seat.
Stefanik?
Remind me who she is again.
She was a Republican representative from New York.
She recently left to take a position at the UN.
OK, so the Democrats are trying to block the Republicans from filling that seat.
What's the point of that?
It's a strategy thing, you know?
Every seat in the house matters.
And by delaying the process, they can potentially shift the balance of power, even if just a little bit.
I see.
So it's like a small act of resistance.
Exactly.
And it shows that not everyone is just rolling over for Trump.
That's could be here.
Yeah.
And the newsletter author seems to be on the same page.
They're even thinking about adding a new feature that highlights groups and individuals
who are fighting against authoritarianism and trying to preserve democratic values.
That's a great idea.
It's easy to get bogged down in all the negative stuff.
Yeah.
So it's nice to see that there are people out there actively working to make things better.
Yeah.
It's a reminder that we're not powerless.
We can make a difference.
So as we wrap up this deep dive, what are your main takeaways from this newsletter?
Well, honestly, the whole Gaza thing is pretty alarming.
If Trump actually goes through with that plan, it could be really bad news.
I agree.
And the sheer number of just like crazy things this administration is doing is kind of mind
boggling.
It's hard to keep up with it all.
It really is.
But at the same time, it's important to remember that there are people pushing back.
The Democrats trying to delay that House appointment is just one example.
Yeah.
It's good to remember that we can fight back.
Exactly.
And that brings us to a final thought for you, the listener.
OK, lay it on me.
Does all this craziness from the Trump administration actually make it harder or easier for people to resist?
Hmm.
That's a good question.
I guess it could go either way.
On the one hand, it might motivate people to get more involved.
But on the other hand, it can also be really overwhelming and discouraging.
That's the dilemma.
So we leave you with that question to ponder how do we navigate this new political landscape?
How do we resist in a way that's both effective and sustainable?
And most importantly, what role do we each play in protecting our democracy?
Those are some big questions.
They are.
And we hope this deep dive has given you some things to think about as you continue to explore these issues.
Well said.
And on that note, we'll wrap up this episode of the deep dive.
Until next time, stay curious and keep the conversation going.
You know, thinking about all this, it just seems like there's just so much craziness in politics these days.
Yeah, it can be overwhelming for sure.
It's like every day there's some new scandal or controversy.
This newsletter certainly doesn't shy away from covering it all.
And that's what I appreciate about it.
It's just so honest and straightforward.
Definitely.
No sugarcoating here.
But it does make me wonder, like, is this the new normal?
Are we just going to be constantly bombarded with these outrageous headlines and political stunts?
I think it's a valid concern.
And it's not just about the headlines themselves, but also about the underlying trends, you know,
the erosion of democratic norms, the disregard for the rule of law.
Yeah, I see what you mean.
It's like the rules don't apply anymore, at least not to certain people.
And that's what makes the situation so dangerous.
It sets a precedent for future administrations.
You know, if Trump can get away with this stuff, what's to stop the next guy from doing the same?
That's a scary thought.
So what can we do about it as ordinary citizens?
I mean...
Well, as we talked about before, there are groups and individuals who are actively working to push back against these trends.
They're challenging these actions in court.
They're organizing protests.
They're educating the public.
So we're not powerless.
Not at all.
And I think one of the most important things we can do is to stay informed.
You know, the more we understand about what's going on, the better equipped we are to make a difference.
Right. Knowledge is power.
Exactly.
And that's really the goal of this deep dive.
To give you the information and context you need to navigate these complex issues.
Well said.
Is there anything else in the newsletter that stood out to you?
Oh, there's one more thing I wanted to mention.
It's actually kind of funny.
Not true.
So there's this blurb about a website that accidentally replaced a football player's name with Randy Homosexual.
Wait, wait. How does that even happen?
It sounds like some kind of automated filter gone wrong.
You know, they were probably trying to censor profanity or something and it just backfired spectacularly.
That's hilarious.
It's like something out of a sitcom.
It is.
But it also highlights the dangers of censorship and, you know, overly sensitive filters.
Yeah.
Trying to sanitize language can sometimes lead to unintended and often ridiculous consequences.
Absolutely.
And it's a good reminder that context is everything.
And we need to be critical thinkers and not just blindly accept whatever we see online.
Well said.
I think that's a great note to end on.
Yeah, it's been a wild ride going through this newsletter.
It has.
But it's been informative and thought provoking.
Definitely.
And hopefully it's left our listeners with a better understanding of the challenges we face as a nation.
And a sense of hope that even in these crazy times there are people working to make things better.
Exactly.
So to everyone listening, stay informed, stay engaged, never stop questioning.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Thanks for joining us for this deep dive into the world of current events.
Until next time, stay curious, everyone.