Trump signs order letting 401(k)s invest in cryptocurrencies
Trump regime begins to strip federal workers of union protections

AND NOW THE NEWS
#540
AUGUST 8, 2025
a recurring roundup
of news, memes,
and my brilliant opinions
US National Parks staff in ‘survival mode’ to keep parks open amid Trump cuts
Excerpt: Across the US’s fabled but overstretched national parks, unusual scenes are playing out this summer following budget cuts by Donald Trump’s administration. Archeologists are staffing ticket booths, ecologists are covering visitor centers and the superintendents of parks are even cleaning the toilets.
The National Park Service (NPS), responsible for maintaining cherished wildernesses and sites of cultural importance from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, has lost a quarter of its permanent staff since Trump took office in January, with the administration seeking to gut the service’s budget by a third.
But the administration has also ordered parks to remain open and accessible to the public, meaning the NPS has had to scramble remaining staff into public-facing roles to maintain appearances to the crowds of visitors. This has meant much of the behind-the-scenes work to protect endangered species, battle invasive plants, fix crumbling infrastructure or plan for the future needs of the US’s trove of natural wonders has been jettisoned.
Me again: Trump & the Republicans don’t care about “behind-the-scenes” work like that. They don’t care about the in-front-of-the-scenes work, either, or the concept of National Parks.

BUT THAT’S UNCONSTIPATIONAL
Trump secretly directs military to target foreign drug cartels
The USA is declaring literal war on fentanyl.
New executive order puts all grants under political control
DOJ now using past tax mistakes to strip US citizenship
Trump orders illegal ‘new’ census that excludes undocumented immigrants
Texas Republicans gung-ho for hyper-gerrymandered districts

GIVE US YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BREATHE FREE, SO WE CAN IMPRISON THEM
ICE detainee found hanging by neck in detention facility, agency says
Good news, for Trump & the Republicans — dead immigrants are probably cheaper than deporting immigrants.
‘What could possibly go wrong?’: Trump’s ICE is now recruiting teenagers
ICE contractor locked a mother and her baby in a hotel room for five days

TO HELL WITH HEALTH
RFK Jr ends federal contracts to develop mRNA vaccines

SCREW YOUR SILLY SCIENCE

EDUCATION, SCHMEDUCATION
Trump regime seeks $1-billion extortion from UCLA
Trump demands colleges prove they aren’t anti-white

AND I SAY TO MYSELF, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
Girl Guides of Canada suspends US trips over restrictions, safety concerns
Israel’s Cabinet approves new plan to occupy Gaza City
India pauses $3.6 billion deal to acquire Boeing jets after Trump announces 50% tariffs: Reports
Brazil’s Bolsonaro arrested, adding to tensions with Trump

THE CRUELTY IS WHAT THEY LIKE BEST
US Air Force to deny retirement pay to transgender service members being separated from the service
US pauses most visa applications from Zimbabwe in another restriction on travelers from Africa

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DYSTOPIA
Video shows Department of Justice official urging Jan. 6 rioters to ‘kill’ cops
Middle school cheerleaders are prosecuted for making a TikTok video portraying a school shooting

LIMITLESS STUPIDITY
‘Transvestigations’: Fake investigations claim women Republicans don’t like were born male
‘Left to rot’: Farmer reeling over decaying crops as workforce flees ICE raids

LIMITLESS CORRUPTION
Trump delayed a Medicare change after health companies’ donations
Amazon Web Services gives the Trump admin $1 billion coupon for cloud services
Apple CEO gifts President Donald Trump 24K gold as $600B US investment announced
Watchdog group asks for probe of Defense Dept.’s acquisition of Qatari plane on Trump’s behalf

2547
Trump suggests New York Times ‘rigged’ its own best-seller list because book about him isn’t top
Psychologist says two notable changes in Donald Trump prove cognitive decline

American police are out of control
Ignoring the climate emergency
The Lord works in mysterious ways
My browser history, minus the porn

And that’s the way it is,
and nothing will
meaningfully improve
until billionaires fear for their lives
8/8/2025
Logo illustration by Jeff Meyer. Tip ‘o the hat to the Anderson Valley Advertiser, Bleepity-Bleep, Lorem Ipsum Dolor, Mitchipedia, Sloth Unleashed, Toad’s Lily Pad, Voenix Rising, and anywhere else I’ve stolen links, illustrations, or inspiration.
Special thanks to Linden Arden, Becky Jo, Joey Jo Jo emeritus, Jeff Meyer, John the Basket, Dave S, Name Withheld, and always extra special thanks to my lovely late Stephanie, who gave me 21 years and proved that the world isn’t always shitty.

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