02/12/25
Good morning! It’s Wednesday, February 12th.
National Freedom to Marry Day.
This holiday was founded in 1998 by a gay rights advocacy law firm in DC.
Hear me out… love is love.
Is love is love is love.
Which we need to say, loudly and unequivocally, every single day of this administration.
And now, the news.
Ceasefire at Risk
It’s another long episode packed with news so… just a heads up.
Starting in international news.
As I mentioned in yesterday’s episode, Hamas accused Israel of violating the fragile cease fire between the two, and in response said they would now postpone the planned Sunday release of hostages until “further notice.”
In response, Israel’s Netanyahu said that if the nine hostages that were supposed to be released on Sunday are not released on Saturday, the ceasefire will end and “the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is completely defeated.”
Ever the helper, Trump suggested dismissing the multi-stage ceasefire and having Hamas just return all the hostages at once.
He also added this: “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock – I think it’s an appropriate time – I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out.”
All hell break out.
When asked what he meant by that, he said: “You’ll find out, and they’ll find out – Hamas will find out what I mean.”
Hey man, maybe stay out of this one please because so far, since October 7th, 2023, the official Palestinian Health Ministry says that at least 46,600 Palestinians have died, the majority of which are woman and children.
The hell is here. Already.
It’s unclear where things will go from here.
Trump and the King of Jordan
-via NPR
On Tuesday, Trump met with the King of Jordan and continued to push his plan to “take” the Gaza Strip. Part of his plan would include displacing Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, among other Arab nations, and previously Jordan said they would not take displaced Gazans. However, on Tuesday, the King announced that Jordan will take 2,000 sick children from Gaza and provide them with medical care.
On Monday, Trump threatened to without aid from Jordan and Egypt if they didn’t taken in the Palestinians that we would be forcing from their homes with this decision. But on Tuesday, when asked about that threat, Trump said: "I don't have to threaten with money. We do, we contribute a lot of money to Jordan and to Egypt, by the way — a lot to both — but I don't have to threaten that, I don't think. I think we're above that."
Which is a mafia threat.
Not that they would ever take him in the mafia. He is not cool enough. Ties are too long.
Anyway, the King said he would be in Saudi Arabi to talk about how this could potentially work, and added that they should wait until the Egyptians can also come and talk to Trump.
I gotta say, this one really worries me. It really feels like it’s something he just said but because he can never back down, now we’re really looking into it. It’s a horrible idea geopolitically, but more than that, the UN secretary-general warned this could be considered ethnic cleansing.
American Prisoner Freed
Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was arrested on charges of bringing medicinal marijuana into Russia in 2021 has been released and returned to the United States. The deal was apparently stuck by Steve Witkoff, a billionaire friend of Trump’s (to the extent he can have friends) who, as the special envoy to the Middle East, flew to Russia and scooped of Marc.
No details have been released about what we gave up in exchange for the release.
Meanwhile, after Trump’s interview with Bret Bair aired on Monday, during which he casually suggested that Ukrainians “may be Russians some day.” Actually, in whole he first talked about securing our access to $500 billion worth of rare metals in Ukraine in exchange for our continued backing, he went on to talk about how they might make a deal, they might not, and then again added: "They may be Russians some day or may not be Russians some day."
This lead a spokesperson for the Kremlin to say, "The fact that a significant part of Ukraine wants to become Russia, and has already, is a fact.”
That is actually not a fact.
Russia has claimed parts of Ukraine for itself, but they are not officially part of Russia.
When asked how they feel about it, a member of the Ukrainian parliament was clear: “It will never happen.”
Nancy Mace
-via AP News
If you don’t know who South Carolina House Rep Nancy Mace is… skip this story. You’re better off. She is an abhorrent person who, just the other day, used a slur against transgender people (multiple times) on the House floor… because someone said it was a slur. That was her response to someone saying she’d said a slur.
It also appears that she lied about a trans activist attacking her.
She’s just the worst kind of, increasingly common, House Republican. Out to hurt others for the clicks.
Now, I say all that because I want you to know who she is.
However, obviously this show has a pretty strong Believe Women attitude so I’m not saying I don’t believe the story I’m about to tell you. I just think it would be disingenuous to not let you know who told this story.
On Monday, Nancy spoke for nearly an hour as she accused her ex-fiance of physically abusing her as well as recording sex acts with her and others without consent, and conspiring with Nancy’s business associates in those acts.
She said she was speaking out because the South Carolina AG, in her view, had not taken action and was slow-walking the case.
It is of note, and honestly somehow this feels like the hardest story I have to tell today because it’s such a tightrope. Because it is a part of this story that the AG she’s accusing of slow walking the case could be her opponent if she runs for governor in 2026, which she says she plans to do.
On the floor, after saying she was going “scorched earth,” said talked about how, in November of 2023, she “accidentally uncovered some of the most heinous crimes against women imaginable.” This includes underage girls. She mentioned four men that were involved, which includes her now ex-fiance.
The Associated Press was not able to independently verify her claims.
Her ex-husband told AP: “I categorically deny these allegations. I take this matter seriously and will cooperate fully with any necessary legal processes to clear my name.”
In a statement after her speech, the AG’s office said they had “not received any reports or requests for assistance from any law enforcement or prosecution agencies regarding these matters.”
In 2023, an investigation was opened into her ex-fiance, which is currently still open.
Something else I think is important to keep in mind here is that, while she was giving the speech, she reiterated that member statements on the House floor are “are quintessential ‘legislative acts’” which means she is protected by the “speech and debate” clause which, for the most part, would protect a House member from being sued.
Again, obviously we always start with believing women and I hope that whatever justice looks like in this case, it is found quickly.
Scottsdale, AZ Plane Crash
-via CNN
One person is dead, and three others were injured, after a small jet crashed into a parked plane in Scottsdale Airport in Arizona.
This is the fourth deadly crash in two weeks.
So far, there has been no comment from Sean Duffy, but the FAA did make sure that they changed their language from Notice to Air Missions back to the outdated and sexist Notice to Airmen.
So… glad he’s got his priorities in order.
Judge Orders Websites Back Online
-via CBS News
On Tuesday US District Judge John Bates granted a temporary restraining order to a group called Doctors for America, who argued that the websites for the FDA, HHR, and CDC, were all used when treating patients and therefore, all webpages and data needed to be restored.
Data had been scrubbed from the pages because Trump signed this horrendous executive order (but which one? There are so many!) erroneously claiming that there are only two genders. This is, of course, false. But of course, the cruelty is the point so…
The data and pages were ordered to be back online by 11:59 PM, so by the time you hear this – either they’ll be back online or we’ll be talking about it again tomorrow.
USAID Remains Closed
-via CBS News
As USAID remains closed, an independent watchdog reported that there is now $489 million in food aid that is sitting in ports, ships, and warehouses, is at risk of spoiling.
The Norwegian Refugee Council responded to the continued closure of the agency by saying: "The impact of this will be felt severely by the most vulnerable, from deeply neglected Burkina Faso, where we are the only organization supplying clean water to the 300,000 trapped in the blockaded city of Djibo, to war-torn Sudan, where we support nearly 500 bakeries in Darfur providing daily subsidized bread to hundreds of thousands of hunger-stricken people.”
The State Department has no comment on the nearly half a billion dollars of wasted food that’s sitting, waiting to save lives, and yet cannot simply because Elon Musk called the agency, where he’s never worked or done any research, “beyond repair.”
FEMA Ignores Judge, Continues Freeze
-via NBC News
Hours after a federal judge ordered, for the second time, the Trump administration to stop the freeze on the funding of grants programs, a senior FEMA official sent an email with the subject “URGENT: Hold on awards” and directed the team to freeze funding for grant programs that go back as far as 2021, including ones that focus on emergency preparedness, homeland security, firefighting, protecting churches from terrorism, and tribal security.
This now leaves public servants across the country to decide to follow either the President’s executive order or the judge’s ruling.
We are in the middle of a Constitutional crisis and while we’re all going to suffer, these are the people that are right in it. Just yesterday, four FEMA officials were fired for, according to the spokesperson for Kristi Noem, “circumventing leadership to unilaterally make egregious payments for luxury NYC hotels for migrants. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem's leadership, DHS will not sit idly and allow deep state activists to undermine the will and safety of the American people."
What she was referring to is the Shelter and Services program, which is run by both FEMA and Customs and Border Protection. The grant was a part of a large pot of funds that were awarded to New York last year, covering $156 per night for a migrant family to stay at a hotel where it would normally cost $400.
Obviously, because migrant families are involved, this is now seen as a crime. In an all-caps Truth Social meltdown on Tuesday, Trump suggested FEMA left North Carolina without any money and should be terminated completely.
FEMA did not leave North Carolina without money, but like everything else in this new upside and exhausting era, we’ll see what happens. Might wake up tomorrow to find Trump has illegally closed FEMA too.
Director of Ethics Fired
-via CBS News
On Monday, Trump fired the director of the Office of Government Ethics.
Come on, this one can’t be that big of a surprise.
Obviously it’s unclear if his firing is legal – he was appointed to a five-year term in November of 2024 and sworn into that term on December 16th 2024.
Man, were I the director of the Office of Government Ethics, I would get a lawyer and fight back. But like, for the night, I would just buy myself a Costco Funfetti cake that says “congratulations” on it because it’s only been three weeks but I’m sure it’s been awful.
No More Paper Straws
-via AP News
On Monday, Trump banned the federal use of paper straws, saying they don’t work and don’t last long. Instead, the government will move to exclusively plastic straws.
Okay.
I mean… okay.
He obviously knows nothing about the ocean or environment and doesn’t care to learn.
Look, are the paper straws bad? Yeah! Big time!
Are there alternatives to plastic? Yeah! Big time!
The plastic straws aren’t always great either. They break.
We need biodegradable straws. This is a bad move and honestly just feels lazy. All he wants to do is say that he’s the one who got rid of paper straws and then not find a solution.
A classic, some would call this.
Gulf of America
While questions still persist about what how renaming the Gulf of Mexico will work, and of course, the biggest question – why are we doing this?, Google Maps made waves (get it? Waves? The Gulf? Ugh… I’m a comedic genius) this week by renaming the Gulf to Gulf of America.
Losers.
They also removed Pride and Black History month notices and from their desktop and mobile calendar apps.
Losers!
We say Gulf of Mexico and Twitter here.
Red, White, and Blueland
-via The Guardian
This is like a marathon episode! Longest I’ve ever done! And I already did the longest one I ever thought I’d have to do.
Too much news!
Who’s idea was this show? (I’ll tell you who, it was Ashley Dylan Zazzarino’s idea.)
Anyway, a Georgia Republican House Rep Buddy Carter has unveiled his Red, White, and Blueland Act of 2025 to help Trump acquire Greenland.
It has a six-month deadline and would, if passed, direct the Secretary of the Interior team to… I guess… rename Greenland when Trump buys it?
In return, Denmark offered to buy California for $1 trillion and honestly… please take us with you.
Trump Tells Justice Department to Drop Adams Charges
On Monday, the Department of Justice ordered federal prosecutors to drop charges against Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City who has been charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, soliciting illegal foreign campaign contributions from foreign nationals, and of course, bribery.
It’s now up to the acting head of the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan to decide if she’ll drop the charges.
We’re going to do a lot of this isn’t normal for the next four years, but the president directing the Department of Justice to order federal prosecutors to drop these charges is not normal.
In a statement, his lawyer said: “The Department of Justice has re-evaluated this case and determined it should not go forward.”
The DOJ did not, in fact, re-evaluate the case. The president just decided to let him go.
Adams has spent a lot of time, recently, sucking up to Trump. Including directing city law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, undermining New York’s status as a sanctuary city, the laws of which direct city leaders to not, in fact, cooperate unless they’re dealing with actually dangerous criminals.
Gave up the safety of thousands of immigrants, because you couldn’t stop yourself from doing crimes.
Blagojevich Pardoned
-via NY Times
Remember Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor who got caught on tape trying to sell the president-elect Obama’s vacated Senate seat?
Well, Trump pardoned him.
Sure.
Why not?
He commuted his sentence in his first term, and now he’s pardoned. Like it never happened.
In addition to attempting to sell the seat, he was also sentenced for pressuring the chief executive of a children’s hospital for $25,000 in campaign contributions in exchange for increasing pediatric reimbursement rates; delaying the signing of a bill benefiting the Illinois horse racing industry in an attempt to secure $100,000 in campaign contributions; and for lying to the FBI.
Grifters find grifters. What are you gonna do?
Rod Blagojevich. What a throwback.
Also, I always thought it was Rob.
I will continue not caring about him.
Bannon Pleads Guilty
-via Politico
On Tuesday, Steve Bannon pled guilty on a fraud charge after he asked people to give him money in a private effort to build a wall along the southern border.
His plea deal gives him a three-year conditional discharge, meaning he’ll be spared time in jail as long as he stays out of trouble.
Unsurprisingly, he spoke with reporters and called on AG Pam Bondi to immediately investigate New York AG Leticia James and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.
For what? We don’t know. They’ll figure it out when they get into court I guess.
Kanye’s Website is Down
-via CBS News
And finally, we’ll round this marathon episode out with some good news (which means yes – we are finally almost done here).
First, Kanye’s antisemitic website is finally down and the shirts with the swastika, which was the only thing he was selling, are no longer being processed. So we do have that going for us.
It still happened. He still made the commercial, directing people to the site. Fox still aired the commercial. The site was still up. There’s no word on how many, if any, shirts were actually made.
It still happened.
But it’s down for now.
Hegseth Booed
-via NBC News and Washington Post
As new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth landed at the U.S. European Command headquarters in Germany, he was greeted by… protestors.
He was booed! The protestors also chanted DEI.
Love to see it!
Boo the bullies!
Also, adding to reasons to boo him, Hegseth renamed Fort Liberty again. It was originally called Fort Bragg, named after a Confederate general who was also an enslaver. It was renamed to Fort Liberty because it’s insane to name a military base after someone who was a general in a rebel army that quite literally did not want America to continue to be a country. He also shouldn’t have a base named after him because he was bad.
So it got renamed Fort Liberty.
But because Trump and his little buddies are hyperfocused on being the absolute worst, it’s now been renamed to Fort Bragg again. But Hegseth thinks he’s so clever, and says it’s actually named after Roland L. Bragg, a World War II Army paratrooper and mechanic.
Get a hobby.
If these people had hobbies, you like, baked scones or collected interesting looking rocks, we probably wouldn’t have to deal with this.
Pope Boos Trump and Vance
-via NPR
And finally, Pope Francis has called Trump’s antiimmigration stance “a major crisis” in a strongly worded letter to US Catholic bishops, he said it’s important to disagree with any measure that calls immigrant families criminals just for the action of immigrating.
Also, in response to JD Vance saying people should care for their family, communities, and country before caring for others and then saying this came from the bible, the Pope said: "Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups."
This is so great. They mad the Pope mad! They act like they’re so religious and even the Pope’s like my guys, my dudes… no thanks.
And that’s it. That’s the news.
We did it. I’m so happy.
Hey, if you’re still listening and your name is Ashley Dylan Zazzarino… remember when these used to be like 5 minutes long. Those were the days babe.
I’m proud of everybody. All of us.
But more than that, because you’re not everybody, you’re your own thing. And I’m proud of you.