That line hit different. There’s a quiet panic in the air right now—groceries inching higher, housing out of reach, a creeping sense of fragility no matter how hard people work. What this pod captures, beyond politics, is that collective undercurrent: folks feeling unmoored while billionaires orbit tax-free above it all.
If we’re going to talk economic collapse, we can’t just debate charts—we need to talk about the lived toll: parents skipping meals so kids can eat, elders back in the workforce, the quiet shame of overdraft fees. This episode brings that into the light.
Not here to fear-monger. Just here to say: if it feels harder lately, it’s not just you. And you’re not alone in wanting something more honest, more human, more fair.
I'm going to add this 1 that I just noticed on my light bill. A $.50 service fee for paying my bill online after being preached to for years to do it this way. In addition the company is trying to force autopay onto their customers to remove this charge. They will now also charge $15.00 per month if someone comes to the house to read meters if they're not smart meters, which I don't have. Don't hear anything about this kind of thing from the trump/doge gang though.
Donna’s story speaks to something a lot of people are quietly grappling with—small fees and policy changes that add up, not just financially but emotionally. A $0.50 charge to pay a bill online, a $15 fee for opting out of tech—these may seem minor, but they reflect a broader trend: systems becoming less responsive to everyday people.
It’s not about politics—it’s about feeling seen. When basic services feel more like obstacles than support, it’s natural to feel frustrated, even powerless. Sharing these experiences helps others realize they’re not alone—and that’s a powerful first step.
These are the little charges that the Biden administration was fighting.. all the junk fees and hidden charges and caps on bank fees. The Republicans started working to reverse that as soon as they got a chance.. right up there with taking away the opportunity to negotiate drug prices and taking away the caps on certain drug prices and out of pocket costs for seniors? What is their end game? Hurting people who are just trying to get by. I don't get it. And I don't get why anyone, no matter how well off you are, is okay with people suffering.
Seem to be doing a pretty good job of hurting people. In Cleveland the Greater Cleveland Food Bank had an order for food for April - July canceled (valued at nearly $1M). Cuts at HHS threaten the Home Energy Assistance Program (assistance in paying home heating bills in the winter) and Meals on Wheels. Republicans seem to be intent on killing people by denying them basic food and shelter.
Their end game is putting the "little people" in what they deem to be their "proper place" - abject servants to the moneyed class, to be disposed of when no longer needed. They feel that the middle class has had it too good for far too long and mean to break their spirit of independence.
What is wrong with trump followers is the same as why Jim Jones followers would leave the United States and follow him all the way to Guiana. They are miserable people who enjoy seeing others suffer as greatly as they are. It is a mental health issue that no one knows how to fix. It is also a lack of education and followers are looking for someone to HAND them a better life in place of learning how to make their lives better. They would die for him just like the Guiana tragedy followers. Trump is a master showman, he knows how to get his people emotionally charged up, so they feel so good they would do anything for him. its called an emotional climax. Preachers do it all the time, that is why they get so emotionally fired up behind a pulpit then step down and molest children or teenagers. Its a horrible game with humans. Its very sad.
The corporatocracy has taken away their sense of self-worth, their analytic abilities, and their human values and filled the void with the endless compulsion to spend, consume, and serve themselves first. Demagogues like the Dumpster, Jim Jones and money-grubbing preachers likewise step into that void with their empty promises of something more fulfilling than their present shallow lives, and they readily go along. How to cure this? Only by restoring inner feelings of self-worth and appreciation for the good and simple things in one's life. It ain't gonna happen in a capitalist system that constantly stresses that the only thing that makes you matter is your bank account.
I took the tariff formula Trump used, input the import/export numbers for Vietnam, and arrived at the 90% tariff number Trump claimed they were imposing on us. BUT THIS ISNT a tariff number! The United States and Vietnam have a trade agreement which has been in place for many years. The previous tariffs that the US and Vietnam levied on each other were less than 15% and basically balance out. So the 90% tariff number is BS and is actually a calculation real dollars in trade between the two countries. Trump then took the “fake number” of 90%, cut it in half, and came up with the 46% tariff that he levied on Vietnam. ASSHOLE!!!!
But do any of his mega supporters understand this type of math or economics? NOOOOO🤦♀️
This is just the first country I checked. Not sure how I do the math on the island of penguins.🤷♀️
The tariff plan is from a man who thinks, " GROCERIES" is an old fashioned word. For all you idiots who voted for this circus, this chaos, this nightmare, is this your plan to make America great again? Its clear we are being governed by a quintet of idiots. Stephen Miller is running the DEI show, Vought is implementing the Project 2025 playbook,( get rid of the deep state) Elon is tasked with tearing down the American system of government, Susie Wiles is the Q-Anon whisperer of Trump, and Trump is the empty suit. empty brain, leader of the quintet. Vance was supposed to be in the group but his idiocy exceeded the group's expectation. You voters normalized and made President, a dementia ridden felon whose first impulse after his tariffs caused world wide disruption, was to fly to Florida to play golf.
So true…He cares about No One but himself….The fact that he did not go the military base where the bodies of dead Soldiers were returned to pay tribute to them like most Presidents do…Instead go golfing…he’s despicable…
Trump is a liar and a VERY STUPID person. He is crashing our economy and raising prices. He is decimating our international relations and reputation. We are no longer respected anywhere in the world! Rather, despised. I wish MAGA would follow him to some island and all drink the koolaid and leave our country in peace and prosperity.
I own a bridal shop and our designers have just raised their prices 16% to cover the tariffs. We'll pass this on to our customers on future orders but we're going to get hit with the raise on anything that has not been invoiced yet. Way to put small businesses out of business😡
We were closed for eight months during the pandemic and we made it through. Unless we're all out there protesting tomorrow I have my doubts about this time🙁
Conservative Law Group Sues “t” ungovernment On Behalf Of Florida Small Business
Here’s one for the history books. The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a conservative group, is suing on behalf of small businesses over the tariffs imposed on China. “The lawsuit contests Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), arguing the law authorizes asset freezes and similar economic sanctions, but not tariffs.
“Congress passed the IEEPA to counter external emergencies, not to grant presidents a blank check to write domestic economic policy,” the lawsuit states.” We shall see how far the “right” lawyers get with suing the “t” ungovernment. https://thehill.com/homenews/5231388-trump-sued-over-china-tariffs/
Why do Trump supporters want our economy to crash everyday worse than the day before? They clearly love bankruptcy. Before it was all of his own companies, now it is our entire country!
WTH is wrong with MAGA. It must be that they have no investments.
The House Nazis have resolved that no bill can be brought to the floor to reign in the Nazi tariff plan Some Nazi Senators have come around too late and even if they pass a bill to stop tariffs it won’t be brought up for a vote by the House
The Nazis have developed a theory called Project 2025 supported by the Christian Nationalist movement They don’t know if it will work but it’s a plan to create a theocratic dictatorship It’s like the old Nazi theory in Mein Kampf or the Russian theory articulated by Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto The 21st century version of Manifesto is “burn the whole thing down and start over” and that Americans should get over their “dictatorphobia” according to JD Vance and Curtis Yarvin
But Der Fuhrer has added a global twist to Project 2025 The tariffs imposed didn’t work when he was last in office and there is no evidence that they will work this time And this time these devastating global tariffs will not be rescinded The classic mob boss/bully shakedown of global nations is underway The argument from the Nazi leader for the tariffs is that it will bring manufacturing and jobs back to America But experts argue that this is a theory that’s not going to work just like the German and Russian theories of the past Even in the best case scenario the Nazi argument isn’t even intelligible
Make a pledge that there will no Republicans(aka Nazis) elected and that you will actively facilitate campaigns against the Nazis for at least the next 6 years which will allow the country to rebuild after the Nazi decimation of government
He is as dumb as a rock, did you hear that? That is why he is always sticking his nose in the air because he knows it , Hitler used to do that too because he didn’t want to see the bullets coming at him!
Now that trump is tanking the value of all nations' currency explains why he, his family and rich "buddies" are doubling down with cryptocurrency. I believe the only way we can stop trump is to appeal to the Supreme Court Justices to reverse Presidential Immunity the same way they reveresd Roe vs. Wade.
Thank you for telling us the truth. We are living on social security with a mortgage free home. I want to pay to subscribe to you and VMP/PBS but we're on shifting sand.
The most inept and dangerous administration EVER
And corrupt!!
'Billionaires First'
The 'Demolition Age'
How about the Demon-lition age?
All of this will soon come to a head 🤷🏻♀️
About to implode…
It can only fail in the end
I so agree with you. Americans will be Pacifists only so long and there will be an explosion.
“This is not a drill.”
That line hit different. There’s a quiet panic in the air right now—groceries inching higher, housing out of reach, a creeping sense of fragility no matter how hard people work. What this pod captures, beyond politics, is that collective undercurrent: folks feeling unmoored while billionaires orbit tax-free above it all.
If we’re going to talk economic collapse, we can’t just debate charts—we need to talk about the lived toll: parents skipping meals so kids can eat, elders back in the workforce, the quiet shame of overdraft fees. This episode brings that into the light.
Not here to fear-monger. Just here to say: if it feels harder lately, it’s not just you. And you’re not alone in wanting something more honest, more human, more fair.
I'm going to add this 1 that I just noticed on my light bill. A $.50 service fee for paying my bill online after being preached to for years to do it this way. In addition the company is trying to force autopay onto their customers to remove this charge. They will now also charge $15.00 per month if someone comes to the house to read meters if they're not smart meters, which I don't have. Don't hear anything about this kind of thing from the trump/doge gang though.
Donna’s story speaks to something a lot of people are quietly grappling with—small fees and policy changes that add up, not just financially but emotionally. A $0.50 charge to pay a bill online, a $15 fee for opting out of tech—these may seem minor, but they reflect a broader trend: systems becoming less responsive to everyday people.
It’s not about politics—it’s about feeling seen. When basic services feel more like obstacles than support, it’s natural to feel frustrated, even powerless. Sharing these experiences helps others realize they’re not alone—and that’s a powerful first step.
These are the little charges that the Biden administration was fighting.. all the junk fees and hidden charges and caps on bank fees. The Republicans started working to reverse that as soon as they got a chance.. right up there with taking away the opportunity to negotiate drug prices and taking away the caps on certain drug prices and out of pocket costs for seniors? What is their end game? Hurting people who are just trying to get by. I don't get it. And I don't get why anyone, no matter how well off you are, is okay with people suffering.
Seem to be doing a pretty good job of hurting people. In Cleveland the Greater Cleveland Food Bank had an order for food for April - July canceled (valued at nearly $1M). Cuts at HHS threaten the Home Energy Assistance Program (assistance in paying home heating bills in the winter) and Meals on Wheels. Republicans seem to be intent on killing people by denying them basic food and shelter.
Their end game is putting the "little people" in what they deem to be their "proper place" - abject servants to the moneyed class, to be disposed of when no longer needed. They feel that the middle class has had it too good for far too long and mean to break their spirit of independence.
Same here
And they do Not provide a provision for one to pay bills in person without a service charge.
What is wrong with trump followers is the same as why Jim Jones followers would leave the United States and follow him all the way to Guiana. They are miserable people who enjoy seeing others suffer as greatly as they are. It is a mental health issue that no one knows how to fix. It is also a lack of education and followers are looking for someone to HAND them a better life in place of learning how to make their lives better. They would die for him just like the Guiana tragedy followers. Trump is a master showman, he knows how to get his people emotionally charged up, so they feel so good they would do anything for him. its called an emotional climax. Preachers do it all the time, that is why they get so emotionally fired up behind a pulpit then step down and molest children or teenagers. Its a horrible game with humans. Its very sad.
Don’t you wish decent moral Americans could give all the mean MAGA cult🏴☠️ kool-aid?😃😋😂
The corporatocracy has taken away their sense of self-worth, their analytic abilities, and their human values and filled the void with the endless compulsion to spend, consume, and serve themselves first. Demagogues like the Dumpster, Jim Jones and money-grubbing preachers likewise step into that void with their empty promises of something more fulfilling than their present shallow lives, and they readily go along. How to cure this? Only by restoring inner feelings of self-worth and appreciation for the good and simple things in one's life. It ain't gonna happen in a capitalist system that constantly stresses that the only thing that makes you matter is your bank account.
I took the tariff formula Trump used, input the import/export numbers for Vietnam, and arrived at the 90% tariff number Trump claimed they were imposing on us. BUT THIS ISNT a tariff number! The United States and Vietnam have a trade agreement which has been in place for many years. The previous tariffs that the US and Vietnam levied on each other were less than 15% and basically balance out. So the 90% tariff number is BS and is actually a calculation real dollars in trade between the two countries. Trump then took the “fake number” of 90%, cut it in half, and came up with the 46% tariff that he levied on Vietnam. ASSHOLE!!!!
But do any of his mega supporters understand this type of math or economics? NOOOOO🤦♀️
This is just the first country I checked. Not sure how I do the math on the island of penguins.🤷♀️
Even penguins are on Trump's hit list; they must be leftist lunatics.
The poor little penguins “woke” up and are smart enough to know the rich🏴☠️ radical ruthless republicans 🤑 are all sadistic corrupt liar bullies. 🤩😳😎
At least their not racist: they sport both black and white feathers.
The tariff plan is from a man who thinks, " GROCERIES" is an old fashioned word. For all you idiots who voted for this circus, this chaos, this nightmare, is this your plan to make America great again? Its clear we are being governed by a quintet of idiots. Stephen Miller is running the DEI show, Vought is implementing the Project 2025 playbook,( get rid of the deep state) Elon is tasked with tearing down the American system of government, Susie Wiles is the Q-Anon whisperer of Trump, and Trump is the empty suit. empty brain, leader of the quintet. Vance was supposed to be in the group but his idiocy exceeded the group's expectation. You voters normalized and made President, a dementia ridden felon whose first impulse after his tariffs caused world wide disruption, was to fly to Florida to play golf.
So true…He cares about No One but himself….The fact that he did not go the military base where the bodies of dead Soldiers were returned to pay tribute to them like most Presidents do…Instead go golfing…he’s despicable…
Perfectly put. Love the bit about 'Vance ... his idiocy exceeded the group's expectation'!
Dangerous, destructive and stupid. Describes this whole administration.
Trump is a liar and a VERY STUPID person. He is crashing our economy and raising prices. He is decimating our international relations and reputation. We are no longer respected anywhere in the world! Rather, despised. I wish MAGA would follow him to some island and all drink the koolaid and leave our country in peace and prosperity.
I own a bridal shop and our designers have just raised their prices 16% to cover the tariffs. We'll pass this on to our customers on future orders but we're going to get hit with the raise on anything that has not been invoiced yet. Way to put small businesses out of business😡
That is so unfair. After small businesses recovering from a pandemic. Now we r in a free fall created by t---p.i hope u r able to stay in business.
We were closed for eight months during the pandemic and we made it through. Unless we're all out there protesting tomorrow I have my doubts about this time🙁
I'll be there. I have a feeling it's gonna be a blow out. Just the beginning.
Conservative Law Group Sues “t” ungovernment On Behalf Of Florida Small Business
Here’s one for the history books. The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), a conservative group, is suing on behalf of small businesses over the tariffs imposed on China. “The lawsuit contests Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA), arguing the law authorizes asset freezes and similar economic sanctions, but not tariffs.
“Congress passed the IEEPA to counter external emergencies, not to grant presidents a blank check to write domestic economic policy,” the lawsuit states.” We shall see how far the “right” lawyers get with suing the “t” ungovernment. https://thehill.com/homenews/5231388-trump-sued-over-china-tariffs/
https://substack.com/@techiam
So sorry!
Why do Trump supporters want our economy to crash everyday worse than the day before? They clearly love bankruptcy. Before it was all of his own companies, now it is our entire country!
WTH is wrong with MAGA. It must be that they have no investments.
They're uneducated like their leader!!
That and highly unscrupulous.
They will swoop in and buy for pennies on the dollar as people's lives
are upended. Also do not forget the tax breaks.
The Nazi Congress
The House Nazis have resolved that no bill can be brought to the floor to reign in the Nazi tariff plan Some Nazi Senators have come around too late and even if they pass a bill to stop tariffs it won’t be brought up for a vote by the House
The Nazis have developed a theory called Project 2025 supported by the Christian Nationalist movement They don’t know if it will work but it’s a plan to create a theocratic dictatorship It’s like the old Nazi theory in Mein Kampf or the Russian theory articulated by Marx and Engels in the Communist Manifesto The 21st century version of Manifesto is “burn the whole thing down and start over” and that Americans should get over their “dictatorphobia” according to JD Vance and Curtis Yarvin
But Der Fuhrer has added a global twist to Project 2025 The tariffs imposed didn’t work when he was last in office and there is no evidence that they will work this time And this time these devastating global tariffs will not be rescinded The classic mob boss/bully shakedown of global nations is underway The argument from the Nazi leader for the tariffs is that it will bring manufacturing and jobs back to America But experts argue that this is a theory that’s not going to work just like the German and Russian theories of the past Even in the best case scenario the Nazi argument isn’t even intelligible
Make a pledge that there will no Republicans(aka Nazis) elected and that you will actively facilitate campaigns against the Nazis for at least the next 6 years which will allow the country to rebuild after the Nazi decimation of government
Gas here in Florida is up 20 cents this week
He is as dumb as a rock, did you hear that? That is why he is always sticking his nose in the air because he knows it , Hitler used to do that too because he didn’t want to see the bullets coming at him!
Now that trump is tanking the value of all nations' currency explains why he, his family and rich "buddies" are doubling down with cryptocurrency. I believe the only way we can stop trump is to appeal to the Supreme Court Justices to reverse Presidential Immunity the same way they reveresd Roe vs. Wade.
Thank you for telling us the truth. We are living on social security with a mortgage free home. I want to pay to subscribe to you and VMP/PBS but we're on shifting sand.
Mrs Kathryn M
Are we going to have 4 years of this shit? My retirement fund is going down EVERY SINGLE DAY. My sanity can’t handle this chaos and stupidity.