🤬 Barking Mad

☀️ March 28, 2025 ☀️

🐾 Now Let’s Sic ‘Em! 🐾

​In the latest twist of the ongoing "SignalGate" debacle, the White House has directed DOGE to preserve all work-related communications, including those on the encrypted messaging app Signal.

The new records retention policy mandates that DOGE staff disable Signal's auto-delete feature and ensure all messages are archived appropriately. Employees are even instructed to transfer any work-related messages received on personal devices to their official work devices for proper documentation. ​

This crackdown comes just as more face-palm reports of security carelessness have surfaced:

🙄 German publication DER SPIEGEL reports that it easily managed to find U.S. officials' private contact details and passwords on the internet. Good thing it was only low-level people like Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. Let us guess: Hegseth’s password is “PASSWORD,” right?

🙄 Oh and in what seems to be a “Strike Three” Screw Up… WIRED reported that Mike Waltz ALSO had left his friends list on Venmo set to public. No damning Matt Gaetz level details were exposed… you know, besides being able to see his 328 friends. But still, another potential fiasco in the making before WIRED’s inquiry made Waltz shut it off.

The Shaggy F.D.A. The FDA is Set to Lose 3,500 Staff as Part of DOGE & RFK Jr.'s Health Agency Overhaul.

Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled a plan to slash 10,000 jobs across federal health agencies, with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) set to lose 3,500 positions. This restructuring aims to trim the HHS workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 employees, consolidating 28 divisions into 15 and closing five regional offices. ​

Kennedy justifies these cuts as “efficiency” — yeah, yeah, efficiency… we got it — and yet such deep reductions will severely compromise public health initiatives and the nation's ability to respond to health crises. Especially since the FDA is already struggling with workload demands — particularly in the areas of new products and medical devices — and faces significant challenges in maintaining its critical functions.

Cuz nothing says “public health” like gutting the agency that checks your food & meds.

Underdogs. DOGE Chews Up SBA Contracts, Hitting Small Business Owners Hard.

DOGE has terminated more than 7,300 federal contracts overall, including 26 SBA-related contracts as of mid-March, including at least 22 office leases, as part of its aggressive cost-cutting campaign.

Even though SBA didn’t get nuked entirely like USAID, the damage still hits close to the bone. Many of the contracts canceled belonged to small businesses owned by women and people of color, including those operating in rural and under-resourced areas.

While DOGE touts big savings and (yup) “efficiencies,” its math isn’t exactly airtight. In some cases, the savings amounts to $0. As for other entries on DOGE’s infamous “Wall of Receipts,” some don’t appear to be based on outdated or unverifiable information.

Now the deep cuts to the Small Business Administration—an agency built to support the underdog—are having devastating ripple effects. Click Below to read the list of contracts terminated thus far.

Lucky Dog. Trump’s Tariffs Give Tesla a Boost While Rivals Brace for Impact.

This week, Co-President Trump announced sweeping 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts. Car manufacturers are worried about rising costs, but the policy appears to give a major edge to one company in particular: Tesla.

Yeah, you saw that coming, didn’t you?

While traditional automakers like GM, Ford, Toyota, and BMW rely heavily on overseas supply chains and international parts, Tesla’s production lines are shielded from many of the new costs, giving Musk a pricing advantage.

This is a semi bright spot for Musk, in what has otherwise been a deluge of bad news. For example: Used Tesla prices are sinking at more than twice the rate of typical pre-owned vehicles, and searches for pre-owned Teslas dropped 16% in the past month. The Cybertruck has fared the worst, with resale values plummeting to a whopping 58% below sticker price.

Barking Mad. Anti-Tesla Ads Show How Far the Backlash Against Musk Is Reaching.

Even the Brits are cheesed off by DOGE & Tesla’s Chief Knob.

As we head into the holiday weekend, please enjoy these clever and cathartic bus and tube ads put up in the UK by the straight-to-point-and-no-mucking-about named group “Everyone Hates Elon.”

“Trump Crowns Himself the ‘Fertilization President‘“
Ew. Co-President Trump gave himself a new title: “The Fertilization President.” At a recent Women’s History Month event at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said: “We’re going to have tremendous goodies in the bag for women too, between the fertilization and all the other things we are talking about, its going to be great… I am still very proud of it, I will be known as the fertilizaion president… that’s ok, that’s not bad.” Just when you thought he couldn’t get anymore cringe.

“Trump Clueless When Asked About Missing U.S. Soldiers”
Four U.S. soldiers went missing during a training exercise in Lithuania after their military recovery vehicle was found submerged in water close to the Belarus border. The soldiers, part of the 1st Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, were conducting tactical drills as part of the U.S. military’s continued presence in Eastern Europe. Search efforts are ongoing, and it’s troubling that the Commander-in-Chief hadn’t even been briefed on the missing soldiers when asked recently. Maybe his Administration should start holding briefings for him on the golf course.

“Trump Reiterates Intent to Annex Greenland Ahead of JD Vance’s Visit”
Like a dog with a bone, Trump’s not letting Greenland go, saying: “We need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it. I hate to put it that way, but we’re going to have to have it.” These incendiary remarks come as JD Vance and his wife are visiting Greenland today. However, because of the uproar and resentment, the Vances have reportedly had to reduce their itinerary — like attending dogsled race — in order to limit their exposure to the public. Sounds like the Greenlanders are super pissed off… and so are their dogs. 

“Trump withdraws Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador”
Co-President Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Rep Elise Stefanik for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Ostensibly, this is to maintain numbers in the House, where the Republicans hold only a razor-thin majority, and they don’t want to risk losing a single seat. What’s less clear is what roles Stefanik might have as she returns to Congress. For example, she previously served as the House Republican Conference Chairwoman, but Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) now holds that position.

“Trump to Cut Team Responsible for Critical Atomic Measurement Data”
The Trump administration plans to eliminate NIST’s Atomic Spectroscopy Group—scientists who maintain the Atomic Spectra Database. It might sound wonky, but this is a foundational research tool used globally in fields like… nuclear fusion, astrophysics, semiconductors, and space exploration. The group’s measurements enable researchers to design fusion reactors, calibrate technologies like GPS, and more. Scientists warn the U.S. would be voluntarily surrendering a century’s worth of scientific stewardship for the illusion of budget savings.

Well, that was a lot to chew on… Again.

So as your reward, here’s some doggy goodness to calm your nerves… lift your spirits… and get you through to tomorrow…

Your Daily Dog.  The Best Pups from the Internet.

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Howl It From The Rooftops!

🙌 Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend.

🇺🇸 Monday is Cesar Chavez Day, so see you on Tuesday.

🐾 Until then, do your best to stay pawsitive!