🦴 Thrown a Bone

☀️ May 1, 2025 ☀️

🐾 Now Let’s Sic ‘Em! 🐾

DOGE may call their operation an “audit,” but actual federal auditors say that claim is pretty far-fetched. Instead of following basic standards, DOGE bros with no credentials and no clearances have barged into agencies, scraped sensitive government data, and misused it to justify sweeping cuts.

This includes making false claims like “150-year-olds receiving Social Security” and canceling over 10,000 federal contracts, including many for humanitarian aid. Nearly 40% of those cuts won’t save a dime — and some will cost more.

As one auditor put it: “This isn’t an audit. It’s a heist.”

What’s being stolen? Data, for starters. The DOGE bros are hoovering up massive amounts of data from all corners of the government. The real question is what Musk plans to do with that vast about amount of sensitive data. Grr.

Off-Leash. Musk’s DOGE Role Worth Billions in Conflicts, Senate Warns.

The Senate just dropped a damning report on Elon Musk’s role as head of DOGE, and it reads like a blueprint for government capture in plain sight.

Senate Democrats say Musk’s companies are entangled in at least $2.37 billion worth of legal exposure through ongoing investigations and regulatory scrutiny. And that figure is likely a floor, not a ceiling — and doesn’t account for the lucrative federal contracts Musk may fetch while sitting atop the very agencies meant to oversee him.

While the White House keeps proclaiming that Musk will “excuse himself” if conflicts arise, Musk has yet to do that, even when the conflicts have been clear. And to further insulate himself, Musk’s influence is already reshaping federal enforcement — from firing safety experts at agencies investigating Tesla to scooping up government contracts for himself.

In every agency, the watchdogs haven’t just been sidelined — they’ve been taken out to Kristi Noem’s quarry and put down.

Here’s a recap of some of Musk’s DOGE-sized conflicts of interest…

• $1.19 billion — potential fines to Tesla for false claims about self-driving features

• $2.37 billion — total estimated legal exposure across 65 actions from 11 federal agencies

• Unknown billions — value of pending and future government contracts that Musk has secured for his companies, especially via Starlink and SpaceX

• Unknown savings — legal risks Musk may avoid simply because Trump’s DOJ or agencies like the SEC won’t pursue investigations

Not to mention the watchdogs and oversight agencies that Musk is systematically undermining, like….

• Musk uses his influence or DOGE to control agencies that contract with or regulate his own companies

• For example, in February, DOGE fired NHTSA regulators overseeing Tesla’s autonomous tech, clearing the way for who-knows-what in the future

• No explanation or transparency from Trump officials on how any conflicts are being managed (if at all)

• Musk-aligned DOGE has already canceled inspector general reviews and gutted watchdog offices

Thrown a Bone. Trump’s Custom Tariff Carve-Out Rigged for Tesla.

Speaking of major fucking conflicts of interest…

In today’s episode of the Trump–Musk Bromance, Trump continues to love-bomb Musk… After Musk reportedly begged Trump in private to ease tariffs, he got his wish.

This week, the White House quietly tweaked its auto tariff rules in a move so precisely tailored to help Tesla, you can practically see the Cheeto dust on the paperwork.

Under the new rule, cars made of at least 85% U.S. or USMCA parts are exempt from Trump’s punishing tariffs. Isn’t that convenient? Because that just happens to be exactly where Tesla’s models land — while rivals like Ford and Honda fall short by a hair.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick put it bluntly: “Finish your cars in America and you win.” But it’s Tesla that’s always gone be the Number One winner, thanks to Trump’s meddling and rigging the rules more blatantly than a carnival game.

The Farmer’s DOGE. DOGE Axes Food Programs, Starves Local Farmers and Families.

Families who’re struggling to put fresh food on the table are about to feel DOGE’s bite.

In its crusade to “streamline” federal spending, DOGE has slashed $1 billion from the USDA earlier this year — including two programs designed to get locally grown fruits and vegetables to schoolchildren, food banks, and low-income families.

The victims? Not just hungry households, but also local farmers who depended on these programs to sell their harvests.

In Florida alone, the cuts wiped out an estimated $23 million in local produce sales, including $1.5 million across Tampa Bay. Food banks like Feeding Tampa Bay are now scrambling, expecting to lose out on four million meals this fiscal year. With grocery prices skyrocketing, the timing couldn’t be worse.

Other states are suffering just the same as the pain continues trickles down.

Roadkill. Musk Takes Hit as Europeans Ditch X in Droves.

Well well well… looks like the worm is turning around the the world. Twitter (currently called X) is in a full tailspin across Europe, where the platform has lost over 11 million users — a 10.5% drop in just six months.

Countries like France, Poland, and Germany are leading the digital exodus, while smaller nations like Lithuania and Luxembourg have lost nearly a quarter of their users. The platform is now bleeding engagement both abroad and at home — with the U.S. also seeing a 15% drop in active users over the past year.

On top of that, the EU Commission has launched a formal investigation into whether Twitter is breaking European laws on illegal content and fake news, putting even more heat on Musk’s empire.

Meanwhile, the city of Paris, major media outlets, and universities have all ditched the platform completely, as Musk continues to use it to boost far-right rhetoric and continue his PDA with Trump.

Apart from Twitter, Tesla sales in Europe have plummeted over 50% in early 2025, signaling that it’s not just the products — it’s the narcissist behind them that’s the common denominator here. The public's appetite for Musk-branded anything is spoiling, and Musk’s grip on global influence is starting to slip — one unfollow at a time.

"Judge Frees Palestinian Student Snatched by ICE Mid-Citizenship Interview"
A judge has ordered the release of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student activist and legal U.S. resident, after he was arrested by ICE during his citizenship interview. (Talk about a cheap shot.) Mahdawi, who co-founded Columbia’s Palestinian Student Union and led protests against the Gaza war, was accused by the government of posing “serious foreign policy consequences.” His lawyers say the arrest was political retaliation for his speech. Though the feds claim it's all standard deportation procedure, which is almost even scarier. Mahdawi now walks free — for now — and plans to finish his degree.

“DOJ Civil Rights Division Defanged, Hundreds of Attorneys Walk Out”
Roughly 70% of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is expected to resign en masse after receiving a second Trump-era “resign or align” offer. Over 200 attorneys have reportedly accepted, choosing to leave rather than enforce the administration’s redefined agenda — one that dismantles DEI policies, reverses transgender protections, and redirects focus toward anti-Christian bias and antisemitism under newly installed Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon. On conservative media, Dhillon mocked those departing, saying it’s “fine” they won’t be enforcing any “woke ideology.” Actually, they’re probably leaving because they’re tired of people like this say “woke ideology” all tht

“Trump Axes Mental Health Funds for Schools Over DEI Ties”
The Trump administration is yanking $1 billion in school mental health grants, axing a Biden-era program that helped schools hire counselors and psychologists to aid kids in crisis. The funding, tied to a 2022 gun violence prevention bill, will end this year, with officials claiming it pushed “civil rights violations” and DEI goals over “merit.” Conservative activists celebrated the cut as a win against “left-wing racialism,” while the Education Department promised to “re-envision” mental health support… whatever that means.

“SpaceX Home Could Become an Official Texas City Called Starbase”
Elon Musk’s dream of a company town is about to lift off: this Saturday, workers and residents around SpaceX’s launch site in South Texas will likely vote to turn it into an official city called “Starbase.” With most voters tied to Musk’s payroll, approval is a foregone conclusion. Locals fear Starbase would let Musk control access to Boca Chica Beach — a cherished public spot nicknamed the “poor people’s beach” — and grant Musk new powers to block public access for rocket launches. All your Starbase belongs to Musk.

“SCOTUS Rules Reservists Deserve Full Pay — Even in Emergency Duty”
In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court threw a bone to military reservists who also serve as federal workers, ruling they’re entitled to full civilian pay when called to active duty during national emergencies. The case stemmed from an FAA air traffic controller who spent five years serving in the Coast Guard — but took a financial hit while doing it. The majority made it clear: “If you’re defending the country during a national emergency, you deserve your full federal pay.” Well… duh. And yet Clarence Thomas of course found a way to dissent.

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

So as your reward, here are a few treats.

Some doggy goodness to calm your nerves… lift your spirits… and get you through to tomorrow…

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🙌 Thanks for reading. See you on Friday.  

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