33 thoughts on “News/Politics 2-22-25”

  1. Prayers for Pope Francis that he be ready to meet the Savior, and for the Catholic church that God move, guide and show mercy.

    “ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican said.

    The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with pneumonia and a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, associated with anemia, the Vatican said in a late update.

    “The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved,” the statement said.

    Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go and that he is by no means out of danger. The update, which is drafted by Francis’ medical team but issued by the Vatican, marked the first time the pope’s prognosis had been described as “reserved,” which suggests it is in flux and requires close observation.

    Doctors have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition.”

    https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-pneumonia-sepsis-vatican-respiratory-infection-bab5b9a141517171d4efc71fadafa0a4

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  2. This is the looming reality Zelensky has to face that I was talking about a few days ago.

    “WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) – U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

    Ukraine’s continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said.

    Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military.
    The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskiy, said one of the sources, who was briefed on the talks.

    During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss closed negotiations.
    “Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,” said the source. “Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.”

    Zelenskiy has rejected demands from President Donald Trump’s administration for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid, saying the U.S. has offered no specific security guarantees.

    On Friday, the Ukrainian president said the U.S. and Ukrainian teams were working on an agreement and Trump said he expects a deal will be signed soon.

    Musk rushed thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace communications services destroyed by Russia after its February 2022 invasion. Hailed at the time as a hero in Ukraine, Musk later curtailed access at least once before in the fall of 2022 as he became more critical of Kyiv’s handling of the war.

    Poland’s deputy prime minister said on Saturday that his country has been paying for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription and will continue to do so.

    U.S. lawmakers are divided over Trump’s efforts to find a quick end to the Ukraine war and some have raised questions about Musk’s rapid-fire efforts to cull thousands of federal workers and shut down Federal agencies.”

    https://www.reuters.com/business/us-could-cut-ukraines-access-starlink-internet-services-over-minerals-say-2025-02-22/

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  5. In the past couple of days, I have seen a couple of Musk’s tweets (shared on Facebook) in which he referred to some people as “retarded”. Someone needs to tell him that using that word is considered highly offensive. Not cool, Elon.

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  7. This is good, and unexpected.

    “Companies that prefer migrants and H-1B visa workers over Americans will face federal investigations and discrimination lawsuits, says Andrea Lucas, who President Donald Trump picked to serve as acting chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

    “The EEOC is putting employers and other covered entities on notice: if you are part of the pipeline contributing to our immigration crisis or abusing our legal immigration system via illegal preferences against American workers, you must stop,” Lucas said in a February 20 notice.

    “The law applies to you, and you are not above the law. The EEOC is here to protect all workers from unlawful national origin discrimination, including American workers,” she added.

    “Guardedly optimistic,” civil rights lawyer John Miano responded after Breitbart News asked for his assessment.

    If the EEOC follows through, it could force companies to curb their hiring of migrants over Americans, said Miano, who is now suing more than 30 Chicago companies for advertising jobs to foreign H-1B workers, but not to Americans….”

    https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/02/22/trumps-eeoc-director-threatens-lawsuits-amid-h-1b-hiring/

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  8. I’m glad to see the Federal government clamping down on the violation of civil rights laws regarding Title IX where the rights of women and girls are being violated in sports.

    “The U.S. Department of Education launched a civil rights investigation into Maine allowing boys to participate in girls’ sports on Friday, shortly after President Donald Trump slammed Gov. Janet Mills, D-Maine, over her defiance of federal civil rights protections for girls.

    “You better comply, because otherwise you’re not getting any … federal funding,” Trump told Mills at a governors’ summit at the White House on Friday. “By the way, your population, even though it’s somewhat liberal — although I did very well there — your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports.”

    Mills said she’d see Trump in court, but Trump replied, “Good, I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one. And, enjoy your life after governor, because I don’t think you’ll be in elected politics.”

    Immediately following the exchange, the Department of Education sent a letter to Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin over “allegations that it continues to allow male athletes to compete in girls’ interscholastic athletics and that it has denied female athletes female-only intimate facilities, thereby violating federal antidiscrimination law.”

    The investigation includes an inquiry into a Maine school district where a male student who claims to be a female at Greely High School competed against girls and stole first place in the girls’ pole vaulting championship.

    The Department of Education told schools across the country to drop their policies allowing men in women’s sports and DEI initiatives because they violate civil rights law, including Title IX. The department threatened to revoke federal education funding from any state or locality that does not comply, as Trump promised to do with Maine specifically on Thursday. Maine’s K-12 schools serve to lose $250 million, according to the Portland Press Herald.

    “Maine would have you believe that it has no choice in how it treats women and girls in athletics — that is, that it must follow its state laws and allow male athletes to compete against women and girls,” Craig Trainor, Education Department acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a press release. “Let me be clear: If Maine wants to continue to receive federal funds from the Education Department, it has to follow Title IX. If it wants to forgo federal funds and continue to trample the rights of its young female athletes, that, too, is its choice. OCR will do everything in its power to ensure taxpayers are not funding blatant civil rights violators.”

    Investigators will determine whether state and local policies are in “compliance with federal civil rights law.” The department noted, “State laws do not override federal antidiscrimination laws…..”

    https://thefederalist.com/2025/02/21/education-department-launches-investigation-into-maine-after-trump-slams-governor-over-boys-in-girls-sports/

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  10. Retarded is slang for idiot. When used today, it’s to describe the intentionally obtuse and playing ignorant types.

    No one uses it to describe the mentally handicapped anymore.

    Folks should not be so sensitive.

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  11. And let’s be honest here.

    Those complaining loudest about it are just looking for a reason to dislike him, and to reinforce their own already well established feelings and hatred for the man.

    But I doubt he gives a crap about their feelings either way.

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  12. Musk has a bristling effect upon many. He comes across a bit silly in his approach but the guy is smart and gets stuff done… for the good.

    I read his comment towards the astronaut and it seemed to be in response to being called a liar. Obviously the astronaut isn’t a fan.
    Musk is not a believer and will conduct his life as one not knowing Christ. May he one day soon know Him. Saying that I don’t see his choice of the word an attempt to be intentionally disparaging of the mentally ill.

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  15. “Breaking🇺🇸🔥🇮🇹: “We are a stronger and safer Europe with President Trump back in the White House”. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni gives her full support to @realDonaldTrump and VP @JDVance in a stirring speech at QPAC today.

    The Italian leader also spoke of national sovereignty over leftist totalitarianism and common sense over woke insanity. “

    https://x.com/HerdImmunity12/status/1893387039078523303?t=ncBWIOqK476IMp0aZ8yN2g&s=19

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    • But…. but…. Musk..

      https://x.com/DataRepublican/status/1893702542930198538?t=aZKiG9xEMzKqAg1IbteK0w&s=19

      “The true cycle of money and power is this:

      Soros (among others) used his wealth to install key politicians.

      Once in office, they funneled public funds into propaganda and NGOs designed to manipulate us—conditioning voters to elect even more of their kind.

      In turn, these politicians ensured Soros and his allies grew richer. But Soros is now just a fragment of the monstrous machine he helped unleash.

      What began as his influence has morphed into a self-sustaining Leviathan—one that thrives on our ignorance.

      It is up to us, the people, to wake up and destroy it.”

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  17. Looks like Trump’s policies, insistance on a country’s sovereignty, and an end to the invasions type movement is spreading.

    Let freedom ring.

    https://x.com/BehizyTweets/status/1893708691318112315?t=F5UIZvQyqh4m3FyVRUVgdg&s=19

    “JUST IN : German exit polls show the Christian Democrat Union Party winning the German election by a landslide. It also shows the Musk-endorsed AfD beating the current SPD regime.

    CDU: 29%

    AfD: 19.5%

    SPD: 16%”

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  19. I’m a little surprised that the use of the word “retarded” as a pejorative is being defended. The fact that it is “slang for idiot” is indeed the point behind the push to deter people from using the word. It is derived from the medical diagnosis of “mentally retardation.” (Although the term is being changed to “intellectual disability,” “mental retardation” is still used by some medical organizations as a diagnosis.)

    I didn’t think my comment would be controversial. I should have known better.

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  24. Hillary should never have called me a deplorable. Just saying, it comes with the territory, and is nothing new under the sun . . politics as usual.

    I was glad to gather a new understanding of the word retarded from the comments here. I still related it to the special ed class that Miss Dobbins taught. Those kids got labeled Dobbins’s which was even worse, IMHO, than being called retarded. I probably called my brother retarded on occasion though he was obviously not. Some of his actions were to me though!

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  25. I have a couple of relatives (one my granddaughter) who could be referred to as ‘retarded.’ I do find the term offensive. I have heard the other relative’s siblings use the word, however, and was amazed it was allowed. If Musk is so smart, he should be able to find better words to use. Yes, I am sure he doesn’t care what I think. After all, who am I? Only a beloved child of God as is my ‘retarded’ granddaughter. She is ‘retarded’ without her own will, however. Someone who is obtuse and an idiot is not. Although, idiot used to also be used for people with medical conditions, I think. A little humility would serve some people better. Commenting about what someone says is no indication of anyone’s love or hate of him.

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  27. Hair combusts easily on X….or talk radio or CNN or MSNBC and occasionally on FOX. A small amount of it is entertaining, as I suspect it’s meant to be. It always leaves me grateful for the godly common sense of those around me.

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  28. New FBI deputy director! Good!!!

    “Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice! Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

    “Dan has a Masters Degree in Psychology from C.U.N.Y., and an MBA from Penn State. He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York’s Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve. Working with our great new United States Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and Director Patel, Fairness, Justice, Law and Order will be brought back to America, and quickly. Congratulations Dan!” Trump added.Bongino thanked Trump on X, saying,”Thank you Mr. President, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Patel.”Dan Bongino to be Kash Patel’s deputy

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  29. I had no idea Bongino was being considered. He’s a great pick though. Trump is hitting it out of the ballpark with his staffing choices. He’ll not have to worry about a knife in the back this time. Good for him; good for us.

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  30. The word “retarded” just means slow, like retarding the growth of mold. Here’s the Merriam-Webster definition of “retard”: “to delay or impede the development or progress of : to slow up especially by preventing or hindering advance or accomplishment.”

    As such, I don’t think “mentally retarded” is offensive as a descriptive term, but “retarded” or “retard” used alone of a person are derogatory. I think Elon Musk is quite backward socially (I believe he is on the spectrum), so I’d be willing to say he might not know any better, but the term as he used it is not appropriate.

    I remember a number of years ago when “experts” were trying to discourage use of the word “handicapped” but were finding it OK to say someone was “crippled.” Yet “handicapped” just says that a person has limitations, where “crippled” has a stronger suggestion of inability. My handicapped brother (amputee) was quite strong in his saying this as well. What is considered appropriate does tend to change over time, and sometimes rather unreasonably. But as far back as when I was in grade school, half a century ago, “retarded” was a playground insult and a slur.

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