What Happened Today - 25 Sept 2025

What Happened Today – 25 Sept 2025 
Another Shooting 
The Budget
Concerning Changes in the EPA
Tech News
Escalator and Teleprompter Drama
Pulse of the Country Right Now 
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Another Shooting
Here we go again—another ICE shooting (3rd one this year), another round of totally unacceptable violence that nobody in a civilized country should consider normal or inevitable. The facts are still trickling in, and what is clear so far is that someone opened fire at or near an ICE facility, causing chaos and injury, while most Americans are left shaking their heads, wondering why this keeps happening. Immediately, MAGA world—starting right with Trump himself—went on the attack, pointing the finger at the so-called “radical left” before any real details even emerged. Right-wing media and keyboard warriors were out front, screaming political conspiracy and pushing their narrative while the facts on the ground are still a giant question mark: no public political affiliation for the shooter, no clear motive, nothing but confusion and ongoing investigation.

Most regular people, across the entire political spectrum, are actually saying enough—stop the finger-pointing, stop pinning blame on some demonized group before we learn anything real. But that’s not how MAGA rolls. It’s default mode: blame the left, feed the outrage, get the base riled up whether it fits the story or not. Fine, blame each other while nothing gets done about the actual crisis—guns are still everywhere, people who shouldn’t get them still do, and absolutely nothing has changed on mental health or easy access to firearms. It’s broken.

And honestly, as long as people like Stephen Miller are whispering poison in Trump’s ear and using every tragedy to demonize people who disagree with them, nothing gets better. Miller doesn’t just make policy; he manufactures division, painting anyone not locked into his worldview as dangerous, while conveniently ignoring the chaos sown by stoking constant fear and hate. He’s not just an advisor—he’s a main driver of the problem, and America would be a lot safer if he found an island far away to stew in his own bitterness. Time to quit the blame game and actually do something about the real root: gun violence and mental health. Enough excuses.
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The Budget
GOP leaders have flat-out told their folks not to negotiate with Democrats on this budget—Trump and his crew want to bulldoze their priorities through reconciliation, counting on a straight party-line vote to avoid the usual bickering and deal-cutting. The House Freedom Caucus types are practically daring any Republicans to reach across the aisle, and even whispering about punishment for anyone who so much as grabs lunch with Democrats right now. So, this budget showdown is shaping up to be a GOP-only production, shutting Dems out completely.

What’s actually in this MAGA budget? It’s loaded: permanent extensions of Trump-era tax cuts (especially for the top earners and corporations), a ton more cash for border security and defense, and some serious rollbacks on social programs. The big shocker is the health care cutback. This budget rips more than a trillion bucks out of Medicaid, slaps on new work requirements to keep coverage, forces tougher eligibility checks (which means people lose coverage even if they should still qualify), and lets enhanced ACA subsidies expire. That’s at least 10 million Americans losing health insurance, with the poorest hit hardest. Add in caps on student loans and changes that rush the Medicare trust fund toward insolvency, and you’ve got a real mess if you rely on any safety net program.

Democrats are absolutely refusing to just roll over. They know this bill is pre-loaded to devastate health care for millions and that Republicans are counting on public confusion to slide it by. They want negotiation because, without it, this budget would rip the floor out from under anyone on Medicaid or using ACA subsidies, while turbo-charging debt and leaving ordinary people hanging if they hit a rough patch. That’s why Dems are standing their ground, saying, ‘No deal without debate.’

If the government shuts down because no bill passes? Get ready for everything to grind to a halt. Federal workers get furloughed, paychecks stop, agencies shutter non-essential operations, parks and museums close, and, if it drags out, even things like Social Security claims could slow. Essential workers still show up but without pay until the government gets its act together. A shutdown would slam the poorest Americans and people needing federal help the hardest—food assistance delays, Medicaid backlogs, health inspections pause, passports aren’t processed, and the economic hit leaves everyone just that much more anxious. All while Congress points fingers and regular folks get caught in the crossfire.

Additionally, Trump isn’t just using the threat of a shutdown for headlines—he’s actively telling his cabinet and federal agencies that if Congress stalls on money, it isn’t just the usual temporary furloughs anymore. His latest memo spells it out: agencies are supposed to start prepping to permanently fire non-essential staff, especially anyone not seen as a loyal foot soldier for his goals. It’s not just about cutting costs; it’s about clearing house of anyone he sees as a holdover from previous administrations or anyone pushing back against his policies.

The memo dropped like a bomb across D.C.—union reps are losing it, calling it “punitive” and “reckless.” They’re screaming about how it turns government jobs into political pawns, totally upending the usual rules for shutdowns. Normally, workers might miss a paycheck or two until Congress gets its act together, but Trump’s play would leave thousands out in the cold for good, with no safety net to land on.

Federal employees aren’t taking the threat lightly; staff meetings are full of questions about who’s “safe” and who’s on the chopping block. There’s a real sense that the administration is purposely amping up fear, trying to force Democrats’ hands by threatening families and livelihoods. Meanwhile, Trump’s loyalists are out there justifying the move as “restoring government efficiency,” but nobody’s buying it—especially since the firings are targeted at positions Trump says don’t “advance his agenda.”

Trump wants everyone to know who’s boss, and he’s not above weaponizing people’s jobs to get Congress to cave. D.C. is in full panic mode, unions are gearing up for legal fights, and the rest of the government is stuck waiting to see how hard he’s willing to play this hand.

Is this what you voted for?!
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Concerning Changes in the EPA
What Trump’s EPA is doing right now is flat-out dangerous for the environment and public health. By giving polluters a fast pass to duck clean air rules—literally just by sending an email—Trump has gutted the basic protections that keep cancer-causing chemicals out of our air and water. Hundreds of dirty plants—coal, chemicals, industrial giants—have already grabbed exemptions, letting them dump poisons like mercury, benzene, formaldehyde, and arsenic right back into the air, no questions asked. This means more cancer, more asthma, more birth defects, and more families living in toxic “sacrifice zones”—especially communities of color and low-income neighborhoods already hammered by pollution.

Instead of fighting for cleaner air, Trump’s EPA chief is actively shredding the rules that keep industry in check, slashing reporting requirements so companies don’t even have to admit how much toxic stuff they’re pumping out. The rationalization? “Efficiency.” But what it really means is corporations get to profit while kids grow up with higher cancer risks and parents watch their air turn poisonous. Lawsuits from environmental groups are piling up, but meanwhile, the damage is real and irreversible. What Trump’s crew is proudly calling “cutting red tape” is actually just destroying the very safeguards that protect our health and planet.
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Tech News
Here’s what’s happening on the tech front: Trump’s making headlines by swooping back into the TikTok drama. He’s set to sign another executive order soon, supposedly locking down national security by forcing TikTok’s American assets under U.S. control—his team keeps touting that they’ve found a magic formula to keep user data “safe.” But let’s not kid ourselves—MAGA circles still view TikTok as a Trojan horse for China, and there’s zero trust for any arrangement, no matter how much the White House insists they don’t have financial skin in the game. The whole story is more political grandstanding than actual problem-solving; nobody’s convinced the new rules will make TikTok less sketchy.

On the AI front, Trump’s crew has rolled out the red carpet for Elon Musk, hyping up a partnership that’s supposed to turbo-charge the federal government with Musk’s latest artificial intelligence tools. The administration is spinning this as “American innovation leading the world” and trying to paint Musk as some kind of tech savior. But here’s the rub: nobody’s really sure what the impact will be. Trumpers are busy thumping their chests about American supremacy, while critics and regular people are left wondering if this means more lost jobs, more spying, or just a lot more bureaucratic confusion. Musk is basking in the attention, playing the hero role with gusto, but what this actually means for ordinary workers or privacy? Still completely up in the air.

As for Musk’s latest attention-grab, the Tesla “Pi” phone has finally been shown off, and it’s exactly as overhyped as you’d expect. Here’s the short review: The phone is undeniably slick, loaded with integration for those already neck-deep in the Tesla/SpaceX/Starlink ecosystem. Starlink satellite connectivity is a game-changer on paper, and features like solar charging, car controls, and built-in AI assistants look cool in demos. The Pi feels fast, the screen is bright, and the build is as premium as anything from Samsung or Apple. But reviews are already calling out the bloat—way too many features for the average person, and all the futuristic talk about Neuralink or Mars-readiness? Pure vaporware for now. The camera’s good but not “best ever,” and battery life is solid, though nowhere near Musk’s wild promises. In short: it’s a flashy gadget if you want to brag on Twitter, and it pushes the tech conversation forward, but most people are better off waiting for real-world feedback before dropping nearly $1,000.
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Escalator and Teleprompter Drama
Trump and his team spun a few mundane technical glitches at the UN—a stopped escalator, a briefly busted teleprompter, and some sound problems—into some dramatic “triple sabotage” conspiracy theory. Trump got on social media, called the whole thing a sinister plot, and even demanded an investigation, claiming world leaders couldn’t hear him unless they wore earpieces. He even floated that someone should be arrested for the escalator stalling out, citing old jokes about UN staff “turning off the escalator” to mess with him.

Here’s what actually happened: UN officials said a member of Trump’s own media crew tripped the escalator’s safety switch by accident while filming him, and the White House themselves were in charge of the teleprompter, not the UN. The “sound issues” were standard translations, not sabotage. No evidence—zero—of any plot, just a cascade of dumb, easily explained mix-ups.

But that didn’t stop MAGA world from flipping out online, pushing the conspiracy angle and calling it a humiliation campaign or “stair-orism.” Jokes and feverish posts flew fast, but if you’re actually paying attention, even conservative commentators admit there’s nothing to this except embarrassing overreaction and classic Trump drama. The only real conspiracy here is how fast they tried to spin technical failures into a global plot against Trump.
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Pulse of the Country 
Here’s the real pulse of the country right now: the U.S. economy is hanging on, but the nerves are obvious. Last quarter, GDP got a jolt—up 3.8%—on the back of strong consumer spending, but that momentum’s losing steam as tariffs and political drama spook investors and slow down hiring. Unemployment is holding around 4.3%, but job additions are barely limping along, especially in manufacturing and tech. The Fed’s tinkering with rates to keep inflation from boiling over, but families are still feeling the pain on groceries, gas, and rent. So, technically we’re out of recession, but for most people, it doesn’t feel that way at all—lots of folks are living paycheck to paycheck, confidence is shaky, and nobody’s feeling secure about the next six months.

Health care’s not in great shape either. The administration’s budget cuts have gutted the CDC and public health funding. Clinics—especially in rural areas—are closing, and prevention programs for things like cancer, diabetes, and HIV are on the chopping block. Medicaid requirements are tightening, millions could lose coverage, and drug pricing is a hot mess. Even insurance plan quality is all over the map: some Medicare plans got high marks this year, but access gaps and confusion about what’s covered are only getting worse. Morale among health professionals is low, with reports of more burnout and people bailing out of the workforce.

As for morale more broadly, Americans are anxious and fed up. The looming shutdown fight, layoffs, wild weather disasters, shootings, and endless political finger-pointing mean there’s this background buzz of stress and pessimism. MAGA diehards still believe Trump’s got their back, but independents and a lot of regular Republicans are losing patience with the chaos. Freedom of speech? Still technically there, but new “content standards” on social media plus a heap of lawsuits and state-level legislation have put everyone on edge about what’s safe to say—especially when it comes to criticizing the administration or talking about public health. Journalists and climate activists, in particular, are feeling the heat, with several press freedom groups flagging rising restrictions and self-censorship.
So, what about Trump’s numbers? The latest polling average pegs Trump’s approval at about 44%, with his disapproval at around 53%—that’s a net approval of nearly minus 10, his worst numbers since midsummer. The right-wing base is shrinking, and the more uncertainty builds in the markets and at the border, the squishier his support gets.

The United States is still standing, but there’s turbulence everywhere you look. The economy can’t seem to reassure ordinary Americans, health care is a maze of cuts and confusion, speech feels riskier, and faith in leadership is sliding. If there’s a theme for fall 2025, it’s “everybody tense, nobody at ease.”

Hang in there, there was much more news today – but that’s all I can stomach.  

Speak Truth!  Keep speaking TRUTH!  

Go Cause Good Trouble, with Your Elbows Up!

**These are facts that I researched and verified – AI helped put together some sentence structure, but the words and tone are mine. These are my views based upon facts, research and thoughtful consideration using logic. I own the copyright to any images used.  I’m comfortable to stand alone to uphold truth.  Feel free to check me, but do not attack me. I am only causing good trouble.**