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Dale Scheiwe's avatar

Thanks for keeping the BBB in the headlines. We must not forget it, especially since a lot of the worst provisions to Medicaid and SNAP don't kick in until AFTER the midterms next year!!

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Bluesmurf's avatar

Yes because they don't want any of the zombies to find out that they are about to get smacked with no healthcare, no food, gramma and grandpa moving in the guest room or the garage, no jobs, higher prices, more sales taxes from tariffs. They want to keep the MAGAs all in the dark and screaming and threatening anyone who doesn't fall into line with the drumpf authority to do whatever the hell he wants to do.

When it doesn't work as many of the rest of us are doing our best to deconstruct the Big Ugly Bill and get the word out - I am posting pieces of the bill one article and analysis at a time on my substack (I have already covered SNAP and Medicare - Medicaid is next) - more and more people are going to see it, feel it and aren't going to buy it. Some of the cuts to social safety nets take effect on January 1, 2026, so it is going to trickle in.

****

Check out my substack for more information on this Big Ugly Bill broken down and what you can expect. https://substack.com/@bluesmurf

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Beatrice Guerra's avatar

Absolutely agree 👍

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Beatrice Guerra's avatar

👍

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pamela Choate's avatar

I'm looking at the picture with Trump banging the gavel gifted by speaker Johnson. How do we fight the arrogance and stupidity of the GOP!?! A lot of us in your audience aren't distracted but our hope is being overwhelmingly crushed by all this! I'm retired, widowed, have Osteoporosis (and other health issues as well)...no power, on social security, and living check to check. I didn't give damn about the price of eggs, either. I DO care about integrity, honesty, supporting those in need, and service for the people! I'm appalled that Trump is lawlessly using our taxes as his personal ATM! Do the Democrats need People-Like-Me to manually drag him out for them? I do want to thank you for publishing the truth.

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Bluesmurf's avatar

Here are some things that you can do to empower your voice and to contribute and participate in the majority of us who are fighting back. Even doing one thing on this article and list of suggestions is good for the cause to save our democracy.

***

https://substack.com/@bluesmurf

Now What Do We Do? The Way Out Of This Mess!!! - https://bluesmurf.substack.com/p/now-what-do-we-do-the-way-out-of

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Mary Welch's avatar

I disagree with you on the Epstein files being a distraction. This is so harmful to women because men are rarely held accountable and women continue to be victimized.

I understand that there are a lot of horrible things happening in the country right now. BUT, this is not a distraction! They are blaming the immigrants for the drugs, rapes, sex trafficking, crime, etc. and deporting them on this basis. They continue their lies about immigrants being criminals. And the transgender people who are waiting outside bathrooms to rape women.

So we should let this go because it’s white men who are millionaires and billionaires? This is exactly what happens too frequently.

From the U.S. Department of Justice: Of the 1,070 defendants charged with any of the three types of human trafficking offenses in U.S. district court in fiscal year 2022, 91% were male, 58% were white, 20% were black, 18% were Hispanic, 95% were U.S. citizens, and 71% had no prior convictions.

The total number of identified victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his network is well over 100, with some estimates placing it closer to 200 or more, though the exact number remains uncertain due to the scope, secrecy, and years of abuse. HUMAN TRAFFICKING OPERATIONS DON’T FUNCTION WITH JUST ONE RECRUITER AND ONE ABUSER.

Continuing to ignore this abuse and not hold the perpetrators accountable is dangerous to women – they are afraid to come forward, they aren’t believed, cases don’t go to court because they are told the case is hard to win so abusers think they can keep getting away with this.

U.S. law enforcement (2022) recorded ~2,950 human trafficking incidents (81% sex trafficking) involving ~3,570 victims

The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified nearly 17,000 victims in 2023 across ~9,600 cases—up from pandemic-era lows, trending back toward pre-2020 levels.

U.S. data consistently show rising human trafficking cases, largely due to better detection and reporting—but also reflecting a real resurgence in trafficking activities since the pandemic.

Sex trafficking has surged especially across major events and online.

In July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. He was accused of operating a vast network to recruit and abuse underage girls as young as 14 in Florida and New York between 2002 and 2005. Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019, before his case went to trial—so he was never convicted in federal court.

Epstein’s close associate and former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, was the central figure in recruiting and managing underage victims. She was convicted in 2021 for her pivotal role in the trafficking scheme and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors did recover hundreds of gigabytes of photos, videos, contact information, and airport logs—used to confirm recruitment and trafficking chains.

Ghislaine Maxwell remains the only co-conspirator convicted in connection to the network.

Jeffrey Epstein and his associates brought underage girls to multiple properties across the U.S. and abroad, where many of the alleged sexual abuses and trafficking activities took place. According to court documents, victim testimonies, and law enforcement investigations, the following locations were most commonly used: Palm Beach, FL; Manhattan, NYC: Little Saint James (Epstein’s private island, infamously called "Pedophile Island" by locals); Zorro Ranch, NM; and Paris, France.

Epstein flew victims—often with prominent guests—between his properties using his private jets. Flight logs show hundreds of trips, often including underage girls and notable passengers (though not all passengers were involved in crimes).

Many survivors described being:

Recruited in one city (often as young as 14)

Flown to multiple Epstein properties

Abused repeatedly, sometimes while others watched or participated

Threatened or paid to stay silent

Human trafficking operations don't function with just one recruiter and one abuser. The scale of Epstein’s operation—multiple properties, staff, assistants, pilots, and alleged clients—suggests more people were involved. The fact that only Maxwell has been convicted raises concerns about selective prosecution or failure to fully investigate. Money can buy intimidation and silence.

The lack of other convictions risks rewriting the narrative to say: “Epstein and Maxwell were the problem. Now it’s over.” It leaves survivors without closure, potential predators untouched, and the public with unanswered questions. And possibly they continue to participate in trafficking since it was so easy to get away with previously.

It allows these people who engaged in sex trafficking to go on and live their lives (likely without any guilt or shame) while the victims suffer for the rest of theirs. Virginia Giuffre – one of the most vocal victims, aged 41, died by suicide at her home near Perth, Australia. Her family confirmed the cause, noting that the emotional and physical toll of her past abuse became unbearable.

Here is exactly how it keeps happening:

Epstein’s 2008 Plea Deal

2005: A 14-year-old girl in Palm Beach, Florida, tells police Epstein paid her for a massage and sexually abused her.

2005–2007: Police and the FBI investigate Epstein and identify dozens of underage girls who were allegedly recruited and abused.

2007–2008: Instead of federal prosecution, Epstein negotiates a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Florida, led by Alex Acosta (who later became Trump’s Secretary of Labor).

Despite substantial evidence, Epstein was not charged federally at the time. Instead, he:

Pleaded guilty to two Florida state charges:

Solicitation of prostitution

Solicitation of a minor

Served just 13 months in county jail—allowed to leave the facility 12 hours a day, 6 days a week on “work release.”

If this were a black or brown man or an immigrant, there would be outrage (unless, of course, the accusers were black or brown women).

There needs to be accountability. We need to know that this sex trafficking ring is no longer allowed to operate.

It keeps repeating itself when people aren't held accountable. When the Trump administration fired nearly every federal employee within the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, it did away with the only team at the federal level working specifically on domestic and intimate partner violence prevention. The federal VOCA funding, which supports services for crime victims, has seen significant reductions. The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women has withdrawn all funding opportunities for 2025 from its website.

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Charronne Johnston's avatar

People are overlooking, or perhaps haven’t realized, that the damage to the most vulnerable in your country is exactly the point of all the restrictions that affect nutrition and health. Those who wrote those sections ( same folks who wrote Project 2025) fully intend the deaths of hundreds of thousands, taking them out of the system to eliminate what they see is a drain on the public purse. They are considered useless, the contributions they made during their healthy years forgotten, and just as the funding to protect endangered wildlife are being slashed, they serve no purpose to the writers of this bill. They are all expendable.

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Bluesmurf's avatar

We do realize and believe that it is the goal of these hyenas to kill off the most vulnerable of our population, whether it is veterans who are elderly, disabled, homeless, or otherwise situated - whether it is single mothers working 2 & 3 jobs trying to feed her kids and living in her car - whether it's grandpa and gramma who will be homeless once the nursing home shuts down - whether it's poor people in rural areas where there will be no health care and the nearest hospital is not within driving distance of an emergency.

These eejits are going to FAFO that we are the people with the money - our consumerism lines their pockets and investing in social safety net programs returns more to the economy, more to the health of the people in this Country, and more to the wealthy than it costs to invest in them through our tax dollars. (OUR TAX DOLLARS)

Remember 2008 and the Financial District bail out? Bank of America and Goldman Sachs were deemed too big to fail, so when they were about to fail, where did the run? To the taxpayers - that is US. If they allow us to die, if they kill us all off, and/or deport us, then they are cutting off their noses to spite their faces, leaving them with no nose and no income.

I'm waiting for cryptocurrency (something that is not even real) to tank and destroy their wealth in one fell swoop. Where do you think these eejits are going to go when they lose everything to a non-existent valueless "puff of hot air?" To the taxpayers? The now deceased and deported taxpayers? While they are wandering the streets digging in dumpsters for their next meal, maybe they will regret what they are doing today - but someone I doubt their lows ever get to that point of thinking - and it will be too late.

***

https://substack.com/@bluesmurf

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Charronne Johnston's avatar

Some good point. But if the poor country folks die off, big ag and their machines will move in. Watching the machines work their way across fields that are multiple acres in size, with cabins where the drivers go up at beginning of their shift and down at the end, and soon even the machines will be driven robotically Humans not needed.

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ShelbyRae Lane's avatar

It's all part of the playbook, throw so many outrageous and obnoxiously illegal things at us, hoping we won't notice the really nefarious things they're trying to get by with, like election reform.

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Bluesmurf's avatar

Well, there are too many of us and some of us are ignoring the distractions and stupidity knowing there are others who are addressing those things and are focused on what is really going to hurt you and me.

I am working through the 870 page Big Ugly bill and breaking it down into pieces, posting what is in the bill and what is coming up for everyday Americans. I have already posted the changes to SNAP and Medicare on my substack and am working on the Medicaid section next, researching it, analyzing it, comparing it to what was the law before this was signed last Friday and sharing my findings with anyone and everyone who wants to read it. My substack is always free.

***

https://substack.com/@bluesmurf

Medicare Changes & Cuts - The Big Ugly Bill

https://bluesmurf.substack.com/p/medicare-changes-and-cuts-the-big

What’s In The Big Ugly Bill – SNAP

https://substack.com/home/post/p-167740019

Now What Do We Do? The Way Out Of This Mess!!!

https://bluesmurf.substack.com/p/now-what-do-we-do-the-way-out-of

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Paul Schwartz's avatar

HERE, HERE - THIS FAT, OBNOXIOUS BANNON MANTRA

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Buried News's avatar

Amazingly the Epstein files come up along with falling out with Putin I am sure Bibi will find another distraction for him. Focus on the Bill and demand that he be removed from office and placed in a care home.

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Vivi Survivor's avatar

What difference does it make, Adam, the bill already has passed and has become law? I don’t really care about the Epstein files, but I don’t see how not paying attention to them will change the terrible consequences to the people of the OBBB.

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Pamela Hodges's avatar

Amen!! Timing is everything. Why even bring up the Epstein files at all?? They do it right after the bill was Signed and people are realizing that bill screwed them

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Vivi Survivor's avatar

So we got screwed. It’s still the law and nothing we can do about it.

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MG D's avatar

I just saw something from Charles Gaba where he said some of this stuff kicks in in the next 6 months. Charles Gaba has something to do with the ACA sign ups.

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MG D's avatar

Health care policy expert Charles Gaba returns to Hopium to talk about what happens now with Medicaid, the ACA and our health care system more broadly. He will be discussing a new analysis he’s just released that details all the ways the big ugly cuts health care spending before the mid-term elections, including what is going to be a big deal - the ending of certain ACA subsidies that will effect at least 25m people at the end of this year.

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Valerie Campbell's avatar

I could care less about the Epstein files. Epstein is dead and Trump will get away with the crap he did anyway. What we need to focus on is what his BBB will do to our lives and the deaths it has caused and will continue to cause. Trump needs to be convicted for crimes against humanity. I wish the other countries he has hurt would bring these charges against him.

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Judy Cross's avatar

I think the BBB should be talked about every day, plus the new corrupt things that are happening every day. I still think that the Epstein Files should be talked about daily, since it now has maga upset about it. Keeping it in the news will keep them question the lie and maybe more and more will start questioning the lies. That's my hope, anyway. We must not forget our Immigrants and the inhumane way they are being treated. We need to point out that ICE has a bigger budget than the military and they seem to be able to do whatever they want with no consequencies. They don't wear uniform, or badges, they wear masks, do not have warrants and pick up whomever they want. We need to point out when the next big storm hits, that there will probably be a warning of some kind after it is done and that, possibly people will be killed. My heart and prayers go out to the families in Texas that have lost their loved ones to this terrible tragedy. They will be in pain for many, many years to come. I'm sorry that you only have 86 Fema employee's to help you because the government is gutting that program. When you need help the most, you are getting it the least.

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Bernard F Dreyer's avatar

My wife and I stopped watching videos about Epstein, the cat fight between 47 and Elon, etc. None of that will directly impact our lives.

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Change Champion's avatar

Thank you. We cannot let anyone forget the damage. Short term memory for most people. Plus, we need to keep stating how a good chunk of it will not take effect until after the midterms which allows the RAGU (republicans always give up) party to try to falsely claim it was the democrats.

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Johnny Canuck's avatar

The funding for the Trumpstapo should be getting more coverage. None of the other stuff will matter in the Miller Police States of America.

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