Year: 2025

CBO Now Says Trump’s Megabill Will Add $4.1 Trillion to Deficit

Buck Banks

$4.1 trillion

“Interest rates will be higher over the next decade because of the GOP’s megabill and drive up borrowing costs even for the federal government, Congress’ nonpartisan scorekeeper predicts in a new report released Monday,” Politico reports. “In a final “dynamic” analysis of the bill President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the measure will increase the federal deficit by $4.1 trillion over a decade.”

Alligator Alcatraz: High Name Recognition, Low Approval Among Florida Voters

Pensito Editors

Alligator Alcatraz (ABC News)

In advertising, a catchy name makes all the difference, and so it is with Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s newest and cruelest immigration detention center located on the edge of the Everglades.

A new poll by the Florida Communications and Research Hub found very high name recognition for the migrant center that opened in July, with 89% of respondents saying they were aware of the facility and 45% saying they had heard “a lot” about it.

But about 43% of respondents held a negative view of the center — 35% strongly negative. That compares to 34% who like the project and just 18% who strongly favor it.

Unsurprisingly, Republicans are more likely to approve of the detention center, with about 56% of GOP respondents having a positive view and 32% expressing strong support. About one in five GOP voters holds an unfavorable view.

Also unsurprisingly, 74% of Democrats view the center unfavorably, with 65% strongly disliking it.

About 47% of voters unaffiliated with either party view it unfavorably, compared to 32% who approve.

Predictably, Republicans and Democrats say they have heard different coverage of the facility. About 22% of Republicans say most of what they have heard about Alligator Alcatraz was positive, while 46% said the coverage was mixed. But 65% of Democrats and 43% of unaffiliated voters say the coverage they remember has been mostly negative.

Blue Rose Research surveyed more than 3,200 voters in web panels July 25-27. Pollsters report a 1.7% margin of error in the results.

Trump’s Magical Maths

Buck Banks

Pensito Illustration

We know Donald Trump plays fast and loose with the facts,
But it seems he’s added “fantastical figures” to his lying act.
He’s going to lower drug prices by 1,500 percent,
Which means we’ll get paid to take free medicaments.
Trump’s concept of pricing and percentages is — to be kind — “inexact.”

More than 60,000 Palesstinians Have Been Killed in the Israel-Hamas War

Buck Banks

+60,000

More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza’s Health Ministry said, reports the Associated Press. Israeli strikes overnight killed more than two dozen people, mostly women and children, according to health officials. The Israeli offensive, launched in response to Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and fueled a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

Most of the World Views Israel Negatively

Buck Banks

62%

Among the 24 countries surveyed in early 2025, the majority of respondents had a negative view of Israel (median 62%), according to the Pew Research Center. Just three countries had more positive responses than negative: India, Kenya and Nigeria. U.S. disapproval increased from 42% to 53% between 2022-25, with similar trends across Europe and East Asia. The data indicate a broad erosion of Israel’s global image following recent conflicts. Public confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is similarly low, as most respondents express little or no trust in his leadership.

Trump Administration Is Paying 154,000 NOT to Work

Buck Banks

154,000

“The government is paying more than 154,000 federal employees not to work as part of the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program,” the Washington Post reports. “The number, which has not been previously reported, accounts for workers at dozens of agencies who took offers from the government as of June to get paid through Sept. 30 — the end of the fiscal year — or the end of 2025 and then voluntarily leave government, significantly reducing the size of several major agencies.”