The Cult of Elon

3.21.25

Ally Sammarco Mar 22

Happy Friday, readers! The weekend is here – and that’s cause for celebration no matter the headlines. Thank you for making Today’s American News your source for news and analysis on the circus that is American politics and entertainment.

Little Marco being overshadowed by Trump golf buddy Steve Witkoff… CNN reports that when Secretary of State Marco Rubio started his post, something he “didn’t count on was that he might run the risk of being overshadowed as secretary of state by one of Trump’s closest friends, real estate developer and billionaire Steve Witkoff.” To be clear: Witkoff has no business conducting diplomacy on behalf of the United States, but in Donald Trump’s America, being the president’s golfing buddy is sufficient preparation for any job. Also, WOW are the Trump, Rubio, and Witkoff people protesting too much in response to this story – and giving credence to the inside-baseball story’s premise by doing so. To be clear: Politicians at this level are obsessed with their image and territory. Little Marco already got into a cabinet meeting spat with Elon, now he’s being crowded out of the limelight by Trump’s golfing buddy? It’s almost as if this whole thing was a bad idea, or maybe it’s all a set-up by Trump as payback for Rubio mocking Donald’s small… hands. Small hands, Rubio told America in the 2016 campaign, mean that Trump can’t be trusted. Poor Little Marco…

NBC ponders how the White House is handling Elon’s conflicts of interests (hint: not well)... NBC News reports, “there’s no evidence that Musk has obtained a conflict of interest waiver” as did White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks. “Such a waiver would outline the steps he’s taken to avoid overlaps between his business interests and his government work, include an explanation from the White House counsel about why they feel comfortable with Musk’s arrangement, and it would identify areas where  Musk has the green light to weigh in despite his business holdings.” Here’s the nonsense White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told NBC News on this topic: “President Trump has stated he will not allow conflicts, and Elon himself has committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts. DOGE has been incredibly transparent about what they’re doing, posting daily updates on X and updating their website.” Feel better, America? LOL.

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Trump administration is cool with white supremacist militias, but FURIOUS over a few cars… Under Trump, the “FBI has reassigned roughly 16 people from an office that tackles domestic terrorism and is considering scrapping it wholesale,” Politico notes. The agency has in recent years closely monitored threats posed by white supremacists and militia groups, but those are some of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters, so they’re just fine, even if they destroy the U.S. Capitol. “The domestic terrorism Trump is focused on: The president made an extraordinary post on Truth Social this morning suggesting that the Americans charged with burning Tesla property could be sent to El Salvador’s mega-prison.” Not to condone damage to Elon’s precious man-toys, but can vandalism really make a cybertruck look any worse than it does? Seriously, though… terrorism by definition requires some intent of widespread terror, not the terror of one man worried about the plummeting stock price of his self-crashing car company, where the company’s own board members are immediately selling off every share they are given in compensation.

After gutting Education Department, Trump shuffles responsibilities to other agencies that he also gutted… ABC News reports, President Donald Trump announced Friday that two key functions of the agency he is seeking to dismantle, the Department of Education, will be moved to new departments: The Small Business Administration will take on student loans, and the Department of Health and Human Services will take on special needs and nutrition efforts… Student loans are currently overseen by the Federal Student Aid Office within the Department of Education, and it handles not tens of thousands of dollars in loans but $1.6 trillion in loans for 43 million people. However, the SBA, which already handles billions of dollars in loans each year, has faced cuts since Trump took office, saying it would reduce its staff by 43% amid agencywide reorganization.”

Today’s Furry Friend

For several news affiliates across the country, “Furry Friend Fridays” is an alliteration for a good cause. In an effort to boost adoption from local rescues, these stations dedicate a segment during Friday broadcast to highlight a local furry friend (or several!) in search of a forever home.

KSWO in Oklahoma highlights 2-year-old Chihuahua mix named Deano
https://www.kswo.com/video/2025/03/21/furry-friend-fridays-2-year-old-chihuahua-mix/

WISTV in South Carolina highlights 2-year-old Terrier/Border Collie mix named Bunny
https://www.wistv.com/2025/03/21/furry-friends-friday-bunny/

WCTV in Florida is highlighting dozens of pups ready for adoption!
https://www.wctv.tv/2025/03/21/furry-friday-get-mutt-madness/

Thank you to the local animal rescues for their efforts – and to these stations for getting the word out. If you’re thinking of adopting, there’s no better time than now!

Today’s Buzz

Bella Ramsey opens up about “freeing” autism diagnosis… HBO’s “The Last of Us” Emmy nominated performer Bella Ramsey shared their autism journey in an exclusive interview. British Vogue writes, “(Bella’s) autism, they point out, actually improves their craft ‘I’ve always been watching and learning from people. Having to learn more manually how to socialise and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting.’ Being on set, too, offers a routine: ‘I have a call time, and I’m told what to wear, how to stand, where to stand and what to eat.’ They describe the diagnosis as ‘freeing… It enables me to walk through the world with more grace towards myself about not being able to do the easy everyday tasks that everyone else seems to be able to do.’”

Ramsey, who came out as nonbinary in 2023, was introduced to many of us as a young but fearless Lady Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island in HBO’s “Game of Thrones”. We love you and celebrate you, Bella!

Thanks for following along this week, folks. Have a restful weekend, and check back in Monday evening for the next edition of Today’s American News.