Embedded Files
Next Meeting: 02/09/26, 7 PM, Ozark-Dale Library
Focus on Elon Musk and the Other Billionaires Influencing Our Country and Our Government
Video: Watch "The Problem With Billionaires" on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jytzozJ1wm0
ICE officer who shot Renee Good gets $10K donation from Bill Ackman
Comment: "Billionaire Bill Ackman is one of more than 8,000 people who have donated to an unverified online fundraiser to support the federal immigration officer who fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis last week. "
"As of the evening of Jan. 13, a GoFundMe campaign created by Clyde Emmons had raised more than $660,000 including a $10,000 donation from the hedge fund billionaire. Another $10,000 anonymous donation also topped the list. Created Jan. 9, the fundraiser aims to aid the potential legal defense of Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal officer based in Minnesota."
"In a statement posted Jan. 13 on X, Ackman said over the years he has invested 'substantial funds providing for the legal defense of individuals that I believe are innocent' and decided to support Ross because he knew 'he would need significant funds to cover his defense costs.' "
"The billionaire said he attempted to donate to Good's GoFundMe page but that contributions had already met the campaign's $1.5 million goal."
‘Unthinkable behavior’: Von der Leyen slams Musk’s AI for undressing photos of women
Comment: "European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blasted Elon Musk’s platform X over the spread of sexually explicit deepfakes created using its AI chatbot Grok."
" 'I am appalled that a tech platform is enabling users to digitally undress women and children online. This is unthinkable behavior. And the harm caused by these deepfakes is very real,' von der Leyen said in an interview with multiple European media outlets, including Reuters and Corriere della Sera."
" 'We will not be outsourcing child protection and consent to Silicon Valley. If they don't act, we will,' she warned."
"Since the beginning of January, thousands of women and teenagers, including public figures, have reported that their photos published on social media have been 'undressed' and put in bikinis by Grok at the request of users."
"The deepfake tool has prompted investigations from regulators across Europe, including in Brussels, Dublin, Paris and London."
Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row
Comment: "Tesla lost its crown as the world’s bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk's right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row."
Elon Musk indicates he’s ‘going all in’ on financing the GOP ahead of the midterms: ‘America is toast if the radical left wins’
Comment: Musk plans to buy the midterm elections, but citizens can stop him by voting against the candidates and positions that he touts. Do you think this billionaire is looking out for your interests?
I hope billionaires get richer in 2026. They deserve it. | Opinion
Comment: A sarcastic view of the world's billionaire class and the billionaire lifestyle.
Billionaires added record $2.2tn in wealth in 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/31/billionaires-added-record-wealth-2025
Comment: "The richest 500 individuals in the world added a record $2.2tn to their wealth in 2025, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with just eight billionaires accounting for a quarter of the gains."
"The gains increased their collective net worth to $11.9tn, bolstered by billionaire Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory and booming markets in cryptocurrencies, equities and metals."
"Around a quarter of the gains were attributed to eight billionaires, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Oracle chair Larry Ellison and Alphabet Inc co-founder Larry Page, though 2024 saw more concentrated net worth gains with the same eight billionaires making up 43% of total net worth gains for the wealthiest 500 individuals in the world."
Video: Bernie Sanders: 'Billionaires Will Be Determining The Future Of Humanity' Through AI | N18G - December 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RnLC5vDgnw
Video: Billionaire Miriam Adelson Offered Donald Trump ‘Another $250 Million’ To Run For Third Term - December 18, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9upX17txR4
Video: Why Jared Kushner’s Plan to Build Trump Hotel Failed in Serbia | WSJ News - December 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlJzti_Ca2s
The Untold Story of How Jeffrey Epstein Got Rich - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/magazine/jeffrey-epstein-money-scams-investigation.html
Jared Kushner's firm backs out of Paramount's Warner Bros. bid
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/16/kushner-warner-bros-paramount
Donald Trump and Jared Kushner’s Cynical Plot to Turn CNN Full MAGA Exposed
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/donald-trump-jared-kushner-cynical-071038862.html
Comment: "President Donald Trump wants to see changes at his least favorite news network, and a Hollywood megadeal could make those wishes come true, according to a new report."
"Trump, 79, has told people in his circle that he wants to see new ownership and changes to programming at CNN, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday."
"David Ellison, the son of billionaire Trump ally and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, told administration officials that he would make big changes to CNN if Paramount’s hostile bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery succeeds, according to the Journal."
"Paramount launched a $108 billion hostile takeover bid—backed by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner—after it lost out to Netflix in a bidding war for Warner, which owns Hollywood studios, CNN, HBO, HGTV, and a vast movie and TV catalog."
"After news broke that Netflix’s mammoth bid to take over Warner would be accepted, Larry Ellison, 81, called his friend Trump to warn that the transaction would hurt competition, insiders told the Journal."
"Trump appeared to echo those concerns at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night. Asked about the potential Netflix merger, he said it would create a 'big market share' and that—he warned ominously—'could be a problem.' "
"He did not disclose that his son-in-law had a financial stake in his friend Larry Ellison’s rival bid."
Kushner role in bid for Warner Bros raises ethical questions, experts say
Jared Kushner Outed as Key Player in Multibillion Takeover Battle
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jared-kushner-is-quietly-steering-a-massive-media-takeover/
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi want to put billions into Paramount/WBD. Why?
Comment: Is the answer media influence and influence with Trump through son-in-law Jared Kushner?
Jared Kushner is part of Paramount's hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/jared-kushner-paramount-warner-bros-netflix
Opinion: Trump’s handouts put billionaires first and Americans last
Comment: "One year into the second Trump presidency, it’s pretty clear that his regime’s operating principle is not really 'America First' but 'Trump First.' "
"Or maybe more accurately, 'What’s in it for Trump and the wealthy elites who benefit from his cronyism and corrupt rule?' "
"It’s the rich and powerful taking care of the rich and powerful. Your average American? Not so much."
Comment: "Americans are wising up and rejecting Trump’s greed and corruption. Signs suggest that what moves voters in next year’s elections could be the contrast between the self-enrichment of Trump and his billionaire cronies and his 'let them eat cake' attitude toward the people he and his party are abandoning."
Comment: Please read the entire opinion piece for the numerous evidence backing up the opinions expressed.
CNBC: Elon Musk calls for abolition of European Union after X fined $140 million
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/08/elon-musk-eu-should-be-abolished-after-x-fined-140-million.html
Comment: This would be laughable except that Marco Rubio, our Secretary of State, is backing Musk.
A Year Later, Donors to Trump’s Transition Come to Light
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/us/politics/trump-transition-donors.html
Comment: "A 46-person list includes billionaires and people he went on to appoint to positions of power."
The latest Epstein emails reveal the powerful people who sought his counsel
https://www.npr.org/2025/11/20/nx-s1-5613427/epstein-files-chomsky-bannon-summers-democrats
Comment: These folks may not be billionaires, but they can be classified as "the elite."
Emails reveal Epstein’s network of the rich and powerful despite sex offender status
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor told Epstein, ‘I can’t take any more of this,’ newly released emails show | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/13/uk/andrew-mountbatten-windsor-epstein-files-intl
Video: Billionaires React To Mamdani’s Win: ‘You Have A Big Responsibility’ - November 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpzTe3DrbE0
Video: Top 10 Richest People In The World As Of November 2025 - November 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8F0Txau2LA
Top 10 US billionaires’ collective wealth grew by $698bn in past year – report
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/03/wealth-billionaires-increase-trump
Trump reverses course to renominate billionaire Musk ally to lead Nasa
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/04/trump-jared-isaacman-nasa
Trump nominates Isaacman to run NASA — again
Comment: "President Donald Trump has picked Jared Isaacman to run NASA, handing the former nominee a remarkable second chance to lead the agency."
Comment: "The billionaire astronaut has already been tapped once to lead the space agency, but Trump pulled his nomination in May, just before the Senate was slated to vote on his confirmation, over concerns about his close ties to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and previous donations to Democrats."
"Isaacman has since sought to get back into the president’s good graces. He attended a White House event with major GOP donors in October, according to Axios, and has the backing of several lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and high-profile MAGA influencer Laura Loomer."
Comment: "But Isaacman’s comeback push has faced resistance from Sean Duffy, who is serving as the acting head of the agency and the head of the Transportation Department. The effort has caused a high-stakes tussle over the role."
"The CEO of the payment processing company Shift4, Isaacman is a close business partner of Musk, who has a particular disdain for Duffy."
"But Isaacman faces an uphill battle to gather enough votes for his confirmation. Some Republicans have voiced concern about his past support for Democrats. And Isaacman has criticized Artemis, NASA’s program to land humans on the moon, arguing that the current setup is too expensive and built around a non-reusable rocket."
"Isaacman, if confirmed, would lead NASA at an uncertain time for the agency, which is grappling with steep budget cuts and fallout from the exodus of thousands of senior employees after cuts to the federal workforce."
"Isaacman also would need to try to execute Trump’s ambitious goal to land humans on the moon before the end of his term — and address major delays plaguing the effort."
Comment: Given Isaacman's "close ties to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk," do you think that his criticism of Artemis' "non-reusable rocket" is because the NASA developed SLS rocket is built by Boeing, and is planned instead of Musk's still unproven Falcon Heavy rocket?
Isaacman and Duffy are playing a ‘Game of Thrones’ for control of NASA
https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5581613-nasa-administrator-race-isaacman-duffy/
For News Articles links from before November 1st, 2025, please go to one of the following, depending on the article date:
https://sites.google.com/view/dem3oldnews/home/old3-elon-musk-other-billionaires
OR
https://sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/old2-elon-musk-other-billionaires
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to November 1, 2025. The article history can be viewed as follows:
www.dalecodemocrats.com (latest)
sites.google.com/view/dem3oldnews/home/ (May 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025)
sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/ (Topic Initialization - April 30, 2025)
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