RNT_ Trump, courts, almanacs, AI, and Ice Shelfs

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Belle of the Ranch 13 min 1 speaker 3 chapters transcribed 1 month ago

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What is the opening premise of The Roads Not Taken episode 116?

Belle of the Ranch 0:01

Well, howdy there, internet people, it's Belle again. And welcome to the Roads with Belle. Today is November 9th, 2025, and this is episode 116 of The Roads Not Taken. which is a weekly series where we go over the news. That was unreported, underreported, didn't get the coverage we thought it deserved, or we just found it interesting. And then we go through a few questions from y'all. Today is november ninth and today is Carl Sagan Day. And honestly, I would have been scared to see Dana if I didn't mention this. And on this date in eighteen seventy two, the Great Boston Fire happened. And in 1989, the Berlin Wall opened. And starting with foreign policy. Victor Orban of Hungary seems to have successfully used simple flattery to try to get Trump to give him an exemption to the sanctions on Russia.

Belle of the Ranch 1:05

It probably worked, said The Trump administration reportedly told Congress it currently lacks authorization to strike Venezuela on land. Meanwhile, the Senate refused to check Trump's Venezuela operation. US troops in Germany are being told to look to German food banks for help. Imagine having foreign forces stationed in your country utilizing your social safety net infrastructure. That guidance was later rescinded, presumably because it's incredibly embarrassing to Trump. Who talks about how much Europe owes us? While his administration directs US forces to freeload off of their social safety nets. Trump is not sending officials to the G twenty meeting, seating even more of US leadership in the world.

Belle of the Ranch 2:02

Sudan is continuing to spiral. Ukraine is reporting that Russia has brought in soldiers from various countries in Africa to bolster their forces. In US news, The Supreme Court is considering whether to take up an appeal that would overturn the ruling that legalized gay marriage. A federal judge has determined that Trump does not have legal authority to deploy troops to Portland in the current circumstances. The troop deployment was permanently barred by the judge. Trump is expected to appeal. The battle over Snap is still ongoing. The last move at time of recording being the Trump administration going to the Supreme Court to get out of using government funds to feed children, elderly, and those with disabilities.

Belle of the Ranch 2:59

That's quite a presidential legacy. Airlines canceled hundreds of flights at the direction of the FAA. Trump's shutdown is now impacting not just the poor through SNAP, but now also those with the means for air travel during the holidays. Senate Democrats offered to help Republicans fix their shutdown in exchange for a one year extension of the ACA credits. Early indications are that Republicans are shooting it down. US Representative Elise Stefanic is officially running for governor of New York. Trump is still pushing for an end to the filibuster as some kind of cure all for his failures. A federal judge ruled those weird out of office messages from Department of Education employees, blaming Democrats for the shutdown, are unconstitutional and must stop.

Belle of the Ranch 4:02

In cultural news, the farmer's almanac is shutting down, not the old farmer's almanac. That confusion caused widespread panic. A man collapsed during a Trump announcement. Trump stood from his desk and watched the scene unfold. The image is being seen by many as comparable to the situation facing the whole country. Trump's press secretary described the BBC as one hundred percent fake news. In science news. Cracks in the Antarctic Domesday Glacier Ice Shelf appear to have triggered accelerated destabilization. And the US bailed on COP thirty. Jeffrey Hinton, who often gets called the godfather of AI, has said quote. I think the big companies are betting on it causing massive job replacement by AI because that's where the big money is going to be.

Belle of the Ranch 5:13

A massive undercurrent of AI seems to be on job replacement. But it's worth noting that if we had a better economic system, that wouldn't be a bad thing. The ultimate irony is that many of those cheering on snap freezes and cuts are likely to become dependent on them in the future. In more AI news, Elon Musk has reportedly become