Post

Trying to wrap your mind around what's happened this week (it's Wednesday)? Same... So for our clarity (and possibly yours) we're resharing some WIRED scoops in this refresher thread, starting with business leaders paying millions of dollars to dine with President Donald Trump.

wired.comPeople Are Paying Millions to Dine With Donald Trump at Mar-a-LagoBusiness leaders are paying as much as $5 million to meet one-on-one with the president at his Florida compound, sources tell WIRED, while others are paying $1 million apiece to dine with him in a gro...

WIRED also happened to learn just how much some of the bros inside Elon Musk's DOGE are making (six-figure taxpayer-funded salaries—sometimes from the very agencies they are cutting.)

wired.comSome DOGE Staffers Are Drawing Six-Figure Government SalariesEngineers and executives at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency are drawing healthy taxpayer-funded salaries—sometimes from the very agencies they are cutting.

5/3/25, 2:56 pm112 reposts323 likes

Shane The Shaning Coyle

@shanemcoyle.bsky.social

Nazi loot

And while some inside DOGE are collecting six-figure government salaries, WIRED also spoke to federal staffers across agencies about how Elon Musk's $1 spending limit is crippling their research, resources and more.

wired.comElon Musk’s $1 Spending Limit Is Paralyzing Federal AgenciesThe DOGE-mandated credit card freeze is delaying shipments of critical supplies, stalling travel, and stopping employees from doing their jobs.

steve3797.bsky.social

@steve3797.bsky.social

@route60plus.bsky.social

The true meaning of DOGE…

But wait... there's more. Several digital and human rights organizations who spoke to WIRED—most on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from the Trump administration or their own governments—say the cuts have undermined years of global democracy-building and free speech initiatives.

wired.comDOGE’s Foreign Aid Cuts Have Sparked ‘Total Chaos’ Around the WorldHuman rights organizations say the cuts have undermined years of global democracy-building and free-speech initiatives and put the lives of their staff at risk.

And the devastating impact of DOGE cuts are already reverberating across the world. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, without USAID, teams that would normally be racing to identify a fatal sickness are gone.

wired.comA Lethal Mystery Illness Spread in Congo. USAID Cuts Have Slowed the ResponseGutting USAID is already having a devastating impact around the world. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, teams that would normally be racing to identify a fatal sickness are gone.

kindablu.bsky.social

@kindablu.bsky.social

The Supreme Court just gave a thumbs down to trump‘s act of shutting down USAID. But how long will it take for the 🍊🤡🚗 to reassemble USAID now that they broke it?.

@wtfdor.bsky.social

The anti-Christs

We haven't even hit the tariffs yet! Even before they went into effect on March 4, the head of the Mexican Ministry of Economy warned that these taxes would represent an approximate cost of $20.5 billion for about 89 million American families. Now, it may trigger an all-out tariff war.

wired.comHow Trump’s Tariffs Will Disrupt Key Industries in MexicoThe imposition of tariffs on Mexico and Canada represents a violation of the USMCA and could trigger a tariff war, experts say.

Austin G Mackell

@austingmackell.bsky.social

If America wanted free speech and democracy it could start by doing nothing, rather than actively backing coups, etc.

@joescuba54.bsky.social

We know how petty this admin is we see retribution everyday from them

@understandvsknow.bsky.social

I assume this is the start of the little interruption and pain that America will face that Trump has referred to. Wait until it becomes deaths of citizens. C'mon people extrapolate.

@joescuba54.bsky.social

He is a Russian Agent operating in the open and out courts allow it

@kpp01.bsky.social

This is really devastating. And the travel ban. And all the employees cuts. Can Elon just go away already!!!!

@shrikeworks.bsky.social

Staffers? More like looters.

humpyydumpty.bsky.social

@humpyydumpty.bsky.social

Oh just wait it will get worse before it gets better! Maybe the maggots will wake up when they can’t afford food, gas to go to work, and lose their houses!

@uscitizen7777.bsky.social

THE PEOPLE OF THE USA ARE BEING FINANCIALLY RAPED

@laurenmbr.bsky.social

@wired.com you all have done an incredible job reporting on all of this chaos and fraud. I purchased an annual subscription in hopes it supports your efforts! THANK YOU!!