This Influencer Is Pathetic, Crazy Stepmom Scandal, & Huge US Government Shutdown and Tariff Updates
PDS Published 03/13/2025
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What I’m about to tell you is so shocking that a prosecutor compared it to “something out of a horror movie.” [Quote]
Right, this news comes out of Waterbury, Connecticut, where police got a call about a house fire last month.
And when they arrived, they found 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, as well as her 32-year-old stepson, who hasn’t been named. [Image]
But while he was being treated for smoke inhalation, reportedly he revealed that the fire was no accident.
Telling first responders that he intentionally set it, and simply explaining, “I wanted my freedom.” [Quote]
Right, because according to an affidavit, he told police that ever since he was 11 years old, he’d been locked inside an eight-by-nine-foot storage room for 22-to-24 hours per day without heat or air conditioning. [B roll, 00:51 - 01:30]
With him saying his parents secured both sides of the door with plywood and a lock, and only let him out to do chores. [Same B roll]
Adding that the last time he ever left the house was with his father when he was 14 or 15 years old. [Quote, find “15”]
So you can imagine that when first responders found him, he looked rough.
Right, a prosecutor compared him to “a survivor of Auschwitz’s death camp,” and for good reason. [Quote]
Because the affidavit states that he clocked in at a breathtaking 68 pounds, standing at five-foot-nine. [Same B roll]
With reporters adding that his hair was matted, his teeth were rotten, and his skin was dirty. [Quote, find “rotten”]
As well as the man himself saying that he drank from the toilet because he only got two cups of water per day, as well as two sandwiches. [Same B roll]
So according to him, he was hungry all day every day for his entire life.
Which is why, in his early years, he says he sneaked out of his room at night to get food and water. [Quote, find “sneaking”]
And then at school, he says he asked other kids for food during lunchtime and would sometimes dig for it in the trash out of desperation.
But after his food wrappings were found, that’s when he says he started getting locked in his room. [Quote, find “wrappings”]
And then, after the school called child welfare investigators twice, he says his mother pulled him out of school in the fourth grade.
That was 20 fucking years ago.
So since then, he’d reportedly gotten no medical or dental care, and the last time he bathed himself was two years ago.
With him also saying he used bottles and newspapers to go to the bathroom. [Quote, find “bottles”]
Now according to him, the threat of losing what few crumbs he was given and suffering longer lockdowns deterred him from trying to escape.
But apparently that changed last month, because he reportedly got a hold of some printer paper, hand sanitizer and an old lighter, which he used to ignite the fire.
Then, as he and his stepmother fled the house, he reportedly fell to the ground and stayed there so firefighters would be forced to retrieve him, believing “this was his only way out.” [Quote]
And when the shocking truth was revealed, neighbors were absolutely floored.
[Clip, 02:36 - 02:44] Caption: “When the investigators started asking me about a man that may look like a child, I was like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’”
[Clip, 00:54 - 01:06] Caption: “He was always upstairs on the second floor on the window, like there, like looking like a little ghost. Like he was pale, like white, and then I’m like, I don’t know why he doesn’t, maybe he doesn’t like to come out.”
[Clip, 02:38 - 02:48] Caption: “I’ve been out here I don’t know how many times, with the dogs, cutting grass. If he would’ve just tapped on the window and said ‘help me,’ I could’ve helped him.”
Now his stepmother, who appeared in handcuffs while wearing a cross from her necklace, is being charged with kidnapping, unlawful restraint, cruelty, assault and reckless endangerment.
But amazingly, she’s insisting on her innocence, with her attorney telling reporters:
[Clip, 01:34 - 01:43, 01:58 - 02:05] Caption: “He was not locked in a room. She did not restrain him in any way. She provided food. She provided shelter. She is blown away by these allegations. … We think as the evidence comes out, you will see that she is not the villain she’s made out to be.”
With him adding that until last year, the now deceased biological father lived with them and was responsible for his son’s care.
But y’all, there is only one response to that: 68 pounds. 68 fucking pounds.
This man came out of his own home looking like a death camp survivor; I refuse to even entertain the idea that anyone living with him could be considered innocent.
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A female streamer in Japan was stabbed to death by one of her followers.
That is what police in Tokyo allege happened to 22-year-old Airi Sato. (Eye-ree Sat-oh)
According to local outlets, a 42-year-old man is suspected of stabbing her while she was livestreaming in front of a train station.[]
And he reportedly told investigators that he went to Tokyo after he saw that she would be streaming around the city, and he followed her stream on WhoWatch to see her surroundings and track her down.
But he also allegedly said that he did not mean to kill her.
And like I said earlier, it is currently believed that this was not some random attack, with multiple reports saying the man had been following the streamer online since 2021 and started lending her money in 2022. []
And he apparently claimed that she did not pay the $13,000 he gave her back.
Right now, there is mixed reporting on the charges he is facing, some saying it is suspicion of attempted murder with the possibility of being upped to a murder charge. []
The New York Times saying he has already been charged with murder.[]
With the outlet also describing the stream, saying she could be heard screaming for help before the feed went dark and sirens were heard.
And she died at the hospital after attempts to save her life were not successful.
Also according to the Times, some passers-by took photos of the aftermath and posted images of her collapsed and bleeding body to social media.
And you have other outlets noting that this comes as the safety of streamers, especially women, has been a big conversation online.
Right, obviously this situation from Tokyo is especially extreme and tragic, right, and there are not a lot of 1:1 scenarios for something just like it.
But there have been other recent situations where streamers safety has been in jeopardy.
Houston are police investigating a home invasion where Amouranth was reportedly held at gunpoint.
And around the same day, Valkyrae, Cinna (Sin-uh), and Emiru (emmy-roo) were stalked during an IRL stream by a man who threatened to kill them after Emy declined to give him her number:
“(Off cam) I’ll fucking fight you!Hey, excuse me! Security! No! Emily, Emily, no. Whoa, whoa. Lets fight, let’s fucking fight right now. What, get away from us. Security! He’s harassing us. Right now, I’ll kill you right now, I’ll kill you right now.[screaming, running away]Security! Please!” (11:34:05 -11:34:32)
This actually prompting Rolling Stone to just publish a piece yesterday called “Harassment, Stalkers, Death Threats: A Day in the Life of Women on Twitch.”
And that did give us some updates on that situation, with a Twitch rep telling the outlet that the company is:
“horrified by any kind of harassment or abuse, even if it took place outside of Twitch, and our safety teams continue to investigate. We care deeply about our creators and their wellbeing and are working to ensure that they’re being supported.”
But Rolling Stone spoke to other female creators who noted that stalkers and death threats are just their normal, even if it is terrifying.
And this can happen to streamers with just a few hundred or even dozens of followers.
And Twitch did tell Rolling Stone that they have adjusted some safety settings to help creators, but most think it is just not enough, right, that there is still plenty of ability for them to be harmed.
And so I would love to know your thoughts on any of this here, on the situation in Tokyo, or on streamer safety in general.
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Y’all, I seriously think Australia might go to war with the United States over a wombat.
Because Aussies are really, really pissed about what one of us just did over there.
Right, the person I’m talking about is Sam Jones, a self-described “outdoor enthusiast” and American influencer with nearly a hundred thousand followers on Instagram.
And in a recent video taken by someone else, you see her on the side of a road in Australia snatching a baby wombat from its mother and then running away.
[Clip, 00:00 - 00:12]
And then, after she gets to the car, you can hear the baby hissing, clearly upset.
[Same clip, 00:13 - 00:30]
So she releases the baby back onto the road, though we never see whether it’s actually reunited with its mother or not.
And when people saw this video, they were nothing short of indignant.
Because not only did she clearly cause psychological stress for the animals, experts say she could’ve physically hurt the baby too.
With a Wildlife vet telling ABC News:
[Clip, 00:45 - 01:03] Caption: “Just the way that she’s picked it up by the forearms, where she has, and then yanked it up like that, that alone could cause serious injury to the upper limbs and the shoulder, and structures within the shoulder. But then swinging it as she’s come across the road could also have furthered that damage.”
With the Wombat Protection Society of Australia also pointing out that by leaving it where she did, Jones put the baby at risk of becoming roadkill. [Quote, find “roadkill”]
And adding, “A baby of this size is highly dependent on its mother, and prolonged separation could have fatal consequences.” [Same quote]
So you have a lot of people calling for Jones to be arrested and criminally charged, especially because the wombat is legally protected, in addition to being an iconic Australian animal.
With the head of campaigns at World Animal Protection speaking for many when she told 10 News First:
[Clip, 01:22 - 01:25, 01:33 - 01:36] Caption: “Aussies are quite rightly outraged by this video. … This is quite simply cruelty for the sake of cheap content.”
But many more went even further, with some 30,000 people signing a petition demanding that Jones be immediately deported and banned from returning to Australia. [Petition][]
And although it’s unclear whether he’ll be pursuing any legal action, Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese [Pronounce] responded to the video.
[Clip, 01:24 - 01:44] Caption: “I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she might try some other Australian animals. Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there. Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother.”
But unfortunately, even the baby wombat couldn’t unify Australians across the political divide.
Because you had conservatives condemning Jones’ video, but then also accusing Albanese of ignoring what they consider the real issues.
[Clip, 02:16 - 02:23, 02:45 - 02:58, 03:08 - 03:12] Caption: [Commentator 1:] “Have a look around the country. Have a look at the cost-of-living crisis. Have a look at what’s been announced about energy prices and what we’re about to be hit with.” [Commentator 2:] “There’s the Muslim preacher celebrating the slaughter of Israelis. There’s the mobs chanting ‘F the Jews’ at the opera house. None of this stuff drew sharp words and passion and anger and outrage from the prime minister, but the wombat does.” [Commentator 3:] “And it still took him till this afternoon to come out and be against it, by the way.”
But whether you’re American or Australian, I’m curious to hear your reactions to this story.
As an American, though, I just have to say it’s refreshing to be despised for something other than tariffing allies and bombing poor countries.
We can be obnoxious in a diversity of ways; please don’t stereotype us.
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The federal government appears to be headed towards a shutdown tomorrow.
Right, by the time you’re watching this, lawmakers will have just over 24 hours to pass a spending bill to fund the government in order to avoid a shutdown.
But, as of recording, it seems unlikely that legislation will be able to pass the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate.
Right, on Tuesday, the House narrowly passed the proposal 217-213 almost entirely along party lines.
With just one Democrat voting in favor and one Republican voting against.
And there are a number of different reasons Democrats oppose the GOP spending bill.
First of all, they are just generally unhappy with the contents of the legislation, which provides a slight boost to defense funding while trimming non-defense programs below 2024 budget levels.
But Democrats have long insisted that defense and non-defense need to go in the same direction — either both increasing or both decreasing.
With many also voicing opposition to spending cuts for areas like health care, nutritional assistance, and veterans benefits.
Additionally, the bill could result in nearly $1 billion in cuts to the D.C. city government, which is funded by Congress.
A move that city officials have widely condemned, saying that it could result in cuts to police, schools, and other essential services, effectively undermining public safety, education, and sanitation, among other things.
Right, and this would be absolutely major, with The Washington Post describing the move as “the most dramatic exertion of federal power over the city in years.”
But, more fundamentally, Democrats have also accused Republicans of leaving them out of the process entirely.
Accusing the party of refusing to negotiate and instead moving forward with a partisan bill they knew Democrats wouldn’t support.
Now, Republicans, for their part, have blamed the breakdown in negotiations on Democrats, claiming they came to the table with impossible demands.
But, according to The Post, it was actually Republicans who walked away from the talks.
And this after Democrats insisted that they receive assurance that Trump will actually spend the money authorized in any new spending bill, with the outlet writing:
“Democrats had said that number is irrelevant if Trump refuses to spend the money in accordance with the law — or if he empowers billionaire Elon Musk and his U.S. DOGE Service to terminate federal contracts and lay off tens of thousands of federal workers without regard to Congress’s wishes.”
So, in other words, Dems are basically saying: “Trump and Musk are already holding billions of dollars of already allocated funds hostage in direct defiance of Congress —
So why would we authorize any more spending if we don’t have assurances that the money will actually be spent?”
And in fact, just today we saw Fox News reporting that Trump and his Office of Management and Budget director are already looking at ways to slash federal funds approved by Congress in whatever spending bill they ultimately pass.
But that move would likely tee up a massive legal battle.
Right, as we’ve talked about before, many Democrats and legal experts have argued that it is illegal under federal law for the president to unilaterally block or cancel the distribution of funds already allocated by Congress.
That process is called “impoundment,” and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 imposes very clear limits.[]
But Trump and his allies argue that the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 itself is actually unconstitutional, so his actions are legal.
And many have speculated that this whole matter will need to be resolved by the Supreme Court, Trump and Musk have still plowed ahead with sweeping cuts to funding sources already approved by Congress.
Which is why you have many Democrats saying this funding bill shouldn’t be passed if we’re just going to see a continuation of these cuts that, by all accounts, appear to be totally illegal until a court rules otherwise.
This including the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who retweeted a post about the Fox News report and wrote:
“Senate Democrats should not allow this chaos to continue. They can put a stop to it tomorrow. CALL your Senator and ask them to vote NO on Cloture and NO on the Republican spending bill”[]
Right, but that’s not the end of the concerns about the spending legislation.
With many also noting that, normally, formal appropriations bills have certain funding directives for how money is supposed to be spent on key programs.
But Republicans left many of those directives out — a move that Dems say could give the Trump administration the power to divert money away from programs it doesn’t like.
So, with all that, yesterday, we saw many Senate Democrats coming out of the woodwork to voice their opposition to the spending bill, making its passage highly unlikely.
Right, at least seven Democrats would need to join all Republicans in order for this bill to pass.
But, in reality, the GOP would actually likely need at least eight Democrats, because Republican Sen. Rand Paul said this week that he opposes the spending bill.
But while speaking on the floor yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said there is not enough Democrat support for the bill to overcome the filibuster:
“Funding the government should be a bipartisan effort, but Republicans chose a partisan path, drafting their continuing resolution without any input — any input — from congressional Democrats. Because of that, Republicans do not have the votes in the Senate to invoke cloture on the House CR.” 00:01 - 00:22
With him instead urging Republicans to pass a one-month extension to keep the government open and give Congress more time to negotiate a deal both parties can get behind, saying:
“Our caucus is unified on a clean April 11 CR that will keep the government open and give Congress time to negotiate bipartisan legislation that can pass. We should vote on that. I hope our Republican colleagues will join us to avoid a shutdown on Friday.” 00:24 - 00:47
Now, notably here, despite Schumer’s claims, it has been reported that some Democrats are very wary of a shutdown and deliberating ways to avoid it.
With at least one member — Sen. John Fetterman — saying he would support the GOP bill because he thinks it’s still preferable to a shutdown.
What’s more, some Democrats have also openly voiced concerns about the power a shutdown would give Trump and Musk.
Right, when shutdowns happen, the president is given sweeping powers to decide exactly what to close or keep open and employees will be furloughed.
And, according to The Post, it’s still not clear which parts of the government would be closed in a shutdown because the White House budget office has removed Biden-era guidance on shutdown plans from its website.
And, as a result, experts warn that if Trump — and, by extension, Musk — are given broad authority to decide which government employees are essential, they could use that to bolster their arguments that a lot of the bureaucracy is unnecessary.
So, with this, some Democrats are reportedly worried that a shutdown would play directly into the hands of Trump and Musk —
Effectively giving the two the green light to continue dismantling federal agencies while also making the Democrats look like hypocrites.
Right, one of the party’s main arguments against the mass cuts made by Trump and Musk is that they are hurting important government services and workers — exactly what a shutdown would also do.
And that hypocrisy would be magnified if Democrats end up getting blamed for the shutdown despite the Republican trifecta.
And already, Republicans are trying to capitalize on that, with Sen. John Cornyn telling reporters:
“If I listen to our colleagues across the aisle, they claim to have a lot of concern for the federal workers that depend on government funding. So I find interesting that so many of them in the House cast a vote that would put thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of federal workers out of work.”
Additionally, you have many other people and media outlets on the right already trying to spin the situation to blame a potential shutdown on Democrats — and specifically Schumer.
With Fox News, for example, publishing an article titled: “Senate Republicans coin 'Schumer shutdown' ahead of critical vote on Trump spending bill.”
But that’s where we are for now, and we’re just going to have to wait and see if the government shuts down… so fun…
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But then, it’s time to talk tariffs.
Right, coming at you with the latest trade war news, we got 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports going into effect, Canada and the European Union swiftly retaliating, and then Trump threatening to retaliate against their retaliation –
Including with a whopping 200 percent tariff on all wines and spirits coming from the EU.
But starting at the beginning, those 25% steel and aluminum tariffs?
They’re the most sweeping ones yet.
Right, they apply to imports from all U.S. trading partners with no exceptions or exemptions.
And notably, many domestic steel and aluminum manufacturers support the move, saying it will help protect their industry against foreign competition.
But of course, by and large, economists warn that they will raise costs for many American businesses – including manufacturers of cars, canned food and drinks, solar panels, and other products.
With those extra costs likely being passed to American consumers.
And beyond that, the move has royally pissed off our closest allies.
Right, Canada, for instance, is the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S.
And in response to the Trump tariffs, it’s imposing 25% reciprocal tariffs on steel products worth nearly $9 billion and aluminum products worth roughly $2 billion –
As well as various other items – including tools, computers, water heaters, sport equipment, and cast-iron products – worth around $10 billion. []
Right, bringing the total value of newly taxed Canadian imports from the U.S. to almost $21 billion.
And notably, that’s in addition to 25% counter tariffs already imposed on another $20 billion of U.S. imports put in place in response to other Trump tariffs that he’s delayed by a month. []
Now with that, Mark Carney, who will soon be sworn in as Canada’s next prime minister?
He says he’s ready to negotiate a renewed trade deal with Trump as long as there is "respect for Canadian sovereignty".
Something Trump so far hasn’t seemed interested in as he’s continually and repeatedly made comments about Canada becoming the 51st state –
Including on Tuesday when he was actually threatening to double the steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 percent for the country.
Though, of course, he did end up backing down from that at least.
But in any case, moving on to the EU, I’ll start by noting that Trump slapped similar tariffs on European steel and aluminum during his first term in office as well.
And back then, the bloc retaliated with 25 percent tariffs on some 180 types of products worth more than $3 billion at the time.
And that all went away under the Biden administration.
But now, on April 1st, the EU tariffs will reportedly be back in place – including on iconic American products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon, and blue jeans.
And on April 13th, additional taxes will be levied against another almost $20 billion in American exports to the bloc.[]
With the list of targeted goods being dominated by meat, produce, and alcoholic beverages.
But also including everything from chewing gum, to communion wafers, nicotine patches, and even women’s négligées. []
And with that, the duties clearly aim to hit pressure points in the U.S. economy while minimizing additional damage to Europe.
And in fact, EU officials have made clear that the tariffs are aimed at products made in Republican-led states.
Although, of course, blue states will be affected as well.
Illinois, for example, is the number one U.S. producer of soybeans, which are also on the list. []
And with all that, you have European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Ursula Von der Line) claiming the response was intended to be "strong but proportionate” and that the EU stood "ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue.” []
And adding to that:
"Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business and worse for consumers,"
"Nobody needs that – on both sides, neither in the European Union nor in the United States." []
However, with all that, the response we’ve seen from Trump has been to suggest counter counter tariffs, you might say.
Right, speaking in the Oval Office yesterday, repeating his pledge to enact reciprocal tariffs across the board:
“So whatever they charge us with, we're charging them.” (3:56-3:59)
“The United States of America is going to take back a lot of what was stolen from it by other countries and, frankly, by incompetent U.S. leadership.” (23:48-23:56)
And with all that, he upped the ante today – specifically in response to the EU’s retaliatory tariffs on one product in particular – 50 percent on whiskey.
Right, saying:
“If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES.”
And also claiming the EU is, quote, “one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World, which was formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the United States…” []
So we’ll have to see what happens there.
Though, notably, the U.S. is the world's largest importer of wine and champagne from the EU.
So a 200% tariff could be pretty devastating.
At the same time, though, the American whiskey industry is also set to take a beating.
Right, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. – which has spoken out against the tariffs – the EU is the largest export market for American liquor.
Not to mention the backlash to tariffs in Canada has reportedly led to canceled shipment orders and stalled liquor agreements with potential trading partners. []
With some places even pulling American-made alcohol off the shelves. []
Something the CEO of the company that makes Jack Daniels understandably says is even worse than a tariff.
But ultimately, that’s where we are now, and as we’ve seen so far, things can change quickly, people back down, so only time will tell what actually sticks.
But either way all the chaos and uncertainty is likely already starting to have an impact on its own, so we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it.
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In international news, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting any closer to a peace deal in Ukraine.
But possibly, maybe, really don’t wanna speak too soon – Putin’s playing hardball and that may mean the Trump administration is at least slightly reconsidering its recent turn toward Russia.
Right, on Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
And with that, the Trump administration agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing
With Secretary of State Marco Rubio claiming “the ball is now in Russia’s court.”
And adding that if Russia didn’t agree "we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.”
Notably, with Trump himself expressing a similar sentiment yesterday in the Oval Office, saying "...it's up to Russia now." (BROLL: 10:21-10:27).
And adding that it could be financially “devastating” for Russia if it didn’t agree to a truce.
And with that, you had Zelensky announcing on X today that his delegation had provided him a detailed report on its meeting with US representatives in Saudi Arabia, restating his support for the ceasefire, writing:
“Ukraine is committed to moving quickly toward peace, and we are prepared to do our part in creating all of the conditions for a reliable, durable, and decent peace.” []
And also going on to say: []
“Regrettably, for more than a day already, the world has yet to hear a meaningful response from Russia to the proposals made.”
“This once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible.” “
“We hope that U.S. pressure will be sufficient to compel Russia to end the war.”
And on that note, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff – who’s also been acting as a key negotiator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict – arrived in Moscow today to meet with Vladimir Putin and present the offer.
But notably, Russia has already all but officially rejected the idea of a temporary truce.
Right, for one, it’s moving forward with new military action – with Putin today ordering his troops to defeat Ukrainian forces occupying the region of Kursk.
And then quickly claiming to have recaptured the largest town Ukraine had held in the region.
And of course, people say that as long as Russia is making advance, it has little incentive negotiations –
Which brings us one of Putin’s top advisors saying today that the Kremlin viewed the proposed 30-day ceasefire as “nothing more than a short reprieve for Ukrainian forces” – adding: []
“Steps that merely imitate peaceful actions are not needed by anyone in this situation.” []
And then, you also had a foreign ministry spokesperson on one hand claiming Russia was ready to discuss the matter with the U.S. but the other time indicating that it saw little urgency in stopping the fighting.
Also reiterating that Russia would not accept the deployment of foreign armed forces in Ukraine, saying:
“...it would constitute direct involvement in the conflict, and Moscow will respond with all available means.” []
But with that, Ukraine has repeatedly said it would absolutely need some kind of security guarantee.
With something to keep in mind there being that Russia has previously violated two previous cease-fires, reached in 2014 and 2015 –
As well as denied an intention to invade just days before doing just that in 2022. []
And with that, if it’s not a peacekeeping force, then the only other option seen as a viable alternative would be NATO membership.
But of course, that’s a non-starter for Russia as well.
And with that, Reuters is reporting that Russia has presented the U.S. with a list of demands for a deal to end the war.
Right, besides an agreement not to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine and a commitment to keeping Ukraine out of NATO…
It’s demanding international recognition of Putin’s claims to Crimea and the four Ukrainian regions Russia annexed in 2022.
Right, nothing we haven’t heard before.
Although, notably, it’s also being reported that Putin could even revisit some of his broader demands from 2021, which go beyond Ukraine.
Including, for example, a call for NATO to halt the deployment of weapons in member states that joined after 1997 –
Which is when the alliance began expanding into former communist countries. []
So ultimately we’ll have to wait and see what comes out of these talks, how the Trump administration responds, and how the situation on the ground continues to evolve while all this plays out.
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And for your daily good news story, we’ve got a bittersweet one for you.
Right, this is Faygo - he’s a 12 year old goldendoodle living in Virginia with his people Michelle and Joe.
Michelle adopted Faygo when he was 10 months old and nearly every day in the 9 and half years since they moved into their current home, Faygo has sat in a corner of the yard, asking strangers and passersby for pets.
Which, according to Michelle, didn’t happen very often.
But when Faygo was diagnosed with prostate cancer and his health started to take a turn for the worse, Michelle decided to change that. []
She posted a message on her local email list - telling her neighbors about Faygo and his story. []
How he sits in that corner of their yard, asking for pets and scratches nearly every day.
Adding,
“My commitment is to make every day his best day so I’m putting out this invitation. If your travels (walking or driving) take you down [our street], you see a yellow dog in the yard and have a minute, please feel free to stop/pull into the driveway and offer a pet or two.” []
On that very same day, Michelle says that she and Faygo stayed out on the yard for 5 hours to greet all of his guests. []
With people bringing cards and photos of their own dogs who’d passed away.
With Michelle saying,
“We just sat out there for hours and hours, and he loved it. He just soaked it in.” []
And visitors just kept coming - in the weeks since Michelle made her post, dozens of people have shown up at their house. []
Sometimes even forming lines to come pet Faygo.
With Michelle saying,
“People were just coming from all corners of our neighborhood, and I could not believe it. I had no idea that people would make intentional trips to come to my house to pet my dog.” []
Among Faygo’s fan club is Michelle’s neighbor Sharon - who immediately rushed over to meet him after she heard of Michelle’s post.
Saying,
“I went over and met him, and oh my gosh, those eyes are incredible. He loves to be loved and give out love, and he’ll cuddle up into your arms.” []
Sharon has been by to see Faygo nearly every day since - even showing up just 2 days after having knee surgery. []
And as an extra treat, she brings him homemade peanut butter and banana cookies - with Michelle saying,
“He’s really slowing down on his willingness to eat, but he will always eat Sharon’s peanut-butter-banana cookies.” []
And visiting Faygo has also been therapeutic for some of Michelle’s neighbors - like Jane, who lost her dog Bailey a few months ago and told the Washington Post,
“I went over a couple times, and there was a steady stream of people each time. I think it has brought peace and comfort to so many people that we could spend a little time with him. … It was so nice that she gave us the opportunity to play with him and say goodbye.” []
Other neighbors said that they think all the love is extending Faygo’s life in some way - applauding the way Michelle and Joe have gone above and beyond for their dog. []
With one saying,
“Michelle and Joe are the epitome of fur-baby parents. Michelle would give Faygo a kidney if it would save his life.” []
Whether it’s extending his life is up for debate but Michelle says all the love is definitely bringing some joy to Faygo's final days.
With her tearfully telling the Post,
“We’ve had so many people show up in our yard to pet him, to love on him and to cry into his fur. He is so happy to see every single one of them.” []
And that is your good news story for the day - a little sadder than what we normally go for but still, you gotta applaud the community for rallying around this good boy in his last days.
