What Shall We Make Today?

Food 1 Minute

Georgia inspired me to switch out walnuts in my cookies and use pecans instead.  What a distinct improvement!  I found this recipe for Butter Pecan Fudge!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Directions

Line an 8-in. square pan with foil; grease foil with 1 teaspoon butter.

In a large heavy saucepan, combine remaining butter, granulated and brown sugars, cream and salt. Bring to a rapid boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 234° (soft-ball stage). Remove from heat. Add vanilla to pan (do not stir).

Cool, without stirring, to 110°, about 30 minutes. Beat with a spoon until fudge just begins to thicken. Gradually stir in confectioners’ sugar until smooth; add nuts and continue stirring until fudge becomes very thick and just begins to lose its sheen. Immediately spread into prepared pan. Cool.

Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Remove foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.

ENJOY!

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Published by pat frederick

Published

67 thoughts on “What Shall We Make Today?”

    1. Morning, Pat! The wind is whipping around my patio – the temp is up to 36 and scheduled to drop into the 20’s by evening. But it will bounce right back up into the 40’s & 50’s for the rest of the December.

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  8. Unreal! fraudsters in Minnesota are still getting federal funds–even AFTER they are caught frauding another system. For example, if they were caught in the Feed Children scheme? they use that money to buy homes and claim they are adult day care centers–getting almost a million a year for a home with only 4 bedrooms.

    article

    A Minnesota lawmaker alleged on Dec. 17 that a man awaiting trial on federal charges that he laundered $1.1 million in taxpayer dollars and his wife continue to collect payments from other government programs, a state lawmaker said Dec. 17.

    That’s concerning, state Rep. Kristin Robbins told the fraud-fighting committee that she chairs.
    “This is just one example of how potential fraudulent activity is being allowed to continue in Minnesota,” she said during a hearing at the state Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. Later, she alleged on social media that the state government “continued to pay a fraudster who was indicted.”

    With the help of whistleblowers, a public-records researcher uncovered an intertwined web of people and entities allegedly tied to the man. Those connections are still receiving taxpayer dollars for assisted-living facilities and adult day services despite multiple “red flags” indicating possible fraud, Robbins said.
    These revelations show that state agencies are failing to employ “the most basic checks and balances” to prevent and detect fraud despite state agencies promising reforms, Robbins told fellow members of the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Policy Committee.

    The committee—five Republicans and three Democrats—has met regularly since February, trying to get a handle on the state’s burgeoning fraud scandals. In recent weeks, Minnesota fraud cases have drawn national attention and multiple federal investigations. The scandals mostly involve federal programs that state programs administer, with matching state contributions in some instances.

    The defendant, whom Robbins dubbed Person One, allegedly received $49 million from state-run programs from 2019 to 2024 on top of the $1.1 million he is accused of laundering, she said.
    He is among 78 people charged since 2022 in the Feeding Our Future (FOF) scandal. Fraudsters connected to that now-defunct nonprofit agency reaped a total of nearly $250 million from the Federal Child Nutrition Program after falsely claiming to provide 91 million meals to needy children.

    Robbins alleged that Person One “changed his name months before he was indicted” for FOF, and used his new name to purchase two homes that are operating as an assisted-living facility that receives government money.

    One of those homes, Robbins alleged, was bought under the same business name tied to alleged money laundering in the FOF case.

    “It is unbelievable,” she said.
    A chart that Minnesota Rep. Kristin Robbins presented at a hearing shows how an indicted fraud suspect is allegedly tied to other people, businesses, and taxpayer-funded government programs.

    What’s more, Robbins said, the defendant’s wife “just recently purchased a fourth home” that will become part of an assisted-living facility that she operates—and for which she was granted a temporary license in September.

    Homes that the accused man purchased or owned were still enrolled in state programs as recently as this October, Robbins said, noting that the wife has run the sites for two years after her husband’s FOF indictment.

    One of the assisted-living facilities that Person One administers has four beds. “Despite this limited capacity,” the facility was paid $826,000 in 2024 and was “on pace to double that” this year, Robbins said.

    “We need to be concerned about that,” she said, adding, “This home was purchased with cash, which is a red flag because there’s a lot of money laundering going on in these spaces.”

    Minnesota law allows the state to stop government program payments based on “credible allegations of fraud,” Robbins said. “And, my friends, if someone has been indicted in Feeding Our Future, that’s a credible allegation of fraud, and they should not be getting state money for any other program.”

    Robbins urged state agency leaders: “At a minimum, any business with ties to Feeding Our Future indictments should receive higher scrutiny,” especially if involved parties are also seeking money from other government programs.

    “Any business owner should be checked to see if the owner has a history of other violations,” she said.
    State Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican, speaks at a committee meeting in St. Paul, Minn., on Dec. 17, 2025.

    State agency officials who testified at the hearing included Dr. Brooke Cunningham, the state health commissioner. She testified about the “large and growing” assisted-living industry, acknowledging a “need for oversight.”

    But Cunningham noted that health care professionals who are involved in licensing and on-site reviews do not process billing claims. Therefore, they would not be privy to financial matters.

    However, Cunningham said those staffers do pass along any concerns they notice “to our partners who do handle the billing for those services and who do investigate any sort of criminal activity.”

    James Clark, inspector general for the Department of Human Services, said the department is putting a two-year “pause” on licensing new adult day centers.

    “We’re shifting staff … so that they can squarely focus on existing adult day businesses,” he said.

    Thus, he said, they can be more vigilant for signs of fraud.

    In addition, he said, “we are aggressively suspending payments” whenever investigators are seriously concerned about fraud.

    “I am sick of Medicaid fraud. I want to shut off payments to any provider that is stealing from us,” Clark said, adding that he would welcome information from the committee.

    Robbins replied that the committee has not shared whistleblowers’ disclosures with Clark’s office because “this fraud has been perpetuated on your watch,” and the whistleblowers insist on confidentiality. They report being “terrified,” Robbins said, because many of them allege they were subjected to retaliation or surveillance when they previously tried to sound alarms about fraud.

    Committee members interviewed whistleblowers and relayed information to federal prosecutors, the FBI, and the Office of Legislative Auditor, all of whom have access to bank, health, and payment records that legislators cannot obtain, Robbins said.

    Robbins also said the Department of Human Services so far has responded to only one of her recent requests for data; six such requests remain unfulfilled.

    The Epoch Times sought a response from Clark’s office and received no reply prior to publication.

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/taxpayers-money-still-flowing-to-indicted-fraud-suspect-minnesota-lawmaker-5959754?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=TheLibertyDaily

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  9. “The Stage is Set for 2026”

    Clandestine, Dec 18, 2025

    “I think come 2026, things will start to accelerate.

    January 1st, the NG will have rapid response riot troops trained and on standby in every state.

    January 30th, the Dems are going to try to shut the government down again, and it might be time to end the filibuster.

    I think that Trump and his team viewed the first year of this term as a staging year to get all the pieces in place, clean house, secure the border, win over more public support, etc. An operation of this magnitude must be executed with military precision, and Trump knew he was going to face extreme resistance.

    However, it’s now or never before the midterms in November, and Trump has repeatedly marked July 4th, 2026, our nation’s 250th anniversary, as a significant day of celebration. If there was ever a window for Trump to make the big move, I think it’s has to be sometime between January 1st and July 4th.

    Trump has the NG on standby in major cities and quick response riot troops trained for every state. He has been openly stating that he is willing to invoke the Insurrection Act, deport the illegals, nuke the filibuster, secure elections, pass the MAGA agenda, end this treasonous coup, and save the Republic.

    If he is ever going to do it, the window is about to be open, and all the necessary pieces are soon to be in place.”

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      1. Yeah, well….TBH, I’m not holding my breath! I’ll believe it when I see it! And BTW, how about sending some of that tariff $$$ for the people, eh???

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  10. “Breaking NEWS: HHS Terminates Major Grants to the AAP and for good reason”

    Dr. Robert W. Malone, Dec 17, 2025

    “Breaking NEWS: HHS has terminated multiple federal grants to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), totaling around $18-20 million, and for good reason. Consider their recent track record. They have presided over the greatest decline to the health of our children that America has ever seen.

    The AAP has recommended that pediatricians provide gender-affirming care for children. In the summer of 2021, the AAP recommended that all students and school staff aged two and older wear masks in schools, despite no evidence that mask use would prevent COVID-19 transmission. These masks harm children’s development by delaying or impeding speech, language learning, and emotional growth, as facial cues are crucial to development.

    Around 2000, the AAP recommended that infants avoid peanuts and other allergens until age 3 to prevent allergies. There was little scientific evidence to support this recommendation. This advice was shared with their pediatrician members and the media, triggering a surge in peanut allergies.

    In 2025, the AAP issued its own COVID-19 vaccination guidance that diverged from federal policy, recommending COVID shots for all children aged 6-23 months, and for high-risk children. This puts children at risk for myocarditis and other severe adverse events, including death, from these dangerous injections – injections that are not safe for children, and do not stop transmission or infection of COVID-19.

    Recently, the AAP has recommended using GLP-1 inhibitors for children twelve years and older, despite the lack of long-term data on their effects on growth, puberty, and body composition in adolescents. There appear to be industry ties among the guideline authors, raising questions about impartiality and the appearance of pharmaceutical influence.

    The AAP continues to advocate various faddish trends that have caused real physical damage to our youth.

    HHS notes that the AAP continues to use “identity-based language” and has lost touch with American families and children.

    Thank you, Sec. Kennedy and HHS for taking this positive and vital step to ensure the health of our children.”

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    2. it truly annoys me that parents do this to their kids! kids may want to “be” pirates…so do the parents amputate their one leg below the knee? NO, they know kids can change their minds instantly. But they convince kids these fantasy whims are what they want and physically alter their little bodies. DISGUSTING!

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  11. Just The News: “Trump Media & Technology Group and fusion power company TAE Technologies on Thursday announced that they will merge in a $6 billion deal. The all-stock deal is expected to close in mid-2026, and will result in shareholders of each firm owning approximately half of the combined company, CNBC reported.

    According to the announcement, the merger will “create one of the world’s first publicly traded fusion companies.”

    Currently, there are no commercial plants producing electricity using fusion, a futuristic technology that has the potential to generate abundant energy without the risks associated with nuclear power.

    In premarket trading on Thursday, Trump Media & Technology Group stock jumped more than 19%.

    “Upon closing, Trump Media & Technology Group will be the holding company for Truth Social, Truth+, Truth.Fi, TAE, TAE Power Solutions and TAE Life Sciences, among others,” the companies said.

    Trump Media & Technology Group Chairman and CEO Devin Nunes said in a statement, “Trump Media & Technology Group built uncancellable infrastructure to secure free expression online for Americans, and now we’re taking a big step forward toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations.

    “Fusion power will be the most dramatic energy breakthrough since the onset of commercial nuclear energy in the 1950s—an innovation that will lower energy prices, boost supply, ensure America’s A.I.-supremacy, revive our manufacturing base and bolster national defense. TMTG brings the capital and public market access to quickly move TAE’s proven technology to commercial viability.”

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  12. But will it pass the Senate????

    Just The News: “The House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday night that makes it a felony for doctors to perform transgender surgeries and procedures on minors, despite heavy opposition from over 200 House Democrats. 

    The legislation, titled the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, passed in a 216-211 vote, which saw 207 House Democrats and four moderate House Republicans object to it. Three House Democrats joined with their Republican counterparts to pass it.

    The four House Republicans to vote with the Democrats are Reps. Mike Lawler of New York, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Mike Kennedy of Utah, and Gabe Evans of Colorado, while the three Democrats are Reps. Don Davis of North Carolina, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, and Henry Cuellar of Texas, according to the Daily Signal.

    The legislation was introduced by Georgia firebrand GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is set to retire from the House next month. “Protecting children is not optional, it’s our duty,” Greene said on X. “Today on the House floor, I spoke for the voiceless: America’s kids. Children are not old enough to vote, drive, or get a tattoo and they are certainly not old enough to be chemically castrated or permanently mutilated.

    “My Protect Children’s Innocence Act puts a hard stop to the exploitation of minors by radical ideologues and a greedy, profit-driven industry,” she continued. “My bill criminalizes so-called ‘gender-affirming care’ for minors, holds offenders accountable, and reflects exactly what the American people voted for. This is common sense. This is good vs. evil.”

    The legislation would make it a felony to perform transgender surgeries and procedures on minors by expanding the definition of chemical castration and bodily or genital mutilation to include a range of transgender-related procedures. Offenders could face up to 10 years in federal prison.

    There are exemptions for certain conditions and medical emergencies, but not for mental health-related issues. The bill also prohibits federal funds from being used for gender-affirming care or to subsidize health insurance plans that cover gender-affirming care.

    The legislation will still need to be passed by the Senate.”

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  13. EXCERPT: “The new chair of the President’s Cancer Panel, within the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, wants to rigorously study ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as potential cancer treatments, he told a Just the News-Real America’s Voice special report that aired Wednesday night.

    Yale University professor emeritus Harvey Risch, also a senior research scientist in epidemiology at its public health and medical schools, was an early proponent of the low-cost drugs for COVID-19 treatment and critic of the Biden administration’s COVID work.

    Ivermectin and HCQ are “among maybe a dozen various medications that should have more formal studies,” Risch told the program in his first in-depth interview since the government formally announced President Trump had appointed him, cautioning that “they may turn out” not to help but further study is needed in case they do help.

    “I’ve had a lot of anecdotal reports telling me that doctors have treated their patients with those medications” but “they never tell me really how many patients they treated” in which “it didn’t work,” he said. “So honestly, I don’t know yet.”

    Risch emphasized caution and measured expectations throughout his interview but also that much of the good work in cancer research isn’t showy.

    “I don’t want to overpromise, because everybody will get disappointed” if the panel doesn’t meet self-imposed high expectations, “but cancer is a highly treatable disease” with 50 years of “great research” as well as underappreciated study in Risch’s specialty of prevention, which “needs to be more visible,” he said……”

    https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/health/trumps-cancer-panel-chair-wants-more-formal-studies-ivermectin-hcq-treatment

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  14. Just The News: “FBI Director Kash Patel praised his second-in-command Deputy Director Dan Bongino as the “best partner,” on Wednesday night, an hour after Bongino announced he was leaving the bureau next month. 

    Bongino’s expected departure comes after months of speculation over his future at the agency and came amid longstanding rumors of a rift with Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files.

    Patel emphasized Bongino’s legacy at the bureau, stating he “exceeded” his mission in helping to bring much-needed reform to the federal law enforcement agency.

    “Dan is the best partner I could’ve asked for in helping restore this FBI,” Patel posted on X. “He brought critical reforms to make the organization more efficient, led the successful Summer Heat op, served as the people’s voice for transparency, and delivered major breakthroughs in long unsolved cases like the pipe bomb investigation. 

    “That’s only a small part of the work he went about every single day delivering for America,” he continued. “He not only completed his mission – he far exceeded it. We will miss him but I’m thankful he accepted the call to serve. Our country is better and safer for it.”

    Bongino did not indicate what his future plans would be, nor did he comment on the reason for leaving the bureau. But the former media figure thanked the Trump administration, including Bondi, for letting him serve his country. 

    The deputy director has served in his post since February. It is not clear who will replace Bongino, but former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is co-deputy director of the bureau.” 

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  16. “A symphony of woofs: This is what happens when 2,397 golden retrievers gather in an Argentina park”

    BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP), Isabel Debre, December 8, 2025

    (VIDEO)

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: ” — A passerby could hear the cacophony from miles away in the Argentine capital, the unmistakable sound of 2,397 dogs barking — and breaking the unofficial world record for the largest-ever gathering of golden retrievers. Excitement pulsed through Bosques de Palermo, a sprawling park in Buenos Aires, as golden retriever-owners from all over Argentina transformed the park’s grassy expanse into a sea of bright yellow fur.

    (Golden Retrievers pose for a picture in a Palermo neighborhood park where people try to set a world record of most Golden Retrievers gathered in a park, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

    Dog owners of all ages, their clothes covered in dog hair and stained with slobber, plopped down on picnic blankets with their beloved goldens to take in the surreal sight of so many other, exceptionally similar-looking ones. Children squealed with delight and giddily petted every dog that pranced about.

    Families posed for pet selfies under the blazing Southern Hemisphere’s summer sun. Sipping Argentina’s traditional yerba mate drink, attendees swapped fun facts about their favorite breed — such as goldens’ famed ability to sniff out low blood sugar and cancer — and shared stories of their retrievers comforting them throughout all of life’s ups and downs.

    “Since we were children, she’s been a constant presence in our family. We’ve had vacations with her. We’ve done everything together,” said Nicolás Orellana, a 26-year-old wearing a T-shirt with a photo of a golden retriever on it. His family said they drove an hour and a half from their hometown in Buenos Aires province for the event. “It’s a type of dog that’s known to create a special bond,” he said, kneeling to pet his contented-looking 13-year-old dog Luna.

    Around them, fellow golden retrievers sniffed each other furiously, some decked out in costumes ranging from Argentine soccer jerseys and national flags to tutus and Star Wars bandanas.

    Through the tsunami of tail-wagging and treat-giving, 10 dog-loving volunteers clad in yellow vests roved with clipboards to register each golden retriever in attendance.

    After hours of meticulous counting, the final number came in late Monday. With 2,397 golden retrievers recorded, the event’s organizer, Fausto Duperre, announced that Argentina had broken the informal world record set last year when an event in Vancouver drew 1,685 goldens.

    “This is a historic event,” gushed Duperre, a 28-year-old Argentine actor who has become something of a golden retriever influencer on social media, where he regularly posts content about his 10-year-old golden named Oli. “I’m truly grateful and happy, proud, excited and overjoyed all at once,” he added.

    High hopes for a big group photo of the dogs alone on the field quickly faded as it became clear that no owner — nor dog — would withstand even a few moments of separation. Plus, there was the all-too-real fear of dogs getting lost among their thousands of furry counterparts. Owners yanked at leashes and wrangled with the most restive dogs to keep them close.

    Some said they were expecting total chaos from Monday’s event but were surprised to report that it turned out to be easy and delightful — like the dogs themselves.

    “I was afraid I would lose her, I was afraid she would fight, I was afraid another dog would attack her,” said Elena Deleo, 64, stroking her golden retriever Angie. “But no, they’re all affectionate, all gentle. ….It’s just a very lovely experience.”

    Video: https://apnews.com/video/attempt-in-argentina-to-set-world-record-for-most-golden-retrievers-assembled-in-a-park-a1d16914434548639aef875af7045c6d

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  19. for the love of mike!

    FTA

    Another day, another case where migrants stole millions of tax dollars that are supposed to help Americans.

    $7 million in food stamps!!

    Apparently, they traded snap benefits for cash, sometimes pulling in upwards of $500,000 per month.

    The scammers are Antonio Bonheur and Saul Alisme, both migrants from Haiti.

    According to the DOJ indictment, their criminal activities included:

    • Selling SNAP benefits for cash.
    • Allowing people to purchase liquor with SNAP benefits.
    • Selling humanitarian aid for poor children, which was already paid for and meant to be given out for free.

    Apparently, this is what one of their “stores” looked like:

    https://notthebee.com/article/massachusetts-uncovers-massive-welfare-fraud-scam-being-perpetrated-by-haitian-migrants-in-their-state

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  22. “Those are people – all guys at that. It’s always fascinated me the lengths people will go to – doing stupid shit like this – in the name of religion. In this case, it’s an aerial image that captures a moment from the Wari, the weird pilgrimage that takes place every year in Maharashtra, India. Thousands of Warkaris (devotees) are seen gathered in a not-so-perfectly circular formation, all dressed predominantly in white traditional attire. At the center lies a sacred palanquin.”

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  24. Just The News: “The Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced a series of proposed regulations to block hospitals from performing myriad gender-related treatments on children.

    The regulations would block surgeries, puberty blockers, and hormone treatments, which the department said “cause irreversible damage, including infertility, impaired sexual function, diminished bone density, altered brain development, and other irreversible physiological effects.”

    “Under my leadership, and answering President Trump’s call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.

    Earlier in his term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing HHS to move to end the practice, which has come under considerable scrutiny in recent years and has become the subject of statewide bans across the nation.”

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  26. cheering4america

    December 18, 2025 12:36 pm

    Typically when a young university student is brutally murdered there is a candlelight vigil or other way of honoring the lost student; have we seen anything like that at Brown?

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    1. “….Garrett Mitchell, the social media content creator-turned-racer mentored by Biffle and known as Cleetus McFarland, posted the following on social media:

      “Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane… because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.“

      TRE hasn’t been able to confirm Biffle’s death with any other sources.”

      https://theracingexperts.com/plane-owned-by-greg-biffle-involved-in-deadly-crash/

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  32. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order reclassifying cannabis.

    The president issued the order, calling the move “common sense.” The order removes cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 drugs, though it will remain illegal at the federal level, according to the New York Post.

    At present, 24 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use while 40 permit it for medical purposes.”

    https://nypost.com/2025/12/18/us-news/trump-to-deliver-pot-reform-dream-but-rescheduling-stops-short-of-full-legalization/

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  36. Trump Isn’t Building a Ballroom
    The Drey Dossier
    Dec 15, 2025

    When Trump announced a $300 million ballroom at the White House, something went off in my brain. The pattern recognition part started tingling. Ninety thousand square feet, $300 million, underground construction at a secure government facility. I had heard about something like this before. Something with those exact specifications, that scale, that price point.

    It took me a minute to place it, but then I remembered: Oracle’s underground data centers in Jerusalem. Built in 2021 for Israeli military intelligence. Nine stories into bedrock, designed to survive missile strikes, built to house AI systems that make life-and-death decisions in real time. Ninety thousand square feet. $319 million. Nearly identical specs to what Trump just announced.

    That’s the moment I started digging.
    Digging In… Jerusalem?

    I’d first learned about those Jerusalem bunkers months earlier while researching Larry Ellison’s relationship with Israel and Oracle’s involvement in the war in Gaza. The facilities weren’t typical corporate server farms. They were built for what’s called data sovereignty – a physical location where Israel’s most sensitive military and intelligence data could exist under complete government control, protected from both digital and physical attacks. When you’re running classified military operations and operating AI systems in active conflict, you can’t have that infrastructure vulnerable to destruction. So they built it nine stories down into solid bedrock, 160 feet below the surface, completely invisible to satellites. You know, normal light reading.

    I’d filed that information away at the time, not sure what to make of it. But when Trump’s ballroom announcement came through with those matching specifications, I knew I needed to look deeper. Because when you see that kind of pattern match, you have to ask: is this actually about a ballroom?

    So I started with the most basic question: who’s building this thing?
    The Contractor

    The lead contractor is Clark Construction. I went to their website to see what they normally build, and their “Critical Facilities” portfolio immediately caught my attention: the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Campus, CISA Cybersecurity Headquarters, USCENTCOM Headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base. These aren’t ordinary buildings. These are top-secret intelligence campuses and military command centers.

    But what’s listed publicly is only part of the story. I started digging through government contract databases, and that’s when I found them. Six separate contracts for data centers where even the client names are redacted. Just listed as “Confidential Client Data Center 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.” The facilities themselves are so classified that acknowledging who they’re built for would compromise national security.

    So building classified data centers for clients they legally cannot name is actually Clark Construction’s specialty. And they have the contractual mechanisms to hide what they’re building – they hold a NAVFAC contract with a $950 million ceiling where the total value is public but individual task orders can be classified. Which means you can effectively hide the true cost and scope of specific projects by funneling them through pre-existing military construction contracts.
    The Firing

    Then on December 4th, something happened that made the picture even clearer. Trump fired his original architect. James McCrery, who designs beautiful churches and the Supreme Court gift shop (say what you want about the guy, but he’s got range), was replaced with someone named Shalom Baranes. When I looked into who Baranes is, I understood immediately what had changed.
    McCrery Architects, New Carmel, Wyoming

    After September 11th, when the Pentagon needed to be rebuilt and hardened against future attacks, they hired Shalom Baranes. This man designed the Pentagon’s post-9/11 hardening project – the secure wedges, the SCIFs, the bomb-resistant architecture. His entire portfolio is federal facilities requiring classified spaces and hardened infrastructure. And Trump hired him after demolition had already started, after the East Wing was already gone. The aesthetics had stopped mattering. You don’t replace your church architect with the Pentagon’s bunker guy because you want prettier chandeliers.

    At this point I wanted to see what was actually happening on the ground. If this were really a data center, there would be physical evidence. And data centers need one thing above all else: massive amounts of power.

    DC’s Power-grid

    So I started looking at what’s been happening with DC’s power infrastructure, and that’s where the timeline becomes impossible to ignore. In August and September 2025, just weeks after Trump announced the ballroom in July, Pepco filed emergency requests for major infrastructure work near the East Wing. They’re not making incremental improvements. They’re replacing 45-year-old power feeders and increasing power capacity in this area by five times. Five hundred percent.

    Here’s what makes that absurd: downtown DC office occupancy has been declining since COVID. Buildings sit half-empty. Commercial real estate demand has shrunk. Power demand in this area should be flat or declining. But Trump announces a ballroom in July, and by August, emergency filings go in to increase power capacity by 500 percent. Downtown DC is half-empty, but apparently we need five times the power for a dance floor.

    During this same period, DC Water increased capital spending by $300 million with specific focus on the Federal Triangle area. The Washington Aqueduct – run by the Army Corps of Engineers – issued warnings that “data centers are planning to use Potomac River water for cooling.” They’re explicitly acknowledging that data center development is driving new infrastructure demands. The GSA Central Heating and Cooling Plant completed upgrades including industrial-scale cooling towers and magnetic bearing chillers designed for cooling infrastructure that generates tremendous heat.

    All of this infrastructure work, happening in the immediate aftermath of the ballroom announcement, in the specific geographical area surrounding it.
    The Donor List

    Then I started looking at who’s actually paying for this thing. The project is being privately funded, which means no congressional appropriations, no budget hearings, no public scrutiny. We have a partial donor list, though most dollar amounts remain undisclosed. And when I started going through that list, I realized I was looking at it wrong. I shouldn’t be looking for dollar amounts. I should be looking at what these companies actually do.
    My anatomy of a ‘ballroom’ diagram to show the flow of operations (if my thesis is correct)

    Carrier Corporation is donating HVAC systems. But Carrier has a division called Carrier Quantum Leap – their data center solutions offering “comprehensive energy efficient solutions for data center thermal management.” Are they donating a basic ballroom AC system, or their specialized data center cooling infrastructure?

    Paolo Tiramani from Boxabl is on the list; which I find to be curious. Boxabl makes foldable prefab buildings, marketed for disaster relief. But they’ve also sent over 150 units to Guantanamo Bay, they work on Class 5 military installations, and their units come pre-installed with Faraday caging – electromagnetic shielding needed for SCIFs. And Oracle’s own documentation for their Jerusalem facilities describes using modular construction techniques for rapid deployment underground.

    Then there’s Caterpillar, which makes industrial generators providing over 100 megawatts of backup power. Union Pacific, which owns 14,000 miles of classified fiber optic cables serving as the Department of Defense’s secure telecommunications backbone. Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Palantir. Booz Allen Hamilton, which builds classified networks for intelligence agencies. Blackstone, installing over 200 megawatts of backup power infrastructure.

    And you know what’s not on this list? Baccarat crystal, Versace, Hermès, Tiffany, or Steinway. The luxury brands that would murder their competitors to be associated with White House state dinners. None of them are here.

    What we have instead: classified telecommunications networks, data center cooling systems, electromagnetically shielded rooms, and 100-megawatt generators. Classic ballroom essentials.
    Don’t Worry, The Military Is On It

    In October 2025, Trump said something that should have made every journalist in America ask harder questions: “We’re also working with the military on it because they want to make sure everything is perfect. And the military is very much involved in this.”

    The military is very much involved in this ballroom. Which makes perfect sense if you think about it, because if there’s one thing the Pentagon is known for, it’s their expertise in party planning and floral arrangements. Or maybe the military doesn’t typically get involved in ballroom design. Maybe they get involved when you’re building classified facilities and survivable operations infrastructure.

    Here’s what I think is actually happening.

    Six months before this construction began, on Trump’s first full day back in office, Larry Ellison stood next to Trump and Sam Altman at the White House to announce Project Stargate – a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative for government operations, defense, intelligence, and consolidating federal data across agencies. That infrastructure needs somewhere to physically exist.
    What Now?

    Israel’s underground data centers in Jerusalem were built for Project Nimbus, their government cloud infrastructure. The AI systems currently being used in Gaza – the targeting systems, the surveillance infrastructure, the operational decision-making – run on that underground network specifically because it was designed to continue functioning regardless of what happens above ground. That’s not backup infrastructure. That’s where the actual work of government happens, protected from both digital and physical threats.

    And this has to be at the White House specifically because location determines oversight. When infrastructure is part of the Executive Office of the President, when it exists at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it can be classified under executive privilege. The East Wing sits directly above the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, the bunker where Dick Cheney sheltered during September 11th. By demolishing the entire East Wing, you create space to expand that existing secure facility, integrate new infrastructure, go deeper underground. All protected by the classification that covers anything related to presidential security.

    The ballroom might not be the lie, exactly. But it’s definitely not the project. It’s the explanation that makes everything underneath acceptable, the public-facing story that sounds presidential enough that the real questions don’t get asked until the construction is complete and the decisions are irreversible.

    That should concern us regardless of what you think about any particular administration, because the precedent being set here is about what can be built, where it can be built, and how much the public is entitled to know about infrastructure that will determine how government functions for decades to come.

    Sources Cited
    Corporate Filings & Contract DataNAVFAC IDIQ – Clark Construction (N40080-23-D-0027) https://www.highergov.com/idv/N4008023D0027/ Clark Construction – Confidential Client Data Centers 1, 2, 3, 4 https://www.clarkconstruction.com/our-work/projects/confidential-client-data-centers-1-2-3-4​ Clark Construction – Confidential Client Data Center 6 https://www.clarkconstruction.com/our-work/projects/confidential-client-data-center-6 (Official portfolio page listing multiple classified data center projects)​​ Clark Construction - Confidential Client Data Center 5 https://www.clarkconstruction.com/our-work/projects/confidential-client-data-center-5 Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee September 9, 2025 https://www.pjm.com/-/media/DotCom/committees-groups/committees/teac/2025/20250909/20250909-item-16---reliability-analysis-update.pdf Union Pacific – Fiber Optic Standards Manual https://www.uprr.com/aboutup/telecom/attachments/fiber_standards_manual.pdf​ USACE / Boxabl – Guantánamo Bay Modular Units (referenced in Mobile District awards forecast) https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1816937/000109690621000536/filename1.htm​

    Government Releases & Official Statements​Microsoft – “Accelerating AI adoption for the US government” (OneGov / Stargate context) https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-security-blog/accelerate-ai-adoption-with-next-gen-security-and-governance-capabilities/4296064​ Pepco – Capital Grid and Downtown Capacity Upgrades https://thesource.pepcoholdings.com/building-a-more-resilient-future-pepcos-investments-in-the-local-energy-grid/​ GSA / Design Excellence – Shalom Baranes Federal Work (St. Elizabeths, DHS, etc.) https://www.sgh.com/project/st-elizabeths-west-campus-center-building/

    Defense, Intelligence & Infrastructure ContractsBooz Allen – $1.58B DIA Intelligence Analysis & CWMD Contract https://intelligencecommunitynews.com/booz-allen-wins-1-58b-dia-intelligence-analysis-contract/​​ Clark Construction – CISA Cybersecurity Headquarters at St. Elizabeths https://www.constructiondive.com/news/clark-construction-dc-cybersecurity-csa-headquarters/725043/​ Breaking Defense – DoD Fiber Modernization & High-Capacity Networks https://breakingdefense.com/2025/11/the-pentagons-fiber-future-how-dod-networks-race-to-meet-new-demands/​

    Data Center & Cloud InfrastructureData Center Dynamics – Oracle’s Second Israel Data Center Nine Floors Underground https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/oracles-data-center-israel-safra-catz/ Oracle inaugurates regional cloud center in Jerusalem, plans to open 2nd site https://www.timesofisrael.com/oracle-inaugurates-regional-cloud-center-in-jerusalem-plans-to-open-2nd-site/

    White House East Wing Demolition & Ballroom DonorsCNN – East Wing Demolition Photos https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/politics/east-wing-white-house-photos-demolition AP News – Donors & Construction Details for Trump’s White House Ballroom https://apnews.com/article/donors-to-trump-white-house-ballroom-d4dd174eeb30ac244354a5a25551a86b​ ​Fortune / Other Outlets – List of 37 White House Ballroom Donors https://fortune.com/2025/10/26/37-white-house-ballroom-donors-funding-300-million-build-tech-ceos-trump/​ Bloomberg – Boxabl Founders and Trump Donor Bump https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-24/boxabl-founders-hope-trump-bump-sends-their-wealth-to-the-moon

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  37. TradeBait2

    TradeBait2(@tradebait2)

    Online

    Coyote

    December 18, 2025 15:32

    https:/twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/2001706721421500918?s=20

    This is important to understand.

    A massive DECOUPLING is already happening.

    Most people can’t see it.

    Panicans constantly complain about the $38 trillion debt and the trillion dollar interest payment on that debt.

    These complainers, will tell you that it’s not sustainable and everything is going to crash and burn.

    Then why hasn’t it?

    Why are we seeing instead, a rapidly growing economy, inflation coming in way lower than expected and real wages quickly rising?

    How is that even possible?

    Do you know what the projected GDP number is for the year?

    3.5%

    How is that possible, considering the fact that we are drowning in debt and government spending is out of control? The massive printing of money, should be driving inflation higher. That’s what the panicans keep telling people.
    But the exact opposite is happening.

    Why?

    There’s a good answer.

    Trump is BANKRUPTING the “system.”
    The entire corrupt “system,” not just the financial system, but the corrupt government system too.
    While at the same time, he’s making the American people wealthier.

    A DECOUPLING.

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told us exactly what was coming from the beginning.

    “Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that despite the success of Wall Street in recent years, the Trump administration believes it is Main Street’s turn to lead the economy.”

    https://foxbusiness.com/economy/trump-agenda-focused-main-street-restoring-american-dream-bessent-says

    Can you see what Trump is doing?

    He’s DECOUPLING the American people from the “Federal Reserve/government DEBT.”

    It’s not the debt burden of the American people.

    Almost all of that debt has been created by corrupt bankers, the politicians they controlled and the CIA/shadow government, that kept us purposely in a constant state of war, as they stole taxpayers money.
    Not to mention all the government programs that are all full of fraud.

    That debt does not belong to the American people and Trump is going to make sure we don’t get stuck paying it back.

    Trump is maxing out the “government credit card” by giving the people massive tax cuts.

    That’s less money for the government and more for the people.
    The people are getting to keep their money.
    Trump is going to make the FED eat that government debt and it’s already happening.

    The government will no longer get to pick the winners and losers in the economy by handing out taxpayers money to their favored cronies.

    Instead, the people will choose the winners and losers by deciding how best to spend their own money.

    Main Street is now going to prosper, not Wall Street or the government.

    “Confirming President Trump’s triumphant comments last night, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this week that an increase in Americans’ tax refunds would enable the United States to “go back to the kind of economy that we had.”
    While speaking to Fox Business, Bessent said that “substantial refunds” are coming to Americans after they submit their taxes in the first quarter.
    “They will get an increase in real incomes. So I am very optimistic for working Americans, for job growth, for capital formation,” the secretary said.”

    “Later in the interview, the secretary said that after larger increases in tax refunds, some workers will be able to keep “more of their paychecks” and predicted the United States would “go back to the kind of non-inflationary growth where working Americans do better than supervised workers.”
    He added that the government shutdown that lasted for a month and a half “was a hit to GDP [and] slowed things down.”
    “We’re still going to finish the year probably [with] 3.5 percent GDP growth, which is incredible,” he said.
    Regarding inflation, which has been relatively elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic years, Bessent forecast a “substantial drop” in prices during the first six months of 2026, adding that “rents are down” due to a drop in mass illegal immigration.
    “President Trump, by enforcing the border, sending home more than 2 million illegals, we’re now seeing … rents coming down substantially,” he said.”

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  39. Just The News: “Police in Rhode Island told reporters Thursday that they are investigating whether the shooting at Brown University over the weekend and the Monday shooting of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor are linked. 

    A perpetrator has not been identified or arrested in either shooting so far, but authorities are investigating a possible link based on information that surfaced in the past 24-hours, according to CNN. If the same person is connected, they would have had to travel approximately 50 miles from Providence to Boston to do reconnaissance of each site and carry out separate crimes.

    The shooting at Brown University occurred on Saturday, leaving two students dead and nine wounded. Six of the victims are still in the hospital, according to NBC News. 

    Law enforcement has released several videos from the day of the attack, showing the suspected shooter on the streets just off campus. The person in the footage is wearing a mask or has their head turned.

    Authorities probing the Brown shooting told Just the News on Thursday that a person of interest in the shooting has been identified, and a warrant is out for their arrest. But the name of the person of interest has not yet been publicly released. 

    The shooting of the MIT professor on Monday night resulted in the death of the professor Nuno Loureiro, who died on Tuesday. He was shot at his home in Brookline, Mass. Loureiro was a nuclear science and engineering professor from Portugal, and director of MIT’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center.

    The FBI said earlier this week that there were no clear direct links between the shootings, but as the investigations have continued, authorities are exploring additional leads to see if there is a connection.  

    Authorities in Rhode Island are expected to hold a press briefing Thursday afternoon with an update on the investigation at Brown University, but the time of the briefing was not immediately clear after it was delayed beyond 4 p.m. Eastern.” 

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