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Lisa Murkowski Slammed After Criticizing Massive Budget Bill She Just Voted For
Jul 02, 2025
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski was slammed after she claimed that President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is "not there yet" despite casting the deciding vote to narrowly pass it before sending it back to the House.
In a marathon voting session, the Senate narrowly passed the legislation in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after three Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition.
Murkowski, who had voiced consistent concerns about the bill’s cuts to social safety net programs, ultimately voted yes, saying she "struggled mightily." She outlined the concessions she secured for Alaska, including tribal exemptions from new work requirements for SNAP recipients, as well as a temporary exemption from SNAP cuts for Alaska and several other states with high error rates in benefit distribution.
But in a statement afterward, she criticized the "awful process" and urged the House to revise the Senate's version:
“We do not have a perfect bill by any stretch of the imagination. My hope is that House is going to look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.”
In a separate interview with NBC News correspondent Ryan Noble, she said:
“Do I like this bill? No. But I tried to take care of Alaska’s interests.”
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Asked why she supported the bill despite its flaws, Murkowski said that voting against it would have effectively killed the legislation:
"Kill it and it's gone. There is a tax impact coming forward. That's gonna hurt the people in my state."
But that reasoning doesn't make sense, according to MSNBC producer and political commentator Steve Benen, who said her position is "quite odd, even by congressional standards":
"Murkowski is apparently under the impression that the Senate’s version of the inaptly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act is simply the latest iteration in an ongoing series, and that the package will continue to evolve in the coming days. By this reasoning, the Alaskan’s vote was less of an endorsement of this specific proposal and more of a way to keep the process going."
"But that’s a difficult position to take seriously. For one thing, if she’d joined the bipartisan minority that opposed this bill, it wouldn’t have “killed” the legislation; it would’ve opened the door to a new round of negotiations in the Senate — where Murkowski could’ve exercised enormous influence."
"While giving up her leverage, she’s apparently hoping to see House members do the work she could’ve been involved in directly. ... but as far as the White House and GOP leaders are concerned, the negotiations are over."
"There’s nothing left to talk about. The bill is done. The House’s job is to approve it, as is, quickly and with as little fuss as possible."
Many have called out her hypocrisy, saying she "sold out" the country.
The House has already taken steps to move the legislation to a floor vote and, in a statement, Speaker Mike Johnson and his leadership team said the plan is to have the bill approved by Independence Day, stressing "we intend to deliver without delay."
Even so, Republicans can afford to lose only three votes in the House. An earlier version passed by a razor-thin margin, and the Senate’s revisions have sparked backlash among some GOP lawmakers.
According to Florida Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost, “about 20 Republicans” currently oppose the measure. While negotiations are ongoing with both moderates and far-right members who’ve voiced objections to various provisions, Frost added that Republicans on both ends of the spectrum “always fold.”
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Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Things People Initially Found Attractive About Their Partner That Now Annoy Them
Jul 02, 2025
Being in a relationship can be wonderful, but it's not without its ups and downs.
In order for it to work, we have to allow it to grow and change over time rather than being locked forever into what it was when we first started dating our person.
But sometimes something that we once loved about our partner might become something that we just might want to break up with them over.
Curious, Redditor danger_close555 asked:
"What was once attractive in your spouse but now is soul-grating?"
If He Wanted To, He Would
"I really respect that he always tries to go above and beyond to help his family and friends. Now it sometimes feels like there’s no place for me."
- underthestarr
"I feel that with my entire being. The ability to even attend one event or go to one place that I would enjoy is too much of an ask. Mom, Dad, friends…he’ll do it all for them. Did not realize that my interests wouldn’t be included as a spouse."
- Specific_Presence951
No Interest In The Encyclopedia
"My ex-wife used to love how I 'always knew random stuff about everything.' During our first years together, she would point at a book or a place, and I'd try to give some information about the author or some historical context to the type of building, etc."
"She slowly stopped asking me for it and even made fun of me for googling things when I wasn't too sure about them. And, then, by the end, when we were doing one last push to try and stay together, she told me she found me boring, and she only listened to my random facts to humor me while wanting to scream inside her head."
- Tattoo-ootta7
Constant Need To Socialize
"He was super outgoing, loved socializing, and was the life of the party."
"He just could not sit at home or hang out with me. He had this compulsion to leave. On our wedding night, he was out with friends till 5:00 AM. When I was hospitalized with a serious illness, he called his friends over to hang out in the hospital waiting area and left me to hang out with them. At the birth of our child, he was out celebrating with friends."
"It was this weird pathological compulsion to party that got old very fast."
- 100thusername
The Toxic Family
"Him being a family man. I came from a small family of addicts and alcoholics, so the idea of having a family who wanted to spend time together was a green flag to me at the time."
"Six years later… my in-laws realized they didn’t want me in their family because that meant my (now ex) husband had to be MY husband first and their 'precious son' second."
"Wanting personal time with him meant I was 'stealing him' away from the family. He couldn’t put his foot down with his family, and his family couldn’t admit that my ex-husband had flaws like everyone else. Everything was 'my fault,' and it severely damaged our marriage."
- Cute-Aardvark-9428
What Decisions?
"He was super chill, just a go with the flow kinda dude. Now it infuriates me because he struggles to make decisions."
- CrabbiestAsp
"My ex gf was like that. At first, it was endearing. After a while, I hated how little she cared about anything. It was so annoying."
- abart90
"My husband cares about stuff, but he just wants me to be happy, so he wants me to pick everything I want. But sometimes I just want him to make choices so I don't have to."
- MissAuroraRed
Never Taken Seriously
"I found it funny when he didn’t let the conversation turn really serious by having a sense of humor and saying something randomly funny, everything felt light and nice."
"Now I can’t have serious conversations with him for longer than three minutes without mentioning that what I want is a serious conversation and to stop making jokes that are not needed."
- Proper_Jellyfish
Not A Joking Matter
"His sense of humor. Now he will roast me every chance he gets."
- TheSecretSecretary
"My husband was this way. Thought it was funny to joke and say mean things."
"Once he did it to me in front of other people and like tried to make me the joke. I drew a line in the sand and told him, 'Hey, when you do that to me, I really don’t like it. I know you think it’s funny, but over time, it becomes really hard to think you don’t really think those things about me, since you say them so often.'"
"I just had to remind him a few times, but it did stop, and we’re better because of it. A first normal reaction is to be defensive, 'You can’t take a joke, blah blah blah,' but I just responded something like, 'Well, maybe not, but I don’t like the way it makes me feel, and I thought you as my husband could understand and respect that.' He thought about it and came around."
- YoouAlreadyKnow
Chill Or Uninvolved?
"I used to love how chill and laid-back she was. Nothing ruffled her, and I thought it was so grounding. But now, it’s not chill, it’s passive. I’ll be stressing over plans or house stuff, and she's just there, acting like everything's alright. No reaction at all."
- lazerbeem123456
"Yes... 'chill' becomes uninvolved."
- EnvironmentalEase285
Sharing Is Caring
"He could speak about his emotions so easily and openly, and that was very impressive to me, and I'm the opposite."
"Ten years down the road, I learned to express my emotions a bit better, but there was never space for me to do so because he would talk about his all the bloody time."
"Everything was about him and how it made him feel, and I was like... well... I know you're not used to me expressing that, but I'm feeling things too!"
- ThrowRA_RuaMadureira
Workaholic Life
"His ambition and work ethic. Now all I see is that he’s a workaholic."
- jesscmarks
"My husband will go go go, at work and at home. Never stops. My girlfriends with husbands who need to be told what to do are so envious of me. And I’m like, 'Yes, and there’s a dark side. He can’t relax, he can’t enjoy.' It really wears you down."
- itsadialectic
Boundaries And Commitment
"His willingness to help people. It was great, and I thought, oh, he’s so kind!! But then I noticed that when I needed help with something… he was too busy because he was helping so-and-so. I have to beg for it. It’s maddening."
- hylieanjijinx
"I always wonder when this happens if you have become so close he sees you as an extension of himself, and he doesn’t take as good care of himself as he would others, so you become neglected. Does that resonate at all?"
- snossberr
Offensive Instead Of Funny
"He always said 'funny,' things but now they just sound offensive."
- Short-Quit-7659
"I can agree. My kids' mom, she would talk trash, and I mean like with the best of them, and I always thought it was funny, but she would do it in private, and after a few years, it was just the worst. Always getting put down."
- danger_close555
Not A Therapist
"He initially came across as quiet/mysterious, and then it morphed into or revealed itself to be emotionally unavailable, but I’m not perfect either, and we have gone to therapy and are getting better."
- catpunsfreakmeowt
Holier Than Thou Workaholic
"How driven he is. It’s great to see him working hard for his goals, but it’s hard being with a workaholic who thinks you’re lazy because you don’t want to work 70 hours a week like they do."
- oldhagbag
"My spouse absolutely doesn't get why I'm not into the career climb. It's all he cares about (yes, more than me), and me being completely satisfied working only 8 hours and not wanting to be disturbed by work at home blows his mind."
"He says I'm not driven enough. And over time, I realized he's incapable of being happy and content."
- cloistered_around
A Clock That's Right Twice Per Day
"This is a now ex of many years, but I found him to be really smart, engaged, and achievement-oriented. He is certainly the last two, but over time, I realized he mostly came off as intelligent because he just talked SO MUCH."
"Truly, in retrospect, it was like dating Joe Rogan. He would talk endlessly about everything, things he knew nothing about, and with such confidence. Insufferable once you notice it."
- Spicei
A Sad Reality
"This post is going to trigger a lot of breakups."
- Adi_San
"I hope so. Some of these comments are sad."
- StarPhish
Some of these left our minds reeling, because they seem like such great qualities at first, but it's easy to see how they could grate over time.
Sometimes, there's such a thing as too much of a good thing, and it can certainly become terrible if it evolves into something negative.
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JD Vance Gets Perfectly Shamed After Claiming Medicaid Cuts In Budget Bill Are 'Immaterial'
Jul 02, 2025
Critics slammed Vice President JD Vance after he claimed that the "minutiae of the Medicaid policy" in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," are "immaterial" to the millions of Americans who would lose their healthcare coverage if it were to become law.
According to The Washington Post, the bill "includes the biggest reduction of funding for the federal safety net since at least the 1990s, targeting more than $1 trillion in social spending." WaPo noted that the $3 trillion package "partially pays for its large price tag by slashing spending on Medicaid and food stamps SNAP), which congressional Republicans maintain are rife with fraud."
Vance said the biggest priority for the administration in passing the bill—which cleared the Senate on Tuesday and must now pass the House before lawmakers send it to Trump's desk—is eliminating the "generous benefits" migrants receive, effectively downplaying the impact that the other cuts in the 940-page legislation will have on American lives.
He said:
"The thing that will bankrupt this country more than any other policy is flooding the country with illegal immigration and then giving those migrants generous benefits. The OBBB fixes this problem. And therefore it must pass."
"Everything else—the CBO score, the proper baseline, the minutiae of the Medicaid policy—is immaterial compared to the ICE money and immigration enforcement provisions."
You can see his post below.
It's not "immaterial" however.
The legislation is projected to slash Medicaid funding by around 18% and reduce the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by about 20%, based on estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The CBO also forecasts that the bill could cost roughly 12 million fewer people their Medicaid coverage; over 2 million fewer people would rely on food assistance.
Under the bill, individuals earning just above the federal poverty line would be required to start paying out of pocket for certain Medicaid services, such as doctor visits and lab tests.
States would be allowed to charge these enrollees up to 5% of their income in cost-sharing, potentially adding up to hundreds of dollars each year. Experts warn that while Democratic-led states may opt for relatively low co-pays, Republican-led states could impose higher fees that many low-income residents would be unable to afford.
Additionally, the legislation includes provisions to limit loopholes that increase federal reimbursements to hospitals for Medicaid services. Hospital associations warn the changes could jeopardize the viability of rural hospitals already under financial strain. With less federal funding and more uncompensated care, some facilities may be forced to shut down or cut services significantly.
Vance was swiftly criticized for his heartless remark.
According to the Leonard Davis Institute of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of people could lose their lives in the coming years as a result of these cuts.
The cuts are projected to cost more than 51,000 people their lives every year. Dual-eligible individuals—those who rely on both Medicaid and Medicare—would die as a result of losing subsidies that lower the cost of their medications to the tune of 18,200 people a year.
The legislation would postpone for ten years the implementation of a new federal rule requiring minimum staffing levels in nursing homes—a policy aimed at improving quality of care. Experts at UPenn found that delaying this rule could result in approximately 13,000 additional deaths annually among nursing home residents.
Meanwhile, researchers at Yale estimate that the coverage losses resulting from the bill could lead to more than 20,000 additional deaths each year. In addition, the legislation would postpone for ten years the implementation of a new federal rule requiring minimum staffing levels in nursing homes—a policy aimed at improving quality of care.
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Ian McKellen Moved To Tears After Massive Glastonbury Crowd Starts Chanting His Name
Jul 01, 2025
Acting icon Sir Ian McKellen was moved to tears after joining the Scissor Sisters on stage at this year's Glastonbury Music Festival and standing before a crowd that showed their love by chanting his name.
The openly gay actor—best known to legions of fans around the world for his performances as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Magneto in the live-action X-Men films—made a surprise appearance on the Woodsies stage for Saturday’s headline set.
Long regarded as one of the world's most accomplished and renowned theater performers, Sir Ian was there to perform his monologue from the Scissor Sisters’ 2010 single “Invisible Light," which is featured on their third studio album Night Work.
In videos shared online, the 86-year-old is seen backstage wiping away tears and covering his face after the performance, while the audience chants “Sir Ian McKellen” to the melody of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”
You can see multiple videos of Sir Ian's performance and reaction below.
Many were moved by the touching moment and also shared their love and appreciation for the acting legend.
Sir Ian has shown no signs of slowing down his career after more than six decades of performances—not even after making headlines last year when he lost his footing and fell off the stage while in the middle of a fight scene in Player Kings at London's Noël Coward Theatre.
The actor was hospitalized and later made a full recovery. The play's producers later thanked "our audience and the general public for their well wishes following Ian’s fall."
Sir Ian later took to X himself to thank his fans for their love and support and expressed his gratitude for the "series of experts, specialists, and nurses working for the National Health Service" who treated him after his accident. He said that "to them, of course, I am deeply indebted."
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Trump Just Unveiled His Expensive New Line Of Fragrances—And The Bottle Is Peak Trump
Jul 01, 2025
President Donald Trump was widely mocked after he took to Truth Social to announce his latest narcissistic venture: a new line of Trump Fragrances for men and women called "Victory 45-47" that comes in a bottle shaped like a small gold statue of himself.
The Victory 45-47 fragrances are priced at $249 for a 100ml bottle, with a $50 discount on each when buying two or more. The women’s perfume is marketed as “a sophisticated, subtly feminine scent that’s your go-to signature for any occasion,” while the men’s cologne is described as offering “rich, masculine notes with a refined, lasting finish.”
Trump wrote:
"Trump Fragrances are here. They're called "Victory 45-47" because they're all about Winning, Strength, and Success — For men and women. Get yourself a bottle, and don't forget to get one for your loved ones too. Enjoy, have fun, and keep winning!"
You can see his post below.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
Though Trump will undoubtedly benefit—having consistently turned to financial contributions from his supporters to profit as well as pay his legal bills—a note on the Victory 45-47 website states the following:
“Trump Fragrances are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals.”
But no one was buying it.
This is the second time in the last year that Trump has made headlines for marketing fragrances bearing his name and likeness.
In December 2024, Trump came under fire for his new line of "Fight Fight Fight" cologne, each bottle selling for $199. At the time, he described the line as "great Christmas gifts for the family."
When Trump shared the news, he also included an image of his fragrances superimposed over a photo of himself with then-First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, with whom he'd had a cordial conversation at the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The photo included the caption "A FRAGRANCE YOUR ENEMIES CAN'T RESIST!"
At the time, critics dismissed the venture as another one of Trump's many money-making schemes and admonished him for using a picture of Dr. Biden for profit without her consent.
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