They didn’t just kill student loan forgiveness—they reached into people’s lives and torched promises that were already in progress. In this episode, we break down how the Big Ugly Bill gutted SAVE, PSLF, and every income-based repayment plan we’ve relied on for decades—and how millions of borrowers are now stuck paying full balances with interest for the rest of their lives.

Then we dive into the so-called Workforce Pell Grant—a bait-and-switch gift to trade school students that sounds generous but excludes nearly 80% of real programs. If you thought the alternative to college was safe, think again. This isn’t reform. It’s punishment—for not being wealthy.

Episode Resources

Note: This is just a small sampling of resources on this Big Ugly Bill. DuckDuckGo is your friend.

~ H.R.1 The Big Beautiful Bill Act

~ Bipartisan Policy Center: Workforce Pell Grant

~ The Brookings Insitute: The Case for Doubling the Pell Grant

~ Financial Times: Millions Face Collections

~ New America: Bad Policy Gotten Worse: Short Term Pells

~ Inside Higher Ed: What's Next

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In Episode 1 we covered the cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. In this episode, we go deeper.

The cuts don’t stop at Medicaid and food assistance—they come for the very systems meant to keep us alive. From rural hospitals to reproductive rights, this bill takes aim at the infrastructure of care.

What happens when your clinic disappears?
When the ambulance never arrives?
When your rights are rewritten in silence?

This isn’t about fiscal policy. It’s about power and who’s left without it.

Press play. It’s all connected.

Episode Resources

Note: This is but a sample of resources on this bill. DuckDuckGo is your friend.

~ H.R. 1. The Big Beautiful Bill Act

~ Human Rights Campaign

~ Rural Hospitals At Risk

~ Medicaid Redetermination Policy

~ Michigan Medicaid Cuts

~ Kentucky Hospital Risks

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Welcome to The Big Ugly Bill Breakdown, a special series from Pulse on Politics that breaks down what is arguably the most destructive piece of legislation passed in modern U.S. history—H.R.1, signed on July 4th by a rogue president.

In this first episode, we start with SNAP and Medicaid; programs that feed the hungry and provide healthcare for those with the least are now being gutted in broad daylight, wrapped in language that makes it sound like reform.

But it’s not reform. It’s punishment. And millions of people are about to feel it.

We’re not just reading headlines. We’re walking you through what this bill actually does—line by line, section by section—so you understand how deep the cuts go, who’s going to suffer, and who’s cashing in while the rest of us lose what’s left of our social safety net.

This is more than a policy change. It’s a blueprint for cruelty lead by American fascists.

Subscribe and stay with us. There’s a lot more to come.

Episode Resources

Note: these are only a small number of the unlimited resources regarding this topic. DuckDuckGo is your friend.

~ H.R.1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act

~ GAO SNAP Statistics

~ USDA SNAP Statistics

~ CBPP Worsening SNAP's Harsh Work Requirements

~ EPI Work Requirements for SNAP and Medicaid

~ Gig Economy Labor Trends

~ Gig Economy Data

~ American Progress Medicaid Cuts

Magazine and Foundation Links
PULSE of the Great Lakes Magazine
Love Where You Live Foundation
Shop PULSE of the Great Lakes Products

Love Where You Live Podcast on YouTube

Follow Us On Social Media
YouTube
Facebook
TicTok
Instagram
Threads