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RG Richardson Communications News

I am a business economist with interests in international trade worldwide through politics, money, banking and VOIP Communications. The author of RG Richardson City Guides has over 300 guides, including restaurants and finance.

eComTechnology Posts

Our House Was a Very, Very, Very Fine House

Our House Was a Very, Very, Very Fine House Trump views the physical history of the White House much as he views the nation’s laws: somethi...

Billionaires Feast While The Nation Starves

 

Billionaires Feast While The Nation Starves

While America bleeds jobs and families count pennies at checkout lines, the tech titans gorge themselves on power, carving up the future like it’s their private buffet.

Guest article by Michael Cohen. Make sure to follow him on Substack for more by clicking here.

Picture the scene: a long table dripping with excess, chandeliers glowing above, the smell of wealth so thick it practically fogged the room. This wasn’t dinner; it was theater. A pageant of power dressed up as a “tech summit.” The titans of industry gathered not to brainstorm innovation or discuss how technology could serve humanity. No, they came to kiss the ring, to trade favors, and to make sure their slice of the future stayed locked in their vaults.

Notice who wasn’t there: Elon Musk. And that tells you everything. This wasn’t just a meeting of the brightest minds in technology; it was a curated guest list of insiders who understood the real assignment: pledge loyalty, secure access, and leave with the guarantee that when policy chips are dealt, their hands are always full. Musk may have the rockets and the tweets, but for this table, the price of admission wasn’t innovation. It was obedience. (Editors note: Musk, who practically lived at the White House for months before his very public fallout with Trump, claims he was unable to attend).

The rest showed up with bells on. CEOs, financiers, venture capitalists—all lining up for a photo op with power. They didn’t come for the steak or the wine, though you can bet it was flown in, aged perfectly, and poured from bottles that cost more than a month’s rent for most families. They came because proximity pays. One evening at that table is worth more than a year of lobbying. Influence doesn’t happen in legislation anymore; it happens in dining rooms, under chandeliers, between bites of foie gras.

Meanwhile, outside the Trump banquet dinner, America is crumbling. A mere 22,000 jobs were created last month—well below the expectation of 75,000. Wages are flat. Prices are up. Unemployment ticked up to 4.3%, a level not seen since September of 2017. Families are rationing groceries, skipping medical appointments, watching their savings vanish like smoke. The labor market is in the toilet, and the pain is finally hitting home; not on Wall Street, not in Silicon Valley, but in every checkout line across the country. And while working families count pennies, the richest men in the world count favors and their increased billions.

The hypocrisy is staggering. These moguls love to talk about “innovation,” “disruption,” “the future.” But innovation here means automation that kills jobs. Disruption means deregulation that pads their profits. The future they’re building isn’t one where your life gets easier; it’s one where you’re monitored, monetized, and left holding the bill. They speak the language of progress while practicing the art of extraction.

And the whole scene was drenched in a kind of performative civility that makes the stomach turn. Perfect table settings, polite laughter, plates cleared before they’re half-finished. It’s not dining, it’s choreography; every fork and napkin another reminder of the hierarchy. They feast while the country starves. They toast to “partnerships” while millions wonder how to pay for groceries. They smile for the cameras because the optics are the point: this is who owns the future, and you are not invited.

The real obscenity isn’t the wealth. It’s the timing. These titans saw the collapsing job market not as a warning sign but as an opening. When Americans are desperate, distracted, and hurting, that’s when power is easiest to consolidate. They didn’t come to solve the crisis; they came to profit from it. They know influence is cheapest when people are suffering. That’s the opportunity of the moment: while the public drowns, they build higher walls around their yachts.

And make no mistake: they knew exactly what they were doing. Every word at that table was transactional. Every smile had a price tag. They weren’t there to brainstorm the next great leap for mankind; they were there to make sure the next great leap pays dividends to them. They see government not as a public trust but as a vending machine, and a dinner like this is how you get the tokens.

What happened that night wasn’t a summit; it was a loyalty feeding frenzy. The richest men in America circling the table, not to eat, but to devour influence, carve up policy, and gorge themselves on the future. The labor market is collapsing, families are hurting, but for the titans, that’s just background noise. The only sound that mattered was the clink of glasses sealing the deal.

And the rest of us? We’re left with the scraps, watching billionaires lick their chops while we foot the bill.

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.


HAD ENOUGH YET? SICK AND TIRED OF THE BILLIONAIRE CLASS ROBBING US AND OUR CHILDREN OF THEIR FUTURE?

IF YES, THEN PLEASE, SUBSCRIBE. SHARE. RESTACK. JOIN ME!!!!

I know—you’re drained. Burned out. Numb from the chaos.

Same here.

But for nearly a decade I’ve been swinging in the dark, carving out space for truth to breathe. Now I’m asking you to swing with me.

Because if you’ve made it this far, you already know:

This isn’t a newsletter. It’s a battle cry. A siren. A line drawn deep in the dirt.

We are not bystanders watching the wreckage pile up. We are the pushback. We drag the rot into daylight. We speak the unspeakable and refuse to blink.

But here’s the catch—I can’t carry this fight alone.

The storm isn’t coming—it’s here. Wrapped in red, white, and blue. Preaching “liberty” while peddling authoritarianism like it’s a discount sale.

So I’ll ask you straight:

Are. You. With. Me?

This isn’t the kind of post you skim and forget. This is movement. Messy, loud, relentless movement—and it only exists if you fuel it.

We need to shout past spin, punch holes through propaganda, and be immune to gaslighting. That takes more than clicks. More than hollow likes.

It takes skin in the game.

So if you believe truth matters—if you’re sick of the circus, if you want to stop screaming into the void and start striking back—this is your moment.

Here’s how you throw down:

  • Become a paid subscriber. Fund the kind of journalism that doesn’t flinch.

  • Share this with the loudest voices you know—the ones who never bite their tongue.

  • Build the community. Amplify the message. Be the megaphone.

And yeah—Founding Members: the first 240 will get a signed, numbered, limited-edition Substack version of Revenge. Not just a collector’s item. It’s proof. Evidence that you stood up instead of sitting out.

But don’t get it twisted:

This isn’t about a book.

It’s about guts.

It’s about spine.

It’s about locking arms and saying, “Not. On. Our. Watch.”

You want to make a dent? Then make it—now.

Because if we don’t fight for truth, no one will.

But if we fight together?

They. Can’t. Silence. Us.

Let’s be so loud they’ll pray we were only angry tweets.

Let’s be immovable.

Unshakable.

Unignorable.

Un-fucking-breakable.

Game on.

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

A guest post by
Michael Cohen
Principal of Crisis-X #1 and #8 NYT Bestseller Author Host of The Mea Culpa Podcast Co-Host of The Political Beatdown Former Personal Attorney To President Donald J. Trump and Discharged Felon
Subscribe to Michael

Microsoft Teams and VoIP Integration for Businesses

Microsoft Teams and VoIP Integration for Businesse








No more juggling multiple apps or 

dealing with complex third-party 





integrations.













Integrating VoIP.ms with Microsoft Teams allows you to easily place and receive calls directly on your Teams app while coupling it with VoIP.ms powerful phone features such as Call Forwarding, Call Transcription, and Call Recording. This can be easily leveraged whether you’re at your desk or on the go.


The integration is perfect for companies utilizing Microsoft Teams and looking to add more flexibility to their business operations. It combines the convenience of the Teams app interface with VoIP.ms’ robust solutions.


VoIP.ms enables you to easily add users and phone lines as your organization grows, providing significant flexibility and unparalleled cost savings.

 


Softphone   

A softphone is software you can download for your mobile phone, laptop, or tablet. It works as a connector between your VoIP provider and the traditional telecommunications network.   

When building your professional virtual phone system, you’ll learn that your business phone system must have a softphone to work – IP phones and other hardware are optional.  

You can use Microsoft Teams as a softphone (and we have a connector to help!) or hire another third-party app.   

Take a look at an in-depth list of softphones and their main features in our Wiki but know that some of them are free, others have a paywall to either get the softphone or unlock its full potential.  

For this scenario, let’s choose Zoiper: it offers free versions for iOS, Android and desktop, but a paid version with full access to all its functionalities. Assuming a small company with a limited budget, initially a free mobile app or desktop version might suffice.   

Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google’s New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy

Android Security or Vendor Lock-In? Google’s New Sideloading Rules Smell Fishy

Google already dominates the global smartphone market through Android, and now it is taking another step that has many, including myself, concerned. You see, Android powers more than 70 percent of smartphones worldwide, which gives Google unrivaled influence over how billions of people use their devices.

The company announced that starting in 2026, apps installed on certified Android devices, whether through the Play Store, sideloaded APKs, or third-party stores like F-Droid, will need to come from a developer who has gone through Google’s new verification process.

Google frames this as a security measure to protect against fraud and malware. According to its own research, apps from internet sideloading sources are over 50 times more likely to contain malware compared to those on the Play Store. The main idea here is to make it harder for repeat offenders to return under a new identity after being banned.

The irony here is hard to ignore. Despite years of security features baked into Android, sophisticated spyware like Pegasus has still managed to bypass protections and infect devices. It is difficult not to see this as Google tightening its grip on the entire Android ecosystem under the guise of safety.

The rollout begins in October 2025 with early access for some developers, expanding to all developers in March 2026. By September 2026, the requirements will be enforced in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. A global rollout is expected from 2027 onward.

Security or Gatekeeping?

the android developer verification is shown here with two main steps listed
The steps required to get verified under the Android Developer Verification program.

The verification process will require developers to register with Google through a dedicated Android Developer Console, built specifically for those distributing outside the Play Store.

A separate dashboard will exist for student and hobbyist developers, but the system still requires sharing personal identifying information like legal name, address, and phone number with Google.

Do you see the problem with this approach?

This change will have major implications for free and open source software. F-Droid and other alternative app stores rely on independent developers, many of whom may be unwilling or unable to provide their personal details to Google.

While sideloading will technically remain possible, the barrier of developer verification means fewer apps will be available outside Google’s control.

In practice, this could turn Google into the effective gatekeeper for all apps on "certified" Android devices, which includes nearly every modern Android phone that hasn’t been rooted, aside from the likes of Huawei.

This will be difficult for competition regulators worldwide to ignore. By requiring all apps on certified Android devices to come from Google-verified developers, the company is not banning sideloading outright, but it is centralizing control over who can distribute apps at scale.


Companies are benefiting from AI-driven layoffs

 

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

There was a time not long ago when a CEO would announce mass firings to the dismay of investors. But these days, with cheaper generative AI replacing the more costly humans, it’s become a point of pride for CEOs—and a reason for shareholders to celebrate.

The latest example is Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff telling The Logan Bartlett Show podcast about cutting 4,000 customer service jobs thanks to the type of AI that Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson seemingly can’t function without. In June, Benioff said that AI is doing 50% of the work at Salesforce. Yesterday, the slimmed-down company reported a Q2 double beat on revenue ($10.24b vs. $10.14b) and EPS ($2.91 vs. $2.78), although weaker guidance for Q3 sent the stock tumbling after hours.

It’s a feature, not a bug

There’s no shortage of companies leveraging AI to remain profitable, to the delight of (non-Salesforce) investors:

  • Wells Fargo’s CEO has touted trimming its workforce for 20 straight quarters. Its stock is up 228% over the past five years.
  • Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan wasn’t hiding it during a recent earnings call when he said the company has let go of 88,000 employees over the past 15 years. BofA stock is up 95% since 2020.
  • Amazon, with its share value up 28% over the past year, recently told staff that AI implementation would lead to layoffs.
  • Microsoft has cut 15,000 jobs in the past two months as the company pivots to AI—and its stock is also up since the beginning of July.

Zoom out: Per HR Dive, 34% of CEOs plan to enact layoffs in the next 12 months, the fifth straight quarter that number has risen. Molly Kinder, a senior fellow at Brookings, whose expertise is in AI and the present and future of work, told the WSJ: “I don’t think that’s good news for the American worker.”—DL


Residents, Experts Rally Against Massive Gas Plant on Sensitive N.B. Isthmus


Residents, Experts Rally Against Massive Gas Plant on Sensitive N.B. Isthmus

About 80 people gathered in the basement of a church in Midgic, New Brunswick, to oppose a proposed 500-megawatt gas plant near Centre Village, warning it could threaten wetlands, drinking water, and local wildlife—and urging a shift toward renewable energy alternatives.

Meeting organizer Terry Jones, whose 178-acre family property is only 1.4 kilometres from the plant proposed on the ecologically sensitive Chignecto Isthmus, told attendees the biggest impact of the gas plant would be on local wetlands, water, and wells, former CBC Radio journalist Bruce Wark reported for NB Media Co-op.

“And this water damage is going to travel all the way to the Tantramar River, to Sackville, to the aquifers down there. So to think that it’s just a Centre Village project, that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Jones said.

“What we need to do is look at slowing this project down for sure so that we have time,” Jones said,.“Because if everything passes through, they’re going to start in the fall drilling test wells, and in January, first quarter of next year, building and starting the infrastructure.”

“It’s not that we’re anti-progress or anti-development. Not at all,” meeting organizer and Midgic resident Juliette Bulmer told the gathering.

“It’s just such a sensitive area right here.”

It’s one of the few corridors with migratory birds, a moose project, and more, she added.

“A lot of you have been living on the land for a long time. You’ve got generations of families and you know what it’s been like living here,” Bulmer said as someone in the audience called out, “The water is so good here.”

“The water is so good here,” Bulmer repeated.

“We have a right to have clean water, clean air, and to enjoy our property,” Jones said adding there’s potential for safe, eco-friendly tourism in the area.

“But, we’re looking at building a concrete pad up there and sticking in generating stations.”

No ‘Confidence’ In The Province

MLA Megan Mitton (GPC-Tantramar) reported on the provincial environment minister’s response to her letter calling for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) that would require extensive public consultations.

She said Gilles LePage wrote back to say he would not decide on whether to order a comprehensive EIA until initial reviews had been completed, and he added: “It should be noted that comprehensive reviews are generally required for large scale projects like mines, refineries, nuclear power, etc.”

“So, I don’t have confidence in the provincial government,” Mitton said.

She offered to use her constituency office to coordinate e-mail and telephone lists as a tool for organizing and sharing information. She said she would also present petitions against the project in the legislature, but warned that legislators won’t meet until October and it’s easy for the government to ignore petitions.

Diesel Dangers

Barry Rothfuss, executive director of the Atlantic Wildlife Institute (AWI), which would be 4.5 kilometres from the generating plant, spoke about his expertise in addressing the environmental effects of projects like this.

AWI is the only organization in Atlantic Canada that is certified to deal with risks and threats to ecologically sensitive flora and fauna, and to suggest ways of mitigating damage when it occurs.

“I’ve been in a lot of facilities like this,” he said. “Just to access these facilities, you need special training. You need understanding of the environments you’re walking into.”

He added that the big, 10-generator plant will be using diesel fuel as a backup to gas. That would require a diesel storage capacity of three million gallons.

Rothfuss said if significant leaks occurred, local organizations would not have the capacity to deal with them.

“These types of facilities are notorious for leaks and things going wrong and human error,” he added.

In addition to AWI, speakers for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and EOS Eco-Energy expressed their environmental concerns about the proposed gas and diesel plant.

Renewable Alternatives

Activist Leslie Chandler told the meeting there are alternatives to fossil fuels such as gas and diesel, including battery energy storage systems.

“The cost of those systems has dropped 50% since 2022,” she said.

“And building one of those is cheaper than a gas plant,” she added referring to a report from the Clean Energy States Alliance in Maine.

Chandler noted that PROENERGY, the American company contracted to build and operate the gas plant, was holding open houses and urged people to carry a message to company representatives.

“Say our community is not having this and we are going renewable.”

“We’re just not buying it, we’re not having it, it’s not happening here,” she added.

Bruce Wark worked in broadcasting and journalism education for more than 35 years. He was at CBC Radio for nearly 20 years as senior editor of network programs such as The World at Six and World Report. He currently writes The New Wark Times, where a version of this story first appeared on August 12, 2025.

The story was published August 13, 2025 by NB Media Co-op and is republished with permission.

Proton Emergency Access: What is It?

Proton Emergency Access: What is It?

an illustration that shows the people i trust page in proton pass with an emergency contact added
Source: Proton

Imagine being stuck somewhere you cannot access your devices, maybe due to travel restrictions, an accident, a foreign occupation, or even a high-risk situation involving persecution by authorities over your work.

With this, you can assign up to five trusted contacts. These people can request access to your Proton account if you are unavailable, but you stay in control of who gets access during the waiting period.

Once the waiting period is over, access is automatically granted, ensuring your data can be managed when it’s needed most. Moreover, it’s easy to add or remove trusted contacts anytime, and all your data still stays protected under Proton’s end-to-end encryption umbrella.

The waiting period is flexible, btw. It ranges from 1 day to several months, so you decide how long contacts must wait before access is granted. This feature works across all Proton services, like MailCalendarDriveVPNPass, and Wallet. (partner links)

Keep in mind that Emergency Access is only available for users on Proton’s paid plansFree plan users won’t have access to this feature.