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Bob Cekuta

@rfcekuta

Diplomat, analyst, focused on development, energy, and figuring out better ways of doing things. When all else fails, have some chocolate.

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10.05.2025
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Latest posts by Bob Cekuta @rfcekuta

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The Capitol Police and others who did their duty and defended the Capitol and Congress January 6, 2021 deserve better. We owe them greater thanks for their service and courage.

07.03.2026 19:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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When your foreign ally has to go on Fox to assure Americans this wonโ€™t be an โ€œendless warโ€ and explain why Iran supposedly had to be hit โ€œnow or never,โ€ it doesnโ€™t look like strength. It looks like the president is someone elseโ€™s project.

03.03.2026 18:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 87 ๐Ÿ” 39 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

A top issue in any crisis is the safety & well-being of Americans. News out of Israel and other countries in the Middle East raises questions as to how much planning Washington did to evacuate/otherwise protect Americans. Right now it looks like Americans might be trapped or scrambling to get out.

03.03.2026 18:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

But Pre-Check requires fewer TSA agents than the regular lines, so how is this cutting costs???

22.02.2026 14:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 15 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Denmark Rejects Trumpโ€™s Plan to Send Hospital Boat to Greenland www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/u...

Mr. President, letโ€˜s take care of the Americans who canโ€˜t afford health care or live in rural areas where hospitals are closing. Greenlanders have free healthcare, we donโ€™t.

22.02.2026 14:26 ๐Ÿ‘ 10 ๐Ÿ” 5 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€˜Weโ€™ve Fought Side by Sideโ€™: Danish Veterans March Against Trumpโ€™s Comments

โ€˜Weโ€™ve Fought Side by Sideโ€™: Danish Veterans March Against Trumpโ€™s Comments www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/w...

And Americans remember as well the Danes and others who bravely stood with us. Our alliance made all of us stronger and ensured a better, more secure life.

31.01.2026 21:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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No, ICE Officers, You Canโ€™t Force Your Way Into Diplomatic Missions the Steady State | Ambassador (ret.) Robert F. Cekuta

open.substack.com/pub/steadyst...
"There are many problems with ICEโ€™s operations in Minnesota, Maine, and elsewhere. All of them, including this one, need to be addressed ASAP."

30.01.2026 02:21 ๐Ÿ‘ 145 ๐Ÿ” 62 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 11 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Itโ€˜s infrastructure week all over again.

29.01.2026 04:31 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Health insurers dodge Trump's pricing crackdown, for now While the president's ire can return on a whim, the prospect of an Oval Office dressing down appears, for the moment, off the table.

Trump said heโ€™d pressure health insurers to lower drug prices.

More than a month later, no meeting has taken place and he has not made any demands.

28.01.2026 18:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 114 ๐Ÿ” 52 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 32 ๐Ÿ“Œ 8

Exactly, we arenโ€™t getting stronger, we are getting more isolated and it is going to hurt us in terms of export sales, business, and jobs. Weโ€™re in a hole and it is time to stop digging. Americansโ€™ prosperity is at stake as much as our reputation or anything else.

28.01.2026 03:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Wait a minute โ€” this is a foreign diplomatic facility. U.S. police etc have no right to enter it under international law and treaties and agreements the USG not only signed, but authored. As a former U.S. diplomat and ambassador, if Ecuadorean police entered a U.S. consulate weโ€™d be going nuts.

28.01.2026 03:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Exactly: Wake up Congress.

21.01.2026 15:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Trump bought up to $2 million of Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery bonds, WSJ reports, days after Netflix agreed to buy Warnerโ€˜s studios and HBO Max. Trump then said he will will be involved in the USG decision on whether to allow. So corrupt โ€” and news that may get lost with his other garbage.

18.01.2026 00:41 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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US lawmakers to visit Denmark as Trump continues to threaten Greenland A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation is headed to Copenhagen later this week to show unity with Denmark amid tensions over Greenland. Sen.

apnews.com/article/gree...

Something that gets lost in a lot of the news media is that there are others out there who are important and have clout in the U.S. system and institutions. This bipartisan Senate del going to Copenhagen is a good example.

13.01.2026 18:47 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Please join us on Jan 13, 2026 for Episode 2 of The Steady State Sentinel Podcast: โ€œAn Existential Threat to the Republic.โ€

12.01.2026 01:17 ๐Ÿ‘ 48 ๐Ÿ” 28 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

What is happening here is being watched around the world.

Another point: a long-standing USG talking point has been an independent central bank is key to economic growth and a countryโ€™s national stability and prosperity.

Now we are in danger of ignoring the sound advice we gave others. What?!

12.01.2026 03:17 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Donald Trump vs Jerome Powell: US-Justizministerium droht Notenbank Fed offenbar mit Klage Jerome Powell wendet sich mit einem Video an die ร–ffentlichkeit: Die Fed habe eine Vorladung vom Justizministerium erhalten, erklรคrt der Chef der US-Notenbank โ€“ und kritisiert den Schritt mit ungewohnt deutlichen Worten.

Jerome Powell wendet sich mit einem Video an die ร–ffentlichkeit: Die Fed habe eine Vorladung vom Justizministerium erhalten, erklรคrt der Chef der US-Notenbank โ€“ und kritisiert den Schritt mit ungewohnt deutlichen Worten.

12.01.2026 02:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 59 ๐Ÿ” 20 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

The mayor speaks for all of us. Can we cut the thuggery? There is no reason for what ICE is doing.

08.01.2026 03:15 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The world will move on while the U.S., under Trump, sits alone in the corner.

08.01.2026 03:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Venezuela raid enriches MAGA billionaire The ouster of Maduro is a financial windfall for a prominent Trump-supporting billionaire, investor Paul Singer.

popular.info/p/venezuela-...

Letโ€˜s see: Citgo which was suffering financially because of ities to Venezuela gets bought by a billionaire friend of/contributor to Trump in November and now stands to benefit from the Administrationโ€™s actions in Venezuela. Am I the only one thinking this smells??

06.01.2026 18:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The State Department posted that โ€œthis is our hemisphere.โ€ What the โ€ฆ.

Terrible to see decades of respectful, effective diplomacy and relations-building wiped out like this. Not something Americans wanted. And, btw, none of this is distracting Americans from Epstein.

05.01.2026 23:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Yep. Plus the questions of next steps. Maduro might be gone, but it looks right now like his cronies still run the place. Mission NOT accomplished??

04.01.2026 00:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The Administration isnโ€˜t slowing down just because of the holidays. It keeps on wrecking. The question is who benefits. We know who it is hurting: the American voter/taxpayer/public.

29.12.2025 23:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Papst Leo XIV.: Pontifex fordert weltweite Weihnachts-Waffenruhe Am Weihnachtsabend wird Papst Leo XIV. seine erste Christmette feiern. Zuvor erneuerte er seine Bitte, Weihnachten als Tag des Friedens zu respektieren. Er zeigt sich enttรคuscht, dass Russland diesen Wunsch abgelehnt hat.

Am Weihnachtsabend wird Papst Leo XIV. seine erste Christmette feiern. Zuvor erneuerte er seine Bitte, Weihnachten als Tag des Friedens zu respektieren. Er zeigt sich enttรคuscht, dass Russland diesen Wunsch abgelehnt hat.

23.12.2025 22:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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New England eyes Canada for energy as US offshore wind flounders Nova Scotia has launched an ambitious plan to open its coast to wind development โ€” and send some power south to the U.S.

www.eenews.net/articles/new...

And yesterday the Administration stopped all work on offshore wind for โ€œsecurity concernsโ€. The total output of the new facilities would have been enough electricity to power Manhattan. Real reason was probably Trump doesnโ€™t like them. We pay the cost.

23.12.2025 13:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Trumpโ€™s Name Joins Kennedyโ€™s on Performing Arts Centerโ€™s Facade

Trumpโ€™s Name Joins Kennedyโ€™s on Performing Arts Centerโ€™s Facade www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...

Gee whiz, less than 24 hours after the decision to put Trumpโ€™s name on another DC building, the right letters are found and workmen get them up. Planned in advance of yesterdayโ€™s meeting?? Uh, yeah!

19.12.2025 23:31 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ€˜In the dark:โ€™ Retiring federal employees face major delays Federal retirement processing has slowed substantially this year due to DRP. As OPM continues modernizing retirement systems, another application surge looms.

federalnewsnetwork.com/retirement/2...

16.12.2025 14:46 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Rural America relies on foreign doctors. Trumpโ€™s visa fee shuts them out. The Trump administrationโ€™s demand for companies to pay a $100,000 fee to hire an immigrant worker using an H1B visa has created turmoil among rural health providers.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

And like the money Trump wants for farmers who lost their foreign markets thanks to the trade wars he started, here is another cost Americans are paying for the Administrationโ€™s ill-considered actions.

All of this could have been avoided with some planning.

08.12.2025 17:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Goes to show once again how much these policies are costing Americans.

08.12.2025 17:27 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

In my first Foreign Service tour, my assistant in the Commercial Section was Somali. While their country has been wracked by violence in the years since, I have known and worked with Somalis here in the U.S. and abroad. They were/are honorable, kind, friendly. POTUS should be ashamed.

02.12.2025 21:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0