Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA): “Never before have we seen so little effort to hide so much corruption.”

@ossoff.bsky.social

The Most Important Speech of Political and Constitutional Philosophy That Never Should Have Been Given The speech that Justice Clarence Thomas gave last week at the University of Texas could prove to be the single most important speech of political and constitutional philosophy that never should have b...

“Thomas’ invidious accusation that progressives […] have been pursuing the same anti-democratic and anti-constitutional regimes as Stalinism, Maoism, Mussolini’s fascism, Naziism, and the like, is frightening, risible, and reprehensible.”

@judgeluttig.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/judgelut...

DOJ’s First ‘Weaponization’ Report Is a Bust The document purports to show bias under the Biden administration—and fails spectacularly.

The weaponization report is “a classic Trump two-step: First, claim that normal law-enforcement work, when directed against you or your friends, is illegitimate; then, use that supposed illegitimacy as justification for your own revenge.” @qjurecic.bsky.social

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Brian Stelter talks about Kash Patel’s $250M lawsuit against The Atlantic: “[Patel] is performing what Patel knows his boss, president Trump, wants to see: a very aggressive response to these charges in The Atlantic”

@brianstelter.bsky.social

The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said that the US attack on the Iranian cargo ship, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports and delays in implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon were all “clear violations of the ceasefire”.

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

Michael Tomasky @mjtoma.bsky.social
closes his article with a suggestion that the next, hopefully Democratic president, undo the architectural abuses of the Trump era:

Michael Tomasky @mjtoma.bsky.social
closes his article with a suggestion that the next, hopefully Democratic president, undo the architectural abuses of the Trump era:

The Inside Story of Five Days That Remade the Supreme Court

Secret memos obtained by NYT illuminate the origins of the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” rulings.

In the Trump era conservative justices have empowered the president through their shadow docket rulings. The court used those same powers to block Obama.

(Gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...

Trump’s Sycophants Just Approved the Tackiest Monument to Him Yet The Arc de Trump isn’t about America. It’s about one man. It must die.

“The Great Sphinx of Giza stands 66 feet tall… Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, 164 feet… But all would be dwarfed by the Arc de Trump, whose golden (of course) statues would rise to 250 feet above the entrance to the Arlington National Cemetery.”

@mjtoma.bsky.social

newrepublic.com/post/209211/...

This morning Trump resumed his threats of total destruction of Iran:

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”

The US navy took custody of an Iranian-flagged container ship that attempted to get past an American blockade near the strait of Hormuz, Trump announced on Sunday. The action raises questions about Iranian participation in Monday’s peace talks.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Amazon, which saved $4B in taxes under Trump's Big Ugly Bill, has cut 30,000 jobs since last October.

Verizon, which saved $2B, plans to cut 15,000 jobs this year.

Meta, which saved $3B, plans to lay off 20% or more of its workforce.

Trickle-down economics is a cruel joke.

In his spat with the pope, Trump makes his Catholic followers choose: “You can either be Catholic or you can follow me, Donald Trump, but you can’t be both.”

@radiofreetom.bsky.social

JUST IN: Two days after saying the U.S. would NOT renew sanctions waivers on Russian or Iranian oil, Bessent’s Treasury quietly extended a license allowing Russian oil transactions for another month.

Trump Voters Are Over It A shocking number of the president’s supporters have turned against him.

“…a shocking number of the president’s supporters have turned against him. Some of Trump’s fanboys in the libertarian-leaning manosphere have spent the past year baffled by his actions on the Epstein files, immigration, and now Iran.” @elainegodfrey.bsky.social

www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

What I Saw Inside the Kennedy Center I spent 10 months working at the institution because I thought I could help protect it. What I observed there is far worse than the public knows.

In his article, Josef Palermo describes the destruction, looting, and corruption that happened after Trump’s crew took over the Kennedy Center. Sadly, Trump’s assault on the Kennedy Center captures the essence of what Trump is doing to America.

www.theatlantic.com/culture/2026...

Amanda Carpenter to Josef Palermo: “And now we know because of you, this beautiful institution is at risk for being sold for parts, for being turned into some kind of gaudy fundraising center for political purposes. We wouldn’t know this otherwise and so thank you. I just want to say thank you.”

Josef Palermo contacted the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in particular its Ranking Member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, and blew the whistle on the corruption at the Kennedy Center. The investigation has been going on for several months.

Josef Palermo, a Washington D.C. area artist, was hired under Rick Grenell in June 2025, to establish a visual arts program at the Kennedy Center. Soon after, Palermo began noticing shocking corruption at the Center. Courageously, he stepped forward as a whistleblower.

Tom Nichols on JD Vance’s memoir: “First let me say: worst book launch ever by picking a fight with the pope just as you release your memoir of converting to Catholicism.”

@radiofreetom.bsky.social

“You can’t negotiate unless *you* know what you want, and this goes back to the problem: who the negotiators are, what this war was about, and what we, the United States, are willing to accept to bring it to an end.” — Tom Nichols

@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Firing a Fed chair is illegal & this latest effort won't work

Senator Tillis is drawing the line - - no new nominee while Powell is under investigation

The guardrails are holding

More on @weeknightmsnow.bsky.social👇 -TN

Pope James David Vance the First The vice president has decided he’s a more accomplished theologian than Leo XIV.

Tom Nichols: “…few senior officials are more eager to back up the boss in every embarrassing beef than Vice President Vance, who recently seems to have decided that he, and not Pope Leo XIV, is the true arbiter of Catholic doctrine.”

@radiofreetom.bsky.social

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Today, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) filed Articles of Impeachment against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution.

The articles are unlikely to pass now but they can be refiled after the midterms.

ansari.house.gov/imo/media/do...

Justice Department moves to erase Jan. 6 convictions of Oath Keepers, Proud Boys leaders Donald Trump had already pardoned or commuted the prison sentences of most people involved in the attack, but the DOJ’s move, if successful, would erase the convictions of 12 high-profile members.

A clear signal from Trump to his far-right supporters to use violence in the upcoming elections:

The DOJ requested that a federal appeals court erase the seditious conspiracy convictions of a group of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys involved in the attack of Jan. 6.

www.ms.now/news/justice...

US edges closer to popular vote deciding winner of presidential elections Virginia signs national popular vote bill into law, joining interstate compact with 17 other states and District of Columbia

Under the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, states would assign their presidential electors to the winner of the popular vote. The compact takes effect when states representing a majority of electoral votes - 270 - pass the legislation. Virginia just did.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

House Democrats call for commission led by JD Vance to oust Trump Measure by Jamie Raskin follows statements by Trump about annihilating Iran and post depicting himself as Jesus

House Democrats proposed creating a commission that would work with JD Vance to assess Trump’s fitness for office and possibly remove him under the 25th amendment. The proposal follows posts by Trump about annihilating Iran and a post depicting himself as Jesus.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world.

Trump’s Meltdown Attacking the pope was only part of the president’s disturbing night on Truth Social.

“The rest of us, however, should be very worried about a commander in chief who is trying to govern the country between social-media binges, who attacks religious leaders in narcissistic frenzy, and who imagines himself as a deity.”—
@radiofreetom.bsky.social

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Inside Trump’s Effort to “Take Over” the Midterm Elections When Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election, the institutional guardrails of American democracy held. But if faced with the same tests today, those barriers — and people who held the line — would l...

Hungary’s PM Viktor Orban planned to steal yesterday’s election. He couldn’t. A huge turnout and lack of ambiguity made it impossible. Voting in overwhelming numbers is the way to save our democracy. Perhaps it is the only way.

www.propublica.org/article/trum...