This is not something to like.

Two poems that feel especially apt One from the ruins of World War I, the other from the gathering storm of World War II

Two poems that feel especially apt
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Trump Justice Dept. considers removing key check on lawmaker prosecutions The Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section is charged with ensuring cases against elected officials are not politically motivated. The Trump administration is considering changing that.

This is not what you do if you are confident of your position. It's what you do if you are scared that the whole thing is coming down. Once more unto the breach, dear friends. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Another thing that's not mentioned in DC - or anywhere - is that trump has dementia and is getting worse. So the combination of that and his narcissism is going to be very bad of us and him.

Trump’s actions are pushing thousands of experts to flee government The U.S. DOGE Service’s push for early retirement and deferred resignation is leading to a federal brain drain, longtime staffers fear.

This is scary and highlights something that's painfully obvious in DC: smart people either don't want to work in this administration or are being turned away. But effective government - especially when crisis strikes - depends on having smart people around. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Musk should be ridiculed for being scammed by trump - made to think doge would give him power in the trump admin when in fact he has none at all and stands to lose Tesla.

Elon Musk “Lost” His Supposed “War” on Twitter Bots—and They’re Not Even Alive. Why Did Media Ever Deem “DOGE” Legit? Courts now echo this publication’s assertion that “DOGE” doesn’t exist and the USDS—which does—is illegal, as it has no Senate-confirmed administrator. But many still miss the point: “DOGE” is a hoax.

PROOF is on a mission to explain exactly what Musk is really up to long-term. This report advances that cause significantly.

I hope you will check it out and share it.

Thousands in Midwestern GOP Districts Attend Sanders' First Stops on Tour to Fight Oligarchy | Common Dreams Senator Bernie Sanders is on a mission to fight oligarchy and empower the people. With a powerful message against Trumpism and billionaire influence, he's rallying Americans to stand up for democracy....

This is really smart by @sanders.senate.gov Go to republican districts and push voters to pressure their republican reps.

www.commondreams.org/news/bernie-...

Pentagon announces it plans to fire 5-8% of civilian workforce | CNN Politics The Pentagon announced Friday it plans to ultimately fire five to eight percent of the military’s approximately 950,000 civilian employees, with an initial tranche of 5,400 probationary workers who do...

The DoD has never passed an audit and no doubt its spending should be reviewed. But Sec Hegseth knows little about how DoD works, and less about national security. It would be a good idea to bring in some expertise rather than just throwing the axes. 
www.cnn.com/2025/02/21/p...

Germans have been subjected to covert Russian propaganda as well as overt American propaganda - jointly in support of the far-right
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/w...

Musk will now sue Bannon for not paying to use the Sieg Heil feature on Twitter

Acting on Trump's order, federal officials opened up two California dams The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just opened up two California dams. A spokesperson says the flows are 'controlled' and being coordinated with local officials.

For a photo op & a bragging media post, Trump minions at the USACoE have thrown away millions of gals of #water farmers were relying on for later this year. This water will not be captured, will not be useful for cities or farms or firefighting. It is now lost.

www.latimes.com/environment/...

Good question, but it's important to know that trump has dementia and needs musk to do the actual work of "presidenting".

ACTUALLY IT'S OKAY TO NOTICE WHEN THINGS ARE ILLEGAL (a manifesto)

For real, though

US agency focused on foreign disinformation shuts down A leading US government agency that tracks foreign disinformation has terminated its operations, the State Department said Tuesday, after Congress failed to extend its funding following years of Repub...

Thanks to the Republican Congress, and a tsunami of lies from Musk and others, the only US agency dedicated to tracking and exposing Russian and Chinese propaganda around the world ceases to exist
www.france24.com/en/live-news...

Robert Kennedy Jr. is an unqualified, unserious, and dangerous nominee for US Secretary of Health and Human Services. We need to improve our health care system, not expose Americans to the danger of his misinformation and lies. (Part 1 of 2)

this morn i relistened to last week’s surprisingly vulnerable amicus bonus pod with @dahlialithwick.bsky.social & @mjsdc.bsky.social. dahlia put forth idea of embracing “scruffy hospitality” as a form of resistance, & i might do the same. if you’re a slate plus subscriber, give a (re)listen.

"It is so interesting that the Court chose to look at this as though there is no history of sex discrimination doctrine in the country..." @dahlialithwick.bsky.social on SCOTUS hearing of Tennessee ban of gender affirming care.

The owner of the LA Times has a plan to use AI to report on and "balance" the news.That can reflect how many people are buying Trump's lies, but it's hard to see how it can tell us what the truth is. Looking forward to discussing with @katebolduan.bsky.social on CNN at 9:40 PM ET.

Really enjoyed being on CNN with @katebolduan.bsky.social to discuss the LA Times plan to introduce an AI-driven "bias meter," which I think won't tell us what's true just what people are saying, and that's very flawed in the age of Trump. Thanks for having me.
f.io/Q1EA4xV4

Just posted on that other site:
"Here's a short report on some of the comments on [twitter] (w/o naming so no PR):
"1. Burger King is hiring; 2. don't let the door hit you in the vulva on the way out; 3. we are the media now good riddance to you."
SO MUCH BETTER AT AZUL CIELO -- Follow me there!"

LA Times columnist resigns, claims billionaire owner ‘curried favor’ with Trump: ‘Shameful capitulation’ The longtime senior legal columnist, who wrote for the LA Times for more than 15 years, announced his resignation on Thursday in his Substack newsletter.

Not used to making the news, but good thing I think if it brings focus to the problem--we're in a real fight, and Trump is trying to cow media; if papers choose "balance" over truth, they're helping to promote authoritarian rule.
nypost.com/2024/12/06/m...

It's a very tricky calculation for the White House whether to issue protective pardons. But the apparent alternative is gross unfairness for dozens of people who have done nothing wrong. Looking forward to discussing w/ @yamiche.bsky.social on MSNBC at 1:15 PM ET.

Reason #6,439,762 Tulsi Gabbard has no business near anything classified

House to vote on whether Gaetz ethics investigation report will be released The House is expected to consider two privileged resolutions Thursday night that would force the Ethics Committee to release its report and records about Gaetz.

The House is expected to vote tonight on whether to release the Gaetz ethics committee report. Call your representative and urge them to vote to release the report. abcnews.go.com/Politics/hou...

My representative is Pramila Jayapal - we think alike...

MORE people with $100+ checks from Musk's PAC please. NC Data.
substack.com/@spoonamore/...

Autocracy, Inc. by Anne Applebaum: 9780385549936 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the Pulitzer-prize winning author, an alarming account of how autocracies work together to undermine the democratic world, and how we should organize to defeat...

I wrote much of what I think about this election before it happened, so I am going to put it all together here. My book, Autocracy Inc, described the network of autocrats who seek to undermine democracy, inside their countries and ours
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725302...