NEW—I got an exclusive excerpt from a USAID whistleblower's new book that made me gasp multiple times. It details Trump's dismantling of the humanitarian aid agency & his team/DOGE's shocking ignorance to public health.
'Into the Wood Chipper' by Nicholas Enrich is out tomorrow. Read excerpt here:
Dear Mr. Nadeau: As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness. Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human society — things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbor seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Man’s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out. Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day. Sincerely, E. B. White
I just stumbled across this and thought some of you might like to see it. A letter from E.B. White to a man who'd written he'd lost all hope:
Every American needs to watch this:
"I'm not in Minnesota -- what can I do to help?"
A list of ideas!
Just a reminder that at least 600 Americans were fired for failing to show sufficient respect after Charlie Kirk's murder.
Armed ICE agents trapped US citizens in a restaurant and demanded their papers. Federal agents walked into East African restaurants in Cedar-Riverside, MN. They closed and blocked the doors. Then they demanded to see everyone’s papers. Every person present was a US citizen.
ICE crossed a line in LA
Congrats to Big Balls, Skeeter and the rest of the Musk Minions for making this happen.
✅
Gregg is a former Marine and Forest Service ranger. He's saved the lives of hikers dangling off a cliff or going through cardiac arrest, and he's bravely fought forest fires to save small rural towns.
100% of his salary is paid by WA state.
Elon fired him. Share his story.
Big, growing crowd just west of the U.S. Capitol protesting Trump, Musk and DOGE on President’s Day. “Hey Congress, grow a spine,” they shout, gathering for a rally around the reflecting pool.
Dear Democratic Party: why are you not screaming this from every rooftop? Why are you not holding press conferences with these poor fired people - putting a face on what the richest man is destroying?
“The thing that I can’t get over is that the actual richest man in the world directed my fucking firing. I make $50k a year and work to keep drinking water safe. The richest man in the world decided that was an expense too great for the American taxpayer.”
WIRED is tracking numerous reports of Musk-related shenanigans across the federal govt.
We're looking for fed employees open to discussing the activity they're seeing or to help confirm other reports. Anonymity offered.
Please use @signal.org (contact dell.3030). Do not use work networks/devices.
Let's all say it out loud. These people are fascists & this is a fascist take-over of the United States. You can couch your words more carefully, but the speed and ferocity of what is happening now is part-and-parcel of a coup. The GOP in Congress has surrendered. The Dems are out of their depth. 1/
The Trump administration defunded medical research today. Friends in the media it’s not anymore complicated than this. Report it as such
“As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable. For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that job. So I have decided to leave the Washington Post”
— Ann Telnaes, after drawing this cartoon, which included the image of a supplicant Jeff Bezos
Bollards > Trucks.
There are enough angry, violent men in the world that it makes sense to always have bollards around places that large numbers of pedestrians will gather.
So if you're going to upgrade your bollards, please don't remove the old bollards weeks before you install the new ones.
If you have a few bucks to burn, you might consider tossing some at @polls.pizza today. That's a nonprofit that sends pizzas to people who are waiting in long lines to vote, which sounds like a funny bit but which is actually a big deal during our age of voter suppression! polls.pizza
You can obsessively watch cable news not telling you anything all day, or you can work to make the results you want happen.
My lone election post is this:
To beg, beg, BEG journos to remember that as soon as a state’s polls close, it has MADE its choice.
There is no “closing the gap,” or “gaining ground.”
That sort of horserace framing plays DIRECTLY into Trump’s conspiracy-addled hands.
Do.
Not.
Do.
That!
🧵Next week, you will see people using something called Benford's Law to try to prove election fraud.
⛔️These people are wrong⛔️
I am a scientist who has published on Benford's Law. Let me tell you what it is and why what they are doing is mathematically incorrect. 1/
New: Nevaeh Crain should be celebrating her birthday today.
At 6 months pregnant, the Texas teen went to two ERs in 12 hours, returning home worse each time.
On her third trip, a doctor insisted on 2 ultrasounds to “confirm fetal demise” before moving her to the ICU.
Hours later, Nevaeh died.
Forget op-ed endorsements, what are journalists doing to get ready for when their pro-fascist owners refuse to acknowledge a winning vote for Harris on election night?
I was not aware of this. "ballot curing was the difference in the 2020 presidential election in both Georgia and Wisconsin. It can also make the difference in congressional races, state legislative races, and especially in local races".
It's done by volunteers, on the phone; see the link for orgs
I’m just saying, you could be watching the shitshow at MSG or you could be writing get out the vote letters. (Like me.)
The Washington Post logo with tagline "Hello Darkness My Old Friend"
Trump has hacked the media by lying so relentlessly and egregiously that whoppers that could be career-ending for other politicians don’t even rouse our fact-checkers. He claims American towns are occupied by migrants in every one of his speeches and it elicits yawns. We need to wake the fuck up.
