Catherine Rampell
@crampell.bsky.social
Economics editor at The Bulwark. MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) anchor.
Previously WaPo op-ed columnist and NYT reporter.
Econ, politics, immigration, tax, etc. + occasional theater nerdery.
Previously WaPo op-ed columnist and NYT reporter.
Econ, politics, immigration, tax, etc. + occasional theater nerdery.
Govt attorney who was representing the Justice Department in court is no longer detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after telling a judge her job “sucks” and asking to be held in contempt so she “could get 24 hours of sleep.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Government attorney who told judge in ICE case, 'This job sucks,' removed from detail
Julie Le made the remark while she was representing the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, where federal officers are conducting a massive immigration crackdown.
www.nbcnews.com
February 4, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Govt attorney who was representing the Justice Department in court is no longer detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota after telling a judge her job “sucks” and asking to be held in contempt so she “could get 24 hours of sleep.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Thinking today of this statement Bezos made in 2019, when the National Enquirer tried to blackmail him with compromising photos. See the highlighted portion below, about his "unswerving" support of The Post's mission.
medium.com/@jeffreypbez...
medium.com/@jeffreypbez...
February 4, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Thinking today of this statement Bezos made in 2019, when the National Enquirer tried to blackmail him with compromising photos. See the highlighted portion below, about his "unswerving" support of The Post's mission.
medium.com/@jeffreypbez...
medium.com/@jeffreypbez...
The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff in the newsroom and other departments
apnews.com/article/wash...
apnews.com/article/wash...
Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments is being laid off
The Washington Post says one-third of its staff across all departments, not just the newsroom, is being laid off.
apnews.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:36 PM
The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff in the newsroom and other departments
apnews.com/article/wash...
apnews.com/article/wash...
THANK YOU @adriancarrasquillo.bsky.social for pointing this out. open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
ICE Was Terrorizing Worshipers Long Before Don Lemon Entered a Church
Let’s take a stroll through the last year.
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:02 PM
THANK YOU @adriancarrasquillo.bsky.social for pointing this out. open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Reposted by Catherine Rampell
even more relevant today!
Here’s why some billionaires are going soft on Trump
February 4, 2026 at 3:30 PM
even more relevant today!
When Bezos first bought WaPo, I viewed this silly underground clock project as a sign of optimism for the paper. He was willing to waste tens of millions on a clock that symbolized long-term thinking; he had cash to burn, and he cared about his legacy. (link is to older story fyi)
Jeff Bezos just shared a new video of a giant $42 million mechanical clock designed to outlast the United States
The 500-foot tall clock, which Bezos is funding, is meant to keep time for 10,000 years.
www.businessinsider.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:14 PM
When Bezos first bought WaPo, I viewed this silly underground clock project as a sign of optimism for the paper. He was willing to waste tens of millions on a clock that symbolized long-term thinking; he had cash to burn, and he cared about his legacy. (link is to older story fyi)
Awful day for journalism. And ominous day for democracy.
Seven years ago yesterday, this ad ran during the Super Bowl.
'Democracy Dies in Darkness': Super Bowl commercial (2019)
YouTube video by Washington Post
www.youtube.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Awful day for journalism. And ominous day for democracy.
Moderna announced that they’re cutting back late-stage vaccine trials due to the uncertainty in the US market www.cidrap.umn.edu/misc-emergin...
Moderna chief: Company won’t invest in new late-stage vaccine trials
Moderna has already been facing declines in sales after a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.cidrap.umn.edu
February 4, 2026 at 7:01 AM
Moderna announced that they’re cutting back late-stage vaccine trials due to the uncertainty in the US market www.cidrap.umn.edu/misc-emergin...
Billionaire investor and GOP donor Ken Griffin: “This administration has definitely made mis-steps in choosing decisions or courses that have been very, very enriching to the families of those in the administration” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Citadel’s Ken Griffin says Trump White House has ‘enriched’ family members
Wall Street figure and Republican donor offers rare public criticism of perceived administration’s self-dealing
giftarticle.ft.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:17 AM
Billionaire investor and GOP donor Ken Griffin: “This administration has definitely made mis-steps in choosing decisions or courses that have been very, very enriching to the families of those in the administration” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
The Lobster Roll-back: How Susan Collins Gets Trump Carveouts
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
The Lobster Roll-back: How Susan Collins Gets Trump Carveouts
Her endangered status means the MAGA agenda doesn't hit as hard in Maine
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:44 AM
The Lobster Roll-back: How Susan Collins Gets Trump Carveouts
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Reposted by Catherine Rampell
“In my profession, I have seen many people break down in grief, but that image of Elizabeth’s father will stay with me forever,” she said. “I watched him sit in his car, bury his head in his hands, and cry uncontrollably. Those are images you do not forget.”
Elizabeth is a Columbia Heights fourth-grader who loves volleyball, learning English and giggling in the halls with her friends. She's been held in the Dilley Immigration Processing Center for nearly a month, and she and her mom have both fallen ill. sahanjournal.com/education/co...
Sick fourth-grader among 4 Columbia Heights students held by ICE
Columbia Heights Public Schools says four students remain detained by ICE after Liam’s return, including 10-year-old Elizabeth, who has fallen ill.
sahanjournal.com
February 4, 2026 at 12:31 AM
“In my profession, I have seen many people break down in grief, but that image of Elizabeth’s father will stay with me forever,” she said. “I watched him sit in his car, bury his head in his hands, and cry uncontrollably. Those are images you do not forget.”
@samsteindc.bsky.social: Pediatric Cancer Bill Torpedoed by Elon, Rand, and Bernie Finally Passes open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Pediatric Cancer Bill Torpedoed by Elon, Rand, and Bernie Finally Passes
It had broad bipartisan support but passage still required years of heartbreaking lobbying by extraordinarily dedicated children.
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:34 AM
@samsteindc.bsky.social: Pediatric Cancer Bill Torpedoed by Elon, Rand, and Bernie Finally Passes open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Trump administration has shrunk the number of locations for this year’s 2030 census field test, and added plans to test replacing temporary census workers with US Postal Service workers, raising concerns about the U.S. Census Bureau’s ability to produce a reliable national head count
A major census test faces cutbacks — with postal workers tapped to help count
The Trump administration has shrunk the number of locations for this year's field test of the 2030 census and has added plans to test replacing temporary census workers with U.S. Postal Service staff.
www.npr.org
February 3, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Trump administration has shrunk the number of locations for this year’s 2030 census field test, and added plans to test replacing temporary census workers with US Postal Service workers, raising concerns about the U.S. Census Bureau’s ability to produce a reliable national head count
Northern Command Tells N.C., Alaska Troops to Stand Down on Possible Minnesota Deployment www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...
Northern Command Tells N.C., Alaska Troops to Stand Down on Possible Minnesota Deployment
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Northern Command Tells N.C., Alaska Troops to Stand Down on Possible Minnesota Deployment www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...
WWJD in Minneapolis
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
WWJD in Minneapolis
We are fighting the regime not on the grounds of power but of legitimacy—and it’s a Christian struggle.
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:07 PM
WWJD in Minneapolis
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
A Paris cybercrime unit has raided the French offices of Elon Musk's X www.cnn.com/2026/02/03/b...
Musk’s social media platform X raided by Paris prosecutor | CNN Business
A search was being carried out at the French offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X as part of an investigation opened in January 2025, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday.
www.cnn.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:18 PM
A Paris cybercrime unit has raided the French offices of Elon Musk's X www.cnn.com/2026/02/03/b...
Reposted by Catherine Rampell
LISA JARVIS:
"We’re entering a stage where measles is becoming the status quo, rather than the rare exception; where the stray case can easily turn into a monthslong outbreak, rather than a quickly contained incident."
(1/2)
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
"We’re entering a stage where measles is becoming the status quo, rather than the rare exception; where the stray case can easily turn into a monthslong outbreak, rather than a quickly contained incident."
(1/2)
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
South Carolina’s Measles Milestone Is Everyone’s Problem
A fast-moving measles outbreak in South Carolina reached a grim milestone last week: It is now the biggest outbreak in the US in a quarter century.
www.bloomberg.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:17 PM
LISA JARVIS:
"We’re entering a stage where measles is becoming the status quo, rather than the rare exception; where the stray case can easily turn into a monthslong outbreak, rather than a quickly contained incident."
(1/2)
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
"We’re entering a stage where measles is becoming the status quo, rather than the rare exception; where the stray case can easily turn into a monthslong outbreak, rather than a quickly contained incident."
(1/2)
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Trump now demands $1B from Harvard
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Trump Says He’s Seeking $1 Billion From Harvard University
President Donald Trump said he’s seeking $1 billion in “damages” from Harvard University after the New York Times reported that his administration had backed off demands for $200 million to satisfy ac...
www.bloomberg.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Trump now demands $1B from Harvard
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Quite the closing words from the judge too:
Another big win for the rule of law! Federal judge just blocked the end of TPS for Haiti, which was supposed to go into effect tomorrow.
Violence and unrest remains prevalent in Haiti and this decision keeps more than 350k people safe while the case makes its way through the courts.
Violence and unrest remains prevalent in Haiti and this decision keeps more than 350k people safe while the case makes its way through the courts.
February 3, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Quite the closing words from the judge too:
The Key to Managing Tariffs: Be Big and Have the President’s Ear www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/b...
The Key to Managing Tariffs: Be Big and Have the President’s Ear
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 10:44 PM
The Key to Managing Tariffs: Be Big and Have the President’s Ear www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/b...
"On the international desk, some editors have told correspondents not to accept some assignments that would take them to dangerous spots abroad after Sunday...The fear is that the reporters might be laid off while in personal peril."
'Washington Post' journalists plea to Bezos: Don't gut our newsroom
Members of the newspaper's union say they have been warned the company could cut as many as 300 jobs, although no announcement has been made.
www.npr.org
February 2, 2026 at 9:07 PM
"On the international desk, some editors have told correspondents not to accept some assignments that would take them to dangerous spots abroad after Sunday...The fear is that the reporters might be laid off while in personal peril."
School of Liam Ramos, 5-year-old detained by ICE, closes due to bomb threat
www.ms.now/news/school-...
www.ms.now/news/school-...
School of Minneapolis 5-year-old detained by ICE closes due to bomb threat
The bomb threat was emailed to several schools in the Columbia Heights Public School district after Liam Conejo Ramos returned home from Texas on Sunday night.
www.ms.now
February 2, 2026 at 7:39 PM
School of Liam Ramos, 5-year-old detained by ICE, closes due to bomb threat
www.ms.now/news/school-...
www.ms.now/news/school-...
Brazilian influencer who defended US immigration crackdown arrested by ICE
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Brazilian influencer who defended US immigration crackdown arrested by ICE
Trump supporter Júnior Pena falsely claimed migrants being rounded up, including Brazilians, were ‘all crooks’
www.theguardian.com
February 2, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Brazilian influencer who defended US immigration crackdown arrested by ICE
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...