David Dayen
@ddayen.bsky.social
Executive editor, The American Prospect. Author, Chain of Title and Monopolized. Tips at ddayen-at-prospect-dot-org or Signal at ddayen.90
Pinned
Sports - The American Prospect
prospect.org
You can see our entire series on The Business of Sports at
prospect.org/sports. More to come in the days ahead!
prospect.org/sports. More to come in the days ahead!
Reposted by David Dayen
Some personal news
Scoop–CFPB just fired employee alexisgoldstein.bsky.social for allegedly disrupting &documenting a meeting a year ago between CFPB & DOGE www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
She says she's being retaliated against after asking DOGE visitors who they were & if they'd completed training on handling info
She says she's being retaliated against after asking DOGE visitors who they were & if they'd completed training on handling info
CFPB Fires Employee Over a Confrontation With DOGE a Year Ago
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fired an employee for disrupting and documenting a 2025 meeting between the agency and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, according to emails rev...
www.bloomberg.com
February 12, 2026 at 1:10 AM
Some personal news
The 6 Rs who crossed the aisle to block Trump's Canada tariffs:
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
Jared Golden (D) voted with the Republicans to maintain them.
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
Jared Golden (D) voted with the Republicans to maintain them.
Incredible that this many Republicans are still backing Trump on this wildly unpopular policy.
They'll now have to do it again after Trump vetoes and an override vote is held.
Just generating mountains of votes for midterm ads.
They'll now have to do it again after Trump vetoes and an override vote is held.
Just generating mountains of votes for midterm ads.
U.S. HOUSE APPROVES RESOLUTION TO END TRUMP’S CANADA TARIFFS BY 219–211
February 11, 2026 at 11:29 PM
The 6 Rs who crossed the aisle to block Trump's Canada tariffs:
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
Jared Golden (D) voted with the Republicans to maintain them.
Thomas Massie
Don Bacon
Brian Fitzpatrick
Jeff Hurd
Kevin Kiley
Dan Newhouse
Jared Golden (D) voted with the Republicans to maintain them.
Incredible that this many Republicans are still backing Trump on this wildly unpopular policy.
They'll now have to do it again after Trump vetoes and an override vote is held.
Just generating mountains of votes for midterm ads.
They'll now have to do it again after Trump vetoes and an override vote is held.
Just generating mountains of votes for midterm ads.
U.S. HOUSE APPROVES RESOLUTION TO END TRUMP’S CANADA TARIFFS BY 219–211
February 11, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Incredible that this many Republicans are still backing Trump on this wildly unpopular policy.
They'll now have to do it again after Trump vetoes and an override vote is held.
Just generating mountains of votes for midterm ads.
They'll now have to do it again after Trump vetoes and an override vote is held.
Just generating mountains of votes for midterm ads.
The House revolt yesterday, no longer content to serve as human shields for Donald Trump's policies, was an important moment, as Bob Kuttner explains:
prospect.org/2026/02/11/h...
prospect.org/2026/02/11/h...
House Says No to Tariff Man - The American Prospect
Speaker Mike Johnson can’t hold a united Republican caucus to support Trump’s unpopular and economically perverse tariffs.
prospect.org
February 11, 2026 at 10:54 PM
The House revolt yesterday, no longer content to serve as human shields for Donald Trump's policies, was an important moment, as Bob Kuttner explains:
prospect.org/2026/02/11/h...
prospect.org/2026/02/11/h...
Reposted by David Dayen
Court battle over surveillance footage at the Broadview ICE detention center reaches new levels of kafkaesque absurdity: The DOJ claimed it *couldn't afford* hard drives to put video footage on. Plaintiffs bought THE US GOVERNMENT hard drives. ICE "lost" them.
www.404media.co/government-l...
www.404media.co/government-l...
Government Loses Hard Drives It Was Supposed to Put ICE Detention Center Footage On
A Kafkaesque saga in which the government has failed to produce critical video footage has reached new levels of absurdity.
www.404media.co
February 11, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Court battle over surveillance footage at the Broadview ICE detention center reaches new levels of kafkaesque absurdity: The DOJ claimed it *couldn't afford* hard drives to put video footage on. Plaintiffs bought THE US GOVERNMENT hard drives. ICE "lost" them.
www.404media.co/government-l...
www.404media.co/government-l...
I feel like there's an unsaid side to this line of discourse.
If we're looking right now at what AI is replacing, broadly defined it's things that need to be replaced. 🧵
If we're looking right now at what AI is replacing, broadly defined it's things that need to be replaced. 🧵
I understand why people are exhausted by AI hype, and why those of us squarely in the corner of "human dignity uber alles" see AI doomerism as self-serving hype, but I *really* think people on the left broadly need to start thinking seriously about the possibiltiy of the hype being...true.
February 11, 2026 at 10:09 PM
I feel like there's an unsaid side to this line of discourse.
If we're looking right now at what AI is replacing, broadly defined it's things that need to be replaced. 🧵
If we're looking right now at what AI is replacing, broadly defined it's things that need to be replaced. 🧵
Reposted by David Dayen
Invoking wealthy class solidarity to excuse sex crimes against children is sorta the Epstein Class in a nutshell
Bondi crashes out over Epstein: "The Dow is over 50,000 dollars! I don't know why you're laughing. You're a great stock trader as I hear, Raskin. The Dow is over 50,000 right now. The S&P at almost 7,000, and the Nasdaq smashing records. That's what we should be talking about."
February 11, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Invoking wealthy class solidarity to excuse sex crimes against children is sorta the Epstein Class in a nutshell
Here come the pro-AI PACs, which actually have more money than the pro-Israel PACs, into Illinois.
IL02 has competing PAC support, as the pro-Israel PAC $ is supporting Donna Miller, while the pro-AI PAC is supporting Jesse Jackson Jr.
Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale is a major pro-AI PAC donor.
IL02 has competing PAC support, as the pro-Israel PAC $ is supporting Donna Miller, while the pro-AI PAC is supporting Jesse Jackson Jr.
Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale is a major pro-AI PAC donor.
AI dollars boosting Jackson, Bean
www.politico.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Here come the pro-AI PACs, which actually have more money than the pro-Israel PACs, into Illinois.
IL02 has competing PAC support, as the pro-Israel PAC $ is supporting Donna Miller, while the pro-AI PAC is supporting Jesse Jackson Jr.
Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale is a major pro-AI PAC donor.
IL02 has competing PAC support, as the pro-Israel PAC $ is supporting Donna Miller, while the pro-AI PAC is supporting Jesse Jackson Jr.
Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale is a major pro-AI PAC donor.
Both parties are sick of Big Medicine, and some surprising counterattacks have emerged—like flat-funding Medicare Advantage. On Oganized Money this week we talked to Olivia Webb Kosloff about some rare pushback against the privatization of Medicare.
prospect.org/2026/02/11/o...
prospect.org/2026/02/11/o...
Organized Money: The End of United Health Care for All
There's been good news in health care reform this week, and our guest is right in the middle of the fight for positive change.
prospect.org
February 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Both parties are sick of Big Medicine, and some surprising counterattacks have emerged—like flat-funding Medicare Advantage. On Oganized Money this week we talked to Olivia Webb Kosloff about some rare pushback against the privatization of Medicare.
prospect.org/2026/02/11/o...
prospect.org/2026/02/11/o...
Ultimately crypto is crashing because degenerates found something more fun to bet on
February 11, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Ultimately crypto is crashing because degenerates found something more fun to bet on
Wow just a completely false statement in @axios.com, resolutions of disapproval are privileged and only need a simple majority in the Senate, in fact four of the anti-tariff resolutions have passed the Senate already.
www.axios.com/2026/02/11/t...
www.axios.com/2026/02/11/t...
February 11, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Wow just a completely false statement in @axios.com, resolutions of disapproval are privileged and only need a simple majority in the Senate, in fact four of the anti-tariff resolutions have passed the Senate already.
www.axios.com/2026/02/11/t...
www.axios.com/2026/02/11/t...
It's underappreciated how health care companies make money by holding your money (like in an HSA account or insurance premium) & investing it before you can use it.
One insurance giant, UnitedHealth, even has a bank. A payday lender!
Emma Freer & Olivia Webb Kosloff have this report:
One insurance giant, UnitedHealth, even has a bank. A payday lender!
Emma Freer & Olivia Webb Kosloff have this report:
The Bank of Big Medicine - The American Prospect
Health insurers and providers are using industrial loan companies and other tactics to make money from financial engineering rather than patient care.
prospect.org
February 11, 2026 at 3:36 PM
It's underappreciated how health care companies make money by holding your money (like in an HSA account or insurance premium) & investing it before you can use it.
One insurance giant, UnitedHealth, even has a bank. A payday lender!
Emma Freer & Olivia Webb Kosloff have this report:
One insurance giant, UnitedHealth, even has a bank. A payday lender!
Emma Freer & Olivia Webb Kosloff have this report:
Reposted by David Dayen
Adam Smith agreeing to give an interview witj the The American Prospect is like Pete Hegseth giving an interview to Isaac Chotiner.
Stay for this bonkers interview with Rep. Adam Smith about his financial support from Palantir, facilitators of the ICE panopticon.
prospect.org/2026/02/11/p...
prospect.org/2026/02/11/p...
February 11, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Adam Smith agreeing to give an interview witj the The American Prospect is like Pete Hegseth giving an interview to Isaac Chotiner.
Analilia Mejia was doing ICE Watch trainings at her campaign events. She was preparing future constituents for encounters with immigration agents. And she won.
In an interview with @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social, one of her big priorities: end ICE's mass surveillance.
prospect.org/2026/02/11/p...
In an interview with @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social, one of her big priorities: end ICE's mass surveillance.
prospect.org/2026/02/11/p...
Progressive Win in New Jersey Hinged on Anti-ICE Organizing - The American Prospect
Analilia Mejia won a close congressional primary race by preparing constituents for encounters with ICE. She warned that the agency’s surveillance technology needs more attention.
prospect.org
February 11, 2026 at 3:10 PM
Analilia Mejia was doing ICE Watch trainings at her campaign events. She was preparing future constituents for encounters with immigration agents. And she won.
In an interview with @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social, one of her big priorities: end ICE's mass surveillance.
prospect.org/2026/02/11/p...
In an interview with @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social, one of her big priorities: end ICE's mass surveillance.
prospect.org/2026/02/11/p...
Two big stories right now: the Olympics, and ICE. They will come together in 2028 in Los Angeles, damping any enthusiasm for foreign tourists to travel to the Games. That's a big moral disaster waiting to happen, but also an economic one for LA.
Great @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social report.
Great @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social report.
Olympic Spirits on ICE - The American Prospect
Why would tourists come to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics when Trump is transforming the entire country into a xenophobic danger zone?
prospect.org
February 11, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Two big stories right now: the Olympics, and ICE. They will come together in 2028 in Los Angeles, damping any enthusiasm for foreign tourists to travel to the Games. That's a big moral disaster waiting to happen, but also an economic one for LA.
Great @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social report.
Great @whitneycwimbish.bsky.social report.
Reposted by David Dayen
big reason why the oligarch class went so hard for Trump. they HATE lots of job creation because when your workers can quit and get another one the next day, it's much harder to abuse them
With revisions, the +130,000 jobs in January is actually the best of the Trump's term. He didn't have a single month over +100,000 in 2025, with 3 months of job losses.
Also Biden is no longer the only president ever to have positive jobs numbers every month of his tenure. Jan '25 is now negative.
Also Biden is no longer the only president ever to have positive jobs numbers every month of his tenure. Jan '25 is now negative.
February 11, 2026 at 2:23 PM
big reason why the oligarch class went so hard for Trump. they HATE lots of job creation because when your workers can quit and get another one the next day, it's much harder to abuse them
Modest January gain in manufacturing dwarfed by the 100,000 revision downward for 2025. Just a total disaster.
Benchmark revisions had large impacts in retail (-128,300 to Mar job level), leisure & hospitality (-153,000), wholesale (-114,700), prof & biz services (-126,000) and more
Notably, health care almost entirely unaffected.
5/
Notably, health care almost entirely unaffected.
5/
February 11, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Modest January gain in manufacturing dwarfed by the 100,000 revision downward for 2025. Just a total disaster.
With revisions, the +130,000 jobs in January is actually the best of the Trump's term. He didn't have a single month over +100,000 in 2025, with 3 months of job losses.
Also Biden is no longer the only president ever to have positive jobs numbers every month of his tenure. Jan '25 is now negative.
Also Biden is no longer the only president ever to have positive jobs numbers every month of his tenure. Jan '25 is now negative.
February 11, 2026 at 2:18 PM
With revisions, the +130,000 jobs in January is actually the best of the Trump's term. He didn't have a single month over +100,000 in 2025, with 3 months of job losses.
Also Biden is no longer the only president ever to have positive jobs numbers every month of his tenure. Jan '25 is now negative.
Also Biden is no longer the only president ever to have positive jobs numbers every month of his tenure. Jan '25 is now negative.
And now the House has defeated the rule, 214-217. The expectation is Democrats will immediately get 2 votes to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Those motions are ripe and ready for voting tomorrow.
Speaker Johnson can no longer stop time (that's what his motion did, procedurally speaking)
Speaker Johnson can no longer stop time (that's what his motion did, procedurally speaking)
This is interesting, the House has been routinely blocking votes to negate individual tariffs, which Democrats have the right to call, through procedural trickery. But some Republicans have had enough, and the extension of the trickery may now end, with tariff votes sure to follow.
Rule vote postponed amid tariff backlash
Live updates and analysis from POLITICO’s Congress team.
www.politico.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:58 AM
And now the House has defeated the rule, 214-217. The expectation is Democrats will immediately get 2 votes to block Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Those motions are ripe and ready for voting tomorrow.
Speaker Johnson can no longer stop time (that's what his motion did, procedurally speaking)
Speaker Johnson can no longer stop time (that's what his motion did, procedurally speaking)
An important part of this legal ruling is that California under the anti-mask law treats its own officers separately. That was a last-minute addition by Gavin Newsom. Now it got the law thrown out.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
February 10, 2026 at 11:01 PM
An important part of this legal ruling is that California under the anti-mask law treats its own officers separately. That was a last-minute addition by Gavin Newsom. Now it got the law thrown out.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
Two DSA (or DSA-adjacent) mayoral candidates in LA and DC are trying to recreate the magic Zohran Mamdani found in NYC. Harold Meyerson looks at whether they can succeed.
prospect.org/2026/02/10/d...
prospect.org/2026/02/10/d...
Do L.A. and D.C. Have Their Own Mamdanis? - The American Prospect
Two somewhat socialist mayoral candidates are working to see that they do.
prospect.org
February 10, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Two DSA (or DSA-adjacent) mayoral candidates in LA and DC are trying to recreate the magic Zohran Mamdani found in NYC. Harold Meyerson looks at whether they can succeed.
prospect.org/2026/02/10/d...
prospect.org/2026/02/10/d...
Reposted by David Dayen
we need to talk about that Ring Super Bowl ad
February 10, 2026 at 8:18 PM
we need to talk about that Ring Super Bowl ad
NEWS: a 4th Illinois open-seat House race is seeing big outside money from AIPAC, this time a $2.8 million ad buy for Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the Chicago city treasurer. AIPAC switched sides from Jason Friedman, who had raised 3x as much money as anyone in the race.
prospect.org/2026/02/10/a...
prospect.org/2026/02/10/a...
A Fourth Candidate in Illinois Gets the AIPAC Boost - The American Prospect
Melissa Conyears-Ervin is benefiting from a reported $2.8 million in super PAC ads.
prospect.org
February 10, 2026 at 7:32 PM
NEWS: a 4th Illinois open-seat House race is seeing big outside money from AIPAC, this time a $2.8 million ad buy for Melissa Conyears-Ervin, the Chicago city treasurer. AIPAC switched sides from Jason Friedman, who had raised 3x as much money as anyone in the race.
prospect.org/2026/02/10/a...
prospect.org/2026/02/10/a...
There's now some chatter that Friedman might drop out, which is crazy. He has raised 3x as much as anyone else in the race!
AIPAC had planned to back a candidate named Jason Friedman in an IL House race but in a move that can only be called flagrantly antisemitic, they have rejected him as "too obviously aligned." So they are throwing their money behind a Black woman who doesn't have a history of commenting on Israel...
February 10, 2026 at 6:15 PM
There's now some chatter that Friedman might drop out, which is crazy. He has raised 3x as much as anyone else in the race!
This is interesting, the House has been routinely blocking votes to negate individual tariffs, which Democrats have the right to call, through procedural trickery. But some Republicans have had enough, and the extension of the trickery may now end, with tariff votes sure to follow.
Rule vote postponed amid tariff backlash
Live updates and analysis from POLITICO’s Congress team.
www.politico.com
February 10, 2026 at 6:13 PM
This is interesting, the House has been routinely blocking votes to negate individual tariffs, which Democrats have the right to call, through procedural trickery. But some Republicans have had enough, and the extension of the trickery may now end, with tariff votes sure to follow.