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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 21h

"Trump’s stated grounds for his abuses of power are not actual reasons, they are pretexts created for purely instrumental ends. And Kristi Noem did not “stare down” mobs of antifa terrorists in Portland."
Well put, Greg.

Propagandists are not “provocateurs.” Trump’s stated grounds for his abuses of power are not actual reasons, they are pretexts created for purely instrumental ends. And Kristi Noem did not “stare down” mobs of antifa terrorists in Portland. That’s because there isn’t any serious network of organized leftist violence in the United States, no matter how loudly Miller shrieks otherwise. Grasping how committed MAGA is to such industrial-scale deceptions is critical to getting this broader moment right.

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@geoffmcgivern.bsky.social @gmcgiv.bsky.social · 1h

THEY'RE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1h

Jeffries on Fox News Sunday: "My friends on other aisle seem to think believe healthcare is an extraneous issue. We don't believe it's an extraneous issue. It's a central issue...the states most affected are all ones Trump won...so this is not a partisan fight. We're fighting for everyday Americans"

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@geoffmcgivern.bsky.social @gmcgiv.bsky.social · 1h

WHO COULD HAVE FORESEEN THIS?

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1h

China warns US of retaliation over Trump’s 100% tariffs threat

Investors brace for another bout of trade war turmoil as Beijing says it will act if US president fails to back down Beijing has told the US it will retaliate if Donald Trump fails to back down on his threat to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports as investors brace for another bout of trade war turmoil. China’s commerce ministry blamed Washington for raising trade tensions between the two countries after Trump announced on Friday that he would impose the additional tariffs on China’s exports to the US, along with new controls on critical software, by 1 November. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 18h

Hey, you idiotic propagandists at the New York Post:

God Bless America isn't the national anthem. It's a SHOW TUNE written by Irving Berlin.

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Adam Weinstein @adamweinstein.bsky.social · 1h

"There's a man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet" -- Waiting for Godot

C. Buckthorn @cbuckthorn.bsky.social · 7h

This is amazing. I laughed out loud www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

As 32-year-old Rich points out, though, "it's not like using ChatGPT guarantees success".
When he met someone in a bar one Friday night and swapped social media handles, he asked AI what his next move should be.
ChatGPT discerned that sending an initial message on Monday midmorning would set the right pace. "Then it gave me some options for what the message could be," says Rich.
"Keep it light, warm, and low-stakes so it reads as genuine interest without urgency," the bot advised. "Something like: Hey Sarah, still laughing about [tiny shared moment/reference if you've got one] - good to meet you!" Rich went back and forth with ChatGPT until he felt they'd hit upon exactly the right message ("Hey Sarah, it was lovely to meet you") but sadly she never replied, he says. "It's been two weeks now."

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@geoffmcgivern.bsky.social @gmcgiv.bsky.social · 2h

Tom Jamieson @tomjam.bsky.social · 3h

Wasn’t familiar with Scotland’s draconian Martin Compston twerking laws. Did know Cha Cha Cha’ing in front of Billy Connelly carries up to a 6month jail sentence

The National @scotnational.bsky.social · 5h

A manager at Historic Environment Scotland was sanctioned after allegedly 'twerking' in front of Hollywood actor Martin Compston, according to reports

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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

NYT piece calls these MAGA types "provocateurs." It describes "dueling versions of reality." Both are common MSM tropes.

But these are not provocateurs. They're propagandists. Only one side is employing deliberate deceptions on a vast scale for instrumental ends. 3/

newrepublic.com/article/2016...

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

This MAGA propaganda is deeply sinister. Stephen Miller has been lying about Portland/Chicago relentlessly. It's core to his project: He's trying to establish quasi-absolute power for Trump to simply invent pretexts by fiat to justify whatever abuses he launches. 5/

newrepublic.com/article/2016...

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Steve Benen @stevebenen.com · 3h

A few days ago, I wrote up a piece on Republicans routinely forgetting when Biden took office and how the problem seems to be getting worse: tinyurl.com/3bdxp3te

I suddenly wish I’d held off a few more days. (The “Biden FBI” didn’t exist on Jan. 6. Trump was president at the time.)

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 20h

“the conventions of political reporting today are poorly suited to capturing this naked use of sheer pretexts and the bottomless bad faith they rely upon.”
@gregsargent.bsky.social is absolutely right. Big, legacy media has got to catch up to reality.

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

This week, MAGA figures claimed Kristi Noem "stared down" violent antifa protesters in Portland. Turns out they were talking mostly about a guy in a chicken suit.

This episode opens a window into how MAGA propaganda works and MSM failure to handle it. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2016...

MAGA Implodes over Kristi Noem’s “Stare Down” with Man in Chicken Suit

A good New York Times piece on Portland nevertheless demonstrates how the conventions of objective reporting fail to accurately capture the bad faith driving pro-Trump propaganda.

newrepublic.com

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

This week, MAGA figures claimed Kristi Noem "stared down" violent antifa protesters in Portland. Turns out they were talking mostly about a guy in a chicken suit.

This episode opens a window into how MAGA propaganda works and MSM failure to handle it. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2016...

MAGA Implodes over Kristi Noem’s “Stare Down” with Man in Chicken Suit

A good New York Times piece on Portland nevertheless demonstrates how the conventions of objective reporting fail to accurately capture the bad faith driving pro-Trump propaganda.

newrepublic.com

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@geoffmcgivern.bsky.social @gmcgiv.bsky.social · 3h

Just to say, all the Proms '25 concerts disappear from @bbcsounds.bsky.social on Monday at 11:59pm.

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Patch Zircher @patrickzircher.bsky.social · 10h

I liked the idea that Diane Keaton was out there, somewhere, being Diane Keaton.
--sigh--

Rest in peace, Annie Hall.

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Mozelle Victory @godswrath699.bsky.social · 10h

I just heard Diane Keaton passed away today. She was such a wonderful person, actress ❤️ Thank you, Diane, for being in our lives and giving us a part of you . We enjoyed watching you in all the great movies you were in. God bless you, and we are excited for you on your next journey .

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 11h

Reese Witherspoon on Diane Keaton hiring her as a fresh-faced girl from Nashville. #RIP

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Paul Kirkley @paulkirkley.bsky.social · 5h

Had the pleasure of meeting Diane Keaton, and she was 100% Diane Keaton / Annie Hall.

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Sooz Kempner @soozuk.bsky.social · 4h

RIP Diane Keaton. Nobody has ever looked as good in cream knitwear as you did in Something's Gotta Give.

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 10h

“The Biden FBI”

Who was President on January 6?

Donald J. Trump * © @reaDonaldTrump • 1m
THE BIDEN FBI PLACED 274 AGENTS INTO THE CROWD ON JANUARY 6. If this is so, which it is, a lot of very good people will be owed big apologies. What a SCAM - DO SOMETHING!!! President DJT

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@geoffmcgivern.bsky.social @gmcgiv.bsky.social · 3h

hey, if Indulging that dope's vanity saves millions of people's healthcare, do it, ladle on the praise, the felon doesn't understand the issues at stake anyway, as the Dems who spoke to him said afterwards.

Roy Edroso @edroso.bsky.social · 4h

Are you fucking kidding me

THE HILL
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN
AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL
OPINION > HEALTHCARE
How to reopen the government:
Rebrand Obamacare as
"TrumpCare'
BY BLAKE NARENDRA, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR
10/11/25 09:00 AM ET

A bill could restore premium tax credits but require the Affordable Care Act exchanges to make it clear that one man saved enrollees from exploding costs.
The enrollment website could read: "Check to see if
you are eligible for TRUMP CREDITS."

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Reposted by @geoffmcgivern.bsky.social

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 5h

This is such a clever idea on taking kids to museums/galleries
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Nadia from London has an idea that sounds such fun you'll be booking a day out asap.
"I've always loved museums," she says,
"but they can be overwhelming for children. For decades now, I've done something called 'playing postcards'
We do
the museum backwards, visiting the gift shop first. Each child gets to choose three postcards. Then they take it in turns to find that particular artwork in the museum and give us a little information about the piece from the details on the postcard, or from any gallery plaque. At the end of this treasure-hunt-style activity, we vote for our favourite in the cafe."

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Peter Jukes @peterjukes.bsky.social · 1d

Same day. Same plenary session. Same visit to Gill’s office. Same Farage, Same Gill, same wife of sanctioned pro Russian agent.

Six days after the first bribery charge

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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 4h

The IMF boss is right to say ‘buckle up’ – the global economy is facing multiple menaces

Trump’s latest tariff tantrum and rising fears of an AI bubble have quickly borne out Kristina Georgieva’s claim that ‘uncertainty is the new normal’

www.theguardian.com

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Mike McCahill @mikemccahill.bsky.social · 21h

On I SWEAR [below], URCHIN, THE SMASHING MACHINE, HIM and CORPSE BRIDE at 20, plus the weekend charts and picks: tinyurl.com/2atsxbkk

John Davidson (Robert Aramayo) throws a friendly arm around smiling nurse Maxine Peake in a scene from Kirk Jones's film I SWEAR.

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Lynn Becker @cmgiulini.bsky.social · 13h

After spending 43 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, evidence hidden by the prosecution reversed his conviction. Rather than finally enjoying freedom, ICE abducted him for deportation

Depraved.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

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daveganicca.bsky.social @daveganicca.bsky.social · 5h

This is excellent- eye-opening in a depressing sort of way…

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 7h

New post just out:

The relationship between Russia and the European radical right goes well beyond Reform's Nathan Gill being bribed.

In this post I trace the history back to the 1990s and look at the threat it poses now.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

Russia and the rise of the radical right

Marine Le Pen meets with Putin before the 2017 French Presidential election (Photo credit Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images)

open.substack.com

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Sarah Murphy @13sarahmurphy.bsky.social · 6h

“I’m old enough to remember when mainstream British politicians, who should know better, stirred up racial hatred as a path to power. You’re old enough to remember too because it was last Tuesday. And it was Robert Jenrick”

Cathartic anger at flag-flying racism.

www.thenerve.news/p/stewart-le...

Stewart Lee: The thugs have taken my flag. So I’ve taken theirs

What do you do with a lot of cheap banners hanging from motorway bridges once you’ve torn them down?

www.thenerve.news

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