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Reposted by Jonathan V. Last

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 1d

The elimination of USAID is a moral atrocity and all involved made a choice to enable, and then lie about, ending the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP) - Mohammed Taher clutched the lifeless body of his 2-year-old son and wept. Ever since his family's food rations stopped arriving at their internment camp in Myanmar in April, the father had watched helplessly as his once-vibrant baby boy weakened, suffering from diarrhea and begging for food.
On May 21, exactly two weeks after Taher's little boy died, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat before Congress and declared: "No one has died" because of his government's decision to gut its foreign aid program. Rubio also insisted: "No children are dying on my watch."
That, Taher says, "is a lie."

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 1d

This is capitulation. It is not the "Department of War." If CNN concedes on this point, they'll concede on any point.

Jon Passantino @passantino.bsky.social · 1d

CNN is now using the Trump preferred “Department of War” name in its official statements

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 1d

The obvious question here is how you can indict when you're "just getting your hands around" the evidence.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 1d

At one point during the hearing, the judge asked the prosecution why the case can’t be tried before mid-December.

Lemons replied: We are “just getting our hands around” discovery in the case.

There’s lots of it, he added, and it includes a “significant” amount of classified information.

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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 2d

Gonna be thinking about this lede for a minute.

(RNS) — Last month, the Rev. David Black stood in front of a Chicago-area U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and spread his arms wide. Adorned in all black and wearing a clerical collar, the pastor looked up at a group of masked, heavily armed ICE agents on the roof and began to pray.

“I invited them to repentance,” Black, a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), said in an interview. “I basically offered an altar call. I invited them to come and receive that salvation, and be part of the kingdom that is coming.”

But when Black began to lower his arms a few seconds later, the agents responded to his spiritual plea by firing pepper balls, or chemical agents that cause eye irritation and respiratory distress, video footage shows. One struck Black in the head, exploding into a puff of white pepper smoke and forcing him to his knees. Fellow demonstrators rushed to his aid, and as the pastor rubbed his face in pain, the agents continued to fire.

“We could hear them laughing,” Black said.

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 2d

As alarmed as people may be, they aren't alarmed enough. Trump just escalated this crisis from a fight between the federal government and a state, to a situation where one state is deploying armed forces to impose its will on another state. www.thebulwark.com/p/emergency-...

Emergency Triad: The Chicago Rubicon and What Comes Next

We aren’t at the worst-case scenario yet. But if you squint, you can see it looming out there, just over the horizon.

www.thebulwark.com

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 2d

I’ll take the over.

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 2d

80/20

TomB @tdb011235.bsky.social · 2d

Given the trend, what do you guess are the odds of seeing military at polling places next year? At the moment I'm giving it 1:3 odds.

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 2d

Bunch of tubbies with facial hair and zero muzzle discipline. Don’t tell the SecWAR.

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Reposted by Jonathan V. Last

sonnybunch.bsky.social @sonnybunch.bsky.social · 3d

Talked A FEW GOOD MEN on the Movie Club this week with @jvl.bsky.social and @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social, which remains one of the all-time "Oh yeah, he's in this" movies. Cruise/Nicholson/Moore, yes, but also Kevin Pollack, JT Walsh, Noah Wyle, Josh Malina, Cuba Gooding Jr, etc. Off the charts!

A Few Good Men: Why Today’s Leaders Sound Like Col. Jessup

YouTube video by The Bulwark

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Jonathan V. Last

Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 5d

This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 6d

This is a must-read by @jvl.bsky.social.

You don’t have to agree with every particular — I’m not sure I do — to appreciate how helpful this is, how essential it is, to thinking seriously about the present moment.

BLUF. Memo to Democrats: It’s the power, stupid.

www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...

Here’s How Trump Loses the Shutdown

God help us but Gavin Newsom is the only Democrat who understands power.

www.thebulwark.com

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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 6d

comic book authors: we invented the punisher as a cautionary tale about vigilante crime fighting
the director of the fbi: at long last, we are implementing the ethos from the classic comic book the punisher

Sam @samd.bsky.social · 6d

reddit occupied government

Ken Dilanian
@DilanianMSNBC
Follow
The challenge coins being handed out by @FBIDirectorKash. Seems someone put a lot of thought into this.

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Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 6d

Bari Weiss, a mediocrity, built a lucrative career by riding the online right’s grievances, many of which are fictitious.

On the right, incessant whining and whataboutism pays.

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 7d

In case it wasn’t clear, the anti-DEI crusade has never been about merit. Zero news experience. Never been a reporter. Elevated to Editor in Chief of CBS News, one of the most storied news institutions in the nation. www.mediaite.com/media/news/p...

Paramount Officially Acquiring The Free Press and Making Bari Weiss CBS News Editor in Chief: Report

Paramount Skydance will be officially acquiring The Free Press and hiring its founder Bari Weiss as editor in chief of its CBS News division, with the deal to be announced this coming Monday, accordin...

www.mediaite.com

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 6d

How is it that Gavin Newsom is the only elected D who understands that power, not policy, is the game right now? fin/ www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...

Here’s How Trump Loses the Shutdown

God help us but Gavin Newsom is the only Democrat who understands power.

www.thebulwark.com

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 6d

You say that's not realistic? Fine. Ask for reductions of exec power. Eg: 5/

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 6d

Here are some things D's should be willing to bail Trump and R's out in exchange for:

* DC statehood
* Release of ALL the Epstein files

Period. The end. 4/

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 6d

Does anyone think that if D's succeed in getting Trump to restore Medicaid cuts *they* will get credit form voters? B/c that's delusional. 3/

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 6d

Dems are willing to help Trump avoid an unpopular shutdown if he will stop doing the things that are going to make him unpopular? AYFKM?

D's should *want* ACA subsidies to lapse and R Medicaid cuts to hit. Voters need to see what Trump is doing to them.
2/

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 6d

If you can't win a shutdown fight when R's control the White House, Congress, & SCOTUS, the economy is slowing, unemployment is rising, inflation is persistent, and Trump is -11 fav, wtf are you even doing in politics? Just shut down the party. 1/ www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...

Here’s How Trump Loses the Shutdown

God help us but Gavin Newsom is the only Democrat who understands power.

www.thebulwark.com

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William B. Fuckley @opinionhaver.bsky.social · 6d

Every blue state governor should be maxing out the size and resources of armed agencies that they have reason to believe they will be more loyal to them. Maybe they are (it’s not the kind of thing you publicize), but if they aren’t they need to be. State DOJ agents, IG office agents, etc etc

The Fig Economy @figgityfigs.bsky.social · 6d

This is an enormous problem that everyone more or less acknowledges until they pretend a Democratic governor could right now ride out into combat and order his state police to stand down and cease to assist ICE.

☀️ Starshine @starshine.bsky.social · 6d

i mean the thing underlying this and has been for a theme years is whether any dem mayor or governor for that matter has actual authority over their armed forces

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Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 7d

In case it wasn’t clear, the anti-DEI crusade has never been about merit. Zero news experience. Never been a reporter. Elevated to Editor in Chief of CBS News, one of the most storied news institutions in the nation. www.mediaite.com/media/news/p...

Paramount Officially Acquiring The Free Press and Making Bari Weiss CBS News Editor in Chief: Report

Paramount Skydance will be officially acquiring The Free Press and hiring its founder Bari Weiss as editor in chief of its CBS News division, with the deal to be announced this coming Monday, accordin...

www.mediaite.com

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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 7d

Paramount is about to pay $150 million for this

New article from The Free Press

My Favorite Actress Is Not Human

“Not everyone is happy about this gorgeous innovation,” writes Tyler Cowen.

Tilly Norwood doesn’t need a hairstylist, has no regrettable posts, and if you wish to see a virgin on-screen, this is one of your better chances. That’s because she’s AI.
By Tyler Cowen
10.02.25

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The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 7d

James O'Keefe's motives may be complex or questionable - more on that inside - but he is, in fact, putting pressure on the Trump administration over their Epstein stonewalling.

The latest edition of False Flag from @willsommer.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/james-okee...

James O’Keefe, Of All People, Won’t Let Trump Skate on Epstein

Plus: Candace Owens's speculations about the Kirk assassination grow farther fetched.

www.thebulwark.com

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Jonathan V. Last @jvl.bsky.social · 7d

This is where credulous, "unbiased" reporting gets you.

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MarshallBrandt @marshallbrandt.bsky.social · 7d

And then he got deported to the Sudan…the end

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 8d

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine as the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Division Series.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto shines as Dodgers sweep Reds to reach NL Division Series

Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine as the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the National League Division Series.

bit.ly

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Kate Klonick @klonick.bsky.social · 7d

Everytime I listen to Stephen Miller I think of this one angry nerdy bitter kid I went to high school with who used to have just one line in his AIM profile, the Radiohead lyric:

“When I am king, you will be first against the wall”

nullifie @nullifie.bsky.social · 8d

The year is 2003.

17-year-old Stephen Miller is sitting in the back of a school bus talking about torture, as in “Torture is a celebration of human life and dignity."

Miller looks directly into the camera and describes the torturing Iraqis in gruesome detail, as his peers laugh uncomfortably.

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