Sam G. Howard
@samghoward.riliberator.com
Rhode Islander, education union data organizer and Democratic ward committee member. Recovering comms pro, RI's leading vexillologist (probably). Occasionally blogs at riliberator.com
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
BREAKING: Several people shot near the White House in Washington, DC, including at least one National Guardsman https://cnn.it/48jPTy2
November 26, 2025 at 8:04 PM
BREAKING: Several people shot near the White House in Washington, DC, including at least one National Guardsman https://cnn.it/48jPTy2
It still just kind of blows my mind that there are like two dozen mill villages in RI that used to just routinely change their name whenever the company that owned of the mill changed, until the last mill owner was immortalized when that practice stopped.
November 26, 2025 at 7:10 PM
It still just kind of blows my mind that there are like two dozen mill villages in RI that used to just routinely change their name whenever the company that owned of the mill changed, until the last mill owner was immortalized when that practice stopped.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
The people who do this, who conceived of it, who demand it, are real life monsters.
“I had to take the baby from my crying wife’s arms.“ It hasn’t even been a year, and this is not a scandal anymore? What is wrong with us?
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:02 PM
The people who do this, who conceived of it, who demand it, are real life monsters.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
I wonder if there was a bill that Congress voted on in 2021-2022 that would have banned gerrymandering in every state.
Or another one in 2019.
Or a landmark Supreme Court case seeking to end it in 2019.
Now to find out how every Republican voted on each of tho—oh, they were unanimously opposed
Or another one in 2019.
Or a landmark Supreme Court case seeking to end it in 2019.
Now to find out how every Republican voted on each of tho—oh, they were unanimously opposed
California Republican suddenly supporting a national partisan gerrymandering ban. IT’S GAME THEORY BABY THINK OF THE STRATEGERY, WE PLAYING DEFECT-DEFECT NOT DEFECT-COOPERATE, IT’S TIT FOR TAT, CONSIDER THE INCENTIVES
November 26, 2025 at 6:29 PM
I wonder if there was a bill that Congress voted on in 2021-2022 that would have banned gerrymandering in every state.
Or another one in 2019.
Or a landmark Supreme Court case seeking to end it in 2019.
Now to find out how every Republican voted on each of tho—oh, they were unanimously opposed
Or another one in 2019.
Or a landmark Supreme Court case seeking to end it in 2019.
Now to find out how every Republican voted on each of tho—oh, they were unanimously opposed
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
this might be the saddest story I've ever written, about a seal that I will be thinking about for a long, long time.
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
Why Won’t Nora The Leopard Seal Abandon Her Dead Pups? | Defector
In the fall of 2021, Renato Borras-Chavez, a marine mammal ecologist at the University of Rhode Island, spotted a leopard seal on an ice floe. Borras-Chavez was on a research expedition to a glacial f...
defector.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:54 PM
this might be the saddest story I've ever written, about a seal that I will be thinking about for a long, long time.
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
defector.com/why-wont-nor...
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
A friend who teaches theology shared with me a post about CS Lewis's Mere Christianity, which discusses foundational Christian logic across denominations. It reminded me of Dale's tweet below, and I wanted to share some thoughts here regarding modesty and respectability, which are often hot topics.
November 23, 2025 at 7:35 PM
A friend who teaches theology shared with me a post about CS Lewis's Mere Christianity, which discusses foundational Christian logic across denominations. It reminded me of Dale's tweet below, and I wanted to share some thoughts here regarding modesty and respectability, which are often hot topics.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
By the way, note that the description of Biden as being "in obvious mental decline" was left in the speech, while the description of Trump as the "most openly corrupt president in American history" was removed:
Note that the BBC openly admits in an email to me that the removal of this claim about Trump's world-historical corruption was done "on legal advice."
Translation: Trump's threat of a lawsuit, no matter how bogus, has now been rewarded.
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Translation: Trump's threat of a lawsuit, no matter how bogus, has now been rewarded.
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
November 26, 2025 at 2:03 PM
By the way, note that the description of Biden as being "in obvious mental decline" was left in the speech, while the description of Trump as the "most openly corrupt president in American history" was removed:
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
BREAKING: SCOTUS will not grant the Trump administration’s request to allow it to fire Shira Perlmutter, the director of the Copyright Office, at this time. It puts off any decision while the court is considering the other two firings cases. Perlmutter stays in office during that time.
November 26, 2025 at 5:08 PM
BREAKING: SCOTUS will not grant the Trump administration’s request to allow it to fire Shira Perlmutter, the director of the Copyright Office, at this time. It puts off any decision while the court is considering the other two firings cases. Perlmutter stays in office during that time.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
maybe this will turn out to be a damp squib but literally everyone involved is approaching it as a close race.
most interesting thing about this imo is that the R candidate is above water on favorability
most interesting thing about this imo is that the R candidate is above water on favorability
Emerson poll | 11/22-11/24 LV
Tennessee’s 7th congressional special election (Trump +22)
(Leaners pushed)
🟥Matt Van Epps 49.4%
🟦Aftyn Behn 47.0%
Others 3.5%
emersoncollegepolling.com/tennessee-7t...
Tennessee’s 7th congressional special election (Trump +22)
(Leaners pushed)
🟥Matt Van Epps 49.4%
🟦Aftyn Behn 47.0%
Others 3.5%
emersoncollegepolling.com/tennessee-7t...
Tennessee 7th District 2025 Special Election Poll: Republican Van Epps and Democrat Behn Locked In Tight Race - Emerson Polling
Voters Split on Trump’s Job Performance as Economic Issues Top Voters’ Concerns A new Emerson…Full Release & Results
emersoncollegepolling.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:16 PM
maybe this will turn out to be a damp squib but literally everyone involved is approaching it as a close race.
most interesting thing about this imo is that the R candidate is above water on favorability
most interesting thing about this imo is that the R candidate is above water on favorability
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
I have no idea what will happen in the Tennessee special, but if the Dem does win, we're gonna get a major Trump/GOP in trouble frenzy.
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
In our latest polling averages over at FiftyPlusOne, Trump has hit a new low of 39.6% in his second-term job approval (-17 on net), and Republicans just hit a new low of 41.3% in the 2026 House generic ballot (Dems +4.2 on margin).
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
November 26, 2025 at 4:24 PM
I have no idea what will happen in the Tennessee special, but if the Dem does win, we're gonna get a major Trump/GOP in trouble frenzy.
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
(That said: it's quite possible Trump's approval will bump up a bit soon, with a post-shutdown recovery delayed by Epstein week. Unless there's more bad news!).
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
In our latest polling averages over at FiftyPlusOne, Trump has hit a new low of 39.6% in his second-term job approval (-17 on net), and Republicans just hit a new low of 41.3% in the 2026 House generic ballot (Dems +4.2 on margin).
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
November 26, 2025 at 1:47 PM
In our latest polling averages over at FiftyPlusOne, Trump has hit a new low of 39.6% in his second-term job approval (-17 on net), and Republicans just hit a new low of 41.3% in the 2026 House generic ballot (Dems +4.2 on margin).
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
fiftyplusone.news/latest-polls
I didn't know RI even had a raven population. www.wpri.com/news/local-n...
November 26, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I didn't know RI even had a raven population. www.wpri.com/news/local-n...
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
NEW: Skandalakis is now moving to dismiss Trump’s Georgia case
BREAKING: Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, has appointed himself to prosecute the case against Trump and others in Fulton County.
The move follows a court ruling that disqualified Fani Willis from pursuing the case.
The move follows a court ruling that disqualified Fani Willis from pursuing the case.
November 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
NEW: Skandalakis is now moving to dismiss Trump’s Georgia case
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
you mean to tell me that a talk show host going with "this guy has arranged the military medals he won badly" as a PR strategy against a combat veteran didn't work?
November 26, 2025 at 3:50 PM
you mean to tell me that a talk show host going with "this guy has arranged the military medals he won badly" as a PR strategy against a combat veteran didn't work?
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
Just learned that Karoline Leavitt's brother was in the local Massachusetts news in 2014 for winning $1 million from Draft Kings by betting on the Patriots. The baby in the photo is his (in recent news, the baby's mother, born in Brazil, has now been detained by ICE) cullmantimes.com/2014/10/29/f...
Fantasy football produces an instant millionaire - The Cullman Times
Mike Leavitt knew going into the Monday Night Football game between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins that a poor outing from Cowboys superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant would mean a $1 millio...
cullmantimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Just learned that Karoline Leavitt's brother was in the local Massachusetts news in 2014 for winning $1 million from Draft Kings by betting on the Patriots. The baby in the photo is his (in recent news, the baby's mother, born in Brazil, has now been detained by ICE) cullmantimes.com/2014/10/29/f...
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
Imagine going through life like this
November 26, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Imagine going through life like this
Housing First has been homeless policy in the United States since the final year of the Bush administration (although as the article points out, that only took effect in 2009). But because all policy is culture war now, the Trump admin is throwing us back into the failures of the past.
Advocates say federal funding rules may push thousands in RI into homelessness
New federal housing grant rules will leave thousands homeless as nonprofits lose funding for housing.
www.providencejournal.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Housing First has been homeless policy in the United States since the final year of the Bush administration (although as the article points out, that only took effect in 2009). But because all policy is culture war now, the Trump admin is throwing us back into the failures of the past.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
Indeed job postings show no worsening in their trajectory through 11/21 - indeed, it seems to be very gradually improving.
The Y/Y decline is back where it was in late 2022, almost 3 years ago.
The Y/Y decline is back where it was in late 2022, almost 3 years ago.
November 26, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Indeed job postings show no worsening in their trajectory through 11/21 - indeed, it seems to be very gradually improving.
The Y/Y decline is back where it was in late 2022, almost 3 years ago.
The Y/Y decline is back where it was in late 2022, almost 3 years ago.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
Scrolling through November 1863 newspapers looking at reactions to Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation and what’s notable is how whiny the conservative Dem papers are about how Thanksgiving proclamations should be the state prerogative and not the federal government’s
plus ça change, I guess
plus ça change, I guess
November 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Scrolling through November 1863 newspapers looking at reactions to Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation and what’s notable is how whiny the conservative Dem papers are about how Thanksgiving proclamations should be the state prerogative and not the federal government’s
plus ça change, I guess
plus ça change, I guess
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
you don’t understand, under Biden doordash was expensive
November 25, 2025 at 10:48 PM
you don’t understand, under Biden doordash was expensive
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
3. We literally let Russia flood us with propaganda designed to undermine American cohesion, because far-right Republicans think it helps them politically. The Tories allowed Russian money to flood UK politics, and in return they committed great-power suicide via Brexit.
November 26, 2025 at 12:22 PM
3. We literally let Russia flood us with propaganda designed to undermine American cohesion, because far-right Republicans think it helps them politically. The Tories allowed Russian money to flood UK politics, and in return they committed great-power suicide via Brexit.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
The thing is, this shouldn't even be a discussion in a free country. If any member of the public says the government's orders are illegal and should be refused, that is clearly protected speech. The speech of members of congress is even more protected than that of the general public.
November 25, 2025 at 10:42 PM
The thing is, this shouldn't even be a discussion in a free country. If any member of the public says the government's orders are illegal and should be refused, that is clearly protected speech. The speech of members of congress is even more protected than that of the general public.
Reposted by Sam G. Howard
This is called “chain refoulment” and it’s illegal under both U.S. and international law. And the State Department and ICE know very well what Ghana is doing and simply don’t care.
ICE deported a woman who owned a home in the US for 30 years. A judge banned ICE from deporting her to Sierra Leone where she had been tortured, so it deported her to Ghana, which kidnapped her and sent her back Sierra Leone anyway. ICE is part of this illegal conspiracy.
November 25, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This is called “chain refoulment” and it’s illegal under both U.S. and international law. And the State Department and ICE know very well what Ghana is doing and simply don’t care.