Heidi Jon Schmidt
@heidijon.bsky.social
Author, Democrat, mom
New York Times, The Atlantic, Boston Globe Mag, etc.
hjs24pearl.substack.com
heidijonschmidt.com
New York Times, The Atlantic, Boston Globe Mag, etc.
hjs24pearl.substack.com
heidijonschmidt.com
Pinned
It's not Politics. And We Have to Talk About It.
Happy Thanksgiving! To you and yours. All of yours.
open.substack.com
It's not Politics. And We Have to Talk About It.
open.substack.com/pub/hjs24pea...
open.substack.com/pub/hjs24pea...
"Both Parties are the Same" and Other Poses We're going to need a blue tsunami to overcome Republican election corruption. So we need to face down some popular fallacies.
open.substack.com/pub/hjs24pea...
open.substack.com/pub/hjs24pea...
"Both Parties are the Same" and Other Poses
We've all done it--used a little protective coloration to cover our sense of inadequacy. It's human. But when it interferes with our ability to make electoral progress, it needs to be addressed.
open.substack.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
"Both Parties are the Same" and Other Poses We're going to need a blue tsunami to overcome Republican election corruption. So we need to face down some popular fallacies.
open.substack.com/pub/hjs24pea...
open.substack.com/pub/hjs24pea...
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Just walk out! You can leave!
tonight while recording a guest spot on a podcast i experienced an unacceptable level of disrespect from one of the hosts. so i decided to do what felt right for me and i left. i didn’t need to stick around to show i’m “tough” or “thick skinned.” i reminded myself that no one is owed my time.
December 9, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Just walk out! You can leave!
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
One way to think of the Trump Admin is as having SHIFTED the $$ we used to spend on curing cancer (and providing care to Veterans and protecting nature and etc) to snatching brown people off the streets.
Amid NIH funding delays, reversals and uncertainty, a scientist at Harvard who studies breast cancer has lost one-third of her lab employees and wonders if she can continue her research experiments. n.pr/4a4N3zD
After NIH grant cuts, breast cancer research at Harvard slowed, and lab workers left
Amid NIH funding delays, reversals and uncertainty, a scientist at Harvard who studies breast cancer has lost one-third of her lab employees and wonders if she can continue her research experiments.
n.pr
December 9, 2025 at 10:10 AM
One way to think of the Trump Admin is as having SHIFTED the $$ we used to spend on curing cancer (and providing care to Veterans and protecting nature and etc) to snatching brown people off the streets.
What an idiot. The bar is so low for him that it's underground.
Trump on the Russia-Ukraine war: "We have a great situation going over there, except for one problem: You've got a lot of people dying."
December 8, 2025 at 8:36 PM
If only it were just FOX, and not FOX, CBS, NYT etc — determined to kill the truth.
Trainwreck? In October 2024, The Economist called Biden's economy "the envy of the world."
BARTIROMO: What are you expecting the president's economic message to be?
SEN. McCORMICK: I think the message is that we inherited a trainwreck from the Biden administration and we made a lot of progress
SEN. McCORMICK: I think the message is that we inherited a trainwreck from the Biden administration and we made a lot of progress
December 7, 2025 at 6:02 PM
If only it were just FOX, and not FOX, CBS, NYT etc — determined to kill the truth.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Just in case NYT tries to pretend that they have not been lying US: hundreds of articles by NYT amplifyied obvious lie that Trump was invading & occupying Democratic cities to fight crime for US rather than obvious truth he was coming to sow terror against US
December 7, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Just in case NYT tries to pretend that they have not been lying US: hundreds of articles by NYT amplifyied obvious lie that Trump was invading & occupying Democratic cities to fight crime for US rather than obvious truth he was coming to sow terror against US
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
After amplifying Trump propaganda that Trump paramilitary surges in Democratic cities were to “fight crime” even NYT forced to admit obvious fact that Trump targeting hard working families not criminals. He is causing terror & violence, hurting our community & economy, for right-wing talking points.
Trump said last year that he would focus on deporting immigrants who were violent criminals. But a study of arrests in major operations in DC, LA, Illinois and Massachusetts shows that the vast majority of those swept up by ICE have no criminal record.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
ICE Arrest Data Shows Many Immigrants With No Criminal Record
In high-profile operations, more than half of those arrested had no criminal record, an analysis shows.
www.nytimes.com
December 7, 2025 at 12:14 PM
After amplifying Trump propaganda that Trump paramilitary surges in Democratic cities were to “fight crime” even NYT forced to admit obvious fact that Trump targeting hard working families not criminals. He is causing terror & violence, hurting our community & economy, for right-wing talking points.
Cash bail is only worthwhile if its tied to your assets. Trump would owe a billion dollars for every dollar most of the accused are charged.
In August, President Trump instructed the attorney general to identify jurisdictions that have ”substantially eliminated cash bail.” That placed Illinois, which entirely banned cash bail in 2023, in the administration's crosshairs.
Chicago’s Public Defender on Why Illinois Should Fight Trump’s Threats on Cashless Bail
As the president tries to punish jurisdictions with bail reform, Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell, Jr., explains why Illinois ended cash bail—and what he hopes to see next.
boltsmag.org
December 6, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Cash bail is only worthwhile if its tied to your assets. Trump would owe a billion dollars for every dollar most of the accused are charged.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Trump's dementia has grown so extreme that a select group of advisors are now running the country without his input. To find who those advisors are and what their plans are, buy my new book, which will appear in March 2029.
December 6, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Trump's dementia has grown so extreme that a select group of advisors are now running the country without his input. To find who those advisors are and what their plans are, buy my new book, which will appear in March 2029.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Other than the clear top-of-alphabet favoritism in this list (9 out of 20 have names that start between A and C? Typical biased media) this is a great list. Subscribe to The Onion, too, obviously, but this is a very good way to spend your money on good people.
NEW — I put together a list of independent journalism subscriptions that would make great holiday gifts. From music to politics, astronomy to alcohol, tech to social justice, there’s something for [almost] everyone. Support indie media *and* surprise and delight your loved ones!
My guide:
My guide:
Giving the gift of independent journalism: a guide
The Handbasket has subscription suggestions for almost everyone on your list.
www.thehandbasket.co
December 6, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Other than the clear top-of-alphabet favoritism in this list (9 out of 20 have names that start between A and C? Typical biased media) this is a great list. Subscribe to The Onion, too, obviously, but this is a very good way to spend your money on good people.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Absolutely. This is utterly disgraceful. At some point, the perpetrators need to be brought to justice.
@normornstein.bsky.social Please cover the Amnesty International report documenting torture allegations at ICE detention centers.
Highlights:
- Detainees sleeping on the floor in proximity to raw sewage.
- Detainees locked outside in a 2’x2’ box.
www.amnesty.org/en/documents...
Highlights:
- Detainees sleeping on the floor in proximity to raw sewage.
- Detainees locked outside in a 2’x2’ box.
www.amnesty.org/en/documents...
USA: Torture and enforced disappearances in the Sunshine State: Human Rights Violations at "Alligator Alcatraz" and Krome in Florida - Amnesty International
This report presents Amnesty International’s findings from a research trip to southern Florida in September 2025, to document the human rights impacts of federal and state migration and asylum policie...
www.amnesty.org
December 6, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Absolutely. This is utterly disgraceful. At some point, the perpetrators need to be brought to justice.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
I've said this before but it bears repetition: the consequence of allowing bigotry & other cruelty into your coalition is that everyone starts to stand up for one another a lot less. That's one reason why tolerance of bigotry &/or cruelty is the antithesis of good antifascism.
November 29, 2025 at 6:46 PM
I've said this before but it bears repetition: the consequence of allowing bigotry & other cruelty into your coalition is that everyone starts to stand up for one another a lot less. That's one reason why tolerance of bigotry &/or cruelty is the antithesis of good antifascism.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
—Shitty polling
—MTG breakup
—Thune refusing to kill the filibuster
—Near-unanimous Epstein vote
—House backlash over ACA proposal
—2 IN state senators telling him to fuck off
—Now this
Something is happening…
—MTG breakup
—Thune refusing to kill the filibuster
—Near-unanimous Epstein vote
—House backlash over ACA proposal
—2 IN state senators telling him to fuck off
—Now this
Something is happening…
Wow: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon seems to think that companies involved with Trump's ballroom project could be criminally prosecuted. thehill.com/business/559...
November 29, 2025 at 6:33 PM
—Shitty polling
—MTG breakup
—Thune refusing to kill the filibuster
—Near-unanimous Epstein vote
—House backlash over ACA proposal
—2 IN state senators telling him to fuck off
—Now this
Something is happening…
—MTG breakup
—Thune refusing to kill the filibuster
—Near-unanimous Epstein vote
—House backlash over ACA proposal
—2 IN state senators telling him to fuck off
—Now this
Something is happening…
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
When a news outlet puts a reckless, undocumented claim by the Trump regime in the main headline and puts medical experts’ pushback in the smaller type, it’s making a choice. And not a good one.
November 29, 2025 at 10:40 PM
When a news outlet puts a reckless, undocumented claim by the Trump regime in the main headline and puts medical experts’ pushback in the smaller type, it’s making a choice. And not a good one.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Jake Tapper and Maggie Haberman have book deals to sign they can’t be bothered with news
"Western civilization," the font, the 11 stars - 11 states in the confederacy, for the record.
Why is this never news? Why are we letting our government agencies do this sort of thing while the news agencies report on hallucinated trade deals and act like everything is normal
Why is this never news? Why are we letting our government agencies do this sort of thing while the news agencies report on hallucinated trade deals and act like everything is normal
November 29, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Jake Tapper and Maggie Haberman have book deals to sign they can’t be bothered with news
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Let’s talk about corruption.
Given the facts we know now - that, in short, EVERYONE around DJT and he himself is profiting off of selling Ukraine to the murderer, why are we still pretending for US to be the intermediary in these “negotiations”? What exactly are we expecting here? Where is EU?
Given the facts we know now - that, in short, EVERYONE around DJT and he himself is profiting off of selling Ukraine to the murderer, why are we still pretending for US to be the intermediary in these “negotiations”? What exactly are we expecting here? Where is EU?
November 29, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Let’s talk about corruption.
Given the facts we know now - that, in short, EVERYONE around DJT and he himself is profiting off of selling Ukraine to the murderer, why are we still pretending for US to be the intermediary in these “negotiations”? What exactly are we expecting here? Where is EU?
Given the facts we know now - that, in short, EVERYONE around DJT and he himself is profiting off of selling Ukraine to the murderer, why are we still pretending for US to be the intermediary in these “negotiations”? What exactly are we expecting here? Where is EU?
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
1/2 Several weeks before he came onto national scene, last summer while Biden was still in the race, I was at a tech conf where Walz gave 40-minute keynote, about the way advanced geospatial data systems were transforming all sectors in Minnesota. Gov, ag, educ, mfr, research, sustainability [cont]
November 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
1/2 Several weeks before he came onto national scene, last summer while Biden was still in the race, I was at a tech conf where Walz gave 40-minute keynote, about the way advanced geospatial data systems were transforming all sectors in Minnesota. Gov, ag, educ, mfr, research, sustainability [cont]
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
“Mark my words: It may take some time, but Americans will be prosecuted for this, either as a war crime or outright murder.”
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:37 PM
“Mark my words: It may take some time, but Americans will be prosecuted for this, either as a war crime or outright murder.”
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
When a 22-year-old white man was accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, did the Trump regime investigate all the 22-year-old white men in the country? Or is collective punishment only a thing we do to people of non-European descent?
November 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
When a 22-year-old white man was accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, did the Trump regime investigate all the 22-year-old white men in the country? Or is collective punishment only a thing we do to people of non-European descent?
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
And NO WONDER he wants to courtmartial Mark Kelly for telling people not to follow orders to murder people.
November 28, 2025 at 6:53 PM
And NO WONDER he wants to courtmartial Mark Kelly for telling people not to follow orders to murder people.
Grateful for the right phrase: “Pure terror for no reason”. Need a whistle now.
November 27, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Grateful for the right phrase: “Pure terror for no reason”. Need a whistle now.
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
Need inspiration for your Thanksgiving cooking? This sheet pan organic dry-brined turkey with an anise orange reduction—served with hazelnuts and morels atop an heirloom fingerling potato confit—will make you feel like a corrections officer cooking for Ghislaine Maxwell!
November 27, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Need inspiration for your Thanksgiving cooking? This sheet pan organic dry-brined turkey with an anise orange reduction—served with hazelnuts and morels atop an heirloom fingerling potato confit—will make you feel like a corrections officer cooking for Ghislaine Maxwell!
Reposted by Heidi Jon Schmidt
"A childhood friend, who asked to be identified only as Muhammad because he feared Taliban reprisals, said that Mr. Lakanwal had suffered from mental health issues and was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused." gift link 🎁 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/u...
D.C. Shooting Suspect ‘Could Not Tolerate’ the Violence of His C.I.A.-Backed Unit in Afghanistan, a Childhood Friend Said
www.nytimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:29 PM
"A childhood friend, who asked to be identified only as Muhammad because he feared Taliban reprisals, said that Mr. Lakanwal had suffered from mental health issues and was disturbed by the casualties his unit had caused." gift link 🎁 www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/u...