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Reposted by James Fallows

Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 12h

Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst noticed that Bondi flipped open a file during the Senate hearing and he zoomed in.

Inside were her crib notes for attacking the senators.

The GOP now practicing Cliff's Notes Fascism

In other words, under oath Bondi was purely a performance.

Bondi senate hearing had a folder full of notes for attacking the senators

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 13h

Well done by @whitehouse.senate.gov

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse @whitehouse.senate.gov · 14h

AG Bondi, here’s that correction you requested.

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Reposted by James Fallows

Alex Aronson @alexaronson.bsky.social · 1d

Everything that's wrong with legal journalism in one New York Times headline and pie chart.

If all these "legal experts" are so shocked by the threats to the rule of law, maybe they're not the experts we should be asking in the first place.

All of this was foreseeable. Many forecast it.

NYT headline: "Bow to the Emperor: We asked 50 Legal Experts About the Trump Presidency."

Pie chart showing over 50% of surveyed legal experts saying that Trump's second term has posed "much more threat" to the rule of law "than I expected."

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 15h

Very good piece by @vermontgmg.bsky.social

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 20h

All year, we’ve seen this administration treat appropriations bills less as laws-to-follow and more like Lucy playing football with Charlie Brown. What should make this moment any different? www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/there-is-n...

There is no budget "deal" to be made

President Trump in has so broken the constitutional framework as to make joint normal, responsible government impossible.

www.doomsdayscenario.co

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 17h

Draw on your own experience:

Is there any situation you've ever been part of, with you or anyone else in the hot seat, in which a person who does NOT have something to hide, reacts the way Bondi does?

I've been on trial juries that concluded "we can't trust that witness," after evasions like this

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 20h

NOTABLE -- Pam Bondi refuses to answer direct questions about if the FBI has incriminating photos of Trump with half-naked young women, but instead deflects from them by attacking Sen. Whitehouse

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 18h

Exactly.

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 19h

Goddam right.

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 20h

Someone saying "Let's do the fucking news" is the ultimate sign that person has never, ever worked in a real newsroom (the fantasyland of the NYT Opinion section doesn't count)

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 21h

Bari Weiss introduced herself to CBS News staff today on the network's 9AM call, saying she wants to "win," which requires restoring trust to CBS. She also said she was excited for staff to get to know the Free Press, and ended her remarks by saying: "Let's do the fucking news."

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 20h

Rare case in which the article itself is worse than the click-bait headline.

(Not linking.)

Headline "That Hegseth Speech Was Actually Pretty Good"

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Reposted by James Fallows

Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 22h

This is encouraging. Californians understood the assignment. We got loud and spread the word on Prop 50. This is a fight against Republican anti-democratic tactics, but we still have to vote.

Get those ballots in, early voting has started. We’re going to pass Prop 50.

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

Agree w @krispierson.com and @chasingray.bsky.social .

Did a post last night on why shutdown won't make flying unsafe. But it will slow everything way down. fallows.substack.com/p/air-travel...

From understaffed TSA lines to work-to-rule, "better safe than sorry" procedures everywhere.

Kris Pierson @krispierson.com · 1d

The staffing triggers at facilities have already been occurring. It’s not going to be unsafe. It’s gonna put the airlines so far underwater in delays they will start having to proactively cancel flights.

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

Are you kidding?

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

Good and realistic piece by @clarajeffery.bsky.social

Our most populous, most productive, most powerful, and most federal-tax-paying state can do more to throw its weight around. And stop a bully.

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 1d

Illinois just joined the legal fight to keep Trump from sending red states National Guards into blue states. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...

Once you start looking for evidence that soft secession might happen you see it everywhere: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

It’s time for soft secession

How blue states can use their economic clout to stand up to Trump’s agenda—starting with California.

www.motherjones.com

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Reposted by James Fallows

Tom @thomas-a-stewart.bsky.social · 1d

Exactly. But reporting of news – as opposed to horse racing – takes time. It costs more money. Over the weekend, the Times devoted a full page to one of those “what seven voters say” stories. There is a metric we editors know: cost per editorial page. Follow the money; rather follow the parsimony

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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

If I Ran the Media™
Fewer stories on:
—How Dems Need to Change Their Messaging
—How [event xx] Will Play w [voter bloc YY]
—How 2028 Field Is Shaping Up

More of:
—Which points of resistance are actually working
—What specifically GOP Reps/Sens are so afraid of
—Real-world tariff/immig effects
—ETC

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