lmarkkula.bsky.social
@lmarkkula.bsky.social
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UNITED24 - The initiative of the President of Ukraine
UNITED24 was launched by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine. Funds will be transferred to the official accounts of...
u24.gov.ua
u24.gov.ua Donate to support Ukraine.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Since we're bidding 2025 good riddance, I'll highlight a few pieces I wrote this year, most of which are about how to keep moving in hard times. First up is this Atlantic story about how joining Amway destroyed my mother and bankrupted our family. She could never let go of it, and I lost her. [1/5]
The ‘Exciting Business Opportunity’ That Ruined Our Lives
Amway sold my family a life built on delusion.
www.theatlantic.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Since we're bidding 2025 good riddance, I'll highlight a few pieces I wrote this year, most of which are about how to keep moving in hard times. First up is this Atlantic story about how joining Amway destroyed my mother and bankrupted our family. She could never let go of it, and I lost her. [1/5]
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Breaking News: Tatiana Schlossberg, an environmental journalist and child of Caroline Kennedy, died at 35. She recently wrote of her battle with leukemia in The New Yorker. nyti.ms/4pjDWiz
December 30, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Breaking News: Tatiana Schlossberg, an environmental journalist and child of Caroline Kennedy, died at 35. She recently wrote of her battle with leukemia in The New Yorker. nyti.ms/4pjDWiz
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
So @adamparkhomenko.bsky.social is right -- my blood did boil when I read this.
apnews.com/article/neth...
US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash
apnews.com/article/neth...
US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash
US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash
The American Cemetery in the Dutch village of Margraten has become a flashpoint over the removal of displays honoring Black soldiers.
apnews.com
December 30, 2025 at 6:01 PM
So @adamparkhomenko.bsky.social is right -- my blood did boil when I read this.
apnews.com/article/neth...
US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash
apnews.com/article/neth...
US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/o...
December 30, 2025 at 2:37 PM
gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/o...
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Julie K. Brown is a reporter for the Miami Herald who did groundbreaking work on Epstein beginning in 2018, including groundbreaking work on the disgusting coverup by Alex Acosta.
Her travel itinerary was released with some of the Epstein files. It appears the DOJ was monitoring her in 2019.
Her travel itinerary was released with some of the Epstein files. It appears the DOJ was monitoring her in 2019.
December 28, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Julie K. Brown is a reporter for the Miami Herald who did groundbreaking work on Epstein beginning in 2018, including groundbreaking work on the disgusting coverup by Alex Acosta.
Her travel itinerary was released with some of the Epstein files. It appears the DOJ was monitoring her in 2019.
Her travel itinerary was released with some of the Epstein files. It appears the DOJ was monitoring her in 2019.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
“You don’t know what kind of havoc that wreaked on my life, man… they ran my pregnant wife off the road twice. They sat in the canals behind our house with bullhorns.”
Hunter Biden tells Shawn Ryan about the harassment Trump provoked against him
Hunter Biden tells Shawn Ryan about the harassment Trump provoked against him
December 27, 2025 at 7:04 PM
“You don’t know what kind of havoc that wreaked on my life, man… they ran my pregnant wife off the road twice. They sat in the canals behind our house with bullhorns.”
Hunter Biden tells Shawn Ryan about the harassment Trump provoked against him
Hunter Biden tells Shawn Ryan about the harassment Trump provoked against him
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Corruption so pungent, it wafts right off the page:
Lobbyists who do pardon deals “say their going rate is $1 million. Pardon-seekers have offered some lobbyists close to the president success fees of as much as $6 million if they can close the deal.”
Gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Lobbyists who do pardon deals “say their going rate is $1 million. Pardon-seekers have offered some lobbyists close to the president success fees of as much as $6 million if they can close the deal.”
Gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Inside the New Fast Track to a Presidential Pardon
Even some of the president’s closest advisers have been surprised by a number of the recent series of pardons.
www.wsj.com
December 27, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Corruption so pungent, it wafts right off the page:
Lobbyists who do pardon deals “say their going rate is $1 million. Pardon-seekers have offered some lobbyists close to the president success fees of as much as $6 million if they can close the deal.”
Gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Lobbyists who do pardon deals “say their going rate is $1 million. Pardon-seekers have offered some lobbyists close to the president success fees of as much as $6 million if they can close the deal.”
Gift link www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
This is very bad.
Trump’s DOJ offers states confidential deal to remove voters flagged by feds • Stateline
The U.S. Department of Justice has sent confidential draft agreements on voter data sharing to more than a dozen states, part of the Trump administration’s effort to obtain unredacted voter rolls, wit...
stateline.org
December 26, 2025 at 11:56 PM
This is very bad.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Trump pardons "start at $1m," reports WSJ boingboing.net/2025/12/27/t...
Trump pardons "start at $1m," reports WSJ
A simple process: you give a lobbyist the money, they talk to someone in Trump's inner circle such as his son, then Trump pardons you.
boingboing.net
December 27, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Trump pardons "start at $1m," reports WSJ boingboing.net/2025/12/27/t...
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Politicians introduced 96 bills targeting transgender student athletes in 2025.
That’s more than 9x the number of trans people playing college sports nationally.
That’s more than 9x the number of trans people playing college sports nationally.
December 27, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Politicians introduced 96 bills targeting transgender student athletes in 2025.
That’s more than 9x the number of trans people playing college sports nationally.
That’s more than 9x the number of trans people playing college sports nationally.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post published stories about Trump writing 200 unhinged posts on Christmas Day
You almost have to feel bad for an ugly old man with no family or friends to keep him company on Christmas Day that he makes 200 crazy posts ranting about everything under the sun.
Almost.
Almost.
December 26, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post published stories about Trump writing 200 unhinged posts on Christmas Day
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
I did not understand this: one of the five Europeans the US has barred from traveling to the United States...is a permanent resident who lives with his family in the US.
Now he is worried about being arrested and deported for the crime of monitoring online hate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Now he is worried about being arrested and deported for the crime of monitoring online hate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Judge Blocks Detention of British Researcher Who Scrutinizes Online Hate
www.nytimes.com
December 26, 2025 at 3:55 AM
I did not understand this: one of the five Europeans the US has barred from traveling to the United States...is a permanent resident who lives with his family in the US.
Now he is worried about being arrested and deported for the crime of monitoring online hate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Now he is worried about being arrested and deported for the crime of monitoring online hate.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
UN’s Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese:
“I truly hope that people will stay calm, will not panic, and will remember that the international community is made of 193 states, and this is the time to give the US what it has been looking for – isolation!”
“I truly hope that people will stay calm, will not panic, and will remember that the international community is made of 193 states, and this is the time to give the US what it has been looking for – isolation!”
December 25, 2025 at 8:20 PM
UN’s Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese:
“I truly hope that people will stay calm, will not panic, and will remember that the international community is made of 193 states, and this is the time to give the US what it has been looking for – isolation!”
“I truly hope that people will stay calm, will not panic, and will remember that the international community is made of 193 states, and this is the time to give the US what it has been looking for – isolation!”
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
I never again want to hear about how the Republican Party is the party of national security. You don’t incinerate our diplomatic capacity & violate all of our treaty commitments if you care about national security.
Context for Trump withdrawing dozens of ambassadors
*China has invested heavily in expanding diplomacy
*The US has significantly degraded soft power
*The US already has scores of diplomatic vacancies
*China has invested heavily in expanding diplomacy
*The US has significantly degraded soft power
*The US already has scores of diplomatic vacancies
December 25, 2025 at 12:24 AM
I never again want to hear about how the Republican Party is the party of national security. You don’t incinerate our diplomatic capacity & violate all of our treaty commitments if you care about national security.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
The Trump administration is considering giving nearly 800 acres of land in a federal wildlife refuge in Texas to SpaceX, the rocket and satellite maker run by Elon Musk, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.
Trump May Give SpaceX Some Land In A Texas Wildlife Refuge
In exchange for the land in Texas, the rocket and satellite company would give the government some of its own property nearby, documents show.
nyti.ms
December 25, 2025 at 2:25 PM
The Trump administration is considering giving nearly 800 acres of land in a federal wildlife refuge in Texas to SpaceX, the rocket and satellite maker run by Elon Musk, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
A man who has never served a day in his life is taking away Veterans' freedom to choose in cases of rape, incest or when the health of the mother is at risk.
Trump is putting millions of Veterans in danger.
And he did it during the holiday season thinking we wouldn’t notice.
Trump is putting millions of Veterans in danger.
And he did it during the holiday season thinking we wouldn’t notice.
🚨🚨 SCOOP @ms.now : The Department of Veteran Affairs has quietly implemented its abortion ban following a DOJ memo issued last week.
This will affect 9 million veterans and their dependents, and has been a long time coming: It was outlined in Project 2025.
Read/share 👇
This will affect 9 million veterans and their dependents, and has been a long time coming: It was outlined in Project 2025.
Read/share 👇
Department of Veterans Affairs quietly implements abortion ban
A VA spokesperson confirmed to MS NOW that the ban was in place following a Department of Justice memo issued last week.
www.ms.now
December 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
A man who has never served a day in his life is taking away Veterans' freedom to choose in cases of rape, incest or when the health of the mother is at risk.
Trump is putting millions of Veterans in danger.
And he did it during the holiday season thinking we wouldn’t notice.
Trump is putting millions of Veterans in danger.
And he did it during the holiday season thinking we wouldn’t notice.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
On this day in 1865, Confederate veterans established the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee. Devoted to white supremacy, the Klan became America’s most prominent terrorist group.
Dec. 24, 1865 | Confederate Veterans Establish the Ku Klux Klan
Learn more about our history of racial injustice.
calendar.eji.org
December 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
On this day in 1865, Confederate veterans established the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee. Devoted to white supremacy, the Klan became America’s most prominent terrorist group.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
Trump’s spawn joins a drone manufacturer, and the next thing you know, importing drones and their components is banned.
Here’s some more analysis on how the new ban on the import of foreign drone components is going to impact drone manufacturing (the impacts are not, I imagine, gonna be good)
www.electronicdesign.com/blogs/nonlin...
www.electronicdesign.com/blogs/nonlin...
FCC Bans Foreign-Made Drones, Drone Parts...Plus Motors and Batteries?
The FCC has effectively banned the importation of all foreign-manufactured drones as well as foreign sources of drone components that include batteries and motors.
www.electronicdesign.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Trump’s spawn joins a drone manufacturer, and the next thing you know, importing drones and their components is banned.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
This is where the "free speech" talk was always headed.
Free speech for Nazis and rightwing bullies, censorship for the rest of us.
Free speech for Nazis and rightwing bullies, censorship for the rest of us.
US issues visa ban on former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton as well as Imran Ahmed, the British CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate; Anna-Lena von Hodenberg and Josephine Ballon of the German nonprofit HateAid; and Clare Melford, co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI).
US targets former EU commissioner, activists with visa bans over alleged censorship
The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed visa bans on a former European Union commissioner and anti-disinformation campaigners it says were involved in censoring U.S. social media platforms, in the...
www.reuters.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
This is where the "free speech" talk was always headed.
Free speech for Nazis and rightwing bullies, censorship for the rest of us.
Free speech for Nazis and rightwing bullies, censorship for the rest of us.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
The Trump administration on December 23 imposed visa bans on former European Union commissioner Thierry Breton and anti-disinformation campaigners it says were involved in censoring US social media platforms reut.rs/496bBWS
December 24, 2025 at 2:02 PM
The Trump administration on December 23 imposed visa bans on former European Union commissioner Thierry Breton and anti-disinformation campaigners it says were involved in censoring US social media platforms reut.rs/496bBWS
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
i made a video about the president's gutter racism against somali-americans and how a scandal became a smear became a call for de facto ethnic cleansing
Donald Trump’s racist attack on Somali Americans
YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie
www.youtube.com
December 4, 2025 at 9:59 AM
i made a video about the president's gutter racism against somali-americans and how a scandal became a smear became a call for de facto ethnic cleansing
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
U.S. anniversary coins won’t feature any Black Americans or notable women
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
U.S. anniversary coins won’t feature any Black Americans or notable women
The Trump administration has scraped plans for coins honoring Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges opting for all Whites to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 23, 2025 at 9:54 AM
U.S. anniversary coins won’t feature any Black Americans or notable women
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
NEW: A bill restoring money for pediatric cancer therapies was defeated in the Senate.
My colleague @samsteindc.bsky.social — who has covered this wrenching story ever since the funding was first removed at Elon Musk's behest last year — reports on why Bernie Sanders helped defeat the bill.
My colleague @samsteindc.bsky.social — who has covered this wrenching story ever since the funding was first removed at Elon Musk's behest last year — reports on why Bernie Sanders helped defeat the bill.
A Pediatric Cancer Bill Fell One Vote Short. Bernie Cast It.
The Vermont senator is holding out for a bigger health care package. Advocates are asking: Is the price worth it?
www.thebulwark.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:42 AM
NEW: A bill restoring money for pediatric cancer therapies was defeated in the Senate.
My colleague @samsteindc.bsky.social — who has covered this wrenching story ever since the funding was first removed at Elon Musk's behest last year — reports on why Bernie Sanders helped defeat the bill.
My colleague @samsteindc.bsky.social — who has covered this wrenching story ever since the funding was first removed at Elon Musk's behest last year — reports on why Bernie Sanders helped defeat the bill.
Reposted by lmarkkula.bsky.social
A new report from researchers at the Yale School of Public Health warns that the U.S. government’s abrupt cancellation of funding for mRNA vaccine research could have devastating health and economic consequences for the nation.
New report sounds alarm on health fallout from mRNA vaccine funding cuts
A new report from the Yale School of Public Health warns that the U.S. government’s abrupt cancellation of funding for mRNA vaccine research could have
ysph.yale.edu
December 22, 2025 at 8:43 PM
A new report from researchers at the Yale School of Public Health warns that the U.S. government’s abrupt cancellation of funding for mRNA vaccine research could have devastating health and economic consequences for the nation.