Tompaul Wheeler
@tompaulwheeler.bsky.social
Writer. Photographer. Filmmaker.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
that's my sons pediatricians office. i've sat on those cement benches and fed them bottles while we waited for their appointment the day after we came home from the hospital
January 9, 2026 at 12:26 AM
that's my sons pediatricians office. i've sat on those cement benches and fed them bottles while we waited for their appointment the day after we came home from the hospital
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
Rochester is under attack right now. They are staging at school bus drop offs. They told Rep. Andy Smith to “get the fuck out” of a parking lot and that they didn’t need warrants.
They are literally parking in the Mayo patient lot to grab people.
They are literally parking in the Mayo patient lot to grab people.
January 8, 2026 at 9:47 PM
Rochester is under attack right now. They are staging at school bus drop offs. They told Rep. Andy Smith to “get the fuck out” of a parking lot and that they didn’t need warrants.
They are literally parking in the Mayo patient lot to grab people.
They are literally parking in the Mayo patient lot to grab people.
Each day is a warning about the next.
January 8, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Each day is a warning about the next.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
Irish. Italians. Haitians. Trans people. Drag queens. Somalians. They’ll always have a new scapegoat, a new boogeyman, even as they pick your pocket.
January 8, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Irish. Italians. Haitians. Trans people. Drag queens. Somalians. They’ll always have a new scapegoat, a new boogeyman, even as they pick your pocket.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
While everyone else is understandably comparing Trump's actions in Venezuela to Bush's in Iraq, my colleague Josiah Daniels explores an even more chilling and, I think, appropriate comparison: the Crusades.
‘America First’ Resurrects the Logic of Crusades in Venezuela
Trump’s actions in Latin America brazenly embrace the logic of one of Christianity's oldest, ugliest chapters.
sojo.net
January 7, 2026 at 2:44 PM
While everyone else is understandably comparing Trump's actions in Venezuela to Bush's in Iraq, my colleague Josiah Daniels explores an even more chilling and, I think, appropriate comparison: the Crusades.
The same people who want to shut America’s doors to those in need want to steal other people’s land to add to America.
The hypocrisy is, as they say, a feature, not a bug.
The hypocrisy is, as they say, a feature, not a bug.
January 6, 2026 at 10:01 PM
The same people who want to shut America’s doors to those in need want to steal other people’s land to add to America.
The hypocrisy is, as they say, a feature, not a bug.
The hypocrisy is, as they say, a feature, not a bug.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
Children will die with RFK Jr.'s new vaccine recommendations. We're NOT doing the "experts disagree" game. The US vaccine schedule was painstakingly constructed through a deep & thorough process by experts with unquestionable expertise. This is policy by fiat. It is pre-meditated murder. 1/
January 5, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Children will die with RFK Jr.'s new vaccine recommendations. We're NOT doing the "experts disagree" game. The US vaccine schedule was painstakingly constructed through a deep & thorough process by experts with unquestionable expertise. This is policy by fiat. It is pre-meditated murder. 1/
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
US artist visas are now given based on your number of social media followers
January 5, 2026 at 11:22 PM
US artist visas are now given based on your number of social media followers
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
One of the sad strengths of the Trump Doctrine is the degree to which these guys just don't give a shit about anything.
So much analysis seems stuck assuming there must be a point. Oil or regime change or likewise difficult durable goals. I think we grabbed them by the president just to say we did.
So much analysis seems stuck assuming there must be a point. Oil or regime change or likewise difficult durable goals. I think we grabbed them by the president just to say we did.
January 5, 2026 at 3:27 PM
One of the sad strengths of the Trump Doctrine is the degree to which these guys just don't give a shit about anything.
So much analysis seems stuck assuming there must be a point. Oil or regime change or likewise difficult durable goals. I think we grabbed them by the president just to say we did.
So much analysis seems stuck assuming there must be a point. Oil or regime change or likewise difficult durable goals. I think we grabbed them by the president just to say we did.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
While conservatives are debating work requirements, waste, abuse, and fraud for social safety net programs
The Pentagon has failed 8 consecutive audits
www.reuters.com/world/us/pen...
The Pentagon has failed 8 consecutive audits
www.reuters.com/world/us/pen...
January 5, 2026 at 2:49 PM
While conservatives are debating work requirements, waste, abuse, and fraud for social safety net programs
The Pentagon has failed 8 consecutive audits
www.reuters.com/world/us/pen...
The Pentagon has failed 8 consecutive audits
www.reuters.com/world/us/pen...
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
"Baptized in the Holy Spirit" is a distinctively Pentecostal/charismatic concept, but "revival and reformation" is even more particular to NAR theology: "Revival" includes conversions and shifts within the church; "reformation" is the result of "NAR" people taking political dominion over society.
MercyCulture, the Christian nationalist church network in Texas that often flirts with QAnon, just opened a prayer house across from the Supreme Court. Among their prayer board items: Ending human trafficking and for Trump to be "baptized in the Holy Spirit."
January 5, 2026 at 3:49 PM
"Baptized in the Holy Spirit" is a distinctively Pentecostal/charismatic concept, but "revival and reformation" is even more particular to NAR theology: "Revival" includes conversions and shifts within the church; "reformation" is the result of "NAR" people taking political dominion over society.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
This bit of news — at least 40 dead— appears around the 27th graf of the NYT story. Which is a really bizarre choice.
(And we find out a few grafs down that several US soldiers were injured)
(And we find out a few grafs down that several US soldiers were injured)
January 4, 2026 at 5:09 AM
This bit of news — at least 40 dead— appears around the 27th graf of the NYT story. Which is a really bizarre choice.
(And we find out a few grafs down that several US soldiers were injured)
(And we find out a few grafs down that several US soldiers were injured)
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
i really, truly, sincerely believe that righting the equilibrium for the united states depends upon congressional democrats reclaiming congress' first-amongst-equals role in governance, and everything short of that — including a transformative president — is a failed half-measure
a lot of problems wouldn't exist if we had a congress with even an ounce of self interest
Honestly insane they didn't brief the gang of eight until it was underway
January 4, 2026 at 10:40 PM
i really, truly, sincerely believe that righting the equilibrium for the united states depends upon congressional democrats reclaiming congress' first-amongst-equals role in governance, and everything short of that — including a transformative president — is a failed half-measure
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
It's a good morning to read Spurgeon.
January 3, 2026 at 4:56 PM
It's a good morning to read Spurgeon.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
the American opioid crisis is almost entirely the work of Purdue Pharmaceuticals and the Sackler family of murderous profiteers, but because Americans can't imagine anything being their fault, we've invaded Venezuela over it
January 3, 2026 at 5:16 PM
the American opioid crisis is almost entirely the work of Purdue Pharmaceuticals and the Sackler family of murderous profiteers, but because Americans can't imagine anything being their fault, we've invaded Venezuela over it
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
Best thing I’ve read this morning, from a human rights lawyer in Mexico. Translation is in the ALT-text.
January 3, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Best thing I’ve read this morning, from a human rights lawyer in Mexico. Translation is in the ALT-text.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
"Russian commentators have frequently suggested that Latin America lies in America’s domain just as Ukraine was under the Russian shadow. Vladimir Putin thinks the same of much of eastern Europe. Xi Jinping will draw his own conclusions."
Apparently this attack was originally planned for Christmas.
Apparently this attack was originally planned for Christmas.
The ‘Putinization’ of US foreign policy has arrived in Venezuela
Trump is no longer bending the rules – he is demolishing them, with consequences far beyond Caracas
www.theguardian.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:39 PM
"Russian commentators have frequently suggested that Latin America lies in America’s domain just as Ukraine was under the Russian shadow. Vladimir Putin thinks the same of much of eastern Europe. Xi Jinping will draw his own conclusions."
Apparently this attack was originally planned for Christmas.
Apparently this attack was originally planned for Christmas.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
this still seems fairly plausible as an outcome
3. Returning Venezuelan exiles and opposition networks find themselves without promised US support, army factions, militias, narco-gangs, illegal mining paramilitaries, Colombian insurgents like ELN pick sides and a country with 6 million weapons in circulation plunges into escalating conflict
January 3, 2026 at 12:27 PM
this still seems fairly plausible as an outcome
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
So fmr Honduran President Hernandez voluntarily surrendered, and was duly extradited, tried and convicted for drug trafficking, and Trump pardoned him 6w ago.
And this morning, Trump illegally attacks Venezuela and abducts its president and his wife purportedly to try them for drug trafficking.
And this morning, Trump illegally attacks Venezuela and abducts its president and his wife purportedly to try them for drug trafficking.
January 3, 2026 at 12:44 PM
So fmr Honduran President Hernandez voluntarily surrendered, and was duly extradited, tried and convicted for drug trafficking, and Trump pardoned him 6w ago.
And this morning, Trump illegally attacks Venezuela and abducts its president and his wife purportedly to try them for drug trafficking.
And this morning, Trump illegally attacks Venezuela and abducts its president and his wife purportedly to try them for drug trafficking.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
Among the many reasons you don’t kidnap a foreign head of state at gunpoint even if you have the capability, is that it sparks consequences you can neither control nor anticipate.
January 3, 2026 at 10:27 AM
Among the many reasons you don’t kidnap a foreign head of state at gunpoint even if you have the capability, is that it sparks consequences you can neither control nor anticipate.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
My main takeaway from the Jack Smith testimony: we should push our presidential candidate to make him Attorney General in 2029.
January 1, 2026 at 8:54 PM
My main takeaway from the Jack Smith testimony: we should push our presidential candidate to make him Attorney General in 2029.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
As the great Suketu Mehta wrote in the accompanying essay, "By 1643, only nineteen years after the first Walloon settlers founded New Amsterdam, 18 languages were already being
spoken in the city—among a population of a mere 500." To hell with fictions of a homogenous past, linguistic & otherwise.
spoken in the city—among a population of a mere 500." To hell with fictions of a homogenous past, linguistic & otherwise.
January 3, 2026 at 3:29 AM
As the great Suketu Mehta wrote in the accompanying essay, "By 1643, only nineteen years after the first Walloon settlers founded New Amsterdam, 18 languages were already being
spoken in the city—among a population of a mere 500." To hell with fictions of a homogenous past, linguistic & otherwise.
spoken in the city—among a population of a mere 500." To hell with fictions of a homogenous past, linguistic & otherwise.
Reposted by Tompaul Wheeler
The most frustrating part isn’t that Jack Smith’s testimony confirms Trump knew the election wasn’t stolen. It’s that so many of us already knew. This piece digs into why hearing it under oath still matters.
'It's going to come out': Ex-RNC spokesman says Jack Smith's testimony too damning to hide
Bulwark podcaster and former Republican National Committee spokesperson Tim Miller asserted Republicans chose New Year’s Eve to release damning testimony from former special prosecutor Jack Smith in…
buff.ly
January 3, 2026 at 2:05 AM
The most frustrating part isn’t that Jack Smith’s testimony confirms Trump knew the election wasn’t stolen. It’s that so many of us already knew. This piece digs into why hearing it under oath still matters.