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Category Archives: Government
America for sale – $1M gets you in
By Danny Westneat – Seattle Times columnist When the Trump administration plastered his name on signs in Seattle taking credit for an infrastructure project he had fought bitterly against, I called it a “sign of the shameless times” and “a new level of Orwellian.” … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Immigration, Parks
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Restoring Confidence in Public Health
in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine – thanks to Ed M.
Posted in Government, Health
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One of CDC’s final blows. And what it means for you–Avoid the CDC Website!
Katelyn Jetelina in Your Local Epidemiologist I still remember the exact moment this photo below was taken. I was on my way to interview for CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS)—the two-year training program for “disease detectives.” For people in my … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics, Government, Health, Vaccines
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The Most Impactful Political Handbag Since Mrs. Thatcher’s
Sanae Takaichi, the new prime minister of Japan, makes a statement about work — with style. By Vanessa Friedman in the NYT Thanks to Ann M. who notes: OMG! The Queen and Mrs. Thatcher return…I read somewhere that the Queen used … Continue reading
Posted in fashion, Government, Women
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The Real Deal: Katie Wilson, Seattle’s socialist answer to the affordability crisis
Will Seattle Big Business play nice with our new mayor? This story was originally published by The Real Deal on Nov. 19, 2025 by the Downtown Seattle Association (thanks to Dan S.) Like Mamdani in New York City, political novice ran against … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Government, Homeless, Housing, Politics
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How a Seattle Alt-Weekly Newspaper Became a Progressive Kingmaker
Endorsements from The Stranger have become a must-have for some politicians, who know to bring snacks to their meetings with the paper’s writers. By Karen Weise has reported from Seattle for more than a decade. (thanks to Mary Jane F.) They … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Government, In the Neighborhood, Media
1 Comment
The beginning of the end?
The Epstein Shutdown commentary by Heather Cox Richardson It turns out Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and House Democrats were right to call it the “Epstein Shutdown” for the last several weeks on social media and in interviews. As Marc Elias … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Government, Law, Politics
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The win in NYC – Young Women and Youth of Color
Thanks to Mike Ca.
Posted in Government, Politics
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Next?
Thanks to Mary Jane F. “72% of the world’s population lives under autocracies” a quote from the PBS ‘News Hour’ on 11/7/25
Posted in Government
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None of this is complicated
Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson “None of this is complicated,” political data specialist Tom Bonier wrote yesterday about Tuesday’s dramatic Democratic victories around the country. “The [Republicans] ran on affordability in 2024. They gave sanctimonious lectures on cable news on … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Politics
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Election results: Voters say ‘No Kings’
by David Horsey in the Seattle Times Here is a telling statistic: In Virginia and New Jersey, Democrats spent $18 million on campaign ads that mentioned President Donald Trump while Republicans spent just $1.3 million on ads that invoked the name of … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Politics
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The Great Gaslight
from Closer to the Edge (thanks to Pam P) You couldn’t script irony this sharp if you tried. On October 31, 2025, as the federal government collapsed under the weight of its own indifference, Donald Trump threw a Great Gatsby-themed … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Economics, Food, Government
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SNAP benefits stop Nov. 1. This Portland coffee shop is serving free SNAP breakfast ‘until everyone’s benefits are reinstated, or we go broke doing it’
from GoodGoodGood – thanks to Pam P. As the government shutdown enters its 26th day, America’s most vulnerable households are bearing the cost. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 42 million Americans will lose their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Food, Government, protests
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ICE, the East Wing, Mental Health and More ….
Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson Julia Ainsley and Didi Martinez of NBC News reported today that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s rush to get new recruits onto the street has meant they have pushed into their training program more than 200 … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Government, Law, Mental Health, Military, Morality
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When My Family Lived in the White House I Resented It. Now I Mourn It.
By Patti Davis in the NYT Ms. Davis is the author of “Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory and the America We Once Knew.” I first went into the White House when my father, Ronald Reagan, was inaugurated … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Government, History
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Medicare virtual visits on hold with shutdown
Medicare’s temporary telehealth flexibilities ended on October 1, 2025, due to a lack of Congressional action, meaning most virtual visits are no longer covered unless Congress extends them again. As a result, many healthcare providers have canceled or are rescheduling Medicare … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Health
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Fighting Authoritarianism
Thanks to Mary Jane F. Indivisible co-founder and co-executive director Ezra Levin joins the podcast to talk about how his group is changing under the second Trump administration, why organizing and protesting is so important, and how we can successfully … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Politics, protests
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Undaunted
MIT, with several courageous universities to follow, shows it is made of sterner stuffby Jennifer Rubin (thanks to Diana C.) Elite institutions ranging from Columbia University to CBS News to the Paul, Weiss law firm have capitulated to Donald Trump’s … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Government, protests
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I don’t think Washington understands how ticked off we truly are
By Dan Shanoff and Rafe Bartholomew in the NYT Stephen A. Smith brought a taste of “First Take” to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night. The ESPN host, who has branched out into political commentary in recent months and even teased the possibility of running … Continue reading
Posted in Finance, Government, Media, Politics
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Chaos at the CDC
from The Epidemiologist On Friday, about 1,300 CDC employees received a surprising email: they were fired. No warning. No time to plan. Their badges were immediately deactivated. The justification was a “reduction in force”—a bureaucratic term now being used as … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Health
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Something SERIOUS is About to Happen
Posted in Economics, Finance, Government, History
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Columbus Day – commentary by Heather Cox Richardson
On October 9, President Donald J. Trump’s office issued an official proclamation declaring Monday, October 13, “Columbus Day.” The proclamation says that the day is one on which “our Nation honors the legendary Christopher Columbus—the original American hero, a giant … Continue reading
Posted in Advocacy, Education, Essays, Government, Health, History, Holidays, Immigration, Politics, Social justice
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Nobel Peace Prize committee explain why Donald Trump didn’t win despite him saying ‘he deserved it’
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize went to María Corina Machado of Venezuela instead Joshua Nair in LADbible (thanks to Bob P.) The Nobel Peace Prize committee has revealed why Donald Trump missed out on this year’s award. Trump has made it … Continue reading
Among Portland Protests, It’s Frogs and Sharks and Bears, Oh My!
By Anna Griffin and Aaron West in the NYT (thanks to Linda T.) Animal costumes are the new black. Exceedingly aware that the black garb worn by demonstrators in 2020 informed President Trump’s apocalyptic view of Portland, Ore., protesters this year have gone … Continue reading
Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders
Dozens of sitting judges shared with The Times their concerns about risks to the courts’ legitimacy as the Supreme Court releases opaque orders about Trump administration policies. By Mattathias Schwartz and Zach Montague in the NYT More than three dozen federal judges have … Continue reading
Posted in Government, Law, Politics
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