Category Archives: Government

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

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The win in NYC – Young Women and Youth of Color

Thanks to Mike Ca.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Something SERIOUS is About to Happen

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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

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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

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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

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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

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M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

By Vimal Patel in the NYT M.I.T. became the first university to reject an agreement that would trade support for the Trump administration’s higher education agenda in exchange for favorable treatment. The proposal, called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher … Continue reading

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Commentary on the progression toward authoritarianism by Heather Cox Richardson

Today, with the popularity of President Donald J. Trump and his administration dropping, Trump’s disastrous performance at the United Nations, the return of comedian Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves, and the Tuesday’s election in Arizona of Democratic representative Adelita Grijalva, … Continue reading

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Aging sperm: a factor in autism

Thanks to Dan S. Ed note: We don’t have a quick answer about the multifactorial causes of autism. Tylenol appears to be unproven. Older men appear to be a factor. No doubt there are a number of other reasons as … Continue reading

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‘Politics of the End’ is a Seattle U class. It could be a study of last week’s news

Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the Jacob K. Javits federal building in New York City on Thursday. (Yuki Iwamura / The Associated Press) Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest against Immigration … Continue reading

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Civil Rights and Liberties

Thanks to Mary M. The inscription is part of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. It reflects his commitment to civil rights and liberties during his presidency, emphasizing that oppression, injustice, and hatred undermine the very foundations of … Continue reading

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The Era of Dark Passions

By David Brooks in the NYT (thanks to Marilyn W.) Sometimes when I have nothing better to do, I think back on the elections we had in the before times — when, say, Mitt Romney ran against Barack Obama or John … Continue reading

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