With Trump, the US has government of the grifters, by the grifters and for the grifters. Trump meets with LNG execs and, privately, promises them fast track approval so that those execs can reap huge gains from illegal insider trading -- trading that Trump's DOJ will never investigate.

Amid all the attempts by Trump and his toadies to mislead and distract, here is the reality: The Consumer Price Index is at its absolute highest point in history. Period. Consumers across the country know this no matter how much Trump lies.

Release the Epstein files. ALL OF THEM. Anything that DOJ or FBI tries to redact MUST be reviewed by cleared staff from the House and Senate. Any disagreements go to the full Oversight Committee.

Loved Taylor Swift on the Late Show. While I can't claim to be a Swiftie, I quoted her countless times in official diplomatic remarks in Russia, Polish, Vietnamese, and (of course) English. Because her songs highlight universal human truths, I referred to her as a great modern American philosopher.

To be fair, reigning in Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) is a good idea. The rest of the GOP proposal, however, is a replay of Trump's prescription for families facing a spiraling cost of living due to his failed policies: just make do with less. In this case, less health care and insurance.

What the new Danish security assessment proves is that the Danes aren't dumb, and will not be cowed by Trump's incessant rants, threats, and lies. www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...

This ad from the far-right Heritage Foundation repeats threats made directly by Trump, Vance, and others: "Do exactly as Trump wants, or he will cut off all funding for your state." Hopefully these types of threats, which underline that Trump is a dangerous dictator wanna-be, will backfire bigly.

The only surprising thing about this article describing a deeply racist, misogynist, violent thug recruited by ICE is that we aren't seeing dozens of such stories a day. Under Trump and Noem, ICE is targeting far right hate groups with recruitment efforts. www.thedailybeast.com/gun-toting-b...

Anyone who thinks Trump is "sleepwalking us into a war" clearly is not paying attention. Trump is pulling us, dragging us, and forcing us into a war no one wants but him. He seems to believe the lie that if there is a war he can cancel elections. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Ramirez to Noem: "You lied on the record and you lied to members of this committee. You violated court orders by not turning around deportation flights bound for El Salvador where we know that hundreds of people under your leadership reported they were raped, beaten, and nearly died."

On the 77th anniversary of the United National Universal Declaration on Human Rights--a document heavily shaped by the USA--the US under Trump is abandoning the very principles it once championed. The former "leader of the free world" is now abandoning freedom of speech, assembly, and others.

This is Trump's America -- where an American walking down the street doing nothing wrong can be chased, assaulted, and detained by armed thugs who refuse to even look at his proof of citizenship. Trump has repeatedly said Somali Americans are "garbage," so now DHS is treating them that way.

There is perhaps nothing more "on brand" for Trump than using all of the power of the US government to coerce a sovereign, democratic nation into releasing someone accused of raping children and trafficking women. "Gift" article, so no subscription required to read. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/u...

Nothing screams "crazy fascist dictator" like declaring that anyone who even questions your health or decision making is guilty of a capital offense and needs to be executed. I dedicated my working life to defending democracy and human rights. Trump is doing his best to support despots.

The murder of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom is a tragedy, but let's remember that Trump did not deploy National Guard to DC to combat crime; they cannot act as police. He deploy them against aliens. He deployed them to create a spectacle he could profit from. Trump wanted her to die.

Trump's criminality comes through in BIG crimes, such as changing policies after receiving big gold bars as 'presents,' but sometimes his small-time crook nonsense is just as damning, such as his decision require National Park pass holders to show Trump's face for admittance. Pure dictator BS.

Justice Sotomayor has it right: Trump is demanding that the hyper-partisan MAGA majority on the Supreme Court "destroy the structure of government and to take away from Congress its ability to protect its idea that the government is better structured with some agencies that are independent."

Would you provide 5 years of all Social Media history, all email addresses you have ever used, and all phone numbers, just to be able to take a vacation somewhere? That's exactly what the Trump Administration is demanding that ALL foreign tourists do. The level of insanity is beyond description.

As a retired career diplomat, I interpret the efforts the Trump Admin has taken to avoid having any survivors of alleged "drug boat" attacks brought to the USA as strong evidence that the Trump Admin knows it is in the wrong and is desperate to hide that fact from the public.

The Trump Administration has directed massive manpower at FBI, DOJ, and elsewhere to prosecuting perceived political opponents for so-called "mortgage fraud" even though the evidence they have presented is far from convincing. When it comes to Trump himself, the evidence of fraud is overwhelming.

As we await the Supreme Courts decision on whether Trump can unilaterally levy, and change, and re-change, tariffs, it is good to remember what the Constitution says and what the Supreme Court ruled on the limits of executive power just a few years ago. www.facebook.com/share/p/16aC...

The press seems to be missing or ignoring the fact that the US Constitution quite clearly lays out what Trump must to do to impose tariffs, change immigration laws, or take any number of other actions reserved for Congress. He needs to send a bill to Congress for their approval or rejection.

Under Article 1, Section 8, of the US Constitution, Congress -- and NOT the Executive Branch -- has the sole right to establish laws and regulations concerning immigration and naturalization. Despite that, Trump is arbitrarily cancelling naturalizations for people from counties he doesn't like.

Trump is sending the most advanced US-made AI chips to China. Putin absolutely loves Trump's new National Security Strategy. Trump pardoned a Central American strongman who smuggled 400 tons of cocaine into the USA. This is NOT America first. It is Trump first and his dictator buddies next.

A more accurate headline, and story line, would be: "Partisan MAGA Majority On The Supreme Court Appears Ready To Continue Trump's Coronation As Absolute Dictator" www.cnn.com/2025/12/08/p...

Just five days after stating, publicly on television, that he would release tapes from the double-tap strike on an alleged drug boat, Trump denies he ever said it and attacks the reporter as 'fake new.' These days, it is hard to tell when Trump is lying (as usual) or if his dementia is that bad.

The Kremlin, which has placed the destruction of democratic systems around the globe and in the USA in particular at the top of its agenda, heaps praise on Trump's new "National Security Strategy" that favors dictators and profits over freedom and allies. That should tell you all you need to know.

Trump's new National Security Doctrine makes one thing clear: Trump is an enemy of democracy, freedom and human rights. His foreign policy is based on the pursuit of profit and support for dictators. Putin, of course, is first among Trump's dictator friends. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/w...

For some reason, I suddenly cannot see any graphic attachments on any Bluesky posts. Just plank boxes show up. Anyone have suggestion on how to fix this?

I have been to Chornobyl and worked for years to ensure the containment facility was built and the remaining (damaged and dangerous) units shut down. Russia's insanity is laid bare in their attack on the NSC. If it collapses, the fallout will make the original disaster look small in comparison.

By successfully stopping, boarding, and taking control of suspected drug smuggling boats without ever firing a shot, and with no American casualties, the Coast Guard is proving, in real time, that Trump's excuses for the extra-judicial killings of nearly 100 (and counting) civilians is total BS.

This needs to become the norm across the USA. Masked thugs are wrecking cars, assaulting Americans, and generally ignoring our laws and the constitution.

The memes you may have seen are true: Rep. Adelita Grijalva was pepper sprayed by ICE. She was not being violent. She was not speaking aggressively. They sprayed her when she attempted to speak. She said one young ICE Agent spoke civilly to her while others gassed her and fired chemical munitions.

In Congressional testimony, Adm Bradley stated that the ship sunk in the 'double-tap' attack was NOT headed for the USA. It was headed for Surinam. Drug traffickers use Surinam for shipments to Europe, not the USA. So, tell me again how those two helpless men were a direct threat to the USA.

The hyper-partisan MAGA majority on the Supreme Court has repeatedly ignored precedent, reality, and the Constitution to give Trump anything he wants. Now comes their biggest test yet of absolute fealty to Trump. The Constitution (in the 14th Amendment) is 100% clear on birthright citizenship.

Today's SCOTUS decision allowing Texas to use racially gerrymandered district should shock everyone. Emails and other evidence prove that Texas Republicans relied on race to draw the boundaries. The MAGA Supremes decided that violating the 14th Amendment is OK in the pursuit of partisan goals.

The MAGA Supreme Court majority is gaslighting us. In their ruling allowing Texas to deny people of color a meaningful voice in elections, they wrote “[t]he district court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion" as they improperly inserted themselves.

Trump's program: 1) Deploy National Guard to DC for no reason other than to inflame tensions in the hopes that something bad happens. 2) Two National Guard troops are shot, giving Trump an excuse to claim that the National Guard are actually needed. 3) Escalate again, hoping for more violence.

In testimony before a federal judge in Oregon, DHS agents admitted that they generated back-dated warrants for people they had randomly stopped on the street and arrested without probable cause. The judge found the agents to be forthcoming in their description of illegal tactics.

When the negotiator is not neutral, the solution is only short-term.

The Trump Administration's latest rationale for killing striken seamen was that they knew that two men had survived the initial strike but that they "needed to sink the vessel" so they fired again. That is the EXACT same defense Heinz-Wilhelm Eck used after WWII. He was found guilty and executed.

In 2024, the Coast Guard conducted more than 250 targeted interceptions in the Caribbean of boats believed to be transporting drugs based on intel. Only 55 were actually transporting drugs; the rest (80%) were innocent. Trump's policy is to kill them all, including the 80% who are innocent.

Before launching the "Final Solution" to murder millions of Jews, the Nazis undertook an intense program of dehumanization, referring to Jews as vermin, unclean, subhuman, and unworthy of living. Today, Trump is launching another campaign of dehumanization, this time targeting Somalis.

This story sums up Trump: No need for evidence. No need for laws or treaties. No need for discussions. If Trump decides (based upon whatever random information or maybe just heartburn) that someone is in the wrong, he believes he has the right to kill them. The US is now a rogue nation.

Important article detailing, in Hegseth's own words, how he ordered troops to ignore rules of engagement in Iraq, instead ordering them to kill Iraqis whether the posed a threat or not. His 'idol' was a Colonel who ordered his troops to kill every adult male in a city.

Will history repeat itself? 80 years ago, Heinz-Wilhelm Eck was executed for ordering the killing of Greek civilians who survived an initial attack on their ship by Eck's U-boat. Not only that, Eck tried to defend himself by saying that he wanted to clear debris by sinking it. Ring any bells?