"Even when weighed against this stunning record of degeneracy, the pardoning by Trump of his cop-beating foot soldiers represents the lowest moment of this presidency so far, because it was an act not only of naked despotism but also of outlandish hypocrisy." www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

What is just crazy about this, aside from the need for this statement at all, is that Greenland already IS in the US sphere of influence. It's far cheaper for the US, in material, security, and reputational terms, to have Denmark continue administering Greenland and work within NATO on security.

Makes no sense. Why would the US give up its status as a global power aiming to model constitutional democracy, uphold the rule of law and help underwrite a more just, peaceful and prosperous world - only to degenerate into a regional mafia state based on bullying, coercion and exploitation?

Stephen Miller, who wants the U.S. to steal Greenland and shake down Latin America, says: ”We live in a world … that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.” That‘s a criminal pretending that a civilized world is impossible.

I think the Greenland threat is a troll. I think. But it would sure be nice for some senators and GOP house members to speak up now and make it clear that an attack on a nato ally would lead to removal from office

Dems should be pushing aggressive legislation constantly, to impeach, to restrain grok and gpt, to undo DOGE, to formally censure Stephen Miller. they should be ceaselessly attacking specific cabinet members in the press. they should be rolling out a visionary project 2030 featuring high speed rail

In a world in danger of being carved up and dominated by autocrats (Trump, Putin, Xi), this warning for democracies in Europe also applies to democracies in East Asia.

Imagine being Sen. Mark Kelly today. A former astronaut, who spent 54 days in space for his country, a retired Navy pilot and combat Vet who flew 39 high-risk missions in battle, and whose retirement benefits are now being taken by a drunken frat boy like Pete Hegseth. I stand with Mark Kelly.

Hegseth knows a court martial would fail, so he’s cutting Kelly’s pension. For what? Reminding troops of their duty to not follow unlawful orders: www.cnbc.com/2026/01/05/p...

In a world in danger of being carved up and dominated by autocrats (Trump, Putin, Xi), this warning for democracies in Europe also applies to democracies in East Asia.

Hard to fathom why any Europeans would condone Trump's attack on Venezuela, especially as he also threatens Greenland & Denmark. The whole point of the EU, which the US helped create post-1945, is peace via respect for international law and cross-border collaboration. Europe must stand up to Trump.

Even if he hadn't taken the lawless and unconstitutional actions in Venezuela, which makes these remarks all the more grave, threatening these countries like this should—must—result in impeachment and removal.

Don't forget folks: allowing yourself a vision of the future you'd want for our country and planet - not the one you'd settle for, not the one you fear, but the future of your dreams - isn't naive, it's a vital cognitive skill. That's how we articulate what we most value. What's worth fighting for.

Someone please explain to me why the US is fighting a war over oil while China races ahead in renewables? Trump is making a big (mistaken) bet on a resource that’s in structural decline.

"Venezuelans at celebration parties in Miami could not believe it, insisting that Trump had misspoken. His plan appears to be for Venezuela to remain under the day-to-day rule of a senior chavista, with its democratically elected leaders excluded and its wealth controlled by American corporations."

Venezuela seems like less of a war or invasion than a Viking plundering campaign from the Middle Ages. They surprise attacked, they stole stuff, they killed some people, they kidnapped the king, they left. It’s medieval—which makes sense because we’re rewinding to before the Treaty of Westphalia.

The United States has now given Russia, China, and anyone else who wants to give it a try an even clearer road map for invading countries that displease them. www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

Trump's attack on Venezuela and arrest/abduction of its leader are the latest examples of how his uses of power at home and worldwide throughout his second presidency have been lawless, dictatorial and predatory. Grounds for impeachment and removal from office.

Maduro is a brutal and oppressive dictator of Venezuela. Trump has no legitimate legal basis for military action against Venezuela under United States or international law. Both of those facts are simultaneously true.

Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn’t about regime change. I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress.

Cover reveal. It's about how & why colonies/states controlled international & domestic migration until 1888, why in the late 19th c the feds took over, & what it was like for politically disfavored groups to live under that arrangement of power. You can't understand voluntary migration history 1/

America at its best: embracing diversity and public service. Congratulations NYC and Happy New Year!

Totally agree - and the lowlifes making and releasing this sludge, claiming to speak for the United States of America, should be called out and removed from their jobs. Not in our name; not on our dime.

There are only 45 million foreign-born people living in the United States right now, about half of whom are naturalized citizens. So this ridiculous edge-lord post by taxpayer-funded trolls is suggesting deporting 55 million native-born citizens.

From @hcrichardson.bsky.social, a detailed and devastating look back at Trump's cruel, lawless and corrupt presidency in 2025, with a hopeful outlook for 2026: "The administration’s refusal to recognize the tenets of American democracy has roused the American people to defend that democracy."

New Year, new beginning, right? I used to do predictions for the year ahead, but in the Mad World we’re in it seems a wild roll of the dice. Instead a hope: the end of one despot which could set off a chain reaction bringing down other despots and would-be despots. A chance to turn to the light.

As it happens, I have experience with high-level government demands to stop an explosive, accurate story from running, and I also have experience with 60 Minutes spiking a story I was involved in, so I have thoughts about the travesty at CBS. If you want some journalism anecdotes, here are a lot:

Still mind-blowing that a top admin official was revealed to have taken $50,000 in cash in a paper bag from people looking for government favors, the reaction of the administration was "Whatever losers, this is how it works now" and bigshot news media said "If you say so, we'll forget about it"

The claim from Trump's DOJ that filming immigration raids (which terrorize people and communities) could amount to domestic terrorism is a reminder of how important it is to support civil liberties groups. It takes repeated, persistent court battles to secure our constitutional rights.

Trump is always “making progress” despite the fact that Putin never agrees to compromise on any of the maximalist demands he has had for three years. What are we making progress on? Getting Ukraine to make more concessions while Putin laughs? That is progress?

Sigh. Putin doesn’t want peace, he wants conquest. Trump is either too dim to understand that or he’s a Putin fanboy (or both). “Trump welcomes Zelenskyy for talks, asserts Russia and Ukraine both want peace, however elusive” apnews.com/article/trum...

DOGE has faded from daily public scrutiny, but as @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social explains in this essay, it continues to undermine the US govt civil service, enrich Elon Musk's business interests, and provide cover for "autocratic capture and oligarchic infiltration of the nerve centers of a superpower."

I think this is called a robbery.

"we're trying to shut down science that produces results we don't like, it's a very worrisome trend. And we have seen this other times in history, and it never really ended well."

Even as Trump denies reality by backing fossil fuels and attacking renewable energy and scientific research, a new study shows 65 percent of US voters see the connection between the climate crisis and inflation, from rising costs of coffee and chocolate to skyrocketing homeowners insurance premiums.

Yup. I'm telling y'all, these dudes don't know anything.🤡 Frank Sinatra was a vocal anti-racist. He fought racism with his actions, his words, and his money. Actions: Refused to stay at segregated hotels. Made sure Black artists got paid fairly. Words: Literally wrote an article in Ebony Magazine

Merry Christmas! Peace on earth and goodwill toward all.

Is she North Korea's next heir? Kim Ju-ae's increasing exposure suggests so. koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-12...

So, only people who support hate speech are now allowed into the US How much longer is the US public going to stand for the acceleration towards an autocratic state? Will 2026 see the start of an effective fight-back - or the arrival of a full-on dictatorship www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Each time Trump tries to stop a clean energy project, it shows his contempt for workers and businesses as well as the environment. His latest attack on offshore wind "tramples on the rule of law and deliberately sabotages a critical industry that strengthens, not weakens, America’s energy security."

“National security concerns” isn’t a magical incantation. There have to be real, plausible national security concerns. A swarm of drones becoming undetectable by flying through an offshore wind farm is not plausible. Laughably so. Even if radar had trouble there, how’d they get to the wind farm?

Sharyn Alfonsi, the veteran CBS news reporter who led the story: “I care too much about this broadcast to watch it be dismantled without a fight.” The reality is that she is much more likely to be fired than Weiss, and that should tell you all you need to know about CBS now.

UPDATE: in point of fact there is not an innocent explanation for this.

Economic dislocation and cultural backlash are often seen as driving voters to Trump. But these Gen Z Republicans aren't down and out: they focus on images and theatrics, and they get their (mis)information from podcasters and influencers instead of news outlets, meaning they're susceptible to lies.

Woman comes to US at age 6. Graduates nursing school. Work permit. No criminal record. Snatched and imprisoned by ICE for 6 months now. About to be forced back to Honduras. A life destroyed and one less nurse. Merry Christmas. www.nola.com/news/educati...

Federal agents breaking into worksites, chasing skilled laborers and bloodying them, trapping roofers outside in subzero temperatures—and yet the construction industry isn't making a peep. Our @crampell.bsky.social explains why: www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-is-w...

Jack Smith's testimony reminds me what a monumental mistake DOJ made in the Biden years failing to expedite its prosecution of Trump for his role in the Jan 6 attacks quickly enough to render him ineligible for the presidency ever again. The US and the world are paying a high price for that delay.

The push for the TikTok ban was bipartisan and stupid. But the Trump administration's goals for the ban have always been crystal clear: to place control of TikTok in the US in the hands of people chosen by and indebted to Trump.

The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.

Dismayed but not surprised by this news about AI and fake academic papers. About a year after ChatGPT came on the scene, I asked it to list the top five articles for students to read on the basics of AI. All but one of the articles the chatbot gave me didn't exist. I couldn't find them anywhere.