New at Weekend Reading: John Dewey warned us: big business casts the shadow we call politics. Today, we ignore the shadow-casters, construing their shadows—politicians and their campaigns—to be the whole story. www.weekendreading.net/p/shadows-an...

Some Republicans have stated that Congress will "inevitably" pass legislation ordering the Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein thehill.com/homenews/sen...

There is no excuse for political violence in America. And no excuse for a U.S. president using a heinous killing as an occasion to treat his political opponents as accomplices to murder and threatening to use the full power of the government to attack them.

This week from Fred Wertheimer: "It is unlikely that any Chief Justice in history played more of a role in destroying more of our nation’s democracy rules than Roberts. And that is how he will be remembered." democracy21.org/news/freds-w...

Republicans, and MAGA commentators have by this point learned from Trump that if they deny reality with enough fervency, and for long enough, that the media — and thus public opinion — will eventually start bending to their will. Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Much of Trump's authoritarian power grab has been green-lit (at least temporarily) by the Supreme Court's "shadow docket." This allows justices to effectively make rulings in secret without explaining their decisions. Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?

Trump’s problem is that so many Americans — including his MAGA base — believed that he’d expose a powerful global elite. But every day it's becoming more and more clear that Trump is actually part of that global elite. Expect him to lash out as the walls close in.

The House Oversight Committee has released new Epstein files this week, with one file including a sexually suggestive drawing accompanied by a signature similar to Donald Trump’s. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/08/u...

Gerrymandering has long been a thorn in the side of American democracy, but now the practice is a bigger threat than ever. Here’s what to know about it: bit.ly/3MqI6FI

To fight corruption, we need to revitalize a subservient Congress and reform an out-of-touch Supreme Court. bit.ly/4mbQKqv

The richest of the rich are driving record-breaking contributions to the main super PAC backing President Trump. Here’s a look at some of the biggest donors — and what they stand to gain: bit.ly/4olWjE6

This week from Fred Wertheimer: "What better way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our independence next year than with a new faux king to succeed 'Mad King' George III." democracy21.org/news/freds-w...

NEW: In rare interviews, federal judges criticize Supreme Court's handling of Trump cases. “It is inexcusable,” a judge said of the Supreme Court justices. “They don’t have our backs.”

NEW: The Epstein survivors' press conference, a ruling on the Alien Enemies Act, and Denver Public Schools (DPS) stands up for transgender students. Plus, I speak with @stevevladeck.bsky.social and @pogo.org acting director David Janovsky. Free to subscribe: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Congress has a profound impact on the lives and well-being of all Americans. Texas lawmakers’ gerrymandering actions undermine fair representation in Congress not only for their citizens but also for the country as a whole.

Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of recruiting & trafficking minors for Epstein She got 20 years Now after a secret DOJ interview, Trump's DOJ moves her to a "country club" prison The dean of watchdogs, Fred Wertheimer from @democracy21.bsky.social details this travesty below 👇

“Donald Trump has figured out the cheat code for authoritarianism: Fake emergencies bring real power,” @rosenzweigp.bsky.social argues. Yet more troubling is the lack of effort from Congress or the courts to curtail the use of such “emergency” powers:

If you want to see where MAGA is headed, look no further than this week’s National Conservatism summit. Here, the vision of a single religion, as the glue that holds a nation-state together, is at the forefront. Read @kieraevebutler.bsky.social on the ideology undergirding the conference and MAGA.

Both Attorney General Bondi and FBI Director Patel are expected to testify before the House Judiciary Committee in the coming weeks, over the administration’s poor handling of the Epstein case. www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

Trump administration official Emil Bove III has continued to work at the Justice Department despite being confirmed to serve as an appeals court judge. This could lead to him advising on an issue that may land before him as a federal judge – a risk to justice. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/29/u...

Louisiana requested the Supreme Court to gut any consideration of race in redistricting efforts, endangering Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act: one of the last effective tools against racial discrimination in redistricting. www.politico.com/news/2025/08...

Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook sued President Trump over his decision to fire her, asserting that it was both “unprecedented and illegal” to pressure the Fed into lowering interest rates. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/u...

The Pentagon is preparing for its in-house DOGE team to scrutinize over 400,000 open contracts, possibly cutting off thousands of contracts in an effort to echo Trump’s agenda. news.bloomberglaw.com/federal-cont...

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow it to freeze billions of dollars in foreign aid that Congress already appropriated, continuing the pattern of using emergency requests and Supreme Court appeals to expand presidential power. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/u...

DOGE workers uploaded a copy of a key Social Security database to a vulnerable cloud server, putting the private data of millions of Americans at extreme risk of being leaked or hacked. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/u...

Trump’s erratic bid to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, who has vowed to resist the unlawful move, now seems destined for resolution by a deeply divided Supreme Court. www.cnbc.com/2025/08/26/t...

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee claim most of the Epstein files turned over by the DOJ were already public, leaving less than 1% of the documents available to the public. www.cnn.com/2025/08/23/p...

Trump’s new executive order allows the prosecution of people involved in the burning of the American flag, a direct opposition to the precedent set by the Supreme Court in the Texas vs. Johnson case in 1989. www.newsweek.com/donald-trump...

The fractured Supreme Court allowed Trump to block nearly $800 million in National Institutes of Health research grants that cover both race and gender issues in a divided 5-4 vote. www.cnn.com/2025/08/21/p...

The Texas Senate is nearing a vote to approve new congressional maps, which were drawn to help Republicans win as many as five more House seats in next year’s midterm elections. www.cnn.com/2025/08/22/p...

The Trump administration is operating a concentration camp in Florida, stripping people of due process and legal counsel. This isn’t just about immigration—it’s about human rights and the future of our democracy. We need to keep speaking out.

Why conservatives are trying to kill the Voting Rights Act

The Arizona Citizens Clean Election Commission has filed a campaign finance complaint alleging that the alt-right organization, Turning Point USA, failed to disclose spending, filing Arizona law. www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...

Congressman Garcia (D-CA) states that “releasing the Epstein files in batches just continues this White House cover-up. The American People will not accept anything short of the full, unredacted Epstein files.” thehill.com/homenews/hou...

Our congressional ethics rules and campaign finance laws exist to ensure that public officials do not exploit their donors or benefit themselves at everyday Americans’ expense, but we need better enforcement to make sure these laws are working correctly. 4/

However, Johnson appears to be the first House Speaker credibly accused of violating this law in at least 30 years. 3/

NEW: When public officials use donor money for personal gain, it undermines voters’ trust in government. That's why Campaign Legal Center filed complaints alleging Speaker Mike Johnson is illegally using campaign funds for his rent in D.C. 1/

A new timeline by @justsecurity.org documents decades of systemic failures by the DOJ, FBI, and Treasury in addressing Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse and trafficking. www.justsecurity.org/119137/timel...

There are too many scandals to keep up with, but let’s really not lose sight of this one or allow it to fade from consciousness Has anyone seen successful actions or other ideas for how regular people can agitate around this & keep up public awareness of Trump’s obvious deal with Ghislaine Maxwell?

Days after the Blanche meeting, and without any explanation, Maxwell was surprisingly moved from her Florida prison to a minimum-security federal prison “camp” in Texas, also known as “Club Fed.”

From Fred Wertheimer: The Trump administration's approach to Ghislaine Maxwell "suggests only one conclusion: A rotten deal between Trump’s DOJ and Epstein’s accomplice to keep quiet in exchange for preferential treatment." slate.com/news-and-pol...

The Voting Rights Act allows every American the right to vote in our country. The federal appeals court is protecting this right by declining Louisiana’s invitation to gut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. thehill.com/regulation/c...

Donald Trump is mulling a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, a sex trafficker and known liar who could benefit from spinning a favorable tale about him. Congress must hear from the women Maxwell victimized with Jeffrey Epstein. My USA Today column: www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

Federal ethics laws are not optional, and no official gets to decide which rules to follow. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/u...

Allegra Lawrence Hardy and @joycewhitevance.bsky.social: “The Supreme Court has hollowed out the VRA, stripping away the core protections Congress once put in place to defend the right to vote. With every new judicial decision, anti-voter policy has gained ground.” slate.com/news-and-pol...

Since Democratic lawmakers left Texas to delay Republicans’ new map, state leaders have challenged the limits of traditional democratic norms to break the impasse.

Fred Wertheimer on Trump: “The way he pursues every possible avenue for money gives people who provide that money a clear sense that they are going to get something in return.” www.thedailybeast.com/the-staggeri...

1/ Federal judge exposes DOJ motion to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts as a farce. "[T]he evidence put before the Maxwell grand juries is today, with only very minor exceptions, a matter of public record. The Government admitted as much ..." The real materials: Epstein files 🧵

“Fred Wertheimer, the dean of ethics-reform advocates, told me that, ‘when it comes to using his public office to amass personal profits, Trump is a unicorn—no one else even comes close.’” @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

A new poll shows public support for the Supreme Court at its lowest point ever. www.vox.com/scotus/42259...