Just a reminder that the last time the Trump administration negotiated a “peace” with only the aggressor, it was with the Taliban in Doha - and that didn’t end too well.

“To play the demagogue for purposes of self-interest is a cardinal sin against the people in a democracy.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Trump’s Tariffs Are Already Stunting World Growth politicalwire.com/2025/07/27/t...

U.S. to Stop Practice of Assessing Fairness of Elections politicalwire.com/2025/07/21/u...

Senate Confirms Official Who Called Obama a 'Terrorist' politicalwire.com/2025/07/15/s...

“Delay is denial.” In the wake of NYC’s chaotic primary season, the case for open primaries is stronger than ever. More inclusive. More representative. More democratic. @johnavlon.bsky.social makes the case in @nydailynews.com www.nydailynews.com/2025/07/07/o...

"You want to incentivize people that were early to this and care about it, so that they keep developing." Thomas Pacchia discusses crypto regulation and more with @johnavlon.bsky.social:

TrumpCare just shut down its first hospital: politicalwire.com/2025/07/09/t...

This is one of many reasons why we need civics education. Hint: #NoKings Majority Don’t Know Why We Declared Independence politicalwire.com/2025/07/04/m... via @politicalwire

Early voting for primaries starts tomorrow! Voters will use ranked choice ballots for just the 2nd time ever – it’s a reform we’ve long advocated for, and it has already made city campaigns more positive. Watch CU's @johnavlon.bsky.social explain how it works, and why RCV in NYC is a BFD:

📘 See our 2025 Primary Voters Guide for candidate preferences new.citizensunion.org/voters-guide...

🗳️ Early Voting starts TODAY! 🗳️ Make your voice heard in NYC’s critical local races—from Mayor to City Council. Polls are open 9am–5pm through June 22. Primary Day is June 24. ✅ Use Ranked Choice Voting 📍 Find your poll site: findmypollsite.vote.nyc

The only country that has military parades on the leader’s birthday is North Korea. Until today. And that’s not the consideration set we want to be in.

"I believe Donald Trump wants there to be violence, involving the National Guard and the military, and that that will support in his mind, his argument that this is an invasion, this is an insurrection." - @repdangoldman.bsky.social Goldman joins @johnavlon.bsky.social on the latest How To Fix It

To take on Trump, think like a Lion. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/27/o...

Last night, Citizens Union Chair @johnavlon.bsky.social testified before the NYC Charter Revision Commission with a clear message: New York must open up its closed primary system. #OpenUpNYPrimaries #NYCCharterRevision

Real Americans aren’t Authoritarian. Pass it on.

Brand new How to Fix It with @mattyglesias.bsky.social on @thebulwark.com - we talk about popularism, the abundance agenda, and what common sense Democrats need to do to reconnect with the moderate majority and win elections again.

“To play the demagogue for purposes of self-interest is a cardinal sin against the people in a democracy, exactly as to play the courtier for such purposes is a cardinal sin against the people under other forms of government.” - Theodore Roosevelt #quoteoftheday

Board Chair @johnavlon.bsky.social celebrates the Charter Revision Commission report's embrace of open primaries and even-year races, “Representative elections have representative results. That’s good for democracy.” Watch the story @spectrumnewsny1.bsky.social

There is no sport more Adrenalin producing than a Knicks playoff Game for a kid of the 90s.

Memorial to Victims of Gun Violence Removed politicalwire.com/2025/05/05/m...

“Are you better off than you were 100 days ago?” That is the question. New column up on The Bulwark - www.thebulwark.com/p/are-you-be...

“The test of an adventure is that when you're in the middle of it, you say to yourself, 'Oh, now I've got myself into a mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home.' And the sign that something's wrong is when you sit quietly at home wishing you were out having an adventure." - Thornton Wilder

@johnavlon.bsky.social Speaking At The #Riverhead #NewYork #HandsOffProtests John spent the day going to #HandsOff protest locations throughout #SuffolkCounty yesterday I got to see him in Sag Harbor & his words were just as powerful there #DefendDemocracy #NY01

Thank you!

I recently came across a @johnavlon.bsky.social discussion with the George W. Bush Institute from 2022. This quote from John is tremendous and even though it’s three years old, perfectly underscores why I chose to get involved in my local government.

“The power of courts to punish for contempt is a necessary and integral part of the independence of the judiciary, and is absolutely essential to the performance of the duties imposed on them by law…Without it, they are mere boards of arbitration, whose judgments and decrees would only be advisory."

“Whoever makes his way into a tyrant’s court, becomes his slave - although he went there as a free man.” - Sophocles

Trump Tarrifs are The Largest Peacetime Tax Hike in History politicalwire.com/2025/03/31/t...

Brand new “How to Fix It” with @glukianoff.bsky.social on @thebulwark.bsky.social - about how to protect free speech from the extremes - and why he believes the Trump administration is the worst he’s seen in their assaults on free speech. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Full Contact Bingo. Discuss.

Stopping Trump's chaos is possible. @larrydiamond.bsky.social joined @johnavlon.bsky.social on How To Fix It this week to chat.

Proublica does great work - this story of a Boise DJ who was also allegedly a white supremacist online propagandist is a strange slice of our times. www.propublica.org/article/matt...

Musk is poised to make billions off Trump administration off government contracts. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/23/u...

Brand new How to Fix It with @larrydiamond.bsky.social on @thebulwark.bsky.social - we focus on the lessons from successful pro democracy movements that have pushed back on authoritarian power grabs. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

“It’s baffling that taxpayer dollars continue to fund a subcontractor after their indictment for bribery and theft of public funds" www.thecity.nyc/2025/03/19/c... via @THECITYNY @georgejoseph94.bsky.social @yoavgonen.bsky.social

"Make no mistake: Removing the U.S. general from the SACEUR post would be a soft exit from NATO leadership, even if Article 5 commitments remain on paper." Take it from a general who's worked with NATO before.

“We cannot sit huddled within our own borders and avow ourselves merely an assemblage of well-to-do hucksters who care nothing for what happens beyond. Such a policy would defeat even its own end.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Shameful

Chinese Nationalists Cheer Demise of Voice of America politicalwire.com/2025/03/18/c...

This is the question all Americans should focus on - www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/o...

Disgraceful: “Something that had never happened in the nearly 250-year history of this country: In a major war in Europe, our president clearly sided with the aggressor, the dictator and the invader against the democrat, the freedom fighter and the invaded.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/o...

Today’s “How to Fix It” on @thebulwark.bsky.social - after an open about the dangers of Trump’s pivot to Putin - a conversation with Rachel Pritzker on what a centrist energy policy looks like & how embracing new technology can help combat the climate crisis. www.thebulwark.com/p/rethinking...

Hegseth says firing of top military lawyers was about making sure "they don't exist to be roadblocks to anything that happens."

Mayor Adams put self-interest over public interest. He can’t be trusted to make decisions solely for the benefit of New Yorkers — he must resign or be removed, and we must reform arcane processes for mayoral removal to strengthen our democracy. 🧵

Trump Falsely Claims Ukraine Started War politicalwire.com/2025/02/18/t...

Politics of the Golden Rule should be the guide: No chance that a Democrat would be nominated or confirmed for FBI director if he had a literal partisan “enemies list” at the back of his book. Republicans would denounce it as dangerous for our democratic republic. And they’d be right.

Co-Sign.