Hmmm…. 🤔

Consumer sentiment just hit an all-time low, and I think I have a partial explanation. It's this graph, which I think is stunning. Read the full piece: newsletter.platypuseconomics.com/p/consumer-s...

Fox poll: 71% of registered voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy 76% disapprove of Trump's handling of inflation 61% disapprove of trump's overall job performance 77% say the economy is in bad shape 51% say their family's finances are worse now than two years ago

Thanks, Judge! This means a lot to us. If you also value the work @annabower.bsky.social and @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org and our colleagues and I do, please consider giving now. givebutter.com/journalism/

Hey, Mitch. You could have prevented ALL THIS by voting to convict him and bar him from holding office again. Asshole.

This is the best write-up of the $1.8B slush fund that I've read. It begins by recognizing that Trump has *always* abused the law to his own advantage. A great job by Anna Bower and Eric Columbus of Lawfare @annabower.bsky.social @ericcolumbus.bsky.social www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

Who is Sarah Kellen and why has she not been charged with Epstein-related crimes? A prosecution memo may offer some clues. open.substack.com/pub/jkbjourn...

Slush Fund Follow my work and writing on Substack: nickanderson.substack.com For @contrariannews.org

This is what I’ve been talking about - the IC assesses that Iran could have a fully reconstituted drone program in 6 months. They still have 60-70% of their missiles and launchers. This war accomplished little, and it taught Iran they can close the Strait anytime they want.

We wrote about trump being old and being cracked up in @newrepublic.com newrepublic.com/article/2101...

wow -- Durbin grills Bhattacharya and gets him to contradict Trump's line on vaping "Kids having more access to vaping does not make sense to me," Bhattacharya acknowledges

New in PN: How Hennepin County unwound an ICE agent's web of lies "Thanks to video evidence, Minnesota could sidestep assertions that Castro, as a 'law enforcement officer,' should be considered more credible than his victims. And the charging documents detail the shocking extent of his lies."

New from @senatebudget.bsky.social : as of the end of April, ICE and CBP still have $100 billion left over and completely unused from the “Big Beautiful Bill.” Congressional Republicans are in the midst of trying to provide another $69 billion to ICE and CBP despite this.

LMFAO

This is a really concerning gaffe for people who prefer presidents with sound cognitive functioning. The Afghanistan withdrawal was a big talking point in his campaign against Biden. He did the whole Arlington Cemetery photo op stunt to highlight it. This isn’t something he should have forgotten.

LOTS of new reporting here GOP is turning against the Trump $1.7 billion fund for convicted crooks and cop-beaters youtu.be/c58Qoc6YYbw?...

1. Number of stories about Trump buying and selling hundreds of millions of dollars in stocks in the first three months of 2026: CBS: 0 CNN: 0 Fox News: 0 NPR: 0 PBS: 0 Politico: 0 Semafor: 0 Business Insider: 0

So, uh, DOJ believes a federal official should be prosecuted for taking documents they’re not entitled to? abcnews.com/US/doj-charg...

We are going to invade other countries to drive out foreign encroachment. Sir, um …

The podcast bros said they were supporting Trump for two reasons: He wouldn’t start any wars, and he’d release the Epstein files. Massie lost tonight for two reasons: (a) forcing the release of the Epstein files, and (b) trying to restrain Trump’s war in Iran.

“It’s not just J6-ers invited to queue up for cash. Step right up and collect your payday, clinic harassers, anti-vaxxers, and patriots targeted “based on improper ideological criteria. Papa Trump is about to make it rain.” By @lizdye.bsky.social in @atrupar.com’s PN:

Trump attacked Massie because he demanded what Trump promised during his campaign. Kentuckians abandoned Massie because he demanded what they voted for during Trump’s campaign. That’s how screwed up the Republican Party has become.

I intend to file claims for many of my clients targeted for retaliatory retribution by the Trump Administration, as well as my own claim for this Administration's unlawful weaponization of security clearance powers. No doubt we'll all be rich! 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

This is exactly the way. Find some awful Jan6 story from your state, your CD, and start talking relentlessly about it, asking people if they want to pay that criminal.

He promised to release his tax returns as soon as there were no more audits pending, and now there are no more audits pending.

Regardless of one's views on her conviction and sentencing, in no way was the federal government involved. This is just Trump handing taxpayer dollars to criminals he likes.

The absolute fucking insult to injury here is that he's using the language of reparations re: these traitors. THAT'S the headline. "Just compensation for people who were mistreated by their government" oh you mean like a Constitution protecting slavers? FHA's redlining? Mass incarceration?

From the reporter who scooped the news that Treasury's GC was quitting, IRS wrote a 25-page memo about why Trump's IRS lawsuit was dogshit. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/a...

NEW: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) offered amendment to block Trump’s newly-established $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded pot of money from "making any payments to convicted child predators" Multiple pardoned Jan 6 rioters have been accused of child abuse Amendment was blocked

Either he perjured himself here or he’s counting on a technicality like it was actually Susie Wiles who called and asked him. But where did Susie Wiles get the idea?

If Blanche didn’t give Trump exactly what he wanted, then Donald can give the money back to the Treasury. But he won’t. So let’s not pretend that Donald wasn’t involved in this heist.

He doesn’t have time to explain the Iran war to the America people, but by God he can stand out there for as long as it takes to try to pitch his flippin’ ballroom.

This is a betrayal of our basic social compact. Blanche and so many others chose loyalty to Donald Trump over loyalty to their country.

Right. I can just see this administration rewarding Jim Comey and Hunter Biden. It’ll be more like already pardoned ex-Illinois governor Blago, who, bonus points, was prosecuted by Comey’s defense lawyer.

This thread on the $1.8B they stole for a slush fund is infuriating!

“Trump weighs military options against Iran, insists they want a deal because they’re scared of him” is EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE BEFORE THE WAR, except NOW IRAN CONTROLS THE WORLD’S MOST IMPORTANT STRAIT AND IS CHOKING THE ECONOMY AND OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS TO DEATH WITH IT

TRUMP: Routinely falls asleep on camera, has unexplained injuries on his makeup-caked hands, regularly makes genocidal threats, posts nonstop AI slop, compares himself to Christ, goes on unhinged rants every time he appears in public THE ATLANTIC: "He's becoming purer"

Someone tell JD about the $1.8B of our tax dollars that his boss stole from the treasury even as he stood at this very podium bloviating.

Every GOP member of Congress should be asked by the press whether they agree Trump can use $1.7b that we, the taxpayers, paid so gov’t could work for us, as reward money to his supporters.

Raskin says the fund is unconstitutional. Congress didn't structure it. 14th Amendment prohibits obligations in service of insurrection. Raskin says Dem House will shut it down and compel transparency on payments. He's calling on Rs to legislate against it now. 4/ newrepublic.com/article/2105...

The president is stealing tax dollars from the public treasury to pay off his criminal cronies.

Donald has a rich fantasy life. Also he’s not getting the adulation he craves because not EVEN ONE of those things has happened.

"It's hard to believe that it would take two centuries for the Lord to raise up a great man to bring that ballroom finally to stand where it needs to stand." A real thing that was said, without shame, at a Christian prayer rally.

Tova Noel -- the corrections officer who last saw Jeffrey Epstein, is scheduled to testify before Congress today. open.substack.com/pub/jkbjourn...

Probably should be a bigger deal that the Trump Administration used taxpayer dollars to host a Christian Nationalist event in the nation's capital, but, nah. www.washingtonpost.com/religion/202...

When a federal agency tasked with protecting all Americans decides to mandate a specific religious worldview, it ceases to protect democracy and begins to threaten it.