Spokane’s KHQ & KNDU turned Rep. Baumgartner’s cynical 9/23 letter into “news,” amplifying lies instead of facts. Local outlets should hold him accountable, not launder deception into headlines. Our rural hospitals are threatened & reporters are cheering. open.substack.com/pub/jerrysin...

Rejecting the hateful messages from this weekend’s memorial service: the-high-ground.ghost.io/seeds-we-cho...

“The number of far-right extremist attacks continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism.” This is the conclusion of a National Institute of Justice report on domestic terrorism … deleted from gov. files days after Charlie Kirk’s murder.

RFK Jr. has plans for Eastern Washington’s children with with autism. the-high-ground.ghost.io/the-autism-r...

WA-5’s Michael Baumgartner campaigned on local control, then backed 57 bills shifting Congress’s power of the purse to Trump. This is a surrender of our democracy. Read how our representative is systematically dismantling the constitutional. open.substack.com/pub/jerrysin...

Another tragic school shooting. In the last 8 months, our Congressman, Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-5), co-sponsored 5 bills designed to add more guns to American streets, while simultaneously removing the only mechanism for law enforcement to track gun ownership. These are his ‘thoughts & prayers’:

Amid lawsuits, “Biblical governance,” and voucher schemes, Spokane’s Central Valley’s school board is draining public funds to implement a MAGA agenda. Can challenger Mark Bitz reset the extreme right wing influences and restore focus to real education? the-high-ground.ghost.io/when-educati...

Washington: Dan Newhouse (D4) and Michael Baumgartner (D5) cut your medicaid and food assistance, increased your student loan payments, cut taxes for the wealthy, and created a slush fund for Trump and his friends. Vote these clowns out. #WashingtonState #Vote

Michael Baumgartner has thrown Spokane’s most vulnerable under the bus. He’s cheering Trump’s crackdown that criminalizes poverty while gutting Housing First. Instead of solutions, he’s offered our homeless neighbors as targets in a national war on the poor. the-high-ground.ghost.io/p/1cd3ee9b-0...

Jim Jordan’s Aug 17 Spokane visit isn’t just a fundraiser, it’s part of a power shift to the presidency. My latest article uncovers how he & Baumgartner coordinate to centralize authority … an anti-democratic scheme that shreds states’ rights and erodes our constitutional balance.

Discover how WA-5’s Vital Wines is transforming Washington’s wine industry; donating 100% of profits to vineyard worker healthcare and rewriting the ethics of winemaking. Read the full story of purpose, people, and a movement rooted in Walla Walla. the-high-ground.ghost.io/vital-wines-...

The damage being done is generation. I wrote this article last month, hoping the Senate might step in and save one of America’s most unique institutions. Then the axe fell. I updated the article when the axe fell. The consequences are now being felt. If you want to know who is complicit:

The Big Ugly Bill was designed to delay the damage until after the 2026 midterms. MAGA Americans - Yam Tits and the GOP are f*cking with you big time. OPEN YOUR EYES!

Fact checking our WA CD05 Rep Michael Baumgartner. What a surprise he lies! substack.com/home/post/p-...

Baumgartner’s schoolboy bully debate stunt is a distraction from the truth: he just voted for the largest federal spending increase in U.S. history, while handing billionaires massive tax breaks. It’s not a vision for the future. It’s a betrayal of working families, dressed up for TV.

I'm on the Senate floor right now debating Trump's Big Ugly bill, and I really worry Americans do not fully realize just how bad it is. Please help get the word out.   This is just SOME of what's in the bill (so far).

Millions of acres of public land: wilderness, tribal treaty zones, even grizzly habitat, are suddenly up for grabs. ‘The Quiet Liquidation’ reveals how a hidden Senate bill is selling public lands to the highest bidder. America’s wild heart: For Sale. the-high-ground.ghost.io/the-quiet-li...

One third of my county is on Medicaid? I didn’t realized it was that high — I thought maybe 20 percent. What a nightmare scenario for us if this bill passes. And Baumgartner voted for it.

As a constituent of baumgartner, living in Eastern Washington— we have conveyed this (how much his constituents rely on Medicaid) to him over and over. His response— they aren’t cutting Medicaid to anyone except illegal immigrants 🙄 *almost makes you miss Cathy.

Come meet Carmela this Sunday, June 8 at 10 AM in #WallaWalla! Join us for good conversation, community connection, and a chance to hear from Carmela about her vision for #WA05. Open to all – no RSVP needed!

WA-5 Rep. Michael Baumgartner talks about student success, yet backs Trump’s budget that guts student loan support and slams WSU students with higher costs. He can’t claim to support education while voting to sabotage the very aid working families rely on. www.kxly.com/news/wsu-off...

Baumgartner’s vote for Trump’s brutal budget cuts will kill an estimated 120 people every year in WA-5. That’s not rhetoric, it’s math. Seniors, disabled residents, rural families, sacrificed for political gain. Who dies for his vote? #ASilentCulling #WA05 the-high-ground.ghost.io/a-silent-cul...

Rep. Michael Baumgartner voted to slash $600 billion from Medicaid, gutting healthcare for seniors, kids in working families, & people with disabilities in WA-5. While doctors and caregivers protest, he stays silent. That’s not leadership, it’s abandonment. #Medicaid www.kxly.com/news/medical...

How will future historians write about Trump, whose first term ended in disaster and an attempted coup, and whose second term authoritarianism and demented lies are so routine that the latest "false claim" can be cataloged as "another outlandish conspiracy theory"? www.nytimes.com/2025/06/01/u...

Eastern Washington is more than land, it’s grit, grace, and it’s the people who hold it together. Discover the spirit of WA-5 in this powerful essay on resilience, belonging, and the ties that make us whole. the-high-ground.ghost.io/what-were-ma...

Rep. Baumgartner voted for a "big, beautiful" BETRAYAL of #WA05. Rural communities will be hardest hit, with the double-whammy of losing healthcare AND losing jobs.

Feast World Kitchen is more than a restaurant; it’s a cultural bridge in Spokane, WA where immigrant & refugee chefs share their stories through food. Each dish invites diners into a world of resilience, tradition, & community. the-high-ground.ghost.io/a-seat-at-sp...

Trump’s rollback of broadband technology funding cut the cord on opportunity for rural and tribal families, especially in Eastern Washington. ‘Digital Equity’ is no longer in the future for poor rural families. the-high-ground.ghost.io/disconnected...

It is easy to forget that when Paul Weiss and the other law firms that capitulated to Trump cut their deals they thought they would be viewed as savvy dealmakers. Now they look like craven fools and gutless cowards.

This will go directly into the briefs.

“Eastern WA is not just resilient, it’s radiant. The High Ground tells its story: bold, rooted, & rising. Read often. Contribute if you can. Share what moves you. All are welcome, near or far, to this sentinel space for people, politics, and possibility.” - The High Ground This is amazing content:

Rep. Newhouse and Rep. Baumgartner are sending a clear message to Washingtonians: They don’t give a damn about you.

Rep. Baumgartner (R) just voted to slash Medicaid, food aid, & student support. That’s billions stripped from Eastern Washington. He calls it “fiscal responsibility.” We call it betrayal. You can’t represent WA-5 while gutting the programs that keep it alive. the-high-ground.ghost.io/the-cost-of-...

Freight Technologies is spending up to $20M on Trump-themed crypto tokens as part of a bizarre strategy to gain tariff exemptions. The CEO claims the investment will promote U.S.-Mexico trade, but clearly, the company understood the language of extortion: Pay for play.

Even Bart knows it’s a crime.

Bob Menendez got 11 years for a $1M bribe from Qatar, and Republicans were outraged. Yet today, Trump pockets $400 million from the same regime? Silence. Not a word. Not a hearing. Not a tweet. This is how a Kleptocracy operates… and the Republicans are all in.

Wow Check this out Graduates from VCU walk out on MAGA Governor Glenn Youngkin in Virginia This is how it's done America Stand strong and fight So proud of them ❤️ #MomSky

Justice Sotomayor warns that democracy is in crisis and lawyers must rise to meet the moment. This isn’t just about legal theory, it’s about defending the very foundations of our republic. She calls on the legal profession to act with urgency, passion, and courage. There’s no room for silence.

They kidnapped Newark Mayor Ras Baraka — a future governor, a civil rights hero — in broad daylight. Trump’s brownshirts are back. This is fascism, and we will not be silent. #FreeMayorBaraka #ResistFascism #StandWithNewark

I found this interesting. I entered my Spokane Zip Code into the MAGA app … I discovered an interesting group of local businesses proudly announcing their MAGA bone fides. bsky.app/profile/muel...

BILL GATES: “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.” @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/bdd9...

Powell: "If the large increases in tariffs that have been announced are sustained, they are likely to generate a rise in inflation, a slowdown in economic growth, and an increase in unemployment."

For <0.1% of the federal budget, Peace Corps volunteers build America's strongest assets: relationships & trust. DOGE's threat to cut 50-70% of staff betrays bipartisan support and endangers our nat’l security. Congress must act. joelrubin.substack.com/p/the-peace-corps-is-getting-doged

I am beginning to feel it all around me. Some of my old friends are resurfacing … it’s great to have them back! www.newsweek.com/donald-trump...

Economics 201. Inflation & Stagnation = Stagflation Get ready, because here it comes.

Watch this powerful video from DemocracyDocket.com. Saving democracy isn’t just about voting, it’s about financial fairness. When billionaires back authoritarians, they’re protecting their wealth from taxation. Voting to protect democracy, protects your financial future. youtu.be/Jw9uUbMnA6E?...

The anger at the damage this regime is doing matters—but it’s part of the chaos strategy. The admin and its handlers want us angry in all directions—including at each other. Unless we focus anger into organized action, every pull will keep us dancing on puppet strings. Don’t just react; respond.