Beautiful new warm well-orchestrated soul record by Paris soul man Tiwayo, produced by @adrianmquesada.bsky.social (check out his solo LPs) from the Black Pumas, in Austin, TX. It’s somewhere between Memphis, Texas and the City of Light. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWOc...

Trump did this on purpose—he wants the Fed to make him look good and do what HE wants, and not have it directed by economic stats for what would work out best for the U.S. and average Americans. Trump did the same to the currently flailing DOJ. We’ll all pay a high price in the end. (@nytimes.com)

There's also famous pictures of the two of them hanging together at (I'm pretty sure) a Carole King concert in Central Park, fifty-something years ago.

On her new LP, one of the best things I’ve heard this year, Courtney Barnett has really stepped up her guitar prowess, in addition to the great songs. Maybe she’s especially stellar on this track because it’s Flea on bass, melodically pushing her higher. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPga...

Rep Robert Garcia brings the facts on Trump family grift: “Our foreign policy in many ways, is now being directed by who can pay the Trump family more....the public has to understand he’s stealing your wealth and hard-earned labor so he can pay his family.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrEo...

It used to be that what a president told the public was generally believed. But now, it has to be indicated when a statement is from Trump, since he lies so unbelievably frequently, and sources like the @washingtonpost.com don’t want to be seen as responsible for his verbal garbage.

Nicolle D Wallace asks why the White House Correspondents Dinner, a celebration of the 1st Amendment & the press for a century, is going to feature such enemies of the press as FCC Chair Carr, Hegseth & Stephen Miller, all invited by ultra-right-wing CBS News. www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJOG...

Trump fell asleep yet again on camera in a White House meeting today, about, of course, health care affordability—after posting on Truth Social about ~16 times between midnight & 3 a.m. last night, including one that accused Obama of treason. Doesn't he have anyone to help him?!

Legal experts discuss in detail why the Trump DOJ’s new case against the effective-for-decades anti-racism Southern Poverty Law Center is actually an attack on civil rights, as Trump and his administration have been consistently doing for 15 months now. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfmj...

Trump has threatened ‘big’ tariffs on the UK if it does not drop its digital services tax on US social media firms, [which] imposes a 2% levy on revenues of several US tech companies that pay little or no UK taxes & whose social media often harms young people. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Such failure is more proof Trump doesn’t live in the modern world, it’s the cause of many of his betrayals of U.S. families. Tariffs are something people like Lee Iacocca pushed in the 70s & 80s. Trump also is wedded to fossil fuels even as the world, esp. China, is moving beyond them.

Economist @justinwolfers.bsky.social explains economic failure, disaster of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. The $175B in refunds the gov’t will give to corporations will just cause citizens to get taxed more & they’ll receive NONE of their tariff spending back. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Historian Timothy D Snyder explains why Trump and his cronies are creating a politics of “superpower suicide” these days, with their destructive policies on energy, foreign policy, wars, allies—and destroying the U.S.’ previous edge in education and science. snyder.substack.com/p/superpower...

Just shocking how much Trump hates his country and its democracy. Check out this new Truth Social post, where he called the Virginia redistricting election “rigged” with NO evidence, while also declaring himself “an extraordinarily brilliant person.” Heavy f**king delusion.

“The investigation into the Southern Poverty Law Center is another example of the Trump administration’s extreme attempts to silence its critics…The SPLC’s work fighting hate, racism & injustice...has played a critical role in strengthening civil rights.” @aclu.org www.aclu.org/press-releas...

Since SCOTUS declared Trump’s tariffs unconstitutional, many have asked how tariff refunds will work. Companies seeking tariff refunds from US Gov’t have been told by Trump: if you want to stay in his good graces, avoid filing for one. Consumers? Screwed again. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMsu...

Recently, Ace Records put out a compilation titled “Black America Sings Stevie Wonder,” two dozen artists covering the maestro, or given songs that Stevie wrote for them. My fave track is black gospel queen Shirley Caesar covering “Jesus Children of America” in 1977: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYd8...

A gorgeous orchestrated 6-minute title track to the new LP by Ed O’Brien, one of the guitarists from @radiohead.wastehq.social. A bit of spring reverie with birds chirping in the background. Hope the rest of the album, out next month, is this special: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpUc...

Senator Warren explains why Congress is giving unprecedented scrutiny to Trump’s Fed Chair nominee: in the past, such people made important economic decisions based on the numbers, to help the American people. Trump wants the Fed Chair to aid Trump and kiss his ass. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6La...

I hate gerrymandering, but agree with Larry Sabato⬇️on The Democrats gaining four House seats last night with their Virginia redistricting measure: Trump started this unethical fight, the Democrats refused to lay down--now Trump & GOP are paying the price. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wBb...

Ever notice that the Trump administration really doesn't like Americans? Especially Robert Kennedy Jr. (Washington Post)

Hey Trumpy, that @barackobama.bsky.social guy is pretty sharp, doncha think? Eclipsing what you’re doing now over a decade ago. SAD! (Washington Post)

This is sickening. Trump wants to take 1000+ of the Afghan heroes who aided U.S. troops during the Afghan War and ship them involuntarily to Republic of Congo after Trump White House has rejected their resettlement. Hard to get more heartless, unpatriotic: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evbl...

For two centuries, SCOTUS decided major cases publicly, with “written briefs, oral arguments” explaining their reasoning. But starting in 2016, to further right-wing causes, they began the secret anti-democratic “shadow docket.” Here’s the story of it: www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...

In more evidence of this Brennan case falling apart, the subpoenas in this DOJ case, trying to fulfil Trump’s vengeance, have just been withdrawn. Trump thinks people who find evidence of his corruption and/or lawbreaking should be automatically jailed. That’s NOT how it works, doofus prez.

Caught Bruce Springsteen's homecoming show in Newark last night, part of a tour designed as a musical cavalcade of protest against the rise of American authoritarianism. I have to say that as a brash and sincere act of dissent, it was one of the most genuinely patriotic things I've witnessed.

Or, as Prince himself sang on the title track of his underrated album “The Gold Experience” (1995), “what’s the use of money if you ain’t gonna break the mould?” Here's the original video of that single: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IQE...

But I doubt Prince cared about all that, just like Duke Ellington, who also purposely died without a will--factions of his family fought over Duke's money for ~40 years that I know of. I get the feeling both these gents didn’t care what happened to their money after they died.

I usually celebrate my fave artists on their birthday, not deathday, but the 10th anniversary today of Prince’s passing brings this interesting legal article on how his antipathy toward contracts and purposeful lack of a will incurred many hassles and wasted money. www.wisbar.org/NewsPublicat...

@markjacob.bsky.social reviews how many of major U.S. media outlets have purposely underreacted to Trump’s anti-democracy fascist movement, normalizing its corruption & cruelty, and provides a useful list of the news sources that confront such dangers head on: www.stopthepresses.news/p/its-not-me...

More details on new cruel substandard @ICEgov detention warehouses that people accused (often falsely) of immigration abuses are being housed in, often suffering critical challenges with water supply, wastewater processing—as reported by @repgabevasquez.bsky.social : www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3U8...

Another Trump cabinet member with major shocking scandals associated with her, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has been kicked out—the danger of Trump hiring unqualified unvetted ultra-right-wingers for these positions. Next: Hegseth, Patel? www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqwg...

Looks like yet another of Trump’s desperate prosecutions of his perceived political enemies is without evidence and falling apart. This is why presidents historically have let their Depts of Justice alone, allowing impartial experts to handle the rule of law. Works out better.

“The $2bn a week that Trump is spending on his reckless Iran war could have funded saving more than 87 million lives, the head of the UN’s humanitarian agency has said,” especially because of severe aid cuts the war has inspired in US, UK & other nations. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Palantir’s chief exec is ranting about creating dangerous AI weapons and surveillance, “disrupting the power of highly educated women,” weakening democracy—UK MPs are right to suggest cancelling Palantir’s huge data contracts for health care, defense, finance. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

The party of free markets, of Reagan, the intellectual heirs of Milton Friedman, the champions of market forces over big government, and of free enterprise and small business over the jackboots of government intervention.

The story of “Dum Maro Dum,” the most famous and controversial song by India’s superstar film vocalist Asha Bhosle, who recently passed away and who recorded more songs (12,000+) than any female in the world. Her work expanded the notion of female identity in India. pitchfork.com/reviews/trac...

Been feeling extorted and cheated by big concert promoters like Live Nation/Ticketmaster? Trump tried to make it so that these heinous companies would not have to be properly punished for their myriad abuses. Trump is NOT your friend, unless you’re rich or a corporation.

While I’ve covered the landmark recent Dept of Justice “illegal monopoly” ruling against Live Nation/Ticketmaster, I didn’t know til Ali Velshi explained it⬇️that Trump went behind his DOJ’s back at the last minute to try to settle and scuttle the case. 🙄 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipgE...

“Entertainment and tech companies have gotten smarter about putting consumers into bastardized flow states that leaves people feeling drained and sad rather than challenged and enlarged as selves.” @dkthomp.bsky.social

@dkthomp.bsky.social explores why so much of popular culture these days is with pre-sold properties and past nostalgic hits in cinema, music, art, even gaming and more. He calls it a “high-tech passivity,” perhaps connected to how scrolling numbs our minds. www.derekthompson.org/p/how-zombie...

Hate, lies and bigotry pay off big-time in the age of Trump and social media.

I wonder if the U.S, president knows how much he is embarrassing himself and his country with his uninformed see-saw policy.

“Remember how good it feels to be together, take care of one another…as much good will as you can put out there, it’s priceless right now, and it will get us through this time—this terrible, terrible weather.” 🙏 --Dave Chappelle

The wise and soulful Dave Chappelle discusses journalism, philanthropy, life choices, the importance of comedy and public radio in the Trump era, etc: “A lot of Americans that don’t travel overseas don’t know what it feels like to be an American.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zEb...

A new documentary covers the life and career of Jerry West, L.A. Lakers legend and General Manager, one of my heroes when I was a kid. It covers his relationships/mentorships with superstars he signed as well as his own significant family & mental health issues. www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

Joe Scarborough is correct⬇️: Trump is clearly doing all he can to help Putin, lie about Putin’s military failures, while constantly trying to destroy freedom fighters Zelensky & Ukraine—almost certainly because Ukraine inspired his 1st impeachment. Jerk🤮 www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbwz...

Trump’s Dept Of Justice just asked a federal court to erase the *seditious conspiracy* convictions of 12 far-right leaders of Jan 6th coup, including Proud Boys & Oath Keepers leaders sentenced to 18-22 yrs. Trump is trying to change the history of Jan 6,but he can’t www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4VW...

If you love American music, this is monumental. The clarity on this discovered test pressing reveals Johnson's genius to an even greater degree than the '61 re-release of his 29 songs. You can hear the stabbing slide and delicate fingering on every string. Amazing.

And if Starmer's aides actually covered up Mandelson's failure to be vetted on security, that in some ways will look even worse for Starmer.