"Shut down Alligator Alcatraz and allow these people to return to their communities, where they belong."

Congratulations to the people of Chandler, AZ, who — despite a fierce lobbying campaign — defeated a massive AI data center that would have raised utility bills and drained scarce water. Oligarchs want working Americans to foot the bill while they profit. Not gonna happen!

In America, we believe in healthy competition. That success happens because you had a good idea, you worked hard, and you inspired people. Not because one giant company buys up their competitor to dominate an entire industry through currying favor with the president.

Military contractors spent $43,501,493 on the last election. We could have universal healthcare and housing might be affordable if ordinary Americans could outbid military contractors for Congress’ help.

Trump’s new ballroom will cost around $200–$300 million, but he’s out here telling parents struggling to afford food and healthcare that they should buy fewer dolls for Christmas.

The Trump administration's bellicose conduct toward Venezuela and other leaders in Latin America has little to do with drug trafficking, says historian Alejandro Velasco. It's an effort "to get rid of leftist governments in the region," he says.

Scumbags. These ICE agents deserve long prison sentences

Two days after the House of Representatives voted to restore collective bargaining rights to federal employees, Trump moves to illegally end collective bargaining for TSA workers. Trump may be the most anti-union president in American history.

As long as we use single-member districts to elect the U.S. House, gerrymandering will be a problem in America. FairVote's Ryan J. Suto shares how the Fair Representation Act ends gerrymandering w/ #ProportionalRepresentation & multi-member districts. #FairRepAct ⬇️

Hakeem Jeffries announced the creation of the “House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy,” and handpicked its five commissioners. Unfortunately, these new members have a history of supporting Big Tech. From Henry Burke: trib.al/9FYNXSv

If dietary supplement labels include health claims, they are required to add the following: “This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” RFK Jr.’s regime wants the statement removed.

Democratic leadership didn’t want to stick their necks out for him. The GOP didn’t want him even referred to as a “Maryland man.” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, his congressional representative fought for him. And we should never forget any of this. apnews.com/article/abre...

In just a month, 10,000 people in MA dropped their health insurance. That's 2x more than last year. 10,000 mommas, grandpas, aunts, neighbors, and friends who looked at their bill and said "I can't do this." Because Republicans won’t lift a finger to lower health care costs.

The Trump administration moved $2 billion from the Department of Defense to Homeland Security for immigration enforcement. This is an insult to service members. Stripping military resources for a wasteful political agenda doesn’t make our nation stronger or Americans safer.

One of Trump’s most consistent traits—right up there with racism and greed—is his admiration for dictators. He “fell in love” with Kim, defends MBS for murder, and praises Orbán and Putin at every turn. Yet when he claims to oppose Maduro on humanitarian grounds, the press politely plays along.

SPOG gets a great new contract while legal settlements related to SPD greatly increase. notesfromtheemeraldcity.com/spog-gets-a-...

ICE has long used the latest spy tech to pursue immigrants — but now it’s also targeting anti-ICE protesters.

At a time of deep polarization & gridlock, we need to push Congress to lead, legislate, & govern together. The Ranked Choice Voting Act does that by bringing #RankedChoiceVoting to every U.S. House & Senate election. Learn more about the #RCVAct ⬇️

The stock of HCA Healthcare–the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain–hit a new record recently. Healthcare patients are paying higher prices than ever. When will we stop enriching those at the top at the expense of the people?

My latest about the newly passed SPOG contract, which isn't great news for Seattle's police accountability or its civilian response. Mayor Harrell just signed it yesterday.

No state is taking away federal tax cuts, despite what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says. Some states are choosing not to mirror recent federal changes into their own tax codes, which is a normal process. Bessent’s claims are wildly misleading. itep.org/no-scott-bes...

Crowded primaries are emerging at every level for 2026. More choices should be a good thing. But in choose-one elections, it leads to vote-splitting & winners w/o majority support. Ranked choice voting allows more competition while ensuring majority winners. #RankedChoiceVoting

The Supreme Court’s approval of Texas’s gerrymandering is another blow to fair representation. Congress should set national standards to stop the antidemocratic practice. bit.ly/4a7H8d8

Another way Trump drives up your costs? He sidelined the cops who make sure banks and payday lenders follow the law. Last year those cops ordered more than a billion dollars returned to Americans who were cheated. This year Trump is letting the cheaters keep YOUR money.

Israel has killed 249 journalists in the last 2 years. That's more than were killed in WWII & the Vietnam War put together. A Vermonter, Dylan Collins, was wounded in one of these attacks, which killed another reporter. This war against journalists must be investigated & ended.

🔴Our Humanitarian Response Adviser explains how severe storms sweeping across Gaza are making an already desperate situation even worse for Palestinians. The Israeli authorities continue to obstruct aid and are preventing us from bringing in life-saving equipment. #GazaCeasefire

Congratulations to every House Democrat and 20 Republicans for voting to restore the constitutional right to a union for over a million federal employees. The Senate must pass this bipartisan provision immediately. All workers, including federal employees, have the right to be in a union.

If Republicans don't extend ACA subsidies, people are going to die. Now, they’re trying to tie Americans' health care to abortion restrictions that kill women. It’s absolutely a non-starter. We won’t allow Republicans to use the lives of women as the political cost of extension.

Shev Dalal-Dheini with the American Immigration Lawyers Association says recent Trump changes to immigration policy, including the introduction of a so-called "gold card" visa, are tilting the system further in favor of the rich. https://www.democracynow.org/2025/12/12/trump_gold_card

The Democratic base is hungry from AI regulation from their representatives, but the members of Congress hand-picked by Hakeem Jeffries to shape Democratic policy on AI are unlikely to give that to them. From Henry Burke: trib.al/XxANiCW

NYC is a union town. I am proud to stand with the over 200 Amazon drivers at the DBK1 facility in Woodside who joined the Teamsters and are fighting for the pay and benefits they deserve. Amazon must recognize their union and start bargaining for a fair contract now.

The AI industry and its billionaires already have $100 million to buy the midterms for candidates who will push for harmful deregulations that will kill more jobs and our planet. Just another reason to overturn Citizens United.

The Trump administration's seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela is "an escalation of illegality," says historian Alejandro Velasco. He says Venezuela has so far avoided being "goaded into some kind of response" that could serve as pretext for more U.S. military action.

This was in the NYT. It's an excerpt from an op-ed by a rabidly anti-immigrant "contributing opinion writer." www.nytimes.com/2025/12/11/o...

Is War Next? U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Oil Tanker as Anti-Maduro Campaign Escalates

A media mogel with important merger business before the FCC says he has "great conversations" about it with Trump, while Trump for his part speaks openly about the kind of ownership he wants to see at CNN, a news network he detests. And it's just another day in our Orbanization. Via @status.news

Read to the end. NPR asked why the Trump team ended a low-cost program that cured millions of tropical diseases w drugs donated by pharma. The spokesperson replied with an NPR headline—“Farewell to USAID”—and said: “What do you think farewell meant?” www.npr.org/sections/goa...

Just discovered an insane new form of co-intelligence where you briefly share the mind of a great thinker in history and then a portion of their mind travels in yours for the rest of your life. Calling it a "book."

Trump eliminated free entrance to national parks on MLK Day and Juneteenth, and moved it to his birthday instead. It’s his most brazen display of racism and megalomania yet. From Harold Meyerson: trib.al/8yipNZQ

It’s been two weeks since ICE took Yuanxin Zheng from his father. He is six years old. He’s still not home. This has to end.

RFK Jr. once told me during his confirmation that he’s “not taking vaccines away from anybody.” But his handpicked anti-vaxx panel just rolled back vaccine recommendations for newborns, throwing out decades of established science—and putting American babies’ health at risk.

ICE is kidnapping and locking up little kids, denying them medical care, and feeding them contaminated food. They aren’t going after criminals, they are going after Black and brown people, because this isn’t about immigration, it’s about white supremacy.

More than two dozen Members of Congress showed up to my fifth shadow hearing on the horrific conditions in Trump’s ICE detention centers. Thank you to everyone who spoke up — we will continue to shine a light on this injustice and inhumanity.

Voters are disgusted with Trump — it’s good news for Democrats' election prospects. But as Trump grows more desperate, his attempts at voter suppression will be more extensive than ever. From Robert Kuttner: trib.al/Re3NkXZ

According to researchers, if the 20% cut in international development funding continues, 12 MILLION more kids will die before the age of five. But don't worry—that money is going to billionaire tax breaks instead, so I'm sure everything will work out fine.

"The shutdown made it clearer than ever that our system is stuck in a campaign finance system that excludes most Americans from power," @kornbergmaya.bsky.social wrote in an op-ed in @thehill.com. Reform is needed for Congress to actually "represent the people it serves."

The Trump administration is illegally dismantling special education. I started out as a special ed teacher. Some learners have more challenges than others, but all children benefit from the investment we make in them. No nation is better off when it shortchanges its own children.