Medieval bestiaries brimmed with monsters. Basilisks whose gaze kills. Manticores with human faces and lion bodies. Creatures born not from nature but from fear’s fertile imagination. #folklorethursday Art: Johannes Jonston

OpenAI employees are very excited about how well their new AI tool can create fake videos of people doing crimes and have definitely thought through all the implications of this

If you are following the story of The Pentagon's new policy, nicknamed, "you must check with us before you dream of doing any journalism," you may enjoy this update from @status.news

“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’” It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.

Have you ever read a thread that *perfectly* distills a significant phenomenon (here, our political family dynamic) in a satisfying yet infuriating way? For me, this is that thread:

@kim.senate.gov @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social @booker.senate.gov @schiff.senate.gov @amyklobuchar.com ENOUGH

let the gourd times roll

Six Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee (Durbin, Schiff, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Coons, and Welch) voted yes on two Trump district court nominees this morning, and my question remains, why do senior members of this party keep voluntarily ceding political capital to Donald Trump

EMERGENCY MEDICAID REIMBURSES HOSPITALS FOR CARE TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS BECAUSE BY LAW HOSPITALS CANNOT TURN AWAY ANYONE IN AN EMERGENCY. RONALD REGAN SIGNED THIS INTO LAW.

I’m old enough to remember when Republicans lost their minds over Burisma and a $10k check to pay off a truck loan. But sure,,,nothing to see here.

Trump's higher ed ransom note is here - everyone would have to acquiesce to their unprecedented demands or not be "given priority for grants," plus they can demand "reimbursement" for "violations" www.wsj.com/us-news/educ... A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy

Barbra Streisand is joining Jane Fonda and 600+ entertainment figures in re-launching the Committee for the First Amendment. Fonda announced the revival of the organization, initially founded by her father, Henry Fonda. The organization was founded in the 1940s to defend free speech against fascism.

An incredibly important election in a tiny country just went the right way. Moldova has resisted a huge Russian disinformation campaign and will not become a Russian puppet state.

🚨🚨🚨 “Form a circle, form a circle.” They do not want us to see what they are doing in Portland. Low hanging fruit for us. This was posted 3 hours ago. 1/2

MADELEINE DEAN: The president is unhinged. He's unwell JOHNSON: A lot of folks on your side are too D: Oh my god, please. That performance in front of the generals? J: I didn't see it D: It's so dangerous! Our allies are looking elsewhere. Our enemies are laughing. You have a POTUS who's unwell.

This evening 👇🏼. Message me on etsy, link below, if you’d like to reserve a calendar 🌿

And remember that BSky's options so long as the legislation is on the books is to either comply with the age verification law or block anyone from Ohio from accessing the service/site entirely. Fighting it in court so it's no longer the law is a separate action that takes time & money.

A populace that is agitated without being informed. A leader who encourages the worst suspicions, fuels the most dangerous lies, and mocks compromise and tolerance. It is getting close to being too late. www.thebulwark.com/p/everything...

Ever give a speech so bad The NYT runs a callout asking generals and admirals if they’re quitting? Pete Hegseth has.

Ok. So. A lot of congress will say they “submitted a letter to forgo pay during shutdown.” Congress is paid once a month so they have 30 days. Secondly, they want you to believe they are saying they will give up their pay. No. They just hold it until it reopens

Revisionist history in under five days.

COLLINS: So you're telling me you're willing to vote no every time? BERNIE SANDERS: Damn right

Elizabeth Warren: "If fighting to reduce the cost of healthcare and avoid a coming catastrophe is not worth fighting for, then I don't know what is."

In the CR cloture vote yesterday, 3 Dems voted to keep govt open: Fetterman (as expected) Cortez-Masto King Paul voted w/Dems against. www.senate.gov/legislative/...

To be clear: most 2019 dem candidates supported extending healthcare covg options to undocumented immigrants, but those policies never became law. Today - there are no democratic proposals that include such coverage. Claiming Dems shut down the govt over healthcare covg for migrants is FALSE

Focusing on the ridiculous veneer is a mistake because the substance of Trump's speech was as serious as a heart attack. The entire senior leadership of America’s military has been put on notice. www.thebulwark.com/p/its-a-war-...

People who have studied the downfall of democracy in other countries recognize exactly what is happening in the U.S. The parallels are unmistakeable; the only difference is the speed - we are going *faster*. apnews.com/article/trum...

John Thune has turned out to be a wet noodle.

Actual White House quote: “go fuck yourself.” Its not being some pearl clutching prude to ask whether this is really how most Americans want their kids to see the seat of our government behave. www.politico.com/news/2025/09...

“Show us your warrant!” “Ma’am, you’ve been watching too many movies. We’ll show you the warrant after we’re done.” 🤔 *busts in the door with babies crying*

This is one of the more chilling things I've read in recent weeks. I can't believe Just Security had to publish this, but I'm glad it did.

Andy McCarthy: "The indictment almost fails as an indictment in that it doesn't give you notice of what Comey has actually done. But factually there's nothing there. So this smacks of wanting to put Comey through the process, which is what lawfare is."

A busy week, garden aspects, ewes moved, sweet dog & cat moments youtu.be/JjAwcG-X4-E?... via @YouTube A few farm tours, making apple syrup, loads of garden plants rescued from a friend’s garden, some beautiful dawns and gorgeous autumnal colours.

Such a beautiful vista. River mists rise with a hint of pink roses to the east before sunrise

All of the last week’s posts from my Newsletter, Civil Discourse, in one place so you can make sure you didn’t miss anything in a pivotal week for democracy. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

The effects of insufficient water are felt by every cell in the body, but it’s the brain that manifests our experience of thirst. www.wired.com/story/what-d...

There are systems in place to stop what happened, they all work, they simply weren’t used. The choice not to prosecute Trump to protect other US politicians and corporatist whether it was Clinton or others from all political leanings is why Trump was able to take power.

LOOK ALL AT THE GRAFFITI, SENATOR!!! WE MUST CALL IN THE 101ST AIRBORNE!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!! #WarRavagedPortland

Border Patrol agent talks about how he knows that the people he's arresting at this nutrition bar factory in NY are "literal street rats" who would "eat our kids"

One reason Trump 2.0 is so different from Trump 1.0 is SCOTUS immunity decision. Without fear of criminal prosecution, Trump’s full wrath has been unleashed.

“They’re, they’re animals anyway. That’s what I would tell my kids all the time,” said the ICE agent, according to body cam footage. spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-...