When buying influence is protected as free speech, democracy becomes a bidding war. In 2015 Jimmy Carter said Citizens United “violates the essence of what made America a great country in its political system,” warning the US was “an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery.” End Citizens United

3/1/26: "All I want is freedom for the people." •• One month later •• 4/1/26: "We're going to bring them back to the Stone Ages, where they belong." "Where they belong"? Trump is disturbingly cruel. His story changes daily. He's an untrustworthy con man steering our ship straight toward the rocks.

From Sacramento to San Diego and beyond, #UnionStrong nurses are joining the #NoKings protests tomorrow. Whether it’s ICE terror in our neighborhoods or wars abroad that steal resources from the care our patients need, we’re marching to reject Trump’s authoritarian agenda!

No Kings 3! Together, let’s Resist!

Saturday, March 28 Have fun, be safe. ✌️ www.nokings.org #nokings

"What it seems to me Callaghan does best: Pay attention to the humanity in people many of us might look past on the street and, by documenting it, force us to see them." …

Saturday, March 28 #NoKings "If we want peace, we have to be peace. Peace is a practice and not a hope." - Thich Nhat Hanh

"We treat love and hate and the other emotions like they are all on the same level, but they’re not. Hate, fear, lust, greed, jealousy – all that comes from the ego. Only love comes from the soul.

Right on, Pope Leo. #CalCare #universalhealthcare www.ncronline.org/vatican/pope...

I randomly opened my Tao Te Ching to this page today. "When the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible while the poor have nowhere to turn — all this is robbery and chaos."

Trump appointee Joe Kent resigned today as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, saying he "cannot in good conscience" support the war in Iran. Kent argued Iran posed no imminent threat and that the U.S. was pushed into war by Israel and its American lobby.

Be intentional with your news intake. The American media landscape is concentrated and compromised — a few giant companies, many with friends in Washington, controlling most of what you see and hear. With Paramount now taking over HBO and CNN, it's only getting more so.

Board of Peace → Bored of peace

Remember this when Donald Trump tells you we can’t afford health care.

Operation Epic Fury ↓ ↓ Operation Epstein Bury youtu.be/ZeJCeC82nW8

Khamenei was a brutal dictator who murdered thousands of his own people. His death is being celebrated by many. And: Our Constitution does not become optional because we approve of a certain outcome. Both are true.

No more forever wars.

Opposing war with Iran doesn't mean supporting the Iranian regime. You can reject both. Trump says this attack on Iran is about their nuclear program. We've heard that kind of justification before: The Iraq War was sold on weapons of mass destruction that were never found.

Why pointing out hypocrisy doesn't change minds in identity politics. Inspired by this post, written by @shanewriter.bsky.social, a neuroscience professor at Trinity College Dublin ↓ steady.page/en/cognitive...

2 names to know: @rokhanna.bsky.social (Democrat, CA) & Thomas Massie (Republican, KY). These congressmen are working together to get the full, unredacted Epstein files released. They co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act and are continuing to fight for full compliance.

"They want us talking about furries, and bathrooms, so we don't realize that they are picking our pockets. That they are closing our schools, they are gutting our healthcare, and they are raising taxes on all of us while they cut taxes for their billionaire donors." - @jamestalarico.bsky.social

Exciting news: CalCare has been officially reintroduced! The bill number is AB 1900. I encourage everyone to make a quick call in support of the bill to your assembly member and state senators: act.medicare4all.org/call/calcare/ Please also encourage others !

Today in California, AB 1900 was reintroduced: CalCare. A single-payer health care system with comprehensive coverage for all would produce large savings on overall health care costs.

Nearly 2/3 of California voters want to see transformational changes, not minor reforms, to our broken health care system. A.B. 1900 would enact a single-payer system at a time when voters are ready to champion transformational changes in health care. https://bit.ly/4atd4Hh

Fri - don't buy

Regardless of your stance on immigration enforcement, there some fundamental concerns here that transcend the specifics of any individual case (Renée Good & Alex Pretti):

It’s time we have Medicare for all. A single-payer health care system that would end health disparities, effectively control costs, and assure that everyone has equal access to an excellent standard of care. medicare4all.org

This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings

Peaceful nationwide protests - happening this Saturday, October 18

125,000+ individual contributions. Donations from 232 Texas counties. 98% of donations $100 or less. $0 from corporate PACs. And the most common profession: teacher.

Support people who inspire you. Donate if you can. jamestalarico.com

Being able to hear, feel, and articulate another person's point of view feels like a step to reduce polarization. No matter who you are, our digital landscape is structured in a way that keeps us at odds with "enemies."

Monday, Sep 1 “If we want peace, we have to be peace. Peace is a practice, not a hope." – Thich Nhat Hanh www.fiftyfifty.one/events

“The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.”

“We’ve got about 26 Republican targets. We need four of them. This is not a done deal.“ @ezralevin.bsky.social highly encourages you to stop doomscrolling and start contacting your representative. We can still defeat Trump’s Tax Scam and save Medicaid and SNAP: indivisible.org/resource/cal...

Senate Republicans just sold out the sick and the hungry to cut taxes for the rich and the powerful. What would Jesus do about this “Big Beautiful Bill”? I think he would flip over the tables of injustice and call on us to do the same.

This fight isn't over. Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” is headed to the House, and we have the power to stop it.

Allowing Netanyahu to drag us into another endless war in the Middle East would be a catastrophic error by President Trump and Republicans in Congress. Every lawmaker needs to ring the alarm against U.S. military action in Iran. Only Congress has the authority to declare war.

Senator Padilla was violently assaulted for doing his job. If this is how federal agents treat a sitting U.S. Senator peacefully asking questions, how far will they go?

I'm on my way to the Senate floor to talk about the assault on my colleague, Senator Alex Padilla. This is a horrifying moment in our nation’s history.

This is what democracy looks like. Peaceful protest on Saturday, June 14.

Kilauea's dramatic rn www.youtube.com/live/oG5zz9S...

The hard lessons of Germany’s dark history are speaking to us today. The message: It’s easier to lose your democracy than to regain it. Stream my hour-long special “Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism in Europe” at www.ricksteves.com/fascism.

This is a moral moment in America. Sitting on the Capitol steps with Leader Hakeem Jeffries this morning to discuss what’s at stake with Trump’s budget and affirm the need for collective action to protect Medicaid, food assistance, and other safety net programs. @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social

Today’s Hands Off protest in Berkeley, CA. #CApolitics #berkeley #HandsOff

Tomorrow

"There are certain lessons that I think we can learn from Russia in the ’90s. The blurring of the lines between business and politics, which is called oligarchy by classical political philosophy ― it’s extremely dangerous." - Garry Kasparov, democracy activist and former world chess champion