Five years ago today. This SHOULD have been the end of Trump's reign of terror over his fellow Repubs.

I call to your attention several overlooked but worthy books. open.substack.com/pub/davedeni...

Words of wisdom from @ricktxaflco.bsky.social here. “For any organizer, their number one job is to organize themselves out of a job," Levy said. “No one has done more than Rick Levy for the modern-day labor movement in Texas,” Greg Casar said.

Worst polls of T.'s second term now coming in. Even GOP-friendly Rasmussen has him underwater by 7 pts.

Jeezus. Cass Sunstein should have read up a little about the history of that guy he enjoyed socializing with. It's all right here! thebaffler.com/civilificati...

I profiled the great poet & eco-advocate Jane Hirshfield in a feature for @thenation.com, now included in my book Learning to Live in the Dark. Tomorrow, 9/16, at 5pm ET, Jane joins me in conversation about "faith, humanism, and radical solidarity in a time of catastrophe." RSVP below...

My old friend Jim Harrington has dedicated his life to advancing justice in Texas. That takes a strong spirit.

Ten years ago, we celebrated George Scialabba Day in Cambridge, Mass. Tobi Haslett noted the occasion in the New Yorker:

Seeing that Ruth Paine has died at 92, reminds me of Thomas Mallon's book "Mrs. Paine's Garage." "Why did Mrs. Ruth Paine of Irving, Texas, make the notation 'LHO purchase of rifle' on the March 1963 page of her Hallmark pocket calendar?" prospect.org/features/liv...

Congress has approved $40 million for stupid Trump's stupid "Garden of American Heroes." Another reason I've got TES. open.substack.com/pub/davedeni...

We are pleased to announce that management of @thebaffler.com voluntarily recognized our union on the very same day that we filed our petition! We look forward to working together on our first contract.

We, the staff of @thebaffler.com, are proud to announce that we have formed a union with @workersunitednynj.bsky.social. Read more about why we have formed a union here: 1/4

I highly recommend this good advice about The Writing Life from the estimable @jacobsilverman.com. open.substack.com/pub/jacobsil...

A charming, if rather sad, story in @thebaffler.com by Dave Denison about the decline of bowling in America. The tale is familiar to those of us subjected to Robert Putnam, but here it's actually about bowling and the writing is filled with life. thebaffler.com/salvos/chang...

You read it here first! (I think.) "Who Lost Texas," The Baffler No. 75. thebaffler.com/salvos/who-l...

AMC on how Substack is moving "closer and closer to the chaos chum bucket that newsletters were supposed to stand out from." newsletter.anamariecox.com/archive/subs...

“Do proprietors want to run a center for serious bowlers? Or do they want a recreation center with rock-climbing walls and minigolf, blacklight bowling, and ‘family fun’?” @daveadenison.bsky.social on the state of bowling for @thebaffler.com: thebaffler.com/salvos/chang...

Amazing read as usual, Commissioner, with shoutouts to the late venerable L&G, and our very own A.A.B.L.!

An inside report on "the most popular declining sport in America." @longreads.com #longreads ‪https://thebaffler.com/salvos/changing-lanes-denison

Emily Bice captures a lot about bowling's past—and present—in this excellent story from Defector.

I was very surprised to read in the Sunday NYT that Trump's White House flack now acknowledges that America is experiencing climate change.

How bout a little #sports chat on here? Where are the BlueSky bowlers? #bowling #tenpins thebaffler.com/salvos/chang...

Ronnie Dugger, founding editor and longtime publisher of the Texas Observer and for many years the crusading conscience of the progressive movement in Texas and beyond, died of complications of dementia at a hospice center in Austin on May 27. He was 95.

We have thousands of pastors, rabbis, priests, and psychotherapists in this country and not a single one can have a conversation with Stephen Miller to ask him to reflect about the enjoyment he gets from the sadistic treatment of other human beings?

What if you eat too many Big Macs?

Dow Jones index falls to 37,666. Wall Street's opposition to Trump tariffs reveal the mark of the beast.

Boston Globe reports on persistent internet research that unearths a famous ad from the 1990s. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/03/b...

On bowling alone, dining alone, and "social capital" in a place like Vermont. open.substack.com/pub/davedeni...

This polling average has been more friendly to Trump than 538 was, but still: the lines have crossed.

10 years ago today I went out for a night of League Bowling and everything fell into place. Flukes happen!

“He is a remorselessly political creature, devoid of principle, who, more than any figure in modern political history has damaged the fabric of American democracy,” Cohen wrote. “That will be his epitaph.”

These two lines are going to intersect soon, probably in March. (From 538 polling average.)

I somehow missed this incredible piece by @daveadenison.bsky.social when it came out in 2020. thebaffler.com/salvos/the-m...

"I don’t know about you, but I burn with a white-hot fury when I see the insolent pasty face of Elon M**k in the newspaper." open.substack.com/pub/davedeni...

I didn't darken halls of academia after getting undergrad degree in US history and lit (w truly eminent mentors, from Bailyn to Kevin Starr to the very young Doris Kearns), and then grad degree in econ. But even I could tell that C Yarvin is 100% making it up. Apparently tech bros did not. (Or NYT?)

Former VP Mike Pence attended the inauguration but didn't merit mention in the opening of T.'s address. Seems like a snub.

decent chance that the only living presidents four years from now will be Obama and Vance

"There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day," McConnell said shortly after the 57-43 Senate vote that ended in the former president's acquittal. Yet McConnell didn't have the courage to vote for Trump's impeachment.

Zephyr Teachout notes that there are large U.S. majorities that believe "corporate monopolies now run our entire economy" and who hold anti-monopoly, anti-corporate views. zeteo.com/p/kamala-har...

Today in "Words Have No Meaning."

When you think the Trump win was mainly about “populism”, you are mainly showing that you are blind to white supremacy!

Mobile home owners in Maine fought back against private equity vultures threatening to scoop up the land their homes are on. jimhightower.substack.com/p/look-to-ma...

First they came for the Doritos and I said nothing, for I was not a Dorito eater. . .

Richest line I read today in the NYT: "As someone who voted for Donald Trump all three times, I am surprised and disappointed that he chose Matt Gaetz to head the Department of Justice." --David, of Henderson, Nev., in letters to ed., who added that Gaetz "is not qualified to be dogcatcher..."

I'm hearing Tucker Carlson for chair of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, so he can press for fair treatment of the overprivileged.

Turns out that Trump's margin of victory (56 percent) was the same in Texas as it was in Florida. In fact, Harris did slightly better in Fla. She got 43.0 percent in Fla., and 42.4 percent in Tx. Both states look hopeless for Democrats.

Pretty high odds that Musk's "efficiency" solution for government will be to cut the workforce, just as he did at Twitter. thebaffler.com/civilificati...

Here's a line about Musk I didn't expect to read in the Sunday paper: "He has even offered his own sperm to friends and acquaintances, including the former independent vice-presidential candidate Nicole Shanahan." What a world-historical asshat.

But wait: Doesn't Trump believe the vice-president has the authority to block the certification of election results?

Allan Lichtman will go on YouTube tonight (Nov.7) to explain why his election model made the wrong prediction. But, we already have a good explanation! Right here: thebaffler.com/civilificati...