Happy Boxing Day to all who celebrate

This is John Roberts' America.

*blinks* wait, “blocks”?

The “free speech” and “cancel culture” panics have led to overt state censorship because that was always their purpose. (Gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

It is an anti-intellectual movement

Well done UC Berkeley. Well done Human Rights Watch. Well done CECOT survivors. Well done 60 Minutes.

First of all, you’re and idiot if you think they will follow through with this promise. This is entrapment. Second of all, what an incredible “fuck you” to all of the Trump voters out there who aren’t getting money for Christmas!

As ICE ramps up deportations, Texas prosecutors say they’re losing key witnesses in criminal cases www.texastribune.org/2025/12/22/t...

Por que no los dos? The obedience is as much the story as the substance of what is being spiked.

…

I appreciate anyone who reacts appropriately—screaming incredulously and Muppetly—when a billion dollar franchise pushes all-in on a QB from Duke.

yes! i am a bit of a broken record on this but among elite male commentators there is such obvious gender anxiety

my latest is on the odd confluence of unitary executive theory with a president who is mostly AWOL from the business of governance (gift link)

"Yglesias claims to think “rights are good,” but would have us ignore how neutral rules can be used to deny people their rights. Earlier this month, the Trump Department of Justice issued a memo that follows from Yglesias’s reasoning" www.liberalcurrents.com/a-tent-big-e...

CNN has suddenly discovered Tennessee's Patriot Front compound that was a subject of an extensive NewsChannel 5 investigation back in March. Here is my report: 1/ www.newschannel5.com/news/newscha...

there are not enough hotdog gifs in the world

Your back is up against the wall. All looks lost. Who is coming to save you? Film stills only (that is, no GIFs) #FilmSky

"there's a new serif in town"

Are there any fucking adults left in the American elite? This reads like an excuse a friend makes for a popular girl in high school.

Dara: “On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you about [IU’s #1 ranking]? Me: “1987”

I WOKE UP HAPPY!!! HOO HOO HOO HOOSIERS!

They’re killing people as a twitter joke. It’s depraved. Can’t let yourself lose the capacity to be appalled and disgusted and outraged by this.

Me before every panel I’m on: “I have three drafts of notes of all the things I want to say.” Me on panel: what notes? Me after panel: ::le sigh:: bonjour, we meet again, l’esprit de l'escalier.

this is just gutter racism

Things that can all be true simultaneously: -absolutely no excuse for violent attack on NG -their deployment is wasteful security theatre that makes them less safe -the administration is chickenshit all the way down

Please take a watch:

Cincinnati crew, assemble

If you've enjoyed my podcast any time in the last year, you should know that a pretty big chunk of those episodes were based on articles from @liberalcurrents.com. It's an extraordinary publication, and they're raising money to take it to the next level. I encourage you to support it.

I’m a big fan of Liberal Currents, whose work I’ve found particularly invigorating over this last year.

Just heard that after 27 years on Louisiana’s death row, Chris “Jimmie” Duncan is finally getting out. Not exactly sure when, but I’m told he’ll be home for Thanksgiving. This is wonderful news. Here’s my 2009 piece on the forensic fraud that got him convicted:

Imagine naming your round-up-hardworking-brown-people operation after a story written by the same man who wrote this. Some pig, indeed.

In my agita, I am sure I would use some highfalutin words, but God help me if I sound like a man who turned to garbled interpretations of Marcus Aurelius after my estranged partner wrote 10th grade love notes to any number of politicos two decades my senior.

I feel attacked.😂

Oh wow @reuters.com got the photo here:

speaking of supposedly objective gatekeepers...

The far right is obsessed with Lord of the Rings and Musk keeps posting about "hobbits" because modern scientific racism owes more to fantasy worlds and gaming systems than genetic science, and they see both as effective mediums for right-wing propaganda www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

The great @adamserwer.bsky.social takes on racism in D&D and Tolkien www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

I keep yelling this at my phone when I see these photos and I’m going to start yelling it here: NEVER. POINT. YOUR FIREARM. AT ANYTHING. YOU DO NOT INTEND. TO DESTROY.

This whole thread is interesting, but whatever the backroom political logic of it all, a shutdown requires public-facing political support and I cannot imagine Schumer could get buy-in for another one in January. This isn't something he can use again.

Look. A two-writer marriage is difficult. But a two-editor marriage? That’s just fun.

“I can tell you’re really mad when you use “sclerotic” and “rejuvenated” in the same Bluesky post.” - @daralind.bsky.social

The lessons Dems seem to have taken was that the country blames Congress for a shutdown and the median voter is right of center. What they should have learned is elections matter, it's the economy stupid, and a sclerotic party that can't recognize these facts should be rejuvenated.

Went back to the history of the Sicilian Mafia to illustrate something obvious but worth stating explicitly: The Trump administration behaves like an organized crime syndicate running a protection racket, not a representative government www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

For some reason, I just thought of this scene.

Going to a drug store and trying to buy anything off the shelf now locked in cabinets is like a much less efficient Service Merchandise. #iamold

You'd hope most people would have an "are we the baddies?" moment if they had to acknowledge they're a member of a party with a substantial "Cool With Hitler" Wing.

That the executive can't spend money, and thus do stuff, without the regular and periodic approval of a representative legislature isn't some incidental hiccup. It is the core premise of the power of the purse, the most bedrock foundation of Anglo-American constitutionalism from time immemorial.

It's a case that never should have become a case because Congress should have exercised their clearly enumerated authorities and prerogatives. Their refusal to do their damn jobs has been, since 2016, the most dangerous enabler of Trump's power.

"This win was only possible because the Voting Rights Act ensures fair representation. If the Supreme Court dismantles these protections, we risk silencing the very voices that made last night’s historic outcome possible."