His policies are picking winners and losers — and blurring the lines between business and government. n.pr/48P2QSb

People must grasp the idea of “media capture.” It’s when authoritarian regimes and/or their powerful allies take control of media to stifle independent voices holding the government to account. It’s one way Hungary’s Viktor Orbán keeps power. In the U.S., it’s what the Ellisons have done with CBS.

Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the controversies that dominated the Turning Point conference, but he did not define any boundaries for the conservative movement besides patriotism. n.pr/4qlRL0Q

James Talarico: The Bible doesn't mention abortion or gay marriage, but it goes on and on about forgiving debt, liberating the poor, and healing the sick. The closest thing we have to the kingdom of heaven is a multiracial, multicultural democracy where power is truly shared among all people

CATO INSTITUTE: Despite DOGE slashing jobs, government spending in every month of 2025 “was greater than in every other year .. An observer who did not know when DOGE started could not identify it” on a chart. 🤡 www.cato.org/blog/doge-pr...

“The entire Epstein story is hellish from top to bottom, an almost-Gothic tale of the appalling deference society pays to the rich and powerful,” Elizabeth Bruenig argues:

The Trump family business empire is booming. We map out 268 pieces of it, from crypto to Bibles to golf courses.

Trump has added new plaques under his ‘presidential walk of fame’ in the White House. On Obama: “Barack Hussein Obama was the first Black President…One of the most divisive political figures in American history.” On Biden: “Sleepy Joe Biden was, by far, the worst President in American History...”

The former Justice Department special counsel told the House Judiciary Committee that his team developed "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump took part in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election. n.pr/3N5wwln

This is vile.

In Donald Trump’s second term, developments came thick and fast, many of them involving crypto, foreign money, or both. @johncassidysays.bsky.social takes stock of the President’s self-enrichment in 2025. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/XabOK1

James Talarico’s message to Gen Z: “You may not be interested in politics, but politics is interested in you. Your boss, your landlord, and your insurance company cares about politics. And until you care about politics, they're gonna keep using the political system to screw you over.”

Whenever people complain about the number of folks relying on food stamps, it is worth reminding them that SNAP is, by too large of a degree, a subsidy for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage and their political allies who reject public policy prescriptions to reduce income inequality.

James Talarico: Christian nationalists walk around with a mouth full of scripture and a heart full of hate. Don't tell me what you believe. Show me how you treat other people, and I'll tell you what you believe

James Talarico: Why do we have a trillionaire when veterans are sleeping on the streets? I’m all for success, but this is not success. This is hoarding. The reason poverty still exists in the wealthiest country in history is not because we can’t feed the poor. It’s because we can’t satisfy the rich

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT, JANUARY 2025: $36.1 trillion U.S. NATIONAL DEBT, DECEMBER 2025: $38.4 trillion

Trump-branded industrial parks... Built on federal lands... And owned by the federal government? Yikes. www.wsj.com/tech/trump-s...

You know the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)? Venerable research institution, respected worldwide? Trump has put an oil executive in charge of it & changed its name to the "National Laboratory of the Rockies." It's so embarrassing being American these days.

I believe there is no historic precedent of a dominant world power dismantling its own influence unilaterally. This is a colossal self destruction.

Five corporations control 90% of the US media market. Airlines merged from 12 major carriers in 1980 to 4 today. Four giants control 80% of meat processing. The evidence of corporate consolidation is everywhere. It means more power for them and less freedom for you.

Donald Trump just removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list of free entry days at national parks. They are being replaced with Trump’s birthday.

This fetid landmark, this historical stain on humanity is primarily due to the stunningly reckless obliteration of America's foreign assistance agency earlier this year. Led by the richest man on earth. In secret, on a weekend. With zero analysis or discussion of its catastrophic impacts.

This is a million times worse than anything Hunter Biden was accused of doing in even the most fevered right-wing conspiracy dream

The co-founder of Kalshi says: " The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion."

Trump, continued: "What the Somalian people have done to Minnesota is not even believable. It’s not even believable. And a lot of it starts with the governor. A lot of it starts with Barack HUSSEIN Obama, because that’s when people started coming in... They want to kiss our country good night."

Sen. Roger Marshall on Trump's health: "I'll work 110 hours a week. He outworks me. He's the first person I've ever known that works harder than I do. He runs around that golf course. He's in incredible shape right now. And you talk about sharp! He's playing 4 dimensional chess"

Trump dozes while Marco Rubio speaks to him directly next to him. Just insane optics.

Parents, if you have time to read anything today (and the capacity to feel rage), then these new allegations against two of the largest social media companies, and their apparent disregard of you and your kids’ relationships and mental health, should be it.

“First they fascinate the fools then they muzzle the intelligent.” ― Bertrand Russell

Richard Dawkins challenges the idea that religion provides absolute morality.

will there be any followup to this fascinating story by the president of the united states that a friend of his sent him a check for $130 million dollars and the president is going to give the money to the military because i for one am fascinated about the details tbh

A cartoon by Asher Perlman. #NewYorkerCartoons See more cartoons from this week’s issue: https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/pEDcks

In retrospect, perhaps trusting all of the government's systems and data to Elon Musk and his band of 20-year-old cybercriminals was not the smartest move.

Why do headlines say "norms shattered" when what is meant is "laws broken" or "Constitution violated"?

This and the removal of lead from fuel are probably two of the greatest achievements of the last few decades.

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $70 million to the UNCF, the largest private provider of scholarships to minority students.

Becoming increasingly clear we’re gonna have to build a parallel infrastructure for all the media we really love. The reason all of this is happening under the color of law is hyperconsolidation, dissent being traded straight up for merger approval, or fear of harassment.

Tens of millions of voters have had their information run through the tool — a striking portion of the U.S. public, considering little has been made public about the tool's accuracy or data security.

All of America’s foreign broadcasters are in grave danger, @anneapplebaum.bsky.social writes. “Without openly saying so, the United States is reorienting its foreign policy to protect governments that manipulate and censor information.”

Sad thing recent events have made me accept: a lot of US elites are weak, amoral people, whose guiding star is "what does power want?" mixed with "what's easiest for me in the short-term?" And that unfortunately means we can't appeal to principle or patriotism, we need to structure their incentives.

Just noticed this on the checkout notification I get from the Chicago Public Library. I think it’s new and I love it!

Bluesky right now ...

I hope people realize how absolutely fucked this situation is. This isn’t normal. People are resigning all over the place because the government is mishandling our data, ruining our public health services, and generally making Americans less safe.

When Ted Turner asked Carl Sagan if he was a socialist, Sagan gave the answer America keeps failing to learn.

Now Republicans are trying something different: quietly weakening the law and hoping you won’t notice. We can’t let them. It’s up to all of us to vote for leaders in every election who will make our healthcare system better, not undermine it. Call your member of Congress and hold them accountable.

"WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations" cpb.org/pressroom/Co...

The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.

If something can be destroyed by the truth, then let it - be it a person, a government, or an empire built on lies.