"Adventure is putting into motion one's ignorance." William Least Heat-Moon, "River-Horse"

Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground

Even outdoing her last unprofessional, non-responsive, reprehensible and obnoxious visit, no mean feat!

In the annals of confessional accusations, Pam Bondi "wins" the day with, and I quote, "YOU WASHED UP LOSER"

You may recall that in January of 2025, artist Ann Telnaes announced that she had quit The Washington Post after editors killed a cartoon that depicted owner Jeff Bezos, among others, genuflecting to Trump. This cartoon feels even more relevant this week.

NEW: A federal judge in Oregon issued a sweeping rebuke of the Justice Department’s nationwide push to seize state voter rolls, ruling that the department can no longer be presumed to be acting in good faith and warning that its conduct threatens voters and states’ rights.

Trump and the Republicans are trying to rig the election. That's not being a "doomer," that's acknowledging reality. Democrats need a coordinated, national response to these coordinated, national attacks. We need an "Elections Czar" My latest solution in @thenation.com

This is an important point. Empathy—in and of itself—is anti-fascist. The arts—and the project of higher education as a whole—teach empathy, enabling you to put yourself in other people’s shoes. So to a fascist, they must be destroyed.

I think you know the answer. The “negotiations” have been an excuse to hold back necessary equipment and aid.

Remember ICE shooting two Venezuelans in Portland last month alleging they were members of a Venezuelan gang who weaponized their vehicle when agents tried to apprehend them? Total BS. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

can someone ask the esteemed Senator from Missouri exactly what he means by real Americans seriously, please explain this to me, a black woman, in plain English

@rothschildmd.bsky.social describes how pissed off Trump's conspiracists were about the anti-gun comments in the wake of Alex Pretti's murder. talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/donald-...

Must-watch: A powerful performance of a pro-immigrant Shakespeare speech by Sir Ian McKellen on Colbert's show; it resonates powerfully today. "This is the strangers' case; And this your mountainish inhumanity." [kottke.org]

Routine ethnic slurs, defamation of fallen soldiers, casual insults... this is the grist of Trump diplomacy. The insults particularly target America's closest and longest-standing allies. And US media really, really doesn't want to report on them. But here's an example from Poland.

The banality of evil is shocking. An ex-Big Lots warehouse for cheap consumer junk is bought by ICE to ship as many as 7,500 handcuffed human beings, as the Trump regime builds a U.S. gulag archipelago The unthinkable comes to Pa. coal country. My special report www.inquirer.com/opinion/ice-...

My Congressman has his tawdry, sycophantic opinion, supposedly in favor of "law and order." I let him know what I think about it. fortboise.org/blog/202602....

I’m sharing Aliya’s entire opening statement. We owe it to her, and those who no longer have a voice, to watch. youtu.be/zrcW8SZtYpI?...

happening this morning in Minneapolis -- ICE agents drawing guns on observers. I reiterate again that it is only a matter of time before DHS kills more innocent people in Minnesota. Congress needs to shut this shit down right now.

Maybe Epstein did kill himself. But imagine if he was still alive - who would be most concerned about him talking or even testifying? I suppose those would be the most likely suspects if he didn’t kill himself. But did any of those people have control over federal prisons in 2019?

Never forget: Pam Bondi and Kash said there was nothing in the Epstein files back in March

I hadn't seen Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson's opinion piece before Rod Gramer highlighted it. Simpson has really lost his way. His libel of protesters of DHS abuses is casual, dangerous, vile. idahocapitalsun.com/2026/01/28/h...

The NY Review is paywalled pretty well, but gives a generous teaser. (Our neighbor shares print with us.) Can't recommend Rebecca Giggs' rvw, "The Lost World" highly enough. Happy to see our library system has 8 copies of "Otherlands" available, too. www.nybooks.com/articles/202...

Wow, "automatic media download" sounds like a terrible idea. WhatsApp users on Android take note, and take action to protect yourselves. www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...

NYT headline this am, Thug "Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search." Unusual. "Corrupt" would be more direct, and accurate. (Are we afraid to wear it out?) 1/3 www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...

I think it's safe to say that the president of the United States is a national security threat.

It's still a cover-up Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche admits that the DOJ excluded all images showing “death, physical abuse, or injury” from yesterday’s Epstein files release. DEATH? The truth is probably far worse than anyone can imagine. 13,000 unredacted mentions.

This is a wild story. You can read the details here: www.stevevladeck.com/p/207-the-ju...

A member of the Abu Dhabi royal family secretly invested $500 million into the Trump family’s crypto company, gaining a major ownership stake. Months after inking the deal, the U.S. gave the UAE access to 500,000 advanced AI chips per year. The corruption is breathtaking.

@ruthbenghiat.bsky.social nails it: "I have seen this brand of strongman megalomania and the adverse effects it can ultimately have on leaders and their governments. I call it autocratic backfire. … {gift link} www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/o...

I first came across the word "megalomania" as a kid when I read William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. It's essentially a synonym for narcissistic sociopathy or malignant narcissism. All three terms accurately describe Trump.

This is a fine kettle of putrid fish we're in now, Ollie open.substack.com/pub/heatherd...

This is corruption on a breathtaking level. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an Abu Dhabi royal nicknamed the "spy sheikh", pumped $187mn into Trump family businesses. A WSJ team has the whole story, reported here for the first time. Remember: Jimmy Carter had to sell his peanut farm.

ICE and CBP agents seem to enjoy gratuitously breaking glass—from car windows to store fronts to homes. It’s an expression of unchecked power and dominance: “We’re in charge. We break and shatter what we want.” And nights of broken glass have been a harbinger of worse to come.

In case you're among the hundreds of millions who will miss it... a review. www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

Joyce Vance helps us be a well-informed public. Apart from confounding distractions to prevent accountability for an endless sewer of scandal, Thug's north star is stealing the midterm elections to maintain his supine GOP shield. Why Indict Don Lemon? open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

"We will really know that Trump is changing course if he allows a good-faith investigation into" [whatever]. While contemplating whether/how much Thug is "pivoting," we know how often he's shown "good faith." Zero. Donald Trump Is Frightened newrepublic.com/article/2057... via @newrepublic.com

"Every worm has a weak spot" Tolkien’s Dragons and Ours open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

Thank you @democrats.senate.gov for voting unanimously for Senator Sanders’ Amendment to strip ICE of BBB funding. Can you please demand the Sanders Amendment as a condition to fund DHS now that you’ve successfully separated it from the larger spending package?

Huh. This entire administration is an Epstein Island afterparty.

I get tired of saying it, but I’ll say it again: the nature of oppression in America is that they workshop it first on Black, Latino, Asian & Native people. But it is always, in the end, coming for everyone.

David Brooks hasn't always been my cup of tea; his penchant for moralizing (from privilege) often seemed to lose the plot. But his farewell op-ed for the NYT is a worthy, thought-provoking read. Looking forward to a detailed response, when I can get to it www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/o...

A powerful testament to the people of Minnesota, and their non-violent resistance to Thug and his brown-shirts. "No matter how many more armed men Trump sends to impose his will on the people of Minnesota, all he can do is accentuate their valor." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Even under SCOTUS's dubious reasoning in Trump v. U.S., there is no scenario in which maneuvering billions of dollars to an offshore account to keep it out of reach from Congress and courts is an "official act." This is all criminal and impeachable.

The president of the United States had his Justice Dept. raid an election office and seize ballots in order to cast doubt on an election he lost. Yet, this is treated by legacy media as just another normal day. I founded Democracy Docket because you deserve better. Subscribe now. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0

"It’s time to wake up. Trump seems keen on influencing the vote in states that will decide margins in 2026 and the outcome in 2028. And that he has the FBI participating in his effort is a terrifying demonstration of just how many guardrails he has steamrolled..." open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

contrarian.substack.com/p/why-dems-s... we cannot demand accountability for the underlings who killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti but not demand accountability for the person who sent unhinged, irresponsible shock troops in

Creating a new position to prosecute fraud and report directly to the White House destroys 40 years of post Watergate reforms to protect DOJ independence. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

the reason DHS officers wear masks is because it allows them to commit crimes with impunity. there is literally no legitimate reason for it.