@hcrichardson.bsky.social became an unlikely social media star with her newsletter “Letters from an American.” On this week’s “More To The Story,” she talks to our friends at @revealnews.org about why her work took off—and what truly worries her about US politics. Listen: tinyurl.com/95kj6mp2

The war in Ukraine is now longer than World War I, and there are other significant similarities. (gift article) www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/w...

Precision strikes Wednesday morning destroyed a drinking water facility in southern Iran. It's unclear if the U.S. intentionally struck the facilities, or knew what was in the buildings. Deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure could constitute a war crime under international law. - NYT

Jared Kushner plans a $1.6 billion tourist resort on the Albanian coastline, incl an island protected for biodiversity. Critics claim Albanian PM Edi Rama backed the project to curry favor with the Trump administration. Protesters in Albania’s capital are calling for Rama’s resignation.

NYT map of today's strikes by U.S., Iran and Israel: www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06...

This $9,000 EV is about to take Mexico by storm: Meet Olinia share.google/ixEPsNDCgSGl...

Israel attacked the outskirts of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, earlier Sunday. Iran retaliated. There were no immediate reports of casualties from Iran's missile attack. - NYT

In the wee hours of Friday morning, Senate Republicans passed a measure to provide about $70 billion in additional funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the parent agency for Border Patrol. - Heather Cox Richardson 1/3

The Israeli military has deployed white phosphorus, a munition that can be extremely harmful, over populated areas in Lebanon. - NYT Difficult to defend this kind of operation as militarily necessary in any way. Quite possibly a war crime.

Internal documents show how tech giants grabbed children’s attention throughout the day, a strategy that schools say has undermined education. - NYT

The House on Wednesday voted to direct President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the conflict with Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after four Republicans sided with Democrats in a striking sign of growing opposition to a military campaign now in its fourth month. - NYT

Journalist Edward R. Murrow used his platform on CBS to criticize the witch hunts led by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. This is what real journalism should do — hold power to account, not capitulate to it.

1/6 🚨 ACTION NEEDED: OMB's proposed federal grant rule (OMB-2026-0034) could shift final funding decisions from scientific peer review toward political appointees across federal agencies. Comments close July 13. Comment: www.regulations.gov/commenton/OM...

We’re in court today fighting President Trump’s executive order attacking mail-in voting that would upend our elections.  We won’t let him interfere with an essential, accessible voting option that millions of people rely on.

Lincoln also knew there are certain things we can only do together.

If you want to save the world, study soil science. "Soil degradation is a silent global crisis. Whether our concern is management of individual fields, planning for future food security, or using nature to help fix climate change, we need to know what’s going on beneath the surface of our soils."

Private prison company GEO Group, which runs Delaney Hall, gave $1M+ to Trump's Super PAC in 2024 and his inauguration in 2025. Not only has Trump since rewarded GEO with billions in ICE contracts, but a top former GEO executive has now been named acting ICE director. - Robert Reich

A reminder that DOJ has sued 30 states for access to their sensitive voter files. DOJ is currently 0-8 in decided cases. This is what I mean when I say the future of democracy is on the docket. www.democracydocket.com

A federal appeals court has ruled, in a 2-1 decision, that the Trump-Hegseth transgender military ban is likely unconstitutional, finding that the policy appears to be driven by a “bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group” and is “both arbitrary and based upon animus.” - MeidasTouch

You can think of this as a "reverse" or "turn" strategy. Reversing attention from the distraction & recentering attention on what is essential. Calling out the politics of creating hate-objects & turning attention back to those who profit from the strategy. It's a contrast. Well played. (from March)

People don't fear AI because machines can think. They fear AI because it's being developed and deployed in a system that puts profit before people. The real question isn't what AI can do, but who controls it and whose interests it serves.

U.S. Central Command said it conducted strikes against military targets in southern Iran over the weekend. Kuwait, which hosts U.S. military bases, accused Iran of attacking its territory. - NYT 6/1

In April 2026, wind plus solar generated more electricity than fossil gas GLOBALLY for the first time ever! And it happened during the first month of the Iran war and Hormuz fossil fuel crisis. Looks like apart from being cleaner and cheaper, renewables are also harder to destabilize.

In 2024, 45.5% of U.S. households did not earn enough to cover their necessities. - Brookings Institute, as reported by NPR

A provision in a bill before the United States Congress could tie the US and Israeli militaries far more closely together, deepening their cooperation on weapons research, production and technology. - Al Jazeera 5/30

Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) talks with Heather Cox Richardson about the detainees in Delaney Hall www.youtube.com/live/2WUYCw4...

If you're out for money, anything goes under this admin ... Grab what you can as fast as you can. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/29/b...

Officials from both Chevron and Exxon warned that oil inventories are dangerously low, raising concerns about dramatic price spikes. - Heather Cox Richardson, Letter from an American, 5/29

“If Trump escalates [in Iran], people are going to hate him. If he surrenders, people are going to hate him. If he dithers, people are going to hate him. He has no good options.” - Noah Berlatsky, Public Notice

Hey remember when Trump said he didn’t know what Project 2025 was and the super serious mainstream media swallowed it? 😕🤷🏼

If you care about science research and its importance to the functioning of various govt departments, you MUST be aware of proposed new White House rules:

Private equity landlords now own 1 in 8 apartments in the U.S. But there's a way for renters to organize and fight back. ... (see his substack) - Robert Reich

Law enforcement officials from Minnesota and Texas on Friday arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent accused of shooting a Venezuelan immigrant this year and lying about it. - NYT 5/29

Protesters lock arms outside Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center, where detainees are engaged in a hunger and labor strike in Newark, New Jersey. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian

"Corporations only exist because states charter them, so a state can decide spending in elections isn't a power they wield."

“In effect, today’s corporations and wealthy are hoarding the society’s resources for themselves, while starving the treasury of funds that are badly needed for repairing and strengthening the society on which their wealth depends.” www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Gas prices going up: The blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has removed about 13 million barrels per day of global oil supply, a massive shortfall of over 10% of worldwide consumption. This is currently forcing nations to draw down emergency reserves and resort to fuel rationing.

One of the realities of military life is that soldiers are law and honor-bound to refuse unlawful orders, but they have no grounds for refusing stupid orders. - David French, NYT, 5/28

Watch out with the cynicism: "As corrosive as the corruption is the impunity with which corruption is committed. Impunity – the expectation of unaccountability – is not only a stance. It is a tactic. It breeds cynicism, and popular cynicism is a necessary ingredient of autocracy ..." Guardian 5/27

Plans for Cuba are even murkier than those for Iran. (Iran war now on Day # 88 - 28 days beyond limit for Congressional approval)

What the Islamic Republic of Iran (47 years old) wants is different from what Iran (500 y. o. as a nation, with 5,000 y.o. roots) wants. Actual diplomacy, or any regime change goals, absolutely requires an understanding of Iranian-Persian history and people, and at least one of its languages.

The government exists to serve the public. It has no right to require employees to sign non-disclosure agreements. One more thing for the courts to stop.

'Ceasefire' update: "Iranian officials went to Doha on Monday for negotiations, hours before the U.S. military announced strikes that it said were in 'self defense' to protect troops. Israel’s leader said his country plans to intensify attacks against Hezbollah, Iran’s ally, in Lebanon." - NYT

"Do something!"

Happy Memorial Day

I’m the American granddaughter of a man who gave up his U.S. citizenship to join Canada in fighting Nazis, because it was the right thing to do, then accepted his citizenship back to lead a squadron against the Nazis for the U.S. once we finally joined the war. We protect freedom & human rights.

I am an American. Pennsylvania Dutch (German) on my mom’s side-my Grandpa enlisted in WWI and South Dakotan German farmers on my Dad’s side with some French and Baltic ancestors, too. I love our melting pot, our diversity and our beautiful land from sea to shining sea. Hands across America!! 🩷