if you try to focus on Trump’s authoritarianism, Schumer will deflect and say people want us to focus on affordability. but when Zohran Mamdani made affordability the heart of his campaign Schumer refused to endorse him because they disagree about Israel. it’s all mealy mouthed bullshit.

Presidential Palace as seen yesterday from an al-Qas’a balcony

Rachel Cohen: “Greg, I hope you fucking eat shit, I hope this keeps you up at night for the rest of your life, and no one fucking wants you here” Greg Bovino: “Oh, fantastic language” Cohen: “ ‘Oh, fantastic language’—there’s children in here? In your fucking vehicles, assholes?”

Another very good one featured here: Greg Bovino, the roving commander of the administration’s immigration crackdowns, yelling at protesters on Sunday in Minneapolis. Bovino is going to be with us for a long time; he’s clearly trying to make himself the paramilitary version of a celebrity general.

Every time Graham’s faction loses an intra-Trump administration policy fight, an angel gets its wings 👼🏻

Me, reading and studying history: Haha fuck yeah!!! Yes!! Me, realizing I am living through a historical event: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck.

Today, we are launching the U.S. Democracy Meter, a new tool that deploys a 100-point scale across twenty-three subquestions to evaluate the quality of American democracy: go.tcf.org/DemocracyMeter

Excited to share something new I’ve been working on the last few months with @centuryintl.bsky.social: a new democracy meter for the United States. This inaugural edition shows how under the second Trump administration, the US took an authoritarian turn: tcf.org/content/repo...

In statement, Lebanese labor minister Muhammad Haidar calls on foreign minister Youssef Raggi to actually represent official government positions: www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/3871... Follows Raggi justification for continued Israeli attacks: www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/20...

Yedioth Ahronoth interviews Hijri: www.ynetnews.com/article/hjmr... (via @tobiaslang.bsky.social)

Reminder that U.S. terror designations are politicized and unreliable, not some authoritative judgment: www.wired.com/story/trump-...

Treasury and State releases on designation of Lebanon's al-Jama'ah al-Islamiyah and other regional Brotherhood chapters: home.treasury.gov/news/press-r... www.state.gov/releases/off... www.state.gov/releases/off... Jama'ah response: al-jamaa.org/bayanat2792/...

Syrian Army's Operations Authority declares a humanitarian corridor for civilians to flee SDF-controlled Deir Hafir and Maskanah along the Aleppo/Raqqah road, open tomorrow between 9am-5pm. Presumably the offensive follows. Area taken by SDF in Dec 2024 during regime collapse t.me/AleppoGov1/9...

DPM Mitri joins dialogue convened by Tripoli Dar al-Fatwa with north Lebanon religious leaders, security officers, others; affirm coexistence, support for government's approach to Syria, security services' responsibility for dealing with ex-Assad personnel: www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/3870...

@ajaltamimi.bsky.social gets explanation for presence of Alawite former Syrian army personnel in Aleppo's al-Sheikh Maqsoud: www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/an-sdf-reg...

Deep in the OLC memo is an assertion that "Hezbollah is among the groups that we have been targeting throughout the War on Terror," citing the OLC memo that justified the Soleimani strike. But this isn't really true! Hezbollah isn't covered under the 2001 AUMF, and I'm only aware of one instance...

the entire US government rn

Wow — New YouGov / Economist poll: 46% support abolishing ICE 43% oppose abolishing ICE This is the first time that abolishing ICE has received net positive support

In 11 December interview, Lebanese president Aoun said army swept groupings of post-December 2024 arrivals from Syria following Jazeera report but only came up with some Alawite former military personnel and low-ranking officers, nothing threatening: www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/news/3866...

Kind of surreal to be discussing my new book on my favorite podcast for learning about new books. Marc as always knows so much about the topic; it's a real privilege (if intimidating) to be in conversation with him.

Syria’s new president, former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, is big on inclusive rhetoric. But when it comes to his reconstruction agenda, the reality is falling far short of the marketing—new commentary from @freddydeknatel.bsky.social tcf.org/content/comm... (1/3)

From January 5: MP Ahmad Kheir said he testified to authorities that during "National Moderation" bloc deliberations over PM nomination, impostor Saudi prince "Abu Omar" told bloc that Saudi wanted Nawaf Salam, tipping them for Salam over Najib Mikati: www.facebook.com/ahmadkheir86...

Extended promo video for Syrian Ports and Customs Authority's achievements over course of 2025: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp4y...

New @centuryintl.bsky.social colleague @freddydeknatel.bsky.social on concerning trajectory of Syria's post-Assad reconstruction – thus far, elite-led, non-transparent and premised on large private investment: tcf.org/content/comm...

living in a world where the only two jobs are “gambling” and “murder” isn’t nearly as cool as Cowboy Bebop made it out to be

Dietary guidance from HHS Secretary the Specter of Death

@ajaltamimi.bsky.social for @syriatransition.bsky.social on the SDF's cohesion to date: www.syriaintransition.com/en/home/opin...

Syrian import-export committee headed by borders-customs authority chief Badawi apparently now issuing monthly circulars with prohibited agricultural imports – here ag and poultry products – to protect local producers: www.facebook.com/SyrGABC/post...

[sombrely, with tears in eyes] "truly the people of Iran embody the great spirit of Flumpo The Fart Wizard" - author of Flumpo The Fart Wizard

On 29 December, Syria's new import-export committee banned the import of all motorcycles (new and used) from 1 April 2026, citing public safety: www.facebook.com/SyrGABC/post...

This is the second time in three months a DHS agent called a US citizen a "bitch" as he shot her. donmoynihan.substack.com/p/whos-threa...

And Godzilla can help fix overcrowding and social isolation in Tokyo, but guess what? Godzilla is not interested in implementing coherent policies to achieve ends that serve the nation. He's a rapid onset complex disaster that follows a random path and leaves only irradiated rubble behind him.

In terms of POTUS's threats against Colombia and Mexico specifically, I think the Christmas strikes in Nigeria may provide a template. US officials may approach these countries and tell their governments: "The boss demands performative military action. Work with us or we'll do it unilaterally."

Don’t know if SDF recognizes this, but it’s facing a version of the dilemma that Lebanon has encountered with the Trump administration – namely, it can no longer expect the United States to take its side in a confrontation with the new Syrian government.

"more training will solve this" is easily debunked by the fact that the killer was a trainer at ICE. It's a barrel of bad apples that exists to produce bad apples and the solution is you woodchip the barrel and compost the apples and try something else. www.wired.com/story/ice-ag...

You don’t even need the Tronoto Holocaust Museum to tell you that this is a neo-Nazi anthem. Just listen to it. They might as well be goose-stepping.

they didn’t leak it to make the shooter look innocent, but to make the victim look guilty. not guilty of a crime. guilty of having a visibly queer wife. guilty of liberalism. guilty of opposing the regime. they don’t seek to exonerate themselves, only to demonstrate who deserves to die.

In a few months, we've progressed from snuff films of the US military killing civilians at sea to a snuff film of paramilitary secret police killing a mom in Minnesota—in both situations bogusly invoking "terrorism."

If they truly think the video makes the shooting seem justified, it’s because they believe summary execution is an appropriate punishment for “being a bitch” and they feel confident that many other men believe the same thing

Syrian government has apparently created "Committee to Combat Illicit Gain" to more transparently pursue settlements with figures linked to former regime: igcc.gov.sy Announced completion of settlement with Muhammad Hamsho earlier this week: igcc.gov.sy/news/20

Killer ICE agent was actually an Iraq war vet 😐 theintercept.com/2026/01/08/i...

Apparently pro-Antoun Sehnaoui sources confirm to An-Nahar that Sehnaoui and Morgan Ortagus are romantically involved: www.annahar.com/lebanon/poli...

Bissane El-Cheikh reports for Asharq al-Awsat on Christmas unease in Damascus suburb Dweil'ah, and on local security arrangements in Dweil'ah and neighboring Jeremana: aawsat.com/%D9%81%D9%8A...

This rhetoric is depressingly familiar after focusing for many years on authoritarian contexts elsewhere.

Sometimes I remember that, for whatever reason, one of the first sayings I learned studying Arabic was "مَن عزّ بزّ" – basically, "The strong take." But obviously, this is not some uniquely Arab idea. Americans can grasp "the strong eat the weak" 🇺🇸 all on their own 🇺🇸.

@michellegoldberg.bsky.social on the Trump administration's imperialist gangsterism: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/o...

Syria & Egypt signed 2 MoUs for cooperation in the fields of gas and petroleum products. The first MoU concerns supplying Syria with Egyptian natural gas for electricity generation, and the second MoU relates to covering Syria’s petroleum product needs. sana.sy/economy/2367...

Thank you, Olya. Good to be back on social for the hot takes and links to longer reads