“Everyone’s smiling in cities with troops.” Oh good, we finally nailed the North Korea aesthetic.

We need to talk about Russell Vought – But Properly Why certain mainstream outlets insist on sanitizing Vought as a devout “small government” conservative – and what actually animates his war against pluralistic democracy. Some thoughts from my new piece: 🧵

I had my first run-in with Trump 2.0 complicity days after the 2024 election. Since then we've seen more examples from media, universities, law firms & many others. Does what the little guys do matter? Yes, more than ever. wiczipedia.substack.com/p/how-to-not...

I spent more than a decade at The Post. It was good to me and I was proud to work there. I’ve largely refrained from being critical since I left. But this framing of the special counsel probe is embarrassing and flatly wrong. Stunning, but not. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

You’ve gotta be kidding me. This WaPo editorial presents a misleading revisionist history of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s criminal cases against Trump. Then it has the gall to compare that to Trump’s overt targeting of his perceived enemies. Really embarrassing stuff.

I'm generally not one for canceling news subscriptions for ideological reasons -- I'm paying for the service of newswriting and I know most newswriting isn't exactly down my ideological channel -- but I cancelled WaPo because they've throttled their actual newswriting too while doing this shit

“the first American-born pope urged them to “speak strongly” on behalf of migrants and refugees affected by Trump’s deportation drive.” Sure hope—and honestly kind of assume— that’s coded language for “take action, hide people,” etc.

Crucial from former prosecutor @kristyparker.bsky.social: Trump might have immunity, but those who commit corrupt or illegal orders for him do not. That's why DOJ insiders are leaking word that cases against Comey and Letitia James are collapsing. All on the pod: newrepublic.com/article/2015...

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Is our frog called Epep? Because I feel a balancing here.

If you come for my people, you come through me.

more from the protest

Michigan Avenue right now.

PizzaGate in the White House is not the only story buried: So is the shutdown (Politico has several stories, WSJ one). WaPo's buried shutdown stories are: 2 travel stories 1 "your questions answered" 1 podcast abt union pushback on backpay 1 story saying Trump won't layoff 1 threat to marathons

I couldn't find stories in other outlets about, 1) POTUS is clearly OUT OF HIS MIND & as he was babbling WH announced a "yearly" physical tomorrow 6 mos after last one 2) FUCKING PIZZAGUY WAS TREATED AS AN EXPERT 3) Trump, whose Wormtongue is talking suspending habeas corpus, though it was a person

Annals in sane-washing. When I checked NYT, WSJ, Politico, and WaPo for a story abt how Trump invited PizzaGate guy to the White House and declared an end to the First Amendment, this single story that mentioned it was on top of WaPo. Now it's buried. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The whole filing (and underling response) is insane. I'm most concerned by how disordered it is, as if someone emptied the ashtray into a court filing. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Well well well: "Trump Excludes Generics From Big Pharma Tariff Plan" www.wsj.com/health/pharm... Good news for American consumers (patients), but a major Trump reversal on generics and an admission that his tariffs do, in fact, raise US prices

❗️Russia bears unequivocal responsibility for the actions in Polish,Estonian&Romanian air spaces -European Parliament EP encourages "any initiative which enables the EU&its member states to take “coordinated action against all violations of their airspace,❗️including shooting down airborne threats”"

They are, MEPs say, part of Russia’s “systematic military and hybrid warfare and provocations against the EU” and its member states. Link: share.google/Lmdptdpw03jdhZ…

Def watching the halftime show now

Adelita Grijalva won her election fair and square. Now House Speaker Mike Johnson is refusing to swear her in because she would be the final signature to release the Epstein files. Mr. Speaker, respect democracy. Obey the law. Swear Representative Grijalva in immediately.

Or swear in a new member of Congress who was elected two weeks ago

Apart from helping Comey's selective prosecution defense, this also means the president of the United States uses direct messages on Truth Social to communicate with cabinet officials. I didn't know that, but we can be sure intelligence agencies all over the planet already did.

Ya think?!?!?!?!

The greatest crime Trump has committed is making me support Bolton and Comey.

Can somebody liberate that thread Popehat just did as antifa General Counsel because I want to include it in a collection of important American treatises.

Weird how they put all their efforts into using technology to replace human creativity and art and then say creative arts degrees are useless.

Really enjoyed going on the KQED forum to talk slop: www.kqed.org/forum/201010...

NEW: A report from pro-voting groups warns that if the Supreme Court rules to gut a key safeguard against racial gerrymanders this term, it’ll be “enough to cement one-party control of the U.S. House for at least a generation.”

Siva Vaidhyanathan on the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” for universities (to give up academic freedom in exchange for favorable treatment by the Trump government): “This ‘compact’ is more like an invitation to borrow money from the mob, with substantial control and future penalties assured.”

DHS claimed they had arrested 11 people at a "shitshow" Greg Bovino staged on September 27. Only 5 were ever publicly charged (another was a journalist who is suing). Of those 3 cases have been dismissed. [2 got no-billed.] www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/08/g...

The most frustrating thing about this war is that the US could step in forcefully now with harsh sanctions against Russia and a large military package for Ukraine with ranged weapons as the centrepiece, and the war would end soon with a Russian defeat.

Kristi Noem praised for ‘staring down’ Antifa. It was a dozen reporters and a guy in a chicken suit…. Republicans have soiled themselves with this clown show. flip.it/kFbyTS

Fixed assets in the physical world are a huge part of the game. Bankrupting farmers and acquiring that land is the rural version of taking built assets in cities for gentrification. Watch what happens to the buildings, first in Aurora and now in Chicago, that were “cleaned out“ by ICE.

CNN: The judge presiding over the prosecution of Jim Comey has agreed to Comey’s request to schedule a near term trial. Comey asked for a Jan 12 trial date. The judge went with Jan 5. Comey is counting on the gov’t not being ready for trial. A good bet.

I mean, the Ninth Circuit doesn't seem that concerned.

I demand boots!

NEW: Comey is going to challenge the legality of Lindsay Halligan's authority. Here's an explanation from my show this past Sunday. You can watch the whole show here: www.youtube.com/live/PkEOK7J...

Greg Bovino's September 27 "Shitshow:" Batting 18% [corrected headline] www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/08/g...

The Senate just voted to invalidate every permit written on public land since 1996. wessiler.substack.com/p/the-senate...

Fox News is the most successful propaganda venture of the last century just for the way it has pickled the brains of the Republicans on the Supreme Court

If you are a federal worker, there are several credit unions and other financial institutions that are offering zero interest loans during the government shutdown. Please go to my website for more information: www.sanders.senate.gov/resources-fo...

You will not defeat fascism if you don't peel off soft supporters. You simply won't do it. At least some of these guys look Latino anyway, and we know Latino voters in TX are moving. But literally, these people will go w/o pay for weeks. That's pretty persuasive.

Ice Fishing in Portland

BREAKING In a new video, Dolly Parton, the Queen of America, says she’s going to be ok.

How freaking many cameras ?????

I'm on the slowest bus line in the city with the slowest buses in the nation to talk to New Yorkers about what it would mean for their lives if we made them fast and free.