He’s wanted to declare martial law from day one.

Bypass all checks and rule as a tyrant.

Many have speculated how he’d do it.

Now his gambit is clear.

DC was a test.

He’s using manufactured crime stats to send troops into blue states & cities.

This is not a drill.

Democracy is at defcon 1.

With Handmaids Tale people focus on the shock of the mass rapes in the book and the show.

But how the regime came to be in power in that book keeps me awake at night because it is playing out in very intricate detail in our real lives right now.

"Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.' -J.R.R. Tolkien The Hobbit, pub. 1937

Hundreds of people feared infected with measles in Texas The outbreak of measles in a small West Texas community may be worse than officials originally thought. They are scrambling to promote vaccinations.

According to the Houston Chronicle, public health officials in Texas think that there are likely 200-300 people now infected with measles. If confirmed, this outbreak is already out of control. H/t to @mickiemo.bsky.social for the heads up. www.chron.com/news/houston...

This is about as disturbing as it gets. When Trump says he plans to be a dictator, there’s no reason not to believe him.

The White House says it will bar the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One indefinitely due to the news outlet's use of Gulf of Mexico

Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Working on a Custom Chatbot Called GSAi The chatbot is part of Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s ambitions to use AI and other technologies to cut costs and modernize the US government.

SCOOP: Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Working on a Custom Chatbot Called GSAi, @peard33.bsky.social, @makenakelly.bsky.social and @zoeschiffer.bsky.social report www.wired.com/story/doge-c...

Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner and Chair of the FEC. There's a legal way to replace FEC commissioners-this isn't it. I've been so fortunate to serve the American people and stir up some good trouble along the way. That's not changing anytime soon.

USAID security leaders removed after refusing Elon Musk's DOGE employees access to secure systems The USAID systems the DOGE team tried to access included personnel files, three sources familiar with the events told NBC News.

USAID security leaders removed after refusing Elon Musk's DOGE employees access to secure systems

The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover Engineers between 19 and 24, most linked to Musk’s companies, are playing a key role as he seizes control of federal infrastructure.

Akash Bobba, Edward Coristine, Luke Farritor, Gautier Cole Killian, Gavin Kliger, and Ethan Shaotran. Those are the names of 6 engineers ages 19 to 24 that are helping with Elon’s coup. www.wired.com/story/elon-m...

Elon Musk May Have Your Social Security Number The billionaire and his DOGE agents were reportedly granted full access to the Treasury’s federal payments system, and nobody knows to what end.

nymag.com/intelligence...

This language describes a coup. You have to be a government employee, subject to the rules & procedures that bind gov employees, to do this kind of work. This is a blatant abuse of the public trust by the Trump administration, a true 5-alarm fire. www.wired.com/story/elon-m...

How to Contact ProPublica Securely — ProPublica ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

hello! just putting this here. please share in your signal groups and slacks.

www.propublica.org/tips/#signal

The Trump administration has placed two top security chiefs at the U.S. Agency for International Development on leave after they resisted turning over classified material in restricted areas to Elon Musk’s staffers. America, please stand with us—we are fighting to defend this country!

Happy Black History Month! Here is my favorite story about a Black American you may not know about: Robert Smalls. He commandeered a confederate ship and sailed himself, his family, and the other enslaved crew and their families to freedom. THROUGH waters controlled by the Confederacy.

If there's one thing I know about capitalism, it's that businesses absolutely love uncertainty about basic issues.

Elon Musk staff has been caught installing hard drives inside the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Treasury Department, and the General Services Administration (GSA).

Remember that Musk promised there would be mass suffering - and Russell Vought promised mass trauma.

Message to the whole #FBI workforce from Acting Director Brian Driscoll:

I am so goddamn mad. A friend who’s been FISHING BODIES OUT OF THE POTOMAC appears to be in the Trump purges today.

FBI Agents Are Stunned by the Scale of the Expected Trump Purge Seasoned members of the nation’s top law-enforcement agency are bracing for a mass expulsion as the president roots out anyone he sees as disloyal to him.

“There is no precedent for the mass termination of FBI personnel in this fashion.”

It’s a blatant and dangerous abuse of the president’s authority.

www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

I am begging the national media to start taking this seriously.

Stop buying the claims that the framing of "temporary" or "pause."

They are altering the review processes of federally funded scientific research from merit-based peer review processes to political screening by ideologues.

Face it, Trump could have said “30 days notice starting now. IGs fired” and it would have been perfectly legal and made 1 month difference in a 48 month term. He didn’t because breaking the law was the point, to demonstrate that the laws don’t apply to him and daring anyone to try to stop him.

Jen Rubin leaves The Washington Post to join Norm Eisen in starting a new media publication and venture called "The Contrarian."

Elon Musk Flexes His Political Strength as Government Shutdown Looms The world’s richest man led the charge to kill a bipartisan spending deal, in part by promoting false and misleading claims about it.

Elon Musk is not a United States Citizen. He should note calling the shots in Congress. We all need to tell our senators and representatives this is not our expectation. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/u...

A Prayer for Friday. Dear God,

Amen!
open.substack.com/pub/thecorne...

Me either!!

Goodreads is owned by Amazon & there is an AMAZING alternative‼️

The StoryGraph is a black women-owned competitor to GoodReads with better UI in my opinion.
When you sign up you can even transfer your data from Goodreads to StoryGraph!