Renee Blumstein, Ph.D.

@jkbjournalist.bsky.social on Ghislaine Maxwell: "I've covered prisons for a very long time and, these kinds of things just don't happen... The only time I've seen it happen in prison is when somebody's being paid off or if you have some information on someone that they don't want to get out."

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice. 🫶

YouTube video by Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie What's the deal with the filibuster?

made a video on the filibuster — its history and why it's bad — for my youtube channel. check it out!

Northern Lights Forecast: 9 States Might View Aurora Borealis Tonight Solar radiation and geomagnetic activity have led to an aurora view forecast for Monday and Tuesday night in the northern U.S.

Solar radiation and geomagnetic activity have led to an aurora view forecast for Monday and Tuesday night in the northern U.S.

SEALs flatten 'weak' Hegseth as elite captain's career ruined because she's female: report The first woman nominated to lead the Naval Special Warfare command overseeing Navy SEALs had her promotion abruptly canceled — and military sources blame Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's hostility to...

The first woman nominated to lead the Naval Special Warfare command overseeing Navy SEALs had her promotion abruptly canceled — and military sources blame Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's hostility to women in combat roles.

www.rawstory.com/pete-hegseth...

Authoritarianism can only succeed when democracy fails to deliver for working people.

Authoritarian parties can only succeed when the pro-democracy parties fail to fight for working people.

We need a new democracy and a new party system which can represent working people.

Why I Am Resigning A federal judge explains his reasoning for leaving the bench.

Gift link. "I resigned in order to speak out, support litigation, and work with other individuals and organizations dedicated to protecting the rule of law and American democracy. I also intend to advocate for the judges who cannot speak publicly for themselves." www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

Spending Bill Would Pave Way for Senators to Sue Over Phone Searches

This is a disaster. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...

Trump Admits He Could’ve Built Ballroom Without Destroying the East Wing, But ‘It Looked Like Hell’ President Donald Trump admitted that he could have built his new White House ballroom without destroying the East Wing, but it "was a poor, sad sight."

Trump says he didn't really need to demolish the East Wing to build his fancy ballroom, but he just didn't like it and wanted it gone.

He also claimed he's built many many ballrooms and "This will be one of the greatest ballrooms in the world.”

www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tru...

Why is Trump going after America's air traffic controllers, today of all days?

It's one more way to distract from his decision to increase your health insurance premiums."

So apparently senators must now be notified in advance if their phone records are requested during the investigation of a crime. No one else, just senators. So they're free to crime and can't be investigated without notice. This is so wrong, but it's great for senators who want to commit crimes.

Today the Supreme Court granted review in an important case for the outcome of the 2026 elections. At stake is the fate of tens or even hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots. No one is covering this as completely as Democracy Docket. Please support its work by subscribing today. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0

High-profile Jan. 6 defendant facing charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting woman John Banuelos' case was unique among Capitol riot prosecutions because he was the only defendant accused of pulling and firing a gun while on Capitol grounds.

NEW: Jan 6 riot defendant arrested outside a Burger King in Cicero, Illinois.

Prosecutors allege a DNA test in August linked him to 2018 kidnapping and sex assault

Just filed:

www.cbsnews.com/news/high-pr...

Really wish I had gotten a better shot of this but holding a phone that says “who else was just ‘following orders’?” up to a riot cop is hard as hell

Senate approves legislation to end shutdown. And, where climate change efforts stand The House returns to vote on a bipartisan bill that could end the government shutdown. And, at the COP30, data show the world is still far from meeting its climate goals.

The House returns to vote on a bipartisan bill that could end the government shutdown. And, at the COP30, data show the world is still far from meeting its climate goals. n.pr/4oAd52j

This hidden provision is so crooked and selfish, it doesn't even apply to US Representatives. Just US Senators.

Voters Ousted This Pennsylvania Sheriff After He Signed Up to Collaborate With ICE - Bolts A populous, swing county replaced its GOP sheriff on Tuesday after months of controversy over his joining ICE’s 287(g) program. The Democratic winner promises he’ll end the contract.

NEW: Dems easily flipped the sheriff's office in Pennsylvania's Bucks County, a big swing county in the Philly suburbs.

So? The incumbent GOP sheriff had contracted with ICE. His Dem challenger promised to end the contract.

Now he wants other swing-state Dems to look at his victory as a lesson:

ICE agent wounds deputy U.S. marshal and TikTok streamer, who is charged with assault Carlitos Ricardo Parias was charged Tuesday night with assault on a federal officer after the immigration operation in L.A. in which the suspect and a U.S. marshal were injured.

Even though this happened two weeks ago I just saw it. ICE shoot a US Marshall. This is how untrained these idiots are.
www.latimes.com/california/s...

The problem isn't that they caved for a promised vote; the problem is that the vote will be a meaningless gesture impressing no one but Senate Democrats.

It will fail. ACA beneficiaries will suffer considerably as a result and there will be no consequences of any kind for Republicans.

A federal judge just slammed the government for "sending threatening letters on a Saturday night" demanding states "undo" SNAP payments.

"It's hard to see how this is not being used as a leverage point," the judge said. "People are hungry right now."

cc @courthousenews.bsky.social

every single week they're throwing this guy a special oval office love-in that appears to be the presidential equivalent of letting your dog scarf an entire big mac and fries before that last trip to the vet

Don’t worry. I have a plan to replace the biggest health care market in the country. One fifth of the economy.

Also, though, what are magnets?

“A disciplined minority inside a majority can flip the entire board.

“Not because they outnumber anyone.
Not because they reflect public sentiment.
But because the structure of the Senate…its math…its procedures…its incentives…gives enormous leverage…to tiny groups…willing to break formation.”

He thinks this is something to brag about.

"If you’re a Republican official convicted of corruption, your odds of receiving clemency from Trump are roughly 100%...

"The latest move seems intended to deliver a political message: Those who assist Trump with his schemes need not worry about legal consequences..."

www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

Jonathan Braun, Felon Freed by Trump, to Be Sentenced Again in Brooklyn A Brooklyn federal judge found that Jonathan Braun had violated the rules of his release by assaulting a nanny, swinging an IV pole at a nurse and dodging tolls in luxury cars.

A felon whose sentence President Trump commuted in the final hours of his first term was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Monday after being accused of a range of criminal conduct — including physical and sexual assault — since Trump freed him. nyti.ms/3LSL8nC

BREAKING: Mike Johnson Won't Commit to Vote on Healthcare and Trump Blasts Greene Mike Johnson will not commit to a vote on the Affordable Care Act subsidies all while Trump is blasting Marjorie Taylor Greene in their intra-party rift.

BREAKING: Despite Senate deal, Mike Johnson will not commit to a vote on the Affordable Care Act subsidies all while Trump is blasting Marjorie Taylor Greene in their intra-party rift.

A major news update. I have the latest: open.substack.com/pub/aaronpar...

The NYPD’s Watchdog Whitewashed More Than 10,000 Misconduct Allegations in Public Data, New Evidence Shows Allegations of lying, sexual misconduct, bigoted statements, and racist policing were among those quietly reclassified by the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

New data shows that the CCRB retroactively doctored public data for more than 10,000 misconduct allegations against NYPD officers.

hellgatenyc.com/ccrb-whitewa...

Since January, Trump's Treasury has quietly gutted enforcement of the corporate alternative minimum tax — a huge boon for big business and wealthy investors.

Meanwhile, he's led an all-out assault on Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs that help the poor.

Reverse Robin Hood.