Emerging Crises

Wave of Anti-Science Bills Pushed by Kennedy Allies Hits Statehouses Longstanding public health protections like vaccines, milk safety, and fluoride are targets

The federal gov. may be shut down, but state legislatures aren’t.

420+ anti-science bills have been introduced this year targeting vaccines, milk safety, & fluoride. It’s a coordinated effort to dismantle public-health standards that protect communities from outbreaks and contaminated food/ water.

A man pardoned by Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 riot was charged with threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries.

We can’t forget: those pardons went to violent offenders who attacked cops. The January 6th pardons were a giant “fuck you” to public safety.

Jokes aside, them redefining "terrorism" was never about public safety.

Hard to even tell what counts as ‘terrorism’ anymore. Funny until you remember what's actually happening.

America As No-Longer-Democracy and Not-Yet-Dictatorship Where does the country stand after the largest day of protest in U.S. history? Putting “No Kings” in perspective

America As No-Longer-Democracy and Not-Yet-Dictatorship

Where does the country stand after the largest day of protest in U.S. history? Putting “No Kings” in perspective.

Some thoughts from my new piece:

Great article from @propublica.org

National security officials describe "legions of masked immigration officers operating in near-total anonymity on the orders of the president...crossing a line that had long set the United States apart from the world’s most repressive regimes.”

- Over 1,500 people are being airlifted to Anchorage.
- One person is dead, two are missing.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy says many won’t return home for at least 18 months. A federal disaster declaration has been requested.

2/2

Alaska’s facing a major displacement crisis. The remnants of Typhoon Halong slammed into remote coastal villages with Cat. 2 force, wiping out entire communities:

- In Kipnuk, 121 homes (90% of the village) were destroyed.
- In Kwigillingok, ~ 3 dozen homes floated away.

1/2

'Trump diverts anti-terror funds from Democratic strongholds to Republican states'

COLUMN: The Shifting Emergency Management Balance - HSToday Emergency management is not only changing but also shifting the balance.  Is this the change we want to see?

“Any shift of power to the states must be done carefully, with clear laws, sufficient funding, and equity at the core."

Reread that last line. That’s not what’s happening. Funding is being pulled recklessly, preparedness grants gutted, and local capacity stripped.

101 TikTok accounts masquerading as real news spread misinformation to millions Shallow impersonations of Telemundo, CNN, Fox News and other media got more than 200 million views posting fake ICE arrests and bombastic AI slop about geopolitics

More than 100 fake TikTok accounts posing as CNN, Fox, and Telemundo received 200+ million views spreading false ICE raids and AI junk about global events. Misinformation at this scale affects national security and emergency preparedness.

Hillary called a fraction of MAGA deplorables and the right got super offended. The White House Press Secretary just called the majority of Dem voters "terrorists", "violent criminals" among other things....and crickets. What happened to toning down the rhetoric after that podcaster was killed?

170+ U.S. citizens detained by ICE. Some beaten, tased, or held for days. Children, veterans, even elected officials. Charges dropped in most cases. How is this “public safety”? It’s chaos disguised as “tough on crime” and it drains resources from real homeland security missions that keep us safe.

‘Great use of taxpayer money’ – absolutely no one.

The Department of Homeland Security has spent $51 million this year on ads thanking King Trump for ‘securing the border.’ Money that could have funded preparedness, response, or idk...actual homeland security.

A 🧵 from a former CDC Director on the destruction:

A quarter of the CDC is gone. Entire divisions gutted while people with no public health background rewrite vaccine policy. Measles, H5N1, Ebola, and other threats are hitting a system that’s been hollowed out. Not to mention the next significant public health emergency yet to happen. Scary times.

Not just FBI agents, FEMA staff too.

"While ICE receives unprecedented levels of funding and embarks on a hiring spree, the Trump administration has shredded virtually every other federal agency and fired thousands of federal workers."

The CDC layoffs made headlines, but buried in the story is what’s worse: dozens at ASPR lost their jobs - people who track pandemics, bioweapons, and national security threats. The U.S. just cut staff with top-secret clearance who help stop the next outbreak before it starts.

🚨🚨🚨

This is part of a broader pattern👇

"The president’s team vowed to target gang members, murderers and rapists, but...We’re arresting working parents, students, asylum seekers and even U.S. citizens, to create made-for-TV crackdowns....while focusing away from terrorism, transnational crime, cyberattacks and foreign adversaries."

Opinion | This Isn’t Crisis Response, It’s Crisis Construction

Former ICE Chief of Staff saying the obvious: this is crisis construction. 3,000 FBI agents and 14,000 others have been pulled from counterterror and public safety work to stage political raids for the cameras. Federal agents aren’t protecting Americans, they’re being used as props.

(Gift Link)

Police depts, emergency managers, and comms systems rely on these grants. The same admin starving FEMA grants and pulling agents off real threats defines the 'enemy' as anyone who disagrees. Every hour they waste going after protestors is an hour they're not preventing a real terrorist attack.

6/6

Trump pledged to make D.C. ‘safe and beautiful.’ His administration cut $40M in homeland security funds. The Trump administration cuts to homeland security grants in D.C. and 11 states has been paused by a federal judge while they are being challenged in court.

Lastly, More Funding Cuts:

First, they went after counterterrorism funding in NYC. Now, they’ve cut preparedness funding to the DC region by 90%, gutting programs that keep responders trained and ready.

5/6

Powers are being turned inward, targeting critics while ignoring actual threats. They're calling protesters terrorists. Republicans seem to be setting the stage to use the No Kings Protests as justification to escalate the oppression of our rights.

4/6

Trump’s war on the left: Inside the plan to investigate liberal groups The threatened crackdown is a multi-agency effort with Stephen Miller playing a central role.

Weaponization of Government:

Trump is using the FBI, DOJ, DHS, IRS, + Treasury to investigate liberal nonprofits/ media outlets under the banner of “national security.” Officials told Reuters this is an organized, multi-agency campaign, not rhetoric.

3/6

FBI reassigns nearly one-quarter of agents to help ICE locate and arrest people FBI Director Kash Patel has also had agents shift focus to investigating local violent crime.

Less Federal Agents Focused on Real Terrorism:

A quarter of FBI agents have been reassigned from counterterrorism, cyber, and organized crime work to immigration enforcement. In some major field offices, it’s closer to 45%.

2/6

2 weeks ago, I began this thread on how Trump's war on "terrorism” is performative and is actually undermining homeland security. We’re seeing it escalate: more agents diverted, more funding cuts, and redefining “terrorism” that targets protesters instead of real threats.

1/6 🧵

"Good for me but not for thee" Hypocrisy at its finest.