JT Cestkowski

Link to the full interview on @statuscoupnews.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLQ1...

One of the most striking takeaways from my recent interview with @sollenbergerrc.bsky.social was his point that the FBI took an accuser against President Trump of child sexual abuse seriously enough to interview her FOUR TIMES. The FBI doesn't do that if they think the accuser is a crank.

If prediction markets are to be believed, Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be the next Trump official out. She was already seen as a compromise to labor interests. It's not clear to me how Trump continues to court unions with another GOP pick to lead the Labor Department.

.@kyla.bsky.social basically nails my concerns with prediction markets in her most recent video, EXCEPT she leaves out the possibility that gambling basically replaces work for young people as AI takes over entry-level tasks.

Watch Kyla's full video here: www.youtube.com/shorts/B3Uds...

In a post on Instagram, the Teamsters are again urging their members to burn more than 100,000 buyout offers from UPS to van drivers. The union argued to a judge that the buyouts violate its contract with the company.

It is heartening to see Americans identify who benefits from replacing their labor. Reagan's trickle-down rhetoric is no longer effective on Americans (if it ever was).

A screenshot of a post from Heather Long that reads: "JUST IN: A dismal February jobs report. The U.S. economy LOST 92,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate ticked back up to 4.4%. Even healthcare shed 28,000 jobs in February. December was also revised down to -17,000. January was revised to 126k. Unemployment rate: 4.4% —> highest since December (and one of the higher rates in past few years) Wage growth: 3.8% (well above 2.4% inflation)"

Healthcare jobs slowing down would be devastating, as that has been a key driver of job growth in the economy over the last few months.

This is the slippery slope of forever war. Does no one remember when the Iraq War was promised to be a quick affair?

Story from NBC News here: www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...

"The president’s comments expressing serious interest in deploying ground troops have not focused on a large-scale ground invasion of Iran, but rather on the idea of a small contingent of U.S. troops ..."

When these troops take casualties, the pressure to send more must go up.

Life comes at you fast at the beginning of a new forever war. These stories are just a couple of days apart. Do you really think the administration planned a full ground invasion in two days?

I guess I shouldn't just assume they wouldn't do that.

Many at Chicago's anti-war protest blamed Democrats as much as Republicans for failing to resist Trump and spending years supporting Israel/saber rattling towards Iran. I heard a lot of support for the war powers resolution in the House.

At tonight's anti-war protest in Chicago, I interviewed Jordan, who had to check if his nieces' school was bombed as part of the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The full interview will be published on @statuscoupnews.bsky.social

Hundreds are out in downtown Chicago to protest the war against Iran.

🚨BREAKING: Trump's FBI was investigating child sexual abuse allegations against him from a young teen dating back to the 1980s. Now, Trump's DOJ is withholding over 50 pages of interview documents with the accuser from public release via the Epstein Files. Via @jtcestkowski.bsky.social ⬇️

Unions proved their collective strength during the general strike in Minnesota last month. Imagine if even more workers were in unions. BLS data: www.bls.gov/news.release...

New numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that union membership is at its highest level in 16 years, according to analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. But it's still just 11.2 percent of the whole workforce that is unionized.

JUST IN: Federal agents chased someone in a car until they crashed and "sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital," per St. Paul police.

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons denies that the agency has any database of American citizens or people who protest the agency's actions.

@kenklippenstein.bsky.social has reported that several such databases exist. ICE agents have photographed me multiple times just for reporting on their operations

ICE head Todd Lyons refuses to say if anyone has been fired for their conduct since he took command of the agency last year. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) points out that immigration agents have killed 2 people so far this year, leaving out people who have died in DHS custody or killed last year.

Just now, the leaders for ICE and CBP denied in sworn testimony before Congress that their agents are involved in planning to guard voting precincts.

"We need fighters!"

Juan, a man in a luchador mask and t-shirt labeling Trump and Epstein as "#Besties," says he isn't seeing enough leadership from Democrats at Saturday's ICE Out general strike rally and march in downtown Chicago.

From the cutting room floor: Me turning into a snowman in Chicago last night. ☃️

"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."

I met Michael, a former Minnesota resident, at last night's Chicago ICE Out protest. He moved to the Windy City in time for its own occupation by federal immigration agents. He says it's his duty to be in the streets.

Scenes from tonight’s snowy general strike march in downtown Chicago calling for a removal of ice agents from the Twin Cities.

Chants of “Fuck Trump!” as the national general strike against ICE march in downtown Chicago passes Trump Tower.

Right now a protest of thousands has taken to the streets in south Minneapolis to call for federal immigration agents to leave their community in the wake of those agents killing a second person, 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

Great day for a general strike!

RIGHT NOW
Twin Cities activists are denouncing the Trump administration for arresting and charging people in the community for protesting inside Cities Church in St. Paul over the weekend.

Overnight, federal authorities arrested several people in connection to the viral protest.

Skye did not let this abuse deter her. She is back out patrolling for ICE today. I did a ride along with her as she looked for ICE.

Story to come for @statuscoupnews.bsky.social

"This is tyranny."

Ellison told me in an interview on @statuscoupnews.bsky.social last night that the Trump administration weaponizes the justice system against people it doesn't like. And then today, it comes out that he will be subpoenaed by the Trump Justice Department.