YouTube video by Hot Garbage Productions The Ballad of the Portland Frog Brigade / Peaceful protest song

youtu.be/QGtBfOdnG24?...

And then a few decades ago, the Republican Party began a campaign to dismantle publicly funded programming. Today they are very close to achieving their goal.

Growing up, I thought it was so incredible that our country funded television and radio programs not to make money but to be a service to the public. Such a rich heritage of programs not aired anywhere else.

Do Not Put This On God None of this was God's plan.

"Don’t put this on God. You had plenty of warnings this might happen, and you chose to ignore them. You chose to leave the people you’re sworn to serve in the most vulnerable circumstances. You chose to risk danger befalling them."

charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/do-not-put...

Wow.

This July 4th the Big Ugly Bill Devastates Our Freedoms A breakdown of what to expect in this new America run by a police state and billionaire oligarchs

Many Americans got an email from the Social Security Administration, claiming, “The bill ensures that nearly 90% of Social Security beneficiaries will no longer pay federal income taxes on their benefits.”

There’s only one problem. It’s a complete & total lie.
www.qasimrashid.com/p/this-july-...

WATCH: House Minority Leader Jeffries gives marathon speech criticizing GOP tax cut bill There’s no filibuster in the House, but Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries essentially conducted one anyway.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries held the House floor for more than 8 hours Thursday with a marathon floor speech that delayed passage of Republicans’ massive tax and spending cuts legislation and gave his minority party a spotlight to excoriate what he called an “immoral” bill.
buff.ly/VKLG5N7

This is amazing. A road map for democrats. And yes, this is about reforming the Dem party, not abandoning it. “We wanted to rebuild a coalition that had frayed over years of disappointment and neglect. To win people back to a Democratic Party that puts working people first.” Here’s how:

Senate rulekeeper deals blows to revised ‘Big, beautiful bill’ A Medicaid carveout for Alaska was among the “Byrd bath” casualties.

Lisa Murkowski and John Thune deserve this. Trying to exempt Alaska from odious parts of this bill to buy her vote is overruled by parliamentarian. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Unironically they should buy up the domains for about 60 defunct local newspapers in swing states. Hire two reporters to write almost exclusively about highschool sports and new restaurants opening with every 10th article about how the local GOP is screwing over people.

The Patriotic Rich Not all of them are like Trump, willing to see the poor get poorer so the rich can get richer.

"'It’s not that I’m altruistic. I want my children and grandchildren to grow up in the kind of country where I grew up. I’m trying to get what I want.'" The public interest and general welfare are *our* interests and welfare.

Ukraine destroys Russian bombers with shocking barrage of drones ahead of peace talks Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Russian military bases Sunday, targeting bombers ahea...

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Russian military bases Sunday, targeting bombers ahead of Monday's peace talks in Istanbul. Ukraine claims significant damage; Russia downplays impact. #UkraineConflict #News

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." 

—Louis Brandeis

Don’t Fall for Trump’s Crocodile Tears Over ‘Judicial Tyranny’ During the Biden administration, MAGA loved that individual judges could halt the rollout of federal policy nationwide. They aren’t loving it now.

MAGA gamesmanship and judicial forum-shopping were instrumental in frustrating various Biden initiatives. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, it seems quite possible that the Court will depower judicial opposition in the service of conservative policy.

Senate Democrats Have Been Handed a Tool to Stop the Big Beautiful Bill Thanks to a Republican vote to stop California from setting its own auto emissions, Democrats can challenge virtually any Trump administration action, and eat up time on the Senate floor.

"If you found something like 1,000 current or former agency actions—a reasonable number considering all the work executive branch agencies do—you would probably have enough to keep the Senate debating and voting on CRA resolutions through the duration of this Congress."

prospect.org/politics/202...

Ok.

Then let it die.

Because theft is theft.

And even worse if you’re profiting from the crime.

A Permanent Stain on Our History The Trump administration’s embrace of nativism is as shameful as it is self-destructive.

“Three things made the US a rich and powerful nation: the rule of law, its science & innovation system, and openness to foreign talent. Remarkable how Trump has taken a sledgehammer to all three. No enemy of this country could do more.”

11 corporations that turned their backs on hungry families Republicans are working furiously to pass a massive reconciliation bill through Congress.

1. Major corporations — including AT&T, T-Mobile, United, Uber, and Comcast — have spent years touting their commitment to combating hunger in America.

Now these same corporations are publicly supporting a $300 BILLION CUT TO FOOD AID.

How the Trump Administration Is Weakening the Enforcement of Fair Housing Laws Starting with cases involving sexual orientation and identity, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is hobbling enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Said one HUD attorney: “People are…

HUD and state officials, attorneys and advocates describe a dismantling of federal fair housing enforcement efforts, with every step of the work of fighting discrimination slowed, constrained or halted entirely.

These People Are Never Happy And I don't think they ever will be.

"They’ve gotten just about everything they want, and it’s not enough. It’s never enough. These people are never happy. They crave outrage. They demand purity. They’re apoplectic that the first American pope actually reads his Bible."

charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/these-peop...

Every time a new scandal is reported from the Trump admin, which is every few hours, their first reaction is to call the story fake news, their second reaction is to vow to hunt down and jail the leakers, and their third reaction is to threaten the media company who published it.

Pete Buttigieg on Substack To be effective, our opposition to today's abuses must run alongside a clear picture of what we are actually for - and how everyday life could be better with different leadership.

substack.com/@petebuttigi...

Early exit polls suggest the new pope did particularly well with male voters aged 45-79.

Granddaughter of a Navy vet. Daughter of a Navy vet. Mother of an Army soldier.

Not one damn dime should be spent on a military parade for a draft dodger…

This is your Tuesday morning reminder that the federal minimum wage is still a measly $7.25 an hour.

It puts a full-time worker below the poverty line.

It’s worth less than at any time since 1949.

It would be $23 today if it had kept pace with the growth in productivity. #PayThePeople

When the President of the United States says he doesn’t know if he should uphold the Constitution, it should be a searing red line for every American.

If you let him ignore ANY aspect of the Constitution you embolden him to ignore more of it, including the parts that secure YOUR freedoms & rights.

Most Americans use federal science information on a weekly basis, a new poll finds Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

Which FDA-approved vaccines had randomized, placebo-controlled trials?

ALL OF THEM.

Polio?
Measles, mumps, rubella?
Haemophilus influenzae B?
Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis?
Meningococcus?
Varicella?
Pneumococcus?
Rotavirus?
RSV?
Hepatitis B?
Influenza?
HPV?
COVID-19?
Shingles?

YEP.

A thread🧵
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I may be the only lawyer targeted by Trump willing to speak on camera, but for me it wasn't a choice. All of us have an obligation to speak out against what Trump is doing. All of us have an obligation to fight for democracy. I am fortunate to be a lawyer and to have a platform -- and I will use it.

Super proud of my home state, and so pleased to see my high school’s Jeanne Gang be recognized this year for her talents!