Tim Farnsworth

FWIW, I see this order as a very encouraging sign for those who are hoping #SCOTUS *denies* the Trump administration’s application.

There would be no need to issue it if the administration had five votes on the other two issues; and this is perhaps the strongest argument against it on the third.

“The freedom of a person is a great thing, and even the freedom of a whole nation begins from the freedom of a single individual.

You should respect freedom in yourself, and in your neighbor, and in all people.”

~ Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom

When presidents talk about using the military with “full force” against communities here at home, we should all be concerned.

We condemn the political violence that took place today in Utah. The shooting of Charlie Kirk was reprehensible. We cannot resort to violence when we disagree.

Attempting to coerce a guilty plea, and attempting to use deportation as a punishment, are both illegal and unconstitutional. I sincerely hope the district courts stop this. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

This is exactly what Congress doing their job looks like: Voting on a War Powers Resolution. The Congress and NOT POTUS has the power to initiate an act of war. And yes, we @POGOwatchdog were saying this during Obama and even earlier. This is not a partisan issue, it is a Constitutional one.

Stephen Miller’s Financial Stake in ICE Contractor Palantir Raises Conflict Concerns POGO report shows top Trump adviser owned six-figure stock in company profiting off deportations.

NEWS: Stephen Miller owns a six-figure stock in Palantir, a company profiting off deportations, per @POGOwatchdog report migrantinsider.com/p/stephen-mi...

Right! But @cnn.com did make itself a household name by covering Gulf wars--so maybe they feel some sort of obligation 🤪 regardless of the times or the president.

Analysis: US strikes mark a stunning demonstration of military might and presidential power

I was thinking that maybe, more than 20 years after the start of the Iraq war, media coverage would be more skeptical and less sycophantic

No such luck

Live Updates: U.S. Enters War Against Iran, Bombing Key Nuclear Sites

Every time a president sidesteps Congress on war, we normalize it.

And every time Congress shrugs, we drift further from democracy.

The system only works if we make it work.#WarPowers

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

ICE Imposes New Rules on Congressional Visits

Federal law says members of Congress can inspect ICE detention centers without notice. ICE says they have to ask permission days in advance. Blocking oversight is illegal. We are watching. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/u...

What is Habeas Corpus? The Latin Phrase Designed to Ward Off Tyranny Trump administration officials’ attempts to redefine or suspend “habeas corpus” threaten a foundational principle of free societies.

If presidents can detain people without cause, what else can they do?

Habeas corpus is a centuries-old check on that kind of power.

It’s not just a Latin phrase—it’s a line in the sand.
🔗 www.pogo.org/analysis/wha...

#RuleOfLaw #HabeasCorpus #CivilLiberties

Guatemalan deportee arrives in US after judge orders Trump to facilitate return A Guatemalan man who said he was deported to Mexico despite fearing he would be persecuted there was flown back to the United States on Wednesday after a judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return, his lawyer said.

It is in fact possible to follow court orders and return mistakenly deported people: www.reuters.com/world/us/gua...

I and my @pogo.org colleagues have been pointing out how creepy. DHS’s genetic surveillance was from the start. bsky.app/profile/wire...

Photo showing the substandard conditions inside the Andersen AFB barracks

New from @ziembavision.bsky.social: Newly obtained photos reveal “dire” conditions inside the Andersen Air Force Base barracks. According to a U.S. Navy officer, “Anybody that’s been to Guam can tell you…if you’re living on base, you’re going to be in crappy quarters." www.pogo.org/investigatio...

🥉 3rd Place: "Bad Watchdog," @marenmachles.bsky.social , Padmini Parthasarathy & @schwellenbach.bsky.social
🏅 Honorable Mention: "Silence in Sikeston," Cara Anthony, Zach Dyer, and Taylor Cook, @kffhealthnews.org @retroreport.org, and WORLD

Trump unveils ambitious and expensive plans for 'Golden Dome' missile defense The plan includes a vast array of space-based sensors and interceptors.

Golden Dome isn’t new—just another spin on 70 yrs of costly missile-defense bets. A $25 B down payment just slipped into reconciliation, yet past systems miss more than they hit. Demand proof before we toss another $175 B at Pentagon contractors. www.npr.org/2025/05/20/n...

The administration continues to target those who oppose it. This is an authoritarian tactic designed to punish those the executive branch disagrees with.

Rep. McIver was simply doing her job — conducting much needed oversight over detention facilities thehill.com/homenews/hou...

Inside the Shadowy Crew Leading the Government’s HR Office Roster shows many DOGE links, a Project 2025 contributor, Trump’s IRS nominee and more embedded at OPM, the agency reshaping the federal workforce

They’re not confirmed.
They’re not accountable.
But they’re rewriting the rules for 2 million federal workers.

This @pogo.org investigation by @schwellenbach.bsky.social pulls back the curtain on the shadowy team shaping the civil service.
🔗 www.pogo.org/investigatio...

“Enforced disappearance is a tool of dictatorships.”

This new @lawfaremedia.org piece by my colleague, @krhawkins.bsky.social, is a must-read.

It warns what’s at stake when the gov’t moves people beyond the reach of the law.

🔗 www.lawfaremedia.org/article/how-...

#DueProcess #RuleOfLaw

Hegseth wants ‘right to repair’ provisions in all Army contracts "If they can find ways to get to a happy medium with modifications to existing contracts, that'll set the stage for some important steps," Stan Soloway said.

🛠️ Vets & military folks: The Pentagon wants the Army to fix its own gear—instead of relying on pricey contractors.

👍 Easier? 👎 Not really? 🤔 Depends?

Drop a reaction or reply—curious how this hits people who’ve lived it.
federalnewsnetwork.com/army/2025/05...

#RightToRepair #VeteransVoices

It’s not *that* unusual to have government officials symbolically get arrested for trespass as part of planned civil disobedience but Ras Baraka’s arrest wasn’t that

JUST IN: The Trump administration has invoked the "state secrets" privilege regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia andany attempts to return him to the United States.

Judge Xinis wants briefing on this development.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Trump Administration Plans to Send Migrants to Libya on a Military Flight

This news is appalling, and blatantly unconstitutional. The administration’s continued rejection of due process threatens our constitutional order.

Congress must pressure this administration to end these shocking rights violations.

Poll shows young vets unhappy with Signal leak, federal program cuts A survey of more than 1,400 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans found concerns across party lines about the White House's handling of national security issues.

86% of young Iraq and Afghanistan veterans say the officials who leaked sensitive military ops on Signal should be held accountable — and they’re right.

#Accountability isn’t optional when national security and trust are on the line.

www.militarytimes.com/veterans/202...

Thread of documents and sources re possibly imminent renditions from Bluebonnet detention facility to El Salvador

Apparently the Trump admin thinks “court order” is just a suggestion. Judges aren’t having it — and neither should the public.

📣 Our system only works if power can be checked.
#ContemptOfCourt #DemocracyUnderThreat

JUST IN: Judge Boasberg finds probable cause to hold administration in contempt of court for defying his order to turn around planes, demands new details in order for officials to “purge” their contempt. Details TK

What emergency—record low arrest at the border doesn’t seem like the kind of thing we need to deploy the military on US soil for 🤷‍♂️

www.reuters.com/world/americ...

The Supreme Court’s unanimous opinion in the Abrego Garcia case is: 1) the obvious outcome given the government’s admission that it wrongfully deported him 2) a huge relief (and personally a surprise to me that it’s unanimous) 3) not the end of the story—now comes the question of enforcing the order