Cindy G

Democrats have spent 38 days trying to lower health care costs and reopen the government. Trump and Republicans completely control this process, and instead of looking for solutions they’ve defunded SNAP, interrupted commercial travel, and pursued political vendettas.

The only reason Republicans have dragged this shutdown on for so long is simply because Republicans don’t want to lower healthcare costs.

They are happy to let 24 million Americans see their premiums DOUBLE on average.

Trump administration seeks to halt SNAP food aid payments after a court order The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order to distribute November’s full SNAP benefits during a U.S. government shutdown. U.S.

The Trump administration is defying a court order to feed Americans.

"The program — a partnership between the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture and state health departments — was responsible for the critical monitoring of eight foodborne illnesses, including infections caused by the deadly bacteria listeria. "

"in July, the administration quietly scaled back the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, also known as FoodNet, shrinking its surveillance to just two pathogens: salmonella and a common type of E. coli. "

Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts The dramatic shift in oversight comes at a time when the U.S. has never been more reliant on foreign food, which accounts for the vast majority of the nation’s seafood and more than half its fresh fru...

I'm currently getting a lot of food recall messages ...

Trump has now overseen the two longest government shutdowns in history — with the current one reaching 36 days.

He ran on fixing a broken system and helping working people.

Instead, he’s making the system even worse and shafting working people by gutting the social safety net.

While Trump blusters about "law & order," his regime has dropped or halted nearly 165 investigations into corporate wrongdoing. And Trump himself has pardoned dozens of his supporters, including Jan 6 rioters and others convicted of crimes like money laundering and bribery.

Nearly all employees within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) were dismissed in Friday’s reduction-in-force, leaving only a few senior officials and administrative staff.

Ah yes, air traffic controllers must show up for work without pay, but Congress can take the day off. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he’ll be making “necessary cuts” to the department, because nothing fixes staffing shortages quite like firing more people.

Your Prime Day reminder that Amazon...

-Provides cloud services that help fuel ICE's deportation machine
-Donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund
-Scrapped plans to display tariff costs after pressure from Trump
-Shelled out $40M for a documentary about Melania Trump

Turning the military on citizens.

Attempting to rig elections.

Toying with the idea of declaring martial law.

Attacking political enemies and punishing those who speak out.

If this were happening in another country, what would you call it?

Civil rights jobs have been cut. Those ex-workers warn of ICE detention violations After layoffs, it's unclear how many people are policing civil rights violations inside the Department of Homeland Security, even as the Trump administration ramps up ICE detention.

After layoffs, it's unclear how many people are policing civil rights violations inside the Department of Homeland Security, even as the Trump administration ramps up ICE detention.

We’ve gotten several messages that the Trump administration has tampered with federal employees’ email systems, making some people’s automatic Out of Office replies blame the government shutdown on the “radical left.” This was done without the employees’ knowledge.

As the government shutdown begins, remember that one of the biggest deficit drivers of the past 20 years are Republican tax cuts for the wealthy & corporations. The issue isn't programs that help millions of Americans, it's giveaways to the rich.

Remember: Undocumented immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes every year.

They pay into government funded healthcare programs, but can't access them except in case of emergency.

Emergency Medicaid spending accounted for less than 1% of total Medicaid spending in 2023.

Trump's second term has been filled with chaos and dysfunction. But none of it is random.

It's part of a plot to spread cynicism and get you to check out.

Oligarchs don't want you to keep paying attention. That's how they win.

Don't tune out. Don't let them win.

Remember: If we allow ourselves to fall into fatalism, or wallow in disappointment, or become resigned to what is rather than what should be, we will lose the long game.

The greatest enemy of positive social change is cynicism about what can be changed.

The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other - to disturb, even - is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice. As a Guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent. If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn't have bothered to write it into the Constitution. What we have signed on to - painful as it may be at times - is the freeing agreement to disagree. Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world. The WA stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers.

WGA Statement on ABC’s Decision to Pull Jimmy Kimmel Live!

ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Off Air for Charlie Kirk Comments After F.C.C. Pressure

Yesterday, a late-night show vanished with a simple directive from 2 of the largest media companies you’ve never heard of (Nexstar & Sinclair), backed by the FCC. That’s not “the market at work.” It’s concentrated corporate power cooperating with an authoritarian. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/17/b...

done

Brendan Carr’s FCC Power Play: How One Weak Man Threatens America’s Free Speech After Jimmy Kimmel’s remarks on the Charlie Kirk shooting, Carr used FCC leverage to pressure ABC—showing how quickly constitutional rights can be trampled.

When government intimidation and corporate cowardice meet, free speech dies. Boycott ABC and Disney until they stand up to Brendan Carr’s censorship.

open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...

were developed were in Nazi Germany (1930s–1940s), Apartheid South Africa (1950s–1990s), and the Soviet Union & Eastern Bloc states. We don’t think much more explanation is needed, these systems were never developed for the right reasons.

Much of Trump's authoritarian power grab has been green-lit (at least temporarily) by the Supreme Court's "shadow docket."

This allows justices to effectively make rulings in secret without explaining their decisions.

Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?

UNDERSTANDING THE TRUMP APPEAL

Big Oil donates to his campaign...Trump hands out tax breaks and guts clean energy funding.

Fraudsters donate to his Super PAC...Trump hands out pardons.

Airlines donate to his inaugural fund...Trump cancels a rule requiring them to refund passengers.

Everything is for sale.

RFK Jr. wants to "make America healthy again."

So he's doing that by dismantling federal health agencies and firing civil servants who inspect our food, track infectious diseases, and research life-saving treatments and vaccines.

Do I have this right?

The White House has made it clear that any Republicans considering joining Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) in his bipartisan push to force a vote on the full release of the Epstein files will be treated as committing a “very hostile act to the administration,”

Robert Reich The Art of the Pardon: Trump’s Guide to Rewarding Crooks

Corporate executives who defraud nursing homes? Pardoned.

Reality TV stars who evade millions in taxes? Pardoned.

Thousands of January 6th rioters? Pardoned.

Anyone who opposes Trump? Prosecuted.

Finally, we’ve been waiting on this ruling! Yet another illegal action by Trump. Now get them out of D.C. and keep them out of Chicago! A federal judge in California found that Trump crossed the line when he sent about 5,000 Marines and National Guard troops into Los Angeles during