Matthew Cunningham-Cook

Hochul Caves to Big Tech on AI Safety Bill - The American Prospect A bill that passed the New York legislature was completely gutted and substituted with language perceived as friendlier to the industry.

BREAKING: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul gutted an AI regulation bill awaiting her signature and replaced it wholesale with a weaker version sought by Big Tech firms. At least two of the groups lobbying on the bill held fundraisers for Hochul in recent weeks.
prospect.org/2025/12/11/h...

Trump’s Deportations Are Ripping Mothers from Their Babies The president’s immigration policy is “beyond inhumane.”

"Several nursing mothers had seen their milk dry up due to poor nutrition while they were held in detention in the United States. A woman who was four months pregnant was denied medication for gestational diabetes."

A gift from the American people.

U.S. citizen offered to show I.D. but was arrested by immigration officers in Cedar-Riverside A Somali U.S. citizen, Mubashir, was arrested by federal immigration officers in Cedar-Riverside Tuesday during a mass enforcement.

Federal agents chased this man, tackled him, cuffed him, put him in a car, and drove him several miles away from the Minneapolis neighborhood where he was abducted. When presented ID showing he's a US citizen, agents released him, and told him to walk home in the freezing weather.

If you're wondering how cable news is reporting the US seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker, here's CNN saying, "This is absolutely normal."

Chuck Schumer won't say if he opposes regime change in Venezuela.

JAKE TAPPER: Do you disagree with President Trump's ultimate goal of regime change in Venezuela?

CHUCK SCHUMER: President Trump throws out so many different things in so many different ways, you don't even know what the heck ...

“We are targeting Venezuela because of DRUGS, not OIL, which is why we are blowing up boats without any drugs and stealing a tanker full of oil.”

Utah lawmakers repeal controversial public union collective bargaining ban A repeal referendum driven by a wave of union signature gathering was set to be on the 2026 ballot, but lawmakers decided to just do away with the law for now.

Utah took a major step toward restoring respect and dignity for public workers. More than 5,000 union activists gathered over 300,000 signatures to bring back a voice at work — and the Legislature listened. www.kuer.org/politics-gov...

For-Profit School Opening in For-Profit ICE Family Prison - The American Prospect Stride, Inc., is hiring multiple teachers to run a new school at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley.

A for-profit education firm called Stride is opening a school inside a for-profit immigration prison run by CoreCivic. Stride has been accused of defrauding investors and providing substandard education to children.
@whitneycwimbish.bsky.social spotted the job listings:
prospect.org/2025/12/10/f...

good LORD. like some turducken of neoliberal nightmares

Private Equity’s Utility Spending Spree Threatens New Mexico - The American Prospect Two firms are vying for control over much of New Mexico’s energy infrastructure, but consumer advocates are fighting back.

Private equity firms want to carve up New Mexico’s utilities. Blackstone has offered $2 billion more than the utility is worth. Advocates say that’s because “they’re going to sweep us clean.” From James Baratta: trib.al/2QHANmX

there's a lot in here, none of it good

This story by @rebeccaburns.bsky.social & @thomasbirm.bsky.social is wild. Private equity landlords are fighting the growing tenant union movement with all the familiar tools of traditional union busting, and then some—from police harassment & counterprotests to bouncy castles & fake tenant groups.

I don't think that's a fair characterization of what I was saying at all!

finally, I would add that 1) increased overflights and US presence in the Taiwan strait, 2) increased Japanese militarism, 3) Active US intervention to change recognition in LatAm from PRC to ROC, among many other things, are not at all maintaining the status quo

and of course I'm not a KMT supporter either, I think there should be a genuine socialist party in Taiwan that emphasizes landback, pacifism, decarbonization, and demands reparations from Japan

DPP governments have strongly implied support for independence, and have aggressively supported a military buildup while Taiwan faces an enormous threat from climate change.

And I don't think there's any evidence that say turning all of Taiwan except for Taipei and New Taipei City over to indigenous people for ownership would inflame Beijing if the status quo remained in place, especially if it was combined with demilitarization

Gotta say I'm uncomfortable with the use of "blood and soil" in this context. All I am saying is land ownership back to indigenous Taiwanese is in my view a better expression of solidarity than "let's allow the DPP to cause a nuclear war by formally declaring something that is already de facto"

british elite school set the most deranged people on the planet and they truly believe they are superior beings

House to Examine ‘Pension Predators’ as ERISA Pleading-Standards Bill Unveiled Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) on Nov. 18 introduced the ERISA Litigation Reform Act (H.R. 6084), legislation that would strengthen the pleading standards for lawsuits brought under the Employee Retirement ...

Randy Fine, who actively advocates for murdering children from the floor of the House, is also pushing to make it far easier than it already is (very easy) for Wall Street to plunder our retirements: www.napa-net.org/news/2025/11...

just donated $50. Consider supporting these brave tenants.

This is infuriating. For those who just want the donation link, it's here

secure.everyaction.com/gLkKHzevhku4...

The EU-Canada-China Grand Alliance The EU, Canada, and others can cut reliance on Trump’s tariffs by tapping China’s EV and clean energy strengths.

In a context where Europe must look at the U.S. as an enemy, it should look to ally with China
cepr.net/publications...
cepr.net/publications...
China is far from a democracy, but so was Stalin's USSR in WW II

Good news: after organizing a 16-month rent strike, tenants across 5 buildings in East Harlem have won 6 months' rent credit and repairs from Emerald Equities—and now they're exploring how they might turn the buildings into a community land trust. Kudos to @cvhaction.bsky.social for this win.

BREAKING: Democrats have *flipped* a seat in Georgia's state House tonight.

Democrat Eric Gisler has won the seat, which was previously held by a Republican who resigned this fall.

This is a red territory: Trump won the district by 13% in 2024.

DEMOCRATS HAVE FLIPPED GEORGIA'S #HD121 (Trump+12):

Eric Gisler (D)- 50.9%
Mack "Dutch" Guest (R)- 49.1%

Sri Lanka's Interest Rate Trap by Arjun Jayadev, Ahilan Kardirgamar and J. W. Mason

Necessary piece on the insanity of pursuing ‘price stability’ through sky high rates during a massive deflation in a developing country that depends on heavily on volatile food and energy imports. (by @jwmason.bsky.social et al). open.substack.com/pub/jwmason/...

Öztürk could have very much been killed due to her asthma medication being withheld from her. It's so infuriating to think about.

The R Slur Must Never be Normalized Last week Trump called Walz the 'R slur', and now his base is using it regularly. We must all speak out against this. It's a term that pushes a eugenicist agenda and feeds directly into fascism.

Last week Trump called Tim Walz the “R slur” and now his base are using it regularly.

They’re driving past the Walz house & shouting it at the family.

It’s not ok.

The disability community has worked for decades to remove that word from the public vernacular.

This is ableism at its most vile: