Barton Gellman

The Death of Democracy Promotion Despots and human-rights abusers can rest easy now that America has gotten out of their way.

"American democracy promotion is effectively dead," Brian Klaas writes. The world's authoritarians have taken note that they no longer need fear Washington's condemnation when they tighten their grip on power:

Thanks for reading

And as a former privacy and surveillance reporter ... also: no.

Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.

This is such a good idea: the public media station near you may not be the one that needs your help the most. Check out "Adopt a Station," a project by ex-NPR staffer Alex Curley adoptastation.org

Just learned from LinkedIn that a Heritage Foundation affiliate is now FOIA-ing (or equivalent) instructors’ syllabi to go snooping for supposed illegal DEI at state universities. It’s hard to describe how far past McCarthyism we’re headed here.

Zelenskiy approves bill 'preserving independence' of anti-corruption bodies Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy approved draft legislation on Thursday that he said would restore the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies, reversing course after an outburst of public criticism.

Zelenski corrects a big mistake. Glad to see it. www.reuters.com/world/europe...

"Americans are increasingly quite negative toward ICE and skeptical of its actions," writes Aaron Blake. cnn.it/45gHQSp

Tariffs hit U.S. companies hard, but businesses absorb them for now General Motors said tariffs slashed its second-quarter income by more than $1 billion, and other companies pointed to import duties to explain smaller profits.

I thought foreign countries were going to pay?

“General Motors said Tuesday that it is facing a $1.1 billion hit from tariffs. The automaker reiterated projections that the full-year tariff impact could reach $4 billion to $5 billion.” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

I think this is thinking about it wrong — many people knew they were friends — It’s the abrupt decision to not release files from the investigation that he promised that has turned people in again. bsky.app/profile/cwar...

Trump Says Japan Deal Reached With Tariff Rate Set at 15% President Donald Trump reached a trade deal with Japan that will impose 15% tariffs on US imports from the country, including its auto sector, while creating a $550 billion fund backed by the Japanese...

Gift link. This "deal" gets portrayed as a win for Trump, but what do most Americans get from it? Just a 15% tax on cars / electronics / etc from Japan?

There's gifts in there for Boeing, rice exporters, and LNG producers, but so what? All I get is a tax. I bet that's true for >99% of Americans.

OMG no

New from me: Release All the Files.

“The next six weeks could make or break the coverup. If Trump hasn’t succeeded in having Bondi “discover” the files have been doctored, or if Bondi and Patel haven’t managed to purge the files, then he could lose control.”

www.thebulwark.com/p/how-many-o...

Trump White House removes Wall Street Journal from Scotland trip press pool over Epstein report | CNN Business When the White House took control of the so-called “press pool” that accompanies the president, journalists worried that the Trump administration would use that power to punish news outlets.

“It’s unconstitutional — not to mention thin-skinned and vindictive — for a president to rescind access to punish a news outlet for publishing a story he tried to kill,” Seth Stern told @brianstelter.bsky.social and Liam Reilly.

Corey Brettschneider and Aidan Calvelli Review My Book, "A Real Right to Vote," in Political Science Quarterly #ELB A very thoughtful review essay.

Corey Brettschneider and Aidan Calvelli Review My Book, “A Real Right to Vote,” in Political Science Quarterly electionlawblog.org?p=151085

The report, titled “Declassified Evidence of Obama Administration Conspiracy to Subvert President Trump’s 2016 Victory and Presidency,” is the lead item on dni.gov.

Tulsi Gabbard’s office just sent out a news release accusing Obama administration (“per the President’s request”) of putting out a report “known by those involved to be manufactured” that described Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election. She calls for DOJ prosecution.

Is there any remotely plausible explanation for the way Trump is handling the Epstein stuff other than “he’s implicated”? Because I’m trying and failing to come up with one.

Just did a little test. Placed an order by phone at a favorite Szechuan restaurant for delivery: $63. Then queued up identical order on Doordash, where I’m supposedly getting a discount via my Chase card: $83. Drawing appropriate conclusions.

In the dark, amid screams, a Camp Mystic counselor had 16 girls and one headlamp As the Texas floodwaters rushed into their Camp Mystic cabins, the teen counselors braved the unknown.

This heartbreaking story by @JohnWoodrowCox.bsky.social is gorgeously, empathetically written. The details could only have come from extraordinary reporting. This piece will be taught in journalism schools. wapo.st/44pck4q

NYC: This happened at the batting cages in Riverside Park at 104th Street. So infuriating! Of course the kids are Americans too!

Recently, my book THEY CALLED US ENEMY was banned – again – in Tennessee. Book bans are out of control. Huge parts of American history are being restricted. To join me in standing up for the freedom to read, go to pen.org/action. @penamerica.bsky.social @topshelfcomix.bsky.social @idwpublishing.com

What Exactly Is Required to Preserve Our Democracy? It will take a “total mobilization of our forces,” in the words of new Autocracy in America host Garry Kasparov.

the AUTOCRACY IN AMERICA podcast, season two, this time hosted by Garry Kasparov.
I joined the first episoide

www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/arc...

Federal Efforts to Punish Sanctuary Cities Are Unconstitutional While states and cities can choose to help enforce federal law, the 10th Amendment means that the U.S. government can’t force them to do so.

The DOJ lawsuit against LA for not helping with federal immigration policy violates the 10th Amendment, which provides that powers not granted to the federal government are reserved to the states as independent sovereigns.
bit.ly/44l4kBu

Not the Fix Our Immigration System Needs The administration’s militarized immigration crackdown is eroding civil liberties — and it comes amid ICE’s resistance to lawful congressional oversight.

The administration’s militarized immigration crackdown is eroding civil liberties. And it comes amid ICE’s resistance to congressional oversight.
bit.ly/4eF7rYs

Here’s the thing about Grok: I’m 99% sure Musk did not tell his AI team “make our house LLM an overtly Nazi conspiracy theorist who pines for Hitler to return.” That’s just the side-effect of whatever mix of training weights & directives needed to stop it giving “bad” answers.

Trump’s effort to deport pro-Palestinian activists goes to trial The case challenging the administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian academics marks the first major trial of Trump’s second term.

Trial opens tomorrow in AAUP v. Rubio, a challenge--brought by @aaup.org, @mesa1966.bsky.social, and @knightcolumbia.org--to the Trump admin's arrests and attempted deportation of students who engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy. www.politico.com/news/2025/07...

Nancy Mace via Twitter: https://x.com/NancyMace/status/1940825505504313450 Did Hakeem Jeffries just say the Declaration of Independence reads like an INDICTMENT? Did I hear that right? 1:30 PM · Jul 3, 2025

She has not read the Declaration of Independence.

Trump: “The $35 trillion in debt we're going to pay it off. We're going to get it done fast too.” (2023)

Trump campaigned on paying off the debt. Now he's adding $4.1 trillion to it.

Paramount to Pay Trump $16 Million to Settle ‘60 Minutes’ Lawsuit

A sad day for press freedom in the United States. This was a frivolous lawsuit and the payment being described as a “settlement” is more accurately labeled a payoff. Trump’s presidential library will be a permanent monument to Paramount’s surrender. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/b...

Attorney general: ‘Everyone is Welcome Here’ sign cannot be displayed in Idaho schools The sign violates a new law that prohibits the display of flags or banners have a political viewpoint, according to an Idaho attorney general’s office opinion obtained by EdNews through a pub…

Idaho Attorney General: ‘Everyone is Welcome Here’ sign cannot be displayed in Idaho schools because they are “part of an ideological/social movement.”
www.idahoednews.org/top-news/att...