Elvsrad

Something tells me Spirit Halloween is about to have a great year.

It's already time for a new SCOTUS term. Or, the summer that wasn't. A look back, a look ahead. And, for paid subscribers: Closing my tabs.

Will Chief Justice John Roberts and the Republican appointees end the notion of co-equal branches by raising the executive above all else in backing Trump’s unending desire for more power and fewer limits?

That is the question of this term, and Law Dork will be covering all of it.

“I’m Mexican, I’ve tasted spicier”

protect him at all costs, Portland 🥹

Again, this is what the SCOTUS has sanctioned. On Sept. 10th @chrislhayes.bsky.social and I talked about Justice Kavanaugh’s opinion white-washing ICE raids in Noem v. Vazquez Perdomo. His fact-free opinion was either naive, lazy, or sinister. The Trump Admin read it as a green light.

I think this is right:
"We've slid into some form of authoritarianism," says Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard. "It is relatively mild compared to some others. It is certainly reversible, but we are no longer living in a liberal democracy."
www.npr.org/2025/04/22/n...

Trump disappears for days and then is all hyped up on some type of drugs for his speech today. What is he taking? Why does his handlers need to give him these drugs? What is Trump's underlying medical condition?!!

Liberal South Carolina
Judge Diane Goodstein's home is burning to the ground after an explosion. SLED is investigation as arson and refer attack as Judge Goodstein had been receiving multiple threats.

YouTube video by emptywheel The White House crime scene

In the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing, Stephen Miller is trying to criminalize being a Democrat.

In part, it's an attempt to cover up Trump's unprecedented corruption.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rten...

Video taken one hour ago outside the Portland ICE facility of the violent insurrectionists in question

When I was in high school, on weeknd nights, we’d cruise/walk through Westwood Village.
At UCLA, after partying, we’d go late night to Stan’s (donuts) and for $3, a worker would fill a bag and hand through back window.

BREAKING: ICE ATTACKED
PROTESTORS AND DETAINED SOME OF OUR MEMBERS! IF YOU'RE ABLE, COME DOWN TO ICE AND SHOW SUPPORT TO DEMAND THEIR RELEASE! WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS POLITICAL REPRESSION AND ATTACK ON THE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS MOVEMENT!

Anyone who may ever need assistance from FEMA should read this.

That's basically most of us.

This is the woman who lost her job at @washingtonpost.com for dissing Charlie Kirk by quoting his words. I only wish I could cancel them again.
Anyways her beloved cat is sick and we all know what vet bills are like.

It is no coincidence that Trump, Hegseth, Miller, Noem and other members of the admin continue to make inflammatory partisan political speeches to military and law enforcement. They are conditioning them now to embrace the planned war to come - their war against other Americans.

Holy 💩

Proof the #ICE agents are not trained. They are a danger tot themselves and everyone else.

What a mess. These are crazy times.

"fired tear gas, flash-bang grenades and pepper balls without any clear signs of provocation"

literally making propaganda videos to justify the military deployment for the regime - declare Portland "war ravaged" then attack protestors to create videos that depict conflict and chaos

Lessons from a Red Scare The American people are capable of turning the tide against repression.

"The American people are capable of turning the tide against repression even if that feels hopeless...the history of the first red scare teaches us that a better future is possible and worth fighting for."

Nice @davidrlurie.bsky.social historical meditation here:
www.publicnotice.co/p/emma-goldm...

Georgia’s Medicaid Work Requirement Program Spent Twice as Much on Administrative Costs as on Health Care, GAO Says Republican lawmakers cite Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage as a national model for federal Medicaid work requirements that are set to take effect in 2027. A new report shows the program has spent at lea...

#ICYMI: GOP lawmakers cite Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage as a national model for federal Medicaid work requirements that are set to take effect in 2027.

A GAO report shows the program has spent twice as much on administrative costs as on health care.

In response to a federal court order that blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard, President Trump is deploying 300 California National Guard personnel into Oregon. They are on their way there now. This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power. The Trump Administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself and putting into action their dangerous words — ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the President himself, as political opponents. This isn't about public safety, it's about power. The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the President of the United States. Governor Gavin Newsom

NEW: Gavin Newsom says that Trump has ordered 300 previously federalized CA National Guard troops into Oregon to end-run Judge Immergut's ruling blocking the federalization of the Oregon National Guard. www.gov.ca.gov/2025/10/05/g...

god it's even worse than I remembered. i am literally begging you to contact a psychiatrist

time CultS -d 8 claire's NOTICE OF STORE CLOSURE To Our Valued Customers, This Claire's location has been permanently closed. The decision reflects both external pressures & internal restructuring. In recent months, repeated attacks of ridicule by radical left agitators have gone beyond mere criticism, escalating into a deliberate effort to destabilize our company - conduct we recognize as Domestic Economic Terrorism. At the same time, our transition under new private equity ownership required difficult financial choices. Protecting the stability of shareholders was prioritized, & this store - along with its local workforce - was deemed expendable in service of that obligation. Despite these challenges, Claire's remains committed to our identity as a traditional American company rooted in values of family & community. We will not be silenced by those who attempt to undermine that mission, & we continue to move forward with confidence in our future. Here at Claire's, we look forward to working with the current administration to reinvigorate our brand presence across the United States, ensuring that we remain a part of American life for generations to come. We invite you to continue supporting Claire's by shopping online at www.claires.com Thank you for your attention to this matter. Claire's Stores, Inc. 2400 West Central Road, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192 | Claire's Stores, Inc. | CBI Distributing Corp.

THE RADICAL LEFTISTS HAVE KILLED OUR BUSINESS
[also we got bought out by private equity who shuttered the store and fired everyone]
BUT IT WAS MOSTLY THE RADICAL LEFTISTS
also can we have a federal bailout 🥹

“What’s the Deal with Airplane Food?”

“Kids These Days, Boy, I Don’t Know.”

“America in Crisis: A Lack of Turn Signals on the Beltway”

This is exactly why I’ve been saying state governors need to be coordinating with each other in economic and military alliances. Trump is trying to pick us apart piece by piece.

Monica Crowley: "President Trump is launching us into the next 250 years of American greatness as he did in his first term ... next year's momentous celebration will be thanks to his leadership in activating a national and worldwide celebration of America's 250th birthday."

Work really hard and one day this can be you (followed by graffiti of a headstone that says “RIP worked really hard” on it

happy sunday, remember that you are completely expendable to your employer and that when you die they will forget you ever existed within weeks and easily replace you

but you do realize next year will be worse, right

(reader’s note: they did not realize this)

Take the Andy Ngo move for promoting the Proud Boys and trying to cast right-wing perpetrators of street violence as victims, and scale it up nationally for ICE.
But the public doesn't react to masked govt officers beating people they way they react to radicals and reactionaries punching each other.

'It's a signal': Ex-Trump insider flags evidence president's plan is 'beginning to crack' Donald Trump received a legal smackdown from a judge the president himself appointed, and a former Trump insider sees it as a "signal" for what is coming next.Raw Story reported on the "bombshell ruli...

www.rawstory.com/signal-trump...

181. Courts and Domestic Use of the Military In response to adverse judicial rulings, the President's advisers and supporters are claiming courts lack the power to halt domestic use of the military. A critical early precedent is to the contrary.

In light of Judge Immergut's ruling, there's a lot of noise today coming from the President's advisers and supporters about courts not having the power to provide prospective relief against domestic uses of the military.

Via "One First," me on the rather significant early precedent to the contrary: