Facebook decided to suspend my account because of a piece (below) I wrote Monday about violence which in no way advocates for it (but does point out who is violent in the current ruckus).

Good morning !

If you are lucky enough to live near a movie theater that is showing The Brutalist, rush out and see it today.
It's long, but you'll hardly notice.

Congrats to @bsky.app and all the users and team that make it unique !

32m users is real !

thread

U.S. pressures Kyiv to replace U.N. resolution condemning Russia The Trump administration wants Ukraine’s resolution withdrawn and replaced with a toned-down version that officials feel is overly sympathetic to Russia.

🧵 This UN resolution vote on Ukraine is worth paying attention to. A brief thread on the Trump administration's bullying under way in the background. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

Autocracy, Inc. by Anne Applebaum: 9780385549936 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the Pulitzer-prize winning author, an alarming account of how autocracies work together to undermine the democratic world, and how we should organize to defeat...

I wrote much of what I think about this election before it happened, so I am going to put it all together here. My book, Autocracy Inc, described the network of autocrats who seek to undermine democracy, inside their countries and ours
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725302...

"Recoup the costs" The sadism of American policy to war-torn Ukraine

Americans proposed that Ukraine concede half of the profits from its mineral rights in perpetuity... in exchange for essentially nothing. This is not a monetary proposition, let alone a "deal," but rather the demand that Ukraine become a permanent American colony.
snyder.substack.com/p/recoup-the...

Such hostile nonsense from Americans in power just now. I wish we would listen to people who have suffered for reporting the truth, like Stanislav Aseyev, combat veteran and survivor of a Russian torture camp.

Rep Raskin has been great. Rep Ocasio-Cortez has been great. And Rep Frost and Rep Crockett. Senator Murphy. Maybe no one knew exactly what to do. But such people laid down a clear marker. Let’s respect these and other elected federal representatives who stood out these first few weeks.

Usefully sober fact sheet on Ukraine. Please share with those who need it.
understandingwar.org/backgrounder...

While the services are pulling out of BEYA, a well-established pipeline for high-caliber STEM talent, they remain engaged with other events. Last week, the same Army recruiting unit that would have attended BEYA instead participated in a National Rifle Association-sponsored event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white gathering that recruiters acknowledge is less likely to yield high-quality applicants.

Pete Hegseth's DOD has decided to recruit at an NRA event rather than a Black Engineering event.

www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Christian Nationalism Across America Jen Rubin and Robert P.

open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Christian Nationalism Across America Jen Rubin and Robert P.

open.substack.com/pub/contrari...
What we are seeing from Christian Nationals is not Christianity. It's a convoluted repurposing of Nazism.

to call this a clown show is unfair to clowns. pure madness. like playing russian roulette with a machine gun.

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/u...

Doge staffers enter Noaa headquarters and incite reports of cuts and threats Members reportedly sought access to IT systems at agency that Project 2025 has called ‘harmful to US prosperity’

“I think the strategy here is: ‘Well, we’re just going to do it and dare somebody to stop us, and by the time they stop us, we’ll have destroyed it.’”

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Dairy herds in Nevada test positive for newer bird flu strain that’s been linked to severe human infections | CNN Six dairy herds in Nevada have tested positive for a newer strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus that’s been associated with severe infections in humans, according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

Six dairy herds in Nevada have tested positive for a newer strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus that's been associated with severe infections in humans.

ICE impersonators on the rise: Arrests made as authorities issue national warning | CNN Authorities in three states have made arrests in connection with individuals impersonating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, as tensions rise amid a nationwide immigration crackdown.

Disgusting.

www.cnn.com/2025/02/04/u...

Murphy: "We need to act like a real opposition party in the middle of a constitutional and democracy crisis. That means we should not be moving forward nominees or legislation in the Senate. Ds should not be giving votes to nominee or legislation in the Senate until Rs get serious about this crisis"

JUST IN: USDA Confirms Detection of Bird Flu Genotype D1.1 in Nevada Dairy Cows.

This marks the first detection of this virus genotype in dairy cattle.

Previously, all detections in dairy cattle have been linked to HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13.

Opinion | There Is No Going Back The president’s opponents, whoever they are, cannot expect a return to the Constitution as it was.

Yeah so the Constitution isn’t really in effect right now

FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States WASHINGTON—Putting the nation on alert against what it has described as a “highly credible terrorist threat,” the FBI announced today that it has uncovered a plot by members of al-Qaeda to sit back an...

FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States

US Postal Service Reverses Decision to Halt China Shipments The US Postal Service said it’s accepting “all international inbound mail and packages” from China and Hong Kong Posts, walking back an announcement made only hours earlier to halt some overseas shipm...

Again. Just “never mind.” Incompetence. Bluster. Ignorance.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

ICYMI:

A website called “DEI Watch List” has "published the photos, names and public information of a number of workers [who are mostly Black employees] across health agencies, describing them at one point as 'targets.'"

I know pointing out hypocrisy doesn’t matter anymore, but if there’s one person I wouldn’t want to be the judge of who goes into locker rooms, it would be the man who openly boasted about walking into dressing rooms of underage girls

LinkedIn post: On January 24th I formally resigned from my position with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). I started at CDC in 2010, and I have spent 20 years in public service, including my 15 years in service at the federal level. Here is a little bit of what I wrote in my resignation, because I'm not sure that anyone is actually going to read it. "I feel honored to be among the public health professionals that have had the privilege to work at CDC. As I reflect on my own experiences and accomplishments during my time here, I am humbled by the magnitude and the importance of our work. To my colleagues: we have worked together through chaos and uncertainty, transition, reorganization, preparation, and response. You are the most selfless, dedicated, and passionate people I know. I have watched you work around the clock, take additional details, deployments, and responsibilities, try to balance work and family, forego self-care, and keep pushing and work together to protect the public’s health. I’ve seen your sacrifice. I want you to know that your support and guidance has been invaluable, and I am proud of the work we have accomplished together." While I was backing up files I found my oath that I signed in 2010. I believe in our work, and I am sad to be leaving federal service. But I have immense gratitude for all of the opportunities that I've had and the connections that I've made. I will continue to protect the public's health in a different capacity (stay tuned...) but for now, thank you for trusting me.

The policy lead for CDC's H5N1 response has abruptly resigned.

Sources tell me CDC's response to the bird flu pandemic has been severely hobbled by the chaos of the past two weeks.

A memo listing all of the clubs eliminated by USMA.

The United States Military Academy has just eliminated all Cadet clubs and activities for POC. Most of these have existed for decades like the Society of Black Engineers. They were there when I was a Cadet in 1987. All of the religious ones remain. This isn’t DEI. It’s white Christian Nationalism.

Navarro: Trump will ‘structurally shift’ American economy with tariff revenue White House adviser Peter Navarro said President Donald Trump's trade plans will "structurally shift the American economy" if they succeed.

Gonna be fun to watch beautiful tariff revenue go out the door in retaliatory tariffs.

@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

Murphy: "This is a constitutional crisis that we are in today. Let's call it what it is."