Angie Smibert

Who is Adelita Grijalva and why hasn't she been sworn in to Congress yet? Democrats are ramping up the pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who won a special election last month to succeed her late father.

Democrats are ramping up the pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who won a special election last month to succeed her late father. https://to.pbs.org/3W2j3fB

Adelita Grijalva won her election to Congress over two weeks ago, but Mike Johnson still hasn't sworn her in.

Why the delay?

Perhaps it's because Grijalva would cast the final vote needed to release the Epstein files.

U.S. Faces ‘Expanded and Escalated’ Book Censorship, PEN America Reports PEN America has released its annual report on the book banning crisis in K–12 public schools, naming the top five most banned titles and authors. PEN found censorship increasingly routine; Florida,…

PEN America has released its annual report on the book banning crisis in K–12 public schools, naming the top five most banned titles and authors. PEN found that “the campaign to censor books is increasingly routine,” with Florida, Texas, and Tennessee leading the nation in instances of banning.

If I spent millions of taxpayer dollars and weakened our national security to force hundreds of military personnel to listen to my glorified TED Talk… and this was the response…. I’d resign in embarrassment.

YouTube video by The Daily Show Leslie Jones on the Dangers of Trump Memory-Holing Slavery from Our Museums | The Daily Show

youtube.com/watch?v=VyR2...

Many, many full books in public high school, but it was the late 70s / early 80s.

This is hilarious. Even the Dutch are way ahead of us in seeing how bad things are in the United States with Donald Trump running amok and corporations capitulating to fascism.

But, then again, the Netherlands has experience with being taken over by fascists.

These 23 books were removed from Florida school libraries under Florida HB 1069. In his ruling in Penguin Random House v. Gibson, Judge Carlos Mendoza named them and stated, ‘None of these books are obscene.’ Illustration by The Conversation

A federal judge has ruled parts of Florida's book ban law unconstitutional, citing nearly a century of precedent protecting First Amendment access to ideas in schools. An English professor explains how the decision impacts similar laws in other states:

buff.ly/ngqK9MP

NO KINGS ROANOKE · No Kings **In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings.** Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Bo...

www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

On this day in 1966, Star Trek first beamed into living rooms across America. None of us could have imagined then the journey it would set us on. And not just the cast and crew, but the millions of fans who would find hope, inspiration, and community in its vision of the future.

Some numbers:

-Most Americans are women.

-Via the Census, about 60 million Americans are in a household that includes a daughter.

-Every American, or human being, should be appalled and disgusted by this.

It would take only 4 GOP Senators, or 6 to 7 Representatives, to save the country.

Know what I'm doing Thanksgiving ;)

The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city.

This is not a joke. This is not normal.

Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.

Anthropic settles with authors in first-of-its-kind AI copyright infringement lawsuit A U.S. district court is scheduled to consider whether to approve the settlement next week, in a case that marked the first substantive decision on how fair use applies to generative AI systems.

A U.S. district court is scheduled to consider whether to approve the settlement next week, in a case that marked the first substantive decision on how fair use applies to generative AI systems.

BREAKING: Gov. JB Pritzker says the Trump administration has sent the Texas National Guard to Great Lakes Naval Base outside Chicago, awaiting orders to deploy to Chicago.
Trump administration officials will target Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16) celebrations. @wttw.bsky.social

Tell the Smithsonian: Reject demands to whitewash history act.indivisible.org/sign/smithso...

Anthropic Settles High-Profile AI Copyright Lawsuit Brought By Book Authors Anthropic faced the prospect of more than $1 trillion in damages, a sum that could have threatened the company’s survival if the case went to trial.

NEW: Anthropic has reached a preliminary settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by a group of prominent authors, marking a major turn in of the most significant ongoing AI copyright lawsuits in history.

GMU President Refuses to Apologize for Diversity Efforts, Lawyer Calls Ed. Dept. Claims ‘Absurd’ In a 10-page letter, Gregory Washington’s lawyer says the Trump administration conducted an incomplete and haphazard investigation full of “gross mischaracterizations.”

Gregory Washington, George Mason University’s first Black president, will not be apologizing over diversity initiatives he's pursued since his hiring in 2020. Washington's lawyer says the Trump administration conducted an incomplete and haphazard investigation full of "gross mischaracterizations."

Trump Sets Sights on Chicago for Next Military Takeover Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused the president of attempting to manufacture a crisis.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused the president of attempting to manufacture a crisis.

This conservative county lost teachers after administration cut key grant A cut to federal grants for teacher merit pay and training has left Montgomery County in North Carolina with fewer teachers and fewer resources to attract them.

As part of a $600 million slash to teacher-training grants, the Education Department took a $21 million award North Carolina had planned to use to provide bonuses and training officials hoped would lure and retain teachers.

Humble Book Bundle: Martha Wells' Murderbot and More by TOR Fall in love with Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries series—the engine behind the hit AppleTV adaptation—and help support World Central Kitchen.

Humblebundle to support World Central Kitchen, and get a bunch of my books from @tordotcom.bsky.social including Murderbot and Witch King! #booksky

www.humblebundle.com/books/martha...

Defiant protesters repaint Pulse Memorial crosswalk in rainbow colors after state covers it Protesters returned to the Pulse Memorial crosswalk in downtown Orlando this week after state crews painted over the rainbow-colored markings, sparking renewed outrage from LGBTQ+ advocates and local ...

“Defiant protesters repaint Pulse Memorial crosswalk in rainbow colors after state covers it”

🌈💪
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

(No need to read the article …. The title and photo says it all)

The people united will never be defeated. ✊

Hillary Clinton Urges Same-Sex Couples To Get Married Now In Chilling Warning About Marriage Equality

We hear you loud and clear, Madame Secretary.

YouTube video by Robert Reich How YOU Can Fight Back Against Trump

Millions have hit the streets to protest Trump’s authoritarianism — but marching isn’t enough on its own.

Here are five steps you can take to make a difference.

NOW: People are marching in the streets of Washington, D.C. to protest President Trump's federal takeover of the city's police. NBC's Gary Grumbach reports.

A headline reads: "Violent Crime in Washington, D.C., Is Lowest in Years. President Trump has cited false and misleading claims about violent crime in Washington. Homicide and carjackings fell in 2024, and D.C. police say the city is on track to record even fewer violent crimes this year." A chart shows that there were 1,584 violent crimes in 2025 so far. Note: Includes homicides, assaults with a weapon, sexual abuse and robberies. Source: Metropolitan Police Department

President Trump made false and misleading claims about crime in Washington, D.C., during a news conference on Monday as he announced that the administration would take federal control of the police. Here’s a fact-check. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/u...

WATCH: D.C. mayor Bowser calls Trump takeover of DC police ‘unsettling’ D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that the city had reached a 30-year low in violent crime.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that the city had reached a 30-year low in violent crime.

A stronger case for why D.C. should become a state has never been made. Trump’s seizure of power today is based on false pretext and is meant to distract from Epstein. But it has real consequences.

The people of D.C. should not be ruled by a tyrant. This is intimidation without representation.

Clearly this is not about making DC, or any of us, safer.

YouTube video by Stand With Mason August 1 was just the beginning

Update from George Mason University. 🔥 ✊💯🎯🎓🇺🇸
#StandWithMason
Check this out:
youtu.be/S3IxCWqGt-E?...