We can’t lose focus on what matters – right now, Republicans in Texas are trying to gerrymander district lines to unfairly win five seats in next year’s midterm elections. This is a power grab that undermines our democracy.

Weather Service is now hiring back hundreds of positions that got cut in the DOGE chaos | CNN The National Weather Service has received permission to hire 450 meteorologists, hydrologists and radar technicians just months after being hit hard by Department of Government Efficiency-related cuts...

National Weather Service now hiring 126 people to fill positions DOGE cut mere months ago. Either rehiring people DOGED or training and onboarding new staff, it all costs money. We need a grand tally of all the money DOGE actually cost the federal government www.cnn.com/2025/08/05/w...

Tulsi Gabbard is a threat to our national security and should be fired.

So much for “America first.”

There is absolutely no way Republicans are going to let any of these people appear under oath and on camera given the information about Trump they will have had access to during their time in office.

Zero chance.

GOP Rep. Mike Flood at a town hall: "Do you think that people who are 28-years-old, that can work, & refuse to work, should get free healthcare?"

Crowd: "YESSSSSSSSSS!"

A very clear lesson for Americans who oppose Trump and think the solution was "what if we just leaned into the whole xenophobia culture war thing to win back the Trumpists."

It... does not work.

EPA suspends and investigates around 140 employees who signed a letter critical of the agency | CNN EPA administrator Lee Zeldin had a sharp response to the employee-signed letter.

No one should be suspended or fired just for exercising their First Amendment right to speak out.

I’m joining my colleagues in calling for these EPA employees to be reinstated immediately so they can keep doing the good work our country depends on.

Duffy to announce nuclear reactor on the moon This is the first major agency effort by the interim NASA administrator, who is also the Transportation secretary and a former Fox News host.

How about high-speed rail on earth?

NEWS

Ghislaine Maxwell opposes unsealing the grand jury transcripts.

The first line of her filing states that Trump's DOJ did not oppose her reviewing the materials first, a request denied by the judge.

Motion storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

ILLINOIS GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D): "If they're gonna cheat, then all of us have to take a hard look at what the effect of that cheating is on democracy . And that means we've all got to stand up and do the right thing. So as far as I'm concerned, everything is on the table."

So the cankles guy wandering around on the roof shouting about nukes doesn’t have to give health updates?

Hello. The president's continued insistence that the BLS numbers are rigged, political, or otherwise manipulated is a lie. Please stop saying 'baseless claim.' Thank you.

Attorneys for Jeffrey Epstein survivors say history is repeating itself with Trump's DOJ "sidelining them from critical decisions."

It suggests that "victims are, at best, an afterthought to the current administration."

Full letter storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

There’s a New Sheriff in Town. But Buffalo Area Jails Remain as Dangerous as Ever. - Bolts Despite federal oversight, elections, and promises of reform from a new sheriff, little has changed for people detained in Erie County jails.

New York’s Erie County (home to one million people and the city of Buffalo) voted for Harris over Trump by 10%. Months later — in the context of a ton of attention on sheriffs and ICE — the Republican sheriff is running for re-election unopposed.

@rainalips.bsky.social explains why this matters:

As you discuss sexual predator Ghislaine Maxwell's totally unsurprising (and justified) opposition to unsealing the grand jury transcripts, remember that Trump's defense attorney @DAGToddBlanche ALREADY notified third parties they're in there.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

This is incredible investigative journalism and delivery.
Gotta watch it.

Russia's Useful Idiom, John Ratcliffe: Lost in Two Translations - emptywheel The July 26 SVR email that discusses framing Hillary Clinton is almost certainly the first of the emails about a plan cited in John Durham's classified annex. And John Ratcliffe may not know this, but...

The results:

Russia's Useful Idiom, John Ratcliffe: Lost in Two Translations

www.emptywheel.net/2025/08/05/r...

A table tracking the 12 documents cited in the Durham classified annex. Document Foonotes Description Language Classified Appendix Document-1 6 Something about Benardo Unknown Classified Appendix Document-2 9, 10, 11 January 2016 Loretta Lynch report and March 2016 Loretta Lynch report Translated Classified Appendix Document-3 30 Draft report purporting to describe Clinton plan Translated Classified Appendix Document-4 34, 37 Third fake Benardo email, dated July 25 (included as second document in report) “English” Classified Appendix Document-5 36 First fake Benardo email, dated July 25 “English” Classified Appendix Document-6 36, 39 The July 27 SVR email and a second version of fake Benardo email, dated July 25, not included “English” Classified Appendix Document-7 38 The Deep State email -- described as FBI translation Russian: described as FBI translation Classified Appendix Document-8 40, 41 The July 27 Benardo email, attached to completely redacted email Russian, English Classified Appendix Document-9 46, 47, 48 Tim Maurer email about Thomas Rid article and July 27 Julianne Smith NATO solicitation English Classified Appendix Document 10 Redacted fn 76 Redacted text Unknown Classified Appendix Document-11 77, 92 2017 CIA report English Classified Appendix Document-12 96 September 2016 Intelligence Note relating to Russian election interference English

Spouse today teased me today about being a CompLit PhD covering legal cases.

I told him I did legit CompLit today: Tracking translations and footnotes.

😜

It seems we used to have a system where people were forced to work in fields for food benefits. I can't remember the name of it exactly, but I don't think it was called "dignity." 🫣

FWIW, *I* thought he looked like he had been drinking or fucking on the plane. Maybe both.

Someone dressed him up. Gave him a jacket. Told him to get down the stairs safely.

And the DOD rapid response sucked up to him for his success at ... walking down some stairs.

A bar graph showing steadily accumulating new sanctions until Trump comes into office.

Senators @shaheen.senate.gov and @warren.senate.gov roll out report showing how Trump has let up pressure on Russia.

www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

Thus, the need for gerrymandering.

This is really bad: there is a whole research literature on performance perversity, and what happens when you attach high powered incentives to public services. You get results, but due process usually goes out the window and cheating becomes rampant.

WATCH: “Democracy demands our outrage, and our courage.”

Rep. @jamestalarico.bsky.social says he shares Maddow’s view that we have “crossed a line”, and says he hopes Tx dems breaking quorum will inspire others to stand up to would-be tyrant Trump.

Full: youtu.be/8_OzeeDmoyk?si

Despite his threats, Governor Abbott can’t remove lawmakers from office for protecting the right to vote.

I sent him a letter to remind him of what all Texans know: the Governor is not a king.

Read my full letter ⬇️

This is called a confession. bsky.app/profile/acyn...

I see why he bankrupted casinos.

Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) voted to give billionaires a major tax break, while cutting Medicaid and food stamps for everyone else.

If DHS cares about keeping children safe from predators, they should be going full throttle after Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump, releasing the Epstein files, and investigating everyone covering for Trump.

But all they care about is creating propaganda to support their racist narrative.