COURIER

YouTube video by How Is This Better? with Akilah Hughes Space Is Over (Unless You're Rich)

What happens when a president decides America is done with space? @akilahhughes.com digs into the Trump administration’s unprecedented plans to slash NASA’s budget with guest Casey Dreier of @planetarysociety.bsky.social in this week's How Is This Better.

Join COURIER for an end-of-year event in Washington, D.C. on December 11th to celebrate voices of resistance, reflect on the lessons of 2025, and explore how courage drives the fights ahead. RSVP today:

Can Aftyn Behn Flip The Table In This Southern MAGA Stronghold? Also inside: swing state Dems facing attack ads, outside spending in the TN-7 race, and Big Oil’s new name

A gerrymandered MAGA district in Tennessee is suddenly looking … competitive? FWIW guest author Scott Schuler dives into what you need to know about the upcoming special election — and the outside money being poured into the race.

The Last Picture Show The “Epic Epic Epic” Bannon-Epstein Bromance

American Freakshow author @ninaburleigh.bsky.social takes a deep dive into the recently released Epstein emails and shines a light on Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein's (really) close relationship — and the bizarre documentary project they were working on together.

How the media ‘pardon’ political criminals News outlets paper over the ugly pasts of right-wing extremists

It’s the media’s version of a “pardon” when news outlets fail to remind the public of past crimes by Trump and his mischief makers such as Steve Bannon.
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How the media ‘pardon’ political criminals News outlets paper over the ugly pasts of right-wing extremists

Trump's not the only one passing out pardons. Legacy media outlets are papering over the ugly pasts of right-wing extremists and, in turn, helping rehabilitate them as newsmakers. @markjacob.bsky.social deep dives into the issue in this week's Stop the Presses.

YouTube video by Panic World The Middle School Conspiracies that Somehow Everyone Heard

No matter where you lived, middle schoolers in the early 2000s were united by one thing: schoolyard rumors. Panic World host @ryanhatesthis.bsky.social is joined by No Such Thing in this week's episode to get to the bottom of some of the era's most infamous conspiracies.

This is disgusting.

Why another shutdown showdown looms around the corner COURIER congressional correspondent Michael Jones explains the three factors that could lead us to another government shutdown.

After Trump's historically long shutdown, Congress reopened just last week. But the chaos might not be over. COURIER contributor @michaeljones.bsky.social warns that another government shutdown could be right around the corner.

The House just voted to release the Epstein files 👀

The Epstein Storm As we await the release of the Epstein files, let’s revisit QAnon.

"The specter of Jeffrey Epstein is an albatross around Trump’s neck and one of few things that consistently derails his administration," writes @melissaryan.bsky.social in this week's Ctrl Alt Right Delete.

This is total bullsh*t.

This is a must-watch PSA.

Anabel Mendoza: Trump’s War Is Already on Our Streets — We’re Building Power to Stop It. We can’t wait for justice to come to us. It’s time to claim it together.

"Winning is contagious. And if you’re like me, you’re done with politicians who’ve grown far too comfortable with losing. We don’t have the luxury to lose right now," writes @anabelforcongress.bsky.social, the 27-year-old running to serve Illinois’ 7th Congressional District.

Today, we formally launch “The Diagnosis,” in partnership with Courier.

This digital series is in keeping with my core promise to all of you —> focus on truth and issues that matter to all of us and our health.

Episode 1: The Threats to SNAP

Please tune in!

@couriernewsroom.bsky.social

How I helped Zohran Mamdani turn 45,000 social media DMs into a real-life army of volunteers Social media chatbots are worth the hype (I promise).

How did NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani take his online success and turn it into tangible supporter action? The digital strategist behind his chatbot infrastructure, Gabriella Zutrau, breaks it down for COURIER in today's FWIW.

You don't want to miss our end-of-year event in Washington, D.C.! On December 11th, COURIER will bring together key voices of the resistance to celebrate courage and examine how we can best fight for our future. RSVP now:

YouTube video by How Is This Better? with Akilah Hughes These Cheap Vertical Videos May END Hollywood (As We Know It)

Hollywood (as we once knew it) may have collapsed, but a new form of “storytelling” is thriving in the rubble. How Is This Better host @akilahhughes.com investigates the rise of clipping and vertical dramas with @theankler.com's Matthew Frank and journalist @dexdigi.bsky.social.

We created a searchable database with all 20,000 files from Epstein’s Estate Easily find every mention of Trump, Clinton, blackmail, and potential sex crimes in the thousands of private messages between Epstein and his close associates.

Have you seen our viral new database? COURIER created an easy way for you to search all 20,000 of the files just released from Epstein’s estate.

(Note: Trump's name appears in them more than anyone else, in 1,628 documents.)

Ray Brescia: Dissent Is Deeply American Trump’s attacks on fundamental American rights are dangerous and destructive of core democratic values

"It is hard to argue that anything would have rankled the Founders as much as these intolerant and violent displays of government authority designed to punish dissent," writes @raybrescia.bsky.social, a professor of law at Albany Law School, for COURIER.

Celebrate the Court's Rejection of Kim Davis’s Effort to Overturn Marriage Equality But Do Not Let Your Guard Down The Roberts Court Chose Not to Cause Furor by Revisiting Obergefell Before the Midterms, Instead Focuses on Allowing Republicans to Rig Maps

"We are not out of the woods. In fact, we are deep in the forest on a long, dark night, and marriage equality still remains at real risk." @thelisagraves.bsky.social breaks down why the Roberts Court *really* rejected a petition filed by Kim Davis in Grave Injustice.

Wyatt Deihl: Trump’s Economy of Despair and the God It Serves When Trump’s economy falters, right-wing religion fills the void, transforming pain into political power.

"While Trump’s political cronies pull the levers to make you sicker and poorer, they are also leading us down a much darker, more sinister path – one built on manufactured overwhelm and desperation," writes Wyatt Deihl.

Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) is the 218th signature on the bipartisan discharge petition demanding the release of the Epstein files. Under House rules, the House must act in 7 legislative days.

Andrea Joy Campbell: In the Wealthiest Nation on Earth, No One Should Go Hungry In Massachusetts and beyond, Attorneys General are making sure families can put food on the table

"We were grateful for that help, not because we were looking for a handout, but because it meant my brothers and I could eat breakfast before school," writes @ajcampbellma.bsky.social, who recently co-led 26 states in taking the Trump admin to court over its decision to suspend food assistance.

YouTube video by Panic World The History of “Influencers” Running For Office (Since 1870)

Is there a place for “influencers” in politics? Congressional candidate @katmabu.bsky.social joins @ryanhatesthis.bsky.social on Panic World to talk about how her experience tangling with the far-right online prepared her for running for office.

How news coverage eases us into tyranny When the media act like things are normal, they don’t reassure us – they gaslight us

That old metaphor about the frog and the boiling water isn’t true: If you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly raise the heat, the frog will jump out before it gets boiled to death.
The question now is whether American journalists are smarter than frogs.
My Stop the Presses newsletter.

In this week's episode of How Is This Better, @profgabriele.com talks to @akilahhughes.com about how Trump's rise encouraged White Christian Nationalists in their efforts to erase the line between Church and State. Watch the full episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vE5...

Michael Burnell, Jr: Veterans Stepped Up for Our Country, but Washington Keeps Stepping Away from its Responsibilities After a new plan to criminalize 7-OH and a meaningless monthlong shutdown, Washington’s promises to veterans sound emptier than ever.

"If you’ve ever thanked a veteran, this is the moment to mean it. Don’t just post a flag or say the words. Demand better. Call the senators who stopped fighting for Americans on November 9," writes U.S. Air Force veteran Michael Burnell, Jr.

You Say You Want a Revolution Luigi, Mamdani and Leo DiCaprio

How are Luigi Mangione, Zohran Mamdani, and Leonardo DiCaprio all connected? American Freakshow author @ninaburleigh.bsky.social lays it out for us in her riveting exploration of America's thirst for revolution in the era of Trump.

How news coverage eases us into tyranny When the media act like things are normal, they don’t reassure us – they gaslight us

"Trump has been dropping feces on us for a decade… and now we’re used to it." @markjacob.bsky.social dives into legacy media's response (or their lack of it) to Trump's lunacy and how these outlets are contributing to the gaslighting of America.