Dara T. Mathis

Screenshot Jonathan Edward Durham @thisone@verhere It was the omg what now of times, it was the are you fing kidding me of times

Yes indeed!!🤦🏻‍♀️

“We are going to have to live here with each other,” Ezra Klein says. But the political movement that controls the Republican Party and the American government does not accept his notion of a “We” – their counter is: But what if we don’t, actually? Or at least not as equals.

“We are going to have to live here with each other” sounds good in a vacuum. But it reveals itself to be a remarkably naïve and/or disingenuous proposition as soon as we move from abstract notions of “our disagreements” to asking: What are we disagreeing over, exactly?

Well, I try and try to forget you, girl
But it's just so hard to do
Every time you do that thing you do

Blocking my column because it was too opinionated was a shock. I’ve authored many pieces over my 17 years writing the Federal Diary (renamed the Federal Insider in 2016), that were at least if not more opinionated as the now dead one. In that piece, I argued that “one hallmark of President Donald Trump’s first three, turbulent months in office is his widespread, ominous attack on thought, belief and speech.” The piece contained specific examples, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s alarming memo supporting deportation of Columbia University pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil. Rubio said Khalil could be expelled for “expected beliefs…that are otherwise lawful.” What immigrants might believe in the future now can make them federal law enforcement targets. Another far-reaching example I cited is Trump’s aggressive attack on speech promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). His executive order commanded federal agencies to “excise references to DEI and DEIA [“A” for accessibility] principles, under whatever name they may appear.” Also, Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, of Turkey, was abducted off the street by masked officers because she co-wrote an op-ed critical of Israel. It was a terrifying sight, caught on video, which previously would have seemed more applicable to George Orwell’s dystopian and cautionary tale against totalitarianism and thought police in is novel “1984.” This is America in 2025. Killing that column was a death blow to my life as a Washington Post columnist. But I wrote two more articles to see if I could cope with the restrictions. That’s when I learned just how severe the policy is. In my next piece, I was not allowed to describe a potential pay raise for federal employees as “well-deserved” because of Post policy. As a columnist, I can’t live with that level of constraint. A column without commentary made me a columnist without a column. I also was troubled by significant inconsistencies in the implementation of the p…

Joe Davidson, longtime Washpost columnist, quit due to editing restrictions. He couldn't call a pay raise for fed'l employees "well deserved" or say that a hallmark of Trump’s "turbulent months in office is his widespread, ominous attack on thought, belief & speech”

www.facebook.com/story.php?st...

We are witnessing the birth of new generational trauma. I remember my Oma's face when she recalled the horrors of WWII in her tiny town. People, her friends disappearing. She fought Hitler from the inside. I will continue that legacy here. Love to all 💜

Day laborers, like college students, are worth all of our protection. Los Angeles is showing us what that looks like in practice.

It’s the kind of morning where I’m waiting for the tea kettle to whistle but forgot to turn on the stove 🫠

US pauses new student visas: What it means and who it will affect The Trump administration has paused new visa interviews for international students set to attend US universities.

The Trump administration has paused new visa interviews for international students set to attend US universities.

And Palestinians are getting less than this

feel like health sciences faculty at UNC Chapel Hill have to mobilize with the faculty senate to help save tenure for their colleagues 👀

Revealed: UnitedHealth secretly paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers A Guardian investigation finds insurer quietly paid facilities that helped it gain Medicare enrollees and reduce hospitalizations. Whistleblowers allege harm to residents

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

Revealed: UnitedHealth secretly paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers

"You know, I saw SINNERS three times in theaters."

The biggest endorsement I can make for Bluesky is that replacing Twitter with this app on my phone probably improved my general mood when I’m on my phone by 20-25%. I know there are better reasons but it is what it is!

We made it to May, FWIW.

Judge Rebukes Apple and Orders It to Loosen Grip on App Store The ruling was a stinging defeat for Apple in a long-running antitrust case brought by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, on behalf of app developers.

Breaking News: A judge rebuked Apple for thwarting an antitrust ruling, criticized its chief executive and said the company must loosen its App Store grip.

Happy May 1st. The value of your labor belongs to you and the actions of the state are best understood as as a coordinated effort to distract you from this. The state fears an organized and unified proletariat like it fears death and rightly so. Power to the workers and power to the people

The only social media apps that will survive (and thrive; an important distinction) in the next decade are the ones that re-emphasize the “social” in “social media”.

I’m infrequently here, but I’m here today lol.

Hey yall! 👋🏾

re the previous repost: if they can disappear permanent residents they can disappear citizens

Black music, especially gospel music. it’s Black embodiment to me. I don’t know connection to my people without it. samba, reggaeton, dancehall, kompa, high life — all diaspora music.

So.

It has officially happened. I have been officially let go from my position at CDC. I wasn’t a probationary employee. I had stellar performance reviews every year.

I’ll be ok. But please understand that many worked HARD to get into these positions and were doing great public health work.

I agree. It’s a warmer zone than the recent past R&B

Freelance Journalists Latria Graham and Zaydee Sanchez Awarded 2025 American Mosaic Journalism Prize Journalists Latria Graham and Zaydee Sanchez Awarded the American Mosaic Journalism Prize for Coverage of Misrepresented Communities, Including Black Americans, Migrant Farmers, and Transgender Latinx...

😅 I didn't plan to start my early days on this platform this way, but yesterday I was named a recipient of @heisingsimonsfdn.bsky.social's 2025 American Mosaic Journalism Prize. I'm thrilled to share this recognition with photojournalist Zaydee Sanchez. More info here: tinyurl.com/28rt8pz2

Article here, it's free: https://substack.com/@sarahkendzior/p-157285080

substack.com/@sarahkendzi...

If you’re wondering why I declined to talk to the NYTimes, then you haven’t been following my account for very long.

They bear a direct responsibility for the current situation we find ourselves in, and I responded by laying out my position and that I would only talk to @jamellebouie.net

This winter/spring makes five years since the start of the pandemic. I can tell my mind is still muddled by “pandemic time” when I am thoroughly surprised that people I think of with pandemic babies somehow now have 5-year-olds?!