John Schwartz

Opinion | Donald Trump Is Unfit to Lead (Published 2024) He failed the tests of leadership and betrayed America. Voters must stand up to him in November.

They did warn us. Over and over, in editorials and news stories. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

White House has no plan to mandate IVF care, despite campaign pledge President Donald Trump has said he wants a “baby boom,” but critics say his administration has yet to make significant family policy changes — and that Medicaid cuts will hurt.

More campaign lies. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

What kind of logic is that, exactly?

This week's Joseph Welch Award Friends,

“Make no mistake. All this comes directly out of the authoritarian-fascist playbook: Control the arts. Rewrite history. Force the culture to celebrate its strongman as a heroic figure.”
@rbreich.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Trump’s Efforts to Control Information Echo an Authoritarian Playbook

“Firing the top statistical official sends a clear signal to others across the government that you are expected to compromise scientific integrity to appease the president… This puts us in dangerous territory far from an accountable and reality-based government.” @peterbakernyt.bsky.social

How the DOE and EPA used and misused my research Elevating contrarian views while burying the actual science

Trump’s climate report “cherrypicks figures and parts of studies to support a preconceived narrative that minimizes the risk of climate change.” @hausfath.bsky.social knows: it was his research they twisted to fit their preconceived narrative. open.substack.com/pub/theclima...

(I should make clear that this is the Udvar-Hazy extension of the Air and Space near Dulles airport.)

it was okay -- a film about flight with a lot of rocking. the one next to us put us into barrel rolls and some very wild stuff.

You know I love Texas, but the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is the perfect home for the space shuttle Discovery.

About to try out a simulator at the Air & Space—

Bias or Just BS? Another blow to CBS News

“The vast majority of people I worked with throughout my career were dedicated journalists, rock-solid reporters. They believed in objectivity and curiosity and in questioning authority and standing up to power, regardless of whom they voted for.” steady.substack.com/p/bias-or-ju...

The Publicist on Call for Controversy

This soulless yo-yo is basically Christopher Buckley’s “Thank You For Smoking” come to life. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/s...

States Have More Data About You Than the Feds Do. Trump Wants to See It.

“I can only conclude that they’re trying to amass a comprehensive, universal database to surveil the American people and to weaponize the data for their agenda,” said California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, whose office has helped coordinate the Medicaid and food stamp lawsuits.

How the Threat of Trump’s Highest Tariff Derailed an African Nation The president backed off his call for a 50 percent tariff on Lesotho, imposing 15 percent instead. But in a country where most people live hand-to-mouth, the damage was already done.

Trump's tariffs, causing misery around the world. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/w...

Our long driving trip is coming to an end, but this moment from Great Smoky Mountains National Park was so lovely: kids at a waterfall finding and counting salamanders and SO EAGER TO TELL US ALL ANOUT SEEING SALAMANDERS and it’s okay to feel good about things for a while, y’all.

Trump, Claiming Weak Jobs Numbers Were ‘Rigged,’ Fires Labor Official

Trump only likes things that are pro Trump. Facts are anti-Trump. So now you understand his war on BLS, Covid stats, and education in general. Basically, he shot the messenger on Fifth Avenue. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/b...

Durham’s Debunking of the ‘Clinton Plan’ Emails, Explained

Nobody dissects this tendentious BS like @charliesavage.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/u...

“Stating,” dagnabit

Knowing: Still Only Half the Battle On showing receipts. Plus: Build the wall? Not if you need a filling. And an obit goes awry.

Why “everybody knows that” is a tiresome and idiotic response. Good reporting can puts meat on the bones of what we THINK we know, and provides important new information. cynicism helps no one. @bgrueskin.bsky.social www.cjr.org/laurels-and-...

Insanity. You GO to Charleston to learn more about slavery in the places where it happened. And to eat shrimp and grits.

I’m sorry to say I don’t know—we were on the East side on the way back to 17 and just saw it and stopped for the pic.

A department of theology dating, “You know, Satan makes some good points!”

u.s. department of energy post on x praising coal: "She's an icon She's a legend And she is the moment [sparkly picture of coal]

struggling with an analogy here but imagine NASA posting a meme about how excited they are to return aviation to the pre-jet age

Hard to say?

Very skinny house alone on a lot

Charleston is pretty great.

Smithsonian removes Trump from impeachment exhibit in American history museum A temporary placard, on display since 2021, described the president's historic impeachments. Officials said the exhibit was restored to an earlier version following a review of legacy content.

6079 Winston Smith reporting for duty at the Smithsonian wapo.st/3HhfyxU

Smithsonian removes Trump from impeachment exhibit in American history museum A temporary placard, on display since 2021, described the president's historic impeachments. Officials said the exhibit was restored to an earlier version following a review of legacy content.

6079 Winston Smith reporting for duty at the Smithsonian wapo.st/3HhfyxU

Why you can be confident that climate change made the Texas floods worse the importance of testing the right hypothesis

Another great essay to share with your climate denier friends. It won't convince them, but really strong and fact-based arguments annoy the heck out of them, so there's that.

www.theclimatebrink.com/p/why-you-ca...

Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just admitted that the Big Ugly Bill's "Trump Accounts" are a "backdoor for privatizing Social Security."

This follows Trump and DOGE slashing SSA staffing levels to record lows.

Make no mistake: the Trump regime is waging war on Social Security.

Chris Tomlinson - Houston Chronicle <p>Chris Tomlinson writes commentary about money, politics and life in Texas for Hearst Newspapers. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:ctomlinson@hearstcorp.com" target="\_blank" rel="noopener">ctom...

“Drawing the lines to deny people the right to elect representatives to Congress is a cheap play by wanna-be authoritarians and not in keeping with the founding principles of this nation.” @cltomlinson.bsky.social www.houstonchronicle.com/author/chris...