Kurt Andersen

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/u...

Fascinating. And so important for Democrats to acknowledge. Immigrants, including the quarter here unlawfully, want tight border security and admission policies. But not reckless mass deportation of non-criminals by masked federal bullies. In other words, they agree with a majority of all Americans.

Brilliant @jamellebouie.net must-read on the “tight connection between autocratic governance and extreme graft,” how Trump-Republicanism is about “clearing the way for a smash and grab” to “siphon wealth from the public.” Savage, historically illuminating. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/o...

Feeling especially up for Thanksgiving this year.

Two centuries of world economic history in a perfect nutshell. The trajectories of the UK, Western Europe and the U.S. are what you’d figure — but Asia! Had no idea that in 1820 it was half the world’s GDP, before shriveling to less than a fifth in 1950. And of course now approaching half again.

Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice memo 4 months ago obeying Trump’s order not to investigate or prosecute anyone involved with Jeffrey Epstein.

And Pam Bondi’s announcement today, obeying Trump’s order, that DoJ will investigate his political adversaries friendly with Epstein.

Video: Reveal of Russian A.I. Humanoid Robot Goes Awry AIDOL, Russia’s first artificial intelligence-powered humanoid robot, collapsed onstage moments after it was revealed at a technology event in Moscow on Tuesday.

Favorite thing of the day

I haven’t. Read and very much liked this by brendanballou@bsky.social that came out last year, however.

Short-fingered vulgarian spectacularly living up to both parts of his nickname at once.

👏

My auto-boilerplate for all such binary left-right Whither Democrats journalism. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/u...

Another interesting historical fact from @pbump: 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁.

I knew that West Virginia, now one of the reddest, Trumpiest states, was a swing state back in the late 20th century. But here’s an astounding fact I just learned: in 1988, dweeby Massachusetts liberal governor Mike Dukakis won West Virginia!

The past is a foreign country.

New York millionaires: threatening to flee the city since 2009

In Evil Geniuses I explain how big business and the rich since 1980 have used complex, obscure tax and other systemic changes to keep making the rich richer and our economy more and more unfair and unaffordable to most Americans.

They just did it again. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...

Happy that he lost. Happy that these guys wasted $55 million. Happy that money failed to buy an election. www.thecity.nyc/2025/11/06/c...

Good, informative piece. Americans could have nice things too! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

...and very, very apologetically asked if we'd be move to a different table across the room. Because Cuomo was coming –– and demanding our table. The governor arrived, strutted over to our new table and, making no apologies, imperiously greeted Tom.

Asshole then, asshole to this day. 3/3

My wife and I were out for dinner at a little restaurant at an inn in Bedford, New York, with our old friends Tom Brokaw and his wife, who were regulars. Seated at a table they'd reserved by the fireplace to toast his 70th birthday. Suddenly the flustered maître d' came over, kneeled to speak...2/3

Cuomo's grim, graceless concession speech last night could've been one of his regular campaign speeches. (He again mispronounced the name of the guy who'd just beaten him again.) It made me decide to tell the story of my one brief encounter with him, days after he'd become governor. 1/3

Hilarious panicky confusion from Ohio’s Republican governor nominee Ramaswamy: the party raising prices of imports and about to make health care impossibly unaffordable must somehow now make affordability *their* #1 issue. Replacing unabashed hateful bigotry as their brand. x.com/vivekgramasw...

Nicely played tonight, Zohran, quoting this Mario Cuomo line in your victory speech without naming him.

Interesting he’s admitting that Americans blame Republicans for the government shutdown. And also suggesting that the next Republican presidential nominee (if it’s not him, of course) is doomed.

Gentlemen: thank you for your service.

Trump just became a lot more of a lame duck.

44% of registered voters in New York City voted in this election. In the last five mayoral elections the turnouts ranged from 21% to 28%.

share.google/3DZQjeVpMd3e...

In Virginia the Democrat candidate for governor Abigail Spanberger is winning by about 10%—exactly her opinion poll average the last few weeks. So maybe polls aren’t useless?

In the mayoral debate 3 weeks ago, Cuomo agreeing with said Mayor La Guardia was the best ever, and praised Mayor Dinkins. Fun facts: 1) before La Guardia was elected to 3 terms as mayor he was elected to Congress as a socialist, and 2) Dinkins was a democratic socialist elected mayor as a Democrat.

Separated At Birth

Bad guy whose oil-rich nation we may start a war against for spurious reasons....
...and bad guy whose oil-rich nation we started a war against for spurious reasons that lasted 8 years, wasted the lives of 4500 U.S. troops and 200K Iraqi civilians, and directly cost $1 trillion.