Peter Slevin

JB Pritzker has some thoughts.

The Texas Democrats’ Remote Resistance After leaving the state to block the G.O.P. from redrawing the state’s congressional maps, Democratic lawmakers are keeping the pressure on from afar.

Texas Democrats know they don't have the votes to stop Trump and Abbott, but they have a story they want us to hear. Rep. Gina Hinojosa: “The only way that we have any hope of getting out of this is if every freedom-loving American does everything in their power to push back.” tinyurl.com/xtjzav7r

If it feels as though a giant wave is crashing over your head, you’re not alone. A few thoughts about this moment in the Trump presidency, with appearances by Jen Easterly and Jared Wise. One is out of the administration, one is in. Guess which way the axe fell. www.facebook.com/peter.slevin...

The Farmers Harmed by the Trump Administration Four months ago, the government cut funding to agricultural labs. Kansas farmers and researchers say they can see the damage.

Great story by @peterslevin.bsky.social tracing how agricultural research in Africa helps U.S. farmers.

Starts with aphid-resistant sorghum in Kansas, then other reasons we created these programs in the first place; features Tim Dalton (my first PhD student!), Dave Tschirley & other #FoodEcon folks

In this brief, @marthasjones.bsky.social and I demonstrate that free Black Americans spent decades claiming birthright citizenship against those who denied it, that the Framers of the 14 Amend. listened, and that these facts should matter to today's Courts.
www.brennancenter.org/media/13981/...

At Northwestern, targeted by the Trump administration, more than 100 Jewish faculty joined together to call the threats unwarranted and "deeply offensive." They said it would be wrong "to punish Northwestern financially or to limit academic freedom in the name of protecting Jewish students."

Jewish faculty members sign statement criticizing Trump admin More than 100 Jewish faculty members signed a statement condemning the Trump administration for making “unwarranted threats” to Northwestern and taking away the rights of students, faculty and researc...

More than 100 Jewish faculty members at Northwestern signed a statement condemning the Trump administration for punishing NU financially and limiting academic freedom “in the name of Jews.”
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Reported by Nineth Kanieski Koso

The president of the United States on Truth Social, 6 minutes apart.

This is Utah in case anyone’s wondering how pissed off people are. I have never seen anything like this.

The ongoing White House effort to construct an alternate reality

David Remnick writes: Donald Trump "has the unwavering support of his MAGA base, the cowed compliance of his congressional caucus, and the backing of multibillionaires such as Jeff Bezos, who would rather diminish the vitality of his newspaper than risk the dinner invitations of the sovereign."

(cont.) "No president in memory has ever erupted at a visiting foreign leader in such a vituperous way on camera, not even enemies of the United States, much less a putative ally."

The NYT's Peter Baker on the Oval Office meeting: "The president’s verbal assault on Mr. Zelensky was a remarkable display of anger and resentment toward the leader of a country that has been invaded by a larger power intent on eliminating it as an independent state."

The @wsj.com asked its opinion staff about the first month of Trump 2.0. This was the first comment from a member of the team, apparently serious: "What stands out most in DT's first month isn't any one action, but the professionalism behind the aggressive and action-packed game plan."

Protest today outside the federal building in Asheville, NC. Chants of "Where's Thom Tillis?? Where's Thom Tillis??"

Another resignation from SDNY. Pulling no punches in describing the inexcusable political directive from Trump's former personal attorney, now at the Department of Justice.

Federal buyouts affect Asheville's NOAA office and the future of climate data A federal judge suspended the buyout deadline for government employees, impacting thousands in North Carolina—including NOAA workers in Asheville who play a key role in climate data collection.

The majority of the federal workforce is not in or around Washington, DC.

Here's an example from Western North Carolina--an area that is still trying to dig out from the effects of Helene & now may have to endure jobs cuts (& will have to deal w/ buyouts) as well ⤵️

www.bpr.org/bpr-news/202...

A big misconception about USAID is that $40 billion rains from the sky over foreign lands. Fact is, billions stay here. USAID buys $2 billion worth of food from U.S. farmers each year. Think of truck drivers, pharma workers, researchers. Last year, $1 billion went to small businesses in the U.S.

Raw numbers. The world's richest man and what he's doing to some of the poorest.

At the San Francisco airport. I wanted to buy a paper or two to read on the flight home to Chicago. “We don’t sell newspapers,” the clerk at, checks notes, Sunset News, said.

A bit of perspective, also remembering that total U.S. foreign aid spending is less than 1 percent of the annual federal budget

This is how it's done. Exposing lies and suppositions with evidence and clarity. x.com/kaitlancolli...

Donald Trump calls the Jan 6ers "patriots" and "hostages." After all, Jan. 6 was "a day of love," he said in October, nearly four years after 140 law officers were assaulted at the Capitol. Here's the reaction of one of the pardoned patriots who joined the lovefest.

A few details about the pardoned Jan. 6ers, whom Donald Trump calls “patriots.” (Source: DOJ) -- A total of 140 police officers assaulted -- Roughly 900 defendants pleaded guilty to federal charges -- At least 146 pleaded guilty to federal charges of assaulting law officers.

In their very first hours in power, Trump's team raced to show disdain for abortion rights and women's health care by taking down the federal reproductiverights.gov website.

Facebook's Zuckerberg says "Fact checking? Nah." @washingtonpost.com: "Meta has rolled back or weakened policies intended to reduce the spread of falsehoods on its network. In the run-up to the 2024 election, the company allowed politicians to claim the 2020 election was rigged in political ads...."

The cartoon that The Washington Post editorial page editor wouldn't print, leading to the resignation of Pulitzer-winning cartoonist @anntelnaes.bsky.social

How Much Do Democrats Need to Change? In Wisconsin, many of the Party’s candidates fared well, suggesting that the Presidential loss was not all it seemed.

Democrats in Wisconsin, assessing the 2024 campaign and what comes next . @benwikler.bsky.social
on Trump 2.0: “We’re about to have a big defining battle that gives us a chance to show who we are.”https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-much-do-democrats-need-to-change

"I'm not setting fire to any playbooks around here," said Ryan Spaude, a Democrat who flipped a Republican legislative district in Wisconsin, even as Kamala Harris lost.

Witnessing a Federal Execution William Barr has announced plans to put five federal prisoners to death. After reporting on the use of capital punishment, I wonder, What purpose do these executions fulfill?

On Joe Biden's death penalty decision: When Trump and Barr decided to start executing people, I wrote a piece for @newyorker.com about an execution I witnessed. The man was named Juan Garza. I asked, "Are we a safer country as a result of Garza’s death? Are we a better one?" tinyurl.com/52jcznf3