Pure extortion.

August 22, 2025 In these last days of August, with Congress on hiatus and the Epstein files looming, the Trump White House appears to be making a big move to consolidate power over the federal government, weaponize i...

August 22, 2025

May 24, 2025 On Thursday the Trump administration told Harvard University that because it had not handed over information on foreign students’ protest activities, violent activity, and coursework, the university h...

May 25, 2025

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” – George Washington

Cory Booker and Hakeem Jeffries Live on the steps of the Capitol YouTube video by Senator Cory Booker

This is a moral moment in America. Sitting on the Capitol steps with Leader Hakeem Jeffries this morning to discuss what’s at stake with Trump’s budget and affirm the need for collective action to protect Medicaid, food assistance, and other safety net programs. @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social

Just sat down on the Capitol Steps with my good friend @booker.senate.gov to have a real conversation about the dangerous situation we confront in America.

And what we can all do to stop it.

Tune in live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBej...

Rep Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Sen Cory Booker (D-NJ) are executing a marathon live stream on east steps of Capitol

Rep Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, says GOP House budget will gut health and nutritional assistance programs

'Free Le Pen!' Trump, Musk and Vance voice support for French far-right leader U.S. President Donald Trump, his Vice President JD Vance and billionaire backer Elon Musk have all voiced their support to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen after she was found guilty of embezzlement and barred from running in France's 2027 presidential election.

US President Donald Trump, his Vice President JD Vance and billionaire backer Elon Musk have all voiced their support to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen after she was found guilty of embezzlement and barred from running in France's 2027 presidential election reut.rs/4hZ0wcE

Trump's VA is ending a rescue program that's saved 17,000 military veterans' homes The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will end a mortgage rescue plan that has saved many veterans from needlessly losing their homes, the move could strand thousands of others who need help.

The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will end a mortgage rescue plan that has saved many veterans from needlessly losing their homes, the move could strand thousands of others who need help.

Where’s the Beef (Tallow)? Steak ’n Shake’s RFK Jr.–centric rebrand and Donald Trump’s growing polling weakness.

"For the sake of the country, there’s no more important thing Trump opponents can do than find every opportunity to chip away at his popular approval." Be alarmed, but do not be intimidated. His approval is already slipping.

We Are Higher Ed

Hello, Bluesky!! We are a collective of academics who are standing up for higher education. Join us: www.wearehighered.org

Opinion | RFK Jr. Is Already Vindicating His Critics Shrinking HHS makes sense, but giving power to antivaccine crusader David Geier doesn’t.

Wall Street Journal editorial board:

"Our worst fears about Mr. Kennedy are coming true..."

www.wsj.com/opinion/rfk-...

Nebraskans voted for Trump over Harris 59.32% to 38.86%. Here’s what that got them.

Like most bullies, Trump can be constrained only if everyone stands up to his bullying. Go to town halls. Tell your local media to report on DOGE cuts in your community. Keep speaking out. The fight against authoritarianism will take all of us — and we can't relent.

We expected 2,000 people out in GOP-held Greeley, Colorado.

11,000 people showed up.

Something special is happening, folks. Now is the time to organize in every dimension possible and get to work.

Screenshot of Lawfare Trump litigation tracker, available at https://www.lawfaremedia.org/projects-series/trumps-first-100-days/tracking-trump-administration-litigation The post says that Lawfare is now tracking 125 cases

Our incredible editorial team (@annahickey.bsky.social et al.) have been diligently tracking the lawsuits brought against the Trump administration.

The @lawfare.bsky.social litigation tracker now includes 125 cases and counting.

🫡 🫡 🫡

www.lawfaremedia.org/projects-ser...

Something we haven’t focused on enough is that the Trump administration isn’t just deporting people without process, it’s deporting them & incarcerating them in inhumane conditions in a third country. And we are paying for that cruel & unusual punishment that our government is imposing.

Trump’s FBI Moves to Criminally Charge Major Climate Groups The Trump administration is targeting climate organizations that received a Biden-era grant.

Link to article: t.co/Q54h9YRMBP

A student’s future should never depend on whether certain politicians in state legislatures value education. 👏🏻

A Decade of Cuts in a Matter of Days The Trump administration’s rapid terminations of NIH grants is its most aggressive attempt yet to control American science.

The Trump administration is playing whack-a-mole with American science. @katherinejwu.com reports on the “utter and complete chaos” at the NIH:

Trump and Musk have huge conflicts of interest. Who’s policing them? The White House shouldn’t be a place for people to go enrich themselves.

“It’s a real problem that federal conflicts-of-interest laws don’t apply to the president and vice president,” @eepetry.bsky.social told @voxdotcom.bsky.social. “That’s something that Congress can and should change."

KEEP CALLING. PEEL OFF ALL DEM SENATORS YOU CAN.

☎️: (202) 224-3121

Tell them to vote NO on Cloture and NO on CR. Vote is pushed to after 1:15ish for now. Situation is fluid.

The only public YES votes are Schumer and Fetterman. They need 7-8 total. KEEP CALLING.

Call retiring Senators too!

The Diseases Are Coming Elon Musk’s slash-and-burn government tear will have lasting effects on global health.

“Deadly diseases don’t bother with borders; no wall will keep them out. If America stays the course, 'Something went wrong' will become the epitaph of a great country, one that once led the world in global health preparedness,” Craig Spencer writes:

Trump’s Policies Have Shaken a Once-Solid Economic Outlook (Gift Article) Economic forecasts have deteriorated in recent weeks, reflecting the upheaval from federal layoffs, tariff moves and immigration roundups.

Trump inherited an economy that was firing on all cylinders. Now, just weeks into his tenure, the outlook is far gloomier -- and the sudden deterioration is due almost entirely to his policies and the uncertainty they have created.
@colbylsmith.bsky.social #EconSky
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/b...

This is what leadership looks like...

Some DOGE Staffers Are Drawing Six-Figure Government Salaries Engineers and executives at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency are drawing healthy taxpayer-funded salaries—sometimes from the very agencies they are cutting.

Engineers and executives at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency are drawing healthy taxpayer-funded salaries—sometimes from the very agencies they are cutting.

Democrats should boycott Trump's address tonight.

If they feel they need to attend, they must not signal to the nation that we're living in normal times.

Make good and loud trouble. Disrupt the speech. When he lies, boo loudly!

Anything less will legitimize Trump’s coup.

Struggling With Errors, DOGE Deletes Billions More From List of Savings For the second time in a week, Elon Musk’s government overhaul effort updated its “wall of receipts” to remove mistakes that inflated its success.

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency deleted hundreds more claims from its mistake-plagued “wall of receipts,” erasing $4 billion in additional savings that the group said it had made for U.S. taxpayers.

DOGE’s Foreign Aid Cuts Have Sparked ‘Total Chaos’ Around the World Human rights organizations say the cuts have undermined years of global democracy-building and free-speech initiatives and put the lives of their staff at risk.

I spent last week in Taipei with hundreds of human rights organizations, many of which had been impacted by the US aid freeze. While we were there, news came down that even more grants had been canceled, some of which were then reinstated. "Total chaos." @wired.com

www.wired.com/story/rights...

It's not the night of the long knives; it's apparently the year of the long knives.