Nostr notes by Sean Casten

Very good overview of the food insecurity that is hitting our ...

2026-08-26T13:09:59Z

Very good overview of the food insecurity that is hitting our communities as a result of the GOP's Big Ugly Bill and the kindness and decency being shown by our local food pantries in spite of those challenges. https://www.beverlyreview.net/news/community_news/article_3318c40b-12bc-49e1-9cde-1b0aff81b5dc.html

“Walk loudly and carry a small stick” is the core of ...

2026-08-24T19:54:02Z

“Walk loudly and carry a small stick” is the core of Trumpism, and Bessent is among its most talented practitioners.

And Adam Smith: "Wherever there is great property, there is ...

2026-08-17T13:46:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…prh5
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And Adam Smith: "Wherever there is great property, there is great inequality. For one very rich man, there must be at least five hundred poor, and the affluence of the few supposes the indigence of the many."

"...The Democratic idea, however, has been that if you ...

2026-08-17T13:45:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…klzn
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"...The Democratic idea, however, has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous, their prosperity will find its way up and through every class which rests upon them.”

Bryan: "There are two ideas of government: there are those ...

2026-08-17T13:45:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…2lsl
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Bryan: "There are two ideas of government: there are those who believe that, if you will only legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below...

Love the William Jennings Bryan quote from Heather Cox ...

2026-08-17T13:45:23Z

Love the William Jennings Bryan quote from Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter this morning, not least because it reminds me of what Adam Smith said in The Wealth of Nations:

The TL;DR - a Chinese national with a history of money ...

2026-08-09T13:06:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…0vdq
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The TL;DR - a Chinese national with a history of money laundering, no obvious personal wealth and ties to various Emiratis buys $100M of Trump family crypto tokens. That should set off MASSIVE red flags.

The crypto ecosystem could not be better designed to launder ...

2026-08-09T13:04:21Z

The crypto ecosystem could not be better designed to launder money in terms of its technology AND the utter lack of oversight against anything Trump (or Witkoff) related in this Congress. A reckoning is coming. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/us/politics/bobby-zhou-trump-crypto.html

Yet another case of economic illiteracy from the Trump ...

2026-08-07T21:30:40Z

Yet another case of economic illiteracy from the Trump administration. The US, lacking vibranium reserves of our own can't influence US production with tariffs on Wakandan exports. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50849559

This is ridiculously scary. Yes, we are currently talking about ...

2026-08-03T00:45:57Z

This is ridiculously scary. Yes, we are currently talking about ballrooms and reflecting pools and inflation and Iran and Venezuela and Epstein and crypto grift and the moral rot of the GOP. But all that is going to be forgotten soon. Shit is about to get real, as they say.

The danger however comes when we confuse his title for his ...

2026-08-02T14:37:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…7syg
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The danger however comes when we confuse his title for his expertise. "Secretary of Health Kennedy says ___" gives the air of legitimacy. Far better to say "Heroin addict Kennedy", "Man who eats road kill and has a brain worm", "Harvard drug dealer" or even "Nuzzi's ex boyfriend".

And if slow the deployment of vaccines that have kept people from ...

2026-08-02T14:37:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…gr9w
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And if slow the deployment of vaccines that have kept people from getting measles, polio, hepatitis and countless other communicable diseases, people will die. Not because RFK Jr. is evil. But because he is a true believer who is totally unqualified for his job.

All this may sound very philosophical, but when you put true ...

2026-08-02T14:36:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…z6zm
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All this may sound very philosophical, but when you put true believers in charge of science, people die. If you think bad weather is caused by witches, people die. If you think AIDS is God bringing vengeance on the LGBT community, people die.

Which brings me to RFK Jr. Because the reverse of that is also ...

2026-08-02T14:36:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…ahlp
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Which brings me to RFK Jr. Because the reverse of that is also true. You do not want someone running a scientific agency like the HHS who has been trained to persuade you of things that he believes without any consideration for whether they are actually true.

And that's fine! If I'm on trial, I don't want a ...

2026-08-02T14:36:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…45fj
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And that's fine! If I'm on trial, I don't want a lawyer who is explaining that my alibi makes it 48% likely that I'm not guilty and depends substantially on the jury cherry picking data from the evidence presented even if that is factually true. :)

Political training also doesn't seek truth. You learn to ...

2026-08-02T14:36:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…zrar
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Political training also doesn't seek truth. You learn to persuade. You learn to understand what people believe and perhaps to shift that belief. But it is not, at core, a truth seeking exercise, at least not at the level of the individual politician.

But legal training at core doesn't train you to seek truth. ...

2026-08-02T14:35:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…yzwm
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But legal training at core doesn't train you to seek truth. It trains you to understand the law, use the law to emphasize facts that advocate for your client and develop strategies to protect you from those facts that create risk for your client.

Not better, not worse. Just the opposite. And having a group of ...

2026-08-02T14:35:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…tfa2
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Not better, not worse. Just the opposite. And having a group of people working together who think in different ways makes that group better as they all come at the problem from different directions.

When people ask me now what part of that training prepared me for ...

2026-08-02T14:35:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…hfjf
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When people ask me now what part of that training prepared me for being in Congress, I always tell them that Congress is best when it includes people who think in lots of different ways. And the way that scientists think if often antithetical to the way politicians and lawyers think.

...like anything you do in the early part of your career, it ...

2026-08-02T14:35:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…cz3e
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...like anything you do in the early part of your career, it shaped the way I think. Doing science well requires you to train your brain to be hyper skeptical of yourself. Asking honestly what the data tells you is VERY different from asking what part of the data confirms your pre-existing belief.

If you'll allow me a bit of a philosophical digression here: ...

2026-08-02T14:35:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…tkr8
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If you'll allow me a bit of a philosophical digression here: I have an undergrad degree in molecular biology and biochemistry and an MS in biochemical engineering. I spent 1993 - 1997 doing basic benchtop research in cancer and biofuels. I would not claim expertise in either BUT...

RFK Jr has no scientific training. He's a history major with ...

2026-08-02T14:34:37Z

RFK Jr has no scientific training. He's a history major with a law degree who worked as an environmental advocate but has never spent any meaningful time doing science, or understanding how science is done. This isn't "an alternative scientific view". It's just kooky opinions. https://x.com/atrupar/status/2083907234405269638?s=20

Senior GOP staffer: "Everyone knows what the problem is: [we] ...

2026-08-01T18:14:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…xyte
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Senior GOP staffer: "Everyone knows what the problem is: [we] have spent the last decade prioritizing blind ideological loyalty instead of competence or intelligence... We have a generation of rabid, incompetent idiots.”

Worth the read. Every organization attracts people at the bottom ...

2026-08-01T18:12:21Z

Worth the read. Every organization attracts people at the bottom who reflect the character at the top. Put Trump, Hegseth, Vance at the top and this is what you get. politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/01/heritage-foundation-young-republicans-groypers-hiring-01006937

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… ...

2026-08-01T15:54:38Z

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Climate change is an “everything” problem. Wildfires, floods ...

2026-07-31T17:49:34Z

Climate change is an “everything” problem. Wildfires, floods and heat waves of course. But also waves of human migration and financial crises for homeowners, insurers and banks. The human pain is real, but ignoring it doesn’t make it go away. https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/5997570-climate-bill-rights-homebuyers/

"For 5 hrs, solar provided more electricity than nat gas... ...

2026-07-29T13:27:46Z

"For 5 hrs, solar provided more electricity than nat gas... [between 9 AM - 5 PM]... solar provided > 1/3 of all elec in TX. At times it topped 40% of supply. Solar also helped charge up enough batteries that TX set a record for battery output when the sun set". https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/doe-solar-power-day-night-texas

Based solely on the incomplete and heavily redacted documents ...

2026-07-17T13:27:27Z

Based solely on the incomplete and heavily redacted documents that have been produced BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, there is much more reason to suspect that Donald Trump raped minor children than there is that he won the 2020 election.

Dude's got nothing. No intelligence. No coherent theory of ...

2026-07-17T01:46:25Z

Dude's got nothing. No intelligence. No coherent theory of the case. No information that he has shared in a classified or non-classified setting. Just the slowly dawning realization that no one loves him. This is not the time for fear. Kick him while he's down. Cue the Mortal Kombat GIF.

6. In other words, an aging population was filling jobs and ...

2026-07-14T15:26:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…ejvu
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6. In other words, an aging population was filling jobs and creating growth thanks to immigrants under Biden. Trump’s reversals don’t undo aging; they just slow economic growth as less work gets done. It’s the demographics, stupid.

5. “immigration slowed markedly over the 12 months ending in ...

2026-07-14T15:23:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…pgsd
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5. “immigration slowed markedly over the 12 months ending in June 2025… Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate has moved down since reaching its recent peak in 2023, reflecting downward pressure from population aging”

4. Speaking of immigration, fewer people in our economy are ...

2026-07-14T15:21:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…p39d
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4. Speaking of immigration, fewer people in our economy are looking for work in the Trump economy, in large part because of Trump’s immigration policy. Specifically…

3. Next, look at labor impacts of Biden vs. Trump policies. 2021 ...

2026-07-14T15:19:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…7cfh
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3. Next, look at labor impacts of Biden vs. Trump policies. 2021 - 2025 saw an economy creating jobs faster than workers in spite of high immigration. Since Trump that’s reversed in spite of low immigration.

2. Compare that to Fig 43 to see the proof. Unlike 2020 COVID ...

2026-07-14T15:15:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…2q73
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2. Compare that to Fig 43 to see the proof. Unlike 2020 COVID inflation that was global, Trump’s only drove up US inflation. Global inflation stayed down until the Iran invasion when Trump policy jacked everyone’s prices.

1. First, look at Figure 1 to see how inflation is driven ...

2026-07-14T15:11:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…y6x2
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1. First, look at Figure 1 to see how inflation is driven directly by Trump policy. Liberation Day tariffs are Q1 2025, Iran attacks Q1 2026. You can see both price spikes in the data.

Really interesting stuff in the Federal Reserve’s July 2026 ...

2026-07-14T15:09:00Z

Really interesting stuff in the Federal Reserve’s July 2026 Monetary Policy Report that is very damning for the Trump administration’s policies. A thread I may not complete as I sit in the Warsh hearing today: https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/20260710_mprfullreport.pdf

This isn't complicated: Don't rape women. Don't ...

2026-07-07T13:12:31Z

This isn't complicated: Don't rape women. Don't ignore issues in a ballot box that would be massive red flags in a job interview. Don't confuse performative theater for the job of a legislator. The Republicans have proven what happens if do those things. We don't need to copy them.

Greenhouse gases are global pollutants. What happens in Detroit ...

2026-07-05T13:06:20Z

Greenhouse gases are global pollutants. What happens in Detroit matters in Singapore in a way that isn’t true for most regulated pollutants. Denialism at the WH affects everyone - but everyone can also help to counter their sins. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/03/us-democrats-urge-brussels-to-stick-to-methane-rules

"The Founders... planted secret escape hatches in every ...

2026-07-02T16:49:50Z

"The Founders... planted secret escape hatches in every amendment, visible only through a powerful lens of resentment, perpetual grievance, and off-the-books Winnebago gifts loaded with all the extras." https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/the-us-constitution-is-for-simple-folk-still-burdened-by-the-belief-that-words-have-meaning

A good reminder that “originalism” means believing that ...

2026-06-28T16:49:39Z

A good reminder that “originalism” means believing that America was better when only white male property holding Christians could vote and even they couldn’t be trusted to vote for Presidents and Senators. https://www.pennlive.com/news/2026/06/scott-perry-joins-push-to-revoke-17th-amendment-strip-voters-of-electing-senators.html

There is no less enlightened way to look at politics than ...

2026-06-27T19:57:16Z

There is no less enlightened way to look at politics than left-right-center. Politicians - just like you! - have different views on different things. Vote for people who share your values on issues you care about. But don't assume nuance disappears the minute you win an election.

"I think it's ironic that we control the House, the ...

2026-06-26T20:00:41Z

"I think it's ironic that we control the House, the Senate, the Supreme Court and the White House and we're yelling "Election Fraud" " - Thomas Massie https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaBg1y0DH21/

5 million Americans have lost their health insurance solely ...

2026-06-23T01:07:59Z

5 million Americans have lost their health insurance solely because of the Republican’s Big Ugly Bill. Don’t let them deny it. Hold everyone of them accountable. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/medicaid-aca-enrollment-falls-5-million-new-report-finds-rcna351157t

They started this war with no clear objective and therefore no ...

2026-06-21T12:00:18Z

They started this war with no clear objective and therefore no plan how to achieve it, nor how to end it. In spite of having ample intel and access to people of common sense who understood this risk. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/21/trump-confronts-new-hurdles-bid-peace-deal-with-iran/

8. An economically stronger EU coming via a desire to be more ...

2026-06-20T13:30:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…lgtx
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8. An economically stronger EU coming via a desire to be more independent of the US has costs for us. To state the obvious, why should Danish troops join the US next time we invoke NATO Article V? Why should the French help monitor Iranian nukes in a future JCPOA?

7. That's good for the climate, and for the long term health ...

2026-06-20T13:26:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…lue6
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7. That's good for the climate, and for the long term health of the EU economy. And a stronger Europe is in the US' national interest, at least so long as the US is not as confused about who our allies are as this administration seems to be. But at what cost?

6. Meanwhile, thanks to the tariffs (and the idiotic threats in ...

2026-06-20T13:23:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…f7az
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6. Meanwhile, thanks to the tariffs (and the idiotic threats in Greenland), the EU is less likely to commit to buying US LNG. As it was put to us "we know the costs of being exposed to a despot from Russia selling gas and we can't afford to swap for a despot in the US".

5. To wit: in one of our meetings we were thanked (in a very ...

2026-06-20T13:21:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…rnzn
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5. To wit: in one of our meetings we were thanked (in a very underhanded way) for the war in Iran and for the moronic and illegal tariffs that Trump imposed. Thanks to the rising gas prices from the first, EV market share growth has accelerated, helping Europe decouple from oil more quickly.

4. (Mad wasn't with us, but it's always good to keep her ...

2026-06-20T13:18:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…ezw0
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4. (Mad wasn't with us, but it's always good to keep her wisdom close at hand, especially on foreign codels.)

3. But against that, I was constantly reminded of my friend ...

2026-06-20T13:17:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…6tjn
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3. But against that, I was constantly reminded of my friend Madeline Dean's aphorism that trust is gained in drops and lost in buckets. It's going to take a long time and a lot of drops to restore European trust in the US that Trump has poured away.

2. There was a lot of value in us going to remind them of this, ...

2026-06-20T13:14:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…g5xj
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2. There was a lot of value in us going to remind them of this, and to let parliamentarians who might be feeling pressure to buckle in the face of a bully know that large #s of Americans have their backs, and change is coming.

1. First, the good news. The Europeans know that Americans are ...

2026-06-20T13:08:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…l2f0
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1. First, the good news. The Europeans know that Americans are better than Trump. They know we share many of the same challenges: climate-driven migration, rise of the far right, cracks in the neoliberal economic order, energy prices, AI, etc..

Just back from a week in Brussels and Strasbourg, meeting with EU ...

2026-06-20T13:06:43Z

Just back from a week in Brussels and Strasbourg, meeting with EU Parliamentarians, business leaders and other EU-adjacent groups about climate and energy policy. Some observations:

More people died of Spanish flu than died in WWI. Putting ...

2026-06-20T12:09:27Z

More people died of Spanish flu than died in WWI. Putting ignorance and politics ahead of science kills soldiers. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/06/19/flu-outbreak-texas-air-force-base-shows-hegseth-recklessness/

This piece from Jamelle Bouie is very good. ...

2026-06-03T13:49:01Z

This piece from Jamelle Bouie is very good. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/03/opinion/project-2025-2029-democrats.html

Want a non-partisan, patriotic summer bash with music performed ...

2026-05-29T12:36:22Z

Want a non-partisan, patriotic summer bash with music performed by 70s/80s front men? The Taste of Westmont IL on July 11, featuring Mark Farmer of Grand Funk Railroad is pulling better talent and delivering better vibes than the WH village fair. https://westmontevents.com/taste-of-westmont

We should not have to depend on the courts to defend the American ...

2026-05-18T18:36:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…m6x2
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We should not have to depend on the courts to defend the American taxpayers and the Constitution against the President and his felonious friends. But as long as Mike Johnson and John Thune refuse to act, that will be the forum where this is resolved.

As you read about the attempted $1.8B theft from the American ...

2026-05-18T18:34:51Z

As you read about the attempted $1.8B theft from the American taxpayers today to pay off people - including J6ers - who broke the law, also read Section 4 of the 14th Amendment.

The Roberts court is, above all else, racist. They don’t like ...

2026-05-12T00:04:14Z

The Roberts court is, above all else, racist. They don’t like the reconstruction amendments and they don’t like the laws that enforced them. There is no legal, constitutional or separation of powers principle here. It’s just racism. https://joycevance.substack.com/p/heres-why-weve-been-keeping-an-eye?r=5n3e&utm_medium=post+viewer

If SCOTUS isn't political, why did McConnell block ...

2026-05-08T12:53:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…mhks
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If SCOTUS isn't political, why did McConnell block Garland's appointment and hold the spot for Kavanaugh? Why did all the RW judges work on the Bush v Gore case to use the courts to force a political outcome in an election?

I mean just look at the facts. If SCOTUS isn't political, ...

2026-05-08T12:51:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…2nfa
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I mean just look at the facts. If SCOTUS isn't political, then why the hell did huge right wing political donors spend so much money buying off senators, promoting judges who shared their political ideology, openly bribing SCOTUS judges?

The only way you can say this with a straight face is if you are ...

2026-05-08T12:49:41Z

The only way you can say this with a straight face is if you are (a) willfully lying or (b) sufficiently arrogant to think that your opinions are truth handed down on tablets and those who disagree just lack your wisdom. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-chief-justice-8933cfe269c90746e200f2588801dfae

Mike Johnson named a law school after him. The guy who got his ...

2026-05-04T14:33:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…gurr
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Mike Johnson named a law school after him. The guy who got his job because of Matt Gaetz and defends Donald Trump has a LOOONG history associating with pedophiles.

This is just a sampling of all the stuff that was widely known in ...

2026-05-04T14:32:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…dj5g
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This is just a sampling of all the stuff that was widely known in the SBC, and by very senior people in the Republican party. And yet...

Must read. On Paul Pressler's sexual abuse of young boys, ...

2026-05-04T14:26:15Z

Must read. On Paul Pressler's sexual abuse of young boys, power in the conservative movement and far-too-close ties to Mike Johnson. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/quiet-collapse-southern-baptist-convention/

This is a good reminder that John Roberts is exactly who John ...

2026-05-01T12:41:58Z

This is a good reminder that John Roberts is exactly who John Lewis told us he was.

Read this from Steve Vladek. Congress has the power to hold the ...

2026-04-30T13:05:19Z

Read this from Steve Vladek. Congress has the power to hold the court to account IF we use it. And we've focused way too much on expansion / term limits which are (at best) a far off solution rather than tools that meet the urgency of the moment. https://www.stevevladeck.com/p/bonus-223-they-are-who-we-thought

“Solar and batteries will comprise 80% of grid capacity ...

2026-04-29T14:17:22Z

“Solar and batteries will comprise 80% of grid capacity additions this year”. Keep this in mind. The White House may not support the lowest cost sources of energy but energy investors still do. https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/04/28/solar-and-storage-expected-to-drive-86-gw-capacity-surge-in-the-u-s-this-year/

Don't shoot people. Don't take away food from the hungry ...

2026-04-27T17:08:15Z

Don't shoot people. Don't take away food from the hungry or medical assistance from the weak. Don't bomb girls schools. Don't ask your supporters to rough up your opponents. Don't rape women. And for goodness sake don't claim that ballrooms save lives

So there's a really important debate on civil liberties and ...

2026-04-17T03:52:43Z

So there's a really important debate on civil liberties and national security going on on the House floor right now. It is shameful that it's taking place at this late hour of the night / morning. But I'm going to at least do something productive & try to explain here:

President Trump has protected, pardoned and/or partied with a lot ...

2026-04-16T19:36:37Z

President Trump has protected, pardoned and/or partied with a lot of pedophiles. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/another-pardoned-jan-6-rioter-admit-guilt-child-sexual-abuse-case-rcna331841

5 true things that shouldn't be partisan but are. Orban and ...

2026-04-14T13:55:14Z

5 true things that shouldn't be partisan but are.

Orban and Putin are not America's friends.
Tariffs are inflationary.
Democracy is good.
Pedophilia is bad.
Trump isn't Jesus.

Everyone has a crazy racist uncle who stays up all night ...

2026-04-13T13:16:45Z

Everyone has a crazy racist uncle who stays up all night shitposting on their local library's Facebook page. Good people ignore him. Better people try to lead him towards love. The GOP venerates him.

The president’s threat to wipe out an entire civilization is ...

2026-04-07T21:11:54Z

The president’s threat to wipe out an entire civilization is dangerous, reckless, and would constitute a war crime under both domestic and international law. This rhetoric undermines U.S. credibility, endangers civilians, and places American personnel in untenable legal, moral, and mortal jeopardy. Anyone in the Trump Administration who acts on this threat and violates the law must be held accountable, including criminal liability.

Sometimes Easter falls on Trans Day of Visibility. Sometimes it ...

2026-04-06T12:57:10Z

Sometimes Easter falls on Trans Day of Visibility. Sometimes it falls on the same day as Passover. Hell, sometimes it’s on 4/20. But bombing civilian infrastructure is always a war crime, no matter what this transphobic so-called “Christian truth-teller” says to the contrary.

"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. . ...

2026-04-04T13:53:37Z

"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command" https://www.ms.now/news/pam-bondis-portrait-already-taken-down-at-justice-department

Don't pay attention to the noise from the White House. ...

2026-04-03T13:02:04Z

Don't pay attention to the noise from the White House. It's very clear that markets and consumers vastly prefer lower cost energy sources that hedge fossil fuel price volatility. 88% of all new generation added in the US last year. https://electrek.co/2026/04/01/ferc-renewables-made-up-88-of-new-us-power-generating-capacity-in-2025/

Donald Trump and the GOP gave our nation's wealthiest a $5 ...

2026-04-02T12:49:48Z

Donald Trump and the GOP gave our nation's wealthiest a $5 TRILLION tax cut. That's more than enough to cover these costs. That's what he's prioritized over your health and child care. Here are some other things Trump has prioritized: https://x.com/factpostnews/status/2039444784083771629?s=20

We can't normalize the idea that the President of the United ...

2026-03-31T13:06:18Z

We can't normalize the idea that the President of the United States just says random things on the internet because he has feelings. But this is a recipe to further increase US gasoline prices. What happens to US oil prices if we increase demand? This is Econ 101 stuff.

Postscript from the clownshow that is the GOP as I was typing up ...

2026-03-27T17:35:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…8qhq
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Postscript from the clownshow that is the GOP as I was typing up this summary.

15. Things are fluid and maybe these dynamics change over the ...

2026-03-27T17:27:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…v7qj
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15. Things are fluid and maybe these dynamics change over the next few hours. But it's your regular reminder that there is no overlap in the Venn diagram between a government that works and a Congress under GOP control. /fin

14. It's so maddening. Government workers should be paid. You ...

2026-03-27T17:27:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…sjr6
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14. It's so maddening. Government workers should be paid. You shouldn't have to wait on lines in airports, or worry about Coast Guard preparedness, or whether FEMA can handle the next disaster. But you do because of the utter lack of character in GOP leadership.

13. So even if His Accidency's plan works, it serves only to ...

2026-03-27T17:26:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…mfcn
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13. So even if His Accidency's plan works, it serves only to call Senators back into town for a vote that won't pass, leaving huge parts of government unfunded, just because that's easier for him than standing up to Trump or his wingnuts.

12. 'Cause remember: Senators have just proven there ...

2026-03-27T17:25:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…y0f9
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12. 'Cause remember: Senators have just proven there aren't votes to fund ICE without reforms. And this CR would still take 60 votes in the Senate. So while he might be able to jam this bill through the House on a party line vote, that just goes back to step 2 above.

11. And so he is taking the coward's way out. Let's kick ...

2026-03-27T17:25:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…0nhj
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11. And so he is taking the coward's way out. Let's kick the can down the road for 60 days with a continuing resolution to fund everything. Except that this doesn't work, for completely obvious reasons.

10. So Johnson - a man with no leadership skills, no political ...

2026-03-27T17:23:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…8sxe
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10. So Johnson - a man with no leadership skills, no political capital and no moral compass - is in a jam. If he brings a bill to the floor that would fully fund TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard with full funding AND leave ICE with 3x historic support, his wingnuts would get mad.

9. He got his job SPECIFICALLY because the wingnuts voted to ...

2026-03-27T17:23:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…yad9
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9. He got his job SPECIFICALLY because the wingnuts voted to remove Kevin McCarthy specifically for allowing a funding bill to pass on the floor overwhelmingly with democratic and non-wingnut republican support. https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/13/politics/mccarthy-motion-to-vacate-vote-to-oust-speaker

8. In theory, this doesn't matter. Johnson is the Speaker of ...

2026-03-27T17:22:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…yd83
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8. In theory, this doesn't matter. Johnson is the Speaker of the House. He could pass the bill on the floor with all Dems and most Rs. But that would make his wingnuts angry. And Mike Johnson not only owes his job to the wingnuts but...

7. House should have come in today, passed that bill and gone ...

2026-03-27T17:20:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…lnyq
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7. House should have come in today, passed that bill and gone home. But we can't do that because the wingnuttiest members of the Republican caucus (a) love fascist ICE thugs and (b) hate democracy so refused to support. https://x.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/2037541068258848894?s=20

6. Once the Mad King said he'd fund TSA, they could finally ...

2026-03-27T17:19:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…h3r8
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6. Once the Mad King said he'd fund TSA, they could finally get through this without risking a flying ketchup bottle next time they went to his house. So, they finally let - functionally, the Rosa Delauro bill - pass the Senate late last night. https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/senate-approves-funding-for-most-of-dhs-moving-to-end-airport-crisis-d8830efc

5. Congress could have fixed this too. But Congressional ...

2026-03-27T17:18:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…hv69
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5. Congress could have fixed this too. But Congressional republicans have no animating north star other than falling in line behind Trump. No matter how irrational, inconsistent, angry or spiteful Trump is, they don't dare stand up to him. HOWEVER...

4. TSA lines got longer, Trump sent ICE goons into airports which ...

2026-03-27T17:16:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…sm0x
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4. TSA lines got longer, Trump sent ICE goons into airports which predictably became politically toxic so he finally said he'd use $10B slush fund from OBBB to fund TSA. He had that power all along. But because he's an ass, he didn't use it. https://apnews.com/live/tsa-government-shutdown-ice-trump-03-26-2026

3. Dems, led by Rosa DeLauro countered with bill to fund all of ...

2026-03-27T17:15:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…heqj
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3. Dems, led by Rosa DeLauro countered with bill to fund all of DHS except ICE (Coast Guard, FEMA, TSA). Note this would have left ICE with 3x normal funding because of the OBBB. Rs could have taken that as a win. They blocked it.

2. "Members of Conscience" = Democrats. Republicans of ...

2026-03-27T17:14:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…p7xu
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2. "Members of Conscience" = Democrats. Republicans of course have the majority in the House and Senate but passing this bill requires a 60 vote supermajority in the Senate. So they passed an immoral spending bill in the House and stalled in the Senate. Predictably.

1. First, DHS hasn't been funded because of the illegal, ...

2026-03-27T17:13:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…wxnp
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1. First, DHS hasn't been funded because of the illegal, immoral, murderous behavior by ICE. No members of conscience were willing to fund that agency, especially since they already had 3x their usual budget through the OBBB.

House procedure is normally a snoozefest that only insiders care ...

2026-03-27T17:13:22Z

House procedure is normally a snoozefest that only insiders care about. But this one is just such a perfect distillation of the incompetence in the GOP, failure of Trump as a leader and weakness of Mike Johnson. Let's roll the video tape:

I like this for a lot of reasons. But mostly because the path to ...

2026-03-27T13:30:05Z

I like this for a lot of reasons. But mostly because the path to decarbonization AND cost reduction is electification, and electric regulation is primarily done at the state level in the US. Governors can lead, and Spanberger is. https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/virginia-set-to-enact-laws-cleaner-cheaper-power

And there it is. DHS and TSA aren't getting paid because ...

2026-03-23T12:52:08Z

And there it is. DHS and TSA aren't getting paid because Trump doesn't want to pay them, and Thune & Johnson are too afraid to act like the leaders of co-equal branch they claim to be to call the vote and force the question.

The reason why Trump is so afraid of Democrats winning the House ...

2026-03-21T14:27:15Z

The reason why Trump is so afraid of Democrats winning the House is because he will no longer have Mike Johnson around to block any investigation of his daily crimes. Today, it's 18 U.S. Code § 600. https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/20/politics/trump-reshapes-a-key-us-house-race-by-offering-a-candidate-and-her-husband-roles-in-his-administration

As a guy who spent over a year negotiating / cajoling / fighting ...

2026-03-13T12:38:54Z

As a guy who spent over a year negotiating / cajoling / fighting with MA utilities to create standard interconnection rules for non-utility power - this is a really big deal. https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/virginia-to-become-second-state-balcony-solar