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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1h

When college kids publicly say "Israel's war on Gaza is bad" that is full-blown anti-Semitism that requires the federal government to crack down on all colleges.

When Young Republicans in their 20s and 30s privately praise Hitler and "joke" about the Holocaust, well, that's just freedom baby.

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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 2h

From the NYT article:

“American officials have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to drive Mr. Maduro from power.”

“…The U.S. military is planning its own possible escalation, drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela.”

The authorization is the latest step in the Trump administration's intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela.
For weeks, the U.S. military has been targeting boats off the Venezuelan coast it says re transporting drugs, killing 27 people. American officials have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to drive Mr. Maduro from power.
The new authority would allow the C.I.A. to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean.
The agency would be able to take covert action against Mr. Maduro or his government either unilaterally or in conjunction with a larger military operation. It is not known whether the C.I.A. is planning any operations in Venezuela or if the authorities are meant as a contingency.

But the development comes as the U.S. military is planning its own possible escalation, drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela.
The scale of the military buildup in the region is substantial: There are currently 10,000 U.S. troops there, most of them at bases in Puerto Rico, but also a contingent of Marines on amphibious assault ships. In all, the Navy has eight surface warships and a submarine in the Caribbean.
The new authorities, known in intelligence jargon as a presidential finding, were described by multiple U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the highly classified document.

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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 2h

Also a reminder these weren’t “Kids”! Some of these “Young Republicans,” which includes ages up to 40, were elected officials or government appointees.

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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 2h

BREAKING

“The Trump administration has secretly authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert action in Venezuela, according to U.S. officials, stepping up a campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the country’s authoritarian leader.”

Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...

Trump Administration Authorizes Covert C.I.A. Action in Venezuela

www.nytimes.com

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Jessica Kant @jessdkant.bsky.social · 2h

And just like that, any concern Vance allegedly held about the “dangers of antisemitism on college campuses” has mysteriously evaporated.

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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 2h

"The new authority would allow the C.I.A. to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean."

John Carl Baker @johncarlbaker.bsky.social · 2h

Today in "isolationism" www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...

Trump Administration Authorizes Covert C.I.A. Action in Venezuela

www.nytimes.com

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 4h

Someone should let her know that she is currently the chair of the (normally) powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and do a lot more than weakly protest this shit.

Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 4h

Sen. Susan Collins says the White House should try to get their proposed spending cuts into appropriations bills.

“This end run is not helpful,” she says.

Collins adds that it “would be helpful” to reopening the govt if WH and OMB’s Russ Vought stop the rescissions.

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NPR @npr.org · 4h

The Trump administration announced a $100k fine to accompany each H1-B visa, the fine could wreak havoc on rural school districts who rely on them to bring in teachers. n.pr/4qgx4Eo

Many rural schools rely on international teachers. Trump's visa changes threaten that

The Trump administration announced a $100,000 fee to accompany each H1-B visa. The fee could wreak havoc on rural school districts that rely on them to bring in teachers.

n.pr

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Jen McInnis @jmccoffeee.bsky.social · 3h

Yep. Hit that nail right on the head.

Solomon @solomonmissouri.bsky.social · 6h

and i'll do you one better ... men become uncomfortable when their partners make more than they do because they believe that their partners will financially and emotionally manipulate them ....

as they .... manipulate their partners.

Jen McInnis @jmccoffeee.bsky.social · 3h

Absolutely intense gaslighting.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3h

Vance: "Political violence, it's just a statistical fact that it's a bigger problem on the left. If you had, god forbid, somebody on the left who was assassinated, I'm sure you could find one person who would maybe celebrate it, but the fact that it became mainstream to celebrate Charlie's death..."

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Audrey Dutton @audreydutton.bsky.social · 3h

"For the next five minutes, the woman listened as four men — a prosecutor, defense attorney, judge and police detective — debated what, exactly, Rogers meant by vagina."

Hard to say what's the most shocking part of this @investigatewest.bsky.social series. But this courtroom dialogue is up there.

investigatewest.bsky.social @investigatewest.bsky.social · 5h

Idaho's prison sex abuse law only protects inmates when genital contact is involved, making it hard to prosecute prison staff. Even when charges are filed, plea deals allow accused guards to escape prison time while victims serve years for drug offenses, DUIs and parole violations bit.ly/42CqXQE

How Idaho’s prison sex abuse law protects predatory guards

When guards are charged, plea deals offer leniency

www.investigatewest.org

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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 3h

He’s standing there singing, and they come out in camo with weapons and grab him:

Robby Roadsteamer @roadsteamer.bsky.social · 5h

🚨 *Breaking News* Robby Roadsteamer has been detained by ICE Portland after singing Rod Stewart with the Portland Frog! We need your help!

Please support Robby's campaign and lawyer fees at robbyroadsteamer.com link on bio 💙🦒🦒🦒

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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 3h

This is fucking awful but has the byproduct of making ICE look like dumb babies.

three stills from a video showing robby roadsteamer getting arrested by ICE

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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 3h

I’ve seen criticism of No Kings not being “real” protests because they aren’t designed to be openly confrontational with law enforcement, which is a misunderstanding of how many different types of protest actions there are and the varied purposes they can serve.

People need to stop splitting.

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 3h

SCIENCE POLICY NEWS:

During Yom Kippur, all the members of the High Energy Physics Advisory Committee (HEPAP), myself included, received a letter thanking us for our service and telling us essentially that the almost 40 yo standing federal advisory committee was no more. ⚛️🧪🔭

Why that matters 🧵

DOE Consolidates Office of Science Advisory Committees

Six long-standing committees advising the Department of Energy’s Office of Science have been rolled into one.

www.aip.org

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Jen McInnis @jmccoffeee.bsky.social · 6h

AYFKM?????????????
WHAT ABOUT JAN 6??????

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Jessica Kant @jessdkant.bsky.social · 7h

Here’s how a chemical weapon banned by the Geneva convention gets around international law domestically. From 2020: www.cnn.com/2020/06/08/u...

The military is banned from using tear gas on the battlefield, but police can use it on crowds at home. Here's why

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Jen McInnis @jmccoffeee.bsky.social · 7h

So paychecks requires a King?

🤔

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7h

Bessent: "This crazy No Kings rally this weekend, which is gonna be the farthest left, the hardest core, the most unhinged in the Democratic Party, which is a big title. No Kings equals no paychecks."

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Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 7h

As per my initial reaction, seeing imprisoned people freed is good.

But beyond that, I just don’t see the glorious peace I’m being told to praise.

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 2d

Hostages and political prisoners freed is an unambiguous good. I hope they and their families can find relief, and eventually move past the trauma.

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 7h

IDF is still shooting people in Gaza

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 8h

I feel thrown by the widespread proclamations of a glorious, lasting peace in Gaza. A lot even treats “now that it’s all over” as the unquestioned premise.

It still looks like a disaster to me. Am I way off? Are my domestic politics distorting my view? Either the consensus is wrong or I am.

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Sara Luterman @slooterman.bsky.social · 7h

This is very good and you should read it.

Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 7h

Republicans correctly understood that education for people with disabilities promoted self-reliance and reduced the likelihood people with disabilities would be dependent on the government. It's why Ford, Nixon, Bush, Bob Dole and Chuck Grassley supported it.
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

Opinion | Trump's mass firings strike a hammer blow against Americans with disabilities

The GOP once supported special education programs. Recent dismissals at the Education Department put an end to that support.

www.msnbc.com

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New Hampshire Bulletin @newhampshirebulletin.com · 7h

As the Claremont School District reels from a $5 million budget deficit, reducing staff, shutting schools, and fighting to get through the school year, Republicans in Concord are split over how much they should help out. From @ethandewitt.bsky.social #NHPolitics

Claremont School District budget woes prompt GOP calls for more state oversight • New Hampshire Bulletin

As the Claremont School District reels from a $5 million budget deficit, reducing staff, shutting schools, and fighting to get through the school year, Republicans in Concord are split over how much…

newhampshirebulletin.com

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Jen McInnis @jmccoffeee.bsky.social · 7h

The power imbalance makes it ludicrous. They’re carrying weapons of war and facing unarmed civilians.

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Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 7h

The one good thing about the time we’re in is it *should* now make crystal clear for the doubters how the a significant faction of the Republican Party has cynically deployed “colorblindness” to further an explicitly racist agenda.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Jen McInnis @jmccoffeee.bsky.social · 7h

Share and give if you can:

Dr. Divya 🇵🇸🧿 (offline) @divyampersaud.com · 7h

Please share, we have 10 hours left ⚠️ Still famine, still displacement, so we’re still sending funds daily to six families & a camp for:

- Food
- Shelter / tents
- Winter items
- Newborn supplies
- Transport north

We’ll match £250 / $333. Currently: 171/1000

Keep Hope Alive: a Gaza Giving Circle

We are a team of volunteers in the US and UK, led by two sisters passionate about helping our friends on the ground keep their families and neighbors alive with food, water, & shelter. We saw that…

chuffed.org