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Ken Bazinet

@kenbazinet.bsky.social

24K followers 23K following 1.8K posts

Longtime DC scribe, covering three presidencies (DC is fine, but I prefer the United States). Reflections on democracy, First Amendment, Boston sports, and jam bands. Simple approach: trusted source intel + research & data + analysis = smart solutions.

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · Jan 20

Having to fight for the pursuit of happiness is one of the great but necessary ironies of our lifetimes, but having people who will fight for our pursuit of happiness is one of its great blessings. #Resist #Organize #StayStrong

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 3h

"Instead of an economically-sound repayment to the American people adjunct professor Johnson sees the mention of tariffs-funded checks as a political move more than anything—and 'a giant charade,'” Fortune reports.

“There’s no real economics here,” said Paul Johnson, adjunct biz prof at Fordham.

Trump’s tariff revenue checks could create a ‘weird feedback loop’ that encourages more price hikes, analyst says | Fortune

But the inflationary effects may not be as severe as Biden’s COVID-era stimulus checks were.

fortune.com

Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 3h

"She filed for the restraining order when she says Mills began threatening to share nude photos and videos with others, and allegedly threatened her future boyfriends," WESH in Orlando reported.

www.wesh.com/article/flor...

Florida Congressman Cory Mills ordered to stay away from former girlfriend

She filed for the restraining order when she says Mills began threatening to share nude photos and videos with others, and allegedly threatened her future boyfriends.

www.wesh.com

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 4h

Another deep fried Trump strategy:

Reaching for the fryolater is a stretch that won't come close to leverage China has over whether the U.S. remains a prime exporter of soybeans.

Trump is losing the trade war he started and his #tariffs are costing American middle class consumers more at checkout.

Trump mulls ending some trade ties with China, including in relation to cooking oil

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Washington was considering terminating some trade ties with China, including in relation to cooking oil.

www.reuters.com

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Hoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 5h

A devastating flood tore through Kipnuk; five months earlier, federal funding meant to help the village withstand disasters was abruptly cut. Lee Zeldin revoked the grant, citing a new push to eliminate what he called “wasteful DEI grants.”

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Cathleen @cathleen60scott.bsky.social · 4h

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 1d

Bailing out Bessent’s billionaire friends on Wall Street from their bad investments is much more important.

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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 7h

Mike Johnson has now had the House adjourned for 72 of the last 84 days.

Epstein Shutdown.

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Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 6h

He gives $20 Billion of OUR dollars to bailout Argentina without consulting Congress or the American people. Does that seem like the actions of a KING to you?

Join us & let him know just what you think about that this Saturday, 10/18

#NoThronesNoCrownsNO_KINGS 👑

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 7h

"Together, millions will send a clear and unmistakable message: we are a nation of equals, and our country will not be ruled by fear or force," No Kings organizers said.

"Speaker Johnson is running out of excuses for keeping the government shut down."

#Organize
@mass50501.bsky.social

What to know about Oct. 18 "No Kings" protests

The protests will occur during the government shutdown.

www.axios.com

Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 7h

“The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections,” the organizations said.

#Fascism

www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Major media outlets, including Hegseth’s former employer Fox News, decline to sign new Pentagon reporting rules

The former employer of the Secretary of Defense joined CNN, ABC and NBC in refusing to sign the agreement.

www.politico.com

Reposted by Ken Bazinet

PBS News @pbsnews.org · 8h

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said earlier that the ongoing government shutdown is costing the economy "up to $15 billion a day." https://to.pbs.org/4qtXra7

WATCH: Bessent says Trump still expects to meet Chinese leader as trade tensions increase

Resurgent trade tensions have threatened ongoing negotiations over tariffs between the U.S. and China.

to.pbs.org

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 7h

"Johnson has pretty much run out of lame excuses for why he is preventing Grijalva from taking her elected place in Congress. Unfortunately, Democrats now expect Johnson will go nuclear and change the House rules for the Epstein discharge petition."

My latest read on how GOP steals democracy.

LeftofCenter @leftofcenters.bsky.social · 2d

Adelita Grijalva & Theft of Democracy:
"In essence, Mike Johnson is refusing to certify a democratically held election because his party’s candidate did not win, and unlike the House speaker the woman who did win is no coward when it comes to taking on Trump."
-Our latest column
tinyurl.com/yvkmk7nc

Reposted by Ken Bazinet

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 8h

Topics Mike Johnson thinks are serious:

- Super Bowl halftime entertainer
- getting a Nobel Prize for Trump
- terrifying naked bike riders

Topics he thinks are not serious:

- Epstein Files
- domestic violence
- being able to keep the govt open
- the neutering of Congress

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9h

Q: This has been reported for a while. Cory Mills was accused of beating a girlfriend in his DC apt. Are you concerned about these allegations?

JOHNSON: You have to ask Rep. Mills about that. He's been a faithful colleague. I don't know the details. Let's talk about things that are really serious

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𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕣𝕝 @sundaedivine.bsky.social · 1d

Coming soon to Disney+: “The Littlest King,” featuring one man’s brave battle against camera angles and reality.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10h

Rep. Pat Harrigan: "This No Kings rally -- that's the blue hair, anthropomorphic experiment that's gonna happen up here in Washington DC."

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Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 9h

A Bronx family lived without utilities for over 6 weeks after they were shut off without explanation.

The landlord, despite receiving severe violation notices, didn't fix the problem.

HPD couldn’t turn the utilities back on, so it issued the family a vacate order.

These Bronx Tenants Lived Six Weeks Without Water and Power. The City’s Fix? A Vacate Order

The plight of the Ramos family reveals the weaknesses in the City's system to protect tenants from unlivable conditions—and from being put out on the street.

hellgatenyc.com

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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 9h

The Trump administration would do well to remember that New York sends far more to Washington than it gets back in return. Punishing the state over a mayoral candidate makes no sense.

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 14h

"There will not actually be any games held in the city. The games hosted in name by “Boston” will actually take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, a stadium owned by Trump ally Robert Kraft, who served as Honorary Chairman of the 2026 World Cup United Bid Group," the Boston Herald reports.

Trump says he could revoke Boston’s World Cup matches

President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that he could “take away” the slate of World Cup matches slated to take place in Massachusetts if the city of Boston does not get tough on crime…

www.bostonherald.com

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Mark Welch @markwelch.bsky.social · 2d

Republicans' shared talking points prove: they're terrified that millions of Americans will stand up for the next "No Kings" protest on Saturday (Oct. 18). We love America and its constitution.

Ahead of No Kings events, Republicans’ anti-protest rhetoric takes an ugly turn

GOP leaders appear so concerned about a scheduled protest that they're falsely labeling a No Kings gathering as a “hate-America rally.”

www.msnbc.com

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Mass50501 @mass50501.bsky.social · 1d

#Boston has been saying #nokings since 1776 and we're not about to back down now!! See you on the Common from 12-3pm on 10/18.
@silencedogoodbos.bsky.social @jackdaryl.bsky.social

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 14h

“The fact is that the Chinese export restrictions on rare earths and permanent magnets implemented in April this year have already significantly exacerbated the supply situation for rare earths and strategic materials. The new measures now go even further,” the VDA spokesperson said.

#Tariffs

CNBC @cnbc.com · 15h

Auto industry raises the alarm as China tightens export rules for rare earths

Automotive industry groups have sounded the alarm over China’s latest move to impose restrictions on the export of rare earths.

cnb.cx

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Mike Luckovich @mluckovich.bsky.social · 1d

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 15h

"Now, many employers are looking to harness the power of AI—initially for mundane and repetitive tasks and eventually for more complicated jobs—to reduce the need to maintain the same level of human staffers on their payrolls," Fortune reported.

#AI
#Layoffs

Amazon is planning a new wave of layoffs, sources say | Fortune

Amazon's 10,000-plus employee HR division, which includes recruiters, is expected to be among the hardest hit in the job cuts.

fortune.com

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David Hogg @davidhogg.bsky.social · 1d

Proud to join some of the largest Dem youth orgs and endorse Graham Platner in the Maine U.S. Senate race. After our loss in 2024, conversations have rightly centered on age, loss of young men/working class, and the growing disillusionment of young voters. Graham is the kind of candidate we need.

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Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 15h

"Shrinkflation, stagflation, good-old-fashioned inflation—all of it means that your paycheck doesn’t go as far as it once did, and all of it is good for gold," writes Will Gottsegen.

#Tariffs

www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

This Gold Rush Is Ominous

The king of precious metals is having a good run right now. That might be a problem.

www.theatlantic.com

Ken Bazinet @kenbazinet.bsky.social · 15h

"Intensification of political pressure on policy institutions...could erode hard-won public confidence in their ability to fulfill their mandates," IMF said. "It also raises the likelihood of policy mistakes if political interference leads to compromise in data quality, reliability, and timeliness."

Data darkness in US spreads a global shadow

The U.S. government shutdown that has turned off the official flow of data could begin clouding the view for policymakers in Japan and other countries where insight into the fortunes of the world's biggest economy informs the outlook for their own currencies, trade performance and inflation.