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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 1h

Unprecedented crimes & constitutional violations, now happening daily

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 6h

So this is just facially illegal right?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidef...

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Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 6h

So this is just facially illegal right?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidef...

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Charlie Angus @charlieangus104.bsky.social · 1h

Here's an idea for the American politicians trying to entice Canadians to spend our money in a land of gangster fascism:
Offer free burner phones so we won't be thrown in detention for our social media posts.
OR,
We could say hell no, we ain't travelling to the USA.

www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/...

Don't Let a Border Agent Ruin Your Holiday Trip. Travel With a Burner Phone

If you're traveling internationally, a burner phone is the most effective way to protect your private data.

www.cnet.com

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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 1h

The Republicans have in effect shut down the legislative branch of the U.S. government and handed those powers to the dictator in the White House. No one cleared this with the American people.

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Molly Reynolds @mollyereynolds.bsky.social · 5h

The executive branch not spending the money that Congress has told them to spend is bad. The executive branch spending money on things for which Congress has not given them money is also bad (and, arguably, worse).

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 5h

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

nyti.ms

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

The executive spending money on paying the military without congressional approval is "fall of the Roman republic" behavior.

Molly Reynolds @mollyereynolds.bsky.social · 5h

The executive branch not spending the money that Congress has told them to spend is bad. The executive branch spending money on things for which Congress has not given them money is also bad (and, arguably, worse).

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 5h

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 3h

Portland has fallen!

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 1h

Yes! It is just straight criminal!

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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 3h

AOC: And they are able to radicalize a generation of young boys in particular, away from healthy masculinity and into an insecure masculinity that requires the domination of others who are poorer, browner, darker, or a different gender than them.

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Laura Jedeed @laurajedeed.bsky.social · 3h

If you would like to be sad I recommend reading any feature article from 2014 or earlier. The undercurrent of optimism. The general lack of cynicism. The unspoken belief that the future would be better than the past

That's a world we all lived in

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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 1h

“Kids”

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Alan Mygatt-Tauber @amtappeals.bsky.social · 1h

I’m old enough to remember when the IRS taking a little extra time to examine whether all the Tea Party groups that cropped up in 2010 were truly nonprofits was a scandal.

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Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · 2h

Also the second charges in the impeachment articles drafted against Nixon listed five abuses of power, the first of which was literally this

The second article, offered in amended form by Representative William L, Hungate, Democrat of Missouri, accused Mr. Nixon of conduct, dating back to the first year of his Administration, that allegedly violated. the rights of citizens to privacy, interfered with the proper administration of justice and used various agencies of the Government, The omnibus charge focused' specifically on the following) allegations against the government:

Attempts to use the Internal Revenue Service to initiate tax audits or obtain confidential tax data for political purposes.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 2h

Again, it is a full-blown federal felony crime for anyone in the White House or Executive Office of the President to order tax investigations into anyone.

And it's not just a crime to DO it, it's even a federal crime for an employee not to REPORT such an order to the Treasury Inspector General.

26 U.S. Code § 7217 - Prohibition on executive branch influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations
U.S. Code
Notes
prev | next
(a)Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for any applicable person to request, directly or indirectly, any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service to conduct or terminate an audit or other investigation of any particular taxpayer with respect to the tax liability of such taxpayer.

(b)Reporting requirement
Any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service receiving any request prohibited by subsection (a) shall report the receipt of such request to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

(c)Exceptions
Subsection (a) shall not apply to any written request made—
(1)to an applicable person by or on behalf of the taxpayer and forwarded by such applicable person to the Internal Revenue Service;
(2)by an applicable person for disclosure of return or return information under section 6103 if such request is made in accordance with the requirements of such section; or
(3)by the Secretary of the Treasury as a consequence of the implementation of a change in tax policy.
(d)Penalty
Any person who willfully violates subsection (a) or fails to report under subsection (b) shall be punished upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.

(e)Applicable person
For purposes of this section, the term “applicable person” means—
(1)the President, the Vice President, any employee of the executive office of the President, and any employee of the executive office of the Vice President; and
(2)any individual (other than the Attorney General of the United States) serving in a position specified in section 5312 of title 5, United States Code.

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The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 2h

Don’t be surprised if the administration turns up evidence that these organizations have given grants to progressive groups that may have been involved in protests that also had an Antifa presence, and on that basis tries to establish guilt by association.

It’s Getting Worse.

The Trump administration’s assault on the rest of us is intensifying.

www.thebulwark.com

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Big Political Ideas @bigpolitical-ideas.bsky.social · 2h

USAID was a major buyer of American farm products & would send this food to the poorest people in the world: refugees from drought & war. Which also increased respect for America around the world. But not anymore. Trump & Musk killed USAID. And now farmers (Not Trump or Musk) will pay the price.

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Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 4h

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David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 2h

It's going up to $40 billion.

USAID's budget last year was $28 billion.

Joe Walsh @walshfreedom.bsky.social · 4h

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The Briefing with Jen Psaki @briefingwithpsaki.bsky.social · 2h

"We have three ports of entry with Mexico. Immigration and tariffs are a huge issue... the economy... are a huge issue in my district. And I can't get to work at all on any of those issues." Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva explains how Mike Johnson's games are hurting her constituents.

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☝️SoSayU @sosayu.bsky.social · 2h

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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 2h

Trump says he is considering strikes on Venezuelan soil on.ft.com/4nW0Ah4

Trump says he is considering strikes on Venezuelan soil

The US president also authorises CIA to conduct covert operations in the country

on.ft.com

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☝️SoSayU @sosayu.bsky.social · 2h

☮️🕊️✌🏼🇺🇸

— 🍊🤡

☝️SoSayU @sosayu.bsky.social · 2h

Man, I’m just here for the news without the nazis. Yup.

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David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 2h

Welcome new people. I was asked at dinner last night whether Bluesky was an echo chamber. I said it doesn’t matter, because what I want from social media isn’t to talk to young republicans taking a break from their group chat, but to read things I want to read but that I might have missed.

David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · Jun 12

The thing I want most from social media is for people to share things that I might want to read or watch that otherwise I wouldn’t read or watch, whether news, commentary, books, movies, tv, games to play, whatever. Bluesky does this. /4

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Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 4h

As best as I could track what happened: the doxing took place, the accounts involved got suspended, and then Musk personally had them reinstated due to outcry. (Kind of like he did with the guy who posted CSAM.)

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