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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 17h

The White House keeps making a big deal of the fact that the ballroom is privately funded but that’s one of the worst things about it.

These people and companies are buying influence. None of this is okay.

Rapid Response 47
@RapidResponse47
X.com
A lot of FAKE OUTRAGE over construction of the big, beautiful (and privately funded) White House Ballroom.
FACT: Presidents have been renovating and expanding the White House for more than 100 years.
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing.
In 1909, President William Howard Taft added the first Oval Office during a West Wing expansion.

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 2h

My god that’s fucking ugly. Just like the main goon himself.

ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 17h

I hope this means he has recently received some bad medical news. 🤞

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Anne Caprara @annecaprara.bsky.social · 21h

In a social media world images do really matter - and for a Trump team that has always been obsessed with winning the image war, they are sure giving up a lot of ground lately.

But anyway congrats to Democratic ad makers for the next 12 months having this one in your pocket.

Jonathan Edwards @jonathanreports.bsky.social · 23h

Scoop: Trump has started demolishing the White House's East Wing facade to build his ballroom. The president had claimed construction of the $250 million building wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing White House structure. /W @ddiamond.bsky.social wapo.st/4hqBNiU

White House begins demolishing East Wing facade to build Trump’s ballroom

The president had claimed construction of the $250 million ballroom wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing White House structure.

wapo.st

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Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · 20h

Of course he's not following the rules, but it's dangerous to get to resigned to and cynical about it

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · Aug 10

Three former members of the National Capital Planning Commision "told The Washington Post that a review of any exterior construction project at the White House is required by federal law." Reviews of smaller projects at the White House have taken years in the past.

Trump is rushing to build his ballroom. A review process could take years.

The National Capital Planning Commission has taken years to approve much smaller White House projects than a ballroom planned by President Trump.

wapo.st

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Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · Aug 10

Three former members of the National Capital Planning Commision "told The Washington Post that a review of any exterior construction project at the White House is required by federal law." Reviews of smaller projects at the White House have taken years in the past.

Trump is rushing to build his ballroom. A review process could take years.

The National Capital Planning Commission has taken years to approve much smaller White House projects than a ballroom planned by President Trump.

wapo.st

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Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 19h

Oh nooooo, Lindsey Halligan, this is not how any of this works

(15 screens into a Signal exchange) www.lawfaremedia.org/article/anna...

Screenshot of a text exchange via Signal between Anna Bower and Lindsay Halligan.

Halligan: By the way - everything I ever sent you is off record. You're not a journalist so it's weird saying that but just letting you know.

Bower: I'm sorry, but that's not how this works.
You don't get to say that in retrospect.

Halligan: Yes I do. Off record.

Bower: I am really sorry. I would have been happy to speak with you on an off the record basis had you asked. But you didn't ask, and I still haven't agreed to speak on that basis. Do you have any further comment for the story?

Halligan: It's obvious the whole convo is off record.
There's disappearing messages and it's on signal. What is your story? You never even told me about a story.

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Adam Weinstein @adamweinstein.bsky.social · 19h

Lecturing active soldiers about being too fat while dropping standards so low for the ICE deportation force that a third of their recruits can't handle the easiest PT test I've ever heard of www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

More than a third have failed so far, four officials told me, impeding the agency’s plan to hire, train, and deploy 10,000 deportation officers by January. To pass, recruits must do 15 push-ups and 32 sit-ups, and run 1.5 miles in 14 minutes.
“It’s pathetic,” one career ICE official told me, adding that before now, a typical class of 40 recruits had only a couple of candidates fail, because the screening process was more rigorous.

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bsdtectr @bsdtectr.bsky.social · 17h

These short explainers are really helpful. Thanks!

Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur.bsky.social · 17h

Three ways the US government shutdown could end

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 18h

What is with these dipshits and Signal?!?!

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Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org · 19h

Last weekend, @annabower.bsky.social started to receive Signal messages from the U.S. attorney who is leading the prosecution of Letitia James.

Throughout the exchange, Lindsay Halligan complained about Bower’s tweets and reporting on the indictment–but never once asked to be off the record.

“Anna, Lindsey Halligan Here.”

My Signal exchange with the interim U.S. attorney about the Letitia James grand jury.

www.lawfaremedia.org

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KindLivesMatter @bekindforthefuture.bsky.social · 1d

“I went to war three times for this country to defend the right of Americans to say things I may not like,” said (D) Rep Jason Crow of Colorado, a former army ranger who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq as a platoon leader.

“Now is the time for every American to speak out.”

Lawmakers slam Ice after US military veterans are arrested, injured — Guardian US

The Guardian revealed how US veterans have been injured and arrested at protests against Ice deportations

apple.news

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

Imagine having this level of unearned self confidence. I can only dream!

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

Yes! Great description of the intersection of the characters. And agree on the music. My kids tease me that I stopped learning new music beyond the 80s/90s but they’re not wrong.

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

Ok, I’ll have to do it. I’ve always been a huge Lee Pace fan (since Pushing Daisies) but the whole cast is really terrific.

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

That was such a fantastic show. Now I want to rewatch too!

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 1d

This is a very smart and important point. Talk to the people around you.

Alissa McLean @alissakmclean.bsky.social · 1d

I showed a relative the video Trump posted of himself taking a literal sh*t on the country, and she immediately stopped wavering and filled out her ballot “Yes” on 50.

Talk to your people! Many of them are not terminally online like you are.

That goes doubly for those of you in NJ and VA.

a woman says your vote is your power in a purple jacket

ALT: a woman says your vote is your power in a purple jacket

media.tenor.com

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Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 1d

🎯🎯

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

🤮🤮🤮 This is a South Park episode.

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

“Already dealing with a difficult year” = “Already being screwed over by idiotic tariffs from Trump”

ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

Mike Johnson is such a fucking weenie. Every time I see him, that’s the only word I can think of. Just a weak, soulless, weenie.

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

Agree!

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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 1d

OK, so our "Secretary of War" currently has two big priorities: (1) murdering innocent fishermen in the Caribbean, and (2) endangering the lives of commuters in Southern California.

Perhaps, we are seeing one of the downsides to having a drunk TV talk show chatterbox running our military.

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BIG D GRANDROYAL @bigdgrandroyal.bsky.social · 1d

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ErinNYC @erinnyc75.bsky.social · 1d

Waiting for Vance to call this a democrat sabotage…

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