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George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 12h

The furious debate over whether Meghan McCain's seemingly willful stupidity is willful or just stupidity has now ended in a draw

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Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 11h

I keep seeing ads for Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on 60 Minutes tonight to discuss the "peace deal." Wonder if they'll update it with the news today that the ceasefire has been broken? "We taped this interview before the entire deal fell apart, but here it is anyhow..."

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Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 11h

Breathtaking incompetence www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/u...

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Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 4d

Trump's mechanism to pay the troops during the shutdown is by far the most illegal budgetary action he's taken as POTUS, potentially setting the stage to break everything.

It's also needless because Congress would easily pass a troop pay bill if Johnson were willing to gavel in.

Long thread.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/10/national-security-presidential-memorandum-nspm-8/

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P. Andrew Torrez @andrewtorrez.bsky.social · 10h

A must-read thread from an expert on the budget and Congressional spending:

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 4d

Trump's mechanism to pay the troops during the shutdown is by far the most illegal budgetary action he's taken as POTUS, potentially setting the stage to break everything.

It's also needless because Congress would easily pass a troop pay bill if Johnson were willing to gavel in.

Long thread.

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60 Minutes @60minutes.bsky.social · 9h

“We found over 35 cases in which the judges have specifically said what the government is providing…false information. It might be intentionally false information, including false sworn declarations time and again," says Ryan Goodman, law professor at New York University.

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Popehat Or Danger of Popehat @kenwhite.bsky.social · 8h

I’m not saying they’re Nazis. I’m saying being a Nazi isn’t a deal-breaker for them. I’m saying at a minimum they’re Good Germans.

RIDGE @1av8ter.bsky.social · 20h

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Mueller, She Wrote @muellershewrote.com · 4h

I’m willing to bet that Comey and Fitzgerald are smarter than the DoJ lawyers about what constitutes a conflict of interest, and I’m willing to bet they’ve already contemplated this and have a response prepared.

Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 5h

BREAKING: Prosecutors may seek to oust Patrick Fitzgerald as James Comey's defense attorney in false-statement/obstruction case. Fitzgerald's role in 2017 disclosure of Comey memos to media could be insurmountable conflict, feds say. w/@kyledcheney.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Prosecutors may move to oust James Comey’s defense lawyer

Federal prosecutors told a judge that defense attorney Patrick Fitzgerald may have a conflict due to his role in releasing memos Comey wrote about Trump to the media.

www.politico.com

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Inexcusably Athwart @thejeffmanghera.bsky.social · 4h

It does eliminate the whole negotiation part.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h

Q: Did you tell Zelenskyy he needed to cede all of the Donbas region to Russia?

TRUMP: No. We think that what they should do is just stop at the lines where they are

Q: What do you think should happen w/ the Donbas?

T: I think 78% of the land is already taken by Russia. You leave it the way it is

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Marlene Robertson🍁🇨🇦 @marlenerobertson.bsky.social · 7h

Are the American farmers listening to this condescending shitbag whose compassion lies with Argentina and not you?

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Philip Bump @pbump.com · 7h

Through Oct. 19, 2017, Trump had spent all or part of 93 days at Trump Org properties and likely played golf on 57.

As of Oct. 19, 2025, he's spent all or part of 102 days at his private properties and likely played golf on 71 days.
www.pbump.net/o/an-officia...

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digby @digby56.bsky.social · 7h

They didn't tell him.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h

Q: Do you feel Israel was justified with striking when it did?

TRUMP: Striking where?

Q: In Gaza. Today. And overnight.

TRUMP: I'd have to get back to you on that

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Jason Linkins @dceiver.bsky.social · 7h

The No Kings rally in Cornwall, NY was organized by a high school senior, which is very cool!

www.facebook.com/groups/56249...

New Windsor, NY News and Events | Hi everyone! I am Michael Duffy, the lead organizer of the No Kings Protest that took place in Cornwall yesterday | Facebook

Hi everyone! I am Michael Duffy, the lead organizer of the No Kings Protest that took place in Cornwall yesterday! I am a senior at Cornwall Central Highschool and a resident here. This protest was...

www.facebook.com

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 7h

Obama was elected by a much bigger margin but the media was primed to accept criticism of him and to legitimize resistance against him because they see white conservatives as representative of America

It’s why they actively downplay any resistance against Trump today, of course

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Michael McDonald @electproject.bsky.social · 7h

Now if you'll excuse me I've got to go to the bathroom and shit on America some more

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h

Trump on No Kings: "It's a joke. I looked at the people. They are not representative of this country. And I looked at all the brand new signs I guess paid for by Soros and other radical left lunatics. We're checking it out. The demonstrations were very small. And the people were whacked out."

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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 7h

Indeed, the point is to remove real academics and replace them with partisan propagandists.

Plus, their "diversity" only ever extends to one "viewpoint": whatever Republicans are saying at the moment. An economist who said tariffs are bad would be deemed a Marxist and thus not "viewpoint diverse."

Bradford Vivian @bradvivian.bsky.social · 9h

The definition of “viewpoint diversity” that figures like this promote implies *censorship* (the “must” part): curbing some forms of expression to boost others. It’s an invention of orgs who advocate government censorship of teaching/research + restrictions on protected political speech in colleges.

Opinion
Opinion by Megan
McArdle
The sweetheart deal is over for academia
Universities must restore public trust, starting with viewpoint diversity.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 7h

have long suspected that trump thinks the insurrection act is an instant "i win" cheat code that make his opposition go away

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8h

Trump: "I'm allowed as you know as president, like 50% of the presidents have used the Insurrection Act. Everybody agrees you're allowed to use that and there is no more court cases, there is no more anything. We're trying to do it in a nicer manner, but we can always use the Insurrection Act."

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Keith Olbermann @olbermann.bsky.social · 7h

It was a documentary actually

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 8h

The AI video Trump posted of himself dumping shit all over America from a plane was metaphorically the most accurate piece of propaganda he’s put out this year.

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Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 13h

Remember April 2009 when about 250,000 people took to America’s streets in Tea Party rallies and the media was like “oh man, the Dems are in trouble?” Approximately 28X as many people took to the streets to protest Trump yesterday. Didn’t even make the NYT front page.

Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · Apr 10

In April of 2009 I observed the Tea Party rally in Salem. As this front page story says, there were a couple hundred people there. This past weekend in Salem there were roughly 2-3000 people at the Hands Off rally. Yet the Tea Party coverage seemed to take that event far more seriously.

StatesmanJournal.com
SERVING SALEM, KEIZER
AND THE MID-VALLEY
"If you don't say anything, you're accepting it."
Mari Jensen, McMinnville resident
OUT OF MY
LOUR
WALLET
CHOICES
LIMIT GOVERNMENT
Oregon Taxpayers United
FREEDOM
gat
TIMOTHY J. GONZALEZ | Statesman Journal
Alan Grosso (center) of Happy Valley joins in chanting under the window of the speaker of the House on Wednesday during the Salem Tea Party protest at the Capitol.
Protesters slam Fed spending
Hundreds gather at Salem Tea Party to rally against bailouts, state-level taxes
BY DENNIS THOMPSON JR.
Statesman Journal
Hundreds of people uneasy over the future of their country gathered on the state Capitol steps on Wednesday to protest federal spending and state-level taxation.
Oregon State Police estimated more
SCRAP THE CODE
than 1,000 people attended the Salem Tea Party protest, which ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organizers placed attendance at more than 2,000 people.
The rally was passionate but peace-ful, although many people carried handmade signs bearing stark and angry messages. A fake wooden pitchfork read "Politicians take note. We the people are about to revolt." Anoth er sign read "200+ years to build the Republic, 3 mos. to destroy it."
Many attendees said they were motivated to protest by the billions in stimulus spending and bailouts that have been doled out in recent months.
Willy Lowman of Falls City wears a label on his head that reads "Scrap the Code" at the tea party protest.
West Salem resident Steve Albin said he
came to protest federal bailouts of banks and automakers.
"They need to fail. That's what capitalism is all about," said Albin, who had a tea bag dangling from the brim
See Protest, 2A
Inside
Protesters take part in Tea Party events across the nation, Page 2A
Supporters to push for immigration reform, Page 2A
• ONLINE: See photo galleries and a video from the protest at StatesmanJournal.com.

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Reconstructionist @unavaleable.bsky.social · 10h

Jesus Christ man

Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 19h

This story is extraordinary even by 2025 standards. Marco Rubio, the nation's top diplomat, made a deal with Bukele and agreed to renege on informant agreements in a years-long DOJ investigation into MS-13, totally undercutting credibility of such agreements.

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Rubio promised to betray U.S. informants to get Trump’s El Salvador prison deal

To secure U.S. access to President Nayib Bukele’s notorious CECOT prison, Rubio agreed to turn over several MS-13 leaders central to a long-running Justice Department investigation.

www.washingtonpost.com

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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 5h

Task had me at hello, with Rita's wooder ice & the warm bath of the Eastern PA accents of my childhood. But yes, the last few episodes were absolutely fantastic television. Ruffalo was magnificent.

Alan Sepinwall @sepinwall.bsky.social · 7h

Task took a while to grow on me, but I loved the last few episodes, including a finale that was a reminder of how great Mark Ruffalo can be:

'Task' ends with tears, but also a smile

Mark Ruffalo has to work through his issues in the powerful concluding chapter

www.whatsalanwatching.com

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TVMoJoe @tvmojoe.bsky.social · 5h

Moreover, even though the whistleblower story contains real news—he hasn’t talked before and he’s making his case publicly—here’s how the CBS News website is playing the two stories at this hour: Kushner leads, whistleblower story is below 10 other stories under “more news.”

Top of CBS NEWS homepage

Witkoff, Kushner reveal turning points in Israel-Hamas negotiations
4H AGO

CBS NEWS

More Top Stories
DOJ whistleblower says he refused to lie in the Abrego Garcia case
2H AGO

The enigma of Tim Curry.
13H AGO

Painter Amy Sherald on portraits and politics
4H AGO

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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 4h

We have always been at war against Eastasia.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/u...

The U.S. military has killed three men and destroyed another boat it suspected of running drugs in the Caribbean Sea, this one alleged to have been affiliated with a Colombian insurgency group, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Sunday.

It was the seventh boat known to have been attacked since early September as part of the Trump administration’s use of the military to kill people suspected of smuggling drugs as if they were enemy soldiers in a war, rather than arresting them as criminals. The latest strike took place on Friday, and Mr. Hegseth said in a social media post on Sunday that it had targeted a vessel associated with the National Liberation Army, a Colombian rebel group known as the E.L.N.

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Inexcusably Athwart @thejeffmanghera.bsky.social · 5h

Don't put Interstate 5 there?

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