Elizabeth
@elizathewell.bsky.social
Former CDC exec. Public health taught me the power of we. Now I’m channeling that into democracy—because silence isn’t strength, and I don’t do sidelines. Systems can save lives… or crash spectacularly. I’m here for data, decency, & taking back our country
Trump looks at Americans struggling to pay bills and says ‘your eyes deceive you.’ It’s not clever, it’s cruel — and painfully stupid.
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Trump Is Making the Same Mistake as Biden
Downplaying voters’ economic pain will backfire.
www.theatlantic.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Trump looks at Americans struggling to pay bills and says ‘your eyes deceive you.’ It’s not clever, it’s cruel — and painfully stupid.
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Trump’s ‘double‑tap’ politics isn’t strategy, it’s a tell. The circle keeps tightening, the grievances keep multiplying, and the only thing he’s building is a purge list. The real story isn’t MTG—it’s a leader so brittle he keeps breaking his own coalition.
thedispatch.com/newsletter/b...
thedispatch.com/newsletter/b...
Counterpunch
‘Self-defense’ as a license to kill.
thedispatch.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Trump’s ‘double‑tap’ politics isn’t strategy, it’s a tell. The circle keeps tightening, the grievances keep multiplying, and the only thing he’s building is a purge list. The real story isn’t MTG—it’s a leader so brittle he keeps breaking his own coalition.
thedispatch.com/newsletter/b...
thedispatch.com/newsletter/b...
Right now, Fuentes’ “reach” is largely artificial, but social‑media algorithms amplify engagement. Over time, that can create a feedback loop: more views → more engagement → higher algorithmic promotion → perceived legitimacy.
Fuentes isn’t a grassroots movement — he’s a media illusion built by bots and foreign spam farms. ‘America First’? More like algorithm‑first. When a fringe figure needs digital mercenaries to fake relevance, that’s not influence — it’s fraud
networkcontagion.us/reports/amer...
networkcontagion.us/reports/amer...
America Last: How Fuentes’s Coordinated Raids and Foreign Fake-Speech Networks Inflate His Influence - Network Contagion Research Institute
networkcontagion.us
December 9, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Right now, Fuentes’ “reach” is largely artificial, but social‑media algorithms amplify engagement. Over time, that can create a feedback loop: more views → more engagement → higher algorithmic promotion → perceived legitimacy.
Fuentes isn’t a grassroots movement — he’s a media illusion built by bots and foreign spam farms. ‘America First’? More like algorithm‑first. When a fringe figure needs digital mercenaries to fake relevance, that’s not influence — it’s fraud
networkcontagion.us/reports/amer...
networkcontagion.us/reports/amer...
America Last: How Fuentes’s Coordinated Raids and Foreign Fake-Speech Networks Inflate His Influence - Network Contagion Research Institute
networkcontagion.us
December 9, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Fuentes isn’t a grassroots movement — he’s a media illusion built by bots and foreign spam farms. ‘America First’? More like algorithm‑first. When a fringe figure needs digital mercenaries to fake relevance, that’s not influence — it’s fraud
networkcontagion.us/reports/amer...
networkcontagion.us/reports/amer...
That ordinary citizens, journalists, lawmakers, and civic institutions all share responsibility to push back before the decay becomes irreversible — not just react once a scandal hits.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
Opinion | M. Gessen and Michelle Goldberg on How to Resist
www.nytimes.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:48 PM
That ordinary citizens, journalists, lawmakers, and civic institutions all share responsibility to push back before the decay becomes irreversible — not just react once a scandal hits.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
The party’s pattern — sidelining female lawmakers, using gendered insults (“masculine energy,” mocking heels, body-shaming) in primaries and debates — echoes longstanding gender-essentialist tropes about who “belongs” in leadership roles.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
Opinion | Republican Women Suddenly Realize They’re Surrounded by Misogynists
www.nytimes.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:44 PM
The party’s pattern — sidelining female lawmakers, using gendered insults (“masculine energy,” mocking heels, body-shaming) in primaries and debates — echoes longstanding gender-essentialist tropes about who “belongs” in leadership roles.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/o...
The president turning a multibillion-dollar media fight into an Apprentice-style audition isn’t ‘Hollywood.’ It’s corruption with better lighting. When CNN’s future depends on flattering Trump, the problem isn’t the plot — it’s the power he’s grabbed to rewrite it.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
In Warner Fight, a Hollywood Plot That Makes Trump the Star
Plus, the president allows China to get Nvidia chips and unveils a $12 billion bailout for farmers, in this edition of the WSJ Politics newsletter.
www.wsj.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:35 PM
The president turning a multibillion-dollar media fight into an Apprentice-style audition isn’t ‘Hollywood.’ It’s corruption with better lighting. When CNN’s future depends on flattering Trump, the problem isn’t the plot — it’s the power he’s grabbed to rewrite it.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
The conflation of outrage, conspiracy, fame, & political messaging — is becoming deeply embedded in large audiences. When such voices shape public opinion, policy debate, and political identity, the consequences go beyond entertainment: they erode our collective capacity for fact-based deliberation
Candace Owens and the Decay of the American Brain
How can someone so delusional attract an audience of millions? What does it say about us that Owens is listened to by anyone other than a psychiatrist?
www.currentaffairs.org
December 9, 2025 at 1:31 PM
The conflation of outrage, conspiracy, fame, & political messaging — is becoming deeply embedded in large audiences. When such voices shape public opinion, policy debate, and political identity, the consequences go beyond entertainment: they erode our collective capacity for fact-based deliberation
Tough on drugs, except when the trafficker is politically convenient. Trump’s pardons make one thing clear: the swagger is performative, the principles nonexistent.”
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump pardons major drug traffickers despite his anti-drug rhetoric
The president has granted clemency to about 100 people accused of drug-related crimes during his two terms in office, a Post analysis shows.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Tough on drugs, except when the trafficker is politically convenient. Trump’s pardons make one thing clear: the swagger is performative, the principles nonexistent.”
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
First pajamas, now pull-ups. At this point it’s clear Duffy doesn’t know what his job is — and he doesn’t think much of the Americans he’s supposed to serve.
x.com/atrupar/stat...
x.com/atrupar/stat...
Aaron Rupar on X: "Duffy on what he's doing to improve the airport experience for travelers: "Maybe I want a workout area where people might get some blood flowing doing some pull ups or step ups in the airport." https://t.co/DsEvZi7aGo" / X
Duffy on what he's doing to improve the airport experience for travelers
x.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:29 AM
First pajamas, now pull-ups. At this point it’s clear Duffy doesn’t know what his job is — and he doesn’t think much of the Americans he’s supposed to serve.
x.com/atrupar/stat...
x.com/atrupar/stat...
That whistleblowers and journalists hold a vital role when government power grows unchecked. As history shows — leaks lead to accountability, while “plumbing leaks” leads to corruption, abuse, and cover‑ups.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
Opinion | He Was a C.I.A. Psychiatrist During the Nixon Era. His Files Are Revealing.
www.nytimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 11:03 PM
That whistleblowers and journalists hold a vital role when government power grows unchecked. As history shows — leaks lead to accountability, while “plumbing leaks” leads to corruption, abuse, and cover‑ups.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
Trump’s ‘Corollary’ treats the Americas like America’s backyard, claiming a right to intervene at will. Sovereignty and international norms aren’t optional — they’re what keep the world from constant conflict.
www.wsj.com/opinion/intr...
www.wsj.com/opinion/intr...
Opinion | Introducing the ‘Trump Corollary’
Taking a page from Teddy Roosevelt, the president’s National Security Strategy asserts a right of intervention.
www.wsj.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Trump’s ‘Corollary’ treats the Americas like America’s backyard, claiming a right to intervene at will. Sovereignty and international norms aren’t optional — they’re what keep the world from constant conflict.
www.wsj.com/opinion/intr...
www.wsj.com/opinion/intr...
Trump’s new national security strategy sidelines allies, downplays China and Russia, and treats global crises like transactions. America‑First here means retreat and self-interest, not leadership.
www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
Opinion | A Trump Doctrine of Contradictions
His Administration’s new security document is notably soft on Russia and China.
www.wsj.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Trump’s new national security strategy sidelines allies, downplays China and Russia, and treats global crises like transactions. America‑First here means retreat and self-interest, not leadership.
www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
www.wsj.com/opinion/dona...
This feels like a calculated bid to reshape American media power. Paramount isn’t just buying a studio — it’s buying influence over culture, news, and public conversation.
www.semafor.com/article/12/0...
www.semafor.com/article/12/0...
Finger-pointing in Washington as Paramount goes hostile
The Ellisons “leaned into the stereotypes” of a politicized regulatory process in its aggressive pursuit of Warner Bros.
www.semafor.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:49 PM
This feels like a calculated bid to reshape American media power. Paramount isn’t just buying a studio — it’s buying influence over culture, news, and public conversation.
www.semafor.com/article/12/0...
www.semafor.com/article/12/0...
Loomer questioned why the administration is focused on bombing Venezuelan‑linked vessels rather than going after the drug supply routes that actually fuel the overdose crisis.
www.mediaite.com/media/news/f...
www.mediaite.com/media/news/f...
'Fentanyl Isn’t Being Manufactured in Venezuela': Laura Loomer Hits DoD Over Airstrikes
Laura Loomer took issue with the DoD's recent airstrikes against alleged drug smuggling boats, pointing out that the majority of drugs that enter the U.S. do not originate from Venezuela.
www.mediaite.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Loomer questioned why the administration is focused on bombing Venezuelan‑linked vessels rather than going after the drug supply routes that actually fuel the overdose crisis.
www.mediaite.com/media/news/f...
www.mediaite.com/media/news/f...
Congress just cut a chunk of Hegseth’s travel budget — until Pentagon coughs up the full video of the boat strikes. No more cloak-and-dagger military theater. If your war campaign depends on secrecy, you shouldn’t be running the Pentagon
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
Congress to withhold Pentagon travel funds until it sees boat strike videos
Lawmakers quietly stuck the requirement into their must-pass annual defense policy bill.
www.politico.com
December 8, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Congress just cut a chunk of Hegseth’s travel budget — until Pentagon coughs up the full video of the boat strikes. No more cloak-and-dagger military theater. If your war campaign depends on secrecy, you shouldn’t be running the Pentagon
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
New Republicans are younger, more progressive, and anti-system—soft Trump voters in a party built on hard loyalty. The coalition Trump relies on isn’t stable; the question is whether the party will bend to them or keep chasing the MAGA base. The 2026 map could get very interesting
The New GOP: Survey Analysis of Americans Overall, Today’s Republican Coalition, and the Minorities of MAGA
A new national survey conducted by the Manhattan Institute examines today’s Republican Party and the coalition assembled by Donald Trump in 2024. It is one of the most exhaustive studies to date of th...
manhattan.institute
December 8, 2025 at 4:59 PM
New Republicans are younger, more progressive, and anti-system—soft Trump voters in a party built on hard loyalty. The coalition Trump relies on isn’t stable; the question is whether the party will bend to them or keep chasing the MAGA base. The 2026 map could get very interesting
2/ The apps feel like tools we choose, but really, they’re orchestrating what we value, nudging our curiosity and concern without us even realizing it. The disturbing part isn’t just the attention hijack—it’s that it subtly rewires what we’ll care about next week, next month, next year.
Attention is power. Meta doesn’t just compete for clicks—it shapes what we care about tomorrow. The court calls it “agile” competition; it is a silent hand rewriting our priorities, one scroll at a time. You aren’t just browsing—you’re being curated.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
Opinion | Pay Attention to How You Pay Attention
www.nytimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:40 PM
2/ The apps feel like tools we choose, but really, they’re orchestrating what we value, nudging our curiosity and concern without us even realizing it. The disturbing part isn’t just the attention hijack—it’s that it subtly rewires what we’ll care about next week, next month, next year.
Attention is power. Meta doesn’t just compete for clicks—it shapes what we care about tomorrow. The court calls it “agile” competition; it is a silent hand rewriting our priorities, one scroll at a time. You aren’t just browsing—you’re being curated.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
Opinion | Pay Attention to How You Pay Attention
www.nytimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Attention is power. Meta doesn’t just compete for clicks—it shapes what we care about tomorrow. The court calls it “agile” competition; it is a silent hand rewriting our priorities, one scroll at a time. You aren’t just browsing—you’re being curated.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/o...
They’re drawing up an “extremist list” that targets ideas — immigration, gender, dissent — not acts. Congrats: you’re a terror suspect. Welcome to 2025, where free thought is criminalized.
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/leak-fbi-l...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/leak-fbi-l...
FBI Making List of American “Extremists,” Leaked Memo Reveals
Are you on Trump's naughty list?
www.kenklippenstein.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:23 PM
They’re drawing up an “extremist list” that targets ideas — immigration, gender, dissent — not acts. Congrats: you’re a terror suspect. Welcome to 2025, where free thought is criminalized.
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/leak-fbi-l...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/leak-fbi-l...
In Indiana, the GOP’s map-making binge turns politics into manipulation — not representation. Big-city voters carved up, incumbents threatened, and a Senate wavering under intimidation
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
Indiana Republicans threaten to thwart Trump's redistricting onslaught
The Hoosier State GOP lawmakers are poised to block the president’s mid-cycle redistricting scheme Monday.
www.politico.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:03 PM
In Indiana, the GOP’s map-making binge turns politics into manipulation — not representation. Big-city voters carved up, incumbents threatened, and a Senate wavering under intimidation
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...
Most Americans don’t care about trade‑war talking points — they know what’s hitting their wallets. 7 in 10 report spending more on groceries this year. Tariffs? They’re not helping. They’re hurting
abcnews.go.com/Politics/maj...
abcnews.go.com/Politics/maj...
Majority of Americans say tariffs hurt their family's financial situation, are spending more on groceries and utilities: Poll
About 7 in 10 Americans are spending more on groceries compared to last year.
abcnews.go.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Most Americans don’t care about trade‑war talking points — they know what’s hitting their wallets. 7 in 10 report spending more on groceries this year. Tariffs? They’re not helping. They’re hurting
abcnews.go.com/Politics/maj...
abcnews.go.com/Politics/maj...
2/ When American officials undermine checks and balances while lecturing others on reform, it’s no longer a foreign problem. It’s a warning: democracy dies faster at home than abroad.
Ukraine has long struggled with corruption — war, weak institutions, foreign pressure. But the circle around Trump makes it look tame. Cronyism, self-dealing, loyalty over law — it’s a domestic scandal with global resonance.
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Trumpian Corruption Is Worse Than Ukrainian Corruption
The people of Ukraine want an honest government, even as American and Russian kleptocrats circle their country.
www.theatlantic.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:53 PM
2/ When American officials undermine checks and balances while lecturing others on reform, it’s no longer a foreign problem. It’s a warning: democracy dies faster at home than abroad.
Ukraine has long struggled with corruption — war, weak institutions, foreign pressure. But the circle around Trump makes it look tame. Cronyism, self-dealing, loyalty over law — it’s a domestic scandal with global resonance.
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Trumpian Corruption Is Worse Than Ukrainian Corruption
The people of Ukraine want an honest government, even as American and Russian kleptocrats circle their country.
www.theatlantic.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Ukraine has long struggled with corruption — war, weak institutions, foreign pressure. But the circle around Trump makes it look tame. Cronyism, self-dealing, loyalty over law — it’s a domestic scandal with global resonance.
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...
Rubio: neocon past, MAGA present, living in the West Wing like a reality show contestant. Europe freaks, Trump rants, Congress shrugs — and he’s supposed to keep the country’s foreign policy from turning into improv theater.
www.thetimes.com/us/american-...
www.thetimes.com/us/american-...
Does Marco Rubio really share the Maga worldview?
Donald Trump’s foreign policy guru is working for an administration seemingly intent on tearing up the Republican approach he once held dear
www.thetimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Rubio: neocon past, MAGA present, living in the West Wing like a reality show contestant. Europe freaks, Trump rants, Congress shrugs — and he’s supposed to keep the country’s foreign policy from turning into improv theater.
www.thetimes.com/us/american-...
www.thetimes.com/us/american-...