gwfrink3
@gwfrink.bsky.social
Activist, writer of fiction, N.C. mainstream daily newspaper journalist for a couple of decades once, web/programming geek, very happily married to Cynthia
Reposted by gwfrink3
I’m neither a lawyer nor a mobster so what do I know but I think the term for this “shakedown.” It’s fascism seemingly stripped of the everything but the fist: gimme the loot or else.
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I’m neither a lawyer nor a mobster so what do I know but I think the term for this “shakedown.” It’s fascism seemingly stripped of the everything but the fist: gimme the loot or else.
Reposted by gwfrink3
A federal judge didn’t “steal” the Commander-in-Chief’s powers—she ruled that DoD exceeded the limits Congress set. That is the rule of law working as designed. What threatens the Republic isn’t judicial review, but officials who insist they’re above it.
November 23, 2025 at 5:46 PM
A federal judge didn’t “steal” the Commander-in-Chief’s powers—she ruled that DoD exceeded the limits Congress set. That is the rule of law working as designed. What threatens the Republic isn’t judicial review, but officials who insist they’re above it.
Reposted by gwfrink3
SCOOP—In August, nearly 200 current/former FEMA staffers published the Katrina Declaration, a whistleblower letter detailing all the dangers posed by current leadership.
All current employees were put on indefinite leave, and now I've learned one has been fired in violation of federal protections:
All current employees were put on indefinite leave, and now I've learned one has been fired in violation of federal protections:
FEMA employee terminated for signing whistleblower letter
It appears to be a major violation of federal whistleblower protections and constitutional rights.
www.thehandbasket.co
November 26, 2025 at 7:58 PM
SCOOP—In August, nearly 200 current/former FEMA staffers published the Katrina Declaration, a whistleblower letter detailing all the dangers posed by current leadership.
All current employees were put on indefinite leave, and now I've learned one has been fired in violation of federal protections:
All current employees were put on indefinite leave, and now I've learned one has been fired in violation of federal protections:
It is no oversight that Pentagon boat attack videos present no legal justification. Their purpose is to inure us to arbitrary violence. We are the targets: www.counterpunch.org/2025/09/12/t...
November 27, 2025 at 4:24 AM
It is no oversight that Pentagon boat attack videos present no legal justification. Their purpose is to inure us to arbitrary violence. We are the targets: www.counterpunch.org/2025/09/12/t...
Reposted by gwfrink3
Place National Guard in harm’s way for no good reason. Two members are tragically and unnecessarily shot. The reckless regime’s response: We’re sending 500 more National Guard troops! What a disgrace.
November 26, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Place National Guard in harm’s way for no good reason. Two members are tragically and unnecessarily shot. The reckless regime’s response: We’re sending 500 more National Guard troops! What a disgrace.
Reposted by gwfrink3
Comey: "I'm grateful the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence & incompetence... I was inspired by the career people who refused to be part of this travesty. It cost some of them their jobs, but it preserved their integrity, which is beyond price"
November 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Comey: "I'm grateful the court ended the case against me, which was a prosecution based on malevolence & incompetence... I was inspired by the career people who refused to be part of this travesty. It cost some of them their jobs, but it preserved their integrity, which is beyond price"
Reposted by gwfrink3
Democracy isn’t only defended in protests or elections, it’s defended in living rooms, grocery aisles, and our everyday choices.
None of us is powerless.
Small lights add up. ✨
Read the full Guardrails piece: bit.ly/48dfn0a
#DemVoice1 #ProudBlue #Pinks
None of us is powerless.
Small lights add up. ✨
Read the full Guardrails piece: bit.ly/48dfn0a
#DemVoice1 #ProudBlue #Pinks
November 25, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Democracy isn’t only defended in protests or elections, it’s defended in living rooms, grocery aisles, and our everyday choices.
None of us is powerless.
Small lights add up. ✨
Read the full Guardrails piece: bit.ly/48dfn0a
#DemVoice1 #ProudBlue #Pinks
None of us is powerless.
Small lights add up. ✨
Read the full Guardrails piece: bit.ly/48dfn0a
#DemVoice1 #ProudBlue #Pinks
Reposted by gwfrink3
Where are the headlines about this?
The US has turned the life of this French judge into a nightmare - because he applied justice to Israel.
This is gangsterism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The US has turned the life of this French judge into a nightmare - because he applied justice to Israel.
This is gangsterism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
This French judge approved Netanyahu’s arrest warrant. Now Trump is targeting him | Owen Jones
Three ICC judges have been put on a sanctions list with terrorists after approving an arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister. This is the charade of the ‘rules-based order’, says Guardian columnis...
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Where are the headlines about this?
The US has turned the life of this French judge into a nightmare - because he applied justice to Israel.
This is gangsterism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The US has turned the life of this French judge into a nightmare - because he applied justice to Israel.
This is gangsterism.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by gwfrink3
The point of being an established, publicly funded media outlet with a legal department is to NOT cave meekly in response to specious legal threats from foreign leaders.
bsky.app/profile/greg...
bsky.app/profile/greg...
Note that the BBC openly admits in an email to me that the removal of this claim about Trump's world-historical corruption was done "on legal advice."
Translation: Trump's threat of a lawsuit, no matter how bogus, has now been rewarded.
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Translation: Trump's threat of a lawsuit, no matter how bogus, has now been rewarded.
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
November 26, 2025 at 5:18 PM
The point of being an established, publicly funded media outlet with a legal department is to NOT cave meekly in response to specious legal threats from foreign leaders.
bsky.app/profile/greg...
bsky.app/profile/greg...
Reposted by gwfrink3
BREAKING: The Pentagon says it's investigating Sen. Mark Kelly for possible military law violations after he joined a video urging U.S. troops to refuse "illegal orders."
Pentagon says it's investigating Sen. Mark Kelly for video urging troops to defy 'illegal orders'
The Pentagon says that it is investigating Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona for possible breaches of military law after Kelly joined a handful of other lawmakers in a video that called for U.S. troops to refuse unlawful orders.
bit.ly
November 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
BREAKING: The Pentagon says it's investigating Sen. Mark Kelly for possible military law violations after he joined a video urging U.S. troops to refuse "illegal orders."
Reposted by gwfrink3
I stand by my prediction made weeks ago that Trump was going to sell out Taiwan in exchange for soybean purchases.
November 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I stand by my prediction made weeks ago that Trump was going to sell out Taiwan in exchange for soybean purchases.
Reposted by gwfrink3
I just feel we need to keep saying, over and over, that the problem with DOGE was not its failure to cut spending. the problem with DOGE is that it CUT GLOBAL AID LEADING TO THE DEATHS OF 600K PEOPLE AND COUNTING. 1
DOGE is one of the greatest failures of the Trump administration. The next Democratic administration should pick up that issue and actually work to cut government waste, fraud, and abuse. I’d suggest starting by taking a look at Elon Musk’s government contracts.
November 24, 2025 at 5:17 PM
I just feel we need to keep saying, over and over, that the problem with DOGE was not its failure to cut spending. the problem with DOGE is that it CUT GLOBAL AID LEADING TO THE DEATHS OF 600K PEOPLE AND COUNTING. 1
Reposted by gwfrink3
So deeply, sickeningly UnAmerican
If you dare to displease the despot, you will be declared an enemy of the state and every lever of it will be deployed against you.
November 24, 2025 at 5:26 PM
So deeply, sickeningly UnAmerican
Trump's death machine: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
www.newyorker.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Trump's death machine: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
Reposted by gwfrink3
“They have the right to self-determination”: Zohran Mamdani wants Puerto Ricans to decide their political future
www.elnuevodia.com/english/news...
www.elnuevodia.com/english/news...
“They have the right to self-determination”: Zohran Mamdani wants Puerto Ricans to decide their political future
In an interview with El Nuevo Día, the New York City mayor-elect described Nydia Velázquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the voices he listens to most on island issues
www.elnuevodia.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:41 AM
“They have the right to self-determination”: Zohran Mamdani wants Puerto Ricans to decide their political future
www.elnuevodia.com/english/news...
www.elnuevodia.com/english/news...
Reposted by gwfrink3
Still astonishing that our nation's leaders are going to court to stop funding food assistance when there is an emergency fund available for the expressed purpose of funding food assistance during a shutdown. The message couldn't be more obvious #nced #ncpublicschools
www.reuters.com/world/us/usd...
www.reuters.com/world/us/usd...
www.reuters.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Still astonishing that our nation's leaders are going to court to stop funding food assistance when there is an emergency fund available for the expressed purpose of funding food assistance during a shutdown. The message couldn't be more obvious #nced #ncpublicschools
www.reuters.com/world/us/usd...
www.reuters.com/world/us/usd...
Reposted by gwfrink3
idk who needs to hear this but the President of the United States of America is APPEALING a judges order forcing him to fully fund SNAP.
Yes — DJT is appealing a ruling telling him to NOT starve his own people. Let that simmer.
Yes — DJT is appealing a ruling telling him to NOT starve his own people. Let that simmer.
November 7, 2025 at 3:32 PM
idk who needs to hear this but the President of the United States of America is APPEALING a judges order forcing him to fully fund SNAP.
Yes — DJT is appealing a ruling telling him to NOT starve his own people. Let that simmer.
Yes — DJT is appealing a ruling telling him to NOT starve his own people. Let that simmer.
Reposted by gwfrink3
Reposted by gwfrink3
“They didn’t just walk in chasing one person, they went into multiple rooms asking and looking for teachers while children were present,” Ramirez said. “This is an agency that has gone rogue and it an agency that believes that as long as they can cover their face, they can get away with anything.”
Families "horrified" after daycare teacher pulled out of school by federal agents.
The incident happened in front of parents and children at Rayito de Sol in North Center, a parent said. They believe the employee, who cares for infants, is legally allowed to work in the United State...
www.chalkbeat.org
November 6, 2025 at 11:14 AM
“They didn’t just walk in chasing one person, they went into multiple rooms asking and looking for teachers while children were present,” Ramirez said. “This is an agency that has gone rogue and it an agency that believes that as long as they can cover their face, they can get away with anything.”
Reposted by gwfrink3
Alarm Grows over Proposed Giant Mirrors in Orbit and Other Commercial Space Plans www.scientificamerican.com/article/alar...
Giant Mirrors, Orbital Data Centers and Space-Based Advertisements Could Soon Clutter the Night Sky
Reflect Orbital’s plan to deliver “sunlight on demand” using thousands of giant orbital mirrors is just the latest in a growing list of disruptive commercial activities in space
www.scientificamerican.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Alarm Grows over Proposed Giant Mirrors in Orbit and Other Commercial Space Plans www.scientificamerican.com/article/alar...
Reposted by gwfrink3
Jeffries: "The adminisration has been going after the FAA since the beginning of their time in office. And we need to understand how we got to this point, separate and apart from the Trump Republican shutdown. The problem is it's impossible to have a congressional briefing with House Rs on vacation"
November 6, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Jeffries: "The adminisration has been going after the FAA since the beginning of their time in office. And we need to understand how we got to this point, separate and apart from the Trump Republican shutdown. The problem is it's impossible to have a congressional briefing with House Rs on vacation"
Reality matters to all of us: www.propublica.org/article/port...
What Really Happened in Portland Before Trump Deployed the National Guard
In the two months before Trump’s decision, criminal charges were announced against only three people. On nights when physical conflict did erupt, it often came from police firing on, shoving, pepper-s...
www.propublica.org
November 6, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reality matters to all of us: www.propublica.org/article/port...
Reposted by gwfrink3
If New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s promise of free universal child care becomes reality, NYC families could see up to $1.9 billion in extra disposable income, explains a scholar who studies child care. buff.ly/IVVtUdC
Zohran Mamdani’s transformative child care plan builds on a history of NYC social innovations
Mamdani’s child care plans could set an example for other policymakers to follow, as Democratic and Republican voters say child care costs are a major problem.
theconversation.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:03 PM
If New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s promise of free universal child care becomes reality, NYC families could see up to $1.9 billion in extra disposable income, explains a scholar who studies child care. buff.ly/IVVtUdC
Reposted by gwfrink3
NEW: Millions of poor Americans could see $0 in SNAP benefits because of the way the Trump administration has implemented a court order, which required it to preserve the program during the shutdown.
Others may get about $12 in partial payments.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/u...
Others may get about $12 in partial payments.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/u...
Some SNAP Recipients May Not Receive Food Stamps Under White House Policy
www.nytimes.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:49 PM
NEW: Millions of poor Americans could see $0 in SNAP benefits because of the way the Trump administration has implemented a court order, which required it to preserve the program during the shutdown.
Others may get about $12 in partial payments.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/u...
Others may get about $12 in partial payments.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/u...
Reposted by gwfrink3
"As Donald Trump hits a new record high disapproval rating and Americans sour on his policies on every single issue, @lawrenceodonnell.msnbc.com details how those polls show that the “Trump lies about tariffs, or the economy, are not working.”
📺 youtu.be/_d105xBlsEw?...
📺 youtu.be/_d105xBlsEw?...
Lawrence: You are not alone tonight if you disapprove of Donald Trump's presidency
YouTube video by MSNBC
youtu.be
November 4, 2025 at 6:19 AM
"As Donald Trump hits a new record high disapproval rating and Americans sour on his policies on every single issue, @lawrenceodonnell.msnbc.com details how those polls show that the “Trump lies about tariffs, or the economy, are not working.”
📺 youtu.be/_d105xBlsEw?...
📺 youtu.be/_d105xBlsEw?...