Ann Keisling Smith
@pergamon23.bsky.social
documentary filmmaker, writer, photographer. Interested in the history of everything.
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
It looks like it's been scrubbed from every official 60 Minutes page now.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
December 22, 2025 at 1:33 AM
It looks like it's been scrubbed from every official 60 Minutes page now.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
It's only a 30-second promo but here it is if you didn't get a chance to see it.
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Trump's in the Epstein files over 600 times.
December 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Trump's in the Epstein files over 600 times.
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Authoritarianism isn’t subtle. It’s a president joking about paying himself $1 billion from the public treasury and expecting subordinates to make it happen.
www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tru...
www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tru...
Trump Brags About Suing the Government and Declares, ‘I Hereby Give Myself $1 Billion’
Speaking at a rally on Friday night, President Donald Trump bragged about his demand that the U.S. government give him a huge payout, and said he would be the ultimate arbiter of whether he will recei...
www.mediaite.com
December 21, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Authoritarianism isn’t subtle. It’s a president joking about paying himself $1 billion from the public treasury and expecting subordinates to make it happen.
www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tru...
www.mediaite.com/media/tv/tru...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Links to two stories @josephcox.bsky.social wrote on the new facial recognition tool.
www.404media.co/ice-is-using...
www.404media.co/how-a-us-cit...
www.404media.co/ice-is-using...
www.404media.co/how-a-us-cit...
ICE Is Using a New Facial Recognition App to Identify People, Leaked Emails Show
The new tool, called Mobile Fortify, uses the CBP system which ordinarily takes photos of people when they enter or exit the U.S., according to internal ICE emails viewed by 404 Media. Now ICE is usin...
www.404media.co
December 21, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Links to two stories @josephcox.bsky.social wrote on the new facial recognition tool.
www.404media.co/ice-is-using...
www.404media.co/how-a-us-cit...
www.404media.co/ice-is-using...
www.404media.co/how-a-us-cit...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Before and after DOJ realized they left Trump’s name in an Epstein document:
🚨 The DOJ appears to have redacted Donald Trump’s name from the allegations made in this exhibit in the Epstein files.
Trump’s name was in the original release. Now, it’s blacked out.
See for yourself.
Trump’s name was in the original release. Now, it’s blacked out.
See for yourself.
December 21, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Before and after DOJ realized they left Trump’s name in an Epstein document:
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Important piece
Inside the federal government as Trump and DOGE pushed it past its breaking point in 2025, as told by some of the more than 1,200 federal workers @hannahnatanson.bsky.social and @merylkornfield.bsky.social have spoken to this year
The year Trump broke the federal government
How DOGE and the White House carried out a once-unthinkable transformation of the nation’s sprawling bureaucracy.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Important piece
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
VA to launch largest reorganization of health care system in 30 years www.militarytimes.com/veterans/202...
VA to launch largest reorganization of health care system in 30 years
The Department of Veterans Affairs will slash the number of networks that support VA medical centers and realign policy offices to promote consistency.
www.militarytimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
VA to launch largest reorganization of health care system in 30 years www.militarytimes.com/veterans/202...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Secretary Noem finally said the quiet part out loud: asylum seekers are here legally.
That admission means ICE is violating federal law under her direction as they ruthlessly assault and deport people with pending asylum cases.
The truth finally comes out.
That admission means ICE is violating federal law under her direction as they ruthlessly assault and deport people with pending asylum cases.
The truth finally comes out.
December 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Secretary Noem finally said the quiet part out loud: asylum seekers are here legally.
That admission means ICE is violating federal law under her direction as they ruthlessly assault and deport people with pending asylum cases.
The truth finally comes out.
That admission means ICE is violating federal law under her direction as they ruthlessly assault and deport people with pending asylum cases.
The truth finally comes out.
I think we need to engage in those voters who sat on the sidelines the last few political cycles. Who are they? Has anything that has happened this year broken through to make them vote against the Republicans given the next opportunity? Anyone know of articles about this, or studies?
December 10, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I think we need to engage in those voters who sat on the sidelines the last few political cycles. Who are they? Has anything that has happened this year broken through to make them vote against the Republicans given the next opportunity? Anyone know of articles about this, or studies?
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Tom Nichols: “This ongoing game show of ‘strike a boat every day’ […] is making us into worse people — every one of us, whether we’re in uniform or just ordinary citizens. It is spiritually and morally corrosive on every level.”
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
December 6, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Tom Nichols: “This ongoing game show of ‘strike a boat every day’ […] is making us into worse people — every one of us, whether we’re in uniform or just ordinary citizens. It is spiritually and morally corrosive on every level.”
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
@radiofreetom.bsky.social
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Every right-wing oligarch, podcaster, hack, Russian apologist, paid influencer, and bot has been activated in a coordinated manner to attack Europe after the EU fined Musk.
December 7, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Every right-wing oligarch, podcaster, hack, Russian apologist, paid influencer, and bot has been activated in a coordinated manner to attack Europe after the EU fined Musk.
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Read this: www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
December 7, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Read this: www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Kremlin says new US security strategy accords largely with Russia's view reut.rs/4qefvUL
Kremlin says new US security strategy accords largely with Russia's view
The U.S. National Security Strategy described Trump's vision as one of "flexible realism."
reut.rs
December 7, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Kremlin says new US security strategy accords largely with Russia's view reut.rs/4qefvUL
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
When the House and Senate marked up stablecoin legislation, we raised all of these concerns - their anonymity, their nearly perfect design for money laundering. All the barn doors were left wide open. It’s used for crime because that is its purpose. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/t...
How a Cryptocurrency Helps Criminals Launder Money and Evade Sanctions
www.nytimes.com
December 7, 2025 at 2:03 PM
When the House and Senate marked up stablecoin legislation, we raised all of these concerns - their anonymity, their nearly perfect design for money laundering. All the barn doors were left wide open. It’s used for crime because that is its purpose. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/t...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
With alt text.
This is Vance-ism/Theil-ism more than Trumpism, though it works well for Donald, too, because it puts him in the position to try to lord over each head of state, which is all he really cares about.
This is Vance-ism/Theil-ism more than Trumpism, though it works well for Donald, too, because it puts him in the position to try to lord over each head of state, which is all he really cares about.
December 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
With alt text.
This is Vance-ism/Theil-ism more than Trumpism, though it works well for Donald, too, because it puts him in the position to try to lord over each head of state, which is all he really cares about.
This is Vance-ism/Theil-ism more than Trumpism, though it works well for Donald, too, because it puts him in the position to try to lord over each head of state, which is all he really cares about.
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
I'll say again: we are oddly selective about the government services about which we will say, they operate at a loss.
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
December 7, 2025 at 7:24 AM
I'll say again: we are oddly selective about the government services about which we will say, they operate at a loss.
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Thoughts on the post-47th world:
[Or: sometimes in all the craziness, it's nice to just sit back and listen to reasonable people discuss reasonable things.]
@hcrichardson.bsky.social @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15L...
[Or: sometimes in all the craziness, it's nice to just sit back and listen to reasonable people discuss reasonable things.]
@hcrichardson.bsky.social @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15L...
American Conversations: Zohran Mamdani
YouTube video by Heather Cox Richardson
www.youtube.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Thoughts on the post-47th world:
[Or: sometimes in all the craziness, it's nice to just sit back and listen to reasonable people discuss reasonable things.]
@hcrichardson.bsky.social @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15L...
[Or: sometimes in all the craziness, it's nice to just sit back and listen to reasonable people discuss reasonable things.]
@hcrichardson.bsky.social @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N15L...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
“Last January, Trump gave a full pardon to…Ross Ulbricht, who played a central role in the digitalization of the international drug trade ***According to news accounts, from 2011-2013, Ulbricht facilitated more than $200M in transactions for weapons, stolen credit cards, & mostly illicit drugs.” 1/
Trump is killing suspected drug-runners while pardoning those enabling the trade: T. Nelson Thompson
President Trump, arguably, has made drug trafficking easier, rather than harder. Cryptocurrencies have become the lifeblood of the narcotics economy. The modern drug trafficker operates in a digital e...
www.cleveland.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:56 AM
“Last January, Trump gave a full pardon to…Ross Ulbricht, who played a central role in the digitalization of the international drug trade ***According to news accounts, from 2011-2013, Ulbricht facilitated more than $200M in transactions for weapons, stolen credit cards, & mostly illicit drugs.” 1/
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
Trump told crews working on White House ballroom to ignore zoning conditions: report
Trump told crews working on White House ballroom to ignore zoning conditions: report
Trump told crews working on White House ballroom to ignore zoning conditions: report
www.independent.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Trump told crews working on White House ballroom to ignore zoning conditions: report
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
An accidental leak revealed that Flock, which has cameras in thousands of US communities, is using workers in the Philippines to review and classify footage. www.wired.com/story/flock-...
Flock Uses Overseas Gig Workers to Build Its Surveillance AI
An accidental leak revealed that Flock, which has cameras in thousands of US communities, is using workers in the Philippines to review and classify footage.
www.wired.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:54 PM
An accidental leak revealed that Flock, which has cameras in thousands of US communities, is using workers in the Philippines to review and classify footage. www.wired.com/story/flock-...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
“'Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals on a large scale?' Augustine made this suggestion in The City of God. In the country of Trump, we’re getting a convincing demonstration. Justice has been removed and a gang of criminals are in charge."
www.thebulwark.com/p/sex-crimes...
www.thebulwark.com/p/sex-crimes...
Sex Crimes. State Crimes. War Crimes.
We’re detecting a pattern with this administration.
www.thebulwark.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:12 PM
“'Remove justice, and what are kingdoms but gangs of criminals on a large scale?' Augustine made this suggestion in The City of God. In the country of Trump, we’re getting a convincing demonstration. Justice has been removed and a gang of criminals are in charge."
www.thebulwark.com/p/sex-crimes...
www.thebulwark.com/p/sex-crimes...
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
This Tuesday Dec 2nd The St Lucie County Board of Commissioners will vote on whether or not to approve the construction of a 1200 acre 15 million square foot AI data center on this beautiful Florida farmland.
December 1, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
The people have the power to make a better country.
December 1, 2025 at 7:44 AM
The people have the power to make a better country.
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
I'm shocked but somewhat pleased the mainstream media is going all Watergate on the Hegseth war crimes in the Caribbean. "Morning Joe" (yes, I know, don't @ me) has talked about little else for 2 hours
I'm not 100% convinced that this is the turning point but it might be, with Trump at just 36%
I'm not 100% convinced that this is the turning point but it might be, with Trump at just 36%
December 1, 2025 at 1:08 PM
I'm shocked but somewhat pleased the mainstream media is going all Watergate on the Hegseth war crimes in the Caribbean. "Morning Joe" (yes, I know, don't @ me) has talked about little else for 2 hours
I'm not 100% convinced that this is the turning point but it might be, with Trump at just 36%
I'm not 100% convinced that this is the turning point but it might be, with Trump at just 36%
Reposted by Ann Keisling Smith
NEW: Livestock graze on millions of acres of Western public lands. Congress dramatically reduced scrutiny of the impacts. As Trump seeks to expand grazing, we look at the consequences.
with @highcountrynews.org
with @highcountrynews.org
A Loophole Allows Ranchers to Renew Grazing Permits With Little Scrutiny of the Environmental Impact
With dwindling oversight, cattle are grazing where they’re not supposed to and in greater numbers or for longer periods than permitted. This can spread invasive plants, pushing out native species and ...
www.propublica.org
December 1, 2025 at 1:07 PM
NEW: Livestock graze on millions of acres of Western public lands. Congress dramatically reduced scrutiny of the impacts. As Trump seeks to expand grazing, we look at the consequences.
with @highcountrynews.org
with @highcountrynews.org