Laurie McElhatton
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travelbug5.bsky.social
Laurie McElhatton
@travelbug5.bsky.social
12K followers 5K following 1.1K posts
Looking for honest discourse, actual facts; I’m a champion for women’s rights, advocate for science and responsible action to combat climate change, sick of the corrupt GOP and clowns in orange turd’s cabinet. USA is now a joke thanks to MAGAts. Attorney.
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Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
newjukeboxcafe.bsky.social
US military
Pentagon announces it has killed four men in another boat strike in Pacific
Strike comes amid congressional turmoil over legality of US attacks on suspected drug smugglers

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Pentagon announces it has killed four men in another boat strike in Pacific
Strike comes amid congressional turmoil over legality of US attacks on suspected drug smugglers
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
jd1515151.bsky.social
Four missile strikes on a speedboat isn't about stopping drug traffickers and drugs.

It's about eliminating eye witnesses and evidence.
December 5, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
theintellectualist.bsky.social
🚨When 16-year-old Joel Andre, one of Portland, Maine’s most beloved young soccer stars, vanished into immigration detention with his family, the shock rippled through local schools and left classmates terrified their families could be next.
theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/maine-stud...
December 5, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
krassenstein.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
organizingpower.bsky.social
Sorry, but it’s naive to believe that this SCOTUS would ever “defer” to a non-rightwing agenda. And, in any event, we dont have time to wait around and see. Roberts is an expert at running out the clock. On Day One we need to *pack* the Court (not “reform” it)
mikesacks.bsky.social Mike Sacks @mikesacks.bsky.social · 1d
Here’s the fix: win simple majorities, eliminate antidemocratic impediments to passing laws that help everyone, pass laws that help everyone, eliminate antidemocratic impediments to enacting transformative laws that help everyone. Congress leads, executive follows, SCOTUS defers—or gets reformed.
December 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
swin24.bsky.social
Ding ding ding ding
noahshachtman.bsky.social Noah Shachtman @noahshachtman.bsky.social · 1d
I've been saying for the better part of a year that Trump is on a mission to decriminalize corruption. To make it the legal equivalent of jaywalking.

I feel that more strongly now than I ever had.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d
Trump announces a pardon of Henry Cuellar: "I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda. Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!"
December 3, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
softtail65.bsky.social
She's spot on. Maddow on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night.
"Russia is a podunk country. The idea that we work for Putin is so humiliating and is such an abject FAILURE on the part of Trump in terms of his weakness. I don't know what Putin has on him, but he works for Putin, and it's an EMBARRASSMENT to this country!" -RACHEL MADDOW
December 3, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
chrisjustice01.bsky.social
#EpsteinFiles #Trump #Maxwell #Death #Coverup
👉 No one believes Epstein killed himself. Not Trump, not his partner Ghislaine Maxwell, not his brother, not Dr Baden
October 15, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
ofthebraveusa.bsky.social
George Retes is an American citizen and veteran who was unjustly pepper-sprayed, arrested, and imprisoned for three days by ICE.

Yet he won't be intimidated by this lawless administration. He's speaking up and telling his story as part of a new $250k @ofthebraveusa.bsky.social campaign. 👇
December 3, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
mikestabile.bsky.social
Alabama officials cut off funding for a public library that refused to bar access to the "The Handmaid's Tale" and other books they deemed sexually explicit to anyone under 18.

Thankfully, @everylibrary.bsky.social has stepped up to provide funding to allow the library to remain open for now.
Fairhope Public Library accepts donations to cover withheld state…
The Fairhope Public Library was presented with over $42,000 in donations from EveryLibrary during its regular meeting Monday. The funds were raised after…
1819news.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
premthakker.bsky.social
Agents in Key Largo, Florida ripped this woman wearing medical scrubs out of her car as she screamed she is a US citizen. Agents cuffed her and put her in one of their cars.

She was eventually let go, per David Goodhue of the Miami Herald, who also took this footage:
December 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
rosesbloom24.bsky.social
In 2022, the attorney general of the US Virgin Islands reached a settlement for more than $100m with Epstein’s estate after they alleged “dozens of young women and children were trafficked, raped, sexually assaulted and held captive in the Virgin Islands...

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
House Democrats release new images of Epstein’s private Caribbean island
Images and videos taken in 2020, a year after he died in jail, show the late sex offender’s home
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
steventdennis.bsky.social
Freed from prison by Trump on his last day in office in 2021, a $200 million fraudster started a new Ponzi scheme within months.
*A Bloomberg Big Take*
FREE Gift Link:
www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
Freed by Trump, a $200 Million Fraudster Started a New Scam
Eli Weinstein promised to reform — but after his release he took on an alias and started another Ponzi scheme.
www.bloomberg.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
sethabramson.bsky.social
What sort of parallel universe are we living in in which extremely powerful people are worried about a wholly transparent ploy? If the Trump administration tries to scapegoat an innocent man, how about we just fucking ignore what they say and go after the real perpetrator? What's this vacillation?
washingtonpost.com The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 3d
Breaking news: Government officials said they are increasingly concerned that the Trump administration intends to scapegoat the military officer who directed U.S. forces to kill survivors of a targeted strike on suspected drug smugglers in Latin America.
Hegseth, with White House help, tries to distance himself from boat strike fallout
As Congress vows accountability, the Trump administration emphasized it was a top military commander — not the defense secretary — who directed the engagement.
wapo.st
December 2, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
radiofreetom.bsky.social
Posting stupid memes after being accused of murder is the response of a sneering, spoiled punk who has been caught doing wrong and is now daring the local fuzz to take him in and risk the anger of his rich dad—a role fulfilled by Donald Trump, in this case.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Pete Hegseth Needs to Go—Now
A man with such contempt for the military should not run the Pentagon.
www.theatlantic.com
December 2, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
brandonfriedman.bsky.social
Hegseth is very transparently blaming a Navy admiral for his own decision. Let this be a lesson for every other military officer: The Trump administration will issue unlawful orders, then blame you for following them.
@PeteHegseth on X: Let’s make one thing crystal clear: Admiral Mitch Bradley is an American hero, a true professional, and has my 100% support. I stand by him and the combat decisions he has made — on the September 2 mission and all others since. America is fortunate to have such men protecting us. When this @DeptofWar says we have the back of our warriors — we mean it. 01 Dec 25
December 2, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
adamweinstein.bsky.social
This is stunningly good reporting by two bylined reporters and six credited researchers, and it's undermined throughout by links to an "Ask the Post AI" that delivers insipid answers to its own contrived prompts under the guise of "More context on this article"
An "Ask The Post AI" popup asserting that congressional oversight of US killings on the high seas "could impact future military operations by potentially reducing transparency and trust between the Pentagon and Congress." An "Ask The Post AI" popup claiming "The impact of narcotics trafficking on U.S. national security is a significant concern, with President Trump determining that the U.S. is in an 'armed conflict' with drug cartels."
December 2, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
trumpwatch.skyfleet.blue
Is Adm. Bradley Getting Blamed for Hegseth’s Mess?
#Trump
Is Adm. Bradley Getting Blamed for Hegseth’s Mess?
Ben Parker and Lt.
www.thebulwark.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
kenwhite.bsky.social
That’s a very attractive red shirt you’re wearing Admiral Bradley
ronfilipkowski.bsky.social Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 3d
If Admiral Bradley didn’t realize before that these cowards were setting him up to take the fall, he knows it now. Time to hire a good lawyer.
December 2, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
pamherd.bsky.social
Increasingly concerning that the Trump Admin is obliterating data so we can’t document what they’re destroying. In this case, gold standard tracking of health care access, insurance coverage and costs. It’s a study that will help us understand the impacts of the Big Beautiful Bill.
egolberstein.bsky.social Ezra Golberstein @egolberstein.bsky.social · 3d
MEPS seems to be gone as of now. This is very bad. These are critical pieces of data about health care and they belong to the American public.
December 2, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
repdangoldman.bsky.social
If immigration judges are neutral and independent as due process requires, then they must be independent from the Executive Branch.

We must move immigration judges from Article II to Article I to provide a check on a lawless administration like this one.
December 2, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
thetnholler.bsky.social
“Hegseth is pinning this on Bradley.”
“100%.”
December 2, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
pawbaby2.bsky.social
FBI Deputy Director Bongino is suddenly in defense mode after an email surfaced showing he was looped in on the Trump-era mass redactions of Epstein files on Day 2 of the job. The question isn’t why he knew it’s why the public wasn’t supposed to.

#USDemocracy
#Pinks

apple.news/A0bLUpHFVQQy...
Dan Bongino Scrambles to Explain Epstein Files Redaction Email — The Daily Beast
The FBI deputy director had faced questions over his role in a “special” project to redact Epstein-related materials.
apple.news
December 1, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
thetnholler.bsky.social
🔥 AL GORE: “We already have way too many subservient cowards in Congress, the last thing we need is to send another one (Van Epps 🤖) — you can make tomorrow the turning point for our country by getting out and voting for Rep. @aftynbehn.bsky.social .” #TN7

Full: www.threads.com/@thetnholler...
December 2, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Reposted by Laurie McElhatton
asharangappa.bsky.social
Aaaaaand…this is exactly why the six lawmakers needed to remind servicemembers about not obeying unlawful orders (this will get driven home when Hegseth gets a pardon but no one else does)
bgrueskin.bsky.social Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 3d
NYT:
Five officials told us that Hegseth had nothing to do with the second strike

Washpost (which broke the story 2 days ago):
“This is ‘protect Pete’ bullshit,”
and
“It’s throwing us, the service members, under the bus.”
At the White House on Monday, Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary, read a statement that said Mr. Hegseth had authorized the Special Operations commander overseeing the attack, Adm. Frank M. Bradley, “to conduct these kinetic strikes.” She said that Admiral Bradley had “worked well within his authority and the law directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” According to five U.S. officials, who spoke separately and on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter that is under investigation, Mr. Hegseth, ahead of the Sept. 2 attack, ordered a strike that would kill the people on the boat and destroy the vessel and its purported cargo of drugs. But, each official said, Mr. Hegseth’s directive did not specifically address what should happen if a first missile turned out not to fully accomplish all of those things. And, the officials said, his order was not a response to surveillance footage showing that at least two people on the boat survived the first blast. Admiral Bradley ordered the initial missile strike and then several follow-up strikes that killed the initial survivors and sank the disabled boat. As that operation unfolded, they said, Mr. Hegseth did not give any further orders to him. Her scripted remarks at a news briefing elicited a furious backlash within the Defense Department, where officials described feeling angry at the uncertainty over whether Hegseth would take responsibility for his alleged role in the operation — or leave the military and civilian staff under him to face the consequences. “This is ‘protect Pete’ bulls---,” one military official, who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, told The Post. Leavitt’s statement “left it up to interpretation” who was responsible for the second strike that killed the two survivors, a separate military official said, imploring the White House to provide clarity on the issue. One official said of Leavitt’s statement, “It’s throwing us, the service members, under the bus.” Another person said some of Hegseth’s top civilian staff appeared deeply alarmed about the revelations and were contemplating whether to leave the administration.
December 2, 2025 at 3:37 AM