curated citations to news sources
Christina Pagel: Trump’s war on his perceived enemies is escalating: faster, broader, harsher
Trump is weaponising the presidency to punish critics, silence dissent, and brand whole states as ‘the enemy’.
Today I want to talk about the dramatic escalation in the Trump administration’s attacks on its enemies, using whatever means are at its disposal. To date, I’ve logged 172 actions against perceived enemies since Jan 2025. Over half of these actions have come in just the last two months.
(Christina Pagel more…)
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Thom Hartmann: From Silence to Spotlight: How a Democratic Shadow Cabinet Could Break Trump’s Spell
Voters don’t rally behind policy papers: they rally behind leaders they can see and believe in. Democrats must end the era of weak, divided messaging and rise with a chorus of commanding voices…
(Thom Hartmann more…)
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Jennifer Rubin: Dems Must Hold Out for these Five Demands
The price for helping keep the government open
With the return of Congress to D.C., Republicans will have to decide whether to shut down the government or pass a continuing resolution at the end of the month (since they cannot manage to get the actual appropriations bills done by the end of the fiscal year). Republicans have the White House and majorities in both houses. It’s their call and their responsibility. If they cannot do it without a Democratic vote, Democrats have to extract a price.
As a preliminary matter, Democrats should insist on a floor vote in both houses with no Democratic assistance, on Republicans’ CR. When it fails, there will be no confusion as to who is to blame if the government shuts down. That should also help focus everyone’s attention on the critical question: What do Democrats want in exchange for bailing out Republicans’ from their utter incompetence?
(Jennifer Rubin more…)
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Your Local Epidemiologist: A guide to fall 2025 vaccines
(Your Local Epidemiologist more…)
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Conversation: China’s electric vehicle influence expands nearly everywhere – except the US and Canada
(Conversation more…)
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Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American – September 3, 2025
[Please note that this post talks about sexual assault in the last four paragraphs.]
A Wall Street Journal–NORC poll released yesterday found that only 25% of Americans believe they have a good chance of improving their standard of living. Nearly 70% said it was no longer possible to work hard and get ahead. A majority of those polled said the generation before them had an easier time starting a business, buying a home, or staying at home to parent a child.
(Heather Cox Richardson more…)Mary Geddry: The Hostile Act of Telling the Truth
Trump is mocked abroad, overruled at home, and now abandoned by his own allies in the Epstein cover-up.
Charlie Sykes: Americans Do Not Think We’re Great Again
Let’s connect some dots
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Bulwark: Putin Embarrasses Trump, Yet Again
Russia’s summer offensive in Ukraine is winding down with minimal gains. But Trump’s threats of sanctions are going unheeded and the conflict still has no end in sight.
BBC: Putin says Russia will achieve all aims militarily if Ukraine does not agree deal
Al Jazeera: Russia says it will not discuss foreign troops in Ukraine in ‘any format’
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says deployment of a post-conflict security force would be ‘fundamentally unacceptable’.
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NY Times: Senator’s Visit to Spy Agency Was Canceled After Laura Loomer Complained
Senator Mark Warner’s visit was classified and not intended to be publicized. It was to include a meeting with the head of the agency and a briefing on the agency’s use of artificial intelligence.
Only members of congressional committees have broad access to the country’s secretive spy agencies, allowing them to ensure that they operate efficiently, effectively and legally.
But this week, the Pentagon canceled a classified visit to a military spy agency by the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, after the far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer complained.
(NY Times more…)
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Tangle: The U.S. strikes an alleged drug boat, killing 11.
…- My initial, emotional reaction is that the drug traffickers who have fed our country’s opioid epidemic had this coming.
- That anger doesn’t justify extrajudicial killings, however.
- Trump’s escalation against Venezuela is his most dangerous — and deadliest — overreach of executive authority yet.
Al Jazeera: US accused of ‘illegal massacre’ after strike on Venezuelan boat
Venezuela says the US violated international law after President Trump posted a video he says shows the military targeting a boat smuggling drugs in international waters. Eleven people were reportedly killed in the strike which critics say could amount to a war crime.
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Michael Thomas: The Solar and Battery Boom Continues
94% of power capacity added over the last month came from solar and batteries
(Michael Thomas more…)
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Bulwark: Trump’s War on Latino Art
He doesn’t just want immigrants out, but also their history and culture erased.
(Bulwark more…)Above the Law: America’s Assault On Real History Comes For The Staff Of The Charles Lindbergh House And Museum
Strad: Detained Utah violinist receives first deportation hearing
(Strad more…)
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Al Jazeera: US judge rules Trump unlawfully cut Harvard University research grants
The decision is a victory for the Ivy League university, which has been locked in a months-long feud with Trump.
MEDIAite: Judge Throws Trump’s Own Words Back at Administration While Ruling Against the President
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Fast Company: This one line from Google’s antitrust ruling could reshape every Big Tech case
A federal judge let Google keep Chrome and Android, but his note on AI’s rise may become the ‘get out of jail free’ card for Amazon, Meta, and Apple.
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404 Media: This Company Turns Dashcams into ‘Virtual CCTV Cameras.’ Then Hackers Got In
A hacker has compromised Nexar, which turns peoples’ cars into “virtual CCTV cameras” that organizations can then buy images from. The images include sensitive U.S. military and intelligence facilities.
(404 Media more…)
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Patricia J Wentzel: The Mental Health System
Part 2: Higher levels of care (sub-acute)
(Patricia J Wentzel more…)
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NBC: The U.S. is headed toward two very different vaccination realities
California, Oregon and Washington said they are forming a public health alliance to provide “credible information” about vaccine safety, as Florida is looking to eliminate mandates.
(NBC more…)Root: Florida’s Black Surgeon General Shamelessly Compares Vaccines to Slavery
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Raw Story: This Republican may blow up her life’s work — just to please Trump
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Decoding Fox News: Fox News Celebrates Trump’s Fascist Takeover
A condensed overview of 15 hours of Fox News for the week ending 9/1/25
Borowitz: Trump Revamps the Smithsonian Art Collection
Timeline: Tracking the Trump Justice Department’s Anti-Voting Shift
Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda
Trump Pardons Database
Project 2025 Tracker
DOGE Tracker
ProPublica: Elon Musk’s Demolition Crew
Wired: 6 Tools for Tracking the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Civil Liberties
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