curated news excerpts & citations
Steven Beschloss: Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation
On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation. He soberly acknowledged that he was doing so “in the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity.” And he reflected on “the lamentable civil strife in which we are engaged” leading to the many “who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers.”
But despite his honest depiction of our nation’s tragedy, America’s 16th president was also able to see beyond it. He described “the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies” and asked Americans to look ahead and “expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.” (He had signed the final Emancipation Proclamation nine months earlier.)
On that October day, Lincoln proclaimed that Americans should “set apart and observe the last Thursday of November…as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise.” In what reads like a prayer, he concluded with his hope for “the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it…to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”
USA Today: Some SNAP recipients still waiting on payments ahead of Thanksgiving
Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American – November 26, 2025
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In 1861, Americans went to war to keep a cabal from taking control of the government and turning it into an oligarchy. The fight against that rebellion seemed at first to be too much for the nation to survive. But Americans rallied and threw their hearts into the cause on the battlefields even as they continued to work on the home front for a government that defended democracy and equality before the law.
And in 1865, at least, they won.
(Heather Cox Richardson more…)
KUT: Did Texas host the first Thanksgiving?
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Chris Geidner: The two shot National Guard troops never should have been in DC. More troops is no answer.
The violence is horrible and unacceptable. Trump, Pete Hegseth, and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey never should have put the troops in this position.
…The shooting came nearly a week after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that the deployments — both as to the D.C. National Guard and those from states — were likely unlawful.
Yet now — as unsurprising as it is a bad decision — Trump is calling for more troops to be deployed in D.C.
(Chris Geidner more…)Rook T. Winchester: They’re building a lie in real time
Dean Blundell: No, MAGA, the DC Shooter Wasn’t a ‘Violent Illegal,’ He Was Your Ally: How Trump’s Government Approved the DC Afghan Shooter — Then Blamed Biden Anyway
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Conversation: As US hunger rises, Trump administration’s ‘efficiency’ goals cause massive food waste
The U.S. government has caused massive food waste during President Donald Trump’s second term. Policies such as immigration raids, tariff changes and temporary and permanent cuts to food assistance programs have left farmers short of workers and money, food rotting in fields and warehouses, and millions of Americans hungry. And that doesn’t even include the administration’s actual destruction of edible food.
(Conversation more…)
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Robert Reich: How Trump has raised the price of Thanksgiving
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The single-biggest reason people voted for him was to bring prices down. But this Thanksgiving, grocery prices are the highest they’ve been in years — and several of Trump’s policies are making the problem worse.- Turkey. Start with turkey prices, which are up 40% this year. That’s largely due to the avian flu. But instead of working to contain avian flu outbreaks — which reduce supply, increase prices, and put public health at risk — Trump has fired or furloughed scientists and bird flu experts across multiple government agencies.
… - Carrots, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauces
- Fruit salad and steamed vegetables. Trump’s tariffs are boosting their prices. It’s not hard to see how adding an import tax to goods brought into the country results in those goods costing more.
America imports about 60% of its fresh fruit and 35% of its fresh vegetables — meaning your fruit salad and steamed vegetables are costing you more because of Trump’s tariffs.
- Coffee. Not even your after-dinner cup of coffee is safe. Thanks to Trump’s tariffs, coffee prices saw their largest month-to-month price increase since 2011. …
- Other food on your Thanksgiving table. Meanwhile, Trump’s unprecedented crackdown on undocumented immigrants is causing you to pay more at the grocery store. Even Trump’s own Labor Department has admitted this.
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(Robert Reich more…)
- Turkey. Start with turkey prices, which are up 40% this year. That’s largely due to the avian flu. But instead of working to contain avian flu outbreaks — which reduce supply, increase prices, and put public health at risk — Trump has fired or furloughed scientists and bird flu experts across multiple government agencies.
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Boing Boing: Trump’s energy plan: nationalize Walmart’s generators and pray
In a plot twist that seems like Ayn Rand on ketamine, Trump’s Energy Secretary wants to nationalize Walmart’s backup generators to keep the lights on. These free-market crusaders are now raiding the break room behind your local Supercenter for grid stability. Yes, Team Trump effectively proposes socializing private corporate infrastructure in the name of emergency energy production while screaming about the ills of socialism.
(Boing Boing more…)
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Brian Allen: JD Vance Accidentally Reveals the One Thing His Movement Fears Most
A speech meant to project strength instead exposed the core weakness of the authoritarian right: they cannot survive independent thinking.
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Greg Lukianoff: Nobody Should Go to Jail for a Harmless Meme
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Marisa Kabas: FEMA employee terminated for signing whistleblower letter
It appears to be a major violation of federal whistleblower protections and constitutional rights.
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