curated news excerpts & citations
Bulwark: Trump Is Making China Great Again
SOMEONE ALERT the Norwegian Nobel Committee: Against the odds, Donald Trump has succeeded in peacefully uniting the world.
Unfortunately, the world has been united against us.
This Pax (Ex) Americana era was illustrated Friday, as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrapped up a trip to China. This wasn’t just any old visit, either: It marked the first time a Canadian PM had been to the world’s second-largest economy since 2017—and based on the glamorous video Carney’s team released, it was a smashing success for Beijing.
Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a “new strategic partnership” between the two countries.
(Bulwark more…)
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Bulwark: Emulating the Enemy
DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE’S USING the United States military to protect the world from China and Russia. He’s keeping an eye on those imperialist regimes, detecting their plots to abuse weaker countries, and deploying our armed forces to get there first. Before the Russians and the Chinese can invade vulnerable countries and steal their wealth, the United States is moving to head them off.
How are we doing this? By invading the targeted countries ourselves, or by using our economic and military power to steal their wealth. We’re beating the bad guys by becoming the bad guys.
(Bulwark more…)
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Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American – January 17, 2026
After the extraordinary pushback on President Donald J. Trump’s bizarre demand for Greenland, he has responded with what economist Paul Krugman called “a howl of frustration on the part of a mad dictator who has just realized that he can’t send in the Marines.”
(Heather Cox Richardson more…)Paul Krugman: The Stupidest Trump Move So Far
Some quick thoughts, in no particular order:
- European deterrence has worked. This is basically a howl of frustration on the part of a mad dictator who has just realized that he can’t send in the Marines
- A tariff to promote territorial expansion is clearly illegal, under any sane interpretation of U.S. trade law. This is on the Supreme Court, which is obviously dithering while the world burns
- Trump thinks, or at least wants to believe, that tariffs are a Veg-O-Matic policy that can accomplish all goals. They slice! They dice! They eliminate budget deficits! They reindustrialize! They intimidate foreigners!
- These are nations that allegedly made trade deals with Trump. They’ve just learned what they should have known from the beginning: a deal with Trump lasts until he feels like breaking it
- Greenland? We’re going to demolish what’s left of our credibility for Greenland?
(Paul Krugman more…)
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Joyce Vance: It’s The Cynicism
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Heather Delaney Reese: Trump’s America: Is this the end of free speech?
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Andrew Perez and Asawin Suebsaeng: Trump Escalates His War on America as Dems Debate What Words They Can Say
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truthout: Deaths in Detention Warn of Horrors Behind ICE’s Prison Walls
At least 32 people died in ICE jails in 2025, and four more have already died in ICE custody this year.
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Scott G. Nelson and Bradley S. Klein: Trump’s despotism extends to DC golf courses
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Independent: New Jersey mayor told cops to keep Black people out of his town, according to lawsuit from the state
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CNBC: Biggest offshore wind project in U.S. to resume construction after judge lifts Trump suspension
- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind will resume construction after a federal judge on Friday temporarily lifted the Trump administration’s suspension of the project.
- This is the largest offshore wind project under construction in the U.S. Dominion Energy is the owner and developer.
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Ken Klippenstein: I Was Disappeared (!)
Margaret Chase Smith: Declaration of Conscience
NPR: January 6, 2021: A visual archive
Accountability Initiative ICE List
GriftMatrix
Trump Action Tracker
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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