Sign in

Ann Smith

@asmith47.bsky.social
777 followers 869 following 279 posts

Retired reading specialist. Gardener, quilter, Grandma, traveler, Tulikivi owner.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Ann Smith
emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 10h
If we're going to denaturalize and deport people for sex trafficking they hid on their citizenship applications, is there a reason this would not apply to Ghislaine Maxwell?
CHILD SEX ABUSER’S CITIZENSHIP REVOKED AFTER NATURALIZATION FRAUD CONVICTION
 
Cyril Domaquik Clemens, a Liberian native, was convicted of three counts of indecent liberties with a child after confessing to sexually molesting a young child.
 
The abuse began before he naturalized, but he concealed it during the citizenship process, fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship.
 
➡️Learn more about ICE’s role in immigration fraud investigations by searching our website for “Operation False Haven.”
251024269
Reposted by Ann Smith
Bruno J. Navarro @brunojnavarro.bsky.social · 10h
“We have the right to know what really happened,” Marzan’s widow, Tina Marzan, told the AP. “If somebody messed up, those people need to be held responsible.”
apnews.com
Exclusive: Soldiers and Gold Star families press Army leadership after deadly Iranian drone strike
It's the deadliest strike against American troops during the war with Iran. Now U.S. soldiers wounded in a drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait are raising their concerns publicly about whether comm...
082
Reposted by Ann Smith
Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 10h
Terrific reporting by Andrew Egger from Ohio--from Pierre Damas Bel's funeral in Springfield, and Trump's rally that evening. "They buried Pierre Damas Bel on Saturday. That night, Donald Trump came to town to take a victory lap on the policies that killed him." www.thebulwark.com/p/a-death-a-...
thebulwark.com
A Death. A Funeral. And the Trump Rally Down the Block.
On the day Springfield held a funeral for Pierre Damas Bel, the president held a rally 25 miles away. We went to both.
117351
Reposted by Ann Smith
Charles Gaba ✡️ @charlesgaba.com · 23h
Point of information: The Republican Party has already spent far more on protecting a single U.S. Senate seat in Texas than the TOTAL cost of the 2000 Presidential election for BOTH Al Gore and George W. Bush COMBINED. www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
 The Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee together spent $79.9 million on television ads in the 2000 presidential campaign, far more than the $67.1 million spent by the campaigns of Gov. Bush and Vice President Gore, the study says.
918675
Reposted by Ann Smith
Maria Bustillos @mariabustillos.com · 22h
beautiful news on a bad news day
0152
Reposted by Ann Smith
Americans for Tax Fairness @4taxfairness.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
The Big Ugly Bill adds $3.4 TRILLION to the national debt. Not to fund schools. Not to fix roads. Not to lower your grocery bill. To pad the wallets of people who already own most of the country. Your grandkids get the bill. The donor class gets the breaks.
013152
Reposted by Ann Smith
Sergio Perez @sergioperez.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
This is child abuse masquerading as due process.
712965
Reposted by Ann Smith
Patti Olivier 💙VOTE BLUE @patti3333.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
🚨🚨MUST READ 🚨🚨 In Trump's America Open a private school NO VETTING happening in several states (Arkansas & West Virginia, Oklahoma, and more) $45 and an American flag Omg ...terrifying Would you send your child? No Accreditation Needed
13158120
Reposted by Ann Smith
Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
ICE just kidnapped a woman at LAX airport Saturday Oct 3, 12:50AM. A community member was able to record when several ICE goons who refused to identify themselves grabbed the woman, put her into a van and then drove off.
137379614926
Reposted by Ann Smith
Dave Whamond @davewhamond.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Uh, okay.
281654322
Reposted by Ann Smith
Anonymous @youranonjd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
We arrested the man who owned rape island. We arrested the woman who brought victims to rape island. But somehow, we still haven’t arrested the men who paid to rape those victims on rape island. Justice made it all the way to the island, then stopped at the disturbingly wealthy guest list.
10555133
Reposted by Ann Smith
Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Romania’s Defence Ministry says an object, suspected to be a drone, crashed near Plauru and sparked a fire during Russian drone attacks just across the border in Ukraine. Its origin remains under investigation, and Romanian radar recorded no unauthorised airspace entry, meaning detection failed.
19627
Reposted by Ann Smith
Anonymous @youranoncentral.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys warned that Russia’s continuing war is increasing the risk of “provocations, incidents, and accidental or deliberate violations,” stressing that NATO is prepared to defend its territory.
19828
Reposted by Ann Smith
Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Unless Congress reclaims its power, this will just become the new normal. A good first step would be to impeach Vought. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...
nytimes.com
National Science Foundation Diverted $1.4 Billion in Science Funds Mandated by Congress
The move, affecting about one-fifth of the National Science Foundation’s primary research budget, is the latest sign of how the White House is asserting more control over grants.
8830741175
Reposted by Ann Smith
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Cruel and unusual.
1838751
Reposted by Ann Smith
Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 03/10/2026
Once, I was filming an ICE flight load from a public parking lot when agents saw me, sent over a guy in a hoodie & Punisher balaclava. I walked away behind an F150. He filmed an old couple who by coincidence were taking suitcases out near where I’d been. Guess they’re in the Palantir database now!
423881
Reposted by Ann Smith
Paulette Feeney ❌️👑 @pauletteparis1.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Oh no. Here comes Aileen Cannon! 🤢 We must take the Senate.
1105
Reposted by Ann Smith
Digital Relic 🌀 @damop.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The largest shareholder in Israeli investments in weapons manufacturers is Jared Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners. Trump’s peace envoy and son-in-law is making hundreds of millions from his investments as the Gaza war continues and the Iran war rages on. www.cnn.com/2026/10/01/u...
cnn.com
Jared Kushner’s company has large stake in firm with Israeli military links | CNN
At the same time Jared Kushner has negotiated in the war in Gaza, his company has held the largest stake in a firm backing businesses involved in Israel’s military campaigns.
106447
Reposted by Ann Smith
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Friend of Putin oligarch Konstantin Sokolov makes a nice fat donation to Trump's ballroom project, and gets relief from Treasury Department sanctions in exchange. This is known as a quid pro quo transaction. It's a felony. www.esquire.com/news-politic...
esquire.com
A Wealthy Russian Businessman Is Helping Fund Trump’s Stupid Ballroom. Nothing Sketchy About That, Right?
Surely, our president will face consequences for this insanity.
18527333
Reposted by Ann Smith
ICE Flight Monitor @iceflightmonitor.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
UPDATE: The small ICE Air jet has just landed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, marking the first deportation there since June 2024.
01513
Reposted by Ann Smith
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 02/10/2026
Another month, another temperature record. Across the contiguous United States, September 2026 ranks as the warmest September on record, dating back to at least 1895, according to data.
washingtonpost.com
The U.S. just experienced its warmest and most humid September on record
Across the contiguous United States, September 2026 ranks as the warmest September on record, dating back to at least 1895.
45838
Reposted by Ann Smith
Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
The Keynote Speaker at the Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in March, folks.
60576652286
Reposted by Ann Smith
Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Call me Ishmael
9436
Reposted by Ann Smith
Buckleup36 @buckleup36.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The decline in visitors travelling to the U.S. would have been much bigger without the World Cup this year (1.24 million international World Cup visitors). Without the World Cup, the decline in international visitors would have been 3+ million. bsky.app/profile/sema...
14363124
Reposted by Ann Smith
Anjali Dayal @anjalikdayal.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
these are our pianos, not theirs! I know this stuff can feel secondary with all of the immediate pain this admin causes, but in the face of such personalism, it also feels important to assert the democratic principle that these cultural inheritances don't belong to the president, they belong to us
351341492
Reposted by Ann Smith
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
You really have to watch this interview. The superintendent says that "concerns were passed on to me about the play." Who passed those concerns on? He won't say! What were the concerns? "You'd have to ask them." But who is them? He won't say!
38308104
Reposted by Ann Smith
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Household debt at a record high. Student loan defaults at a record high. Credit card debt at a near record high. Meanwhile, corporate profits are the highest they’ve ever been. CEOs are paid 325x more than their typical workers. U.S. billionaire wealth is up 30% in a year. It's unsustainable.
811966728
Reposted by Ann Smith
Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
look, if the pentagon wants IT security then they have to do what the rest of us do: hire trans furries who go to renfest don't ask me why, idk, i just know that data is insecure until sanctified by the holy aura of someone who checks at least one of those boxes. it's part of god's plan.
1526957
Reposted by Ann Smith
Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has agreed to rule on the legality of ICE's mandatory detention policy, weighing in on an issue that has been ovewhelmingly rejected by district and appeals courts but has nevertheless roiled the justice system nationwide. www.politico.com/news/2026/10...
politico.com
Supreme Court will rule on Trump’s ICE detention policy
Lower courts have overwhelmingly rejected ICE’s novel view of its detention authority.
22430164
Reposted by Ann Smith
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This will be one of the most important immigration cases in a generation. The Trump admin claims that a 1996 law mandates the detention of millions of people without any right to a bond hearing; every person who entered illegally, no matter how long in the past. If they win, it's a nightmare.
351242506
Reposted by Ann Smith
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 01/10/2026
House lawmakers spent $6.7 million of taxpayer money on meals and lodging last year — a 21 percent increase over 2024 — under a reimbursement program that doesn’t require them to provide receipts, a Post analysis found. Here’s who spent the most in 2025: wapo.st/47r8qsl
106353
Reposted by Ann Smith
Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Are they really saying Flock can’t sell their cameras to the cartels too?
523247
Reposted by Ann Smith
Dan Shafer @danshafer.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Truly insane. The degree to which Tiffany’s funding is coming from just three right-wing billionaires is orders of magnitude beyond even what Elon Musk did in the 2025 state Supreme Court race.
94314
Reposted by Ann Smith
Rep. Pete Aguilar @aguilar.house.gov · 30/09/2026
Gas in San Bernardino is $6.32 today.
163
Reposted by Ann Smith
James Talarico @jamestalarico.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I have one house.
15371061897
Ann Smith @asmith47.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Yeah, build a tent camp in a city that gets 100" of snow every winter. Have they asked snow plow drivers how to plow around TENTS?
030
Reposted by Ann Smith
JJ in DC @jjindc.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Expect more ICE flights to Buffalo 👀
62314
Reposted by Ann Smith
The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 30/09/2026
⚡ Update: Russia sends NATO new nuclear threat over Kaliningrad as tensions rise. Russia told NATO it would be ready to use nuclear weapons if alliance members attempt to isolate Kaliningrad Oblast, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told the Kyiv Independent.
kyivindependent.com
Russia sends NATO new nuclear threat over Kaliningrad as tensions rise
Russia told NATO it would be ready to use nuclear weapons if alliance members attempt to isolate Kaliningrad Oblast, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told the Kyiv Independent Sept. 30.
2615042
Reposted by Ann Smith
c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Omigod, this is the most heartwarming story possible! Backpack (bear 89) is the son of the 2019 winner of Fat Bear Week, Holly (bear 435). In 2007, he injured his foot & a practice of riding on momma's Holly's back had a new meaning: he was mobility-restricted while it healed. So Holly moved him.
From DISCVR blog's Facebook page, a momma bear & a yearling cub on her back in the shallow water.  I think the background has been swapped out, and I can't rule out some AI use there?  God, Facebook has become the social media for AI slop : (

The title of the article, which I link below, is "How Bear 89 earned the name Backpack"
2847571599
Reposted by Ann Smith
Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
🚨🚨 @coe.int of Europe said yesterday that the #US formally notified it that it would leave the Group of States against Corruption, or #GRECO. Only two other countries have left GRECO before — #Russia and #Belarus. The fall of the #US on the world scene is striking. apnews.com/article/trum...
apnews.com
US withdraws from European anti-corruption panel in latest shift away from global groups
The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from a top European anti-corruption watchdog.
53838585
Reposted by Ann Smith
Avishay BSG (Ben-Sasson-Gordis) @avishaybsg.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The co-pilot seems to have tried to crash it into the ground with a full cabin of (mostly Israeli) civilians. Was stopped by his pilot that got stabbed in the process passengers interfered and another crew on the flight landed it in Saudi Arabia. Israel’s treating it as a terror attack for now.
1122493
Reposted by Ann Smith
MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 30/09/2026
Trump White House misspells “United” on the official “super intelligence” document with AI executives. Instead of “President of the United States,” it reads: “President of the Unites States.” Nothing says “super intelligence” quite like misspelling the name of the country.
Screenshot of a Truth Social post from Donald J. Trump’s verified @realDonaldTrump account displaying a signed document titled “Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities.” The document outlines voluntary AI safety and oversight commitments for companies developing frontier artificial intelligence models. On the right side are signatures and company labels for leaders including Sundar Pichai of Google, Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Greg Brockman of OpenAI, Elon Musk of xAI, and Jensen Huang of Nvidia. Near the center-right, Donald J. Trump’s large signature appears above the printed title identifying him as president. The title contains a noticeable typo: instead of “President of the United States,” it reads, “President of the Unites States,” misspelling “United” as “Unites.”
61580732352
Reposted by Ann Smith
Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
#BREAKING: Over dissents from the three Democratic appointees, #SCOTUS grants a stay in the third-country removals case; clears way for Trump admin. to continue removing non-citizens without a full chance to litigate the conditions in those countries (while also taking up the full merits appeal).
941241511
Reposted by Ann Smith
Emily Gorcenski @emily.gorcen.ski · 28/09/2026
Here’s the most incredible story you’ll read today. A small plane with four people aboard crashes in a field. Another pilot witnesses it. That pilot happens to be flying a bunch of skydivers. They offer to jump to assist, are given permission. The skydivers happen to be EMTs. Everyone survives.
wisn.com
Skydivers alert emergency crews, assist after plane crashes near East Troy airport
Four people were aboard the single-engine plane when it went down in a cornfield near Carvers School Road in East Troy at about 1:30 p.m.
122103282677
Reposted by Ann Smith
Anil Dash @anildash.com · 29/09/2026
You will be able to set your watch by the frequency with which Musk sets his minions on people during this case, using their usual tactics of death threats and doxxing. And media will cover none of it.
8892227
Reposted by Ann Smith
McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 29/09/2026
"Charlie Brown should not criticize Lucy for pulling the football away. He should say he is disappointed that some stakeholders have chosen not to participate in good-faith autumn recreation." buff.ly/X2RjqP5
buff.ly
“Charlie Brown Must Stay the Course”: A Football Kick Autopsy Report by the Democratic Party
“While Charlie Brown did once again accelerate toward the ball, miss the ball entirely as Lucy pulled it away, flip backward through the air, and land violen...
17118
Reposted by Ann Smith
Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It's a good day to google "Foxconn," "Wisconsin," "Trump," "2018," "13,000 jobs" and "didn't happen, didn't even come close"
15770194
Reposted by Ann Smith
Hookcity - 🚫“War Plan” DMs Please 👊🏻🇺🇸🔥 🫣 @hookcity.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
17820182
Reposted by Ann Smith
Senator Patty Murray @murray.senate.gov · 28/09/2026
Trump's nominee to lead the FDA refused to say whether she thinks mifepristone—which has been approved by the FDA for DECADES—is safe. Medication abortion is the most common way women access abortion in America. Every Senator must vote NO.
1118371
Reposted by Ann Smith
Sarah Posner @sarahposner.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Court filings indicate that since October 2025, Richard Holtum, the 41-year-old CEO of Trafigura, has been subject to an interim freezing order, which restricts him from moving or accessing assets in The Bahamas.

The filings show that Charlotte Holtum, his wife of 11 years, applied to the courts in October 2025, claiming she had evidence that Mr Holtum had moved at least US $45 million in cash and assets from Switzerland to The Bahamas without her knowledge or consent. The court granted the interim order on 20 October 2025, prohibiting the Trafigura CEO and other respondents from dealing with or removing assets in his name or for his benefit, up to US $250 million.

Mr Holtum filed for divorce in Switzerland in September 2025. He was appointed CEO of Trafigura in January 2025 following a meteoric rise at the company, which is no stranger to controversy. Last year, it made a deal with President Trump to buy state-owned gold from Venezuela and sell it to the US.

Months earlier, Trafigura was convicted of bribery in Switzerland — the first time the Swiss courts had convicted an entire company — and was ordered to pay a $148 million US fine. It was also fined in the US in 2024 for multiple violations, including forcing its employees to sign restrictive non-disclosure agreements. Despite these scandals, the company, which trades and invests in refined metals, non-ferrous concentrates, bulk commodities such as coal and iron ore, crude, and petroleum products, paid out US $2.9 billion to its senior executives in 2025.
0107