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Joe

@joefender85.bsky.social
176 followers 274 following 568 posts

Journalist. Univ of Iowa grad. Opinions are my own. I have cats and a dog living together. Yes, it is mass hysteria.

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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Failure @ The Showbox in Seattle, Oct 3 Incredible show.
Ken Andrews and Greg Edwards of Failure at the Showbox in Seattle.Road case for the band FailureThe Showbox marquee for Failure on Oct 3Failure on stage at the Showbox
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Among the White House's arguments for its press ban, a WH official told me reporters do not need access to WH grounds to report. Reporters and First Amendment experts note that the ability to question officials directly is a key function of the press corps. The saga continues.
upi.com
White House not obligated to press access but ban stands on shaky ground - UPI.com
The White House press ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico brings the tension between the president and press to new heights while courts push back.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
That ballot measure in Washington would apply to children as young as elementary school aged who want to participate in sports.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The 2026 midterm elections will be consequential, not only because of party control on Capitol Hill but also because of the issues that will be on ballots across the country. Among those ballot questions is a measure that, if passed, would require children to undergo sex verification to play sports
upi.com
Voter ID, abortion and bans on trans athletes on ballots in November - UPI.com
Election laws, abortion access, healthcare for transgender youth and a requirement for sex verification for children are on state ballots in November.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
President Trump took to primetime to again air unfounded claims that U.S. elections are not secure. He also claimed that documents he declassified support his position. After reviewing those documents. the president's claims again fall short.
upi.com
Trump’s declassified election documents fall short of primetime claims - UPI.com
The 2026 midterm elections are fast approaching and President Donald Trump has launched a multipronged effort to change how they are administered.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
3) Grace period for mail-in ballots received after Election Day upheld
upi.com
Supreme Court upholds law allowing mail-in ballots received late - UPI.com
The Supreme Court upheld Mississippi's mail-in ballot law that allows a grace period for ballots to be received and counted after Election Day.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
2) Proof-of-citizenship voting requirements to be heard
upi.com
Supreme Court to hear Arizona proof-of-citizenship voting case - UPI.com
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed Monday to hear a case over Arizona's election law requiring documentary proof of citizenship in voting.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
It's a Supreme Court heavy day today in the news. These are the stories I'm on today. 1) Supreme Court expands presidential power to fire without cause, overturning 90 years of precedent
upi.com
Supreme Court allows Trump FTC firing, blocks Lisa Cook's firing - UPI.com
The Supreme Court ruled Congress' restriction of the president from firing an FTC member without cause violates the separation of powers.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
The Department of Education has entered multiple interagency agreements to move some of its duties to other agencies in Linda McMahon's so-called "Final Mission."
upi.com
'Final Mission': Education Department shuffling under other agencies - UPI.com
A flurry of interagency agreements are moving parts of the Education Department to other federal agencies, breaking it down without Congress.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
I pursued a writing career bc of 2 teachers at community college: Amy Jurrens and Stephen Gibbons. Gibbons wrote me an email early on telling me I had a skill. Prior I felt I had no talent. I printed that email and posted it next to my bed. You don’t know what an ounce of encouragement can do.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
This story also delves into alleged practices student loan servicers have engaged in to keep borrowers from qualifying for forgiveness or lower payments, according to the Student Borrower Protection Center. Servicers like Mohela and Nelnet are highlighted among the worst offenders.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The end of the SAVE plan means monthly student loan payments are about to increase for millions of borrowers. In some cases, the next most affordable repayment option will be double, triple or far more than that.
upi.com
Student loan borrowers confused as SAVE plan end looms - UPI.com
The SAVE plan for student loan repayments is coming to an end and borrowers enrolled in the program will face stark increases in monthly payments.
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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Musk says not a single person has died due to him axing USAID. Sadly, part of my job involves tracking aid spending. So here’s a thread with just some of the people who lost their lives because of USAID cuts
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
It took decades to beat back the New World screwworm and contain it in the Darien Gap. In just a couple years it has recolonized throughout Central America and returned to the United States.
upi.com
Texas entomologist: 'We will win this battle' with New World screwworm - UPI.com
The New World screwworm has returned to the United States after being eradicated decades ago but experts say they are prepared to push it back again.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The Trump administration has targeted people who have crossed Donald Trump for investigations through his 18 months back in office. The list continues to grow.
upi.com
Justice Department investigating several who have clashed with Trump - UPI.com
The Justice Department has opened investigations into multiple people who have previously clashed with President Donald Trump in some way.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
President Trump's endorsement wasn't enough to get Sen. Randy Feenstra through the Iowa Republican primary for governor. It will be Zach Lahn representing the party against State Auditor Rob Sand in November.
upi.com
Trump pick loses in Iowa; Karen Bass advances to L.A. mayoral runoff - UPI.com
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will be part of a runoff election in November while the president's pick for Iowa governor lost his primary.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Today is a big day for primary elections, especially in my home state of Iowa with a new governor and senator on the way.
upi.com
Democrats eye key primaries in Iowa, California, Montana - UPI.com
Democrats will determine their candidates to try to flip Iowa's governor and a Senate seat blue Tuesday as Republicans look to hold open seats.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Dr. Amadou Bocoum, country director for CARE, shared insight from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the Ebola outbreak with me. Read how the withdrawal of U.S. aid funding and the spread of misinformation have created challenges for aid responders.
upi.com
Response to Congo Ebola outbreak faces shortfall of aid support - UPI.com
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading and aid responders are grappling with a lack of funding and resources.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
His All-Star Game MVP felt like an NBA Championship to this Hornets fan at 11 years old.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
The Trump admin’s Anti Weaponization Fund faces legal challenges on multiple fronts as plaintiffs question the process of its creation, lack of oversight and the impact of paying out to Jan 6 rioters.
upi.com
Trump's Anti-Weaponization Fund faces mounting legal challenges - UPI.com
Two lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration over its nearly $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund created to pay Jan. 6 rioters.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Congress is mulling several bills to protect the safety of children online. The challenge is balancing the online safety of children with the privacy and free speech rights of all.
upi.com
Multiple bills highlight challenge protecting children online - UPI.com
Lawmakers are considering more than a dozen bill proposals to protect children online with many carrying speech and privacy challenges.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
In February, Pro Publica and The Texas Tribune did a deeper dive into instances of the SAVE system incorrectly marking voters as noncitizens. Check it out.
texastribune.org
SAVE tool keeps mistakenly flagging voters as noncitizens - The Texas Tribune
DHS rolled out the revamped tool while it was still adding data. That led to widespread misidentification, particularly for citizens born outside the U.S.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Trump orders that DHS's Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system be used to verify voter citizenship. This system already has a history of misidentifying citizens as noncitizens, making voters ineligible incorrectly. In some cases, the errors would be enough to change elections.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Trump's executive order also warns that election workers could be prosecuted for making mistakes. Not just poll workers, but also anyone who prints, produces, ships or distributes ballots to a noneligible voter.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal. By instituting documentary proof of citizenship requirements, voting rights advocates worry that eligible voters will be disenfranchised.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
President Donald Trump's multipronged plan for ensuring only eligible citizens vote in elections leans on a system that experts say is flawed. Last week's executive order and the SAVE ACT in Congress aim to curb noncitizen voting, which is already a rare occurrence.
upi.com
Trump's election order, SAVE Act, rely on 'flawed' system - UPI.com
President Donald Trump's multipronged plan for ensuring only eligible citizens vote in elections leans on a system that experts say is flawed.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
"We have always understood being American as being very closely tied with birthright citizenship. It would be a collapse of how we understand American identity in the United States." -Daisy Hernandez
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Without birthright citizenship, millions of children of immigrants in the United States would become stateless. It would return the U.S. to the 19th century for people whose citizenship would vary state to state, Daisy Hernandez, author of Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth, told UPI.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Northwestern University Prof. Kate Masur explained to UPI that birthright citizenship has been reaffirmed repeatedly throughout history by Congress and the Supreme Court. "There's certainly never been a president who issued an executive order trying to undermine birthright citizenship in this way"
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
In an amicus brief led by Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republicans said their reference to allegiance looks to "early English caselaw."
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
The Trump administration's argument against birthright citizenship hinges on its interpretation of the term "jurisdiction" in the context of the clause "subject to the jurisdiction thereof." Republican lawmakers said "allegiance" is required for citizenship.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
After attending the Supreme Court hearing over his attempt to end birthright citizenship this morning, President Trump claimed no other country has birthright citizenship. That's not true. About 30 countries recognize it, including most of the Western Hemisphere.
upi.com
Supreme Court to hear arguments in birthright citizenship case - UPI.com
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a case on Wednesday that could reshape what it means to be a U.S. citizen.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Meanwhile the human costs will continue to grow for the U.S., Iran and throughout the Middle East as attacks spread. The price civilians will pay grows by the day with no way knowing what that cost will ultimately be.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
It cost the U.S. in the millions to bomb an elementary school in Iran and kill at least 165 people, most of whom were children. The exact cost of the U.S. war with Iran remains unclear, underlining a growing lack of transparency in defense spending.
upi.com
Transparency in war spending lacks as Pentagon asks for $200 billion - UPI.com
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth plans to request $200 billion in funding from Congress as the cost of the United States' war in Iran grows.
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Holly McCall @jhollymc.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
"After being held in isolation for about five days. Rodríguez was forced to strip naked in a shower while an officer "poured some kind of chemical liquid on her head, which seemed to be something used to clean floors and burned her eyes,” the filing read."
tennesseelookout.com
Nashville journalist arrested by ICE granted bond, remains detained while feds considers appeal • Tennessee Lookout
Estefany Rodríguez, the Nashville reporter arrested by ICE, was granted a $10,000 bond Monday but remains detained in Louisiana.
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Why does he look like he’s on a store window TV in Robocop?
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
The should invite Sean McDermott next time for another perspective
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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
So if anybody -- state attorneys general, Democratic politicians, sentient beings -- doesn't understand why Paramount Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros./CNN is a huge problem, Pete Hegseth is here to explain it to you. Stop the propaganda. Block this merger.
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
NEW: More evidence that those who tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election are working with Trump administration officials to set the rules for the 2026 midterms. @dougbockclark.bsky.social
propublica.org
Trump Officials Attended a Summit of Election Deniers Who Want the President to Take Over the Midterms
The meeting’s participants included Kurt Olsen, a White House lawyer charged with reinvestigating the 2020 election, and Heather Honey, the Department of Homeland Security official in charge of electi...
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
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Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 11/02/2026
Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground
photo of Pam Bondi testifying in the foreground as a group of 7 women and 1 men raise their hands
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
I have nothing to add to this one right now
upi.com
Attorney General Pam Bondi says focus on stock market during House hearing over Epstein files - UPI.com
Pam Bondi told members of Congress that they should be focused on the stock market during a hearing over her handling of the Epstein files.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11/02/2026
NEGUSE: AG Bondi, that man works for you now, right? The man in that video from J6 yelling 'kill them!' at cops. His name is Jared Wise. BONDI: He does work for us, yes. I believe he was pardoned NEGUSE: And you expect hard-working police officers to believe you take law enforcement seriously?
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
"The future for the students is uncertain," Jeanne Batalova said. "Not only in terms of if they can go on to pursue a college degree because of state tuition. It's if they can go outside to the library, to the university, as well as the mental impact of studying."
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
"There's this sense that if one person gets a spot, then another person doesn't," said Corinne Kentor. "The reality is that welcoming immigrant students into higher education, into workplaces, into the communities that they're already a part of, creates more opportunities for U.S. citizens."
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Joe @joefender85.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Aggressive immigration enforcement tactics and pressure to end birthright citizenship and temporary protected status are making the future less clear for students in immigrant and mixed legal status families in the United States.
upi.com
Immigration policies closing doors for undocumented students - UPI.com
About 90,000 undocumented students reach the end of high school annually and researchers say their opportunities in higher education are shrinking.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 10/02/2026
KENNEDY: The Census Bureau is under your jurisdiction & responsible for defining what it means to be poor, is that right? LUTNICK: I don't know K: Well you need to look, bc it does. What's the % of Americans who live below poverty level? L: I don't know K: It's around 11%. It's been constant
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 09/02/2026
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken. Hundreds of kids are still detained. We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
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hannah gais @hannahgais.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
This article is a very good example of why "more training" and "more vetting" isn't the answer. Jesus Ochoa and Raymundo Gutierrez joined Border Patrol in 2018 and 2014 respectively. These aren't new agents. www.propublica.org/article/alex...
propublica.org
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Arresting journalists. Good God.
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