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jonahblank.bsky.social

@jonahblank.bsky.social
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Sen Angela Alsobrooks (my own Senator, for whom I've canvassed) was the only Senator to play hooky on one of the most important votes of her career: Whether to terminate Trump's war on Iran. Why? She won't say. Even though she put out press statements on 3 other topics today:
alsobrooks.senate.gov
Press Releases - Senator Angela Alsobrooks
Filter Press Close press filter Filter Press Close press filter Filter Press
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
After he carves his name in the marble, he's going to coat the entire building in fake gold. I'm only partially kidding: He's definitely going to carve his name, and he's definitely going to spew out a lot of fake gold. But he'll leave a little of the marble and glass-panes showing.
Marisa Kabas@marisakabas.bsky.social
Inbox: USIP Plaintiffs Seek Emergency Court Order to Prevent Trump Name from Being Carved into Building storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Totally not a class issue: -All of us, whether working-class or centabillionaires, pay exactly the same taxes on our private jets.
@theguardian.com@theguardian.com
Private jets pollute up to 14 times as much as commercial planes and are undertaxed in US, report says
theguardian.com
Private jets pollute up to 14 times as much as commercial planes and are undertaxed in US, report says
Number of private jets has surged in recent years, but they do not pay commensurate portion of fees to FAA operations
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Suggested question for Rep Kaptur: -"What, exactly, is 'transgender ideology'?"
@erininthemorning.com@erininthemorning.com
Holy shit. Marcy Kaptur becomes the latest Dem to release an anti-trans ad, and its worse than all the rest combined. "I voted WITH Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of schools, and let me be clear, boys should NOT play in girls sports." This is getting out of control.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
"Look, we got a war going on. I don't blame the president for that." -GOP Rep Ralph Norman. Describing the man who started that war, and has been pointlessly dragging it out for the past half-year. ...Oh, and who also terminated his-- Ralph Norman's-- own political career.
@thetnholler.bsky.social@thetnholler.bsky.social
INDEPENDENT: “Congressman, how much did it cost to fill up your tank?” ⛽️ #Trumpflation #TrumpTax (@RepRalphNorman: “Look, we got a war going. I don’t blame the president for that.” 🤔)
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Message: -He's very anti-shark.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
Trump: "If I'm in an electric boat and I see I'm going down and the water is pouring in, so I know I'm going to be electrocuted, but 5 yards away there are sharks. Do I take the electrocution or do I go swimming with the sharks? I'll take the electrocution."
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Don't give him ideas.
@pbump.com@pbump.com
Next Trump will demand to have a plaque added to JFK’s plot at Arlington or he’ll extinguish the eternal flame.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
What's Latin for, "Um, did you keep the receipt?"
@elleisanisland.bsky.social@elleisanisland.bsky.social
Pope Leo XIV has been gifted a massive green orb and honestly not now massive green orb
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Najib Razak, former PM of Malaysia, is one of the most corrupt national leaders on earth. He stole at least $1 Billion from his nation. Which is less than half the amount Trump has grifted. Just in his current term.
The New York Times@nytimes.com
A former prime minister of Malaysia convicted of stealing millions of dollars from a government fund was granted a conditional pardon on Friday, permitting him to serve out his prison sentence under house arrest at his luxury mansion.
nyti.ms
Convicted of Theft, an Ex-Prime Minister Is Set to Swap Prison for Mansion
The former prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, was convicted in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. He’ll serve out his time at a luxury home.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
It's now being stored at a secure facility in Duluth.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
Rep. Dan Meuser just makes stuff up: "The Panama Canal was lost during the Biden administration. President Trump brought it back."
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The core problem with a Trump-Xi agreement on AI is...Donald Trump. Xi would likely be EAGER to prevent AI from growing out of (his) control: The CCP hasn't been risk-tolerant about chaos since the Cultural Revolution. But why would he trust ANY agreement that Trump might ever make?
@edwardluce.bsky.social@edwardluce.bsky.social
"Were America consciously trying to put China off from talking about AI it could not have arranged it better." My Swamp Notes with Demetri Sevastopulo on next week's stillborn Trump-Xi summit. as.ft.com/r/b02a4c1e-7...
as.ft.com
Xi’s edge over Trump on AI
The US president’s anti-regulatory stance fails to take into account that China is catching up
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Trump: I'm annoyed that South Korea won't join in the stupid war I launched against Iran. So I'm going to pull a lot of US troops out of the exercise we hold to deter North Korea from invading. North Korea's #2: You'd better-- and if you don't snap to it pronto, I'll smack you. Trump: Yes ma'am.
Reuters@reuters.com
North Korea's Kim Yo Jong warns of stronger response to US-led drills reut.rs/3VCoKUk
reut.rs
North Korea's Kim Yo Jong warns of stronger response to US-led drills
North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, ​the influential sister of ‌leader Kim Jong Un, said on Friday that ​U.S.-led multinational military ​drills such as the Pacific ⁠Vanguard naval exercise ​are the "main source" of ​worsening tensions on the Korean Peninsula and said there ​would be "never ever" ​any change in Pyongyang's course of ‌strengthening ⁠its nuclear deterrent.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Whoever created this: [chef's kiss]
Angry@angrystaffer.bsky.social
OMG 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
When I served on Senate staff, Members often put holds on arms transfers: Sometimes they objected to that particular deal, other times they had completely unrelated policy demands. In 12 years, I don't remember any Administration, Dem or GOP, "blowing a hold" (ie, just ignoring it). Will Trump?
@jonahblank.bsky.social@jonahblank.bsky.social
More like this, Dems. A hold is basically a courtesy: Any Congressman or Senator can place one, and in normal times this would delay an arms transfer until that Member lifted it. Trump can simply ignore the hold, and he probably will. But Dems need to make full use of every tool they possess.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This is beautiful. Librarian of the year:
elia ayoub@ayoub.bsky.social
Friend shared this video of a man unveiling the library he hid when he fled Damascus in 2011. It’s incredible
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
So, Rahm basically accuses his own party of treason. What, exactly, is the proposal of this 2008 Financial Bailout villain and 2028 presidential hopeful? He wants the Dems to become the party of Wall Street. OK: Wall Street made Rahm a multimilllionaire. But we already have one Wall Street party.
@theatlantic.com@theatlantic.com
Democrats need to prove to the country that they “know how to fight for America, not just fight Donald Trump,” Rahm Emanuel tells @ashleyrparker.bsky.social at #TAF26. theatln.tc/t9IwiQTz
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Free Bird! Free Bird!
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
RFK Jr: "We are also looking at chemtrails"
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
In the discography of the band Bonkers Conspiracy Theory, the single "Chemtrails" is an early-album deep cut.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
RFK Jr: "We are also looking at chemtrails"
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
More like this, Dems. A hold is basically a courtesy: Any Congressman or Senator can place one, and in normal times this would delay an arms transfer until that Member lifted it. Trump can simply ignore the hold, and he probably will. But Dems need to make full use of every tool they possess.
@stelhami.bsky.social@stelhami.bsky.social
Top Democrat Places Hold on $2.8 Billion Weapons Sale to Israel www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026...
haaretz.com
Top Democrat places hold on $2.8 billion weapons sale to Israel
Rep. Gregory Meeks put major procedural hurdles to block the widely contested sale, saying the Trump administration failed to assure Congress that Israel would use the weapons in accordance with U.S. ...
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I couldn't possibly care less whether the beef I buy is from America or overseas. I just want to know that, after Trump's gutting food safety regulation and engineered shady deals with grifters like Javier Milei, it won't make my family sick.
The New York Times@nytimes.com
The Trump administration wants to give shoppers a choice while trying to appease ranchers: Seek out all American beef and potentially pay a premium for it, or opt for the cheaper, imported alternative.
nyti.ms
Trump Seeks ‘Made in U.S.A.’ Labels on Beef as Import Rule Angers Ranchers
The Agriculture Department hopes Americans will pay more for U.S. beef, in an attempt to appease ranchers upset over increased, cheaper imports.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Insha'Allah.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
Benny Johnson: "AOC will be president if we can't get prices under control and start delivering wins domestically for people"
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Is Kaep right to be optimistic now? I don't know. But he's been consistently more clear-eyed in his view of America than most professional analysts. (Also: One of the few people brave enough to sacrifice everything for what we all claim to believe. 💪🏼💪🏼).
MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com
Colin Kaepernick says traveling through America, including deeply Republican communities, showed him a reality very different from the media narrative. “A lot of the responses were very different, and it was consistently different.” Kaepernick says that experience gives him hope.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Wharton must be so proud of its alum. (At least they've still got the $$ his daddy contributed in order to buy his acceptance).
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
Trump: "If we lose $50 billion a year with a country, and we say 'we're not going to trade with you anymore,' we don't lose $50 billion a year. It's very simple. Right?"
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Serbian President Aleksandr Vucic was a fiery supporter of the "Butcher of Bosnia," Radko Mladić-- convicted of genocide by the ICTY. After Mladić & co perpetrated the Srebrenica Massacre, Vucic vowed 100 dead Muslims for every Serbian casualty. In unrelated news:
Reuters@reuters.com
Serbia opens Israeli drone assembly plant reut.rs/4ABmqNN
reut.rs
Serbia opens Israeli drone assembly plant
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday ​that Serbia had opened ‌a factory to assemble advanced Israeli-made drones, which will ​supply the Serbian military ​and armed forces in ⁠other countries.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This might be the first bold proposal Pete has ever made (if I'm missing something, please let me know). Pete is obviously one of the smartest people in politics-- but hardly one of the boldest. In '20, he was fettered by his timidity. If he can break out of that, he might be a real '28 contender.
@theatlantic.com@theatlantic.com
Pete Buttigieg tells @jeffreygoldberg.bsky.social that he’s been advocating for Supreme Court reform not just because the reform is needed, but because “I believe in elevating our ambition as a country when it comes to reforming things that are obviously broken.” theatln.tc/t9IwiQTz #TAF26
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Counterpoint: -I pay for subscriptions to at least 3 newspapers, 2 magazines, and 1 newsletter. My writing is published in a variety of paywalled outlets. -But outlets that want to be widely read can't whine about people not liking paywalls: Nobody can be expected to subscribe to 100 outlets.
@swin24.bsky.social@swin24.bsky.social
I will wager the majority of you complaining about paywalls can afford it
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Yes, Sen Durbin: -If the Dems ever re-take the White House and Senate simultaneously, it'll probably be around the time Justice Jackson is getting ready to retire. Let's see if we can swing that 3-6 ratio over to 0-9!
@courthousenews.bsky.social@courthousenews.bsky.social
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin on Wednesday discouraged Democrats from engaging in the same political gamesmanship over Supreme Court nominees as their Republican colleagues if the party wins the majority in November. @kelseyreichmann.bsky.social www.courthousenews.com/durbin-pours...
courthousenews.com
Durbin pours cold water on Democratic hopes for SCOTUS hardball
The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said that any future Supreme Court nominees should get a vote, regardless of which party controls Congress.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Prediction: -If the Democrats ever re-take the White House, they'll find that the oil stolen from Venezuela is NOT under the control of the US government. -It is under the control of Donald Trump.
The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com
Three Democratic senators are pressing the Trump administration for transparency on billions of dollars in oil revenue from Venezuela believed to be in a U.S. government-controlled account.
washingtonpost.com
Democrats demand to know where Venezuelan oil revenue is going
The Trump administration seized control of Venezuelan oil after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in January.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
GOP: How dare you poke fun at Mitch McConnell? Can't you see that the poor man is a barely-animate zombie? Let him live out his final few days in peace! Also GOP: How dare you suggest that Senator McConnell isn't fully competent to do one of the most important jobs in the country?
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
New in PN: Retire in peace "McConnell would never be allowed to drive a car, babysit young children, or file his own taxes. Why, then, should a cognitively incapacitated 82-year-old retain one of the most important positions of power within the national government?"
publicnotice.co
Retire in peace
McConnell is the latest example of an incapacitated politician refusing to let go.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
New in PN: Retire in peace "McConnell would never be allowed to drive a car, babysit young children, or file his own taxes. Why, then, should a cognitively incapacitated 82-year-old retain one of the most important positions of power within the national government?"
publicnotice.co
Retire in peace
McConnell is the latest example of an incapacitated politician refusing to let go.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
He's a columnist for The Jacobin.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
Trump on Venezuela: "We got 65 billion barrels of oil. We got it for what? An attack. We got it for an attack."
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Nobody knows there's a G in "incontinent moronic gas-bag."
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
Trump: "Nobody knows there's a B in dumb"
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
If we buy $50 billion a year from a country in beef, steel and oil, and we say, "We're not going to trade with you," we don't lose $50 billion. It's very simple. I mean, we won't have the beef, steel and oil. But, um...
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com
Trump: "If we lose $50 billion a year with a country, and we say 'we're not going to trade with you anymore,' we don't lose $50 billion a year. It's very simple. Right?"
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
He should definitely complain to the Chairman of the Senate committee overseeing public health. If the Chairman heard this concern from an actual medical doctor like Bill Cassidy, he'd definitely use his office to bring RFKJr to heel.
@theguardian.com@theguardian.com
Republican senator blames Trump administration policies for measles deaths in Pennsylvania
theguardian.com
Republican senator blames Trump administration policies for measles deaths in Pennsylvania
Health committee chair Bill Cassidy said fatal outbreak of disease is a ‘terrible legacy’ for Trump administration
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Prediction: ♦️Kraft gives his donation to Trump's bogus "Board of Peace," for its (utterly fake) Gaza reconstruction. This lets him take off some of the heat for fiasco he's caused, AND simultaneously kiss Trump's ass.
MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com
NEWS: Robert Kraft says he will commit $2 million to humanitarian aid in the Middle East after Ed Sheeran offered $2 million of his own, following the fallout from Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour. Kraft did not specify where the money will go or which organizations will receive it.
meidasnews.com
Robert Kraft Pledges $2 Million for Humanitarian Aid After Macklemore Challenge
The Patriots owner says Ed Sheeran asked him to match a separate $2 million commitment, potentially bringing their combined pledge to $4 million. It remains unclear where the money will go.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
You're too generous: ♦️Robert Kraft's statement doesn't commit a DIME to Palestinians. He pledges a donation to "aid in the region." For all we know, he's giving it to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Congress has not gone on a two-month vacation. ♦️Their Fall vacation-- coming just two weeks after their monthlong Summer vacation-- is only seven weeks.
The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com
House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he was canceling Thursday votes, allowing lawmakers to depart a day earlier than planned for a seven-week recess. House members are not slated to return until after midterms that will determine control of the chamber.
washingtonpost.com
The House is heading home ahead of the midterms even earlier than planned
A move to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will now probably be considered after the November elections.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Of course it did.
Reuters@reuters.com
Trump administration can proceed with homelessness program overhaul, US court rules reut.rs/4dGpazf
reut.rs
Trump administration can proceed with homelessness program overhaul, US court rules
A U.S. appeals court cleared the way on ‌Wednesday for President Donald Trump's administration to reshape a $4 billion homelessness program by shifting funding away from permanent housing assistance toward temporary housing and supportive services.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Ed Sheeran's got only two choices: 1. Cancel the tour. Rebook as acoustic set in smaller venues. 2. Hire a new set of tourmates: Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood, and Vanilla Ice? This isn't hyperbole: Only MAGA artists would play an arena with him now. Any other act would lose its fan-base.
The Associated Press@apnews.com
Ed Sheeran's tour has been thrown into turmoil by all of his supporting acts quitting after the rapper Macklemore was dropped as an opener due to pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage.
bit.ly
What to know about Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore was cut and artists dropped out
Ed Sheeran's tour has been thrown into turmoil by all of his supporting acts quitting after the rapper Macklemore was dropped as an opener due to pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Alternate headline: ♦️Campaign rocked by leaked audio of Senate candidate telling the truth about voters. According to the rules of political reporting: -MAGA voters are salt-of-the-earth American heroes, whom candidates need to "meet where they are." Saying anything other than that is forbidden.
The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com
Independent Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborn criticized President Trump’s supporters for their motivations for backing the president in a recording acquired by the Omaha World-Herald.
washingtonpost.com
In leaked recording, Nebraska Senate candidate criticizes some Trump voters
Osborn has carefully sought to maintain an independent profile to attract crossover voters of both parties in the typically red state.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
A real boss move now: ♦️Macklemore should organize his own tour. ♦️With all the opening acts that dropped. ♦️And Ed Sheeran's own band.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This action, by a Trump acolyte seeking re-election in a swing district, caused more danger to American citizens than anything ever done by the vast majority of immigrants who have ever entered the nation illegally.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Kap is right. And, as usual: Providing so much better political and social analysis than most of the pundits who do so for a living.
MeidasTouch@meidastouch.com
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Colin Kaepernick accuses NFL owners of “openly colluding” against Macklemore after the rapper was removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour: “They want to protect their interests. They want to protect their power. They want to protect their money.”
meidasnews.com
Exclusive: Kaepernick Says NFL Owners “Openly Colluded” Against Macklemore
The rapper was removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour after speaking out about genocide in Gaza and saying “Free Palestine.”
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Josh Gottheimer is the John Fetterman of the House: Theoretically a Democrat, but clearly much more simpatico with the GOP. His district voted for Biden and Kamala, so he's not (like, say Jared Golden) just echoing his constituents. He backs MAGA billionaire Robert Kraft over Macklemore. Of course.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Only remaining question: ♦️Does he let it decay, and get taken over by raccoons and bats before he sends in the bulldozers? Or does he start the demolition right away?
The Associated Press@apnews.com
Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after a Trump-aligned board voted to close it for repairs.
bit.ly
Fencing goes up around the main Kennedy Center building after Trump-aligned board votes to close it
Fencing has gone up around the main Kennedy Center building, a day after the Trump-aligned board voted to close the performing arts center for repairs
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Wait-- the Dems could have picked Honest Abe in Raybans, and instead they decided to go with...a chicken?
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
But those 40,000 1-ton bombs just given to the IDF by Trump will have to get dropped somewhere. And there aren't enough buildings left standing in Gaza.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
As the pioneering work of Dr Moreau demonstrated, this always ends well.
@theguardian.com@theguardian.com
Scientists create mice with part-human brains
theguardian.com
Scientists create mice with part-human brains
Researchers hope to shed light on conditions such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and rare forms of dementia Researchers have created mice with half-human brains in an effort to understand and develop new treatments for disorders such as schizophrenia, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and rare forms of dementia. The scientists transplanted lab-grown human brain cells into animals that were engineered to be born without a cortex or hippocampus. This made space for the human tissue to grow inside the rodents’ skulls. Continue reading...
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
If only the GOP chair of the committee with the power to stop this had been a medical doctor...
Reuters@reuters.com
Republican senator faults Trump vaccine policy for US measles deaths as panel weighs health nominees reut.rs/3T5ttNI
reut.rs
Republican senator faults Trump vaccine policy for US measles deaths as panel weighs health nominees
The Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate ​health committee on Wednesday blamed the Trump administration's approach to vaccines for recent measles deaths in Pennsylvania during a ‌confirmation hearing for three of President Donald Trump's top health nominees.
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jonahblank.bsky.social @jonahblank.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Actually, I like this animatronic Mitch much better than the flesh-and-blood one.
@thetnholler.bsky.social@thetnholler.bsky.social
Safe to say the people of Kentucky are not being represented properly
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