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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

"[PM Carney] was faced with a trade agreement that was suddenly transformed into an attack on Canadian sovereignty, an attempted psychological annexation that could have turned Canada into an American client state, a sort of North American Belarus. www.thestar.com/news/analysi...

thestar.com

Mark Carney has cemented his post as leader of the anti-Trump resistance

"We cannot accept what they've offered, and we will not give what they have asked."

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Reposted by Barbara O'Brien

Mark Hamill @markhamillofficial.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Who doesn't love a snappy comeback? #November3rdWe8647

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

You may have seen headlines saying that “9/11 families” have petitioned to exclude Mayor Zohran Mamdani from New York City’s annual September 11 memorial service. I want to clarify what is actually happening and explain why this petition is a very sad mistake. www.patheos.com/blogs/therel...

Barring Mamdani From 9/11 Lets The Enemy Win

You may have seen headlines saying that “9/11 families” have petitioned to exclude Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim, from New York City’s annual September 11 memorial service. I want to clarify wha...

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Trump's Religious Liberty Commission has issued a terrifying report informing us that separation of church and state is not in the Constitution. I read the thing so you don't have to. www.patheos.com/blogs/therel...

Is 'Separation Of Church And State' Really A Myth?

Trump's Religious Liberty Commission says church-state separation isn't in the Constitution. A Buddhist writer, and James Madison, beg to differ.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

This one's for the Zen students -- my argument for why David Hinton's China Root -- which makes Zen out to be just a reinterpretation of Daoism -- is bunk. www.patheos.com/blogs/therel...

There has long been a popular belief that Zen Buddhism is as much Daoist as Buddhist. Sometimes one hears that Zen came into existence when Daoism and

Is Zen Really Daoism?

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Luckily, a dozen or so moderates are forming the Change Isn't Possible Caucus to fight him.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Historical note: On the first Juneteenth in 1865, there were more than 100,000 people still enslaved in Kentucky and Delaware who weren't freed until the following December. Let's not forget them. www.patheos.com/blogs/therel...

Juneteenth -- June 19 -- is an official holiday now, commemorating the ending of slavery in the U.S. This is an accomplishment worthy of commemoration, of

Getting Juneteenth Right

Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Is there *really* a peace deal that Trump and Tehran are ready to sign? It doesn't look like it to me. It looks like Iran is making an offer Trump shouldn't refuse, but he probably will. www.mahablog.com/2026/06/12/t...

mahablog.com

The Art of the Cave? - The Mahablog

This afternoon WaPo posted a news story headlined U.S. and Iran close to signing peace deal, officials say, and the text made it sound as if, indeed, there were an actual deal and Iran was on board wi...

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Reposted by Barbara O'Brien

Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

With each passing day, I'm liking Jon Ossoff more and more. I think he may be the real deal.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Sen. Chris Van Hollen has written an excellent op ed on ongoing support for Israel that I endorse. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/26/o...

Opinion | The Hard Truth My Party Needs to Face

Cristian Farias @cristianfarias.com · 02/05/2026

Reposted by Barbara O'Brien

Frederick Douglass in 1883, after the Civil Rights Cases were handed down, cut to the chase: "O for a Supreme Court of the United States which shall be as true to the claims of humanity as the Supreme Court formerly was to the demands of slavery! omeka.coloredconventions.org/files/origin...

Excerpt of Frederick Douglass speech:

O for a Supreme Court of the United States which shall be as true to the claims of humanity as the Supreme Court formerly was to the demands of slavery! When that day comes, as come it will, a Civil Rights Bill will not be declared unconstitutional and void, in utter and flagrant disregard of the objects and intentions of the National legislature by which it was enacted, and of the rights plainly secured by the Constitution.

This decision of the Supreme Court admits that the Fourteenth Amendment is a prohibition on the States. It admits that a State shall not abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, but commits the seeming absurdity of allowing the people of a State to do what it prohibits the State itself from doing.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

This is a gift link to a very important story that I hope you will share and send to your anti-vaxx uncle. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/o...

Opinion | Measles Took My Daughter. This Is What I Want Everyone to Know.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

There is no precedent for a U.S. president threatening a pope. Even when Pope John Paul II was openly opposed to George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq, Bush was entirely respectful to the pontiff. www.patheos.com/blogs/therel...

The President And The Pope: An Unprecedented Rift

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed open hostility to Pope Leo XIV. Trump was angered by the Pope's criticism of his bombing of Iran. You can read

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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

And there it is:

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

April 8, 2026 On April 9, 1865, Lee Surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. I love Heather Cox Richardson's letter about this. open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...

open.substack.com

April 8, 2026

On April 8, 1865, General Ulysses S.

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Reposted by Barbara O'Brien

Mark Sumner 🌒 @devilstower.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

How to win a Middle Eastern war against the greatest military in history. Step 1: Be fighting Donald Trump Step 2: See step 1

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I've just become aware that that the Missouri legislature passed a bill that *allows* pregnant women to file for divorce. How big of them.

Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Trump bailed out of his failing businesses by dumping the ruin and debt on investors while he walked away with cash in his pockets. Now he's looking for a way to bail out of Iran in a way he can claim is a win but which leaves the mess for others to clean up. www.mahablog.com/2026/04/02/t...

mahablog.com

Trump’s Running His War Like He Ran His Casinos - The Mahablog

What Trump really needs is his Daddy to come along and clean up the mess he made. Barring that, my impression of what he said last night (I didn't watch, either; I've just read about it) is that he's ...

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

When Trump leaves office, I want him -- or his estate, whichever applies -- to be served with a bill to pay for restoring the White House and grounds to their former condition.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Some of you might remember The Volokh Conspiracy, a right-wing blog about law that got picked up by Reason Magazine. I'm linking to a recent post because it has useful insights into the Birthright Citizenship issue and explains why Trump's position is hooey. reason.com/volokh/2026/...

reason.com

On the Original Legal Meaning of "Subject to the Jurisdiction Thereof"

In a new paper, I examine, along with a co-author (James Heilpern), whether "subject to the jurisdiction" would have had a familiar legal meaning to lawyers in the mid-nineteenth century, and if so wh...

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

People are claiming that the rich are fleeing New York City to avoid Mayor Mamdani's taxes. Even Gov. Hochul said something about it. This article explains why most of the rich can't avoid paying NYC taxes even if they do move their primary residence to Miami. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/n...

Rich New Yorkers Threaten to Leave. Then They Find Out How Hard That Is.

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Dante Atkins @danteatkins.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

I hate to use the Iranian regime as a good demonstration of anything, but what they're doing is illustrative of a very important point about bullies: THEY NEVER BUILD A PLAN FOR SOMEONE FIGHTING BACK. Bullies rarely have a plan B beyond the threat and application of force.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Let's try to get this story straight. Yesterday Trump rejected what he called an offer by the UK to send an aircraft carrier to the Gulf. But according to the BBC, the UK made no such offer. www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

Trump accuses Starmer of seeking to 'join wars after we've already won'

The remarks come after a public back-and-forth between Trump and Sir Keir Starmer over UK involvement in the US's joint offensive with Israel against Iran.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

This is from Judd Legum at Popular Information. Link in comments. Trump is being paid off by Mohammad bin Salman to use U.S. military resources to take care of a Saudi problem. popular.info/p/the-money-...

popular.info

The money behind the new Iran War

In private calls over the last several weeks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump to attack Iran.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Trump's oppression of U.S. religious institutions has not gotten enough coverage in media. Whatever doesn't align with his agenda, including Christian charities, is attacked. .https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thereligioushistorynerd/2026/02/magas-assault-on-religious-liberty/

MAGA's Assault On Religious Liberty

The Religious History Nerd says MAGA's assault on religious liberty is being under-covered in news media, but it's real.

Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Paul Krugman on today's tariff ruling. IEEPA! IEEPA! IEEPA! open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

open.substack.com

IEEPA! IEEPA! IEEPA!

Why the tariff ruling really matters

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

What Trump is likely to do next. He may be able to reconstitute most of the tariffs that were struck down today, but his ability to enact entirely new tariffs is much curtailed. www.theatlantic.com/economy/2026...

theatlantic.com

Get Ready for Zombie Tariffs

Even after losing at the Supreme Court, Trump has plenty of ways to reconstruct his trade regime.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Ka-BOOM! SCOTUS just took away little Donnie's tariff toy. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/02...

Live Updates: Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump’s Sweeping Tariffs

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Is anyone trying to tabulate the percentage of people arrested by ICE who were in the process of becoming legal residents or citizens? I've been searching for this but not finding it.

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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

MAGAts hate empathy. They think it's a weakness. They think it's manipulative. It's "too emotional" and gets in the way of reason. And now conservative Christians have decided empathy is sinful. WTF? www.patheos.com/blogs/therel...

Is empathy a weakness? Recently The Atlantic published an opinion piece by Hillary Clinton titled "MAGA's War on Empathy." The Trump Administration, she

Is Empathy A Weakness?

J. David McSwane @davidmcswane.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

Reposted by Barbara O'Brien

1/ BREAKING: Government documents reviewed by ProPublica identify Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa, 43, and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez, 35, as the two who fired their weapons during the deadly encounter with Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

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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Barbara O'Brien @mahabarbara.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Nothing worries me more than what Trump might do to interfere with the midterm elections. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/31/o...

Opinion | Trump Could Interfere With the Midterm Elections. You Can Help Defend Them.