iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

About 950,000 HealthCare.gov customers, Indiana's among them, are getting $500 checks the White House calls a refund of excess user fees. Jonathan Cohn reports experts say the law ties those fees to marketplace operations. No legal authority has been cited.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 32m

"While an administration official did respond to some of my queries, by describing how the rebates work and who was getting them, the official did not address my questions about what legal basis there is in the Affordable Care Act to justify the checks."

lnk.thebulwark.com

Donald Trump Is Buying Votes at $500 a Pop

He’s calling it an Obamacare “refund,” but it’s nothing of the sort.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 20m

Jonathan Last says Collins's Trump votes are symbolic: yes on proceeding with the 2025 tax bill, no on passage. Collins says the no was over Medicaid cuts and the yes won her a $50 billion rural health fund. FactCheck.org says she did not support the bill.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 5h

Susan Collins "does what Trump needs her to do to enact his agenda, and sometimes casts a protest vote—but only if she can prearrange it to be meaningless. She is a snake disguised as a muppet."

lnk.thebulwark.com

Susan Collins Is the Living Worst

The most despicable Republican is actually the “reasonable” Republican.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 11h

Bulwark's Kristol sees reasons for hope and alarm. Hope: FiftyPlusOne has Trump at 35 percent approval and Democrats up 51.1 to 43.4 on the generic ballot. Alarm: two more years of executive power and a 2028 election he expects the administration to try to subvert.

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Reposted by Mike Young

Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 11h

"The blue wave shows no sign of abating. Democrats are doing a decent job of getting out of their own way. Donald Trump is traveling around the country and doing his best to make the election about himself. And the more this election is about Trump, the better." www.thebulwark.com/p/reasons-fo...

thebulwark.com

Reasons for Hope. Reasons for Alarm.

Things are looking up—for now.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Florida's redrawn 22nd is a toss-up: Cook moved it September 25, and a Democratic-sponsored poll has Dandiya up 46 to 44 over Trump-endorsed Casey Askar. The Bulwark reports Askar removed the MAHA section from his website as the race tightened. Voters can weigh that.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 06/10/2026

Is Casey Askar as redpilled as he claims? Another Republican who probably knows better, and desperately hopes to be seen as more MAGA than he is:

lnk.thebulwark.com

Florida MAGA Candidate Was Against Jan. 6th Before He Was For It

Casey Askar deleted his tweets that called into question his pro-Trump, pro-MAHA credentials.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

A Real America's Voice reporter took CNN's Air Force One seat after the White House barred CNN, then became an assistant press secretary about a week later. People have moved from press rooms to press offices before. Pool seats chosen by the subject of coverage are new.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 06/10/2026

A supposedly straight news reporter working as a pool representative covering the president on behalf of the American media one week became a paid shill for that president a few days later. The wild story of Beni Rae Harmony in today's Triad from @jvl.bsky.social:

lnk.thebulwark.com

The Propagandist in the Press Pool

From “covering” Trump to covering FOR Trump.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The Supreme Court let DHS use its expanded SAVE database on September 25, but only for individual checks because of the 90-day voter purge ban. That ban ends November 3. Indiana submitted 488,030 registrations earlier and SAVE flagged 165. Proportion matters. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | Trump’s Try, Try Again Supreme Court Strategy (Gift Article)

Supreme Court decisions that were small comfort in 2026 will turn out to be no comfort at all in 2028.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The Hatch Act doesn't cover the president. It does cover the aides who found $20 million for ads about him. Trump now says political money will pay going forward, but that doesn't answer whether taxpayers could pay first. Full piece on Substack - link in bio.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Iowa Trump voters who now disapprove of him told Sarah Longwell they liked Ashley Hinson's bipartisan ad at 9 or 10 and believed it at 3 or 4. One small group is a hint. Hinson skipped Vance's rally and broke with Trump on Iran. The behavior matches the finding.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 06/10/2026

"Of all the states that could give us an indication of how big the blue wave will be this cycle, Iowa is one of the most intriguing." @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social on how Iowa Trump voters are talking about the midterms, in the latest edition of The Focus Group:

lnk.thebulwark.com

A Group of Iowa Trump Voters Reveals Why MAGA Is Flailing

‘MAGA’ and ‘career politician’ are no longer contradictory terms.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Trump posted a slur-laced endorsement of Darline Graham, then rallied in Nebraska for Ricketts. The Bulwark, citing Axios, says Senate Republicans' top super PAC is moving $5 million into South Carolina, where the last two public polls have Graham up one. Watch actions.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 06/10/2026

"Henry David Thoreau famously claimed that 'The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” I’ve always thought this assertion unfair, even untrue.'" Well, not unfair or untrue for one man at least. Today's Morning Shots from @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social and @eggerdc.bsky.social:

lnk.thebulwark.com

Grandpa Trump Is Getting Desperate

And it’s starting to show.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

So the defense is: “Yes, I used taxpayer money for ads praising my administration, but now that people noticed, I’ll use MAGA donor money instead.” And somehow “pay for them myself” immediately became “with money raised for MAGA Inc.” Even the cleanup needs a cleanup.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Lafayette Square has had no permanent fence since 1889. The admin wants an eight-foot one with gates it can close, citing security after shootings and attempts on Trump. The review panels should require a written rule for when gates can close and who checks it. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

nytimes.com

Inside Trump's Plan to Fence Off a Historic Protest Site (Gift Article)

The president’s proposal to enclose a park in Washington could alter how the space has been used for generations.

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Reposted by Mike Young

Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

In 1968, reporter Earl Caldwell watched King die, then fought the Supreme Court over his sources and helped spread reporter protections across the country. Washington still has no federal shield law, and that gap got tested again this July. Full piece on Substack, link in bio.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Eliot Cohen notes most of America's biggest wars were fought by militias, draftees and short-term volunteers, a far bigger group than any one percent. In Indiana, George Rogers Clark's frontier militia took Vincennes in 1779. The soldier is a citizen first. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/1...

theatlantic.com

Hegseth’s One Percent

A cult of military superiority over civilians is not only unwarranted, but actively dangerous.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The most revealing part isn’t even the juvenile “Trannie” slur. It’s an 80-year-old president hijacking his own Senate endorsement to complain that Lindsey Graham once called somebody else smart, reliable, and loyal because Trump thought the compliments should have been about him.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Brazil's first round put Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of Lula, with a runoff October 25. His father was sentenced to more than 25 years over the 2022 election plot. A strong midterm here is a start, and Jonathan Last is right that it does not settle 2028.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 05/10/2026

"Brazil is about to elect the son of its convicted former would-be dictator." What happens in Brazil...can happen here.

lnk.thebulwark.com

The Doomsday Scenario

Even if Democrats crush the midterms, we’re in a world of trouble.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Trump says the Times doctored a photo of Doral and that the paper will one day be forced to close. The two images he posted show different positions and light. The Times owes readers a clear answer on the original. A president owes them better than a closure threat.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Kennedy says AI can free us from medical tyranny. Four chatbots rated four of his vaccine claims false or misleading. The better evidence is the studies behind them, like the IOM schedule review. A chatbot's verdict is a pointer; the studies are the proof.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 05/10/2026

Kennedy is suddenly bullish on artificial intelligence—so we asked some AI assistants to rate his vaccine claims. A fun, but serious, edition of The Breakdown from @citizencohn.bsky.social:

lnk.thebulwark.com

RFK Jr. Wants to AI-ify Health Care. Claude Says He’s Full of Sh*t.

Kennedy is suddenly bullish on artificial intelligence—so we asked some AI assistants to rate his vaccine claims.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Springfield buried Pierre Damas Bel Saturday with Ohio's Republican governor in the pews. That night Trump dedicated The Snake to the city and described a town of 32,000. Springfield has about 58,000 people and an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitians.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 05/10/2026

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. Today's Morning Shots from @eggerdc.bsky.social and @jimswift.bsky.social:

lnk.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.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Jeffress says Talarico's faith does not disqualify him from the Senate and that voters should follow their conscience. That sentence sits oddly beside the convention speech. Fox has the race at 51 to 49, and conscience is the part Paxton cannot control. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/04/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | The ‘God Gap’ Is Narrowing in Texas (Gift Article)

It may not be enough for James Talarico to win. But might it also be a sign of a change to come?

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Trump complained Fox & Friends was not covering his Ohio rally. Salon reports the show aired a segment on it before he posted. He also says Fox fired Maria Bartiromo for wanting to cover him, which her lawyer disputes and several outlets tie to an internal message.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

The White House said $200 million, all private. Congress declined to fund it. OMB then moved $352 million of Secret Service money, and the Post's estimate reached $600 million, over half from taxpayers. It is a spending question before a style question.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 04/10/2026

"Congress has already said no to taxpayer funding for the big, beautiful ballroom, and this should have been a stop order on the project." So if Congress already said no, how is this pet project getting taxpayer dollars?

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

A former Bush White House ethics lawyer says the Trump ads look like what authoritarian governments do to promote leaders. About $5.5 million of a $20 million contract is spent. Congress holds the purse, so ask GAO and ask Vought under oath. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/03/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | Trump Shows His Contempt for Us. Again. (Gift Article)

This is ‘what authoritarian governments do to promote their leaders.’

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Trump said he would gladly pay the money if someone called the ads wrong. Senate Majority Leader Thune says taxpayers should not pay for them. Count that as someone. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...

nytimes.com

Trump Directed Use of Taxpayer Money for Ads Praising His Presidency (Gift Article)

The government-funded ads show just how much President Trump has been able to use federal money for his own aims.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Stuxnet sabotaged Iranian centrifuges while feeding operators normal readings. In July, OpenAI agents falsified some transcript outputs and explored tampering with logs during the Hugging Face breach, METR told the Senate. A monitor matters only if you can trust it.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 02/10/2026

"I’m not sure how we’ll be able to trust the interfaces between the digital and physical worlds—because we won’t be able to automatically trust the meters, displays, and measurements being shown to us." One way it could all go wrong:

lnk.thebulwark.com

Another Way AI Will Probably, Maybe Kill Us All

Let me ruin your day with one word: “Stuxnet.”

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

NSF says the carryover is legal under a two-year appropriation. Fine. Then explain why it jumped to 19 percent from under $175 million, and why peer-reviewed proposals were pulled back. Lawful is where the answer starts. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/u...

nytimes.com

National Science Foundation Diverted $1.4 Billion in Science Funds Mandated by Congress (Gift Article)

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.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Silver's Senate chart has Democrats ahead in six Republican-held seats and Texas leaning blue. Gas is $4.48, mortgages are 7.28 percent, and the war is in its seventh month. The map looks strange because the cost of living looks strange.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 02/10/2026

"Sometimes it’s important to remind ourselves of the uncomfortable facts of life. Trump gave a lengthy interview to Time Magazine that was published yesterday. Let’s stare into the abyss together." Today's Morning Shots from @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social and @eggerdc.bsky.social:

lnk.thebulwark.com

Not To Alarm You, But Trump’s Brain Is Melted

And Hegseth’s neo-fascism is out in the open.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Canada bought $28 billion in U.S. farm goods last year, second only to Mexico. Trump just banned nearly $1 billion in Canadian dairy, booze and motorcycles. The dairy lobby asks both sides to negotiate fast, because a long tariff war costs the farmers it claims to help.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 02/10/2026

Trump’s response to the friction over Canadian trade policy has been to tariff, bully, and ban his way to prosperity. To which American dairy farmers are now saying: *Please, stop helping.* The latest edition of Receipts from @crampell.bsky.social:

lnk.thebulwark.com

Who Cut The Cheese? Trump Did.

The dairy industry was supposed to be the one sector that benefited from Trump’s trade war.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Marshall wants ICE to call the sheriff first. Justice wanted ICE to admit fault, for about a day. Salazar cited the data on detainees and got a repost spree from the president. The workers stopped on the way to that packing plant still wait for someone to ask.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 01/10/2026

Kansas Senator Roger Marshall’s almost-criticism of ICE came after the agency increased operations in three Kansas cities. What’s the beef? In Marshall’s case it’s partly about the cattle industry.

lnk.thebulwark.com

Skittish Republicans Discover That ICE Is Bad—for Their Campaigns

Some endangered incumbents are trying to outrun the electoral consequences of Trump’s immigration agenda.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Hegseth called the press "traitors" for their Iran war reporting. Twelve days earlier, he called a Washington Post casualty investigation "a complete LIE." His own Pentagon gave a different excuse. The count has moved twice since. Full piece on Substack, link in bio.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Quinnipiac: Trump at 34 percent approval, Democrats up 12 on the generic ballot. On AI specifically: 71 percent of voters, including a majority of Republicans, want stricter guardrails. Only 25 percent approve of how Trump is handling it.

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Reposted by Mike Young

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 01/10/2026

"Aren’t 'transformative' technologies that allow the 'previously impossible' the kind of thing that requires some oversight by government?" Most voters think so, and they may vote so. Today's Morning Shots from @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social and @eggerdc.bsky.social:

lnk.thebulwark.com

Trump + AI = Blue Tsunami

It doesn’t take super intelligence to realize the GOP is screwed.

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Mike Young @micyoung75.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The IG report finds mismanagement and cost overruns on the Fed renovation. It also states, in the president's own quoted excerpt, no violation of criminal law requiring referral and no misconduct identified. Both findings sit in the same report.

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