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peter certo

@petercerto.bsky.social
137 followers 102 following 12 posts

editor, rust belt returnee. comms director at @ips_dc. this acct is personal + i'm mostly here to lurk.

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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 21/09/2026
On the 50th anniversary of the killing of Ronni Karpen Moffitt, Michael Karpen—Ronni’s younger brother—reflects on his sister’s life, the search for accountability following her death, and her legacy which helped inspired a generation of activists.
ips-dc.org
Reflections on the Loss of My Big Sister to International Terrorists 50 Years Ago - Institute for Policy Studies
Reflections on the Loss of My Big Sister to International Terrorists 50 Years Ago
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Reposted by peter certo
Chuck Collins @chuck77.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
NEW: Private jet use is increasing among the wealthiest 0.003% of people - and the rest of us are subsidizing it. It's time to make private jet users pay their fair share and tax this reckless consumption. REPORT: ips-dc.org/report-high-...
ips-dc.org
High Flyers 2026: The High Cost of Private Jet Excess - Institute for Policy Studies
High Flyers 2026: The High Cost of Private Jet Excess
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 01/09/2026
No, you’re not crazy. Your pay isn’t enough. New IPS @inequality.org findings on @msnowreports.bsky.social:
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Reposted by peter certo
In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 31/08/2026
“While the world frequently reads about Puerto Rico’s blackouts, the quiet collapse of the water system has pushed the island to its absolute limit.” Coenia Sanchez reports on the federal policies and funding delays behind the crisis.
inthesetimes.com
Congress Has a Responsibility to Reverse the Water Crisis It Caused in Puerto Rico
Federal neglect—and restrictive aid conditions—have broken the infrastructure meant to sustain human life in the Caribbean U.S. colony.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 28/08/2026
Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. Alex Pretti. Renee Good. These are just a few of the more than 50 people killed by ICE agents since President Trump took office last year. We cannot allow ourselves to let these deaths to become routine. Sofia Leyba on OtherWords:
otherwords.org
We’re Getting Dangerously Used to ICE Abuse - OtherWords
No matter where you were born or how you feel about immigration, no government should have the power to kill or jail people with so little accountability.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 27/08/2026
IPS stands in solidarity with the researchers at @americanprogress.bsky.social, along with all of the scholars, activists, journalists, and others targeted by this administration. Speaking truths to power is not a privilege, it's a right.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 27/08/2026
NEW: At 100 major U.S. companies last year — including Target, Walmart, and DoorDash — the average CEO took home $17.5 million while turning a blind eye to workers losing Medicaid and SNAP or being attacked by ICE. Protect workers. Curb this out-of-control CEO greed. REPORT:
ips-dc.org
Executive Excess 2026 - Institute for Policy Studies
Executive Excess 2026
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 26/08/2026
Despite some walking back of his initial threats, President Trump’s devastating cuts to funding for the World Food Program—which won a Nobel Prize for its work— have had a catastrophic effect, resulting in an increase in suffering and death worldwide. Lawrence S. Wittner on @fpif.bsky.social:
fpif.org
World Hunger and Starvation Have Reached a Crisis Level - FPIF
The Trump administration has tried to eliminate all U.S. food assistance.
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Reposted by peter certo
In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 09/07/2026
Before TPS protections were eliminated by the Supreme Court, Haitian immigrants were made into targets with a groundwork of lies. In 2024, @petercerto.bsky.social reported on what those lies were meant to do.
inthesetimes.com
The Disturbing Reason Trump and Vance Peddle Lies About Immigrants
The influx of Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio is a success story, not a scandal. But when powerful people don’t want to share prosperity, they lie.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 09/07/2026
On July 23, IPS invites you to join us for our 3rd Annual Henry A. Wallace Symposium, featuring speakers @raskin.house.gov, @ariassulma.bsky.social, @keyachatterjee.bsky.social, @lindsayowens.bsky.social, @aru-shiney-ajay.bsky.social, and more! Reserve your in-person or live stream tickets today!
ips-dc.org
Forging a Democracy that Works for All - Institute for Policy Studies
IPS, The Nation, and We Build Progress in partnership with the Wallace Global Fund present the 3rd Annual Henry A. Wallace Symposium.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 22/06/2026
NEW: Last week, a Chilean judge convicted three former secret police agents for the murder of IPS colleague Ronni Karpen Moffitt fifty years ago, killed alongside Orlando Letelier on orders of Chilean dictator Pinochet. This is a huge step toward justice.
ips-dc.org
IPS Applauds the Convictions of Three Chilean Secret Police Agents in the 1976 Assassination of Ronni Karpen Moffitt  - Institute for Policy Studies
IPS Applauds the Convictions of Three Chilean Secret Police Agents in the 1976 Assassination of Ronni Karpen Moffitt
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Reposted by peter certo
Sarah Anderson @sarahanderson.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Ronni Moffitt's life was cut short at 25 when she was killed in 1976 by agents of the Pinochet dictatorship while on her way to work at @ips-dc.org. A Chilean judge has just sentenced 3 men for her murder. Proud to work for an org that doesn't stop fighting for justice. ips-dc.org/ips-applauds...
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 28/05/2026
NEW: The Iran War has cost Americans nearly $50 billion at the gas pump. "The economic damage from this conflict is already done." @jeffcolgan.bsky.social of @watsonschoolbrown.bsky.social:
otherwords.org
Don't Expect Cheap Gas Anytime Soon - OtherWords
The Iran War has cost Americans nearly $50 billion at the pump. We should hold the leaders responsible for that pain accountable.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 21/05/2026
More than 300,000 companies are set to collect from the $166 billion raised by Trump’s tariffs. Meanwhile, unless Congress steps in, American consumers who paid the price at the grocery store and the gas pump aren't likely to see a dime.
otherwords.org
You Paid for Trump’s Tariffs. Corporations Get the Refund. - OtherWords
Trump’s tariff refunds are going to corporations — not the consumers who got stuck with the higher prices.
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Reposted by peter certo
Sam Pizzigati @sgp.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
“Societies fall apart when a tiny elite captures political and economic power, walls itself off from ordinary life, and uses that power to entrench its own privilege.” @igorvolsky.bsky.social #taxtherich otherwords.org/i-fled-the-u...
otherwords.org
I Fled the USSR. That's Why I Support Taxing Billionaires. - OtherWords
Taxing extreme wealth in order to reduce the influence of a tiny, ultra-rich elite isn’t how democracies fall. It’s how they survive.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 08/05/2026
By weakening the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court has undermined over five decades of essential progress towards equal racial representation in our government, damaging democracy for Americans of all races, writes IPS fellow Dedrick Asante-Muhammad.
otherwords.org
The Supreme Court’s War on the Voting Rights Act Sends America Backwards - OtherWords
It took 60 years for Black Americans to get representation in Congress proportionate to their numbers. Now we’re likely to backslide.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 06/05/2026
Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” provides a revealing look at Big Tech’s new vision for America—one that entitles corporations to extract resources from any community with no regard for the residents’ health and safety. Danny Caine on @inequality.org:
inequality.org
I Was Already Suspicious of the Data Center Boom. Then I Stood In Data Center Alley
Pockets of opposition to the data center boom are emerging all over the country.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 30/04/2026
While centrist Democrats have cautioned against alienating “moderate” voters with left-leaning policies, recent elections show that populist economic policies focused on affordability are a hit with moderates and progressives alike, writes @ruwithsonali.bsky.social.
otherwords.org
Progressive Economic Populism is a Winning Issue - OtherWords
When voters support universal health care, taxing corporations, and addressing climate change, it’s the “centrists” who are out of touch.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 23/04/2026
NEW: Findings out today show that between August 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, U.S. strikes in Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific cost at least $4.7 billion. IPS scholar @hannahomestead.bsky.social and @jekavanagh.bsky.social of @defpriorities.bsky.social with @costsofwar.bsky.social:
ips-dc.org
What Did the U.S. Attack on Venezuela Cost? - Institute for Policy Studies
What Did the U.S. Attack on Venezuela Cost?
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 15/04/2026
If you paid taxes for 2025, you likely paid: $124 — school lunch & nutrition programs $49 — diplomacy to prevent wars $19 — USPS $19 — Federal Aviation Administration $18 — national parks and $4,049 — weapons and war. These priorities are hurting us all. We need change. #TaxDay
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 13/04/2026
NEW: If you paid federal taxes for 2025, you likely paid $4,049(!) for Pentagon contractors, military personnel, nuclear weapons, aid to foreign militaries, and last year’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear energy facilities. IPS @nationalpriorities.bsky.social research out now in @commondreams.org:
commondreams.org
‘Shameful’: $4,049 of Average US Taxpayer's Bill Last Year Went to War and Weaponry | Common Dreams
"Our tax dollars are doing more to bomb children in Iran and other countries than to feed and educate children here."
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 10/04/2026
GOP politicians are brazenly attempting to stoke another wave of Islamophobia. We must all demand that our elected officials honor the Constitutional right Muslim Americans to exist and live in this country, free from hate and bigotry.
otherwords.org
American Muslims Don't Need to Defend Our Existence - OtherWords
It's bigoted politicians, not Muslims like me, who threaten our way of life in this country.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 09/04/2026
While normal Americans are paying the price for Donald Trump’s illegal war on Iran, the wealthy fossil fuel corporations are cashing in. The solution is clear—we must tax those profits and reclaim our political system. Meghan Schneider & Cass DiPaola
otherwords.org
Tax the Corporations Cashing in on Trump's War - OtherWords
Across the political spectrum, Americans support taxing windfall profits — and billionaires — to help working people weather the affordability crisis.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 07/04/2026
Together with the U.S. intervention in Venezuela earlier this year, the war on Iran shows how the race for fossil fuels is compromising global stability. The solution—we must decrease dependency on fossil fuels through renewable energy, writes @ruwithsonali.bsky.social.
otherwords.org
Another War for Oil? This Is Why We Need Renewable Energy - OtherWords
Choosing renewables over fossil fuels would mean fewer wars and less economic disruption in the U.S. and around the world.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 07/04/2026
The current wave of anti-trans legislation is built on a manufactured hysteria that ignores a mountain of scientific evidence. What's more, these attacks set a dangerous legal precedent for everyone’s access to health care and right to privacy.
otherwords.org
Attacks on Trans People Are Attacks on Everyone - OtherWords
The people telling you to fear your trans neighbors are setting a precedent to take away your health care and invade your privacy, too.
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Reposted by peter certo
Common Dreams @commondreams.org · 25/03/2026
When corporate resources are funneled into the pockets of those at the top while ordinary employees have to rely on public assistance, we are all subsidizing the executive mansions and private jets, write @sarahanderson.bsky.social and @reyannaj.bsky.social of @ips-dc.
commondreams.org
Meet the 16 Billionaires Making Bank by Underpaying Their Workers
The poverty wage business model that is so prevalent in Corporate America works spectacularly well for a handful of wealthy and politically powerful executives and shareholders. For the rest of us, not so much.
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Reposted by peter certo
In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 25/03/2026
"The bombs falling on Iran today will not liberate anyone." Dena Al-Adeeb on spending her life fleeing, surviving, and bearing witness to wars justified by lies.
inthesetimes.com
Women Pay the Highest Price for U.S. ‘Wars of Liberation’
As an Iraqi, I’ve spent my life fleeing, surviving, and bearing witness to wars justified by lies. In Iran, we’re seeing yet another.
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peter certo @petercerto.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
finally a president who speaks out against reckless wars and interventions
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 09/03/2026
NEW: While billionaires dismiss the concept of affordability, they're the ones directly driving the crisis — from monopolizing food to hoarding housing. IPS scholar @chuck77.bsky.social in @theprogressivemag.bsky.social:
progressive.org
How Billionaires Worsen Affordability Crisis
Four ways billionaire investors are making daily life more expensive for all of us — and what to do about it.
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Reposted by peter certo
Sarah Anderson @sarahanderson.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
What to do about companies that pay their workers so little they have to rely on public assistance? @adamshah.bsky.social of @jwj.org proposes a "Bad Business Fee," with community members deciding how to spend the revenue. inequality.org/article/bad-...
inequality.org
Federal Safety Net Cuts Are Hurting States. A ‘Bad Business Fee’ Could Help.
By taxing companies that pay poverty wages, state and local governments can help cover federal cuts to safety net programs low-wage workers rely on.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 09/03/2026
NEW: Companies are already selling robots that pick fruit and vegetables and weed bots that can tell baby ragweed from baby carrots. Corporations are trying to automate farming. Time for farming communities to come together to resist, writes journalist, organizer, and farmer @suzan63.bsky.social:
otherwords.org
Rural America Needs to Band Together Against Corporate Greed - OtherWords
New schemes for fully robotic farming could push the last remaining farmers — and their communities — to fold.
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Reposted by peter certo
In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 05/03/2026
A useful moniker has emerged to describe the global network of elites whose power and privilege continue to protect them from accountability: the Epstein Class.
inthesetimes.com
The Epstein Class Are the Warped Elites They Pretend to Hate
For years, MAGA has attacked minority groups in the name of “protecting women and children.” It turns out the real abusers are the wealthy and powerful.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 04/03/2026
NEW: Many of the largest low-wage U.S. companies pay their workers so little that they're forced to rely on public programs for basic needs. Yet their CEOs make, on average, 900x more than their median employees. We need to crack down on this malfeasance, write IPS @inequality.org scholars. REPORT:
ips-dc.org
America’s 20 Largest Low-Wage Employers and the Affordability Crisis - Institute for Policy Studies
Low wages are a key driver of the affordability crisis. These 20 firms pay poverty wages while enriching CEOs.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 03/03/2026
NEW: The military systems that the U.S. sent to the Iran region in recent weeks ALONE cost us nearly $60 MILLION per day — just a fraction of the cost of this war. That ~$60 million could cover Medicaid for 4 million Americans per day, or SNAP for 9.5 million. From @nationalpriorities.bsky.social:
ips-dc.org
FACT SHEET: How Much Is the War in Iran Costing American Taxpayers? - Institute for Policy Studies
FACT SHEET: How Much Is the War in Iran Costing American Taxpayers?
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 27/02/2026
As part of their brutal anti-immigrant campaign, the Trump administration is now going after lawful immigrants with Temporary Protected Status — a cruel and unnecessary move that could endanger the lives of tens of thousands of people, writes Jordan Liz.
otherwords.org
Don’t End TPS for Our Immigrant Neighbors - OtherWords
The Trump administration is trying to expel lawful immigrants to countries facing political turmoil — while also cutting aid and destabilizing many countries further.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 20/02/2026
NEW: While many lawmakers point to stock market highs as proof of a booming economy, regular Americans are facing an affordability crisis, writes Lindsay K. Saunders. "A rising Dow Jones doesn’t pay for a child’s doctor visit or lower the price of eggs."
otherwords.org
Affordability Is a Vanishing Promise for the Middle Class - OtherWords
The president’s policies are making it harder for working families like mine to get by.
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Reposted by peter certo
In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 06/02/2026
“When the workers who are stepping up to try and reveal violations are silenced, the standard comes down for the whole industry.” @sarahlazare.bsky.social reports that attacks on immigrant workers threaten all workers’ ability to fight for better pay & conditions. #abolishICE
inthesetimes.com
Trump’s Assault on Immigrants Hurts U.S.-Born Workers, Too
The research is clear: when immigrant workers are targeted, it threatens all workers’ ability to fight for better pay and conditions.
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Reposted by peter certo
In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 01/02/2026
“...ICE funding should be cut... the cuts to your healthcare are what’s paying for this.” —Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ruwithsonali.bsky.social reporting on more people supporting the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). inthesetimes.com/article/demo...
Crowd of protesters at night with signs, including "Abolish ICE," against a backdrop of tall city buildings, conveying determination and activism.
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Reposted by peter certo
In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 30/01/2026
The money fueling ICE’s abuses comes directly out of the pockets of working Americans who are already struggling. #AbolishICE
inthesetimes.com
There’s Never Been a More Fitting Time for Democrats to Stop Funding ICE
The money fueling ICE’s abuses comes directly out of the pockets of working Americans who are already struggling.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 28/01/2026
NEW: The masks, lies, and celebration around the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti are "the hallmarks of a lynching," write Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II and @wilsonhartgrove.bsky.social. "We must recognize what’s stirring within us as righteous anger to fuel a moral struggle."
otherwords.org
Alex Pretti and Renee Good Were Lynched. How Will We Respond? - OtherWords
We don’t need better training for the men who killed these activists. We need a moral movement to disarm them and reconstruct democracy.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 26/01/2026
NEW: Senators have a unique opportunity to pull back ICE’s powers by refusing to back an appropriations bill passed by the House. They must use it. Journalist and author @ruwithsonali.bsky.social:
otherwords.org
The Senate Must Not Fund ICE - OtherWords
The money fueling ICE’s abuses comes directly out of the pockets of working Americans who are already struggling.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 21/01/2026
If Trump again resorts to war in Iran, he will likely only strengthen Iran’s repressive leaders and risk another catastrophic endless war. The best way to support protestors and avoid harm, writes @david-vine.bsky.social, is through diplomacy, not military force.
otherwords.org
War Only Helps Iran's Leaders.  - OtherWords
Trump’s threats only embolden Iran's leaders to crack down. The best way to support protestors is through diplomacy.
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peter certo @petercerto.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
"This escalating violence is an outgrowth of ICE’s appalling treatment of immigrants... Americans understand that no one is safe as long as ICE still exists, operates with impunity, and terrorizes communities. How many more deaths will it take for Congress to hold this agency accountable?"
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National Priorities Project @nationalpriorities.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
No more harm and separation of our families, no more militarism in our streets. Fund what actually keeps us safe, like our healthcare, instead.
Green infographic with a background of U.S. dollar bills. Large text reads, “Trump’s Big Bad Bill added $29,850,000,000 for ICE.” Below, smaller text says, “$29.85 billion is enough to pay for healthcare for more than 1.3 million people for all four years of his term.” Icons show a military tank and three human figures contrasted with a hospital illustration at the bottom. Footer text reads, “We need to reprioritize,” alongside the National Priorities Project logo.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 14/01/2026
NEW: If climate change isn’t reason enough to break the political power of the fossil fuel industry, its role in incentivizing war is another. IPS scholar @basavsen.bsky.social:
dcjournal.com
Big Oil’s Big Win in Venezuela – DC Journal - InsideSources
Is the illegal U.S. invasion of Venezuela, and kidnapping of its president, a “war for oil”? To some extent, this is a reductionist debate. There are
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 13/01/2026
NEW: In the wake of the ICE killing of Renee Nicole Good, new polling shows that 46% of Americans of all parties support abolishing ICE, outweighing the 43% who oppose abolishing it. Abolishing ICE is “now quite literally the moderate position.”
newsweek.com
Support for abolishing ICE surges after Minneapolis shooting—Poll
A growing number of Americans are backing calls to abolish ICE, the poll found.
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Reposted by peter certo
Institute for Policy Studies @ips-dc.org · 13/01/2026
While oil is one factor in the decision to carry out military operations against Venezuela, the Trump administration’s real agenda is even more troubling — an attempt to exercise complete political control over Latin America. @ocampomar.bsky.social on Foreign Policy in Focus:
fpif.org
Venezuela and the Trump Administration’s “Hemisphere First” Agenda - FPIF
Oil is part of the reason Trump invaded Venezuela. But the bigger reason is classic imperial power politics.
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Reposted by peter certo
David DeWitt @daviddewitt.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Commentary: Ohio is home to over 200 data centers and recent reporting has tied that growth to rising utility prices in the state. The relentless push for data centers is raising our power bills and polluting our communities. It doesn’t have to be this way. ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/01/13/t...
ohiocapitaljournal.com
The Ohio public pays the price for Big Tech’s data centers • Ohio Capital Journal
Ohio is home to over 200 data centers and recent reporting has tied that growth to rising utility prices in the state. The relentless push for data centers is raising our power bills and polluting…
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peter certo @petercerto.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
"Trump hasn’t explained why the same tax dollars that paid for this invasion can’t be used to make health care, food, or housing more affordable for people here." - @lindsaykosh.bsky.social available for republication via otherwords.org! otherwords.org/congress-mus...
otherwords.org
Congress Must Stop This War and Help Working Americans Instead - OtherWords
Health costs are doubling, food prices are rising, and the safety net is shredded. So why are we launching an illegal war to help oil companies?
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