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Tony Almquist

@tony-almquist.bsky.social
18.9K followers 19.3K following 9.8K posts

Getcha pitchforks. Because politics is too important to be left to the professionals.

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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
2/2 "..inside ICE detention facilities, where nobody is filming and where the administration has worked hard to keep watchdogs out”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 16/10/2026
by @birchsmith.bsky.social @theunpopulist.net 1/2 “Scenes like these—carried out in broad daylight by armed agents who wear everyday clothes, operate unmarked vehicles, and answer to no local authority—rightly provoke widespread outrage. Far less attention is given to the deaths that happen..
open.substack.com
ICE Is a Death Machine
The rogue agency is setting new records of migrant deaths in detention
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Reposted by Tony Almquist
4fuxake @blueheartedly1.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
Truth 👇
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..sending out any more checks to Americans. The only thing he will send us is the bill”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @edtibbetts.bsky.social 1/2 “Here’s the most fundamental fact driving this year’s election: Donald Trump raised costs on Americans when he promised to lower them. No government check or misleading TV ad can change that fact. Here’s another fact: Once Election Day passes, Trump won’t be..
edtibbetts.substack.com
Election-year bribes won’t erase the high cost of living under Donald Trump
Gasoline, mortgage and healthcare costs are higher, even as the president raids the US treasury.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..is suddenly an urgent issue for the federal government”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @nberlat.bsky.social 1/2 “Election analysts and former federal prosecutors pointed out that the raid violates DOJ norms against high-profile raids in the 60 days before an election if the matter is not urgent or time sensitive. It is hard to see how misfiled paperwork from when Omar was a child..
open.substack.com
The Raid on Omar’s Home Is Election Interference
It’s unlikely to be effective. But it still harms democracy.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..provide critical protection for fundamental services, ranging from healthcare to housing to food assistance"
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @jenrubin.bsky.social 1/2 "When the White House and federal agencies remain in Donald Trump’s hands and the MAGA majority on the U.S. Supreme Court peels aways decades of protections from Americans on everything from voting rights to abortion access, state governments can..
open.substack.com
What Dems Can Achieve in the States
🚨 19 Days to the Midterms 🚨
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..this is all on Trump, first the tariffs and then then the Iran war”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @pkrugman.bsky.social 1/2 “There is still some controversy among economists about how much responsibility Biden administration policies bear for the 2021-22 inflation surge. My view is, very little. But there is no question who is responsible for the resurgence in inflation..
paulkrugman.substack.com
On Inflation, Trump Snatched Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
There’s no way to shift the blame this time
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..just as early voting is beginning in the 2026 elections"
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @macfarlanenews.bsky.social 1/2 "We’re surpassing another tough 'cost' milestone today. The price for a gallon of gas has been above $4.00 for more than 159 days, as of today. That’s more than any other year on record. It’s just brutal for GOP incumbents that the record is broken..
macfarlanenews.substack.com
DAY AHEAD - My Daily Editorial Note
October 15, 2026
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..Since the conservative movement is awash in conspiracy theories, their primaries don’t weed out conspiracy theorists”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @paulwaldman.bsky.social 1/2 “In modern Republican primaries, candidates compete to see who can be the most extreme, not just ideologically but temperamentally as well. Since Republicans have contempt for government, their primaries don’t favor experienced candidates..
open.substack.com
The GOP’s parade of horribles
Gawdawful candidates are hurting the party’s hopes of holding the Senate.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..and uncertainty about the future. But they are also mourning, because they think something alien and disembodied is setting fire to Archimedes’ letters and dancing in the ashes”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @dkthomp.bsky.social 1/2 “I know why the mathematicians weep. Yes, some are crying about bruised egos, the feeling of wasted years, a creeping sense of status obliteration, the frustration of an unfair competitor, the indignation of feeling cheated and mistreated..
open.substack.com
I Know Why the Mathematicians Weep
On technological grief
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..launched strikes against Ukraine’s energy and critical infrastructure—the very infrastructure Trump said must be left alone”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @hcrichardson.bsky.social 1/2“According to Ukrainian presidential advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov, last night, without warning, Elon Musk’s SpaceX restricted the speed limits for the Starlink terminals Ukraine’s military uses, known as Starshield, debilitating Ukraine’s drones even as Russian forces..
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
October 14, 2026
According to Ukrainian presidential advisor Serhiy Beskrestnov, last night, without warning, Elon Musk’s SpaceX restricted the speed limits for the Starlink terminals Ukraine’s military uses, known as...
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..and are doomed to repeat their mistakes, until it finally sinks in”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @joycewhitevance.bsky.social 1/2 “Unfortunately, shock and even horror don’t last forever. Some Americans left the pot and then voluntarily jumped back in. Surprise fades away and anger dims. Constant exposure to the heat creates a new normal. Sometimes the frogs fail to learn the lesson..
joycevance.substack.com
Boiling The Frogs
Essay One: The Republic, Revisited.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..can do as it pleases. The overhaul that Yariv Levin unveiled in January 2023, days after becoming justice minister, was pitched by him and Netanyahu as a corrective to an activist judiciary”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by Paul Gross @theunpopulist.net 1/2 “If Netanyahu’s bloc wins a majority, it will inherit the very power it has spent years trying to seize. Israelis are choosing whether their country remains a democracy in which the majority governs within limits set by law—or becomes one in which a majority..
open.substack.com
Israel’s Democracy Is on the Line in the Upcoming Election
If Netanyahu hangs on to power, he will eviscerate the ‘constitution’ and courts, the only check on his abuses
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
2/2 "..complete prohibitions to temporary moratoriums along with zoning and rezoning decisions and advisory votes"
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 15/10/2026
by @realerinbrockovich.bsky.social @suzannewriting.bsky.social 1/2 "Most of the measures qualified for the ballot through citizen-initiated petition processes, while a small percent were referred by local governing bodies, according to reporting from Ballotpedia.org. They include everything from..
thebrockovichreport.com
Data Centers Are On The Ballot This November
Opposition to AI data centers has moved from planning commission meetings to the ballot. Plus: An engineer proposing a different kind of data center (read to the end).
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
2/2 "..official to be accused of quid pro quo dealings, but she’s the only one who’s faced consequences from this administration. While all the women who’ve been ousted from the Trump administration have been awful people, of course, the pattern is still one of misogyny"
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
by @lyz.bsky.social 1/2 "it is worth pointing out that it is only female members of this administration who have taken the fall for its grift and violence. When the uproar over the ICE raids was at a fever pitch, it was Kristi Noem who was replaced. (With a man.) Guilfoyle is not the first Trump..
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
2/2 "..and even if you’re young, the U.S. will give you funding. This would never happen in China’”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
by Kristin O'Donoghue 1/2 “‘In China, if you want to get funding, you need to be a senior investigator,’ Xu told me. ‘In the United States, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from,” she said. “If you are great, if you have great ideas, if you are armed with data..
open.substack.com
Is America Abandoning the Endless Frontier?
The government used to back the ideas investors wouldn’t. That isn’t the case anymore.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
2/2 "..(Sen. Tim Kaine did not in 2016, former Sen. Al Gore did not in 1992; both were picked as VPs.)”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
by @jenrubin.bsky.social 1/2 “By definition, everyone who runs for the nomination (save one) will lose — and may find that future opportunities have dimmed or diminished thanks to a failed run. Also, those mulling running should not think they must run for president to get on the ticket..
open.substack.com
So, You Want to Run for POTUS
🚨 20 Days to the Midterms 🚨
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
2/2 "..to budget deficits over the next decade, largely due to tax cuts benefiting the most affluent Americans”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
by @eduardoelreportero.bsky.social 1/2 “The savings from the ACA maneuver, estimated by the administration at $2.2bn per year, are chump change compared to the centerpiece of Trump’s fiscal policy – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act from 2025 that is expected to add $4.1tn..
eduardoelreportero.substack.com
Trump’s last stand: punish the poor
His playbook in the runup to the midterms focuses on harming people he can define as “bad”.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
2/2 "..But abusing Claude means you’re yelling at the algorithm. It is like cursing out your toaster. No human is harmed”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
by @nberlat.bsky.social 1/2 “You may notice an important difference between these cases. Glorifying suicide and self-harm could plausibly harm the user, who is human. Creating nonconsensual sexual materials involves the user harming someone else, who is human..
open.substack.com
Empathizing With AI For Fun And Profit
Pretending AI can feel is a power move.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
2/2 "..now minimal, mostly involving defensive, not offensive operations. Certainly the Ukrainians do not need American intelligence, or Starlink, to hit Russian refineries”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
by @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu 1/2 “Trump cannot make things happen simply by saying them, and he cannot make Ukraine stop fighting either. The US gives no weapons to Ukraine, except those that are purchased by Europeans. I am told that the US intelligence contribution to Ukraine is..
anneapplebaum.substack.com
Russia, Russia, Russia
Trump’s relationship with Moscow remains very weird
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
by @anntelnaes.bsky.social Vote the Republicans out
anntelnaes.substack.com
Vote the Republicans out
Never forget this is the party who sold their souls and enabled Trump
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
2/2 "..to prosecutors here, we are within the period before an election where [the Department of Justice] doesn't take overt steps in an investigation that might influence its outcome. Another hard norm out the window’"
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
by @hcrichardson.bsky.social 1/2 “Not only is it unlikely that evidence of a potential crime committed when the congresswoman was a child would be in her Washington, D.C., residence decades later, but also, as legal analyst Joyce White Vance noted: ‘To state what's obvious..
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
October 12, 2026
Billionaire Elon Musk has already funneled at least $366 million into the midterms to try to make sure voters elect Republicans.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
2/2 "..But given the bad faith with which this administration has abused the criminal justice system to go after people Trump considers enemies, it's hard to rule it out”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
by @joycewhitevance.bsky.social 1/2 “Without knowing what the government proposes to charge and who it proposes to charge, it's difficult to assess whether this is another rank political investigation that will never develop into an indictment, a pure political stunt, or whether there's more to it..
joycevance.substack.com
Why Now?
DOJ executed a search warrant at Rep. Ilhan Omar’s D.C. residence Monday
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
2/2 "..‘The charge against Mr. Norris is based on nothing more than his verbal conduct as a member of the Absentee Board. The Government essentially complains that Mr. Norris cared too much about following the rules’"
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
by @laurarbelin.bsky.social 1/2 “No witness claimed Joey Norris was trying to undermine the vote counting. At worst, he asked annoying or obnoxious questions with the goal of improving the process—which is not a crime. As Messamer wrote in a brief accompanying the defendant's motion to dismiss..
laurabelin.substack.com
Brenna Bird's latest failed prosecution was an abuse of power
“A clear case of lawfare”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
2/2 "..they have worked so hard to earn? What happens when a young person graduates with a diploma in one hand and uncertainty in the other?”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
by @robertleonard.bsky.social Erica Lindaman 1/2 “What happens when the student who was encouraged to apply to college discovers that immigration status may affect financial assistance, employment, internships, transportation, professional licensing, or the ability to use the degree..
rleonard.substack.com
When the Promise Ends at Eighteen
The unfolding story of Iowa’s immigrant, mixed-status, and increasingly diverse children
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
2/2 "..meant as deterrence. Rather, they are meant to dehumanize their targets and entrench the entitlement and sadistic empowerment of viewers and participants”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
by @nberlat.bsky.social 1/2 “You don't need to create a grotesque spectacle for people to understand that there are serious consequences for committing heinous crimes. Violent public rituals like the hanging of Nat Turner or lynchings in the Jim Crow south are not just, or even primarily..
open.substack.com
The fascist spectacle of streamed executions
It’s a sign of a deeply sick society.
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
2/2 "..has cost the government all of its credibility!’ There was plenty of ‘passing the buck’, as Trump Admin. attorneys directed the court to a park service supervisor”
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Tony Almquist @tony-almquist.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
by @macfarlanenews.bsky.social 1/2 “Sensing the court was being circumvented or deceived by the Administration, Judge Reyes unloaded In a full-throated yell at the Administration attorneys: ‘I don't know how I could've made it clearer! What has happened..
macfarlanenews.substack.com
DAY AHEAD - My Daily Editorial Note
October 13, 2026
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