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The Washington Spectator

@washspectator.bsky.social
462 followers 1.5K following 66 posts

Since 1971, the non-profit, reader-supported Washington Spectator has offered independent-minded readers behind-the-scenes insight into stories under-reported or ignored by corporate media. Learn more: linktr.ee/WashingtonSpectator

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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We have rogue AI, and error-prone AI, so now naturally the Air Force is integrating AI into the command and control protocols of land-based nuclear missiles. washingtonspectator.org/ai-icbm-nuke...
washingtonspectator.org
AI + ICBM + Nukes = What Could Possibly Go Wrong? | Washington Spectator
While we leverage AI [Artificial Intelligence] and ML [Machine Learning] to expand decision space for senior leaders, we also remain committed to ensuring that these capabilities will not replace the…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
We sat down with @rbreich.bsky.social - former Secretary of Labor under Clinton, and one of today's sharpest voices calling out the authoritarian drift of the #Trump era - for our series on the state of democracy. Here's what he told us:
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
How will Trump try to undermine the upcoming elections? Find the answers in "The Wrecking Ball Comes for the Midterms" by @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social in The Washington Spectator. washingtonspectator.org/the-wrecking...
washingtonspectator.org
The Wrecking Ball Comes For the Midterms | Washington Spectator
Last October, I wrote in The Washington Spectator that the Trump administration was constructing an integrated system to constrain voting and criminalize political opposition. Claims of election fraud...
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
What happened to the Venezuelan oil money? What is the connection to Freedom Fuel, the upstart discount gas dealerships in Philadelphia and South Jersey? @jonathanmwiner.bsky.social reports on Trump's Two Oil Mysteries in The Washington Spectator. washingtonspectator.org/trumps-two-o...
washingtonspectator.org
Trump’s Two Oil Mysteries: Freedom Fuel and Venezuelan Crude | Washington Spectator
Gasoline prices are rising again, adding to voter concerns about the cost of living. Yet in the Philadelphia region, a new company, Freedom Fuel, is suddenly selling gasoline substantially below its…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Surely the most ironic feature of the celebration of the Declaration of Independence is that we are engaged at the same time in a massive expansion of the powers of the presidency. This development runs completely counter to the country’s founding principles. washingtonspectator.org/john-roberts...
washingtonspectator.org
John Roberts and the Unravelling of Democracy | Washington Spectator
The recent decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court have only reaffirmed that John Roberts, the Chief Justice, has been assiduously laying the groundwork for two fundamental changes in the…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
What's going on at the @nytimes.com? The paper has published multiple hit pieces on @grahamformaine.bsky.social the Democratic candidate for the Maine Senate seat held by Susan Collins, a contest that is seen as one of the keys to Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Look who showed up in our inbox this weekend: "Leslie J. Winner's current piece in The Washington Spectator — “The Roberts Court has Turned the Voting Rights Act on Its Head” — is a concise, logical, clear and incredibly persuasive explanation of why the Callais opinion is so wrong. . .
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The Roberts Court Has Turned the Voting Rights Act on Its Head | Washington Spectator
I am the North Carolina lawyer who served as lead counsel for the Black citizens whose lawsuit led to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Thornburg v. Gingles. That case gave life to Congress’s…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
In this new piece, Leslie J. Winner traces the Callais decision to Thornburg v. Gingles, in which the Court ruled that a North Carolina redistricting plan had illegally diluted the power of Black voters. washingtonspectator.org/roberts-cour...
washingtonspectator.org
The Roberts Court Has Turned the Voting Rights Act on Its Head | Washington Spectator
I am the North Carolina lawyer who served as lead counsel for the Black citizens whose lawsuit led to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Thornburg v. Gingles. That case gave life to Congress’s…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
#Trump is convening #ChristianNationalist allies this Sunday. We’re fighting back with counterprogramming @saveamericamvmt.bsky.social Join for a screening of @badfaithdoc.bsky.social 2026 followed by a live talk with Rev William Barber II & more 📅 Sun 5/17 4-6PM ET 📺 youtube.com/@SaveAmericaMvmt
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Anxiety about the cost of raising a child is soaring. The US fertility rate has dropped almost 50% since WWII. Republicans gutted child tax credits, childcare & education aid while handing tax breaks to the wealthy. Economist @stevenpressman.bsky.social offers fixes in @washspectator.bsky.social
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Republicans Made Children More Expensive: Here’s How to Fix the Problem | Washington Spectator
It has gotten more expensive for middle-income families to raise a child due to Republican tax policies. There are ways to fix the problem.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Excellent analysis from @tombedsall.bsky.social in the @nytimes.com on the potential use & abuse of emergency powers (PEADs) by the #Trump administration. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | ‘When You Think of It, We Shouldn’t Even Have an Election’
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Secret emergency powers. Restrictions on voting. Federal intervention. The 2026 midterms are under threat, but there is still time to act. Read the full story in The Washington Spectator here: washingtonspectator.org/emergency-pl...
washingtonspectator.org
Emergency Planning: The President Is Preparing to Challenge 2026 Midterms. The Country Can Still Act to Protect Them. | Washington Spectator
Each president since Eisenhower has prepared secret Emergency Authorities intended for use under extreme circumstances, such as a nuclear attack or domestic upheaval. These unlimited powers have never...
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The Steady State @thesteadystate.org · 30/04/2026
Read this article by Steady State’s Jonathan Winer that argues Trump’s election actions and potential use of emergency powers could undermine or nullify a Democratic midterm victory. zurl.co/pelRK
washingtonspectator.org
Emergency Planning: The President Is Preparing to Challenge 2026 Midterms. The Country Can Still Act to Protect Them. | Washington Spectator
Each president since Eisenhower has prepared secret Emergency Authorities intended for use under extreme circumstances, such as a nuclear attack or domestic upheaval. These unlimited powers have never been invoked.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Have you heard of the Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADs)? It's a set of secret limitless powers which administrations since Eisenhower have created for use in cases of national emergency. And #Trump may deploy these powers to overturn a Democratic win in the 2026 midterm #elections.
washingtonspectator.org
Emergency Planning: The President Is Preparing to Challenge 2026 Midterms. The Country Can Still Act to Protect Them. | Washington Spectator
Each president since Eisenhower has prepared secret Emergency Authorities intended for use under extreme circumstances, such as a nuclear attack or domestic upheaval. These unlimited powers have never...
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Hamilton Fish @hamiltonfish.com · 19/02/2026
As this account from @dwickham.bsky.social reveals, Clarence Thomas lied to the leadership of the Civil Rights community to prevent them from derailing his nomination both to the Appeals Court and later to the Supreme Court.
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Steven Pressman @stevenpressman.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
The gvt announced today that the US #tradedeficit was >$900 bil in 2025, one of the largest ever (in percentage terms). To understand why Trump's #tariff policy failed, check out my recent @washspectator.bsky.social piece. washingtonspectator.org/tariff-man-t...
washingtonspectator.org
Tariff Man Tumbles, Fumbles and Bumbles on Trade | Washington Spectator
When it comes to economics, we know two things about Donald Trump. He is obsessed with the US trade deficit. And he thinks tariffs, or import taxes, will solve the trade deficit problem.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Thanks to @thebradblog.bsky.social for showcasing @artl7.bsky.social's terrific behind the scenes investigation, "Inside the #MAGA Meltdown" in The Washington Spectator. Full report here: washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m...
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Chief Justice John Roberts has overseen the dismantling of reproductive freedom—not just through the headline Dobbs decision, but through a decades-long legal and political strategy that Roberts helped build, conceal, and ultimately execute. Read the full article by @thelisagraves.bsky.social
washingtonspectator.org
The Roberts Court and the Attack on Reproductive Freedom in America | Washington Spectator
One of the first major decisions of the Supreme Court under John Roberts’s tenure as Chief Justice came in 2007 in Gonzales v. Carhart, a landmark case that upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Steel #tariffs make it more expensive to produce cars in the US, leading Americans to buy foreign-made cars. Tariffs on iPhones assembled in China hurt US workers more than their Chinese counterparts. The US trade deficit keeps growing. @stevenpressman.bsky.social
washingtonspectator.org
Tariff Man Tumbles, Fumbles and Bumbles on Trade | Washington Spectator
When it comes to economics, we know two things about Donald Trump. He is obsessed with the US trade deficit. And he thinks tariffs, or import taxes, will solve the trade deficit problem.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Few on the right have dared to call out the Trump administration’s extensive ties to neo-Nazis. Conservatives have acted as if they were shocked to discover antisemitism within their ranks – akin to Captain Renault in Casablanca learning that there was gambling in Rick’s Café. @artl7.bsky.social
washingtonspectator.org
Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator
In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
This is the story of how Justice Thurgood Marshall, who helped break the back of Jim Crow and win passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, was succeeded by Clarence Thomas, the GOP political appointee devoted to unraveling the achievements of his predecessor. @dwickham.bsky.social
washingtonspectator.org
How Clarence Thomas Bamboozled His Way Onto the Supreme Court | Washington Spectator
Thirty-six years ago, the NAACP had an opportunity to block Clarence Thomas’ path to the Supreme Court. But after a secret meeting between the Black Republican rising star and Althea Simmons…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
“The raw antisemitism of once-fringe figures such as Nick Fuentes and Myron Gaines has been mainstreamed into the heart of the Trump administration”-Inside the MAGA Meltdown @andreachalupa.bsky.social @johnfugelsang.bsky.social @melissagiragrant.com @attackerman.bsky.social @thebradblog.bsky.social
washingtonspectator.org
Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator
In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Even as Trump is using #antisemitism as a cudgel to bend American universities to his will, he is tacitly encouraging leading antisemites on the Right to stoke the passions of his base. @yair-rosenberg.bsky.social @normornstein.bsky.social @mjtoma.bsky.social @timothysnyder.bsky.social
washingtonspectator.org
Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator
In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…
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Art Levine @artl7.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
bsky.app/profile/artl... fyi @mjtoma.bsky.social we credit the great reporting in your magazine on extremism and the hypocrisy of the Trump administration's crackdown on #antisemitism in an article that I think you will find interesting with fresh reporting. washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m...
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Inside the #MAGA Meltdown chronicles the parade of Charlie Kirk Wannabes, Nazi Sympathizers, End Times Prognosticators, Media Grifters and Nostalgic Evangelicals scrambling for control of their imploding coalition. washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m... @artl7.bsky.social
washingtonspectator.org
Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator
In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
New reporting from The Washington Spectator and @artl7.bsky.social examines how internal fights over antisemitism are playing out inside the MAGA movement—and what those conflicts tell us about emerging fault lines on the far right. washingtonspectator.org/inside-the-m...
washingtonspectator.org
Inside the MAGA Meltdown Over Antisemitism | Washington Spectator
In front of over 30,000 young Christian devotees at the Turning Point USA America Fest held last December in Phoenix, a high-profile firefight broke out among far-right MAGA influencers—including Ben…
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Press Freedom United @pressfreedomunited.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
We have surpassed 1,000 signatures for the Press Freedom United open letter campaign, including representation from independent news organizations across all fifty US states. Please consider signing and sharing. bit.ly/pfu2025
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Press Freedom United @pressfreedomunited.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
We invite the public and members of the journalism community to join this open letter calling upon elected leaders in the U.S. govt to take immediate actions to restore press access, protect public media, respect journalistic integrity and lead on global press freedom. pressfreedom.ac-page.com/home
pressfreedom.ac-page.com
Press Freedom United
Press Freedom United is an organization of engaged citizens, journalists, media organizations and defenders of the First Amendment and the free press in the United States and abroad.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
washingtonspectator.org/katie-couric...
washingtonspectator.org
Why We Should Be Worried About Elon Musk | Washington Spectator
Katie Couric spoke to the U.S. National Editor and columnist Edward Luce at the Financial Times about Elon Musk’s unprecedented power in the White House.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
“This is a tragedy for the free world, but it is first and foremost a tragedy for the United States.“ washingtonspectator.org/senator-clau...
washingtonspectator.org
Senator Claude Malhuret on the End of American Democracy | Washington Spectator
Senator Claude Malhuret on the End of American Democracy, speaking in the French Senate, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers, my dear colleagues.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
In January, 2023 we wrote: “Putin is increasingly networked with authoritarian leaders around the world, and indeed this network is converging on the bargain typically offered by such strongmen: the promise of simple solutions to complex problems.” washingtonspectator.org/combatting-p...
washingtonspectator.org
Combatting Putin’s War with a Vision for the West | Washington Spectator
War, beyond being just a struggle for territory, is a process. Long-running wars, in particular, have the potential to transform geopolitics, and this is playing out in Putin’s war in Ukraine.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
We believe that accessible journalism is the backbone of a strong democracy — and that journalism must be available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. If you agree, we invite you to join and help sustain our reporting and defend truth. washingtonspectator.org/support-our-...
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Support Our Work | Washington Spectator
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
“…If the courts rule against Trump’s Executive Orders and Musk’s implementation of them through DOGE, those who carried out unlawful actions may find themselves facing significant personal jeopardy.” washingtonspectator.org/under-color-...
washingtonspectator.org
Holding Trump’s Operatives Accountable | Washington Spectator
Donald Trump’s recent declaration of unbounded power — “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law” — serves as his dismissive response to at least 75 separate lawsuits that have been filed…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
“…the United States government is being ripped apart, limb by limb, with little consideration to the future, to national security, to the welfare of the population, or the country’s role in the world.” washingtonspectator.org/the-wide-ang...
washingtonspectator.org
Stop Musk Now Or Face Certain Collapse | Washington Spectator
The American constitutional order has been broken, and it’s not clear it can be recovered. Many are still in denial about it, and continue to report on political machinations, business as usual.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Of the many currents at the nexus of American religious and political life, Christian Nationalism is unquestionably the dominant force. washingtonspectator.org/bad-faith-ch...
washingtonspectator.org
Bad Faith: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy | Washington Spectator
Bad Faith is a superb and unsettling documentary on the history of Christian Nationalists and their desire to convert this country to a Christian-only nation.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
From the Editor’s Desk: As we stumble deeper into the Trump era, the journalism grows sharper and more discerning. This week we ran two superb pieces. washingtonspectator.activehosted.com/index.php?ac...
washingtonspectator.activehosted.com
Marco Rubio Outmatched
From The Washington...
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
It’s usual in negotiations to get something when you give something. What did the Americans get in return? Well, nothing, though perhaps Trump will be rewarded with some real estate deal for a tacky skyscraper in Moscow—or occupied Crimea. washingtonspectator.org/the-leopard-...
washingtonspectator.org
The Leopard and the Mouse | Washington Spectator
Among the many striking features of Trump’s appalling betrayal of Ukraine has been the gaucheness and utter naivéte of the Trump ‘team’s’ diplomacy. Perhaps Trump thinks it’s clever to break basic…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
washingtonspectator.org/defending-co...
washingtonspectator.org
Defending Congestion Pricing | Washington Spectator
So much winning. Unjammed bridges and tunnels. Speedier deliveries. On-time buses. Calmer, more inviting streets. Fewer traffic crashes. Repairmen getting to more jobs. Not Donald Trump’s kind of…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
washingtonspectator.org/under-color-...
washingtonspectator.org
Holding Trump’s Operatives Accountable | Washington Spectator
Donald Trump’s recent declaration of unbounded power — “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law” — serves as his dismissive response to at least 75 separate lawsuits that have been filed…
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
washingtonspectator.org/project-russ...
washingtonspectator.org
The Wide Angle: “Project Russia,” Unknown in the West, Reveals Putin’s Playbook
Between 2005 and 2010, a set of books called “Project Russia” was distributed to high-ranking officials in the Russian government and other influential thought leaders. The books offered a detailed pr...
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Follow us here and at washingtonspectator.org
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Washington Spectator
Independent. Progressive. Uncompromising.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
A pair of books released weeks before the election, brings our attention back to something that Republicans say is a hoax and Democrats seem all too ready to forget: that Vladimir Putin apparently has leverage over the Manhattan billionaire and felon. washingtonspectator.org/what-does-pu...
washingtonspectator.org
What Does Putin Have on Trump?
A pair of books released weeks before the election, written by key players in the post-2016 investigation of Donald Trump’s multiple ties to Russia, brings our attention back to something that Republi...
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Jackie Clark Mancuso @jackieclarkmancuso.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Bad Faith documentary is nominated for Cinema for Peace Dove Award for best political film of 2025.
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
washingtonspectator.org/trump-and-mu...
washingtonspectator.org
Trump and Musk Advance to the Rear and May Lead the Rest of Us Straight to Hell
GUEST ESSAY A few days ago, I began writing this piece by saying that given the results, and because I voted early, the highlight of my Election Day 2024 was an unexpected trip to the Dairy Queen. Eve...
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
In the first weeks of the second Trump presidency, one thing has become clear to the public: Elon Musk is the power behind this administration and Trump is merely doing his bidding. washingtonspectator.org/the-wide-ang...
washingtonspectator.org
The Wide Angle: Elon Musk and the American Endgame
In the first weeks of the second Trump presidency, one thing has become clear to the public: Elon Musk is the power behind this administration and Trump is merely doing his bidding. Musk has illegally...
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The Washington Spectator @washspectator.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Suddenly, our democratic Republic is under siege from a reckless and unlawful administration bent on upending the constitutional order. (1/3) washingtonspectator.org/constitution...
washingtonspectator.org
The Constitution in Crisis
Suddenly, our democratic Republic is under siege from a reckless and unlawful administration bent on upending the constitutional order. Republicans with thin majorities in the House and Senate are sil...
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