iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joseph Britt @zathras5.bsky.social · 11h

Republican candidates for governor across the nation have vastly more money than Democrats, and are convinced winning this November means they’ll get to be Donald Trump’s representative in their state capital. @benwikler.bsky.social thinks they all should lose — especially Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin.

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It’s reminiscent of so many Trump business deals before he entered politics. Bad faith, even treachery, were always a possibility with him. His partners just had to calculate whether the money they could make was worth the risk.

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Joseph Britt @zathras5.bsky.social · 12h

Information on a Houthi bombing of Riyadh’s airport has been very limited, but it appears there are many casualties. The war Trump started when he ordered the attack on Iran last February continues to spread.

Well isn’t that special?

More likely historical documents.

Hains Point & EPP was one of my running routes when I lived in DC. At one time it was the site of a 5K for teams of Congressional, agency and media staff. I don’t know if that’s still held.

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I fully agree with this. Democrats in Congress think of Republicans as colleagues & neighbors, & resist the idea after Republicans proved themselves most loyal to Trump, twice. But we either surrender to lawlessness in the White House or fight it. The Constitution provides one tool to fight it.

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Exclusive: 'It felt like a trap.' How Ukraine was blindsided by Trump's Putin pivot

A guide to Ukrainian reaction as Trump lifts sanctions to buy diesel fuel from Russia before the US midterm elections, from @kyivindependent.com. The impression that the American government has acted in bad faith, even with treacherous intent, is palpable. kyivindependent.com/exclusive-it...

kyivindependent.com

When U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner told Ukraine's delegation on Oct. 9 that President Donald Trump was preparing to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, the Ukrainians struggled to ...

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Reposted by Joseph Britt

ryandevereaux.bsky.social @ryandevereaux.bsky.social · 18h

In July, I took a ride through the Arizona desert with Verlon Jose, chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, a sprawling reservation on the U.S.-Mexico border that may soon be changed forever. It was the beginning of an investigation that ProPublica is publishing today. THREAD ⬇️

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Under other circumstances it could be good for Ukraine, as the pro-Russian Trump became less able to focus on the war there. But he has set his administration on a trajectory that may be difficult to alter, with Democrats having urgent priorities at home and the war with Iran going badly.

More Russian reaction to “I want to thank President Putin,” via @chriso-wiki.bsky.social, in this long thread. The contempt expressed for Trump by Russian commentators is striking. bsky.app/profile/chri...

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Joseph Britt @zathras5.bsky.social · 16h

Darline Graham couldn’t “crack down” on overcooked pasta. She may be the lightest lightweight in a Senate Republican conference full of them.

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Thread. Sample of reaction to “I want to thank President Putin” diesel deal from Russian commentators, via @chriso-wiki.bsky.social. As one if them says, Russia seems to get a lot more out of this than does the United States.

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Reposted by Joseph Britt

First in 2016. Latest in 2026. Every Republican running for anything this year is on board with “I want to thank President Putin,” and there is no good reason to vote for any of them. Via @atrupar.com

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I thought at the time, and still do, that Trump success was that of a fungus feeding on the decadence of American political culture. His audience was not serious about government, or the public good. It wanted to be entertained, & rejected any politician who asked it for anything. Trump did not.

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This will prove a waste of money, and be a disservice to every resident of Illinois who does not both a) grow corn now and b) feel entitled to keep growing corn into the indefinite future. The people who do comprise a numerically small, mostly wealthy, and overwhelmingly Republican constituency.

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Yes, I know, incidentally. CNN isn’t covering that either. The point is that betraying Ukraine — and the betrayal is quite real — is incidental to Trump calling for Russian help to get Republicans elected to Congress. Again.

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Don’t think of it that way. Think of it in terms of Trump asking the Russians to help him through an election cycle. Again. I mean, honestly. He asked for their help in 2016. He got it; it was documented from top to bottom. Now he’s doing it again, and every Republican is fine with it.

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This one had me shaking my head, honestly. The Packers are coming off a game with under 200 yards passing, Christian Watson had 3 targets, & your gripe is he’s not as good a run blocker as he was 2 years ago? Geez. Just throw the ball to Watson. You’re not paying him to be a blocker, or a decoy.

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Mark Hertling @markhertling.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

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Reposted by Joseph Britt

This was a necessary stream; lots of people are appalled. Thanks to @samsteindc.bsky.social

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I’m afraid the fact of smaller Democratic gains would matter more than how it was explained.

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Trump’s announcement may lead to nothing, as so many of Trump’s announcements do. He specified numbers of Russian diesel exports; Putin’s confirmation had none. But Zelensky is clearly furious, and who can blame him?

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I note that Trump’s announcement has specific numbers of Russian diesel exports. Putin’s confirmation has none. This could mean any of several things. Often in the past, though, Trump’s announcement of major initiatives has been the most substantive thing about them.

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The direction of polling is welcome news. Historically, though, a Democratic gain even of 19 House seats would fall far short of what we have normally seen in “wave” elections.

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Reposted by Joseph Britt

Thread. What happens after mass deportations, by @yaelschacher.bsky.social at @refugeesinternational.org. For Trump’s crowd, reducing the number of non-white people in the United States is a great victory — the more so as its cost is borne by others. Trump’s victory is America’s shame.

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Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Four debates is interesting, and anomalous for Republican candidates in this cycle. Even most non-incumbents insist on just one debate, sometimes (as here in Wisconsin) after early voting has already begun. They seem to be relying on billionaire-financed Super PACs instead.

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Reposted by Joseph Britt

I just got back from the Middle East. What I saw made clear that Trump and Hegseth aren’t telling the American people the full story about the cost and damage of this war. Here are my four biggest takeaways.

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I had been afraid of this when the bill passed. Trump can be counted upon to abuse any power he is given. Some people in Congress engaged in wishful thinking as to how much their own sympathy for Ukraine’s cause could be grafted onto a pro-Russian administration’s policy.

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Thread. @kajakallas.bsky.social is the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Today’s events raise suspicion that American financial sanctions against the International Criminal Court may have been requested by Putin, wanted for war crimes in Ukraine by the ICC since 2023.

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Talking about pneumonic plague won’t get Republicans elected next month, my friend. This is foreign policy realism in action.

No, not Congress. The State Department probably didn’t know about this either. But a Russian effort to help Trump through yet another election ought to get someone’s attention. Anything Trump says has to be taken with a whole shakerful of salt, including this. Via @nahaltoosi.bsky.social

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ICE Agent at NYC Shooting Has History of Alleged Violence and Illegal Arrests

Addendum to @theintercept.com story from yesterday. ICE’s story is the usual one about the shooting victim using his car as a weapon. At least one of his accusers has a personal history that should inspire doubt. From @wired.com. www.wired.com/story/ice-ag...

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Brenden Cuni, an ICE supervisor, has been accused of excessive force and tackling a pregnant woman to the ground. Several of his arrests were later found to be unlawful in federal court.

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Hurricane Isaias update from @nhc-atlantic.extwitter.link. Like many tropical storms in recent years, this one has strengthened very quickly as it approached land. It is now a dangerous storm.

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There is no such thing as sustainable aviation fuel.

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NPR @npr.org · 09/10/2026

A whole bunch of fun things are evidently planned for after the midterm elections: new attacks in Iran, new revenge prosecutions, maybe prison ships to get more non-white people out of the country faster. It’s almost as if what is fun for Trump might turn off voters.

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Reposted by Joseph Britt

South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for advancing human rights and international law. n.pr/4hOI08y

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South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize

South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for advancing human rights and international law.

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Not many atomic scientists in the last century built billion-dollar fortunes on the new technologies, certainly not by their 30s and 40s. That much money could obscure anybody’s vision.

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Thread. The latest Trump vote-buying scheme. He’s done this before, for example with payments to farmers during his first term. But those were directed at a much smaller constituency, and were (mostly) legal. Checks to offset Medicare premiums are not, as @emineirmakyucel.bsky.social explains.

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Thread. Trump is really sticking it to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, which is why millions of Americans voted to make him President again. By @charlesgaba.com

Not just corrupt, but corrupt in a petty way. A million is petty cash even for Trump, let alone for Musk. But it is a gesture by Trump to a benefactor, as is the policy.

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In Manhattan, the latest of 25 people shot this year by Immigration and Customs Enforcement is gunned down. He is sequestered away from the public in a hospital. Through sheer dumb luck no one else was shot when ICE agents opened up. Reporting by @noahhurowitz.bsky.social, via @jackjenkins.me

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