#libraryofcongress — Public Fediverse posts

Mr Jefferson's Library (5 part series)

Michael Goldfarb visits the Library of Congress and Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello in Virginia to see how Jefferson's reading shaped the beginnings of American history.

#MichaelGoldfarb
#LibraryOfCongress
#ThomasJefferson
#Monticello

#BBCRadio4 #BookOfTheWeek #BBCBOTW #BBCBookOfTheWeek

(15 minute episodes) (very fast reading presentation style)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002ybb7

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 138

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 How To Get The Strongest And Most Optimized Spaceship Crew In Starfield – This year, Bethesda launched several important updates to make their 2023 science fiction role-playing game Starfield better and they also offered new DLC for those who crave for new content. One of the more defining aspects of the game is space travel and this includes setting up your own crew for your spaceship and there is impact on its functions and capabilities. If you want to learn how to get the stronger and most optimized crew for your ship, I encourage you watch the video below.

https://youtu.be/vy8iOx7eqVU?si=gn7W1mZxTOQ4SSrd

#2 Mari Iijima And The Defining Song of Macross: Do You Remember Love? – I really love watching the 1984 anime feature film Macross: Do You Remember Love? Apart from the great animation, the spectacle, the memorable characters and the solid storytelling, the movie also has a great soundtrack made to delight the long-time Macross fans. Still, the movie has its very own song performed by none other than Mari Iijima (Minmay) and it is a classic among Macross fans. In the videos below, you will see Mari Iijima perform the song live in a 1980s TV broadcast and the song playing with selected footage of Macross: Do You Remember Love? Enjoy these!

https://youtu.be/OfuW_Wbt73c?si=Q1DE8eJxo4Zk90pc

https://youtu.be/uJBMYV9e1Nc?si=veDGYU4r7s0flQ_H

#3 The Tuna City In Japan Is Changing With Tourism In Mind – If you plan to visit Japan at all, you might want to discover Miura City located in Kanagawa Prefecture. Miura City is famous for its fresh tuna and in recent times there has been a series of changes as several room-only hotels and new trends have sprouted as the locality is finding new ways to turn visitors into overnight guests. This is a place I would like to visit someday if ever I get the opportunity to return to Japan. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

https://youtu.be/fUPP30fYH78?si=MrC6Dml3IRVe7fcV

#4 Women’s Rights Activist Marries Islamist And Things Went Wrong – Did you notice that there is a gradual rising number of feminists and women’s rights activists who not embrace Islam (wicked and ugly) but also marry Islamists believing that things will be alright and they can just continue their activism. Of course, many of them activists and feminists do not fully understand Islam nor the full content of the Quran. As such, when things go very wrong, they are get into deep trouble. Watch and learn from the video below.

https://youtu.be/bx3YvoyP6cw?si=omxqhyR8CQfpfhYK

#5 Islamists Violate Hindu Women In India And Get Arrested – Let’s be very clear here. Islamists are oriented to conquer others even though they may not be numerous within a locality. Believe it or not, a group of such people who wielded power inside a business violated the Hindu women (plus at least one male employee) with regards to cultural norms and doing things that go against their faith. Even forced religious conversion happened. Watch and learn from the video below.

https://youtu.be/9xjFS-3Vuws?si=xuDIivIonrp9tQux

#6 Meatballs Reaction And Retrospective – When it comes to cinematic comedy, Bill Murray is iconic and his early work in 1979’s Meatballs already involved the late Harold Ramis and the late director Ivan Reitman. That said, there is something about Meatballs – produced for less than $2 million – that helped it achieve tremendous commercial success with ticket sales of $70 million. Remember, three of the creative minds behind the classic Ghostbusters are involved in this old movie and you will see how You, Me and The Movies react to it in the video below. Be aware that as of this writing, there are not too many movie reaction videos about Meatballs on YouTube. Also posted below is an in-depth retrospective about Meatballs by GoodBadFlicks.

https://youtu.be/nhR9xUCvpAI?si=Zh6gjAX0SdIrtSfT

https://youtu.be/D0BS-K3K_vE?si=HtyR_VThLUKv0Wj6

#7 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To The Thin Man – Have you ever heard of The Thin Man? It’s not a UFO reference. It’s the 1934 American pre-Code comedy-mystery movie that was eventually named to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress having been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” in 1997. Apart from its reputation in American film history, The Thin Man also resulted in five sequels. If you want to discover the 1934 movie but you don’t have the time nor resources to watch the movie, watch Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video and see how it impacts her.

https://youtu.be/IJRQXuw–20?si=mSYY7_Eb4EK6reBY

+++++

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Historic Photos Show the Once Ubiquitous American Diner https://petapixel.com/2026/05/01/historic-photos-show-the-once-ubiquitous-american-diner/ #libraryofcongress #historicalfriday #Editorial #americana #Features #diner #food

Library of Congress: The 2025 National Film Registry: “The Thing,” “Inception,” “Clueless” and More!. “The Library’s annual addition to the list of films to be preserved for their cinematic and cultural heritage starts with the 1896 silent film, ‘The Tramp and the Dog,’ and stretches to the 2014 Wes Anderson picture, ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel.’ Also included are modern […]

Plunder, Mystery, and Intrigue: Visiting the British Museum and the British Library

After leaving the Lake District, I traveled to London by train, for the third part of my trip. This was where I saw the most libraries during my trip. On my last day in London, August 3rd, I visited the British Museum, located in London’s West End, which was overcrowded with tourists. This made viewing the so-called “chronicle of Western collection,” which was acquired through extensive plunder and theft, as American tour guide Rick Steves describes the museum, very uncomfortable. Even so, there were two highlights. The first was the stately and round reading room. English writers Virginia Woolf and Beatrix Potter, Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen, radical thinkers Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, Black nationalist Marcus Garvey, women’s rights campaigner Sylvia Pankhurst, independence activist Mohandas K. Gandhi, and Irish author Bram Stoker all studied there.

Note: This serves as second part of my series on this blog about my library tourism last year, with the first part, about my attempted and successful library tourism in Edinburgh and Northern England, posted on this blog last week. The series begins, chronologically, with my guest post on Reel Librarians, on February 11th, in a post entitled “Edinburgh and the National Library of Scotland: Library tourism redux.” It will be reposted on here over a month later. There will be one more parts of this series, focusing on my continued library tourism in Belgium coming next week.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, as noted in Doyle’s “The Complete Sherlock Holmes,” studied in the reading room. In the 1893 short story “The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual” (sometimes abbreviated as “The Musgrave Ritual”), he studied “those branches of science which might make me more efficient” in the reading room. He learned other information from the British Museum in chapter 15 of 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles and “The Tiger of San Pedro” chapter, within a 1917 collection entitled His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes (sometimes abbreviated as “His Last Bow”). There are mentions of libraries in the short stories “The Five Orange Pips”, “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb”, and “The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet” in the 1892 short story collection The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

The same is the case for “The Musgrave Ritual,” “The ‘Gloria Scott’”, and “The Reigate Squires” all within the 1893 short story collection The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, and the stories “The Adventures of the Three Students” and “The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez” in the 1905 short story collection The Return of Sherlock Holmes. Apart from that, chapter 10 of The Hound of the Baskervilles, chapter 7 of the 1915 novel The Valley of Fear, and the story “The Problem of Thorn Bridge” in the 1927 set of short stories The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes feature libraries as well. Lastly, there’s a mention of a London Library in St. James’s Square and Lomax, who is said to be a “sublibrarian,” in “The Illustrious Client.” This is another short story within The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

In an email communication, Nathalie Belkin, an archivist who works for the London Library, told me that Doyle was a library member, joining in 1896 after his friend, and fellow writer, Arthur Griffith, nominated him. According to Belkin, Doyle was an active library user, even serving on the library’s committee. In fact, it is believed that The Illustrious Client, also entitled The Adventure of the Illustrious Client, was written in the library’s main reading room. While the borrowing history from the time has been lost, he was a “well-known fixture” of the library.

Otherwise, Karl Marx formulated ideas on communism, including within Das Kapital (also known as Capital), in the aforementioned reading room within the British Museum. Displays within the room describe it as a place for diverse thought. Many patrons left behind their mark in the visitors log. It was even one of the first places in London to have electric light (in 1879)! The room could, at maximum, hold 302 readers sitting at 38 tables, sitting across from each other, and was heated from underneath. Readers would consult a catalogue of printed books in the room’s center, then fill out a request form. In some ways, this makes this room similar to the Library of Congress’s Reading Room, since books for the British Library could be accessed there until they were moved to their current location in 1997. In fact, 62,000 people came when this reading room opened in 1857. A sign, when looking into the reading room, tells visitors to be quiet, feeding into the common conception of libraries as quiet places, which is not always the case for all libraries anymore.

What Rick Steves didn’t mention is that the historic reading room only re-opened to the public in 2024 after being closed for eleven years. The room was designed by Sydney Smirke, inspired by Rome’s domed Pantheon, and opened in 1857. It first re-opened to visitors in 2000 (after it stopped being an active reading room in 1997), then closed in 2013, when it was used for archival storage. The room, described by some as “legendary,” “stunning,” and an impressive sight for bibliophiles (protagonist and book-defender Elianna Bernstein of Bibliophile Princess would be right at home there) is not technically a library anymore. You can’t borrow any of the 25,000 books, and photography is now permitted (it wasn’t previously). Even so, it is still a marvel to see. You can even go on a twenty-minute tour there and there is currently a plan to completely transform the galleries and reading room.

The second highlight was the Enlightenment Gallery, formerly known as the King’s Library. It once held the British Library’s treasures when it was founded in 1753. Today it holds objects about the Age of Enlightenment, as Rick Steves notes. A display board, when you enter the room, says that it was developed in partnership with the House of Commons Library and the Natural History Museum. The current books on display are being loaned from the House of Commons Library. The aforementioned display notes that those who lent non-book artifacts to the gallery included the British King, the Science Museum in London, King’s College in London, Wellcome Collection, Society of Antiquities of London, Victor and Albert Museum, the Linnean Society of London, and the Royal Asiatic Society (also in London). Of these institutions, most have their own libraries. In fact, the D. Leonard Corgan Library at Kings College, the college’s main library, served as a location in Dan Brown’s controversial novel The Da Vinci Code. The building’s exterior appeared in the 2020 film Enola Holmes, a mystery film about Sherlock Holmes’ teenage sister.

The room itself was originally created, in 1823, to house King George II’s library, hence the original name. It was designed by architect Robert Smirke, known for the British Museum’s main facade and block, along with various clubs and houses within London. Of these, the Inner Temple, for which he did some work on, has a library, which continues to operate to this day, as did Bickley Hall. Smike also completed building restoration of the Bodleian Library’s Upper Reading room, which is part of the “old library.” As for the Enlightenment Gallery, it has a Greek Revival design, with neoclassical decoration. It’s said to be in keeping with the “styles of libraries in grand houses all over Britain” at the time, with claims it has echoes of “ancient wisdom and learning.” In 1998, the British Library moved to a new location across from the current St. Pancras station. The latter is not to be confused with pancreas or the Japanese anime film which centers on libraries and librarians, entitled I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. It is far too easy to call it “pancreas” by mistake, a name that almost stuck with me.

This gallery is where thousands of objects can be viewed and serves as an introduction to the British Museum’s collections. Even so, for me, I visited it at the end of my time at the overcrowded museum. I was inspired to visit this room by one particular scene in the December 2011 anime film, K-On! the Movie, a spinoff from the 2009-2010 anime series, K-On!. It features two episodes with libraries, including one about studying in the library and featuring a student librarian at an information desk. In fact, I rewatched this film before my trip to London, just for this scene. During the film, Yui Hirasawa, Ritsu Tainaka, Mio Akiyama, Azusa Nakano, and Tsumugi Kotobuki bop around London, visiting many sites, including walking through the strangely empty Great Court of the British Museum. They make their way into the gallery. During a short scene, Azusa points out that the Rosetta Stone (she put it on their itinerary) is also a replica. In fact, they used a replica in a school play as the death stone for a Romeo & Juliet play, because the fake tombstone they wanted to use had been misplaced.

The British Museum also has the actual Rosetta Stone in the Egyptian sculpture room, but like Yui, Ritsu, Mio, Azusa, and Tsumugi, I only looked at and touched the replica. The aforementioned gallery likely would have been overcrowded, as the gallery rooms I visited were extremely overcrowded and not suited for visitors. They had inadequate airflow and no overhead fans. As for the film, there were a few other short library scenes in the private all-girls school the protagonists attend, Sakuragaoka High School.

The same day I visited the British Museum, I visited the British Library. It sits across from St. Pancras station, and would be the last library I visited in the U.K. As Rick Steves put it, the British empire built its “greatest monuments out of paper.” The library holds every publication within the U.K. and Northern Ireland, with over 170 million items, such as sacred texts, maps, the Magna Carta, Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebook, plays by William Shakespeare, and lyrics of songs by the Beatles. This library, established by an act of Parliament in July 1972 and opened in July 1973, is one of the biggest in the world. It’s only rivaled by the Library of Congress, Russian State Library in Moscow, or Shanghai Library in China. Many such institutions are the legal deposit libraries for their respective countries. Anyone is open to explore the British Library reading rooms and peruse exhibits. You can get a readers registration pass if you are over 18, allowing you to enter the reading rooms.

When I visited, on August 3rd, the reading rooms for humanities, manuscripts, rare books, music, science, maps, and Asian and African studies, were not open. I even saw rooms reserved for the sole purpose of prayer, and went through the “Treasures of the British Library” exhibit in the St. John Ritblat Gallery. It contained many of the artifacts I noted in the previous paragraph. Perhaps because they have the space, the British Library holds the library collections of the British Museum. Rare books fill the middle of the library in a massive climate-controlled column, allowing the upper floors to only be accessed by stairs or elevators, and affecting the structure of each floor. There was also a fascinating collection of foreign currency, stamps, and other postage from former British colonies, called the Philatelic Collection. It could be easily overlooked, but was fun to look through, especially in the way it was displayed.

Like the British museums I visited during my travels, they asked for a donation, but they were free to enter, without payment or restriction. The number of visitors using the study area made clear that they were open to all, in line with library ethical principles, as did the books in their bookshop, some of which would likely be on banned books lists of in U.S. libraries. In the next part of this series, I’ll talk briefly about the university library I visited in Belgium.

© 2025-2026 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Sources used

• “About this Reading Room,” Library of Congress, 2025.
• “About Us,” British Library, 2025.
• “About us,” House of Commons Library, 2025.
• “About us,” Royal Asiatic Society, 2025.
• “About us,” Wellcome Collection, 2025.
• “Archives,” London Library, 2025.
• Barker, Sam. “The British Museum’s Secretive Round Reading Room Has Reopened To The Public,” Secret London, 4 Jul. 2024.
• “Bickley,” Wikishire, 13 Jul. 2025.
• “D. Leonard Corgan Library,” Kings College, 2025.
• “Dana Research Centre and Library,” Science Museum, 2025.
• “Everything you ever wanted to know about the Rosetta Stone,” British Museum, 2025.
• Fox, Caroline. “Every Enola Holmes Filming Location (And What Every Place Looks Like Now),” ScreenRant, 26 Oct. 2020.
• Funk, Alex. “The British Museum’s mysterious domed Reading Room has officially reopened to the public,” TimeOut, 3 Jul. 2024.
• Hermann, Burkely. “Librarians and libraries in anime,” Pop Culture Library Review, 2025 (orig. 25 Jul. 2020).
• Hermann, Burkely. “More than a coming-of-age drama: The value of libraries and librarians in “I Want To Eat Your Pancreas”,” Pop Culture Library Review, 8 Jan. 2024.
• Hermann, Burkely. “Recently added titles (March 2025),” Pop Culture Library Review, 2 Apr. 2025.
• Hermann, Burkely. “The fictional library and the value of studying redux,” Pop Culture Library Review, 30 Jul. 2024.
• Hickley, Catherine. “British Museum’s historic Reading Room opens to the public after 11 years,” The Art Newspaper, 3 Jul. 2024.
• “History of The London Library,” London Library, 2025.
• “Library,” Linnean Society of London, 2025.
• “Library & Collections,” Society of Antiquities of London, 2024.
• Mathur, Rhea. “The British Museum’s Reading Room: Past and Present,” gowithyamo, 2 Sept. 2024.
• Moran, Sarah. “The British Museum’s Stunning Domed Reading Room Reopens to Public,” Home Journal, 27 Sept. 2024.
• “National Art Library,” Victor and Albert Museum, 2025.
• “Philatelic Collections: Introduction,” British Library, 29 Mar. 2010.
• Hermann, Burkely. “Remembering “Bibliophile Princess” and its significant fictional depiction of libraries,” Pop Culture Library Review, 14 May 2024.
• “Spaces at the Bodleian Old Library,” Bodleian Library, 2025.
• “Spotlight: the Reading Room,” British Museum, 2025.
• Steves, Rick and Openshaw, Gene. London (24th Edition, US: Avalon Travel, Sept. 2022): 212, 214-215, 236, 238, 240, 244-247, 249.
• “Strand Campus: Self-guided tour,” King’s College, 5 Oct. 2014, p. 8.
•  “The British Library Philatelic Collection,” The Royal Philatelic Society London, Nov. 2005.
• “The Present Buildings,” Inner Temple Library, 2025.
• “Treasures of the British Library,” British Library, 2025.
• “Update on progress with the Masterplan,” British Museum, 19 Dec. 2024.

#AncientEgypt #archives #ArthurConanDoyle #artifacts #BeatrixPotter #Belgium #BibliophilePrincess #BlackPatrons #BlackPeople #BramStoker #BritishLibrary #BritishMuseum #China #ChinesePatrons #colonialism #communism #electricity #EnolaHolmes #HouseOfCommonsLibrary #JapanesePatrons #JenniferSnoekBrown #KOn #KOnTheMovie #KarlMarx #LibraryOfCongress #libraryStereotypes #libraryTourism #LondonLibrary #MarcusGarvey #MohandasKGandhi #quiet #railroads #reading #ReelLibrarians #restrictions #RickSteves #RosettaStone #royalLibraries #royalty #Russia #RussianStateLibrary #ShanghaiLibrary #SherlockHolmes #SunYatSen #SylviaPankhurst #TheBeatles #TheDaVinciCode #TheIllustriousClient #trains #VirginiaWoolf #WhiteLibrarians #WhiteMen #WhitePatrons

@dinelli

Você pode gostar de navegar por esta coleção de pôsteres da WPA.

You might enjoy browsing this collection of WPA posters:

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/wpapos/

#Posters #GraphicArt #WPA #WorksProjectsAdministration #WorksProgressAdministration #USArt #NewDeal #LibraryOfCongress

5 Startling Truths Behind the U.S. Showdown with Venezuela – A DWD Special Report

5 Startling Truths Behind the U.S. Showdown with Venezuela

Introduction: Beyond the Headlines

The news cycle is saturated with reports of escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela. A significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, officially dubbed “Operation Southern Spear,” is underway, featuring warships, advanced aircraft, and thousands of troops. President Trump has hinted that the days of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime are numbered, while Caracas has denounced the American presence as a prelude to an illegal intervention.

Behind the headlines of tough talk and naval movements, however, a far more complex and consequential story is unfolding. This is not just another geopolitical standoff. It is a flashpoint testing the very boundaries of international law, redefining the nature of modern conflict, and signaling what may be a dramatic and assertive shift in American foreign policy for years to come.

This confrontation is therefore a crucible for the future of warfare, one where legal definitions are being rewritten on the fly to justify lethal force, where sovereign airspace is treated as a bargaining chip, and where a massive military deployment becomes a high-stakes test of geopolitical will. To understand what is truly at stake, one must look beyond the immediate conflict and examine the startling truths that define this high-stakes confrontation.

Special Editor’s Note: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/bf1cb435-c733-4fd9-8c75-e30386b55563 takes you to my shared NotebookLLM on this matter and post. There you will find audio and video overviews; notebook notes; a mindmap; reports; flashcards; and, a quiz. I hope that helps you dig deeper into this major issue for America and Americans. –DrWeb

——————————————————————————–

1. An Alleged “Kill Them All” Order Pushes Legal and Moral Boundaries

At the heart of the escalating military action is a deeply disturbing allegation. Reporting from Joyce Vance’s Civil Discourse details a verbal directive allegedly given by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a September strike on a suspected drug boat. According to two individuals with direct knowledge of the operation, the order was stark: “kill everybody.”

This directive reportedly led to a second strike after the initial attack. A live drone feed showed two survivors clinging to wreckage in the water; the special operations commander, to comply with Hegseth’s instructions, is said to have ordered a follow-on strike that “blew apart” the two men.

The legal and moral gravity of such an order is immense, a point articulated with startling clarity in an impassioned op-ed on the social platform Reddit by a respected, retired senior naval officer known as ‘SWO6’. Under the Geneva Conventions and the Law of Armed Conflict, attacking defenseless survivors is explicitly forbidden. Shipwrecked individuals are considered hors de combat—literally “out of the fight”—and must be treated as noncombatants. An order to show “no quarter,” or take no prisoners, has been prohibited for over a century. A former military lawyer, Todd Huntley, underscored this point:

“Even if the U.S. were at war with the traffickers, an order to kill all the boat’s occupants if they were no longer able to fight ‘would in essence be an order to show no quarter, which would be a war crime.’”

This principle is not an abstract concept. A key historical precedent is the Peleus trial of 1944, where the captain of a German U-boat was convicted of war crimes for ordering his crew to fire on the survivors of a sunken Greek merchant ship. The charges were specifically for attacking the survivors, not for sinking the ship itself, establishing a clear red line that has been upheld in international tribunals ever since.

The seriousness of the current allegations is not lost on Washington. The report has prompted bipartisan calls for “vigorous oversight” from the Senate Armed Services Committee, signaling that a full accounting of the September strike and the orders behind it will be sought at the highest levels.

2. It’s Not a “War on Drugs”—It’s a War on “Narco-Terrorists,” and the Distinction Matters

A critical element of the Trump administration’s strategy has been to officially reframe the conflict. The Maduro-tied Cartel de los Soles has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a move that fundamentally changes the legal and operational landscape.

Traditionally, international law views maritime drug interdiction not as combat, but as a law enforcement activity regulated by international human rights law. According to legal analysis on maritime security, this framework dictates that the use of deadly force is an absolute last resort, permissible only in cases of armed resistance or an imminent threat to life.

By relabeling the target from “criminal” to “terrorist,” the administration is shifting the legal paradigm from law enforcement to armed conflict. The FTO designation is not merely semantic; the Wikipedia entry on the administration’s foreign policy notes the designation is intended as a way to unlock additional powers to combat them, including military force. This move provides a legal justification for kinetic military strikes that would otherwise be considered illegal under the framework of maritime law enforcement. However, this FTO designation is disputed by experts who argue the gangs are motivated by money, not political ideology.

3. The Standoff is a “Giant Game of Chicken” with 15% of the Navy’s Deployed Fleet

Jeremy McDermott, co-director of the organized crime analysis group Insight Crime, has captured the core dynamic of the U.S.-Venezuela standoff with a simple but powerful metaphor:

“a giant game of chicken”

The scale of the U.S. commitment gives this metaphor its weight. As part of “Operation Southern Spear,” President Trump has dispatched the largest U.S. naval flotilla to the Caribbean since the Cuban Missile Crisis. According to reporting from The War Zone, the assets involved are staggering:

• Approximately 15% of the entire U.S. Navy’s deployed surface fleet.
• The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group.
• A formidable array of aerial assets, including F-35B stealth fighters, MQ-9 Reaper drones, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, AC-130 Ghostrider gunships, and B-52 bombers.
• Roughly 15,000 U.S. personnel deployed to the region.

The “chicken” dynamic is a test of wills and resources. The U.S. is betting that this overwhelming pressure will either provoke a coup from within Maduro’s regime or force him to capitulate to U.S. demands. Maduro, on the other hand, is betting that he can simply “hang on.” He knows the U.S. cannot sustain such a massive and costly deployment indefinitely. So long as Maduro doesn’t blink, time is on his side.

4. Airspace is Being Weaponized, Turning the Sky into a Political Battlefield

The confrontation is not limited to the seas; it has extended into the sky above. President Trump declared on social media that “THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.” The Venezuelan government immediately denounced this as an “illegal and unjustified aggression” that violates the UN Charter and amounts to an explicit threat of force.

This political declaration is backed by real-world actions. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) warning civilian pilots to exercise caution in the region. The notice cites heightened military activity and interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) that could impact critical aircraft systems.

As an academic study on the Russia-Ukraine conflict published in PubMed Central illustrates, airspace bans are a potent tool of “aero-political conflict.” They are non-kinetic weapons that have severe effects, forcing commercial flights to undertake costly and time-consuming rerouting. One example from the study showed a flight from Frankfurt to Tokyo having its flight time extended by nearly two hours to avoid Russian airspace. This tactic shows that the sky itself has become a domain for exerting political pressure and a key battlefield in this modern, multi-domain standoff.

5. This Isn’t Just About Venezuela; It’s About a New “Monroe Doctrine”

The pressure campaign against Venezuela is not an isolated incident but rather the opening move in a muscular reinterpretation of the Monroe Doctrine for the 21st century. According to analysis of the second Trump administration’s foreign policy, these actions are part of a dramatic pivot to prioritize the Western Hemisphere.

Administration officials have explicitly stated their overarching goal is to “reassert American dominance over the Americas.” This ambition has led some foreign policy experts to believe the moves express a desire to divide the world into distinct “spheres of influence” between America, Russia, and China.

This broader strategic goal reframes the entire conflict. The military buildup is not just an isolated action against a single rogue regime. It is a potential opening move in a new, more assertive era of U.S. foreign policy—one in which the U.S. seeks to re-establish and enforce its primacy in its own hemisphere.

——————————————————————————–

Conclusion: Who Blinks First?

The showdown with Venezuela is far more than a simple military standoff. It is a flashpoint where profound legal questions about the rules of engagement are being tested, new forms of political and economic warfare are being deployed, and a fundamental realignment of U.S. global strategy may be underway. The legal distinction between drug traffickers and terrorists, the use of airspace as a weapon, and an alleged order to kill defenseless survivors all point to a conflict that is pushing established norms to their breaking point.

This is not just about one country or one leader; it is about setting precedents for a new era of international relations. As this high-stakes game of chicken plays out off the coast of South America, the world watches to see who will blink first—and what the rules of this new era will be when they do.

Source: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/bf1cb435-c733-4fd9-8c75-e30386b55563

#2025 #america #cnn #departmentOfDefense #donaldTrump #establishedNorms #health #history #joyceVance #lettersFromAnAmerican #libraries #library #libraryOfCongress #nationalPublicRadio #opinion #peteHegseth #politics #resistance #science #television #theNewYorkTimes #trump #trumpAdministration #unitedStates #venezuela #youtube

Donald Trump Calling Women Pigs and More -A Brief History – Vanity Fair

Editor’s Note: Thank you, Vanity Fair. Excellent report and coverage of this outrageous exchange by this poor President. Time for 25th Replacement…

Politics

Donald Trump Calling Women Pigs and More: A Brief History

The president recently revisited one of his favorite insults for women he doesn’t like, snapping, “Quiet, piggy,” at a female reporter who dared to ask a question about Jeffrey Epstein.

By Eric Lutz, November 19, 2025

He had deflected her first question, about a recently released Jeffrey Epstein email in which the late sex trafficker said Trump “knew about the girls.” Lucey was merely doing her job. But Trump, of course, doesn’t have much respect for good journalism—or, it would seem, for women, as his puerile “piggy” taunt indicates.

The exchange—which has since gone viral—is shocking in its crudeness and nastiness, even by Trump administration standards. But this is also a familiar insult for Trump. Alicia Machado, a former Miss Universe pageant winner, previously said that Trump once called her “Miss Piggy.” Trump didn’t exactly deny the incident after Hillary Clinton brought it up during a 2016 debate.

“She gained a massive amount of weight,” Trump said of Machado on Fox & Friends the next morning, apparently in defense of his insult, “and it was a real problem.” During another debate that cycle, before he became the GOP’s nominee, moderator Megyn Kelly noted that Trump had “called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals.”

“Only Rosie O’Donnell,” Trump replied, referring to the comedian he’s been feuding with for nearly 20 years now.

Trump doesn’t only love comparing women to pigs. In 2011, The New York Times’ Gail Collins wrote that Trump once told her she had “the face of a dog.” In 2018 he described Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former Apprentice contestant and White House aide, as a “dog” and a “lying lowlife.”

Trump also dubbed Stormy Daniels—the adult-film actor who said she had a sexual encounter with him in 2006—“Horseface.” (Trump’s effort to silence Daniels about the alleged encounter—which he has denied—resulted in his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records; Trump is still trying to get the conviction thrown out.)

“The president of the United States is supposed to be the moral leader, the leader of the country, and he’s acting like some thug on the street,” the longtime White House reporter April Ryan, who was called “Miss Piggy” by a Trump official in 2018, told The Guardian Tuesday. “It’s one thing for his minions to say that, but for him to call a woman that? That also shows how upset he is about the Epstein files. It lets us know that there’s probably some fire there.”

The intensified scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein—and his administration’s handling of the case—has been a particular point of political vulnerability, testing his typically tight grip on his party. When ABC News’ Mary Bruce asked Trump about the matter on Tuesday, before lawmakers on Capitol Hill passed legislation calling on the Justice Department to release files related to the Epstein case, the president in turn attacked her and threatened to revoke the outlet’s broadcasting license.

“I think you are a terrible reporter,” he told Bruce in the Oval Office, where he was hosting Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince who, according to US intelligence, ordered the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. (“A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman that you’re talking about,” Trump responded when Bruce asked an earlier question about Khashoggi, who was killed and then dismembered with a bone saw. “Whether you like him or didn’t like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it, and we can leave it at that. You don’t have to embarrass our guest by asking a question like that.”)

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Donald Trump Calling Women Pigs and More: A Brief History | Vanity Fair

#2025 #america #books #callingReporterPig #demeaning #donaldTrump #education #epsteinFiles #ericLutz #health #history #historyOfTrumpCallingWomenPigs #insulting #insults #jeffreyEpstein #libraries #library #libraryOfCongress #opinion #politics #reading #resistance #science #trump #trumpAdministration #trumpCallsWomenPigs #unitedStates #vanityFair

>> Haverstraw, New York. Interracial activities at Camp Christmas Seals, where children are aided by the Methodist Camp Service. Camp buddies <<

Photographer : Gordon Parks -- 1943 --Office of War Information -- LC-USW3- 036724-E [P&P] LOT 985

#Photography #USHistory #GordonParks #OWI #LibraryOfCongress #RaceRelations #Children

Seeing Things – Trump: Gold In The Capitol? – Liza Donnelly

And the Epstein Files are still not released…

By Liza Donnelly, November 3, 2025

Trump really would rather not have a legislative branch of any kind. Plus, the building that houses that branch of democracy is not gaudy enough for him.

And this just in: Trump says he’s only going to make partial SNAP payments this month.

CBS News did an interview with Trump on 60 Minutes, and surprise surprise, it was a nothing burger. Nora O’Donnell did not push back, although at times early on, she appeared to try a little. The less than half hour interview (which I fell asleep for part of) was heavily edited. A full transcript of the interview was later published, along with a 73-minute-long extended version online. Trump got what he wanted from a network now run by sympathizers.

Good news: Heather K. Gerken, the new head of the Ford Foundation, said Friday that the foundation, which has a long history of supporting social justice and civil rights initiatives, was undeterred. Her priority, she said, was “defending the rule of law and protecting our election system.” She sees protecting democracy as a non-partisan issue. The Ford Foundation has been the repeated target of JD Vance since he became Vice President. Gerken is undetered, saying,

“When the Ford Foundation funded the civil rights movement, it was a source of controversy,” she said. “It was incredibly important that we were protected in doing that work. When the Ford Foundation stood up to protect free speech and dissent during the McCarthy era, it was incredibly important that we had the right to do that.”

We are in the second month of the government shutdown. It’s hard to know how it will end, and, as Jamelle Bouie suggests in this video, Trump would like it never to end. He may think he has more power without a legislative branch.

@nytopinion “I don’t know how this ends,” says @nytopinion columnist Jamelle Bouie on the ongoing government shutdown. In this round table for “The Opinions,” Jamelle, David French and Michelle Cottle break down how Trump is using a “forever shutdown” to expand his executive power. “It seems to me that the president thinks you can have a forever shutdown, and that in the president’s conception of things, the shutdown gives him more power through some magical, convoluted, transmogrifying mechanism that no one understands,”@jamellebouie argues. #theopinions #nytopinion ♬ original sound – New York Times Opinion

https://www.tiktok.com/@nytopinion/video/7568581913699470622 – Link to above…

I will write it every day: The Epstein Files are still not released.

And here’s another version of the same idea as the drawing at the top of this letter.

That’s it for me today, hope you guys are all well. Enjoy your Monday, what’s left of it. Thanks for being here!

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Trump: Gold In The Capitol? – by Liza Donnelly

#2025 #America #Capitol #DonaldTrump #Education #EpsteinFiles #Gold #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #nytopinion #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Shutdown #Substack #theopinions #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Supreme Court has empowered Trump. How much further will it go? – The Washington Post

Supreme Court has expanded presidential powers under Trump. How far will it go?

The justices will hear arguments Wednesday on the legality of most of the president’s tariffs — the first in a series of tests of sweeping claims of authority.

November 2, 2025 at 8:36 a.m. EST, Today at 8:36 a.m. EST, 10 min

By Justin Jouvenal

For nine months, in a flood of emergency orders, the Supreme Court has allowed President Donald Trump to expand his power.

The justices have permitted Trump to slash the federal bureaucracy, fire the heads of nominally independent agencies and exercise powers traditionally ascribed to Congress.

How much further will the court go?

That will be the overriding question Wednesday when the court hears arguments on the legality of most of the president’s tariffs — the first case to reach the justices in a series of high-stakes tests of Trump’ssweeping claimsof authority.

His asserted tariff powers are uniquely dear to Trump, who has repeatedly warned of economic devastation if the court were to rule against one of his signature policies. But the other tests of presidential power could also have major impact.

In November, the court will considerwhether to strike down a 90-year-old precedent that insulates independent agencies from White House interference. In January, it will explore whether Trump can remake the Federal Reserve, with its vast powers over the economy.

Taken together, the cases will determine the extent to which the Supreme Court will embrace Trump’s view of a presidency constrained by few checks and wielding the type of authority typically only seen in times of war or national crisis. Decisions are expected in the cases by the summer.

“I think the court so far has been more deferential to President Trump than most Supreme Courts in modern times,” said Matthew Dallek, a political historian at George Washington University. “It’s very hard to point to a significant way in which the court has said ‘stop’ to the White House. It raises the pressure on the court, and it raises the stakes for the term ahead.”

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement the high court’s rulings have corrected erroneous decisions by “far-left liberal activist judges” and thatthe president is doing what he was elected to do.

“The President will continue implementing the policy agenda that the American people voted for in November and will continue to be vindicated by higher courts when liberal activist judges attempt to intervene,” Jackson said.

Trump’s claim that he can unilaterally impose massive tariffs, a cornerstone of his economic agenda, is among his most aggressive moves to date. His assertion rests on a 1977 law that grants the president emergency powers to regulate international commerce. Trump’s argument that the law can be used for tariffs is one no other president has made in the statute’s 50-year history.

The administration has asked the justices to overturn federal court rulings that found the law did not convey authority to impose tariffs. Trump said the levies, some of which he announced at an event he dubbed “Liberation Day,” will help stem the flow of fentanyl across the border and restore America’s manufacturing base.

Small businesses and states have sued to block the levies, arguing they will cause widespread economic harm.

Arguably, no institution has set the stage for Trump’s efforts to expand his poweras much as the Supreme Court and in particular its chief justice. John G. Roberts Jr. has written decisions in recent years declaring the president a uniquely powerful figure.

In a 2020 ruling, Roberts wrote the “entire ‘executive Power’ belongs to the President alone.” He has also intimated the president should have a free hand to fire low-level government employees and made it easier for the president to remove the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Supreme Court has empowered Trump. How much further will it go? – The Washington Post

#2025 #America #ChiefJustice #ConservativeMajority #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Roberts #SCOTUS #SupremeCourtOfTheUnitedStates #TheWashingtonPost #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UncheckedPower #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – My Drawings Marched! -Liza Donnelly

My Drawings Marched!

No Kings Protest photos

By Liza Donnelly, Oct 19, 2025

When asked if the president had a comment on the demonstrations yesterday for No Kings Day nationwide, Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, gave a brief response in an email.

“Who cares?” she said.

Millions came out to protest. Apparently red states had significantly more protesters this time than on the last No Kings Day. Altogether, protesters numbered almost half again as many as previous protests.

Resistance is gaining ground.

A friend (and also Executive Producer on my documentary, WOMEN LAUGHING), Lauren Lexton, took me up on the offer to use a few of my drawings against Trump in a protest yesterday. I’m honored, and so happy to be represented at a protest by my drawings! Thank you, Lauren!

And after our world premiere of the film yesterday, we walked in Woodstock and I took some photos of the passionate protestors. Woodstock, of course, is the town near where the famous music festival Woodstock happened, and it still carries a very liberal, peace vibe throughout the town.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: My Drawings Marched! – by Liza Donnelly – Seeing Things

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Education #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

It’s Our Country – by Liza Donnelly – Seeing Things

It’s Our Country

We are not all beholden to Trump’s desires

By Liza Donnelly, Oct 08, 2025

The lack of respect from Attorney General Pam Bondi towards Senators during a hearing yesterday was astounding. It was horrible, it was hostile. She had scripted notes for each Senator in order to attack them. The Senators did their best to grill her and not let her get away with anything, Adam Schiff was notably powerful. But still, at times they seem too nice. Which is horrible to say—Trump is forcing us to be mean. Trump’s people, like Bondi showed us yesterday, are not hiding it anymore: they work solely for the good of TRUMP, not the good of the American people. And the Congressional MAGA /GOP is enabling him for partisan gain. They are spineless. When will they stand up to Trump?

Nobody welcomes military on the street. National Guard troops from Texas are expected to arrive in Chicago today, and Trump has called for the arrest of Illinois Gov Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Johnson, saying they failed to protect ICE agents, which of course is a falsehood. This after a Trump appointed judge ruled that he could not deploy troops from another state, which Steven Miller calls “legal insurrection” against the administration.

Trump and company have repeatedly portrayed protesters in Portland and Chicago as a threat to the United States on par with foreign gangs, drug cartels and terrorists. Officers in Portland referred to protesters as “low energy” before Trump ordered in the National Guard.

Gov Pritzker believes that the militarization on the street is in preparation for the 2026 midterm elections which he knows he will lose if he doesn’t use the military at the polls in some way. A new Times/Siena Poll finds that 53% of Americans think Trump has gone to far, particularly in not treating immigrants fairly.

Steven Miller is frightening, and he is lying through his teeth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLxq0JGmpjA

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: It’s Our Country – by Liza Donnelly – Seeing Things

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Education #Health #Hearing #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #PamBondi #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Senators #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates #YouTube

October 2025 U.S. Midterms Update: Politics, Economy, Shutdown Impact, Fundraising, Redistricting, and Key Races – An UPDATE Report

October 2025 U.S. Midterms Update: Politics, Economy, Shutdown Impact, Fundraising, Redistricting, and Key Races

Political Landscape and Approval Ratings

As of early October 2025, President Trump’s job approval remains steady in the low 40s percentile, with disapproval rates in the mid-50s. Despite the recent government shutdown turmoil, his core support remains loyal, reflecting stable but polarized public opinion. Polling aggregators like RealClearPolitics and the New York Times report a narrow approval range between 39% and 44% over the past several months (RealClearPolitics; New York Times).

This contrasts with broad voter dissatisfaction: a YouGov/Economist poll found 59% believe the country is on the wrong track, while 60% disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation. Only 26% rate the economy positively. The shutdown and healthcare funding debates risk impacting Trump’s midterm prospects but early trends suggest limited shifts in overall sentiment (YouGov; NPR).

Government Shutdown Fallout

The federal government shutdown began October 1, 2025, after Senate failure to pass funding bills. Approximately 750,000 federal workers face furloughs, and active-duty military pay is affected (CNN Politics; Government Executive).

Key impacts include:

• Reduced national park services raise visitor safety concerns (BBC Travel).
• Social Security and Veterans benefits continue, but new claims processing is delayed (SSA.gov).
• Airport operations face staffing challenges affecting efficiency (NBC News).
• NIH research grants and FOIA requests are on hold (Latham & Watkins).

With partisan stalemates ongoing, messaging battles over the shutdown’s blame are influencing voter perceptions (Politico).

Early Primary Results and Fundraising Reports

Preliminary 2025 special and local election results hint at emerging voter enthusiasm patterns. Fundraising reports through Q3 show Republicans holding a narrow cash advantage overall, although Democratic challengers in key swing districts have posted notable gains. This financial landscape suggests intensifying resource battles ahead of critical nomination contests (270toWin; Sabato’s Crystal Ball).

Legal Challenges and Redistricting Fallout

Ongoing legal disputes over congressional maps affect campaign strategies nationwide. California’s Proposition 50, aiming to create an independent commission to redraw districts, could favor Democrats by reshaping competitive seats. Lawsuits challenging districting plans in Texas and North Carolina add uncertainty, with court outcomes potentially reshaping the 2026 electoral terrain (270toWin; Politico).

Congressional Midterm Outlook

Senate: Democrats face a tough map, needing to swing four seats to gain control. Key battlegrounds like Pennsylvania and Georgia remain highly competitive, with forecasts maintaining a slim Republican edge (270toWin; Cook Political Report).

House: Republicans currently have a moderate edge in retaining the House majority, but redistricting battles such as Proposition 50 introduce uncertainty. Candidate filings and retirements will influence the competitive landscape as campaigns intensify (270toWin; Sabato’s Crystal Ball).

Economic and Social Issues

Inflation and cost-of-living pressures remain top voter concerns, with pessimism on economic growth widespread. The government shutdown heightens doubts about federal government competence and service reliability, likely influencing turnout and party enthusiasm. Social polarization persists around immigration, healthcare, and governance, framing party messaging battles (White House Research; Pew Research Center; Notus.org).

Key Races and Ballot Measures

• California’s Proposition 50 — a key ballot measure aiming to create nonpartisan districting — could shift several House districts in Democrats’ favor (270toWin).
• Highly contested Senate races in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia remain closely watched (Cook Political Report).
• Ongoing primary battles and fundraising developments will shape narratives and resource allocations ahead of 2026 (Sabato’s Crystal Ball).

Charts

Trump Job Approval (2025 Year-to-Date)

Odds for Party Control After 2026 Midterm Elections

Bibliography

• 270toWin. October 7, 2025. “2026 Senate Election Forecast Maps.” https://www.270towin.com/2026-senate-election-predictions/
• BBC Travel. October 3, 2025. “How the US Government Shutdown Can Impact Travel.” https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20251003-how-the-government-shutdown-can-impact-travel
• Cook Political Report. October 7, 2025. “2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings.” https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings
• CNN Politics. October 7, 2025. “Live Updates: The Latest on the Government Shutdown.” https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/government-shutdown-news-10-06-25
• Government Executive. October 5, 2025. “More Employees Set to Receive Furlough Notices as Shutdown Drags On.” https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/10/more-employees-set-receive-furlough-notices-shutdown-drags/408629/
• Latham & Watkins. October 5, 2025. “The 2025 US Government Shutdown: What It Means for Federal Litigation.” https://www.lathamreg.com/2025/10/the-2025-us-government-shutdown-what-it-means-for-federal-litigation/
• New York Times. October 7, 2025. “Trump Job Approval Average.” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/donald-trump-approval-rating-polls.html
• NPR. October 6, 2025. “The Federal Government Is Shut Down. Here’s What That Means Across the Country.” https://www.npr.org/2025/10/06/g-s1-92192/government-shutdown
• Notus.org. October 6, 2025. “Republicans and Democrats: Immigration, Health Care, Messaging & Shutdown.” https://www.notus.org/congress/republicans-democrats-immigration-health-care-messaging-shutdown
• Pew Research Center. August 13, 2025. “Trump’s Job Approval and Views of His Personal Traits.” https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/08/14/trumps-job-approval-and-views-of-his-personal-traits/
• Politico. October 1, 2025. “Republicans and Democrats Ready Their Shutdown Blame Strategies.” https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/01/government-shutdown-blame-strategies-00589373
• RealClearPolitics. October 5, 2025. “President Trump Job Approval.” https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/approval/donald-trump/approval-rating
• SSA.gov. September 30, 2025. “What the Federal Government Shutdown Means to Your Clients.” https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/advocates/2025-10-01.html
• White House Research. October 2, 2025. “Economic Consequences of a Government Shutdown.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/research/2025/10/economic-consequences-of-a-government-shutdown/
• Sabato’s Crystal Ball. October 7, 2025. “2026 House Ratings.” https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2026-house/
• Sabato’s Crystal Ball. October 7, 2025. “2026 Senate Ratings.” https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2026-senate/

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #DrWeb #DrWebSDomain #Education #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Midterms2026 #MonthlyElectionReport #November2026 #Opinion #PerplexityAI #Politics #Resistance #Science #Technology #Trump #TrumpAdministration

How and Why Did Democrats Say They Chose Shutdown over Trump – October 5, 2025 – A Special Report

Special Report: Democrats, the 2025 Shutdown, and Trump’s Embrace of Project 2025

By DrWeb — October 5, 2025

DrWeb’s view in context and the thrust of the decision by Democratic leaders during the 2025 Federal Shutdown. This report examines how the Democratic strategy unfolded, the stakes of the standoff, and how former President Donald Trump is now openly embracing the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 as the blueprint for his second term. The adoption of this plan, once denied during the campaign, is reshaping the contours of the shutdown fight and raising questions about the balance of power.

Overview & Stakes

As the shutdown entered October, Democrats framed it as both a test of political resolve and a defense of core healthcare and social programs. They argue that Republicans, under Trump’s renewed influence, are using the budget process as a wedge to force acceptance of Project 2025’s sweeping proposals: mass layoffs, dismantling of federal agencies, and consolidation of executive power.

The stakes are immediate and long-term. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers face lost pay. Public services from healthcare research to postal delivery are curtailed. At the same time, the ideological battle now centers on whether Trump can leverage the crisis to sidestep Congress and implement a 900-page partisan blueprint outside normal democratic checks.

Key Quotes & Excerpts (Chronological)

“The shutdown pain would be ‘caused by the Democrats.’”

Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/25/trump-shutdown-pain-blame-democrats-00580824

“The shutdown is being wielded not just as a bargaining chip but as a lever to rewire the federal government.”

Time. https://time.com/7323278/trump-project-2025-government-shutdown/

“National parks will remain mostly open in shutdown.”

Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/30/national-parks-will-remain-mostly-open-in-shutdown-main-00589074

“About 750,000 federal workers have been furloughed or are working without pay, impacting HHS, CDC, and NIH.”

LMT Online. https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/cuellar-federal-workers-solidarity-paycheck-forgo-21081996.php

“Welcome to the shutdown.”

Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/01/welcome-shutdown/

“Trump is no longer distancing himself from Project 2025. He is now staffing his administration with its architects.”

AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-project-2025-russ-vought-shutdown-2d1ea5e6e32c583ddf6b8a8164e523c3

“Mass federal layoffs could begin imminently, leveraging the shutdown to impose reductions in force.”

Time. https://time.com/7323278/trump-project-2025-government-shutdown/

“Trump marked the Navy’s 250th anniversary during the shutdown, declaring: THE SHOW MUST GO ON!”

AP News. https://apnews.com/article/926e1f114b704bc069dd9ad8fff449e0

“Trump now openly backing Project 2025 during government shutdown.”

AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-project-2025-russ-vought-shutdown-2d1ea5e6e32c583ddf6b8a8164e523c3

“The GOP says it’s winning the shutdown. Some fear Trump’s cuts may change that.”

AP News. https://apnews.com/article/republicans-trump-vought-shutdown-congress-democrats-transportation-0dff71ebe4f115feb8649a045646cb5c

“Trump Administration Halts $2.1 billion in Chicago Infrastructure Projects Amid Government Shutdown.”

Time. https://time.com/7322946/trump-administration-funding-cuts-democratic-cities-government-shutdown/

“Slash and burn: Trump budget chief relishes chance to cut, fire and cancel.”

The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/02/trump-russ-vought-government-shutdown

“Why this shutdown is different and what Trump is getting out of it.”

PBS / Washington Week. https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/video/2025/10/why-this-shutdown-is-different-and-what-trump-is-getting-out-of-it

“Trump’s vast federal cuts create distrust on Capitol Hill.”

AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-congress-budget-project-2025-abba67746a7c74c88962def177759b44

“House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted it was Democrats blocking funding, while Democrats accused Trump of sabotaging negotiations.”

The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/05/mike-johnson-democrats-government-shutdown

“Democrats are embracing the risky politics of a government shutdown to rein in president, activists say.”

The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/05/democrats-healthcare-government-shutdown

“White House: Mass layoffs will start if shutdown talks ‘going nowhere.’”

Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-says-layoffs-will-start-if-trump-sees-shutdown-talks-going-nowhere-2025-10-05/

Analysis

Democrats’ strategy has been to draw a sharp line against Project 2025, framing it as an existential threat to constitutional checks and balances. Yet some critics say Democrats are risking political backlash by embracing a shutdown.

Trump’s use of the shutdown to advance layoffs and executive consolidation shows how a budget impasse can morph into a constitutional stress test. With Russell Vought at the center, the administration is turning Heritage’s proposals into operational reality — while Democratic leaders like Hakeem Jeffries and Adam Schiff try to keep their caucus united.

Works Cited

• Associated Press. “Trump no longer distancing himself from Project 2025 as he uses shutdown to further pursue its goals.” AP News, 2 Oct. 2025. https://apnews.com/article/trump-project-2025-russ-vought-shutdown-2d1ea5e6e32c583ddf6b8a8164e523c3
• Associated Press. “Trump celebrates the Navy’s 250th anniversary in the midst of the shutdown.” AP News, 3 Oct. 2025. https://apnews.com/article/926e1f114b704bc069dd9ad8fff449e0
• “Democrats are embracing the risky politics of a government shutdown to rein in president, activists say.” The Guardian, 5 Oct. 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/05/democrats-healthcare-government-shutdown
• “House speaker says Democrats aren’t serious about shutdown negotiation …” The Guardian, 5 Oct. 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/05/mike-johnson-democrats-government-shutdown
• Cuellar, Henry. “Cuellar forgoes salary during government shutdown …” LMT Online, 1 Oct. 2025. https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/cuellar-federal-workers-solidarity-paycheck-forgo-21081996.php
• “Trump Touts Meeting With Vought to Discuss Cuts …” Time, 2 Oct. 2025. https://time.com/7323278/trump-project-2025-government-shutdown/
• “Trump Administration Halts $2.1 billion in Chicago Infrastructure Projects Amid Government Shutdown.” Time, 3 Oct. 2025. https://time.com/7322946/trump-administration-funding-cuts-democratic-cities-government-shutdown/
• “Slash and burn: Trump budget chief relishes chance to cut, fire and cancel.” The Guardian, 3 Oct. 2025. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/02/trump-russ-vought-government-shutdown
• “Why this shutdown is different and what Trump is getting out of it.” PBS / Washington Week, 4 Oct. 2025. https://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/video/2025/10/why-this-shutdown-is-different-and-what-trump-is-getting-out-of-it
• “Trump’s vast federal cuts create distrust on Capitol Hill.” AP News, 4 Oct. 2025. https://apnews.com/article/trump-shutdown-congress-budget-project-2025-abba67746a7c74c88962def177759b44
• Politico. “Trump says shutdown pain would be Democrats’ fault.” 25 Sept. 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/25/trump-shutdown-pain-blame-democrats-00580824
• Politico. “National parks to stay open in shutdown.” 30 Sept. 2025. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/30/national-parks-will-remain-mostly-open-in-shutdown-main-00589074
• Washington Post. “Welcome to the shutdown.” 1 Oct. 2025. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/01/welcome-shutdown/
• AP News. “The GOP says it’s winning the shutdown. Some fear Trump’s cuts may change that.” 3 Oct. 2025. https://apnews.com/article/republicans-trump-vought-shutdown-congress-democrats-transportation-0dff71ebe4f115feb8649a045646cb5c
• Reuters. “White House: Mass layoffs will start if shutdown talks ‘going nowhere.’” 5 Oct. 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-says-layoffs-will-start-if-trump-sees-shutdown-talks-going-nowhere-2025-10-05/

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #DrWeb #DrWebSDomain #Education #FederalShutdown #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #October2025 #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #SpecialReport #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Since Late September 2025: Events, Causes, Accountability, and How to Get Government Working Again – October 2, 2025 – Update Report

Editor’s Note: This report researched and produced by Perplexity Pro. I reviewed and edited the report. It is worth noting there is indeed some balance, as requested. I did not want to add to the “blame game,” though I mention it. –DrWeb

Since Late September 2025: Events, Causes, Accountability, and How to Get Government Working Again

What’s Happened Since Late September 2025

Shutdown begins and broad disruptions follow. Congress failed to pass a funding deal, triggering a federal shutdown that halted or curtailed services, furloughed large numbers of workers, and suspended some economic data releases. Straight-news rundowns detail what is open/closed and the operational impact across agencies (Reuters explainer). Early estimates warned of multi-billion-dollar weekly losses to GDP if the closure persisted (Guardian economic analysis).

Funding freezes weaponized during the standoff. The administration moved to freeze major tranches of federal funds largely aimed at Democratic-led states (e.g., transit and green-energy projects), escalating partisan leverage in the middle of the shutdown (Reuters). Separate reporting tracked the shutdown’s hit to specific programs such as WIC and related food aid if prolonged (Reuters).

Partisan messaging published on federal sites and comms. Multiple agencies posted banners or circulated templates explicitly blaming Democrats for the shutdown — prompting Hatch Act and anti-lobbying concerns from ethics experts. Examples include HUD’s prominent red-banner message and broader agency communications captured by reporters (Federal News Network; CBS News; Politico).

Separate security escalation: “armed conflict” framing vs. cartels. In parallel with shutdown tensions, the White House told Congress the U.S. is in a non-international armed conflict with drug cartels following lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean — a position that immediately triggered legal-oversight questions and War Powers scrutiny (Reuters; AP). (This matters for Congress’s role below.)

Causes & the Blame Game

Legislative brinkmanship over substance. The proximate cause is failure to pass regular appropriations or a workable continuing resolution; underneath that are hard-line demands that lacked the votes for a bipartisan deal. Reporting on House/Senate dynamics shows why rival short-term bills failed and how partisan positioning crowded out compromise (Reuters live updates).

Executive amplification of conflict. The funding freeze announcements, aggressive rhetoric, and politicized agency messaging during the shutdown pushed confrontation over coalition-building — increasing the political cost for moderates to cross the aisle (Reuters; Politico).

Information environment and public confusion. Partisan claims flooded official channels and social media — including banner statements on .gov sites — blurring lines between public information and political messaging. Ethics experts flagged potential legal issues (Hatch Act, Anti-Lobbying Act), underscoring how the communication war compounded the budget war (CBS News; Federal News Network).

Who Can Intervene with the President — Real Mechanisms

Vice President + Cabinet (25th Amendment, Section 4). If the VP and a majority of principal officers judge the President “unable to discharge” duties, they can temporarily transfer power. It’s constitutionally grounded but politically explosive; it depends on insiders willing to act. Authoritative, plain-English texts explain the standard and process (National Constitution Center).

Congress: oversight, appropriations, and war powers. Congress can compel briefings, issue subpoenas, restrict funds via riders, and, where relevant, force votes under the War Powers Resolution’s expedited procedures. The WPR structure and “clocks” are summarized by nonpartisan analysts (CRS overview; PDF: CRS PDF).

Courts and internal legality systems. Courts can enjoin unlawful actions; inside the executive branch, OLC, agency counsel, inspectors general, and (in military contexts) law-of-war rules impose legal constraints that can slow, narrow, or block directives (War Powers Reporting Project (context)).

Five Workable Options to De-escalate and Restart Normal Governance

1) Force a War Powers vote on the cartel operations. Congress should trigger the WPR’s expedited procedures to require a clear authorization vote on the “armed conflict” posture against cartels. A public floor debate and recorded votes restore constitutional lines, impose reporting requirements, and anchor any use of force to statute — or terminate it if authorization fails (CRS).

This does not solve the shutdown directly, but it lowers temperature by re-channeling the most escalatory policy into a lawful process and signals to allies/adversaries that the U.S. is operating under institutional checks (Reuters; AP).

2) Attach targeted appropriations riders with enforceable teeth. In the next CR or omnibus, include narrowly tailored “no-funds-for-X” clauses (e.g., forbidding use of appropriations for partisan messaging on .gov, or for specific structural actions not authorized by law), plus mandatory reporting to GAO and deadlines for compliance.

Precision matters: riders must be specific, time-bound, and paired with oversight triggers; otherwise they invite evasion. Appropriations leverage is the fastest path to constrain behavior while unlocking votes to reopen the government (Reuters).

3) Fast-track litigation to enjoin clear legal violations. Affected parties (states, employees, contractors, NGOs) should seek emergency injunctions where actions conflict with statute (e.g., misuse of official resources for partisan messaging, unlawful fund freezes contrary to enacted law). Early injunctions prevent faits accomplis while merits are argued.

Coordinated venue strategy and plaintiffs with concrete standing increase speed and odds of relief; judicial intervention can remove the most inflammatory steps from the bargaining table so negotiators can focus on funding substance (Politico; CBS News).

4) Cabinet-level guardrails; if necessary, 25th Amendment process. Cabinet officials and White House counsel can insist on OLC review, document dissent, and refuse to sign unlawful directives. If incapacity is the core issue, the VP and a Cabinet majority can temporarily transfer powers under Section 4; even preparing the paperwork can deter extreme steps (Constitution Center).

Because this is politically nuclear, the more immediate and practical version is internal legal process: slow-rolling or narrowing directives that lack statutory basis, while Congress negotiates a funding off-ramp.

5) Bipartisan “off-ramp” package: clean CR + structured policy talks. Pair a time-limited clean continuing resolution (reopen government) with a locked calendar of bipartisan negotiations on the disputed policy asks (health, immigration, energy). Put non-negotiable guardrails in writing: no partisan banners on .gov; no unilateral funding freezes outside legal process.

To make this workable, center the deal on items both sides claim to want (e.g., targeted anti-fentanyl measures with due-process safeguards; infrastructure that benefits red/blue districts) and schedule public checkpoints. Reopening removes economic harm and gives Congress the political space to legislate in regular order (Reuters; Guardian).

Segment: “A total lie — shutdown talking point” (context clip)

Interview: Rep. Lloyd Doggett on the shutdown strategy (context clip)

Explainer: What could happen during a U.S. government shutdown (BBC context clip)

#2025 #AI #America #BBC #ChatGPT #CNN #DonaldTrump #DrWebSDomain #Education #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #MSNBC #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #Technology #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates #YouTube

Seeing Things – Trump: Delay, Lie, Fake Stuff – Liza Donnelly

Trump: Delay, Lie, Fake Stuff

And I saw this person today

By Liza Donnelly, Sep 29, 2025

The above is a live drawing I did on my iPhone with my finger. I was waiting for the commuter train in Yonkers, NY and this elderly man on his phone walked by.

Adelita Grijalva was voted into the Arizona House in a special election last week, and it is significant because she is the first Latina American to be elected to Congress. But her election is also important because her promised vote on the resolution to release the Epstein files will be the 218th vote, and that will be enough House votes to force Speaker Johnson to release the files. But he is delaying her certification, claiming he is waiting until her election is official, despite her 40 points victory. From Meidas Touch: “Johnson’s new standard of waiting for all the votes to be counted was not in place two weeks ago when he swore in Democrat James Walkinshaw of Virginia with unofficial results immediately after his victory. Johnson has also routinely sworn in Republicans the day after their race is called.”

Delay is Trump’s magic wand, all his life he has gotten away with so much by delaying.

Oregon is suing Trump to stop him from deploying National Guard to the city, which he announce he would do over the weekend. On Saturday, Trump stated he would use “full force, if necessary,” to combat protests that he said were interfering with immigration enforcement.

“I think this is a sad day for our country, a sad day for Oregon that the president of the United States does not listen to local leaders about what they need,” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, told reporters.

“When the president and I spoke yesterday, I told him in very plain language there is no insurrection or threat to public safety that necessitates military intervention in Portland or any other city in our state,” Kotek said. “Putting our own military on our streets is an abuse of power … Local law enforcement has this under control.”

As of today, it appears Trump is backing away from this plan.

Good news: California doctors can now prescribe abortion pills anonymously. It is meant to shield doctors from out-of-state lawsuits.

Last night at 10:18, Trump posted a fake video, an AI generated Fox report. It was about how Trump will be making healthcare “available to everyone,” except just a few offers will be available to start.

“Every American will soon receive their own MedBed card.” As the video shows what looks like a futuristic hospital, complete with what appear to be podlike beds, he continues: “With it, you’ll have guaranteed access to our new hospitals led by the top doctors in the nation, equipped with the most advanced technology in the world. This is the beginning of a new era in American healthcare.”

@jaketapperTrump shares apparent AI video promoting ‘medbed’ conspiracy theory

I learned that MedBeds are a conspiracey theory promoted by QAnon people in which there is a world where there exists these magic beds that can cure anything, from aging to whatever that befalls the human body. But, according to QAnon, these beds are only available to the rich and elite. The post has since been deleted.

I am sure that in the few hours this was live on social media, it created a major stir in the QAnon community, let alone regular followers. It is a very cynical, manipulative use of AI to trick his followers. Heather Cox Richardson writes, “If MedBeds were real and “every citizen” could use them, as the deep fake video suggests, no one would need to worry about losing their healthcare insurance.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Trump: Delay, Lie, Fake Stuff – by Liza Donnelly

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #FakeStuff #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Lie #LizaDonnelly #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

September 25, 2025 – by Heather Cox Richardson

https://substack.com/session-attribution-frame

Letters from an American

September 25, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 25, 2025

Today, with the popularity of President Donald J. Trump and his administration dropping, Trump’s disastrous performance at the United Nations, the return of comedian Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves, and the Tuesday’s election in Arizona of Democratic representative Adelita Grijalva, who will provide the final signature on a discharge petition to demand a floor vote in the House over releasing all the government files on convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the administration appears to be making a dramatic push to seize complete control of the government.

Last night, Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought tried to jam the Democrats into passing the Republicans’ continuing resolution to fund the government. Officials leaked a memo to Politico, Punchbowl News, and Axios—publications that focus on events concerning Capitol Hill—saying that if the Democrats refuse to pass the Republicans’ measure, the administration will try to fire, rather than furlough, large numbers of federal employees.

Such a move would be challenged in the courts, and the government has been forced to rehire many of the people it forced out earlier this year after those firings left agencies badly understaffed. But the threat is not idle; Vought is a Christian nationalist who has called for a “radical Constitutionalism” that demolishes the modern American state and replaces it with a powerful executive.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) responded: “Listen Russ, you are a malignant political hack. We will not be intimidated by your threat to engage in mass firings. Get lost.” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement: “Donald Trump has been firing federal workers since day one—not to govern, but to scare. This is nothing new and has nothing to do with funding the government. These unnecessary firings will either be overturned in court or the administration will end up hiring the workers back, just like they did as recently as today.”

Trump appears focused on September 30, when the government funding crisis will hit, and the days after it. Although courts have ruled that he does not have the power to impose tariffs willy-nilly, today Trump announced new tariffs of 100% on pharmaceuticals, 50% on kitchen and bathroom cabinets, 30% on upholstered furniture, and 25% on “Heavy (Big!) Trucks” beginning on October 1. On social media, he claimed such tariffs were necessary “for National Security and other reasons.”

Today, James LaPorta of CBS News reported that the National Archives and Records Administration improperly released Democratic representative Mikie Sherrill’s full military records to an ally of her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, in the New Jersey governor’s race. The two candidates are tied, and Ciattarelli appears to be trying to link Sherrill to the 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal involving more than 100 midshipmen.

Sherrill had an unblemished career in the Navy and as a midshipman, LaPorta notes. She did not turn in her cheating classmates, but she was never accused of cheating herself. The unredacted release of Sherrill’s records appears to violate the 1974 Privacy Act. Sherrill said: “That Jack Ciattarelli and the Trump administration are illegally weaponizing my records for political gain is a violation of anyone who has ever served our country. No veteran’s record is safe.”

While the National Archives maintained the release was a mistake and apologized for it, the administration’s influence in the Department of Justice tonight could not be explained away.

Days after Trump demanded that the Department of Justice move “now” to prosecute those he perceives to be his enemies, a federal grand jury has indicted former FBI director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress and obstructing an investigation. Comey was an early casualty of Trump’s first administration, fired after he refused to kill the FBI investigation of the ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian operatives.

Over last weekend, Trump exploded at then–acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert, a career prosecutor, after Siebert concluded there was not enough evidence of a crime to charge Comey for allegedly lying to Congress or New York attorney general Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud.

On Monday Trump replaced Siebert with White House aide and Trump’s former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan, and yesterday three sources told Ken Dilanian and Carol Leonnig of MSNBC that they expected Halligan to try to get a grand jury to indict Comey before the five-year statute of limitations on lying to Congress runs out next Tuesday.

Editor’s Note: My emphasis below… –DrWeb

Tonight the DOJ delivered an indictment against Comey.

“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump,” Comey said tonight in a video. “But we…will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant, and she’s right, but I’m not afraid, and I hope you’re not either. I hope instead you are engaged, you are paying attention, and you will vote like your beloved country depends upon it, which it does. My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system. I’m innocent. So let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: September 25, 2025 – by Heather Cox Richardson

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Education #EnemiesList #FBIDirector #FormerFBI #Health #HeatherCoxRichardson #History #Indiced #JamesComey #LettersFromAnAmerican #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #TrumpEnemies #UnitedStates

Former FBI Director James Comey indicted amid Trump push to prosecute foes – The Washington Post

National Security Foreign Policy Intelligence Justice Military

Former FBI director James Comey indicted amid Trump push to prosecute foes

Comey, who has denied wrongdoing, is charged in connection with allegations he lied to Congress.

Updated, September 25, 2025 at 8:50 p.m. EDT, 10 minutes ago, 5 min

By Salvador Rizzo, Jeremy Roebuck and Perry Stein

Former FBI director James B. Comey was indicted Thursday on allegations he lied to Congress following an extraordinary demand from President Donald Trump for the Justice Department to prosecute a man he has long considered a political foe.

The indictment [ see below ] by a federal grand jury in Alexandria charges Comey with one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of Congress, charges punishable by up to five years in prison.

Editor’s Note: The PDF is embedded here, and a download link.

Grand jurors rejected a third false statement count sought by prosecutors, the panel’s foreperson said during a brief court proceeding following their decision.

The White House recently forced out the previous top prosecutor on the case and replaced him with one of Trump’s former personal attorneys. The indictment makes Comey the first of several Trump targets to face charges following the president’s extraordinary demand last weekend that Attorney General Pam Bondi move swiftly to bring cases against several of his perceived political adversaries.

The case also means Comey is the first former senior government official to face prosecution in connection with an investigation that has become a central grievance for Trump since his first term — the FBI’s probe of Russian interference in his 2016 election victory.

Comey declared his innocence in a video statement posted to social media and vowed to take his case to trial.

“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” he said. “We will not live on our knees and you shouldn’t either.”

Trump derided Comey as “the former Corrupt Head of the FBI” in a social media post Thursday evening after the indictment was returned.

“JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” Trump wrote, adding later of Comey: “He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation”

Bondi, in a statement Thursday, said “no one is above the law.”

“Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people,” she said. “We will follow the facts in this case.”

Comey was originally appointed as FBI director in 2013 by President Barack Obama. He was fired by Trump in 2017 amid acrimony largely stemming from the FBI’s handling of the Russia investigation.

The case against him centers on testimony he gave before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2020 during a hearing on the FBI’s Russian interference investigation. Under questioning from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Comey testified he’d never authorized leaks to the media about the Russia investigation or a separate probe into then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

Prosecutors now contend that answer was untrue, forming the basis for the first charge against him. The second count, obstruction of a congressional proceeding, relates to the same September 2020 testimony but does not specify the “false and misleading statements” Comey is alleged to have made that forms the basis for the charge.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Former FBI Director James Comey indicted amid Trump push to prosecute foes – The Washington Post

#2025 #America #BidenAdministration #DonaldTrump #Education #FBIDirector #Health #History #JamesComey #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Reading #Resistance #Science #Television #TheWashingtonPost #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Civil Discourse – “Show me the man and I’ll find the crime” – Joyce Vance

Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

“Show me the man and I’ll find the crime”

By Joyce Vance, Sep 20, 2025

With apologies, this is a long post for any night, let alone a Saturday, but Trump’s abuse of the power of the prosecutor and efforts to directly control the work of the Justice Department make it essential. In a world that has become a constant barrage of horribles from this president, know that what I’m writing to you about tonight is exceptionally serious and dangerous.

If you’ve been following the news since Friday afternoon, you know that Trump insisted that his own pick to be U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Seibert, be fired. Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office: “I want him out.” His crime? He declined to manufacture evidence to bring charges against Letitia James, the New York Attorney General who successfully went after Trump’s company for fraud and is leading the charge on much of the litigation states’ attorneys general are bringing against the second Trump administration. The office was also reportedly handling an investigation into former FBI Director Jim Comey and declined to prosecute that case as well. By the end of the week, Seibert had resigned, although Trump claimed he’d fired him.

What does “decline to prosecute” mean? It means that for one of a number of reasons, prosecutors who’ve looked at the case don’t think there is sufficient admissible evidence to obtain and sustain a conviction. That’s the standard the Federal Principles of Prosecution require a case to meet before prosecutors can seek an indictment.

Prosecutors can decline to prosecute for reasons such as key evidence being inadmissible (for instance, because it was obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on illegal searches and seizure), because a state prosecutor is in a better position to prosecute, or because evidence of a key element of the crime—frequently the required “mens rea” or state of mind (intent, knowledge, etc.) a defendant must have acted with when they committed it—isn’t there. Sometimes declination happens because no crime was committed. We don’t know what the reason(s) were here, but we do know that a team of investigators and prosecutors in an outstanding U.S. Attorney’s Office looked at the evidence and came up empty-handed. It was about the law and the facts, not politics, regardless of what a president who views everything through the lens of his personal popularity claims.

In investigations like these, agents with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies gather evidence and bring it to prosecutors, who evaluate it to determine what, if any, charges might be available. Sometimes they ask agents to go back and look for specific, additional evidence if there’s a weakness. Federal law creates crimes and sets out specific “elements” of the crime prosecutors must be able to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, in the minds of jurors in order to convict. If there’s a problem with one or more elements, but serious indications that a crime was committed, the team works together to try to acquire additional evidence.

“Show me the man and I’ll find the crime” by Joyce Vance

Read on Substack

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: “Show me the man and I’ll find the crime”

#2025 #America #Authoritarianism #DonaldTrump #Education #Health #History #JoyceVance #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #RightWingAgenda #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Technology #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Freedom of Speech Around the World: A Global Analysis and the Jimmy Kimmel Case – DrWeb’s Domain Report

Freedom of Speech Around the World: A Global Analysis and the Jimmy Kimmel Case

Published on September 19, 2025, Prepared by Perplexity Pro, edited by DrWeb.

Introduction and Defining Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech represents a fundamental human right that varies significantly in protection across different countries and legal systems. Legal definitions provide the foundation for understanding this concept across three authoritative sources:

Cornell Law School defines freedom of speech as “the right to speak, write, and share ideas and opinions without facing punishment from the government.” This definition emphasizes the protection from government interference in expression.

The Law Dictionary characterizes it as “a guarantee of the 1st and 14th amendment giving people the right to speak without any restriction from the government.” This focuses specifically on constitutional protections within the American legal framework.

Merriam-Webster provides a broader definition: “the right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations.” This definition acknowledges that some restrictions may apply under specific circumstances.

Global Freedom of Speech Rankings

Question: Where does the United States rank in Freedom of Speech?

Based on the Global State of Democracy Indices 2023, countries receive scores from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating stronger freedom of expression protections. The analysis reveals significant variations in how democratic nations protect speech rights.

Top 25 Countries with Strongest Freedom of Speech Protections

Notably, the United States ranks 28th with a score of 0.75, indicating room for improvement despite constitutional protections.

This ranking suggests that while the U.S. has strong theoretical protections, practical implementation may lag behind other democracies.

International Legal Framework

Freedom of speech receives recognition in international law through multiple mechanisms and judicial bodies that have developed influential standards for global application.

International Courts and Freedom of Speech Recognition

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) provides legally binding protections for member states, creating enforceable obligations beyond mere aspirational statements.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has developed influential standards through Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The ECHR consistently holds that criticism of government and politicians receives strong protection, and that criminal penalties for political speech violate proportionality requirements. These European standards have become widely influential in international law and have been adopted by the UN Human Rights Committee.

International legal advocacy organizations like the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP) successfully use these international norms in domestic courts, arguing that restrictive national laws violate treaty obligations under the ICCPR. Recent cases in Algeria, Iraq, Tunisia, and Palestine have resulted in dismissed charges when courts recognized that criminal penalties for online expression violate international law.

Major U.S. Supreme Court First Amendment Decisions

The United States has developed extensive jurisprudence protecting freedom of speech through landmark Supreme Court decisions that have shaped modern understanding of expression rights.

Foundational Cases

Schenck v. United States (1919) established the “clear and present danger” test, with Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes stating that speech could be restricted when “the words are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has the right to prevent.” The Court upheld convictions for distributing leaflets opposing military conscription during World War I.

Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) represents the most significant modern free speech precedent. The Supreme Court unanimously overturned Clarence Brandenburg’s conviction under Ohio’s Criminal Syndicalism statute for advocating racial strife at a KKK rally. The Court established that government cannot prohibit speech unless it is “directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action and is likely to incite or produce such action.” This decision created one of the most speech-protective legal tests worldwide.

Student Speech Rights

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) established that students “do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.” The Court protected students who wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, creating the foundational principle for student expression rights in educational settings.

Symbolic Speech Protection

Texas v. Johnson (1989) held that flag burning constitutes protected symbolic political speech. The Court concluded that “a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment is that Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.”

Wooley v. Maynard (1977) protected a Jehovah’s Witness who covered New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” motto on his license plate. The Court recognized both “the right to speak freely and the right to refrain from speaking at all,” establishing negative speech rights.

Recent Developments

Moody v. NetChoice, LLC (2024) addressed social media content moderation, ruling that the First Amendment protects platforms engaging in expressive activity when compiling and curating speech. The Court held that states cannot interfere with private actors’ speech to advance ideological balance.

National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo (2024) prohibited government officials from wielding power selectively to punish or suppress speech through private intermediaries, establishing important precedent regarding indirect government censorship.

Analysis of the Jimmy Kimmel ABC Suspension Case

Question: What’s your analysis of the current Jimmy Kimmel events regarding Freedom of Speech?

The recent suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” by ABC provides a contemporary case study in the complex intersection of government pressure, private broadcaster decision-making, and First Amendment protections. This incident illustrates how theoretical speech protections face practical challenges in the modern media landscape.

Background of the Controversy

On September 16, 2025, ABC indefinitely suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following controversial comments the host made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. During his Monday night monologue, Kimmel criticized the “MAGA gang” for attempting to politically exploit Kirk’s murder, suggesting they were “doing everything they can to score political points” from the tragedy. He also mocked former President Trump’s response to questions about Kirk’s death.

The suspension came after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly condemned Kimmel’s remarks on a podcast, calling them “some of the sickest conduct possible” and threatening regulatory action with the warning “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Major broadcast station owners Nexstar and Sinclair preemptively pulled the show from their ABC affiliates before the network announced the indefinite suspension.

First Amendment Analysis

This case presents a complex intersection of government pressure and private broadcaster decision-making that raises significant constitutional concerns. Under established First Amendment precedent, particularly Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969), Kimmel’s political commentary clearly falls within protected speech categories as criticism of government figures and political movements.

The critical constitutional issue centers on whether government coercion violated the First Amendment’s prohibition on indirect speech suppression. As Professor Raleigh Levine of Mitchell Hamline School of Law explains, “The issue here is whether the government is using coercion or pressure to get private companies to do indirectly what it could not directly force them to do.” While private employers can typically discipline employees for speech, broadcast networks operating on public airwaves occupy a unique regulatory space.

The Supreme Court established in Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan (1963) that government cannot use threats of punishment to coerce private entities into suppressing speech, even when direct censorship would be unconstitutional. FCC Chairman Carr’s explicit threats of regulatory consequences for failing to discipline Kimmel likely crossed this constitutional boundary.

Legal Precedent and Regulatory Framework

Broadcasters historically receive reduced First Amendment protections compared to other media, a doctrine criticized by constitutional scholars as creating “junior varsity First Amendment rights.” However, even under this diminished standard, political commentary remains strongly protected speech.

The FCC’s regulatory authority extends primarily to local station licensing rather than network content control. Carr’s threats appeared to leverage this licensing power to indirectly pressure content decisions, potentially exceeding statutory authority while violating constitutional boundaries.

Predicted Legal Outcomes

Question: What’s your predicted outcome now of the Jimmy Kimmel events?

Several potential legal challenges may emerge from this controversy:

First Amendment Litigation: Kimmel or advocacy organizations like the ACLU, which has already condemned the suspension as government suppression of opposing ideas, may file suit challenging the government coercion. Such cases would likely focus on proving that Carr’s threats constituted impermissible government pressure rather than permissible advocacy.

Congressional Oversight: The incident may prompt legislative hearings examining FCC overreach and the scope of regulatory authority over broadcast content. Questions about whether current broadcast regulation frameworks remain constitutionally viable in the modern media landscape could drive policy reforms.

Industry Response: The suspension’s chilling effect on other broadcasters and entertainers may generate broader resistance. Late-night hosts and Hollywood figures have already rallied to Kimmel’s defense, potentially creating sustained pressure for reinstatement.

Commercial Consequences: ABC faces significant advertising revenue losses, with “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” reportedly generating approximately $70 million annually from over 200 brands. Economic pressure may ultimately force the network to restore the program regardless of political considerations.

The most likely outcome involves eventual reinstatement of Kimmel’s show, possibly following legal settlement or policy clarification limiting FCC content oversight authority. This case may establish important precedent regarding the limits of government pressure on private media companies, particularly in the broadcast television context where regulatory relationships create unique constitutional vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

This comprehensive analysis demonstrates that while freedom of speech enjoys broad international recognition, implementation varies significantly across nations. The United States maintains strong constitutional protections through extensive Supreme Court jurisprudence, yet ranks below many other democracies in practical freedom of expression measures. The Jimmy Kimmel case illustrates ongoing tensions between government authority and speech protections, particularly in regulated industries like broadcasting.

The global landscape reveals that Nordic countries lead in practical freedom of expression, while international courts increasingly recognize speech rights as fundamental human rights. As media landscapes evolve and political tensions intensify, the balance between legitimate regulation and speech protection remains a critical challenge for democratic societies worldwide.

Bibliography and Sources

Legal Definitions

• Freedom of Speech – Cornell Law School
• Freedom of Speech Definition – The Law Dictionary
• Freedom of Speech Definition – Merriam-Webster

Global Rankings and Analysis

• Countries with Freedom of Speech 2025 – World Population Review
• Freedom of Expression Index, 2024 – Our World in Data
• Countries and Territories – Freedom House

International Law

• Using International Law to Defend Free Speech in the Information Age – Columbia Global Freedom of Expression
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights – United Nations
• Freedom of Speech in International Law – Oxford Academic

U.S. Supreme Court Cases

• Free Speech Supreme Court Cases – Justia
• Notable First Amendment Court Cases – American Library Association
• Brandenburg v. Ohio, 395 U.S. 444 (1969) – Justia
• Cases By Date – MTSU Free Speech Center

Jimmy Kimmel Case Analysis

• Why Jimmy Kimmel’s Show Was Yanked Off the Air – CNN
• Were Jimmy Kimmel’s Free Speech Rights Violated When ABC Canceled His Show? – Reuters
• Does the First Amendment Apply in Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension? – CBS News
• In Pressuring ABC Over Kimmel, Trump May Have Crossed a Constitutional Line – New York Times
• Jimmy Kimmel, the FCC, and Why Broadcasters Still Have “Junior Varsity” First Amendment Rights – Cato Institute

Research compiled, analyzed, and published on September 19, 2025.

#2025 #ABC #AI #America #DonaldTrump #DrWebSDomain #Education #FCC #FederalCommunicationsCommission #Health #History #JimmyKimmel #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #PerplexityPro #Politics #Resistance #Science #Television #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.: The Architect of Conservative Jurisprudence – A Special SCOTUS Series

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.: The Architect of Conservative Jurisprudence – Here’s a look at our Chief Justice, his life, background, and how he influences our legal challenges, legal issues, from his conservative views. This report was prepared by Perplexity Pro, and edited by DrWeb.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.: The Architect of Conservative Jurisprudence

John Glover Roberts Jr. has served as the 17th Chief Justice of the United States since September 29, 2005, presiding over one of the most transformative periods in Supreme Court history. As the youngest chief justice in over a century at age 50, Roberts has authored landmark conservative decisions while attempting to balance institutional preservation with ideological advancement over his two decades of leadership.

Early Life and Formation

Born on January 27, 1955, in Buffalo, New York, Roberts was the second of four children to John (Jack) G. Roberts Sr., a Bethlehem Steel Corporation executive, and Rosemary Roberts (née Podrasky). The family’s Catholic faith would prove formative, as would their move to Long Beach, Indiana, in the early 1960s when Roberts Sr. received a promotion to work at a new steel plant.

Roberts excelled academically from an early age, graduating first in his class from La Lumiere School, a Catholic boarding school in Indiana, where he also captained the football team. To help pay for college, he worked summers in a steel mill, an experience that grounded him in working-class values despite his later elite academic trajectory. His early ambition was to become a historian, reflecting an intellectual curiosity that would later influence his judicial approach to constitutional interpretation.

Academic Excellence and Early Career

Roberts completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard University in just three years, graduating summa cum laude in 1976 with a major in history. He remained at Harvard for law school, where he served as managing editor of the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude in 1979. These academic achievements established him as one of the brightest legal minds of his generation.

Following law school, Roberts secured two prestigious federal clerkships that would shape his career trajectory. From 1979-1980, he clerked for Judge Henry J. Friendly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, one of the most respected federal judges of his era. He then clerked for Associate Justice William H. Rehnquist during the 1980 term, establishing a mentorship that would profoundly influence his judicial philosophy.

Government Service and Private Practice

Roberts’s early career alternated between high-level government service and elite private practice. From 1981-1982, he served as Special Assistant to Attorney General William French Smith, then moved to the White House as Associate Counsel to President Ronald Reagan from 1982-1986. During this period, he helped craft conservative legal positions that would later inform his judicial decisions, including memoranda expressing skepticism about discrimination remedies and civil rights enforcement.

In 1986, Roberts joined the prestigious law firm Hogan & Hartson as an associate, becoming a partner within a year. His appellate practice was extraordinarily successful, focusing on Supreme Court litigation and complex constitutional issues. From 1989-1993, he returned to government as Principal Deputy Solicitor General, the second-in-command in the Office of the Solicitor General, where he argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court.

Marriage and Family Life

Roberts married Jane Marie Sullivan in 1996, a fellow attorney and Harvard Law School graduate whom he met during his government service. The couple has two adopted children, Josephine and John, and their family life reflects Roberts’s commitment to balancing professional demands with personal relationships. Jane Roberts has maintained her own successful legal career, though she has faced scrutiny for potential conflicts of interest related to her legal recruiting work while her husband serves on the Court.

Path to the Supreme Court

President George H.W. Bush first nominated Roberts to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1992 when he was just 37, but the Democratic-controlled Senate never held a confirmation vote. Roberts returned to private practice during the Clinton years, also teaching at Georgetown University Law Center.

In 2001, President George W. Bush renominated Roberts to the D.C. Circuit, and he was finally confirmed in May 2003. During his brief two-year tenure on the appeals court, Roberts wrote approximately 50 opinions that demonstrated his conservative judicial philosophy and exceptional legal craftsmanship.

Bush initially nominated Roberts in July 2005 to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, but when Chief Justice Rehnquist died in September, Bush elevated the nomination to Chief Justice. Roberts’s confirmation hearings featured his famous “umpire” analogy: “Judges are like umpires. Umpires don’t make the rules, they apply them… I will remember that it’s my job to call balls and strikes, and not to pitch or bat.” The Senate confirmed him by a vote of 78-22 on September 29, 2005.

Judicial Philosophy and Constitutional Interpretation

Roberts advocates for judicial restraint, originalism, and textualism in constitutional interpretation. He believes judges should apply law neutrally rather than engage in creative lawmaking, though critics argue his major decisions have often advanced conservative policy goals. His approach combines respect for precedent with willingness to overturn liberal rulings he views as constitutionally flawed.

As Chief Justice, Roberts has consistently emphasized institutional integrity and incremental change over revolutionary jurisprudence. However, his leadership has coincided with the most conservative Supreme Court in nearly a century, creating tension between his institutionalist instincts and ideological objectives.

Major Opinions and Legal Impact

Healthcare and Federal Power

Roberts authored the pivotal decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012), upholding the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate as a constitutional tax. This decision surprised conservatives but demonstrated Roberts’s complex approach to federal power and his occasional willingness to break with conservative orthodoxy to preserve institutional legitimacy.

Civil Rights and Voting

In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), Roberts authored the majority opinion striking down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, arguing that federal oversight of state voting laws was no longer necessary. This decision enabled numerous states to implement voting restrictions, fundamentally altering American voting rights protections.

Presidential Power

Roberts has authored several opinions expanding executive authority, including Trump v. Hawaii (2018) upholding the Muslim travel ban and Trump v. United States (2024) establishing broad presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. These decisions reflect his deference to executive power in areas of national security and foreign policy.

Race and Education

Roberts authored Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023), ending race-based college admissions programs nationwide. This decision fulfilled a long-standing conservative goal and demonstrated Roberts’s willingness to overturn decades of precedent when advancing originalist constitutional interpretation.

Leadership Style and Court Dynamics

As Chief Justice, Roberts assigns majority opinions when he votes with the majority, a power he has used strategically to shape legal doctrine and maintain control over controversial decisions. His leadership style emphasizes consensus-building and narrow rulings, though the Court’s 6-3 conservative majority has enabled broader conservative decisions than Roberts might prefer.

Roberts has presided over significant constitutional developments including marriage equality, religious liberty expansions, Second Amendment jurisprudence, and abortion rights. He also presided over President Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2020, maintaining judicial decorum during highly partisan proceedings.

The Roberts-Barrett Partnership: Mentorship and Judicial Alliance

A defining aspect of Roberts’s tenure has been his evolving relationship with Justice Amy Coney Barrett, whom he has cultivated as a key ally in advancing conservative jurisprudence while maintaining institutional credibility. Since Barrett joined the Court in 2020, Roberts has strategically assigned her significant majority opinions, including the landmark Trump v. CASA decision that expanded executive power while limiting federal court authority to issue nationwide injunctions.

Roberts’s mentorship of Barrett reflects both personal and strategic considerations. Early in her tenure, he assigned her a complex property rights case where she initially drafted a majority opinion but later changed positions—a bold move that could have antagonized the Chief Justice but instead demonstrated her independent judicial thinking. Rather than penalizing this judicial evolution, Roberts has continued to entrust Barrett with increasingly important assignments, including cases involving Native American rights and religious liberty.

Barrett’s judicial philosophy closely mirrors Roberts’s own approach to constitutional interpretation. Both justices embrace originalism and textualism, seeking to interpret constitutional and statutory language according to its original public meaning rather than evolving contemporary understanding. Like Roberts, Barrett demonstrates judicial restraint and institutionalist concerns, often preferring narrow rulings over sweeping constitutional pronouncements. Their shared commitment to incremental conservative change has made them frequent collaborators in cases where Roberts needs a reliable fifth or sixth vote for majority coalitions.

The Chief Justice appears particularly attentive to Barrett’s contributions during oral arguments and conference discussions, recognizing her potential as a swing vote who can attract liberal justices to conservative positions. In several high-profile cases, Roberts and Barrett have joined with liberal justices to constrain Trump administration overreach, demonstrating their shared concern for judicial independence and separation of powers. This partnership has frustrated some conservatives who expected Barrett to be more ideologically rigid, but it has enhanced Roberts’s ability to control controversial decisions and maintain Court legitimacy while still advancing conservative legal principles.

Legacy and Long-Term Impact

After twenty years as Chief Justice, Roberts has fundamentally transformed American constitutional law through conservative jurisprudence while maintaining the Court’s basic institutional framework. His tenure has seen the steady advancement of originalist constitutional interpretation, limited federal regulatory power, expanded religious liberty protections, and strengthened executive authority.

Critics argue that Roberts has enabled a “constitutional revolution” that contradicts his stated commitment to incremental change and judicial restraint. Supporters contend he has restored constitutional text and original meaning to Supreme Court jurisprudence while preserving essential democratic institutions.

Roberts continues to navigate the tension between conservative legal advancement and institutional preservation as he enters his third decade of service. His ultimate legacy will depend on whether his leadership produces lasting constitutional change or triggers backlash that undermines judicial authority. As both the youngest Chief Justice in over a century and one of the longest-serving, Roberts’s influence on American law will extend far beyond his eventual retirement.

Bibliography and Sources

Primary Sources:

• Current Members. Supreme Court of the United States. July 12, 2017.
• 2024 Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary. Supreme Court of the United States. 2024.

Government and Institutional Sources:

• Judicial Nominations – Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. George W. Bush White House Archives. August 7, 2008.
• Roberts, John Glover, Jr. Federal Judicial Center. June 29, 2022.
• John G. Roberts, Jr. Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.
• Chief Justice John Roberts. Justia Supreme Court Center. September 28, 2005.

Academic and Scholarly Sources:

• Biography and Judicial Philosophy of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. Seton Hall University Scholarship.
• Chief Justice John Roberts and the Combination of Conservatism and Institutionalism. Illinois Law Review. August 30, 2023.
• The Philosophy and Jurisprudence of Chief Justice Roberts. University of Utah College of Law.
• The Judicial Philosophy of Chief Justice John Roberts. Emory International Law Review. February 3, 2021.
• In the Balance: Law and Politics on the Roberts Court. William & Mary Law School.
• “In Search of Justice: An Examination of the Appointments of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito”. William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. April 22, 2014.
• Federalism Rebalancing and the Roberts Court. Harvard Law Review. May 1, 2025.

News and Analysis Sources:

• John G. Roberts, Jr. | Biography, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Britannica. August 14, 2025.
• The Current Court: Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. Supreme Court Historical Society. March 27, 2022.
• In 20 years under John Roberts, a dramatic rightward turn for the US Supreme Court. Reuters. September 8, 2025.
• This Is the Presidency John Roberts Has Built. The Atlantic. July 21, 2025.
• The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts. Aspen Ideas Festival. August 19, 2025.
• Understanding John Roberts: A Conservative Institutionalist. JURIST. July 30, 2020.

Roberts-Barrett Relationship Sources:

• Initially wary of Trump, Roberts and Barrett offer the former president a victory. CNN. June 28, 2025.
• The behind-the-scenes power John Roberts wields to shape Supreme Court decisions. CNN. July 2, 2025.
• Amy Coney Barrett Is The Most Interesting Justice On The Court. Original Jurisdiction (Substack). July 2, 2025.
• Amy Coney Barrett and John Roberts Become a Thorn in Trump’s Side. Newsweek. March 6, 2025.
• Amy Coney Barrett’s Biggest Supreme Court Allies Revealed. Newsweek. July 15, 2025.
• Supreme Court’s Roberts turns court to the right as Barrett becomes influential. NPR. July 1, 2024.
• How Amy Coney Barrett Is Confounding the Right and the Left. The New York Times. June 15, 2025.
• Opinion | Trump resistance needs Amy Coney Barrett and John Roberts. The Washington Post. March 27, 2025.
• Closing the book on the term. SCOTUSblog. June 30, 2025.
• Amy Coney Barrett. Wikipedia. May 7, 2017.

#2025 #America #AmyConeyBarrett #ChiefJustice #Conservative #DonaldTrump #Education #Health #History #JohnRoberts #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #RightWingConservative #Science #SupremeCourt #Trump #TrumpAdministration #USSupremeCourt #UnitedStates

A Tribute to Patrick Hemingway with Sandra Spanier | The Hemingway Society

 The Hemingway Society

A Tribute to Patrick Hemingway with Sandra Spanier

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September 10, 2025

At One True Podcast we were sad to hear of the death of Patrick Hemingway, the middle son of Ernest, who died on September 2, 2025. Patrick Hemingway (1928-2025) lived a life that was truly Hemingwayesque: traveling like his father, living much of his life in Africa, hunting and fishing, and determined to maintain the legacy of his father’s literary work. 

We invited Sandra Spanier, General Editor of the Hemingway Letters Project, to share her memories of Patrick, including his contributions to the Letters Project, her visits with him, and a poignant interview with Patrick that was conducted just a few months ago. Our episode closes with a soundbite from that June 2025 interview.

We hope you enjoy this immediate reaction to the sad news of Patrick’s passing.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: A Tribute to Patrick Hemingway with Sandra Spanier | The Hemingway Society

#2025 #Books #Death #Education #ErnestHemingway #HemingwaySociety #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Obituary #OneTruePodcast #Passing #PatrickHemingway #Reading #September2 #Son #UnitedStates

September 2025 U.S. Midterms Update: Deep Dive on Politics, Economy, Redistricting, and Key Races – DrWeb’s Domain UPDATE

September 2025 U.S. Midterms Update: Deep Dive on Politics, Economy, Redistricting, and Key Races

The 2026 midterm elections are shaping up to be highly contested and defined by critical battles over congressional control, redistricting fights initiated by GOP and Democrats, and an economy that voters are closely watching. This monthly report breaks down the latest developments, polling trends, and political analysis ahead of the November 2026 elections. Remember election date is November 3, 2026.

1. Major News Stories: Top 10 Midterm Election Reads

• Democrats launch legal blitz to blunt GOP redistricting advantage (Politico, 9/9) — The long, costly legal push to counteract GOP map changes in critical states.
• The two major forces shaping Trump’s second midterm election (NBC News, 9/2) — Redistricting and the “One Big Beautiful Bill” legislation energize both parties.
• Key Senate contests take shape ahead of 2026 midterm elections (CBS News, 8/28) — Overview of crucial Senate races Democrats must flip to gain majority.
• Democrats lead in House generic ballot polls by 2.3 points (G. Elliott Morris, 7/31) — Poll average indicates a small Democratic edge nationally.
• Will Trump Have to Run From the Economy? (New York Times, 9/4) — Weak job growth and inflation pressures loom large in voter concerns.
• What is Trump’s approval rating? Polls show how Americans feel (USA Today, 9/8) — Recent uptick in approval amid economic uncertainty.
• 2026 Senate Election Interactive Map (270toWin, 7/24) — Track all Senate races and their forecasted outcomes.
• Republicans brace for redistricting ‘catastrophe’ in California (Politico, 9/7) — GOP anxiety as Democrats push new maps to reclaim seats.
• The Framers wanted the House closest to the people. Redistricting… (NPR, 8/27) — Historical context on midcycle redistricting battles.
• Trump Ordered Texas To Gerrymander 5 New Republican-Leaning Congressional Districts (CAP, 8/26) — How Texas GOP aims to expand House majority before election.

2. Deep Dive Analysis: The Redistricting Power Play

This summer, Texas Republicans, urged by President Trump, redrew congressional maps mid-decade to add five new Republican-leaning districts, a rare and controversial move historically uncommon outside court orders. Democrats responded by unveiling competing maps in California and encouraging legal challenges nationwide, sparking a fierce redistricting showdown that will impact dozens of competitive House districts and likely cement a GOP advantage in 2026.

Experts warn these aggressive partisan redraws risk disenfranchising voters and undermining the constitutional principle that the House should closely represent the populace. With control of the House up for grabs, this redistricting race has become the most consequential political battle outside the ballot box heading into next year.

3. Polling and Forecasts

President Trump’s approval rating slightly rebounded from 42% in July to 44% in September, buoyed by gains among independents and moderates. However, economic concerns remain high, with inflation and job growth cited as top voter priorities.

National generic ballot polling shows Democrats leading Republicans by 2.3 points on average, signaling a competitive but Democratic-leaning House race nationally. Senate control remains toss-up territory, with Republicans defending 22 of 35 seats and Democrats defending 13; Democrats need a net gain of four seats to reclaim the chamber.

4. Economic & Social Issues Impacting the Midterms

Economic jitters permeate voter sentiment as weak job numbers and stubborn inflation dominate headlines. August added just 22,000 jobs, raising concerns about a stalling labor market that could drive voter dissatisfaction. Inflation pressures related to tariffs and rising costs threaten to weigh on President Trump’s approval ahead of the elections.

Social issues such as immigration and government spending rank highly in voter priorities, shaping campaign narratives across party lines. The evolving debates on these topics may significantly influence turnout among key demographics.

5. Legislative and Legal Landscape

The legal battle over redistricting is expected to continue well into 2026, with Democrats mounting court challenges against GOP maps in states like Texas. Key legislative efforts around voting rights and election security are also progressing in several states, further complicating the electoral environment.

6. Key Dates & Events to Watch

• Fall 2025: Candidate filing deadlines in several battleground states
• Spring 2026: Primary elections for House and Senate races begin
• Summer 2026: Major party conventions and national conventions
• November 3, 2026: Election Day — Midterm elections for all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats

7. Expert Voices & Opinions

David Wasserman, election analyst at the Cook Political Report, highlights that redistricting alone could yield a net gain of 4 to 12 seats for Republicans in the House, despite a national environment slightly favorable to Democrats. Political strategists emphasize the importance of battleground states like North Carolina and Texas, where intense contests and primary battles will shape Senate control.

8. Conclusion & What to Watch Next Month

The 2026 midterms are fast becoming a referendum on economic performance and political representation. Redistricting fights will likely decide control of key House districts before voters even cast ballots, while Senate races remain unpredictable with numerous open and contested seats. Voter attention will increasingly focus on economic signals and social issues as campaigns intensify heading into 2026.

Next month’s update will cover early primary results, fundraising reports, and the fallout of ongoing legal challenges over redistricting maps. Stay tuned for in-depth analysis and fresh polling data as the election year approaches.

Sources: Politico, NBC News, CBS News, G. Elliott Morris, New York Times, USA Today, 270toWin, NPR, Cook Political Report as of September 2025. Edited by DrWeb, analysis by Perplexity Pro.

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #DrWebSDomain #Education #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Midterms2026 #MonthlyElectionReport #November2026 #Opinion #PerplexityAI #Politics #Resistance #Science #Technology #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

The Rocky Horror Picture Show turns 50 – CBS Sunday Morning – September 7, 2025

CBS Sunday Morning today looked back at the 50-year history of the cult cinema classic, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” embedded above.

In addition, I’ve researched, aided by my trust sidesick AI, some highlights of the best RHPS history and notes about the film, its history, midnight showings, cast, and include those excerpts here in the post. “Let’s Do the Timewarp Again!”

Let’s Do the Time Warp Again! 50 Years of Rocky Horror History

Film Origins & Creation

• Stage to Screen: Based on Richard O’Brien’s 1973 stage musical The Rocky Horror Show, the film premiered in the UK on August 14, 1975, and in the US on September 26, 1975.
• Initial Flop: Despite its later success, Rocky Horror was a complete box office disaster when first released, pulled from theaters after poor performance.
• Cultural Inspiration: O’Brien created the musical as a tribute to the science fiction and B-movie horror films he loved, with opening number Science Fiction/Double Feature referencing classics like “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “Flash Gordon,” and “King Kong.”

Record-Breaking Run

• Longest Theatrical Release: Still in limited release in 2025, Rocky Horror holds the Guinness World Record as the longest-running theatrical release in film history—50 years and counting.
• Midnight Movie Pioneer: The film essentially created the midnight movie phenomenon, with the first regular midnight showings beginning in 1976.
• Global Gross: What started as a flop has earned over $170 million worldwide through its unprecedented theatrical longevity.

Iconic Cast & Characters

• Tim Curry: His breakout role as the “sweet transvestite” Dr. Frank-N-Furter became one of cinema’s most memorable performances.
• Star Power: Featured Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick as the naive couple Brad and Janet, with Meat Loaf as motorcycle-riding Eddie.
• Supporting Cast: Richard O’Brien (also the writer) as Riff Raff, Patricia Quinn as Magenta, and Little Nell as Columbia rounded out the core ensemble.

Midnight Madness & Audience Participation

• Shadow Casts: Live amateur performers act out the film in front of the screen during screenings, a tradition that began organically and continues worldwide.
• Prop Culture: Audiences bring rice, toast, water guns, and newspaper to throw at specific moments, though many theaters now regulate prop policies.
• Costume Tradition: Fans dress as characters, though this has decreased over the years, with some theaters hosting themed nights like “prom night” or “lingerie night.”
• Safe Space: The midnight showings became sanctuaries where people could express themselves freely, particularly important for LGBTQ+ communities and those feeling marginalized.

50th Anniversary Celebrations (2025)

• Special Tour: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show Spectacular Tour” is in progress, for September-November 2025, featuring original cast members Barry Bostwick, Patricia Quinn, and Nell Campbell across 55 North American cities.
• 4K Restoration: A newly restored 4K HDR edition has a forthcoming release in October 2025 in collectible SteelBook format with Dolby Vision and Atmos audio.
• Deluxe Soundtrack: 50th anniversary edition on 180g red-in-gold vinyl featuring never-before-seen photos and production diary excerpts.
• Documentary Features: Two commemorative documentaries were produced: “Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror” and another exploring the Rocky Horror phenomenon.

Cultural Impact & Legacy

• Cult Classic Definition: Rocky Horror essentially defined what we mean by a “cult movie”—the first, the biggest, and the template for all others.
• Life-Changing Impact: The BBC noted the film has literally “saved lives” by providing community and acceptance for outsiders and marginalized individuals.
• Continuing Tradition: Famous venues like Los Angeles’ Nuart Theatre have hosted weekly Saturday night screenings since 1986, with shadow cast performances by groups like “Sins O’ The Flesh.”
• Pandemic Resilience: Even during COVID-19 lockdowns, a Portland theater continued showing the film to empty houses for 54 weeks, and celebrities did live-streamed readings to support political causes.

Additional Resources:

• Official Rocky Horror Fan Site: rockyhorror.com
• Landmark Theatres’ Nuart (historic LA venue): landmarktheatres.com
• Academy Museum 50th Anniversary Events – https://www.academymuseum.org/en/programs/detail/50th-anniversary-of-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-019819d5-47de-b544-831c-004abcccd6ad – The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Tim Curry, Lou Adler, and Sins O’ The Flesh, In person: Tim Curry, Lou Adler, Sins O’ The Flesh.

The unique film’s enduring appeal lies in its celebration of sexual liberation, gender fluidity, and the joy of being different—themes that continue to resonate with new generations of fans who find community in the darkness of midnight theaters worldwide. Somewhere, always, it seems now, there’ a “Time Warp” waiting for you!

#2025 #America #DrWebSDomain #Film #Films #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Movies #RHPS #ScienceFiction #Television #TheRockyHorrorPictureShow #UnitedStates #Wordpress #YouTube

Seeing Things – Department of Hate, Etc. -Liza Donnelly

Trump’s ideas keep coming at us, it’s exhausting

By Liza Donnelly, Sep 05, 2025

Renaming the Department of Defense to be the Departent of War is such a toxic masulinity move. It’s typical. Trump is all about getting rid of Education, Health— and into making “leadership” all about aggression, hate, and dominance. But today Trump signed an executive order to make the change.

Why doesn’t he just create a Department of Hate? How about a Department of Meanness? Department of Arrogance? Department of Stupidity? Department of Sexism? I could go on but probably should stop.

NY Times opinion journalist Jamelle Bouie writes for the paper, but he also records daily—sometimes twice daily—videos (on Instagram and TikTok) with sharp intelligence and often humor. I always appreciate his take, and this time he is railing against the leadership in Florida for removing any vaccine mandates in schools or for children. It’s outrageous, and scary. Editor’s Note: I added the link for readers.

https://instagram.com/p/DOJvhE_Cc_G

A post shared by @jbouie

At least 475 South Korean workers were detained in a major ICE raid at the Hyundai Factory in Georgia. According to the Guardian, “Trump has said he wants to deport “the worst of the worst” criminals, but Ice figures have shown a rise in non-criminals being picked up. Rights advocates have denounced such raids.”

Another weak jobs report hit today, the second in a row for Trump. After the bad report in August, Trump fired the official in charge of the numbers. This month’s data was just as disappointing. Who will he fire this time?

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Department of Hate, Etc. – by Liza Donnelly – Seeing Things

#2025 #America #DepartmentOfWar #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Influential Sister Photographers Were Hidden in Geronimo’s Eye for a Century https://petapixel.com/2025/09/05/influential-sister-photographers-were-hidden-in-geronimos-eye-for-a-century/ #womeninphotography #libraryofcongress #historicalfriday #gerhardsisters #20thcentury #geronimo #portrait #Culture #history #News

Tracking Trump: – The Washington Post

Tracking Trump: D.C. mayor’s National Guard order; a judge rules against Trump’s L.A. deployment; Trump attacks Chicago; and more

The 7 follows President Donald Trump’s second term, Today at 5:32 p.m. EDT

1

D.C. mayor orders indefinite cooperation with federal law enforcement.

• Today: Washington Mayor Muriel E. Bowser issued an executive order requiring local police coordination with federal law-enforcement officials. There is no expiration date.
• Context: President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to D.C. has a 30-day limit, but he has indicated he will seek to extend the deployment.

2

A judge ruled that Trump’s L.A. troop deployment was illegal.

• The latest: District Judge Charles R. Breyer ruled that Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles this summer violated a law banning them from engaging in domestic law enforcement activities.

• Why: Breyer wrote that federal officials “knew that they were ordering troops to execute domestic law beyond their usual authority.”

3

Trump amped up anti-Chicago rhetoric.

• What he said: “Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC.”

• Why it matters: After he sent troops to D.C., Trump said Chicago would see a National Guard deployment “probably next.”

4

Trump’s nominee to lead BLS discussed gender IQ with interns.

• New: While at the Heritage Foundation last year, E.J. Antoni told interns about a controversial IQ theory that says there are more women of “average” intelligence than men.

• Context: Trump nominated Antoni to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics after firing its previous head for releasing a negative jobs report.

5

Trump announced the Space Command HQ will move from Colorado to Alabama.

• What to know: Space Command, which oversees space military operations, has been in Colorado Springs since 2019, but will now move to Huntsville, Alabama.

Background: Trump reestablished the Space Command in 2019. An initial plan to move it from its interim HQ in Colorado to Alabama was scrapped by President Joe Biden in 2023.

Read MORE…

Continue/Read Original Article Here: The 7 things to know about President Donald Trump for [day, date] – The Washington Post

#2025 #7Things #America #BLS #BureauOfLaborStatistics #Chicago #DCMayor #DonaldTrump #Education #FederalizePolice #Health #History #LATroopsIllegal #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Politics #Resistance #Science #SpaceCommand #TheWashingtonPost #Travel #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – Getting Angry With A Pencil – Liza Donnelly

Getting Angry With A Pencil

We are in our darkest hour

Last night, I started watching the Darkest Hour, a great film about WInston Churchill during WW II, starring Gary Oldman. Nothing new here, but it is so clear to me that we are right now in our darkest hour. I know many, many people are doing heroic things to try to stop Trump, stop his autocrat architects, the evil masterminds of Project 2025; but at times it seem so piecemeal. Where is our Churchill? He saw the danger of Hitler clearly. As he made clear right after he became Prime Minister, there is no negotiating with Hitler.

We have to fight.

This came up on my social media today:

Our lives are so scattered, and our media is fractured. This makes it difficult for one person to lead like Churchill did. All he had was a radio broadcast —which was a huge tool during the war— and he had news media as well. And his genius, his compassion. Powerhouses like Pritzker, Newsom and others are trying. We need to amplify their words. But I want to hear more from others, like Obama, Clinton, Hochul, Booker, Buttigieg, Whitmer, Klobuchar, Shapiro….to name a few.

One person in the alternative media whom I respect is Kara Swisher. She has a great podcast, On With Kara Swisher, which I highly recommend. She posted this on Bluesky this morning:

This grouping of men must infuriate Trump that he’s not with them. He probably thinks they are laughing at him; and they probably are.

Another good source of information is Meidas Touch News. Politico is good, too. If you don’t subscribe to Heather Cox Richardson’s Letter from An American, you won’t regret it.

Good news: Judge Charles R. Breyer of the Federal District Court in San Francisco found that Trump’s deployment had exceeded the limits of federal laws that generally prohibit the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. Will this stop him from sending National Guard to Chicago? Unclear.

Read MORE….

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Getting Angry With A Pencil – by Liza Donnelly

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Epstein Victims To Speak – by Liza Donnelly

Epstein Victims To Speak

And thoughts on work…

By Liza Donnelly, Sep 01, 2025

On September 3rd, ten of Epstein’s victims will hold a press conference on the steps of the Capitol. (The press conference will be streamed live on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel. I have not seen any notice of this in the Mainstream media, except Fox News). Congressman Ro Khanna (D-California) called it “explosive.” He and Congressman Thomas Massie—a Republican—are co-leading a bill to force the release of Epstein’s files. They need 218 votes. Every Democrat is already in, so six Republicans have to step up. Fox News reported that Khanna arranged this press conference and hopes that when the American public hear the victims (most of whom have not spoken up, nor been asked to), they will be outraged.

“These victims haven’t spoken for decades. When Epstein got that lenient plea deal, no one talked to the victims or their lawyers. My belief is, when the American people actually hear the victims for the first time, they are going to sympathize, their hearts are going to be broken, and all the victims are saying is for closure.”

“We’ve got 212 Democrats and 12 Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. Look, this is not about Donald Trump, and it’s not partisan. This is about justice for the victims of rich and powerful men who abused underage girls.”

Khanna emphasized that “in this country, people want transparency. They want accountability. I’m confident we’re going to get the 218 votes for the discharge petition.”

I know I’ve posted this drawing before, but here it is again.

Although it’s better than it was, we still live in a culture that does not believe women.

Hundreds of marches took place today across the country today to mark Labor Day. Called “Workers Over Billionaires,” there were demonstrations in cities including New York, Houston, Washington DC, and Los Angeles, Cleveland, Ohio and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Trump is not sympathetic to workers, as much as he has touted that he is. He could care less about the common person, the working person. According to a report in the NY times: “the attack on labor unions is part of a broader effort by Trump to assert more control of the federal work force and make it easier to fire civil servants. The president has also crippled several independent boards that adjudicate employment disputes, interfering with a critical resource employees have to challenge their terminations.”

Continue/Read Original Article: https://lizadonnelly.substack.com/p/epstein-victims-to-speak-tomorrow

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Epstein #EpsteinVictims #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates #VictimsOfSexTrafficing

Top 7 Sources: US Elections 2025–2026 News Summary – DrWeb’s Domain

Top 7 Sources: US Elections 2025–2026 News Summary

1. 2026 United States elections overview
   Comprehensive Wikipedia summary: federal, statewide, local races; generic ballot polling; mayoral/county races; opinion polling tables.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_elections
2. August 2025 Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll results
   Trump approval rating, top voter issues, polarization, inflation vs. immigration priorities, policy support splits.
   https://harvardharrispoll.com/press-release-august-2025/
3. Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Ballot model: Democrats favored
   Conditional forecasts for House/Senate seat change; regression analysis; impact of seat exposure and generic ballot.
   https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/generic-ballot-model-gives-democrats-strong-chance-to-take-back-house-in-2026/
4. Nate Silver Bulletin: Trump approval rating aggregator
   Daily composite Trump approval/disapproval; historical net approval vs. previous presidents at same point; reliability notes.
   https://www.natesilver.net/p/trump-approval-ratings-nate-silver-bulletin
5. USAPP Blog: LSE ‘The road to the 2026 midterms’ series
   Calendar of 2025–2026 elections; special/primary/off-year races; Senate seat analysis and party control implications.
   https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2025/06/04/the-road-to-the-2026-midterm-elections/
6. Ballotpedia: Special Elections to the 119th Congress (archival)
   Dates, districts, results, implications for House/Senate control. Note: direct fetch unsuccessful; refer to Ballotpedia main page.
   https://ballotpedia.org/Special_elections_to_the_119th_United_States_Congress_(2025-2026)
7. Generic ballot poll aggregation – RCP/DDHQ, opinion data
   RealClearPolitics, Decision Desk HQ, poll aggregators cited via Wikipedia and Crystal Ball articles for current generic ballot, party lead.

   See references/links inside Wikipedia and Sabato’s Crystal Ball cited above.

Prepared for DrWeb’s Domain and updated by ChatGPT.

#2025 #2025Elections #2026Elections #AI #America #DonaldTrump #DrWebSDomain #DWD #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #NewsUpdates #Politics #Resistance #Science #SourceChatGPT #Trump #TrumpAdministration #USElections #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – Voting Is Voice – Liza Donnelly

Voting Is Voice

Today is the anniverary of the Nineteenth Amendment

Heather Cox Richardson created a short video explaining the history of the Amendment. Thanks, Heather, for reminding me of this anniverary!

It took decades of struggle for women— and male advocates— to gain suffrage. Our rights are again under seige from members of the Trump administration, it’s frightening.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Voting Is Voice – by Liza Donnelly – Seeing Things

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates #Voice #Voting #YouTube

The Urgency Of Trump’s Destruction – by Liza Donnelly

The Urgency Of Trump’s Destruction

We need to feel it

By Liza Donnelly, Aug 25, 2025

When you slightly remove yourself from the news for a few days, as I just did, it feels odd. I stayed in touch with the headlines, but didn’t go deep during my time away. It was restorative, for sure, but also made me unsure of how to jump back in. Things right now seem to be a case of more-of-the-same, which is not good. Trump is continuing to be destructive, and the opposition is continuting to try to find a way to stop him.

I find California Govenmor Newsom’s loud, mocking tweets to be very effective in bringing attention to the fact we have a deranged, dangerous president. He recently posted a hysterical tweet that advertised a shop that included a bible for sale for $100 (“SOLD OUT” —but I imagine it never was for sale). The link included more items, and it was unclear to me if you could actually order these things and where the money would go. The site is administered by a group called Campaign for Democracy.

There are tons of Newsom memes, too.

Chicago and New York are next up in Trump’s sights for sending National Guard troops. The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon has spent weeks preparing for an operation in Chicago that would include National Guard troops and potentially active-duty forces. WEEKS.

Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton spoke in Washington yesterday, and said it is clearly about targeting Black and Brown communities.

“This is laced with bigotry and racism. Not one white mayor has been designated. And I think this is a civil rights issue, a race issue, and an issue of D.C. statehood.”

The liberal cities’ leadership is pushing back hard, “An authoritarian power grab of major cities,” Gov. JB Pritzker called the move in a Friday post on X, placing it as the sole item on a list of “things People are NOT begging for” and needling Trump for his administration’s handling of the Epstein files. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said on X that deploying the national guard could “inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement” and “threaten to undermine the historic progress we have made” in fighting crime.

There are tons of Newsom memes, too.

Chicago and New York are next up in Trump’s sights for sending National Guard troops. The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon has spent weeks preparing for an operation in Chicago that would include National Guard troops and potentially active-duty forces. WEEKS.

Civil Rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton spoke in Washington yesterday, and said it is clearly about targeting Black and Brown communities.

“This is laced with bigotry and racism. Not one white mayor has been designated. And I think this is a civil rights issue, a race issue, and an issue of D.C. statehood.”

The liberal cities’ leadership is pushing back hard, “An authoritarian power grab of major cities,” Gov. JB Pritzker called the move in a Friday post on X, placing it as the sole item on a list of “things People are NOT begging for” and needling Trump for his administration’s handling of the Epstein files. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said on X that deploying the national guard could “inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement” and “threaten to undermine the historic progress we have made” in fighting crime.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: The Urgency Of Trump’s Destruction – by Liza Donnelly

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #TrumpSDestruction #UnitedStates

Monthly U.S. Elections Summary: August 2025

Monthly U.S. Elections Summary: August 2025

Here is the August 2025 summary update on major U.S. news and political trends as the nation heads toward the November 2026 elections, with current charts for Trump’s approval and congressional control signals. This report is prepared monthly by Perplexity Pro especially for and edited by DrWeb’s Domain.

Politics

• The 2026 midterm elections will decide all House seats, over a third of Senate seats, dozens of governorships, and many local offices, making it a pivotal contest for both parties.
• Democrats are currently leading in generic congressional ballot polling by 3–4 points, indicating an early advantage for potential House gains, while Senate forecasts favor notable Democratic advances due to Republican seat exposure in competitive states.

Economy

• Inflation remains voters’ top concern in late August 2025, with public mood sensitive to rising prices and economic performance, both likely to heavily influence campaign agendas in the coming months.

Social Issues

• Crime and immigration are high-profile topics for the electorate, matched by significant attention to global events such as conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East.
• Persistent partisan and demographic divides are evident in polling, suggesting continued polarization on key issues and strategies targeted by both parties.

Key Events

• Special congressional elections and 2026 primary dates are in motion, with each new cycle update potentially affecting momentum and party margins going into next year.

Charts

Trump’s Approval Ratings (August 2025)

• Trump’s approval: 44.1%
• Trump’s disapproval: 52.4%

Chart: Trump approval vs disapproval trend line for August 2025

House and Senate Control Signals (2026 Outlook)

• Democrats lead House polling by +3.7 points
• Senate models project Democratic net gains (+5 seats)

Chart: Bar chart showing current indicators for congressional control by party

This update tracks the latest polling, major issues, and election process milestones, with charts refreshed monthly through November 2026.

Top 7 Sources for Reference

1. 2026 United States elections overview
   Comprehensive Wikipedia summary: federal, statewide, local races; generic ballot polling; mayoral/county races; opinion polling tables.
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_elections
2. August 2025 Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll results
   Trump approval rating, top voter issues, polarization, inflation vs. immigration priorities, policy support splits.
   https://harvardharrispoll.com/press-release-august-2025/
3. Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Ballot model: Democrats favored
   Conditional forecasts for House/Senate seat change; regression analysis; impact of seat exposure and generic ballot.
   https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/generic-ballot-model-gives-democrats-strong-chance-to-take-back-house-in-2026/
4. Nate Silver Bulletin: Trump approval rating aggregator
   Daily composite Trump approval/disapproval; historical net approval vs. previous presidents at same point; reliability notes.
   https://www.natesilver.net/p/trump-approval-ratings-nate-silver-bulletin
5. USAPP Blog: LSE ‘The road to the 2026 midterms’ series
   Calendar of 2025–2026 elections; special/primary/off-year races; Senate seat analysis and party control implications.
   https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2025/06/04/the-road-to-the-2026-midterm-elections/
6. Ballotpedia: Special Elections to the 119th Congress
   Dates, districts, results, implications for House/Senate control.
   https://ballotpedia.org/Special_elections_to_the_119th_United_States_Congress_(2025-2026)
7. Generic ballot poll aggregation – RCP/DDHQ
   RealClearPolitics, Decision Desk HQ, poll aggregators for current generic ballot and party lead data.
   See references/links inside Wikipedia and Sabato’s Crystal Ball cited above

Monthly summary compiled August 26, 2025. Next update: September 2025.

#2025 #America #August2025 #DonaldTrump #DrWebSDomain #Elections #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Reading #Resistance #Science #Trump #TrumpAdministration #USElections #UnitedStates

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

• Europe
• Pro
• E&E News

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules

As a result, Habba cannot participate in prosecutions by the office.

Alina Habba, former lawyer for President Donald Trump, is at the center of battle to lead New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. | Mary Altaffer/AP

By Ry Rivard and Matt Friedman08/21/2025 03:37 PM EDTUpdated: 08/21/2025 05:36 PM EDT

A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s use of a loophole to keep Alina Habba in place as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor.

In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said Thursday that Habba “is not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney” and has been in the position without legal authority since July 1.

Editor’s Note: The PDF ruling document is embedded at the end of this article.

As a result, Habba, who had previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney, cannot run the office the president attempted to keep her in charge of after her 120-day interim appointment expired. The Trump administration employed a series of maneuvers to try to retain Habba’s control of the office after district judges ousted her in July.

“Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,” Brann wrote.

Brann put his ruling on hold, pending the Trump administration’s possible appeal, but the fallout could be a staggering mess across the executive branch. Brann said Habba’s actions in New Jersey for the past seven weeks “may be declared void” and Habba must be disqualified from participating in any of the office’s cases as its leader. The office handles thousands of criminal and civil cases at any given time.

The ruling by Brann — a Republican and Obama appointee who sits in Pennsylvania’s Middle District — could also have wider implications for other U.S. attorney’s offices in Los Angeles, Nevada, New Mexico and upstate New York, where the administration has effectively sidestepped or overridden both the Senate confirmation and judicial appointment processes for selecting U.S. attorneys.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would “immediately appeal.”

She said on social media Habba “is doing incredible work in New Jersey — and we will protect her position from activist judicial attacks.”

A spokesperson for Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brann’s ruling came in response to legal challenges to Habba’s authority by defense attorneys trying to get charges against their clients thrown out by arguing the Trump administration illegally kept her on and without being confirmed by the Senate.

Those challenges came amid days of confusion over who is leading the office because of complex and contested rules over filling vacancies when there isn’t a Senate-confirmed leader.

The judge declined to throw out the charges against the defendants, Julien Giraud and Cesar Pina, but said anyone who prosecutes them “under the supervision or authority of Ms. Habba” would be subject to disqualification.

Brann’s formal order only applies to the defendants in the case before him, but his opinion is written to broadly apply to everything Habba does.

“I think it would be deeply irresponsible for the department to move forward with Alina Habba as the highest Justice Department official signing indictments or other pleadings,” said James Pearce, an attorney who represents the Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey in the case.

Brann said that allowing stacked interim appointments would effectively void the need for confirmation. “Taken to the extreme, the President could use this method to staff the United States Attorney’s office with individuals of his personal choice for an entire term without seeking the Senate’s advice and consent,” he wrote.
His ruling also has findings that could embolden those who want to check Trump’s moves to strengthen the White House’s grip on government.
“Congress is expected to speak clearly when it rebalances the separation of powers, and courts should be chary of Executive branch interpretations of structural enactments that result in greater arrogation of power to the President,” Brann wrote.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/alina-habba-new-jersey-us-attorney-ruling-00518559

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, has started putting his name on some of the New Jersey office’s work in recent days, an unusual move that appears designed to head off challenges to the authority of those prosecutions if they were signed by Habba alone.

Brann’s ruling also has implications for other agencies, said Anne Joseph O’Connell, a Stanford Law School professor who studies the appointments process. She said modern agencies run on the delegation of authority in the face of a broken Senate confirmation process and that some of the particulars in Brann’s ruling would affect other administration officials, like the current head of FEMA.

“If upheld on appeal, this ruling would upend common practice of acting officials under Democratic and Republican Administrations,” Joseph O’Connell said. Editor’s Note: Below is the judge’s opinion in full, courtesy of Politico.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #FederalJudge #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #MatthewBrann #Opinion #Politico #Politics #Resistance #Science #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

• Europe
• Pro
• E&E News

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules

As a result, Habba cannot participate in prosecutions by the office.

Alina Habba, former lawyer for President Donald Trump, is at the center of battle to lead New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. | Mary Altaffer/AP

By Ry Rivard and Matt Friedman08/21/2025 03:37 PM EDTUpdated: 08/21/2025 05:36 PM EDT

A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s use of a loophole to keep Alina Habba in place as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor.

In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said Thursday that Habba “is not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney” and has been in the position without legal authority since July 1.

Editor’s Note: The PDF ruling document is embedded at the end of this article.

As a result, Habba, who had previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney, cannot run the office the president attempted to keep her in charge of after her 120-day interim appointment expired. The Trump administration employed a series of maneuvers to try to retain Habba’s control of the office after district judges ousted her in July.

“Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,” Brann wrote.

Brann put his ruling on hold, pending the Trump administration’s possible appeal, but the fallout could be a staggering mess across the executive branch. Brann said Habba’s actions in New Jersey for the past seven weeks “may be declared void” and Habba must be disqualified from participating in any of the office’s cases as its leader. The office handles thousands of criminal and civil cases at any given time.

The ruling by Brann — a Republican and Obama appointee who sits in Pennsylvania’s Middle District — could also have wider implications for other U.S. attorney’s offices in Los Angeles, Nevada, New Mexico and upstate New York, where the administration has effectively sidestepped or overridden both the Senate confirmation and judicial appointment processes for selecting U.S. attorneys.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would “immediately appeal.”

She said on social media Habba “is doing incredible work in New Jersey — and we will protect her position from activist judicial attacks.”

A spokesperson for Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brann’s ruling came in response to legal challenges to Habba’s authority by defense attorneys trying to get charges against their clients thrown out by arguing the Trump administration illegally kept her on and without being confirmed by the Senate.

Those challenges came amid days of confusion over who is leading the office because of complex and contested rules over filling vacancies when there isn’t a Senate-confirmed leader.

The judge declined to throw out the charges against the defendants, Julien Giraud and Cesar Pina, but said anyone who prosecutes them “under the supervision or authority of Ms. Habba” would be subject to disqualification.

Brann’s formal order only applies to the defendants in the case before him, but his opinion is written to broadly apply to everything Habba does.

“I think it would be deeply irresponsible for the department to move forward with Alina Habba as the highest Justice Department official signing indictments or other pleadings,” said James Pearce, an attorney who represents the Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey in the case.

Brann said that allowing stacked interim appointments would effectively void the need for confirmation. “Taken to the extreme, the President could use this method to staff the United States Attorney’s office with individuals of his personal choice for an entire term without seeking the Senate’s advice and consent,” he wrote.
His ruling also has findings that could embolden those who want to check Trump’s moves to strengthen the White House’s grip on government.
“Congress is expected to speak clearly when it rebalances the separation of powers, and courts should be chary of Executive branch interpretations of structural enactments that result in greater arrogation of power to the President,” Brann wrote.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/alina-habba-new-jersey-us-attorney-ruling-00518559

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, has started putting his name on some of the New Jersey office’s work in recent days, an unusual move that appears designed to head off challenges to the authority of those prosecutions if they were signed by Habba alone.

Brann’s ruling also has implications for other agencies, said Anne Joseph O’Connell, a Stanford Law School professor who studies the appointments process. She said modern agencies run on the delegation of authority in the face of a broken Senate confirmation process and that some of the particulars in Brann’s ruling would affect other administration officials, like the current head of FEMA.

“If upheld on appeal, this ruling would upend common practice of acting officials under Democratic and Republican Administrations,” Joseph O’Connell said. Editor’s Note: Below is the judge’s opinion in full, courtesy of Politico.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #FederalJudge #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #MatthewBrann #Opinion #Politico #Politics #Resistance #Science #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

• Europe
• Pro
• E&E News

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules

As a result, Habba cannot participate in prosecutions by the office.

Alina Habba, former lawyer for President Donald Trump, is at the center of battle to lead New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. | Mary Altaffer/AP

By Ry Rivard and Matt Friedman08/21/2025 03:37 PM EDTUpdated: 08/21/2025 05:36 PM EDT

A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s use of a loophole to keep Alina Habba in place as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor.

In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said Thursday that Habba “is not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney” and has been in the position without legal authority since July 1.

Editor’s Note: The PDF ruling document is embedded at the end of this article.

As a result, Habba, who had previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney, cannot run the office the president attempted to keep her in charge of after her 120-day interim appointment expired. The Trump administration employed a series of maneuvers to try to retain Habba’s control of the office after district judges ousted her in July.

“Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,” Brann wrote.

Brann put his ruling on hold, pending the Trump administration’s possible appeal, but the fallout could be a staggering mess across the executive branch. Brann said Habba’s actions in New Jersey for the past seven weeks “may be declared void” and Habba must be disqualified from participating in any of the office’s cases as its leader. The office handles thousands of criminal and civil cases at any given time.

The ruling by Brann — a Republican and Obama appointee who sits in Pennsylvania’s Middle District — could also have wider implications for other U.S. attorney’s offices in Los Angeles, Nevada, New Mexico and upstate New York, where the administration has effectively sidestepped or overridden both the Senate confirmation and judicial appointment processes for selecting U.S. attorneys.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would “immediately appeal.”

She said on social media Habba “is doing incredible work in New Jersey — and we will protect her position from activist judicial attacks.”

A spokesperson for Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brann’s ruling came in response to legal challenges to Habba’s authority by defense attorneys trying to get charges against their clients thrown out by arguing the Trump administration illegally kept her on and without being confirmed by the Senate.

Those challenges came amid days of confusion over who is leading the office because of complex and contested rules over filling vacancies when there isn’t a Senate-confirmed leader.

The judge declined to throw out the charges against the defendants, Julien Giraud and Cesar Pina, but said anyone who prosecutes them “under the supervision or authority of Ms. Habba” would be subject to disqualification.

Brann’s formal order only applies to the defendants in the case before him, but his opinion is written to broadly apply to everything Habba does.

“I think it would be deeply irresponsible for the department to move forward with Alina Habba as the highest Justice Department official signing indictments or other pleadings,” said James Pearce, an attorney who represents the Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey in the case.

Brann said that allowing stacked interim appointments would effectively void the need for confirmation. “Taken to the extreme, the President could use this method to staff the United States Attorney’s office with individuals of his personal choice for an entire term without seeking the Senate’s advice and consent,” he wrote.
His ruling also has findings that could embolden those who want to check Trump’s moves to strengthen the White House’s grip on government.
“Congress is expected to speak clearly when it rebalances the separation of powers, and courts should be chary of Executive branch interpretations of structural enactments that result in greater arrogation of power to the President,” Brann wrote.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/alina-habba-new-jersey-us-attorney-ruling-00518559

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, has started putting his name on some of the New Jersey office’s work in recent days, an unusual move that appears designed to head off challenges to the authority of those prosecutions if they were signed by Habba alone.

Brann’s ruling also has implications for other agencies, said Anne Joseph O’Connell, a Stanford Law School professor who studies the appointments process. She said modern agencies run on the delegation of authority in the face of a broken Senate confirmation process and that some of the particulars in Brann’s ruling would affect other administration officials, like the current head of FEMA.

“If upheld on appeal, this ruling would upend common practice of acting officials under Democratic and Republican Administrations,” Joseph O’Connell said. Editor’s Note: Below is the judge’s opinion in full, courtesy of Politico.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #FederalJudge #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #MatthewBrann #Opinion #Politico #Politics #Resistance #Science #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

• Europe
• Pro
• E&E News

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules

As a result, Habba cannot participate in prosecutions by the office.

Alina Habba, former lawyer for President Donald Trump, is at the center of battle to lead New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. | Mary Altaffer/AP

By Ry Rivard and Matt Friedman08/21/2025 03:37 PM EDTUpdated: 08/21/2025 05:36 PM EDT

A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s use of a loophole to keep Alina Habba in place as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor.

In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said Thursday that Habba “is not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney” and has been in the position without legal authority since July 1.

Editor’s Note: The PDF ruling document is embedded at the end of this article.

As a result, Habba, who had previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney, cannot run the office the president attempted to keep her in charge of after her 120-day interim appointment expired. The Trump administration employed a series of maneuvers to try to retain Habba’s control of the office after district judges ousted her in July.

“Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,” Brann wrote.

Brann put his ruling on hold, pending the Trump administration’s possible appeal, but the fallout could be a staggering mess across the executive branch. Brann said Habba’s actions in New Jersey for the past seven weeks “may be declared void” and Habba must be disqualified from participating in any of the office’s cases as its leader. The office handles thousands of criminal and civil cases at any given time.

The ruling by Brann — a Republican and Obama appointee who sits in Pennsylvania’s Middle District — could also have wider implications for other U.S. attorney’s offices in Los Angeles, Nevada, New Mexico and upstate New York, where the administration has effectively sidestepped or overridden both the Senate confirmation and judicial appointment processes for selecting U.S. attorneys.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would “immediately appeal.”

She said on social media Habba “is doing incredible work in New Jersey — and we will protect her position from activist judicial attacks.”

A spokesperson for Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brann’s ruling came in response to legal challenges to Habba’s authority by defense attorneys trying to get charges against their clients thrown out by arguing the Trump administration illegally kept her on and without being confirmed by the Senate.

Those challenges came amid days of confusion over who is leading the office because of complex and contested rules over filling vacancies when there isn’t a Senate-confirmed leader.

The judge declined to throw out the charges against the defendants, Julien Giraud and Cesar Pina, but said anyone who prosecutes them “under the supervision or authority of Ms. Habba” would be subject to disqualification.

Brann’s formal order only applies to the defendants in the case before him, but his opinion is written to broadly apply to everything Habba does.

“I think it would be deeply irresponsible for the department to move forward with Alina Habba as the highest Justice Department official signing indictments or other pleadings,” said James Pearce, an attorney who represents the Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey in the case.

Brann said that allowing stacked interim appointments would effectively void the need for confirmation. “Taken to the extreme, the President could use this method to staff the United States Attorney’s office with individuals of his personal choice for an entire term without seeking the Senate’s advice and consent,” he wrote.
His ruling also has findings that could embolden those who want to check Trump’s moves to strengthen the White House’s grip on government.
“Congress is expected to speak clearly when it rebalances the separation of powers, and courts should be chary of Executive branch interpretations of structural enactments that result in greater arrogation of power to the President,” Brann wrote.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/alina-habba-new-jersey-us-attorney-ruling-00518559

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, has started putting his name on some of the New Jersey office’s work in recent days, an unusual move that appears designed to head off challenges to the authority of those prosecutions if they were signed by Habba alone.

Brann’s ruling also has implications for other agencies, said Anne Joseph O’Connell, a Stanford Law School professor who studies the appointments process. She said modern agencies run on the delegation of authority in the face of a broken Senate confirmation process and that some of the particulars in Brann’s ruling would affect other administration officials, like the current head of FEMA.

“If upheld on appeal, this ruling would upend common practice of acting officials under Democratic and Republican Administrations,” Joseph O’Connell said. Editor’s Note: Below is the judge’s opinion in full, courtesy of Politico.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #FederalJudge #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #MatthewBrann #Opinion #Politico #Politics #Resistance #Science #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

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Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules

As a result, Habba cannot participate in prosecutions by the office.

Alina Habba, former lawyer for President Donald Trump, is at the center of battle to lead New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. | Mary Altaffer/AP

By Ry Rivard and Matt Friedman08/21/2025 03:37 PM EDTUpdated: 08/21/2025 05:36 PM EDT

A federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s use of a loophole to keep Alina Habba in place as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor.

In a 77-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann said Thursday that Habba “is not lawfully holding the office of United States Attorney” and has been in the position without legal authority since July 1.

Editor’s Note: The PDF ruling document is embedded at the end of this article.

As a result, Habba, who had previously worked as Trump’s personal attorney, cannot run the office the president attempted to keep her in charge of after her 120-day interim appointment expired. The Trump administration employed a series of maneuvers to try to retain Habba’s control of the office after district judges ousted her in July.

“Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not,” Brann wrote.

Brann put his ruling on hold, pending the Trump administration’s possible appeal, but the fallout could be a staggering mess across the executive branch. Brann said Habba’s actions in New Jersey for the past seven weeks “may be declared void” and Habba must be disqualified from participating in any of the office’s cases as its leader. The office handles thousands of criminal and civil cases at any given time.

The ruling by Brann — a Republican and Obama appointee who sits in Pennsylvania’s Middle District — could also have wider implications for other U.S. attorney’s offices in Los Angeles, Nevada, New Mexico and upstate New York, where the administration has effectively sidestepped or overridden both the Senate confirmation and judicial appointment processes for selecting U.S. attorneys.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would “immediately appeal.”

She said on social media Habba “is doing incredible work in New Jersey — and we will protect her position from activist judicial attacks.”

A spokesperson for Habba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brann’s ruling came in response to legal challenges to Habba’s authority by defense attorneys trying to get charges against their clients thrown out by arguing the Trump administration illegally kept her on and without being confirmed by the Senate.

Those challenges came amid days of confusion over who is leading the office because of complex and contested rules over filling vacancies when there isn’t a Senate-confirmed leader.

The judge declined to throw out the charges against the defendants, Julien Giraud and Cesar Pina, but said anyone who prosecutes them “under the supervision or authority of Ms. Habba” would be subject to disqualification.

Brann’s formal order only applies to the defendants in the case before him, but his opinion is written to broadly apply to everything Habba does.

“I think it would be deeply irresponsible for the department to move forward with Alina Habba as the highest Justice Department official signing indictments or other pleadings,” said James Pearce, an attorney who represents the Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey in the case.

Brann said that allowing stacked interim appointments would effectively void the need for confirmation. “Taken to the extreme, the President could use this method to staff the United States Attorney’s office with individuals of his personal choice for an entire term without seeking the Senate’s advice and consent,” he wrote.
His ruling also has findings that could embolden those who want to check Trump’s moves to strengthen the White House’s grip on government.
“Congress is expected to speak clearly when it rebalances the separation of powers, and courts should be chary of Executive branch interpretations of structural enactments that result in greater arrogation of power to the President,” Brann wrote.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/alina-habba-new-jersey-us-attorney-ruling-00518559

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, has started putting his name on some of the New Jersey office’s work in recent days, an unusual move that appears designed to head off challenges to the authority of those prosecutions if they were signed by Habba alone.

Brann’s ruling also has implications for other agencies, said Anne Joseph O’Connell, a Stanford Law School professor who studies the appointments process. She said modern agencies run on the delegation of authority in the face of a broken Senate confirmation process and that some of the particulars in Brann’s ruling would affect other administration officials, like the current head of FEMA.

“If upheld on appeal, this ruling would upend common practice of acting officials under Democratic and Republican Administrations,” Joseph O’Connell said. Editor’s Note: Below is the judge’s opinion in full, courtesy of Politico.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Alina Habba ‘unlawfully’ working as US attorney in New Jersey, judge rules – POLITICO

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #FederalJudge #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #MatthewBrann #Opinion #Politico #Politics #Resistance #Science #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – Trump’s Adoration Of Putin – by Liza Donnelly

The above drawing was bought by The New Yorker during the Iraq war, I think, but they never ran it.

Trump said after the meeting with Putin in Alaska last week that Ukraine would have to make concessions because Russia was a more “powerful” country. He obviously does not understand the importance, and power, of a free, fairly elected democracy.

He is obsessed with what he preceives as power, and he wants it.

Today, following the disastrous “summit” in Alaska last Friday, Ukrainian President Zelensky came to the White House to meet with Trump, and he was accompanied by many European leaders: French President Macron; Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz; Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain; Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister; President Alexander Stubb of Finland; NATO’s secretary general, Mark Rutte; and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm. Solidarity in support of Ukraine.

Russia attacked Ukraine hours before Zelinsky’s meeting with Trump. Ten people killed, including a child.

Trump and Zelinsky had a press conference in the Oval Office before their meeting. Because Trump has stacked the WH press pool with pro-Trump reporters, the whole thing was a sham. Trump answered softball, flattering questions and talked about whatever he wanted to. He meandered around a lot of topics from “crime” in DC and how “even Democrats are calling me to thank me,” supposedly they had dinner out in the city and it felt safe. One reported asked about voting in the US and how Trump wants to get rid of mail-in ballots and machine voting; Trump said, “a little off-topic, but…” and then continued to rant about his plan to change how we vote in the US (he can’t do that). What he did say about the war was vague. He blamed the war on Biden, whom he said was stupid even 20 years ago. Trump said he’s ended six wars. It was nauseating to listen to.

I really hope something comes of this, but I’m not holding my breath. Putin will not agree to give back all the territory he has stolen. Zelinsky should not have to give anything to Russia, they are a sovereign nation. They were invaded. Trump will only do what Putin wants.

It’s rather amazing how we are seeing Trump’s complete adoration with Putin. The “summit” last week, which I did not write about, was full of clear body language from Trump as to his worship of Putin, beginning with clapping on a red carpet (!) as Putin arrived. His social media posts today about “leading a movement” to get rid of mail in voting came after he met with Putin. From the NY Times:

“Trump’s latest comments came after he said that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia had discussed the issue during their summit on Friday in Alaska. Mr. Trump said in an interview with Fox News that the Russian leader had agreed with him that the 2020 election had been rigged in favor of Mr. Biden. “He said, ‘Your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting,’” Trump quoted Mr. Putin as saying.”

The Constitution vests the power to set the “times, places and manner” of elections with states, and it gives only Congress the ability to override state laws on voting.

Anyway, my guess is that this is another distraction to stop the press from talking about Epstein. However, I am happy to see the NY Times has an article today:

Republican’s Bid To Help Trump Move Past Epstein Falls Flat.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Trump’s Adoration Of Putin – by Liza Donnelly

Original article: View source

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – Sunday Morning Wrap Up – Joyce Vance

Sunday Morning Wrap Up, By Joyce Vance, Aug 10, 2025

This week, as I noted last night when I wrote to you, a lot was going on. Really, too much, which seems to be a definite feature and not a bug of this second Trump administration. They don’t want us to be able to take in everything that’s going on. So I’m starting a Sunday morning wrap-up feature to help you keep up with anything you may have missed during the week.

• I’m going to cheat by a day and start with the column from Saturday, August 2nd, It’s 1984, which is the perfect lead in for starting the conversation about our Book Club book, George Orwell’s 1984, now that we’ve had some time to start reading. If you haven’t started, we’ll have a Substack Live discussion about it later this week, so now is a great time to get started. In the column, following Trump’s firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Ericka McEntarfer because he didn’t like the jobs numbers, I wrote, “In the novel 1984, facts are not a barrier. Rewriting history is a central tenet of the totalitarian regime, carried out by the Ministry of Truth.” We need to take note as this becomes a feature of the Trump administration. We live in a post-truth society now.

In The Week Ahead last Sunday, we kicked off a conversation about the Voting Rights Act, which had its 60th anniversary last week. The irony of the Supreme Court’s announcement late on the Friday night ahead of that anniversary, that it would hear a case with an issue designed to gut much of what remains of it, was far too measured to be coincidence. Here’s your essential refresher on the Act, and the way the Supreme Court has eroded it. Most importantly, this is not hopeless! Electing majorities in the Senate and the House at the midterms would almost certainly make restoring the Act, which the Supreme Court invited Congress to do, a top priority. We took that issue up in conversations later in the week, which you’ll want to see if you missed them during the week.

On Monday, Marc Elias and I discussed the Voting Rights Act. There is no sugar coating here, but realism about where we are, and also what the path forward could look like if we don’t give up.

There’s no nice way to put it. I’m heartsick about what’s happening at DOJ and the FBI. Discussed in this post, Desecrating DOJ. Pam Bondi is proving to be exactly the Attorney General we expected—someone with loyalty to Donald Trump instead of to the Constitution. But even here, there are guardrails—even if DOJ tries to indict its revenge cases, grand juries may refuse to go along. If they indict, trial judges and juries must be persuaded of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Make sure you read this piece to the end, because part of Trump’s shtick is persuading people to give up because he’s already won, already taken the system apart, and he has not. There is still some play in the joints, and every reason for us to persist.

Sunday Morning Wrap Up by Joyce Vance

Read on Substack

Continue/Read Original Article: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-9-2025

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #History #JoyceVance #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – Trump’s Autocrat Check List – Liza Donnelly

 Trump’s Autocrat Check List

It’s long

By Liza Donnelly, Aug 06, 2025

I realise the above drawing only touches on what he is doing. Voting rights, immigration abuses and Esptein nonsense are the main stories in my reading today.

Texas Democrats who left the state to block a vote on redistricting voter maps say they received bomb threats at their hotel in Illinois where they are sequestering. “This is what happens when Republican state leaders publicly call for us to be ‘hunted down’. Texas Democrats won’t be intimidated,” John Bucy III, who represents Austin district, said. Govenor Abbott filed an emergency petition asking the state supreme court to remove Wu, the top Democrat in the state house of representatives, and declare his seat vacant. Legal experts say this tactic is a long shot. I am so proud of the Texas Dems.

Other states appear to be following Texas’s lead and considering mid-cycle redistricting . Ohio, Indiana and Missouri Republicans are exploring their options to try to gain more GOP seats by redrawing their voting maps. Democratic govenors are also exploring options, but it appears they don’t have the power to draw as many seats as the Republicans do. California, with 52 seats in congress, may be the best bet. Governor Gavin Newsom is “reportedly moving ahead with a referendum this fall to ask to adopt a new map that would add Democratic seats and override an independent redistricting commission.”

Senator John Osssof’s office reported hundreds of reported cases of human rights abuses in US immigration detention centers. Here is the report. The alleged reports include: deaths in custody, physical and sexual abuse of detainees, mistreatment of pregnant women and children, inadequate medical care, overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions, inadequate food and water, exposure to extreme temperatures, denial of access to attorneys, and child separation. This is not who we are.

in news of the Epstein files, apparently, JD Vance is holding a meeting at his home with senior officials to strategize on how to handle the Epstein Scandal. At the top of their list is whether or not to release the transcripts of justice department representative (and former Trump personal attorney) Blanche’s recent interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell. After the interview, Maxwell, who is serving time for trafficing girls, was transferred to a lower security, a nicer prison. Outrageous. The justice department subpoenaed a number of high profile people to interview them for more information about Epstein, among them Bill and Hillary Clinton. While it is public knowledge that they knew Epstein, so did Trump. Yet Trump was not subpoenaed. This is a tactic to stall and to try to show Trump’s MAGA base that he is doing something about the scandal. Everything but releasing the files, which he can do, but won’t.

At least 60% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Epstein case.

That’s all today for me. Hope you have a good Wednesday, what’s left of it. See you tomorrow, thank you so much for being here!

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Trump’s Autocrat Check List – by Liza Donnelly

Original article: View source

#2025 #America #Autocrat #Checklist #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Calif. cannabis farm breaks silence weeks after deadly ICE raid – SFGate

CANNABIS

Calif. cannabis farm breaks silence weeks after deadly ICE raid

By Lester Black, Cannabis editor, Aug 4, 2025

Glass House Brands released its first public comment Monday since the California company faced a violent raid from federal authorities last month that left one man dead and hundreds arrested. 

On July 10, federal agents searched two of the company’s Southern California cultivation facilities — one in Ventura County and one in Santa Barbara County — in an operation that quickly descended into chaos. Officers fired tear gas inside the facilities and searched for immigrants as hundreds of protesters gathered outside to protest the Donald Trump administration’s action. One worker fell from a green house and later died, marking the first known death in Trump’s immigration crackdown. 

Following the raid, the Department of Homeland Security announced it had arrested at least 361 people suspected of being in the country illegally, as well as 14 “migrant children,” although the agency hasn’t shared any court documentation behind those figures. 

Glass House, one of California’s largest legal cannabis companies, had not issued any public comment in the weeks following the raid other than a post to X on July 11 confirming it was being raided. 

On Monday, the company broke its silence with a news release that outlined details of the operation, including that nine company employees were detained or arrested. The company said any other people arrested would have been employed by farm labor companies that provide employees for the farm, which is a common practice at agricultural facilities.

Glass House said that it has not been able to determine the identities of the alleged minors but said that if minors were at the facility “none of them were Glass House employees.”

There has been widespread fear in the cannabis industry that federal agents could have been conducting a much broader operation investigating the cultivation of marijuana itself, which is still federally illegal and could lead to federal criminal charges against the company and its staff. Video apparently taken during the raid and posted to social media showed a federal agent saying, “This is not an immigration raid.”

Monday’s news release countered that narrative, saying the raid was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that the search warrant was authorized specifically for “evidence of possible immigration violations.” Glass House said that “very few documents were seized pursuant to the search warrant.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Calif. cannabis farm breaks silence weeks after deadly ICE raid

#2025 #America #California #CannabisFarm #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Politics #Resistance #Science #SFGate #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – Texas Democrats’ Moral Clarity – by Liza Donnelly

What’s happening in Texas and the redistricting fight is meaningful; I believe this is a moment. It is a fight for the House of Representives coming up in the next midterm election. The Republicans are not playing by the rules; Democrats intend to meet them head-to-head in this battle.

Yesterday, Texas Democratic legislators left Texas in order to stop the state Republicans from passing legislation that would redraw the voter registration map of Texas to add five GOP seats to the Texas house. Without a quorum, the legislation could not vote on this. Texas state representative James Talarico said in a video posted to social media,

“My Democratic colleagues and I have just left our beloved state to break quorum and stop Trump’s redistricting power grab. Trump told our Republican colleagues to redraw the political maps here in Texas in the middle of the decade to get him five more seats and protect his majority in Congress. They’re turning our districts into crazy shapes to guarantee the outcome they want in the 2026 elections. If this power grab succeeds, they will hang on to power without any accountability from the voters. But Texas Democrats are fighting back. We’re leaving the state, breaking quorum and preventing Republicans from silencing our voices and rigging the next election. We are not fighting for the Democratic Party. We are fighting for the democratic process, and the stakes could not be higher. We have to take a stand.”

Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu said, “If Donald Trump is allowed to do this, if he is allowed to once again cheat and get away with it, there’s no stopping this. This will spread across the country, and…will occur everywhere. Because if one person’s going to cheat and no one’s going to stop it, why doesn’t everyone just do it then? And that is not a society, that is not an America that works. Everyone is already tired of the hyperpartisan bickering and all the fighting because we never get anything done. And they are creating a system that will reinforce that and make it even worse. And we’re telling people, please come out, stand up against it, rise up and say no more. Enough.”

Wu said the Texas Democratic representatives “did not make the decision to come here today…lightly, but we come here today with absolute moral clarity.”

The Democratic legislators bravely left their home state on principle, and traveled to Illionois, New York and California where they were welcomed with open arms by the govenors of each state. Illinoir govenor Pritzker said,

“To be in public office right now is to constantly ask yourself, how do I make sure that we’re standing on the right side of history? There’s a simple answer. The wrong side of history will always tell you to be afraid. The right side of history will always expect you to be courageous. Expect courage from people around you, and it will show up. Expect fear, and fear will rule the day. Let the courage of these leaders be an example to the rest of the country. I’m proud to stand side by side with our friends from Texas today.”

Governor Kathy Hochul of New York hosted some of the Democratic lawymakers at a luncheon in Albany, and called them “profiles in courage.”

Texas Govenor Abbott immideately shot back when the Democrats left, saying he has the power to replace them, that they forfeited their seats.

What happens next is unclear. Blue states are working to ammend their state’s constitutions so that they can redraw their electoral maps just as Texas is trying to. What Abbott will do, where the Democratic legislators will go, will Abbott try to arrest them: this is all still unknown.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Texas Democrats’ Moral Clarity – by Liza Donnelly

Original article: View source

#2025 #America #BlockTrumpSRedistricting #DonaldTrump #GOPRedistricting #Health #History #LeftState #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Republicans #Resistance #SeeingThings #Texas #TexasDemocrats #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

DrWeb’s Domain – Deep Dive – Trump’s Circle Not Best, Not Brightest…

Video and podcast made with Google NotebookLLM, Headliner, Spotify, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and human brain power. Remember this?

The Best and the Brightest, by David Halberstam

The Best and the Brightest is David Halberstam’s masterpiece, the defining history of the making of the Vietnam tragedy. Using portraits of America’s flawed policy makers and accounts of the forces that drove them, The Best and the Brightest reckons magnificently with the most important abiding question of our country’s recent history: Why did America become mired in Vietnam and why did it lose? As the definitive single-volume answer to that question, this enthralling book has never been superseded. It’s an American classic. — Goodreads

Above, the discussion team tackle Trump’s “team” (little “t”)… they are, not surprised, the best nor the brightest.. the loyalty test seems like a raised arm salute, to me.

Continue Reading/Listening: DrWeb’s Domain | all things library and life.. from a librarian

#2025 #America #Books #DonaldTrump #DrWebSDomain #DWD #Headliner #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Musk #NotebookLLM #Opinion #Politics #Reading #Resistance #Science #Technology #Trump #TrumpAdministration #TrumpSCabinet #TrumpSInnerCircle #TrumpSMinons #UnitedStates

Inside the Library of Congress’s Collection – Library of Congress

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Photograph of digital display by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

Inside the Library of Congress’s Collection

The nation’s library is an ever-expanding temple of knowledge and creativity. Here are a few of its most incredible, unexpected, and otherwise historic jewels.

Written by Ron Cassie | Published on July 24, 2025

During the War of 1812, British troops famously torched the US Capitol, burning down the still-new home of the fledgling country’s legislative body. Also going up in flames? Roughly 3,000 books, largely about law, that made up the Library of Congress’s core collection.

Within a month, former President and noted bibliophile Thomas Jefferson offered his personal library as a replacement. His offer was warmly received by many in the House and Senate, but not by all. Massachusetts representative Cyrus King, an opposition Federalist, argued that Jefferson’s diverse holdings—which included works in Greek, Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, and Old English, as well as a translation of the Qur’an—would foster his “infidel philosophy” while being “in languages which many cannot read, and most ought not.”

The bill narrowly passed, along party lines, and Congress paid almost $24,000 for Jefferson’s 6,487 books. On May 8, 1815, as a final wagonload of books left Monticello, Jefferson wrote to Samuel Harrison Smith, who had helped facilitate the sale, that “an interesting treasure is added to . . . the depository of unquestionably the choicest collection of books in the U.S. and I hope it will not be without some general effect on the literature of our country.”

Jefferson eventually got his wish. Today, the Library of Congress is a national jewel. Its main building on Capitol Hill, opened in 1897 and later named for the Founding Father, is home to a domed Main Reading Room that endures as one of Washington’s most elegant spaces. Within the library’s collection of more than 178 million items, the world’s largest, are a number of incredible treasures—and across the following pages, we’ve highlighted some of our favorites.

More incredible still? Most of what the institution has to offer is accessible with a simple library card.

In many ways, the modern library is the brainchild of former Librarian of Congress Ainsworth Spofford, a visionary who lobbied Abraham Lincoln for the job and then stayed on through nine (!) Presidents. Spofford led construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building and a major expansion of the collection, working toward his broader goal of establishing a national library. He succeeded yet never lost sight of the institution’s original mission to serve legislators: For decades, the Jefferson Building and the Capitol were connected by an underground tunnel equipped with an electric book trolley and pneumatic message tubes. Lawmakers (or really, their staffers and pages) could send book requests to librarians via the tubes, and librarians could send books back via the trolley.

In the early 2000s, the book tunnel was demolished to make room for the underground Capitol Visitor Center. A separate, pedestrian-friendly tunnel now links the two buildings, where librarians can still be spotted wheeling book carts from time to time. That’s hardly the only way the library has evolved. Its physical collection is now housed in three Capitol Hill buildings and other facilities in Maryland and Virginia; its digital collection, begun in 1994, contains more than 900 million files; its collections of sounds, music, prints, moving images, and photographs date back more than 100 years and continue to grow alongside audiovisual media and communication.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Inside the Library of Congress’s Collection

#2025 #America #Books #History #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Monticello #Reading #Science #Technology #ThomasJefferson #ThomasJeffersonLibrary #UnitedStates

Seeing Things – Trump: “It’s Time To Go After People” – by Liza Donnelly

Trump: “It’s Time To Go After People”

The Epstein files are making him even more unhinged

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson cut short the House session today to avoid an Epstein vote. The House will reconvene in September; this is clearly a stall tactic. Most members of Congress—Republican and Democrat— want the files to be released. This is outrageous and screams that Trump clearly does not want the files released; he is guilty of something, but we don’t know what.

There are so many pieces to this story, it’s mind boggling what is happening.

Today while speaking to reporters, Trump attacking President Obama. The NY Times writes: “President Trump deflected questions about the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein by lashing out at his perceived enemies.” In the Oval Office, Trump went on a tirade and said,

“It’s time to go after people.”

He sounds more unhinged than ever.

Trump condemned questions about Epstein as “sort of a witch hunt,” and then launched into a rant against a now-familiar string of rivals and the media.

“The witch hunt that you should be talking about is they caught President Obama,” Trump said, referring to a report from Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, that tried to undermine the eight-year-old assessment that Russia favored his election in 2016.

“Obama was trying to lead a coup. And it was with Hillary Clinton.”

This makes no sense. Calling Obama and Clinton treasonous is dangerous. People could get killed.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Trump: “It’s Time To Go After People” – by Liza Donnelly

#2025 #America #DonaldTrump #Health #History #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Politics #Resistance #Science #SeeingThings #Substack #Trump #TrumpAdministration #TrumpDistractions #UnitedStates

Trump Will Not Silence Humor – Seeing Things – by Liza Donnelly

Trump Will Not Silence Humor

Colbert will continue, I know it

Last week claiming “budgetary concerns,” CBS fired Colbert and ended The Late Show, although his show will remain on air until May 2026. It is the top-rated late night show on television.

If you weren’t following the CBS saga recently, CBS just settled a lawsuit with Trump for $16 million; Trump claimed CBS wrongly edited a 60 Minutes segement with Kamala Harris during the election; many lawyers believe the suit was un-winable, Trump had no real case. But CBS hopes for a merger with Paramount— which Trump has approval over. When the suit was settled, Colbert- in his initmitable sarcastic style— criticized CBS on-air for not taking a stand against Trump. So…. you can make all the deductions as to why Colbert was let go.

From 2016-2020, I was resident cartoonist at CBS News. One afteroon, my boss sent me to the taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and to live-draw it. It was SO FUN, a dream assignment.

I adore Stephen Colbert. Not only is he hilarious, and his political humor always are spot on— he’s such a thoughtful man. He is not afraid to show his emotions on air, and I love that about him. When a tragedy happens in our world, he doesn’t avoid it, he always knows what to say to make us feel better. And then help us laugh again, if appropriate. He is the kind of humorist I aspire to be in my work.

This is scary stuff, and we should take notice of these kind of pressure tactics towards the press, and now humor. Stand up against it, make noise about it.

In any case, Colbert’s show in the next year will certainly be interesting; I assume he won’t hold back. And when his time is up at CBS, I am sure Colbert will now show up on another network next year. This firing will give him more of a megaphone than he already had.

Stephen Colbert is far from done.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Trump Will Not Silence Humor – by Liza Donnelly

#2025 #America #Comedy #DonaldTrump #History #Humor #Lawsuit #LibraryOfCongress #LizaDonnelly #Paramount #PoliticalSatire #Politics #Resistance #SeeingThings #StephenColbert #Substack #TheLateShow #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates

Letters from an American – Heather Cox Richardson – July 16, 2025

After years of covering Donald J. Trump, I am used to seeing stories that would have sunk any other president simply fade away as he hammers on to some new unprecedented action that dominates the news. So I am surprised by what appears to be the staying power of the recent Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

That Trump is panicked by the threat of the release of material concerning convicted sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein seems very clear. After the backlash against the Department of Justice’s decision not to release any more information and to reiterate that Epstein died by suicide, Trump tried first to downplay Epstein’s importance and convince people to move on. When that blew up, he posted a long screed on social media last Saturday saying the files were written by Democrats and other supposed enemies of his.

This morning, Trump posted another long message on social media blaming “Radical Left Democrats” for creating the story of the Epstein files. “Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,” he wrote, and then he turned on his own supporters for demanding the administration release the files. “[M]y PAST supporters have bought into this ’bullsh*t,’ hook, line, and sinker. They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years. I have had more success in 6 months than perhaps any President in our Country’s history, and all these people want to talk about, with strong prodding by the Fake News and the success starved Dems, is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax. Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore! Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

July 16, 2025 by Heather Cox Richardson

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Firings without explanation create culture of fear at Justice Dept., FBI – The Washington Post

Firings without explanation create culture of fear at Justice Dept., FBI

Widespread, abrupt terminations have left Justice Department and FBI employees wondering if they will be next, people familiar with the matter say.

Updated July 10, 2025, 8 min

By Perry Stein

The Trump administration is firing and pushing outemployees across the Justice Department and FBI, often with no explanation or warning, creating rampant speculation and fear within the workforce over who might be terminated next, according to multiple people with knowledge of the removals who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution.

Some people are simply fired, delivered a notice signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi that cites the broad powers afforded to the president in the U.S. Constitution. Others, particularly at the FBI, are told they can leave or be demoted or terminated.

The removals appear more individually targeted — and are happening in smaller numbers — than the high-profile ousters of senior Justice Department and FBI officials in the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term, when he vowed to clean house at the department that had brought two criminal cases against him. They are unrelated to the mass reductions-in-force and reorganizations that Trump has launched at many other federal agencies, which the Supreme Court has said may move forward for now. 

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Firings without explanation create culture of fear at Justice Dept., FBI – The Washington Post

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