Alan Stamm
@alanstamm.bsky.social
Recovered journalist in Michigan. Upper Manhattan roots.
“The Washington Post’s right-wing opinion section did it again,” as this commentator chronicles in her sharply amusing takedown of a straw-man column by a Manhattan Institute writer whose "entire argument rests on [a] hypothetical woman’s shoulders." [h/t @sulliview.bsky.social]
Parker Molloy@parkermolloy.com · 7d agoDecided to write something about a dumb and obnoxious Washington Post column I saw the other day www.readtpa.com/p/imagining-...
"Under the Constitution, the choice of elected officials belongs to the people. Donald Trump is deathly afraid of what that means." — @joycewhitevance.bsky.social on challenges to "our ability to exercise our right to vote" | substack.com/home/post/p-...
The Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate to be won Tuesday in Michigan by @rephaleystevens.bsky.social or Dr. @abdulelsayed.bsky.social "will give us a bead on where we're headed far beyond November," posts longtime national politics observer @ronfournier.bsky.social.
The Most Consequential Race of 2026 is Not in November
It's in Michigan on Tuesday
substack.com
"Even as reality makes it clear that his claims are a fantasy, Trump continues to spin his yarns, seeming to have little else to convince voters to support him." — @hcrichardson.bsky.social
August 1, 2026
In a classic Friday night news dump, the Department of Justice last night moved to dismiss the criminal charges against David Hearn, the U.S.
substack.com
"This rise of insurgents on the far right and left may soon lead to a radical realignment of U.S. politics. "Here are the forces at play in Michigan that reflect broader national trends."
Ron Fournier@ronfournier.bsky.social · 4d agoWhile Tuesday's results won't settle some of the greatest issues of our day (radical populism, foreign adventurism, racism, sexism, and the celebritization of American politics) they will give us a bead on where we’re headed. convulsions.substack.com/p/the-most-c...
@ronfournier.bsky.social goes there in a post about Michigan’s Senate race: "If he wins Tuesday and again in November, [Abdul] El-Sayed will . . . instantly become a Democratic star, even a potential presidential candidate."
The Most Consequential Race of 2026 is Not in November
It's in Michigan on Tuesday
substack.com
"Trump and his pack of sycophants who have been spinning the war as a great success can no longer maintain the pretense that we can achieve any strategic objective. . . . "Instead, we have given Iran new, unprecedented leverage to control the Strait of Hormuz . . ." -- @jenrubin.bsky.social [1/2]
Trump Has Lost More Than the Iran War
Nonstop blunders further erode our international standing
substack.com
Reminder that on his last day of his first term, Trump awarded a commendation to Dr Fauci "in recognition of his exceptional effort on Operation Warp Speed"
"Trump and his cronies . . . have acted as if the Constitution doesn't exist. "The administration is claiming the powers of Congress both to tax and to declare war, key powers the Framers established the American people's right, through their representatives, to control" — @hcrichardson.bsky.social
July 26, 2026
From the time he took office in January 2025, Trump and his cronies have not simply challenged laws or constitutional provisions.
substack.com
🤷♂️ Oof 😕 "A @reuters.com analysis found the image of the map included in the presentation contained an artificial intelligence watermark that signals it was made with OpenAI tools."
US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference
A U.S. government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a State Department presentation at a global conference taking place in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attendees who took screen...
reuters.com
"The Pentagon, clearly at the behest of Donald Trump, is trying to hide what is going on in the war against Iran. . . . There is much we don't know about Trump's war." -- @lktiv.bsky.social
What we don’t know can hurt us, but it’s killing Trump
It has been nearly three months since a press briefing was held at the Pentagon. During this time, the United States has been in a protracted war with Iran. American soldiers have died. Hundreds have ...
substack.com
"There is actually some hope of change in the air. ... "It’s a rare moment where the Senate has told Trump 'No.' The question is whether they mean to finally stand up to the president in a more sustained fashion." -- @joycewhitevance.bsky.social | substack.com/home/post/p-...
@joycewhitevance.bsky.social derides the "ridiculous" prosecution of Jim Comey as a "cavalier abuse of the criminal justice system to indulge the whims of 1 man." "Trump's Justice Dept...skips ahead to the conclusion the president wants it to reach, whether or not it's warranted as a matter of law"
86 the "86 47" Prosecution of Jim Comey
Stick with me tonight.
substack.com
The wisdom of Michael Gerson, a senior aide to President George W. Bush, via Frank Bruni at @nytopinion.nytimes.com today: "Fauci is practicing epidemiology. His critics are practicing idiocy. Both are very good at their chosen work." [From an April 2021 colun at @washingtonpost.com.]
"is '60 Minutes the place to teach people how to do TV journalism? Shouldn't anyone hired to be a correspondent already be among the best of the best when they arrive? "It just doesn’t feel as though '60 Minutes' is the type of place where you do on-the-job training" -Tom Jones, senior media writer
The Poynter Institute@poynterinstitute.bsky.social · 6d agoRoss Douthat is joining the gold standard of TV news despite not having any TV news experience, and his background is that of a columnist, not a hard news reporter. www.poynter.org/commentary/2...
"If we had the benefit of serious people running our government, we would be conducting a serious review of what happened [during Covid] and the lessons we could learn about preparing for another pandemic, which is sure to come. . . ." -- @elliotkirschner.bsky.social [1/2]
Fauci vs. Trump
What Kind of Leaders Will We Choose?
substack.com
Hope he doesn't also rewrite lyrics to say "O beautiful for gaudy sights / For golden stands of stone / For military shows of majesty . . ." [Photo by Evelyn Hockstein of @reuters.com]
"Trump and Hegseth have crippled the U.S. military. Their incompetence, corruption and irresponsibility have weakened us with incredible speed. "And it will take many years for America to recover, if it ever does." -- @pkrugman.bsky.social
The Putinization of the American Military
When poseurs and yes-men run a war
paulkrugman.substack.com
"How could the best-equipped, most sophisticated military in the world have allowed itself to be humiliated by a third-rate power? . . . "Simply put, we defeated ourselves." — @pkrugman.bsky.social
The Putinization of the American Military
When poseurs and yes-men run a war
substack.com
Reminder that any political party trying to make it harder to vote is sending a clear message: they can't win on their ideas alone.
"Proponents for curtailing the federal student loan program call it welfare or a handout. "Student loans are not charity. They are loans that are paid back, with interest." -- @thedanrather.bsky.social
Degrees of Damage
Pre-schoolers to grad students — no one is safe from Trump’s attack on education
steady.substack.com
"The government now has a litmus test to decide if your chosen degree is eligible for student loans. "If the government (or its algorithms) estimates that you can’t make enough money with your intended degree, tough luck. No loan for you." — @thedanrather.bsky.social [1/2]
Degrees of Damage
Pre-schoolers to grad students — no one is safe from Trump’s attack on education
substack.com
Before Trump and during the Biden administration, courts were able to rely on representations made by the Justice Department. . . . The government obeyed court orders, even ones it disagreed with. "But that's no longer the case." — @joycewhitevance.bsky.social
An Important Epstein Files Update
This afternoon, federal District Judge Emmet Sullivan did something unexpected.
substack.com
"At this time last year, many people were asking whether we were approaching or in a constitutional crisis. My answer then was yes. "Courts are still struggling, a year later, with what they can do to convince the Trump administration to comply with the law." -- @joycewhitevance.bsky.social
An Important Epstein Files Update
This afternoon, federal District Judge Emmet Sullivan did something unexpected.
joycevance.substack.com
@lktiv.bsky.social to White House reporters addressed by Trump: "Friday night was your chance to stand up and show your contempt for his insane un-American lies and nonsense. What's it going to take for you to grow a spine? "He insulted your colleagues. ... This was your chance to stand up to him."
Bended knees on the Potomac: White House Correspondents Dinner lives up to its reputation
Why didn’t you stand up, one by one, and walk out during Trump’s obscene tsunami of lies that he called a speech? White House correspondents, or D.C.
substack.com
When @lktiv.bsky.social "accidentally clicked on a live feed from the White House Correspondents dinner" Fri. night, he flashed back to a Village Voice reporting assignment in '72 that explains this. See why "I have had a hatred deep in my heart for the White House Correspondents Assn for decades."
I'm about to hurl on my keyboard.
I just accidentally clicked on a live feed from the White House Correspondents dinner, which is being held — you’ll love this — at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, located in the Old Post Office bui...
substack.com
