J. L. Bell
@boston1775.bsky.social
History, analysis & unabashed gossip about Revolutionary New England.
If not paying a fee comes with the risk of being blown up I really don’t think you can call the fee “voluntary”
Bill Grueskin@bgrueskin.bsky.social · 13h agoReuters: Iran wants fees of 5%-7% of the price of cargo from ships using the strait; Oman wants 3%. "Making fees voluntary, at least nominally, could be a way out of the impasse, although an implied threat of Iranian attacks could mean shippers would be unlikely to risk transit without paying."
Obviously this is a blatant, bigoted dog-whistle for Islamophobes & xenophobes & white supremacists. But it’s also quite literally the opposite of what the Framers intended, brought into the Constitution, & argued for as our founding ideals. A quick thread: 🗃️
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 14h agoJD Vance: "We don't want the next administration, whoever -- god forbid you're gonna have President El-Sayed in three years ... "
It is truly truly upsetting that this is where we’re at as a country. Even if trump does order any troops or ICE to the polls and even if DHS doesn’t try to arrest election officials on bullshit charges, so much damage is already done. They’re publicly threatening and dangling it. And because of…
Asawin Suebsaeng@swin24.bsky.social · 2h agodisturbing the level of resources & time that election officials, elected Dems, & others across the U.S. are devoting to preparing for if Trump tries to sic ICE, troops, or armed feds on their polling sites @justinglawe.bsky.social & I take you behind the scenes on how: zeteo.com/p/inside-dem...
The first Melania Trump documentary reportedly cost Amazon MGM about $75 million and grossed only $16.6 million worldwide. Now a follow-up series is coming anyway, raising the same questions about whether this is business, politics, or something in between. buff.ly/lj53c7O
Melania Trump Gets The Docuseries Treatment Just Months After Film Disaster
The announcement comes after January’s “Melania” documentary grossed $16.6 million worldwide after costing $75 million to produce, acquire and promote.
huffpost.com
On one hand our missiles our depleted, which is bad from a national security standpoint. On the other hand, this apparently prevented additional strikes, which Trump promised against civilian infrastructure, so that’s good.
Frank Figliuzzi@frankfigliuzzi.bsky.social · 3h agoWe’ve depleted our missiles. Trump was unaware. Hegseth thought his deputy told Trump. It’s partly why Trump had to call of his escalation against Iran. Other than that, everything’s fine: wapo.st/4hQVTF0
For U.S.A. followers, it may be hard to believe, but at one point in our history we had a President with attributes described by the House of Lords below 👇
bookswain.bsky.social@bookswain.bsky.social · 3h ago“President Lincoln was a man who, though not conspicuous before his election, had since displayed a character of so much integrity, so much sincerity and straightforwardness, and at the same time of so much kindness..” From the House of Lords. One can only imagine those POTUS attributes today (6/n)
In March 1760, fire razed much of Boston. 220 families lost their homes. Many then submitted claims to the Selectmen for their lost possessions. Their inventories would make for a great study of Atlantic consumer culture. At least one African American, Nehamiah Sampson, was successfully reimbursed 🗃️
The results were striking. I found that early presidential administrations issued commissions which complied with statutory tenure protections 100% of the time.
Last summer, I traveled to National Archives II and scoured RG 59 for 227 images of officer commissions that the Washington, Adams, and Jefferson administrations for officers with and without statutory tenure protections.
Is it good when the secretary of defense is so fixated on making sure everyone is white and has tv ready abs that he forgets about munitions bsky.app/profile/carl...
Carl Quintanilla@carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 4h agoOof. @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
The Trump regime admitted in court filings that the cancellation of clean energy grants for Hawaiʻi was because the state voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, rather than the previously stated reasons of advancing energy needs or economic viability.
Trump Administration Lawyers Admit Hawaiʻi Funding Cuts Were Partisan
The admission about terminated clean energy grants emerged in recent court filings, confirming what many already suspected.
civilbeat.org
Sen. Murray: “You agree that we need to be cracking down on Medicaid fraud?” Ingram: “Yes” Sen. Murray: “I hope my Republican colleagues will use some part of this hearing to condemn Trump for pardoning 5 former executives who committed serious Medicaid fraud to the tune of tens of millions.”
He says that he and the other members of the administration are all “unified” behind “whatever the president decides.” Absolutism… Er I mean “Unified executive theory.” Somehow he missed the part of the Constitution that says the president’s job is to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 4h agoJD Vance: "The president makes the decisions, and we all try to implement the decisions in accordance with the president's wishes. The president runs this administration. He makes orders."
I only now realized that when I searched for the cover image of White Flight earlier, it pulled up this image drawn from one of the blurbs for the book. The words are from the amazing southern historian Dan Carter. But the image is of the amazing New Zealand rugby star Dan Carter.
The war in Iran has shown that Trump’s inability to perceive reality has become truly dangerous. Iran is a disaster, but Trump’s irrationality could create other, even more perilous situations. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Trump’s Irrationality Is Dangerous
The president’s recent rant is a sign of serious dysfunction in the Oval Office.
theatlantic.com
📄 Rogers’ record: ❌ Pushed false claims of a stolen 2024 election in Michigan ❌ Praised Trump’s recent primetime tirade against elections ❌ Advocated for recruiting off-duty and retired cops to serve as poll watchers to intimidate Detroit voters
If ICE can send subpoenas to deanonymize social media accounts, couldn't they have done it for the anonymous and overtly racist account we found is run by one of their own employees who is still working there?
steven monacelli@stevanzetti.bsky.social · last yr.REVEALED: we identified the operator of an overtly racist X account, "GlomarResponder," as ICE Assistant Chief Counsel James Rodden, based on an overwhelming number of biographical details matched through publicly available documents, other social media activity, and courtroom observation.
A paramilitary group plotted to overthrow the Constitution then conducted a violent attack on America. They were convicted in court of seditious conspiracy, and jailed. Then the leader they aimed to illegally install got power and let them out, their records wiped clean. The Jan. 6 attackers won.
Judge Pained as He Grants Dismissal of Jan. 6 Charges Against Oath Keepers
The judge, Amit P. Mehta, blasted the administration’s request for a dismissal in the case, saying it bestowed “unearned grace” on the Oath Keepers defendants “by wiping their records clean.”
nytimes.com
The state said it needs the records to investigate allegations of abuse at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch.
New Mexico Sues Blanche, DOJ For ‘Withholding’ Epstein Files
The state said it needs the records to investigate allegations of abuse at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch.
forbes.com
SCHIFF: When Trump ran against Hillary Clinton, who won? CANDEUB: Um. Trump was certified as winner S: Did he in fact win? C: He was certified S: Do you have some doubt about if he won? C: I have no doubt he was certified S: When did it become so difficult to answer such a simple question?
SCHIFF: You told my staff you stood by your article in white nationalist website VDARE where you wrote, 'Muslim immigrants & their kids seem prone to terrorism' C: I wrote that article in support of Trump's travel ban S: Do you stand by it? C: I stand by that article S: That's all I need to know
Jon Husted looked this mother in the eye, and promised he wouldn't vote to cut her daughter's health care. One week later, that's exactly what he did.
A nurse from Maine Medical Center has been kidnapped by ICE!! Please help spread the word! wgme.com/news/local/n...
Nurses at Maine Medical Center organize protest after ICE detained colleague
ICE agents took Debora Kapisha into custody at Boston Logan International Airport on July 30.
wgme.com
H/t to @hcrichardson.bsky.social for reminding me of this article by @natashabertrand.bsky.social in @theatlantic.com documenting how Trump's purge of the DOJ and FBI in his first term focused on experts in money laundering and organized crime. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Trump’s Top Targets in the Russia Probe Are Experts in Organized Crime
Some of President Trump’s favorite targets in the Russia probe have spent their careers in the Justice Department and the FBI investigating organized crime and money laundering, particularly as they p...
theatlantic.com
Reup: Bc journalists simply are NOT reading the court filings closely enough to understand how bad the misconduct in the Davey Hearn case may be. What Did Jeanine Pirro Know and When Did She Know It? emptywheel.net/2026/08/05/w...
What Did Jeanine Pirro Know and When Did She Know It? - emptywheel
In a bid to get the indictment against him dismissed with prejudice, Davey Hearn reveals that DOJ misrepresented the circumstances of a "before" picture proving he didn't damage the reflecting pool.
emptywheel.net
