“The work of advancing the national interest blends with personal dealmaking until the distinction is lost. Decisions that make the principals (and their similarly compromised Cabinet members) richer and happier naturally start to seem attractive and normal.”

Trump’s recent Saudi nuclear deal puts his use of the presidency for personal profit on full display. It will be up to the next Democratic-majority Congress to open investigations and make clear the consequences of compromising our national security for profit. More from Tom Malinowski:

Trump's Rare Feat in Iran

The president announced a deal framework that nearly everyone hates.

contrariannews.org

"McConnell is not even the only Republican in Congress who has been off the job while collecting a paycheck."

Paid Leave and Healthcare for Me, Not for Thee

Republican members of Congress become the poster children for the safety net they voted against.

contrariannews.org

During the height of the pandemic, McConnell blocked various federal paid sick and family leave extensions in congressional stimulus packages — and then laughed about it.

The Contrarian@contrariannews.org · 54m ago

McConnell’s FMLA vote to derail even unpaid leave was hardly a career one-off.

McConnell’s FMLA vote to derail even unpaid leave was hardly a career one-off.

When it comes to paid sick leave, the United States is a global outlier in its refusal to require employers to provide it for workers. 🧵

This is what climate change looks like: @timdickinson.bsky.social reports from Portland, Oregon, amid wildfire smoke that serves as a harsh reminder that we can still make better choices.

New In: Abdul El-Sayed wins the Michigan Democratic Senate primary. He'll face Rep. Mike Rogers — a Trump loyalist who has refused to oppose the unpopular Iran war or a government run by and for oligarchs.

Though Republicans will be anxious to portray El-Sayed as another “socialist,” he is not a democratic socialist, and he has not been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

TODAY: Tune into Coffee with Contrarians at 9:15am ET as April Ryan and Simon Rosenberg discuss Michigan’s Senate race and what it means for November as Democrat’s seek to take the House and the Senate. Watch live on Substack: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

If a U.S. Olympian can be accused of vandalism for touching water, what does that mean for the rest of us?

TOMORROW: Tune into Coffee with Contrarians at 9:15am ET as April Ryan is joined by political strategist and blogger, Simon Rosenberg. Watch on Substack:

LIVE SOON: Coffee with Contrarians ft. Simon Rosenberg

Starting Aug 5 at 9:15 AM EDT

open.substack.com

Legal Scholar Bryan Fair is on The Tea with April Ryan to talk about the climate of hate in the country and where we go from here. Tune in to watch: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

Blanche is a burgular whose priority is putting money in Trump's pocket

Sen. Whitehouse makes clear that any Republican who votes to confirm Blanche is giving him their blessing to continue the Epstein cover-up.

From @normeisen.bsky.social: "The Judiciary vote today is a major step towards installing Blanche as the primary gatekeeper for the president’s autocratic desires. That office has historically been the biggest partition protecting the American people from corruption."

The Contrarian@contrariannews.org · yesterday

BREAKING: The Senate Judiciary Committee just advanced Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general in a 12-10 party-line vote.

BREAKING: The Senate Judiciary Committee just advanced Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general in a 12-10 party-line vote.

BREAKING: 35 frm. fed judges filed to keep sanctions against Trump in his case against the IRS in place He sued the IRS in bad faith, got sanctioned & wants a pause while he appeals @democracydefendersaction.org reps w/ Platkin LLP, Susman Godfrey & Rivero Mestre Sanctions aren't a suggestion -TN

TODAY: Legal scholar Brian Fair joins The Tea with April Ryan to talk about Todd Blanche and his weaponization of the DOJ. 5:30pm ET on Substack. Click here to get a reminder ahead of the show: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

UPDATE: Today 35 former federal judges filed a comprehensive opposition to Donald Trump’s expedited motion to stay in the case of Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service. Simply put, members of the legal system are trying to put a stop to Trump's ongoing corruption.

"Iran does not need to defeat the United States on the battlefield. It needs only to keep presenting Trump with situations in which restraint can be portrayed as weakness."

The War Trump Keeps Ending

Tehran knows how to turn Trump’s impulsiveness into an endless war.

contrariannews.org

Right now, the Senate Judiciary Committee is voting to advance the nomination of Todd Blanche as U.S. Attorney General. A vote to confirm Blanche is a vote against Epstein survivors, and a vote for Trump's corruption. Remember that in November.

"Donald Trump keeps insisting that the economy under his watch is the “greatest” ever, declaring during a trip to Michigan last week that “Michigan is thriving,” and “America is winning like never before.” This is batty."

Words & Phrases

Trump’s ‘thriving economy’ is a disaster.

contrariannews.org

At a minimum, up to 25 million older Americans who rely on Medicare will see the costs of their prescriptions go up.

The Real Cost of Ending Medicare’s Prescription Drug Subsidies

A horrendous decision could have dangerous, even life-threatening implications for some Americans.

contrariannews.org

The Contrarian@contrariannews.org · 2d ago

This week, the Trump administration announced plans to stop a federal subsidy program designed to hold down prescription drug plan costs for millions of older Americans who rely on Medicare for their health coverage.

Any Remaining Objections? — A cartoon by Nick Anderson

This week, the Trump administration announced plans to stop a federal subsidy program designed to hold down prescription drug plan costs for millions of older Americans who rely on Medicare for their health coverage.

Call it what it is: an illegal side deal

I spoke to @whitehouse.senate.gov about fires at the Department of Justice, and those ravaging the West.

The Trump Administration Fails to Put Out Fires, Both Environmental and Legal

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse says the Department of Justice has gotten itself into a "deep, deep mess."

contrariannews.org

If Senator Tillis truly cared about survivors, Blanche's meeting with them would have exposed rather than excused his disregard for survivors and the office he seeks to lead. Rachel Foster writes more:

Todd Blanche Failed Epstein Survivors Again

His behavior in a hastily arranged meeting with brave women seeking justice underscored his unsuitability for the attorney general role he desperately wants.

contrariannews.org

BREAKING: Cornyn and Tillis have confirmed they'll vote for Blanche after his order rescinding the "anti-weaponization fund." Any concern they claimed to have had for survivors was performative and has now been abandoned. Ultimately, they chose to bend the knee to the Trump administration.