Crony capitalism meets an irrational hatred of offshore wind. Trump has doled out $4 billion in your taxpayer money to developers to kill projects that were likely already dying or dead. @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social @heatmap.news heatmap.news/daily/offsho...

What’s So Weird About Trump’s Offshore Wind Payouts

The president has paid $4 billion to kill projects that were already dying or dead.

heatmap.news

Another excellent interview with @gilduran.com exposing the authoritarian ideology that is being promoted by some of the richest men in Silicon Valley (and is subscribed to by politicians like J.D. Vance. @nprfreshair.bsky.social

'The Nerd Reich' tracks the 'unmasking of Silicon Valley's true politics'

Journalist Gil Durán argues that a small circle of Silicon Valley billionaires and venture capitalists have concluded that democracy is in their way — and that they should be governing in its place.

npr.org

we live in the stupidest timeline

Joshua Erlich@joshuaerlich.bsky.social · yesterday

how is this worse than I expected

Love it. Reminds me of this fantastic video from John Oliver staging a "mathematically correct" debate on climate change, with 97 scientists arguing with a few deniers.

Climate Change Debate: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

youtube.com

Nick Cunningham@nickcunningham.bsky.social · yesterday

really excellent

Trump demonstrates his firm grasp of the current political environment, by getting on the wrong side of a rare issue (data center construction) where there is a growing bi-partisan consensus. Recent polling shows that 70% of Americans from both parties oppose AI data centers in their communities.

Americans Oppose AI Data Centers in Their Area

Seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, including 48% strongly opposed.

news.gallup.com

#TuckFrump@realtuckfrumper.bsky.social · yesterday

Trump wades into data center debate amid political battle  #TheHill

The Trump Admin is preparing for a full-out assault on America's wildlands and roadless areas. When they tried to sell off public lands earlier this year, a huge outcry from citizens around the country stopped them. Join @sierraclub.org tomorrow evening to learn how you can help stop this attack.

Another example of impunity for the billionaire class under the Trump Admin. Since he was re-elected, the government has either dropped charges or pardoned dozens of white collar criminals.

Reuters@reuters.com · yesterday

US judge dismisses criminal case against Indian billionaire Adani reut.rs/4wV8wDQ

Turns out that staying up all night shit-posting makes it very hard to stay awake, especially when you are 80.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · yesterday

holy shit Trump is OUT

Nails it! Hegseth's macho, pompous, and vainglorious incompetency as the leader of the US military fits a type described 50 years ago in a British book about the problem of "lions being led by donkeys" @foreignpolicy.com r

The Book That Predicted Pete Hegseth’s Failures

‘On the Psychology of Military Incompetence’ examines the narrow minds of petty men.

foreignpolicy.com

100%. Instead of gnashing teeth and wringing hands about the growing popularity of socialism, let's focus on fixing what's wrong with capitalism. @mjtoma.bsky.social @newrepublic.com

Memo to Those Who Fear Socialism: Why Don’t You Try Fix Capitalism?

People alarmed about socialism’s poll numbers ought to pay more attention to how capitalism polls. It’s bad—and entirely deserved.

newrepublic.com

52 years ago, Richard M Nixon became the first President to resign. Important history from @hcrichardson.bsky.social heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/august-9-2...

August 9, 2026

On August 9, 1974, Richard M.

heathercoxrichardson.substack.com

Follow the money -- when you hear about "centrist democrats" from Third Way or allies declaring that they are launching a war on the left-wing of the party, look closely at who is funding them. We don't need a party beholden to plutocrats and allergic to needed reforms. @rbreich.bsky.social

The Moronic Bullshit of the "Third Way"

There's no "middle" between neofascist corporatism and democracy

robertreich.substack.com

I have also been sensing that the rank corruption of the GOP is giving D candidates from non-traditional political backgrounds a lane to run emphasizing the need to bring a spirit of public service and morality back to DC. This piece highlights some great examples @hopiumchronicles.bsky.social

More Notes On The Importance Of Character And Virtue In The 2026 Elections

We are almost at our goal of raising $100,000 to get Troy Jackson launched - can you chip in today?

hopiumchronicles.com

Great list

Dr. Jonathan Foley@globalecoguy.bsky.social · 2d ago

BlueSky is one of the best places to connect to experts who work on climate change. Honest-to-god scientists, engineers, policy wonks, journalists, investors, and more who know their stuff and generously share their work with the world for free. Here are some of my favorites: go.bsky.app/Q4Uo8vV

God already built a wall through Big Bend — it's called the Chisos Mountains. We don't need to give billions of our tax dollars to out of state vendors. We don't need to desecrate this sacred land. We don't need this useless, disgraceful, corrupt Big Bend border wall.

"Our hope is that clean energy will go back to being a bipartisan issue, maybe one of the few issues that all Americans can agree on. But before we get there, we’ve got to continue our retribution tour and take out a few more members who have voted the wrong way..." www.politico.com/news/2026/08...

How solar donors helped take down a Trump-backed Republican

A pro-renewable energy political action committee was behind Rep. Andy Ogles' primary loss Thursday.

politico.com

Unprecedented corruption. White House pressures Pentagon to approve $625 million loan to small company that Don Jr had invested in

Charles Ornstein@charlesornstein.bsky.social · 3mo ago

“The call came from the White House: We have to get this done,” the person said.  About three months before the Pentagon announced plans to lend money to Vulcan Elements, Donald Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm took an undisclosed stake in the company. @robert-faturechi.bsky.social

Polling isn't voting -- but still encouraging to see forecasts tilting toward Democratic control of both House and Senate this fall. Let's go! @gelliottmorris.com @strengthinnumbers.bsky.social www.gelliottmorris.com/p/democrats-...

Democrats strongly favored to take the House, Senate tilts Democratic in our new election forecast (crosspost)

Our brand-new election forecast for the 2026 congressional midterms puts Democrats at above even odds to take control of both chambers

gelliottmorris.com

So much for Amazon's climate pledge. Building a gas-fired power plant of this scale completely undercuts any pretense that they are committed to becoming part of the solution to global warming. Stop shopping Amazon, people!

New Amazon Data Center Stokes Worry It Would Be the Most Polluting Power Plant in the U.S. (Gift Article)

The tech giant is investing in the natural-gas-burning power plant as part of a huge data center in Texas, even as it pledges to honor climate commitments.

nytimes.com

Lee West@whodat35.bsky.social · 4d ago

WTF? Amazon received a permit from the state of #Texas allowing its new gas power plant to emit 33 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — the largest single source of pollution in the United States. newrepublic.com/post/214111/...

It's easy to become numb to the unfathomable scale of Trump's unprecedented corruption. Critical for Democrats to show how he is stealing taxpayer dollars and rigging the economy for his family and cronies @justinglawe.bsky.social @avashook.bsky.social

How everyday Americans are forced to fund Trump's corruption

On top of his self-dealing, taxpayers are spending billions on his vanity projects.

publicnotice.co

Trump and White House officials: we have the most transparent Administration ever! Dept of Interior: leave nothing in writing.

The New Republic@newrepublic.com · 4d ago

Interior officials have been spotted routinely shredding documents and using disappearing Signal messages, in clear violation of the Federal Records Act. trib.al/MU9AA0K

Equal parts idiocy and villainy -- Trump Admin bulldozes environmental laws to build entirely unneeded border wall in the heart of Big Bend National Park. @sierraclub.org www.sierraclub.org/bigbend

"It's liars all the way down." @pkrugman.bsky.social

Lying Liars Lie to Each Other Too

A bad-faith government is also an incompetent government

paulkrugman.substack.com

Wolf in sheeps clothing -- I'm glad to hear that the deceptively named "Fix Our Forests Act" appears to be stalled in Congress since it would create a categorical exemption for clearcutting under the guise of fuels management. @jeva.bsky.social @heatmap.news 1/

Why the Fix Our Forests Act Is Still Stuck in Congress

The bill has bipartisan support, but even as Washington State burns, chances for passing it this session are looking slim.

heatmap.news

Not good: Amazon planning to build an enormous fossil gas plant to power a data center in Texas. Will think of that next time I visit "Climate Pledge Arena" in Seattle. @michael-thomas.bsky.social

Scoop: Amazon Is Behind One of the Largest Planned Gas Power Plants in the US

The company confirmed to Cleanview that it acquired the GW Ranch site in West Texas, where a 7.65 GW gas plant will power its first off-grid AI data center

distilled.earth

Bad jobs report further damages GOP prospects for midterms. "Recent economic history is weaker than we thought....July’s new number is downright concerning.” @justinwolfers.bsky.social @politico.com

'Weaker than we thought': Jobs surprise deals setback for GOP in elections

It's a sign that the labor market is softening, posing a risk for Republicans as the midterm elections approach.

politico.com

The answer to this question turned out to be yes! Trump-backed Congressman Andy Ogles, a fierce opponent of climate action and clean energy, was defeated after "A super PAC backed by renewable energy executives ... lobbed $2 million in advertising attacking Ogles" h/t @climatebrad.hillheat.com 1/

Could Andy Ogles lose his primary?

The controversial Tennessee congressman is facing a well-financed opponent in a redrawn district ahead of Thursday's vote.

politico.com

As @billmckibben.bsky.social has memorably put it, when it comes to addressing the climate emergency, "winning slowly is the same as losing". And the fossil-fuel shills are threatening the stability of our civilization with the soft lie that we have plenty of time to fix this crisis.

Adam McKay@ghostpanther.bsky.social · 5d ago

Piece I just wrote for Current Affairs. www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-mas...

Great to see Justin J Pearson easily winning his primary for the congressional seat in Tennessee. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Justin Pearson and Brent Taylor win primaries for key Tennessee House seat

Nominees to face off in November in redistricted seat central to Trump’s bid to retain slim Republican majority

theguardian.com