Jason Kyle Howard
@jasonkylehoward.bsky.social
Senior Ideas Editor @salon.com writing about Democrats and political rhetoric | Author of two books | Street Haunter à la Virginia Woolf | Lover of tea, history, books, dogs, music, G&Ts | https://linktr.ee/jasonkylehoward
Whatever you think of El-Sayed's win, his remarks this morning were powerful. Generous, personal words for Haley Stevens, a call for unity, a pledge to defend the rights and safety of Jewish Americans, a fiery indictment of his GOP opponent Mike Rogers. Looking forward to following this campaign.
Commentary from Jim Branscome and Bill Bishop: When the last reporter leaves: Kentucky’s spreading news desert kentuckylantern.com/2026/08/05/w...
When the last reporter leaves: Kentucky’s spreading news desert • Kentucky Lantern
In the late summer of 1974 somebody set fire to the Mountain Eagle in Whitesburg. It survived arson, it may not outlive the death of rural newspapers.
kentuckylantern.com
Don't miss this powerful essay from @henrykurkowski.substack.com on what queer nightclubs in the AIDS crisis can teach us about today.
Henry Kurkowski@henrykurkowski.substack.com · last wk.We didn’t dance because things were fine. We danced because they weren’t. My essay for @salon.com explores how queer nightclubs became places of joy, and survival during the AIDS crisis and what that history can teach all of us now. www.salon.com/2026/07/20/w... #QueerHistory #LGBTQHistory #LGBTQ
Six months into President Trump’s oil blockade, Cubans are losing sleep in the sweltering heat. Our reporter Jack Nicas visited Havana, where residents explained how they struggle to sleep with no electricity for fans or air conditioning.
🎯 from @sulliview.bsky.social on Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner. "Let’s try a small thought experiment. Should respect for the institution of marriage mean that an abused ex-wife should insist that her former husband be invited to, say, the annual 4th of July family party?"
The predictable disgrace of the White House Correspondents Dinner
And why I reject every specious argument that encourages the media to keep normalizing Trump
margaretsullivan.substack.com
“She is looking for where the wave is going and is determined to ride it,” a Kamala Harris supporter, who believes she will run in 2028, recently told @nymag.com. That was a big tell—and it shows what Harris will be up against. My latest for @salon.com.
Kamala Harris’ biggest opponent in 2028? Herself
As she lays the groundwork for a campaign, Harris again risks a trap of her own making
salon.com
Interested in providing commentary and/or analysis on politics and national affairs for a progressive publication? As Senior Ideas Editor at Salon.com, I'm always on the lookout for contributors. Reach out: jason.howard@salon.com.
Compartmentalizing defined Lindsey Graham's political life. When it turned into denial, it destroyed his legacy.
There were two Lindsey Grahams
The late South Carolina senator was a master at compartmentalization and denial
salon.com
The Trump administration issued subpoenas to New York Times journalists who wrote about the new Air Force One, an escalation of pressure on the media.
Times Journalists Subpoenaed as Trump Escalates Pressure on Media
The Justice Department is seeking to compel testimony from reporters who wrote about the new Air Force One. The Times called the move a “brazen act.”
nyti.ms
An important read @salon.com. So thankful to editor @jasonkylehoward.bsky.social for helping this find a home www.salon.com/2026/07/10/w...
What a subway ride with white supremacists taught me about America
Surrounded by masked Patriot Front members on the DC Metro, I considered what it means to be an American
salon.com
"I found myself riding a Washington Metro train surrounded by hundreds of masked white supremacists ... A Getty Images photographer captured the moment" -- Roswell Encina reflects on that fateful ride, the photo and what it means to be American for @salon.com
Jason Kyle Howard@jasonkylehoward.bsky.social · 4w agoOn the Fourth of July, @roswellencina.bsky.social found himself on the DC Metro surrounded by masked white supremacists. And he began thinking about America. @salon.com
On the Fourth of July, @roswellencina.bsky.social found himself on the DC Metro surrounded by masked white supremacists. And he began thinking about America. @salon.com
What a subway ride with white supremacists taught me about America
Surrounded by masked Patriot Front members on the DC Metro, I considered what it means to be an American
salon.com
There was no reason to pin all your hopes of a working class candidate on Platner. My colleague @jasonkylehoward.bsky.social looks at lower profile candidates who prove we can have a different kind of politics — without the scandal. www.salon.com/2026/07/09/f...
After Platner's exit, other working-class Democrats offer hope
Working-class candidates like Minnesota's Kaela Berg and Montana's Sam Forstag are focusing on blue-collar issues
salon.com
Forget Platner and take hope: There are more working-class Democrats running this cycle. My latest for @salon.com 1/4
After Platner's exit, other working-class Democrats offer hope
Working-class candidates like Minnesota's Kaela Berg and Montana's Sam Forstag are focusing on blue-collar issues
salon.com
JD Vance doesn't know his history. Watergate wasn't about covering up a burglary. We now understand that Watergate was about covering up Nixon's attempt at treason and stalling the Paris Peace Talks to end the Vietnam War. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/jd-vance-a...
JD Vance and the Latest Nixon Cover-Up
The vice president is utterly wrong about Watergate—but correct about its legacy.
doomsdayscenario.co
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last mo.JD Vance: "I think Nixon's historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and deservedly so. I joked that if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12 hours news story. The idea that it took down a presidency is crazy."
Honestly I'm surprised he didn't go with 17.76-karat gold instead of 23.75, but OK. (The project was reportedly awarded without a fully competitive bid process.)
The Trump Administration Is Spending $5 Million to Coat Horse Statues in Gold
The Interior Department quickly gave nearly $100 million in contracts in a rush to beautify D.C.
notus.org
Contemplating a column on Raphael Warnock and his forthcoming book. Given the chance, what would be one question you'd ask him?
Such a smart take from @amandamarcotte.bsky.social: "the fact that Trump and his allies feel the need to keep relitigating the Carroll case suggests the forces of misogyny aren’t as victorious as the mainstream narrative might suggest."
Salon.com@salon.com · 2mo ago"The reported investigation into Carroll is about more than the president’s bottomless narcissism," @amandamarcotte.bsky.social writes. "It’s part of a larger, ongoing backlash against the #MeToo movement."
Today's national average is $4.459, and it's over $6 in California.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2mo agoBurgum praises Trump for "helping to keep the price of gas down at home"
In a 1:52am post on Truth Social, Trump said "Colbert is finally finished at CBS," adding, "thank goodness he's finally gone!" That's the president cheering the loss of American jobs, since roughly 200 people are out of work due to the cancellation of "The Late Show."
Devonians of the world unite! (For my fellow Americans, that means cream first, then jam.)
The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · 3mo agoPrince William spreads doubt about how Queen Elizabeth liked her scones
“The best play-by-play commentators conscript us into a conspiracy of concern: Together, we hang on to every pitch, swing, and miss.” In 2024, @yair-rosenberg.bsky.social explored what Yankees announcer John Sterling taught him about baseball—and what makes us human:
How Baseball Explains the Limits of AI
The iconic Yankees broadcaster John Sterling reminds us that what makes us human cannot be imitated.
bit.ly
I just want to point out, politely, that there are other colleges apart from Ivy League institutions. They are where most college students go. They are where, believe it or not, America's massive comparative advantage in higher education exist. You would never know this if you read the Times.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 3mo agoIn @nytopinion.nytimes.com The problem on college campuses is not just that students lack civility, Michal Leibowitz writes, but that “our college education does almost nothing to develop the sense that what we do in our day-to-day lives resonates with people beyond ourselves.”
Polls are showing @jamestalarico.bsky.social in a dead heat with Paxton and Cornyn. My @salon.com column from a few weeks ago still holds true. 1/4
Democrats should go all-in on Texas — and Talarico
Turning the Lone Star State blue will be expensive. Hesitation to fully support a candidate will cost even more
salon.com
Dems should all get a sticker that says "Howard was right"
@nyc118.bsky.social · 3mo agoDidn’t Howard Dean essentially say this 20 years ago? But the party listened to the “experts”.
Hard-agree with this. But it needs reframing: Instead of limiting rural losses, how about "making inroads" with rural voters? An important distinction. The ceiling might be low for Dems in rural areas, but it's a bit higher than one might think. democrats.org/wp-content/u...
Reading through the DNC autopsy report, and I find it stunning that they didn't have the authors revise (and fact-check!) the report—or at least assign a team of interns with editing and fact-checking duties over the past week before it was released. Beyond sloppy.
democrats.org
Here’s a litmus test for the Dems planning to run in 2028: Each candidate should pledge to tear it down or they don’t pass go and collect $200
The Washington Post@washingtonpost.com · 3mo agoBreaking news: The Trump administration does not plan to seek approval from Congress for President Trump’s planned 250-foot arch, arguing that they do not need it because lawmakers a century ago authorized a somewhat similar project that was never built.
