Katelyn Oldham *Abolish ICE. Defund DHS.*
@katelynstarrpdx.bsky.social
labor lawyer & movement idealist in Oregon; against the genocide of Palestinians and all violence against civilians; the rule of law and human rights matter; big fan of education; Abolish ICE is the moderate position
From higher costs, to less access to health care and food assistance, Elon Musk's corrupting influence on our politics has had lasting effects on everyday Americans. He's the poster child for reforming our campaign finance system.
Musk Plans to Spend at Least $100 Million to Help Republicans in the Midterms
Elon Musk, a year after a huge blowup with President Trump and the Republican Party, is said to be planning to spend in at least eight states to help them in November.
nytimes.com
A terrible day for labor.
Working Class History @workingclasshistory.com · 6h ago#OtD 5 Aug 1981 11,345 federal air traffic controllers were fired by US President Reagan for refusing his order to return to work after 2 days of strike action. Military air traffic controllers were used as scabs until new hires could be trained stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1049...
There is no way that betting on wildfires should be legal. www.oregonlive.com/wildfires/20...
As Oregon burns and gamblers bet, lawmakers push back against wildfire betting markets drawing millions
Wyden and Merkley are urging federal regulators to crack down on prediction markets that allow users to wager on how long wildfires will burn and how much damage they will cause
oregonlive.com
Voters want public goods and services.
Taniel@taniel.bsky.social · 15h agoBig tax results out of Missouri tonight: Voters statewide rejected by an huge margin a GOP ballot measure to phase out the income tax. They also renewed a sales tax to keep state parks free. And Kansas City approved a package of $1.7 billion of bonds for infrastracture.
Dangerous. Extremely dangerous.
Michael Sainato@msainato.bsky.social · 8h agoWorkers at TSA are facing a big privatization push by the Trump administration that would force thousands of federal workers to work for private contractors for lower pay, fewer benefits, and no union contract www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
President Donald Trump’s administration has detained more than 50 spouses and parents of U.S. troops as it rolls back immigration protections for military families, an AP investigation has found. apnews.com/article/mili...
AP Exclusive: Trump's immigration crackdown has detained more than 50 military spouses and parents
An Associated Press investigation reveals that President Donald Trump’s administration has detained dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. troops.
apnews.com
Judge Wise finds that ICE coerced a 20-year-old Tongan man — admitted legally to the country three years ago — to sign a document accepting deportation, despite no criminal record or immigration proceedings against him. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
In MI-08, an R+1 district with a Dem incumbent, the GOP candidate Trump endorsed is losing by double digits to a guy who'd dropped out last month.
Who does Congress work for, anyway?
West Virginia Watch@westvirginiawatch.com · 20h agoWASHINGTON — The stopgap spending bill supported by an overwhelming majority of U.S. senators does not address tens of billions in expiring transportation funding, leaving states facing a massive effective budget cut starting Oct. 1, reports Jacob Fischler.
Essential reading on “data politics” from Prof. Tressie McMillan Cottom, one of our country’s most expansive, brilliant thinkers.
Kathy Harris@triproftri.bsky.social · yesterdayAn incredible reading list about #AI framed through what TMC calls "data politics" www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/o...
Trump tariffs are killing our economy. “Oregon importers paid $2.89 billion in tariffs between March and December 2025, according to the report. Exports fell 17.3% in 2025, a roughly $5.8 billion decline. And the state missed out on an estimated $442 million in taxes.”
Oregon paid nearly $3 billion in tariffs, hit harder than other states, according to new report
The report coincided with the state filing a third lawsuit against President Donald Trump over import taxes.
oregonlive.com
While Trump and Republicans in Congress move on, tens of millions of Americans are stuck with the bill — literally. A family of four with student debt now faces $4,000+ in added costs a year. My latest on @ms.now: www.ms.now/opinion/trum...
Opinion | America’s student loan system is a mess. Along comes Trump to make it worse.
Randi Weingarten and Mike Pierce: Ballooning student loan payments are Trump's latest contribution to the affordability crisis
ms.now
FLAG: Trump gets to keep tax immunity for himself, his sons, and the Trump Organization under the new 'deal' struck by Todd Blanche. The new order also reaffirms that Trump won't have to pay any taxes he might have owed the IRS.
An absolute travesty for democracy, freedom and any independence at the DOJ. This is what rank corruption of the GOP and American politics looks like. It will be devastating and will further imperil free and fair elections in a country whose approval of the president is less than 35%.
Julianne McShane@juliannemcshane.bsky.social · 2d agoBreaking @ms.now: Cornyn, Tillis throw their support behind Blanche, who is now all but assured to be the next AG.
when people talk about how anti-trans sports policies harm *all* girls this is exactly what they mean
Gillian Branstetter@gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 2d agoAn initiative on the ballot in Washington state in November would require all athletes seeking to play girl's sports from kindergarten to high school to undergo "genetic screening, a testosterone-levels test, or an examination of their reproductive anatomy" before they can play
Constitutional privacy rights continue to be eviscerated in the U.S.
Dhruv Mehrotra@dmehro.bsky.social · 2d agoNEW: In 2025 ICE obtained DNA from nearly one million people and funneled it into an FBI criminal database. The collection likely included DNA from young children and was backed by the threat of criminal prosecution. The raw genetic material is stored indefinitely. Free to read:
Camping. South coast and Eel Lake, Oregon.
The government had accused David Hearn of ripping a piece of sealant after a $14 million renovation. Hearn has repeatedly said that he simply touched the water in the pool out of curiosity last month. n.pr/4fwMK31
Prosecutors move to dismiss Reflecting Pool vandalism case, saying 'botched installation' to blame
The government had accused David Hearn of ripping a piece of sealant after a $14-million renovation. Hearn has repeatedly said that he simply touched the water in the pool out of curiosity last month.
n.pr
Union journalists at 3 WA newspapers are continuing their contract fight after a multi-day strike, demanding higher wages & AI usage guidelines. Workers say Adams MultiMedia's proposal would leave even veteran journalists earning less than the living wage. https://ow.ly/ejfC50ZurZy
"more teachers departed public school classrooms in Texas than at any point since at least 2007, the earliest year with state data...From 2020 to 2025, the state lost 35,000 teachers who would have stayed in the classroom...That’s equivalent to nearly 10% of the current teacher workforce."
Anne Lutz Fernandez@lutzfernandez.bsky.social · 5d agoThis new data compiled by @mattbarnum.bsky.social is invaluable. It makes clear that worries about the teacher shortage, downplayed by contrarians, were and are warranted. Importantly, it raises a largely ignored factor affecting student mental health, behavior, and academic success.
If you're wondering what party will help you keep your Social Security benefits and which one is trying to take them away, this is a Republican on the Senate floor TODAY:
"In the sweltering Alabama heat, where a trailer home can feel like an oven during each new heat wave, Esther Calhoun’s electricity bill has doubled in recent years. On a fixed income of about $1,300 a month, the 63‑year‑old Calhoun now pays roughly $350 monthly for electricity in rural Alabama."
Data Center Surge Worsens Electricity Costs for Black Families
Trump promised to cut power bills, but instead nearly 100 million households are behind on utility payments, with Black households holding the most debt.
capitalbnews.org
