Mary Beth Williams
@mbwilliams.bsky.social
Made from Maine Wabanakiak, Isles of Shoals fishermen, and Welsh coal miners. Exiled to Oregon. Constitutional law and state/tribal/fed gov't wonk (JD). North Atlantic historian obsessed with wampum, cod fishing, and dual-host pathogens.
In other Michigan news, the state looks set to elect it's first transgender lawmaker. Joanna Whaley won her Democratic primary and will compete in November for a state house seat, beating a primary opponent who tried and failed to disqualify her for not running under her deadname
1/ It's important that any thinking about post-Trump reforms think about the relative merits and demerits of rules vs. norms, as @dbernstein.bsky.social does today. But ... goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/p/restoring-...
Restoring Norms
Trump may have ruined assumptions of restraint for future Presidents. Should we do something to rein them in?
goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com
Bombshell new report out from my investigators this morning spanning our four year investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s financial records. This report shows exactly how Wall Street protected Epstein and enabled his sex trafficking for decades. Mega thread following with some key points:
Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, BofA Enabled Epstein, Wyden Report Says
Democrat Ron Wyden cited nonpublic documents held by the US Treasury in a report that says banks delayed reporting suspicious financial transactions and calls for tougher anti-money-laundering rules, ...
bloomberg.com
Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase likely violated federal anti-money laundering laws by failing to properly screen and report payments from Leon Black to Jeffrey Epstein, and underreporting Epstein’s suspicious activity to the Treasury Department.
Six weeks of 🛳️—>🏴—>🛳️ now comes to an end. We had such an amazing time and met so many wonderful people. Back to reality. Words I’m appropriating (since they did it to us NDNs first): Takeaway Dreckly Proper job Brekky Lorry Holiday Car park Chips There may be others.
36 years ago today, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. This came after decades of advocacy from the Disability Rights movement and changed our country and our City for the better.
!!!!!!!
mattlaslo.bsky.social@mattlaslo.bsky.social · last wk.NEW: Forget Graham Platner, Maine Democrats' push tribal sovereignty for the Wabanaki Nations at this weekend’s US Senate nominating convention Full (unpaywalled) post at @askapol.bsky.social Politics on Substack. Cameo: @tomwilliams.bsky.social www.askapolpolitics.com/p/forget-gra...
NEW: Forget Graham Platner, Maine Democrats' push tribal sovereignty for the Wabanaki Nations at this weekend’s US Senate nominating convention Full (unpaywalled) post at @askapol.bsky.social Politics on Substack. Cameo: @tomwilliams.bsky.social www.askapolpolitics.com/p/forget-gra...
The extraordinary wildfire outbreak across Oregon, eastern Washington, and southern British Columbia has become even more alarming amid critical fire weather conditions. Over 500,000 acres have already burned in OR & WA alone, and that number could be >1 million acres by Mon.
Trump has burned through around a third of US stockpiles of key precision munitions in his failed war in Iran, ABC reports.
Being in the middle of the North Atlantic (well, just over the Flemish Cap ATM,) I've missed a lot. But this is huge. So very, very huge. Of course, it should be an Administration-ending scandal, but it likely won't be more than a small blip. I hope I'm wrong.
tony romm@tonyromm.bsky.social · 2w agoNEW: In a stunning admission, the Trump administration admitted in court documents that it canceled billions in energy grants to states "based solely" on politics -- and whether that state was represented by Democrats and backed Harris in 2024. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/b...
Iran launched several attacks at multiple targets in different countries overnight. Someone should tell them their military is completely obliterated so they stop doing this.
Not sure what's up, but at tea yesterday we were seated with a raging homophobe, and at dinner with a raging anti-immigrant racist. I pushed back in both cases, but didn't make an actual scene as their companions were visibly uncomfortable with their bigoted comments. But, damn, people, just stop.
Honestly, folks need to chill. In 1972, House Majority Leader Hale Boggs was campaigning with Rep. Nick Begich in Alaska when their plane went down in a remote location a month before the election. Both were presumed dead—but still re-elected, and their seats not declared vacant until Jan, 1973.
"More than 120 millionaires.. have signed an open letter urging PM Andy Burnham to tax their wealth. The campaign, called 'Proud to Pay' says a 2% tax on wealth over £10m could raise £24 billion a year" #GMB
In March 1935, the sky went dark over Washington, DC as a dust storm from the midwest blanketed the city. As this offshoot of the Dust Bowl moved over the nation's capitol, Hugh Bennett, head of the Soil Erosion Service in the Department of Agriculture, was testifying before Congress…1/3
I don’t personally love this outcome, but this is how it should be done: suspending your campaign with class. Uplifting the likely nominee. I bet many Mainers are proud of Jordan Wood today.
He's not kidding. thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thehill....
Tillis goes scorched-earth on SAVE America Act, threatening to stall it
Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.), a retiring Republican who has become one of the most vocal critics of the Trump administration in his party, delivered harsh words for President Trump’s top-priority …
thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org
Back in Lyme Regis, having a pint, awaiting fish and chips, enjoying the stiff breeze and view while the youngest fossil hunts.
OMG a chance to plug one of my favorite scientific history books!! "The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World" by Steven Johnson. Available at @bookshop.org #BookSky 📚 💙
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
A National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year from the author of Extra Life “By turns a medical thriller, detective story, and paean to city...
bookshop.org
Sunday morning talking heads TV in Britain is so much more interesting than the US. Granted, it could just be everyone is revved up over Andy.
Got a couple of shots from the car as we drove through Avebury the other day, so I guess I can join #StandingStoneSunday for once.
Spent the afternoon at the tide pools on Sidmouth beach. The third heat wave in the month we’ve been in the Southwest finally seems to be easing off. Just in time for us to head back home starting next week.
'Mind-blowing' ancient bones discovery sparked by family holiday. 🧪 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Family holiday unearths 'mind-blowing' ancient discovery
The "once in a lifetime" discovery could rewrite history, researchers say.
bbc.co.uk
Our plans for the day just happen to bring us to Avebury and the Wiltshire Museum:
Ancient DNA analysis reveals Wiltshire’s Upton Lovell Shaman was a woman
Exclusive: Analysis offers ‘smoking gun evidence’ that overturns previous assumption that bronze age individual was male
theguardian.com
1/2 🚨 5 alarm fire about Trump's upcoming Thurs speech laying groundwork to discredit key D victories in Nov using "newly declassified intel" from his investigations into U.S. elections. ❗Press: DO NOT LET HIM LIE live, unchallenged. 🧾 t2m.co/RpiBQAHh See his other terror tactics after the jump.
US President Donald Trump to assert voting machine vulnerabilities in Thursday speech - CNBC TV18
Donald Trump to address nation on declassified intelligence, voting machine vulnerabilities. White House seeks federal oversight of elections.
cnbctv18.com
