Michael Mechanic
@michaelmechanic.bsky.social
Mother Jones editor; author of "Jackpot," an "entertaining and eviscerating" (Jane Mayer) book on America's wealth insanity (readjackpot.com); piano player turned punk rock drummer turned old-time fiddler; dad of Gen Zers; gardener; curmudgeon about town.
I think Democratic Socialists are winning primaries for the same reason Trump won in 2024. Namely, neither party has dealt with the massive problem of runaway wealth inequality. And the DS's are running on it. With Trump, I think fed-up voters just said, "Fuck it, let's burn this house down."
Why did Trump really win? It's simple, actually.
When the economy thrives while half of America struggles, something has got to give.
motherjones.com
A lot of folks are clearly tired of the Democratic establishment, which, despite many progressive policies, has stuck too close to a status quo that leaves half the country (or more) feeling left behind and/or voiceless.
Michigan’s primary reckoning for the Democrats
Despite record outside spending, Abdul El-Sayed and a slate of left-leaning candidates triumphed over establishment and incumbent rivals.
motherjones.com
Lesson: Voters want to tax excessive wealth, and they really hate that data centers are being imposed on communities to power a revolution they don't want. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the general election. Reporting brought to you by @theguardian.com via @climatedesk.org
This data center foe just won his Democratic House primary in Michigan
Sunrise Movement co-founder William Lawerence will face incumbent Republican Tom Barrett in November.
motherjones.com
It seems @cjcmichel.bsky.social's new book, "United States of Oligarchy," from which this article was excerpted, goes on sale today. (Congrats Casey!) And remember Philip Pullman's timeless motto: "Buy books and read them—but at least buy them."
How Jared Kushner used his position to hop in bed with autocrats
And sell out America.
motherjones.com
They know voters hate this shit. So they wait until Blanche has the votes for Collins to come out against him. So she can claim to be a moderate. So she gets reelected. So she can spend the next two years voting for more Todd Blanches.
Collins Watch@collinswatch.bsky.social · 21h agoSusan comes out against Todd Blanche now that he's got the votes. So tiresome. (We called it: tinyurl.com/3bepafkz) #MEpolitics
🚨BREAKING: Nearly a year after voting advocates launched a campaign to prevent a GOP gerrymander from taking effect in Missouri, Secretary of State Denny Hoskins officially blocked the citizen-initiated referendum on the new map from appearing on the ballot. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Missouri blocks anti-gerrymander referendum from November ballot in attempt to silence voters
Voter advocates are expected to immediately challenge the move and ask the courts to ensure that Missouri voters have the final say on the map.
democracydocket.com
Whatever IRS immunity deal Blanche & Trump work out, it will be illegal and corrupt and Republicans in Congress, the one body that could put a quick end to this madness, are complicit in that corruption. Groups like @citizensforethics.org will have to file more lawsuits—courts being our last hope.
Todd Blanche's last-minute promise won over Senators Cornyn & Tillis, but shouldn't have. The "deal" leaves Trump's tax immunity intact. It confirms what the Senators should have already known about Blanche's lack of fitness to be AG. My analysis: open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
The $1.776b Slush Fund Isn't As Dead As Senators Cornyn And Tillis Seem To Be Willing To Believe
MS NOW’s Mychael Schnell reported Monday morning that “Overnight: A spokesperson for Sen.
open.substack.com
Protecting the president and his sons from IRS audits is still illegal and corrupt. Limited deal my arse.
Republican Holdouts Say They’ll Back Blanche After Assurances on I.R.S. Deal
Senators John Cornyn and Thom Tillis expressed support after Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, issued a memo abandoning part of a deal the Justice Department had struck with President Trump.
nytimes.com
Trusting Trump about anything at all, ever, would be a mistake.
Environmentalists are rolling their eyes at Trump’s “ratepayer protection pledge”
“The American people don’t care about the weak pledges and empty promises."
motherjones.com
Trump and Elon Musk gutted the IRS so it couldn't audit and investigate wealthy tax cheats. In the process, it kneecapped IRS customer service, and now everyday taxpayers—the ones who aren't cheating—are deal with the infuriating fallout, as my colleague @smencimer.bsky.social reports.
The IRS is imploding.
The CEO says the agency is proving it's possible to have “less people and better results.”
motherjones.com
How long before some of our cities are no longer inhabitable?
‘Stop all outdoor activities’: South Korea records its highest ever temperature
Authorities issue alert saying indoor spaces without airconditioning are ‘dangerous’ as temperatures pass 40C for fifth straight day
theguardian.com
Imagine making a politician who was charged with bribery, fraud, and corruption the pitchman for your asinine data center project that nobody wants. Boggles the mind.
Jessy Edwards@jessyedwards.bsky.social · 2d agoA video taken Saturday shows former NYC Mayor Eric Adams in sales pitch mode in Wisconsin Rapids, as he's heckled by residents opposed to the data center he's trying to sell them on. "My name is Eric Adams," he begins, as the boos begin to rain down. "You belong in prison!" one attendee shouts.
If you're involved in a murder plot and the victim survives, you're still charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Blanche is complicit in a corrupt conspiracy. Not only is he not being charged with crimes, now he gets to run DOJ. Fuck that. This entire party is corrupt. It's horrendous.
Blanche Gives G.O.P. Senators Written Assurances on Trump’s I.R.S. Deal
Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general has been held up over concerns about a planned $1.8 billion fund for Trump allies and the president’s immunity from tax scrutiny.
nytimes.com
I've been noticing how @washingtonpost.com has been running a ton of opinion pieces opposing taxation of the super-rich. (Go figure.) So I wrote about it.
Does the Washington Post want democracy to die in darkness?
Its publishers appear to be rooting for the oligarchs.
motherjones.com
That Congress is even considering confirming a guy who enabled that "settlement" between Trump and his IRS shows how deeply fascism has become embedded in the Republican DNA.
Kyle Griffin@kylegriffin1.bsky.social · last wk.Senate Democrats are demanding answers from Todd Blanche about subpoenas he authorized to New York Times journalists — including whether Trump pressured the Justice Department to issue them.
Trump and Elon Musk gutted the IRS so it couldn't audit and investigate wealthy tax cheats. In the process, it kneecapped IRS customer service, and now everyday taxpayers—the ones who aren't cheating—are deal with the infuriating fallout, as my colleague @smencimer.bsky.social reports.
The IRS is imploding.
The CEO says the agency is proving it's possible to have “less people and better results.”
motherjones.com
Yes, this is entirely absurd. And yes, the harassment is the point. And yes, Trump needs to be impeached a third time—and finally convicted. May we live to see it happen.
Comey Seeks Dismissal of Charges Accusing Him of Threatening Trump
The filing focused on the question of whether a photograph of seashells arranged to read “86 47” constituted a true threat under federal law.
nytimes.com
There's a solution: to this kind of thing: Congress could simply hold up funding for everything Trump cares about until his administration spends the $$ Congress has allocated without all the games and BS. But that would require a spine.
Congress Budgeted Billions for Big Transit Projects. Trump Isn’t Spending It.
“It’s hard to look at the last year and see anything other than a deliberate slowdown of these grants.”
nytimes.com
After ICE shot and killed Lorenzo Araujo, the FBI leaked to Fox News a claim that he was found with possible meth in the van. His family said it was a total falsehood; it was a bag of salt to be used to make an electrolyte drink. And they were right. It was not drugs.
ICE would need 900,000 gallons every day—more than double the capacity of the entire town’s water system—to provide adequate water for drinking, bathing, and flushing.
How the threat of an ICE detention center galvanized a Trump-country coal town
“We do deserve better than a plethora of data centers, detention centers, warehouses, biosolids processing plants, massive landfills.”
motherjones.com
"Dozens of parents and children face a renewed threat of separation, even as they reel from the horror they survived the first time around." Vivid, must-read reporting from @isabelaalhadeff.bsky.social www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Separated at the Border, Torn Apart Again
Years after being split up and reunited, a family gets caught in Trump’s immigration dragnet.
motherjones.com
A federal magistrate judge has ruled that Trump must turn over detailed financial information in connection with his defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The decision opened the door for the BBC to explore the finances of more than 400 companies owned by a Trump family trust.
Judge says Trump must hand over financial records to BBC
politico.com
🚨 ICE just published their recent numbers and it's worse than we thought. JUNE: ICE and CBP took 43,138 people. That works out to 1,474 of our neighbors every single day. JULY: 65,765 people are now inside US concentration camps.
ICE Quietly Arresting More People Than Ever According to Latest Data
NEW DATA ALERT 🚨 After months of data silence, ICE's new numbers show 65,765 people in immigration detention, deportations near 1,250 a day, and arrests now at 1,473 a day.
austinkocher.substack.com
Another collassal, deadly fuckup brought to you by Stephen Miller and Donald Trump.
What ICE should have known when it hired David Brouillette
The officer who killed a young father in Maine had been accused of abuse by two ex-wives. He was also eligible to skip weeks of training in Georgia.
motherjones.com
This fiasco was brought to you, as widely predicted, by Republican lawmakers in order to fund tax cuts for people who don't need them. Literally taking from the poor to give to the rich. It's morally indefensible.
Faced With Piles of New Paperwork, People Are Losing Food Stamps
Arizona’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rolls have plummeted, offering a possible preview of national trends as states try to avoid new federal penalties.
nytimes.com
Always a good reminder to think before blurting out some misguided assumption.
Why Do White People Assume Successful Black People Are Athletes or Entertainers?
A cultural bias with real-life consequences.
michaelmechanic.com
