Rafael Agustín
@rafaelagustin.bsky.social
TV writer & author | Board Member of Mother Jones, Reveal, & National Film Preservation Board at Library Congress
The NY Times reported today that Southern California Edison is responsible for the Eaton fire. That’s not news. What should be news is that the utility company is trying to delay the trial so desperate Altadena residents take their horrible Eaton Fire Compensation program.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was the first state-directed mass deportation of the modern era. It cost the American government a trillion dollars at the time. There’s a direct correlation between ICE and the Indian Removal Act.
Christopher Nolan radicalizing me was not on my bingo card. The Odyssey is beautifully anti-war. It’s about the cost of glory, veteran trauma, and a strong critique of imperialism.
Cape Verde is the biggest winner of this year’s World Cup. Not just because of how great they played, or because of how they held off the two biggest countries in the world, but because of their aspirational story. Even in sports we crave storytelling.
Every country in the World Cup guarantees universal health care to its citizens, except the United States of America.
We are defunding cancer research but overfunding ICE. That’s an insane American value to have.
Every single refugee we've let in since December is supposedly fleeing white genocide.
US accepts only white refugees for sixth consecutive month
The Trump administration is spending more than $100 million to fight the "emergency" of "white genocide" in South Africa.
motherjones.com
California loves a leading man as Governor. Becerra is definitely not that. But with everything the Reality-Star-in-Chief has done to this country, perhaps what we most need in Sacramento is a boring public servant with bad-joke-dad vibes that has a ton of experience and knows how to fight back.
People aren’t illegal. But adding Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center is.
Pedophilia, insurrection, and corruption, yet Stephen Colbert is the one losing his job.
Mark Cuban just blew Tom Steyer’s chances of becoming Governor of California.
Deaths in ICE custody have reached a record high; 49 people since January 2025. As many as 29 just in this fiscal year. But the Trump administration is shutting down an independent DHS oversight office that handles complaints about conditions and treatment in detention facilities.
Immigrants are dying in ICE detention. A key watchdog office is now gone.
"An utter disregard for safety and just humane treatment."
motherjones.com
Unregulated social media gave us QAnon, January 6th, and a spike in child depression. Unregulated AI will be much, much worse.
I’ve read my book all throughout the United States, but no reading has been more powerful than the one I did with Stacey Abrams outside the Dilley detention center for the #readthemhome campaign.
To everyone who said “We have to get behind the leading Democrat in the California’s governors race no matter what” and are now silent because Xavier Becerra took the lead… 🖕
Tucker Carlson is running for President. Don’t be fooled by his crocodile tears.
Since Xavier Becerra is trending, let me remind you he’s a son of farmworkers who graduated from Stanford Law, became the CA Attorney General, and was the U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services when that department still believed in vaccinations.
NEW: The mass shootings at Tumbler Ridge and FSU raise urgent questions about people using ChatGPT and other chatbots to plan deadly violence—which is happening far beyond those cases, my new investigation shows www.motherjones.com/media/2026/0... 🧵
The chilling role of ChatGPT in mass shootings and other violence
Several attacks involving OpenAI's chatbot—including Tumbler Ridge and FSU—raise urgent questions about the technology.
motherjones.com
Proud to stand with Stacey Abrams, Mychal Threets, Jenn Stowe, and all the #ReadThemHome national partners, as we continue our national online vigil to end the inhumane detention of children and families.
I’m outside the Dilley detention center today reading my book out loud to help #EndFamilyDetention ❤️🩹 Do your part. Read aloud. Share your video. Tag #ReadThemHome. Help us bring these kids home. @domesticworkers.bsky.social @fwd.us @neatoday.bsky.social @seiu.org
80% of Americans now believe Trump started the war with Iran to distract from the Epstein files. The other 20% are in the Epstein files.
"As we continue to reckon with Chavez’ legacy, we must highlight the survivors, not just the perpetrator. So when it comes to that list of women and girls who process in silence, it’s important we do what my loved one told me to do that Wednesday morning: “Read it out loud.”
From Cesar Chavez to Trump, let's reckon with the cruelty of leaders.
The way Latino communities are rallying around the survivors can be an example to our nation.
motherjones.com
Lies and incoherence on almost everything at this point… “President Trump, who has long railed against mail-in voting—including on Monday, when he called it “mail-in-cheating”—used the method himself in a Florida special election scheduled to take place on Tuesday.” www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/u...
Trump, Who Calls Mail-in Voting ‘Cheating,’ Just Voted by Mail
nytimes.com
Like many this morning, I feel heartbroken and betrayed by Cesar Chavez. But like Ms. Lopez, who was one of his victim’s, beautifully stated, “It makes you rethink in history all those heroes. The movement — that’s the hero.”
Great to see the courts rebuke RFK Jr.'s insanity on vaccines... which has been his most attention-grabbing insanity but is far from his only insanity www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
No, antidepressants do not cause mass shootings
RFK Jr. falsely claims that pills—not guns—are the source of the shootings epidemic.
motherjones.com
David Zaslav is doing to Hollywood what Donald Trump did to America. Huge job losses, the rapid destruction of the middle class, majority of people now living paycheck to paycheck, and all so they can further enrich themselves. The problem is the billionaires, not the working class.
Trump's self-dealing is truly off the scales — eclipsing even the biggest corruption scandal of the First Gilded Age. It's a new Golden Age for grifting. [@brennancenter.org]
A MOTHER JONES SCOOP! New details from Epstein files reveal Lutnick had a years-long business tie with the sex offender. This challenges his claim he had minimal contact with Epstein. The two were involved in a deal for six years, and an email shows they discussed it. @nlanard.bsky.social
New details from Epstein files reveal Lutnick had years-long business tie with sex offender
The commerce secretary apparently still hasn't come clean on his connection with Epstein.
motherjones.com
