Stephen Miles

@spmiles42.bsky.social

Former President of Win Without War, lover of Philly sports, and opinionated observer of foreign policy.

People who are suddenly deported to countries they haven’t been to for years — or, in some cases, have NEVER been to — are incredibly vulnerable. We are going to be reading stories like this for years. God have mercy on their three little girls.

Adam Sawyer@adamjst.bsky.social · last wk.

“If immigration hadn't picked up my brother, my sister-in-law would still be alive, and the children wouldn't be going through this sorrow,” he said. “Unfortunately, immigration — the [U.S.] government — doesn't see that. It makes no difference to them.” www.stlpr.org/law-order/20...

If you're not reading @attackerman.bsky.social, you're doing it wrong. His latest is a much needed expose on Trump's massive increase in warmaking, only not in Iran, in Somalia. In the last six months Trump has launched more attacks on Somalia than Biden did in his entire presidency. Read more 👇

"We Initiated, Basically, A New War" in Somalia (Director's Cut)

PLUS: American Prestige x FOREVER WARS on the war against the left—a left Rubio says belongs to Cuba, which he thinks will scare you

forever-wars.com

John Cornyn has told the WH he won't move forward the ambassadorial nominations of Trump allies Kari Lake (Jamaica?!) and Doug Mastriano (Slovakia) without a commitment to distribute PEPFAR funding, saying it's both the compassionate thing to do and in our self-interest to have friends in Africa.

Exclusive: Cornyn threatens to sink Trump nominees over PEPFAR

The Texas Republican told Semafor he would not support action on two ambassadorial picks without movement on the AIDS-fighting program for Africa.

semafor.com

Time and time and time again we have learned that the Trump administration has hid the true costs of its disastrous war with Iran. It is long past time for this illegal war to end and for a full, public accounting of its massive costs. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/u...

Pentagon Withheld Dozens of U.S. Military Injuries in Iran War

Central Command is not required to release information about injured troops, especially when they quickly return to duty, a military official said.

nytimes.com

The Freedom Fuel stations were put together by a pair of serial grifters who stole $667,000 worth of gas from a distributor five years ago, a private credit sponsor, and an energy trader tied up in multiple Trump schemes and profiting heavily off the war in Iran. prospect.org/2026/07/20/k...

The Kleptocrat Nesting Dolls Behind Trump’s Potemkin Gas Stations - The American Prospect

How can Freedom Fuel afford to sell gas for $3.47 a gallon? That’s the wrong question to ask.

prospect.org

"On Thursday last week, Secret Service agents groused among themselves as they prepared to deliver another perk to Vice President JD Vance’s family: join a military helicopter crew to fly his young son to his golf lesson." Marine Choppers to take the kid to a golf lesson

James Downie@jamescdownie.bsky.social · 3w ago

"Agents have shared concerns internally about Vance and his office pressing them for trips and assignments that some agents consider an inappropriate or even unprecedented use of government resources compared to prior Vice Presidents, they said."

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar urging colleagues to vote YES on Massie & Khanna's amendment cutting aid to Israel. "The American people are crying out for an end to US tax dollars subsidizing Israel's military." Comes as party leadership announces opposition to the amendment.

July 14, 2026
Dear Colleagues:
I am writing to explain why I will vote yes on Rep. Thomas Massie’s Amendment 8 to the
National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriation Act.
I am proud that the Progressive Caucus has endorsed the Block the Bombs Act to cut off
weapons the Israeli military uses to kill civilians in Gaza, and I believe a yes vote is most
consistent with that position.
I understand many people have good faith concerns that this amendment would impact
non-military funding. I want to be clear about the facts here. This amendment would block $3.3
billion in offensive military aid and about $50 million in non-military funding. In other words,
98.5% of the funding is for the military. While I wish we could vote on an amendment targeted
just to military aid, and of course support humanitarian programs, we do not have that option.
The American people are crying out for an end to US tax dollars subsidizing Israel’s military. At
a time when millions are struggling to make ends meet, we are sending billions of dollars to a
military that has killed tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon,
destabilized the region, and helped lead us into war with Iran. Over the weekend, the Israeli
military detained a member of Congress attempting to conduct oversight in the West Bank. We
cannot continue to subsidize this.
I am aware House Democratic leadership has a different position on this amendment. I
appreciate that they have facilitated open conversations on this issue and avoided whipping a
no vote. I respect their leadership.
At its best, the Progressive Caucus’ role is to be an independent voice and lead on important
issues of peace and human rights. After the Israeli government has killed more than 70,000
people in Gaza and helped lead the United States into a destabilizing, deadly war with Iran, we
are called to act.
The Democratic Party needs a new approach to Israel and Palestine. When Democrats retake
the majority in…

One weird trick to end Trump's illegal war with Iran: A prohibition on funding any further hostilities. (It is what ended Nixon's bombing of Cambodia in 1973.) Guess who the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee is: Susan Collins.

Not sure I can count the ways in which this is unconstitutional, not least that "No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law." Minimum, I'd be asking for the required regular "account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money."

Kai Ryssdal@kairyssdal.bsky.social · 4w ago

Think. About. This. The U.S. Treasury receives the revenue from most of Venezuela’s exports, then disburses it gradually to Venezuela through the country’s private banks…. Mr. Rubio and his team set the conditions on what that money can be spent on, and by whom. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/u...

ICE claims that Araujo drove into one of their SUVs with his van and then tried to run over an agent. There were no marks on the van and KHOU11's Jeremy Rogalski found surveillance footage showing ICE chasing Araujo and cutting him off. Renee Good all over again.

Rahm Emanuel’s speech in Tel Aviv marked a long overdue break from the failed “no daylight” approach to Israel, but still trafficked in the same anti-Palestinian tropes that have been used to justify it. My piece in @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/worl...

Rahm Emanuel’s Speech in Tel Aviv Breaks With a “No Daylight” Approach

Though the speech broke from a failed approach toward Israel, it was still based on flawed and tendentious attitudes and history.

thenation.com