thenationmagazine.substack.com…

#uspol

In my microbiology class I always talk about how algae can do such amazing things

Algae thwart Trump’s $14.2m attempt to turn reflecting pool ‘American flag blue’

theguardian.com/us-news/2026/j…

#reflectingpool #uspol

Analysis: "Israel makes no secret of the fact that it is opposing [the US-Iran] agreement & will do whatever it can to sabotage it."

"Netanyahu spent decades pushing US presidents towards military action against Iran. Finally he found one president who was willing to do it, & it is a total failure."

"We are now in the same position right before the war, & maybe even worse".

~Gideon Levy

aje.news/y3hc1w?update=4658013

#USPol #EUPol #IranWar #news #Netanyahu #IsraeliCrimes .

A “rare moment of justice”, says Craig Mokhiber, after Germany lost its bid to return to the UN Security Council.

Germany's failed bid is due to “Germany’s scandalous support for genocide in Palestine & aggression against Iran, & its repression of human rights defenders inside Germany”.

“Germany’s money can no longer erase its responsibility for genocides in Namibia, Europe, & Palestine."

Only 104 members voted for Germany

aje.news/dud2nk?update=4625033

#USPol #EUPol #GazaGenocide #Germany #news .

RIP Barney Frank

#news #death #USPol

apnews.com/article/barney-fran…

Why did Trump pardon drug trafficker and Honduran president Juan Hernández? According to leaked audio tapes, it was an initial payment in part of a agreement between Trump, Bibi, and others to take down Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum.

El Pais: ‘Hondurasgate,’ the alleged US and Israeli interference plot to destabilize Mexico and other progressive governments

english.elpais.com/internation…

#USpol #Mexico #Honduras #DrugTrafficking

Comic: "Dems should move to the right"

#uspol #cartoon #comic #science #disinformation

Report: Shipping data contradict US claims of blockade success

US Centcom commander Brad Cooper said that “US forces have completely halted economic trade going in & out of Iran by sea.”

cnbc.com/2026/04/15/us-strait-…

But shipping data show that 14 ships on the US sanctions lists crossed the strait, 7 from Iranian ports.

In addition, TankerTrackers said Iran shipped 9m barrels of crude oil since the start of the blockade.

aje.news/060cxq?update=4497654

#USPol #EUPol #Hormuz #USBlockade #news #iranWar .

New comic: Name that Bellicose Babbler

#war #language #cartoon #uspol #quotes

This map shows the cost of charging an EV at home across the U.S. Home-charging is significantly cheaper in all 50 states than fueling a car with gasoline.

Source: Yale yaleclimateconnections.org/202… #energy #uspol

This week's comic on the authoritarian takeover of US media

#media #uspol #democracy #journalism #authoritarianism #oligarchy

In my new op-ed at The Hill, I describe a shift in how staffers & citizens perceive American democracy through the concept of “shifting baselines.” thehill.com/opinion/congress-b…

This term from ecology illustrates how each generation tends to view the environment of their youth as normal, regardless of how degraded the system may be. I wonder whether future generations will recognize when it’s necessary to push back if their firsthand memories are only of political upheaval. #uspol #science

“This is the systematic elimination of scientific stewardship at the world’s largest biomedical research funder.”

open.substack.com/pub/elizabet… #science #health #uspol

"Do you think it's inappropriate in any way that someone w/ no experience w/ grants for the federal government was making personal judgment calls about what grants to cancel?" an attorney asked.

"Um, no. I don't think it's inappropriate," Cavanaugh said, arguing that he did not need formal education or experience to make informed judgments. 🤔

abcnews.com/Politics/2-doge-st… #science #uspol

Scientists often assume the main challenge in policymaking is ensuring that legislators have access to high-quality evidence.

But Capitol Hill is fast-paced, resource-constrained & shaped by competing considerations. sheril.substack.com/p/beyond-t… #science #uspol

This week's comic: The Big Dumb War Cycle

#war #foreignpolicy #uspol #cartoon

Latest comic: Hollowed out shells

#cartoon #comic #uspol #media #authoritarianism #minnesota

Even when there’s no accountability, the record matters. Credit to the Wikipedia editors maintaining this page.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths,_…

#USpol #USpolitics

You can’t detain a 5 year old child.

If a masked man grabs a kid off the street and puts him in an unmarked car… that’s kidnapping.

If that child is then sent to another state? That’s trafficking.

Language matters here.

What happened to Liam Ramos should outrage us all.

#uspol
#liamramos #minnesota #abolishice

"The Social Security Admin🚨has referred two DOGE employees for Hatch Act violations after discovering contacts with a political group seeking SSA data to overturn election results.

In a remarkable court filing, #DOJ🚨also revealed that DOGE employees traded Social Security data on an unapproved third party server — #Cloudflare — & may have sent private SSA info to a top DOGE adviser.:
-K Cheney

#Musk #DOGE #SocialSecurity #Betrayal #Fraud #TrumpRegime #Elections #USPol
politico.com/news/2026/01/20/t…

A comic from 2022. I want to make a distinction between the Democrats who are speaking out forcefully against authoritarianism and those whose overcautious approach enabled the extremist takeover of our institutions. This is about the dangers of unaccountability and kicking the can down the road. As recent elections demonstrate, voting is still extremely important.

#comic #cartoon #uspol #authoritarianism #democracy

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has voted to dissolve after Republicans rescinded $1.1B at President Trump’s behest.

This ends the 58-year-old agency that distributed federal funds to NPR, PBS and more than 1,500 local public radio & television stations. apple.news/AXdo2-zPuRCiJSiIVd3… #uspol #news

careful, the numbers given in the screenshot might be misleading.

If current CDC data are still trustworthy, there seems to be some kind of seasonal pattern in measels cases[1].

Measels cases seem to increase over time, but that seems to start in the early 2000s. Maybe vaxx-reluctance started to kick in then ... maybe because there hasn't been many outbreaks in the 90ies.

but still: the current admin is a problem.

[1] cdc.gov/measles/data-research/…

#measels #MeaselsOutbreak #uspol

Cruelty by #StephenMiller, #KristiNoem, #JDVance, & #DonaldTrump. This is what #MikeJohnson, alleged #Christian, & the cowards in Congress & the fascists on #SCOTUS are doing.

"Islas pulled out a brown teddy bear to ease the toddler’s nerves while she faced Judge Irene C. Feldman. Islas is not formally representing Lucy, but provided Feldman w/information regarding Lucy’s case due to her age & inability to understand #immigration proceedings."

coppercourier.com/2025/12/05/c…

#USPol
#fascism

Latest comic: Climate Silence

#climate #climatechange #cop30 #media #journalism #uspol #oligarchy #climatecrisis

The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. sheril.substack.com/p/shutdown… #uspol

So why does the 21st disruption of federal funding since 1976 feel... normal?

This week's comic on the US government shutdown

#cartoon #comic #uspol #ACA #healthcare #economy

No Kings rally in Evanston, IL, looking N, W and S.

A good time, peaceful, neighborly. Democracy.

cc
@indivisibleteam
@indivisiblechi
@50501movement
@50501Chicago

#NoKings #indivisible #rally #protest #democracy #USpol #politics

Assault on accessibility initiatives hits early career scientists hard

Trump administration cuts to programs supporting people with disabilities are part of broader assault on DEI

wisconsinexaminer.com/2025/10/… #Fascism #Ableism #HigherEd #Science #USpol

Latest comic: What does not belong?

#cartoon #comic #politics #democracy #firstamendment #monarchy #authoritarianism #uspol