Also posted this morning.
Reporter and writer: https://fallows.substack.com/ and https://www.ourtownsfoundation.org/ One-time speechwriter, long-time pilot, longer-time husband of linguist/writer Deborah Fallows. Note same wristwatch in the two photos, more than 50 years apart.
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It's not the NYT fwiw
2/2 Also, for the record, while a writer's name is on the byline, often/usually someone else comes up with the headline. Especially for "catchy" contrarian pitches like this.
Remember when people used the term "false equivalency"?
I was in Panama at just that same time (Dec 2024) Agree
2/2 It's obviously on purpose that I'm not ID'ing the ambassador or the country. Problem is, it could fit any of two dozen examples.
This month spoke w the ambassador of a longtime close US allied country. The indignities, damage, and "the cruelty is the point" (tm A Serwer) that this allied country has been put through would defy belief, except that we see counterparts every day in ICE / MAGA news. Just for the record.
Uganda giving the US lessons on rule-of-law.
Yes, as noted.
This firefighter arrived in the US at age 4, has been here for 19 years, was on track to legal status, and was on a crew trying to contain a major blaze (in Washington state, vs Oregon, fwiw.) h/t @joshuajfriedman.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
I really hope this becomes the black eye it deserves to be www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
The warfighters in DC got the trash picked up, now time to mulch.
This past week, ICE seized people while they were fighting a wildfire in Washington State. Today, this report about hospitals and surgical centers in California. calmatters.org/health/2025/...
That elides quite a bit of history. Trust did take a hit during Vietnam and Watergate, but it fluctuated after that for a few decades and then spiked after 9/11. It was Iraq, Katrina, and 2008 that caused it to fall off the cliff.
From @markhertling.bsky.social — retired Three Star General, veteran of our modern wars. www.thebulwark.com/p/honoring-a...
Agree.
RFK Jr. taps his top deputy, Jim O’Neill, to be the new CDC director. Both men appear to wear skinny ties from Otaa. Otaa's ties are made in China from microfiber, a kind of plastic that, under the right conditions, can migrate to your balls.
Correct. But as you know, she initially claimed to have "concerns" and "doubts" about Hegseth. (Based, according to her, on her own experience as an abuse-survivor.)
2/2 "Caved" because she was initially "concerned" about Hegseth. www.politico.com/news/2024/12...
After she caved and voted to confirm Hegseth, RFK, Gabbard, Bondi, the lot of them.
If he thinks a few transgender people out of several thousand murderers is "a common denominator," wait until he hears how many of them were using automatic weapons.
People of DC. For past few weeks there has been a regular Friday evening protest in DuPont Circle, around 6pm. Anyone aware of central listing place of when / where people are gathering? (Assuming that The Authorities already know .) Wondering for possible attendees.
Federal District Court Judge Royce Lamberth rules that Kari Lake and USAGM are prohibited from firing VOA Director Michael Abramowitz without approval from a majority of the International Broadcasting Advisory Board (whose bipartisan members were fired by Trump).
They say it's the new one.
We just got appointments at CVS in DC for September 4.
@govpritzker.illinois.gov made the same point as @governorwalz.mn.gov Enough of the damn "Dems in disarray" written-on-autopilot coverage. Or "how does this change odds for 2028?" The country is under attack. That's the story.
FYI, both the House (which brings impeachment charges) and the Senate (which decides on them) are controlled by the MAGA party. If the Dems had four more seats in the House, and four in the Senate, everything would be different. Impeachment and removal could roll through.
Yes
Agree with this. Make them fight for every inch. Worth reading this thread.
people love bringing up japan when it comes to deporting immigrants/ creating a homogenous society, but if you bring up japan's anti-gun laws it's "woah woah woah"
Thank you. Just did so as well. (I was asking that rhetorically, but I've signed up for real.)
Where do I sign up?
2/2 For those who don't know, the official flag of Washington DC. From a design back in the 1920s, based on George Washington family crest. Story here: www.washingtonian.com/2018/07/20/b...
The DC flag!
In DC this afternoon.
This is dumb. And useless
DC is trying its best to remove them.
There's no fee, but it's so big that (according to the tree guys) DC requires a permit. It's just a formality, since DC is trying to get rid of these trees. But there is a queue.
2/2 ... we learn we have a gigantic Ailanthus tree. Suddenly covered w these pests. DC Department of Urban Forestry, very active, leading effort to get homes/biz to take down these host trees. (We're just waiting for official permit.) One of countless everyday-civic functions of DC gov.
1/2 Fascinating/alarming NewsHour story on plague of Spotted Lanternflies, which have now taken over mid-Atlantic area. www.pbs.org/newshour/sho... Among disclosures: 2 crucial hosts for these pests are vineyards and 'Tree of Heaven' (Ailanthus). We don't have any vines, but...
If Obama or Biden had said this, it would be rightfully understood as them arrogating dictatorial authority to themselves, it would be the only thing anyone in the media or opposition would talk about for a year, and it would probably end their presidency. For Trump, it’s literally just Tuesday.
National Guard is now tasked with picking up garbage in DC
Good creative action ideas here via @joshtpm.bsky.social talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/think...
A glimpse into Trump's make-believe world of "giant water valves" in Northern California…
This is your Democratic campaign message for 2026
Sobering and important essay by @jilldlawrence.bsky.social h/t @normornstein.bsky.social jilllawrence.substack.com/p/how-does-t...
2/2 To be clear, "Move Without Precedent" or "Move With No Precedent" would have fit same space. As opposed to "Little" "Unprecedented Move" might not have fit the line breaks. But it is important and good that the headline and subhead stress the "says he is" part, as opposed to fait accompli.
But why "little precedent," as opposed to "unprecedented"? Which AFAIK is the case.
Yes. It's the "move with little precedent." AFAIK there is no precedent.
This headline.
Worthwhile thread by @donmoyn.bsky.social He's right that this is a terrible, credulous, context-free piece in @washingtonpost.com. Not mainly fault of reporter, who is a Brit breaking-news writer based in London. OTOH WaPo has been doing strong reports about Occupied DC.
And he had already served two terms as governor of the biggest state!
If you didn't manage to see this calmly furious and defiant statement by @govpritzker.illinois.gov yesterday, please find 12 minutes to see or hear it today. Best, strongest statement by sr official of where we stand and what is needed now. Civil duty to see it. www.msnbc.com/deadline-whi...
This guys are the heroes we need. An example of how to stand up (and be fully informed).
Right. But in this case a whole, important country might.
Have known and admired @doggett.house.gov since he was 26-year-old Texas State Senator, from Austin. Now, after 30+ years in US Congress from Tx, has been gerrymandered out of his base and into showdown w fellow Dem Greg Casar Worth watching Lloyd on News Hour tonight: www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...
This is a tremendously insulting, ignorant, and consequential moment from Trump. Trump clearly has no idea what he has done. But starting w the 50+ million people in South Korea, many throughout Asia and the rest of the world are aware. Even SecState/NatSecAdvisor little Marco must know.
3/3 Have heard countless speeches using this "arc" quote from MLK. The way @govpritzker.illinois.gov used the quote to conclude his speech was an artful combination of reassurance and motivation. "It doesn't bend on its own." Watch the whole speech! /end
2/3 Among the dozens of lines worth quoting from @govpritzker.illinois.gov 's speech today, this aimed at the press was on-target. As he made clear: The challenge is right now, 2025, and being sure there are elections in 2026. Be. Here. Now. (cont..)
A great speech. The message and leadership we need.
The full 12 minutes of @govpritzker.illinois.gov speech today, which was superb. (Via Nicole Wallace / @msnbc.com segment.) www.msnbc.com/deadline-whi...
The top story of the moment is the one story that our most influential newsrooms won’t touch: That the United State has become an authoritarian state. presswatchers.org/2025/08/we-h...
This is Meeting The Moment, from Pritzker. Please watch this 90-second clip.
this is genuinely baffling to me. $80k a year to help a professional writer produce one 800-word column a week?
yes, fixed!
Talk about sane-washing: How NBC frames Trump's ramping up his tough-guy flexing in DC by arming troops: www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...
In DC, a lot of camo. This afternoon, northwest DC, on our porch. (A tiny little creature. That post-top he's sitting on is about three inches square.) Not minimizing the gravity of DC situation. (See fallows.substack.com/p/a-summer-a... ) Just noting this urban surprise.
Wow, stunning photo.
They were in other parts of town, later in the day. (Was just reporting on what we saw along the mall.) People in DC are being brave.
Josh, thank you, excellent.
I was wrong when, after the Golden Escalator ten years ago, I said in public that no serious political party would even consider making him their nominee. Or maybe ... (Don't think I've been wrong on much about him since then.)
Yeah, like the one aboard the USS Missouri.
No other modern democracy operates under rules written in the 1780s. Of the 100 or so new democracies that have emerged since WW II, none have adopted the US model. (For instance, no other country has a lifetime tenure supreme court.)
Very thorough, very sobering essay by the always astute Mike Lofgren. (His 'The Party Is Over,' in 2012, stands as one of the prescient works of our times. A former GOP staffer who saw where his party was headed.) www.salon.com/2025/08/24/w...
thank you.
Good thread by @volts.wtf
Yes, I entirely agree.
Yes, as mentioned, this was explicitly the Mall-centric zone.
The more you walk, the more you can walk! :)
Slideshow of today in Washington DC, and how it looks when a terrorizing government scares people away. By me, no paywall: fallows.substack.com/p/a-summer-a...
The latest thing Trump has done to DC: Scare the visitors away. Damaging all the businesses, large and small, that depend on them. Along the National Mall today, 1pm, on a stunningly beautiful Saturday afternoon in late August. (Article and more photos to come later today.)
Alright fuck it. I sprained my ankle this morning and have nothing else to do. So here’s my counterargument to @jerusalem.bsky.social’s argument for staying on X. www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-have-to...
Front page story, four wks ago. Unnamed sources. Note use of "Dispute" to describe Trump shakedown of Harvard Since then, three big NYT followups to same effect, still anon, same $500 million figure NYT has invested very heavily in play of this story. Matters a lot on many fronts how it turns out
Agree. Left Xitter last November, after being there from the start, and large following. (What % were bots? No idea.) Have not missed it. Left FB almost at the beginning, and Insta. Too many others to recount. This is a long-time fluid environment.
Hi is right. Obviously this won't / can't happen w/o Dems in control. But Dems should make clear that it *will* happen if they have a chance. (To underscore: Per-capita, people of DC pay *more* federal tax than people in any state, incl NY CA. And have zero representation. Or a governor!
Part about Newsom (mentioned in the bsky tweet) is all before the paywall. Most of each most is free, including main point. Rest is how I earn my living.
Thank you!
Absolutely incredible video of a woman standing up to ICE. This is resistance 1/2
2/2 NB, stuff about Newsom and Calif is all before the paywall. Different topic after that
From yesterday, by me, on why Newsom is doing the right thing, right now. Save any talk about 2028 for later on. It's a distraction. We have to deal with the emergency in front of us. fallows.substack.com/p/which-side...
Isn't this in the "cross that bridge when we come to it" category? For me, the much bigger fear is that the genuine "backlash against Trump" gets muffled, disenfranchised, voter-suppressed, out-gerrymandered, or in other ways prevented from changing control of the Congress. (As you know.)
This is very, very powerful. Please read. Link here: dbarkhuff.substack.com/p/i-should-b...
People of DC (and beyond....)
The tone of this video is completely wild. It's filmed like a high school media class project. It looks like it too; the presentation and graphics are amateurish. And yet it's chilling, because she's a real government spokesperson dismissing reports of abuses in detention with finger quotes.
I've clung to grim belief that 1968 would be darkest year I'd see in US. Horrific assassinations. Real (not show) military occupation in DC. Tet and MyLai. 'Police Riot' in Chicago. Nixon/Agnew. Not so certain any more. Back then 2 parties still functioned. A prez could resign for "good of nation"
Deleting this post for typo, will repost.
Good for Obama. Unilateral disarmament is not a sustainable strategy. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
This op-ed, by Eric Schmidt and Selina Xu, clarifies a lot about the hype, and practicalities, of AI. Very much worth reading. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/o...
Union Station just opened a new bagel shop, a new ice cream parlor, a new used vinyl records and book shop, and a new Uniqlo
the people protesting in dc are the people in america who have always been protesting against fascism. same cause, 60+ years later