Senior Executive Editor, @Opinion.bloomberg.com. Political Analyst, MSNBC. Author: “TrumpNation.” Priors: New York Times, Wall Street Journal. www.timothylobrien.com
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Rural hospitals are preparing to lose billions of dollars from Trump’s signature tax and spending cut bill. Dozens, already on the brink, have warned they face the prospect of closure or reduced services because of the bill’s cuts to Medicaid. apnews.com/article/rura...
"The Guard’s new duties in D.C. appear at odds with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s laser-focus on preparing the military to fight and win wars." www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Trump on deploying the National Guard to Chicago: "I have the right to do anything I want to do. I'm the president of the United States."
Isn’t Cracker Barrel’s real problem that they serve bad food?
"Trump has vowed repeatedly to halve power prices within 12 months of taking office as well as double electricity capacity. Instead, residential electricity prices have climbed about 10% from January until May and are projected to rise another 5.8% next year," www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The deployment of out-of-state troops to occupy cities is a brutal power grab. It runs afoul of the Constitution and the proper role for states. bit.ly/4m6TG77
Bill Dudley wasn’t worried about Trump imperiling the Fed. Now he is: “The threat to the Fed’s independence — along with the risk of uncontained inflation, much higher long-term borrowing costs and a significantly weaker dollar — isn’t going away.” www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
DOGE team members uploaded a database with the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans to a vulnerable cloud server, according to the agency’s chief data officer. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/u...
More than 180 Federal Emergency Management Agency employees wrote members of Congress and other officials, arguing that the agency’s direction and current leaders’ inexperience harm FEMA’s mission and could result in a disaster on the level of Hurricane Katrina www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025...
"A lot of people are saying maybe we like a dictator," Trump added. "I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense and a smart person." www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
"Like all the firings and revocations, the raid sends the chilling message that it doesn’t matter what you know, only whether you’re with Trump." www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
There’s not an independent institution Trump won’t try to strong-arm — including the Fed. That he can also fire a prominent, accomplished Black woman along the way is an added bonus for him: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
“Donald Trump wants to use the military to occupy a U.S. city, punish his dissidence, and score political points. If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is: a dangerous power grab.” www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...
relevant context today that Bolton was highly critical of Trump's meeting with Putin
The Bolton raid should chill you: my emergency video (full video linked) adamkinzinger.substack.com/p/emergency-...
Hegseth authorizes National Guard to carry weapons on D. C. streets: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
given the utter incompetence of kash patel i would not be surprised if they raided michael boltons house
Trump finally acknowledges climate change.
The FBI is searching the Maryland home of former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton as part of an investigation into the handling of classified documents. apnews.com/live/donald-...
Joining the @weeknightmsnbc.bsky.social shortly to talk about the DOJ, Trump and the Epstein files. Come join us.
An appeals court has thrown out the massive civil fraud penalty against Trump, on New York state’s lawsuit that accused him of exaggerating his wealth and misleading banks. Penalties had risen to more than $515 million. www.newsday.com/news/nation/...
"Thousands of critical employees — including scientists and front-line health staff — have been pushed out, raising questions about how the agencies will continue their vital work." projects.propublica.org/federal-heal...
"William Pulte on Wednesday accused Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a Biden appointee, of mortgage fraud. President Trump then demanded her resignation. Where this goes is hard to know, but it’s an ominous turn in political lawfare." www.wsj.com/opinion/bill...
Prominent Fox hosts -- including Maria Bartiromo, Jeanine Pirro and Lou Dobbs -- privately sought to help Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to newly unredacted documents in Smartmatic's lawsuit against Fox, per the WSJ. www.wsj.com/business/med...
The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives voted Wednesday to pass initial approval to a redrawn congressional map that creates up to five new winnable GOP seats in Congress, and further deepens a national redistricting battle between states. apnews.com/live/donald-...
The entire Air & Space Museum is about innovation, the future, optimism. Slavery is such a nuisance for Trump. www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/p...
"Of the 30 states that track voter registration by political party, Democrats lost ground to Republicans in every single one between the 2020 and 2024 elections — and often by a lot." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...
“Federal officers have been seen around the District wearing masks while making arrests and driving off in unmarked cars — making it difficult to discern which agency could provide information about who was arrested, where they were taken and why.” www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
NJ Transit's official data makes it difficult to tell just how bad it is. So @suryamattu.com and I spent three months collecting the raw location data for more than 190,000 trains on NJT, Metro-North, and LIRR. Then @mariepastora.bsky.social made the graphics to show you. The answer: Very bad.
Not sure Zelenskyy should commit to paying $100bn to the US for security garauntees until he's shopped around and seen if protection is being offered at a more affordable price by other players in the space such as the Cosa Nostra, the Crips or the Triads.
California Democrats and Governor Gavin Newsom are moving ahead with their gerrymandering plan to counter Republicans in Texas. But it's no sure thing. They still need voters to agree. My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com on what happens if their pitch backfires. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
With his plan to abolish mail-in voting, Trump is continuing his quest for ways to manipulate the midterms. It's not about eliminating fraud, or helping Republicans. In fact it will hurt them more than help. 🎁 link: www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
"Nothing that happened in Alaska or Washington changes the fundamentals of the conflict. Russia intends to annex as much of Southern and Eastern Ukraine as it can, and to ensure its control over the rest." @marcchampion1.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
"Harbaugh and his past don’t suggest a league that’s invested in upholding rules." www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
There isn’t lofty political and economic theory or three-dimensional chess at work here. It’s neither liberal nor conservative, either. It’s medieval and it’s monarchical. My column and Trump, Putin and Ukraine as a sacrificial lamb: www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
And lots of other countries use mail-in ballots. But, facts.
A key takeaway from Trump’s rant this morning about mail-in ballots.
BREAKING: European leaders will join Ukraine's President Zelenskyy for the White House meeting with President Trump on Monday.
At this perilous time in world affairs it’s reassuring to have such a bold demonstration of courage and principle from someone with deep diplomatic and national security experience with a a voice that matters. www.foxnews.com/politics/fir...
Great. More online crime, terrorism, and intelligence operations aimed at the US.
Always hope it’s useful to you @jubilado251.bsky.social
In other words: They lied.
Joining @theweekendmsnbc.bsky.social in the 8AM ET hour to talk about Trump, Putin and Ukraine. Come join us. @msnbc.com
Trump will “now cast Kyiv as the primary obstacle to peace, driving a deep wedge between the US and its traditional European allies. Indeed, Trump said it was now up to Zelenskiy to close the deal.” www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
But on the plus side, it had a policy to engage your children in "sensual" roleplay
SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite internet company, has received billions of dollars in federal contracts over its more than two-decade existence. But SpaceX has most likely paid little to no federal income taxes since its founding in 2002. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/t...
edition.cnn.com/2025/08/13/p...
Trump doesn’t read books and knows very little about history. But he’s going to vet the Smithsonian’s exhibitions to make sure they align with a MAGA view of US history. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/a...
Joining the @weeknightmsnbc.bsky.social on @msnbc.com at the top of the 8PM ET hour to talk about Trump’s takeover of the DC police and streets.
Of course Trump is now claiming that the job numbers are rigged (after pushing a bonkers trade policy that has helped set this in motion).
Strong “massage the Covid-19 fatalities data” vibe here.
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” — Sherlock Holmes.
Trump wants to fire the federal government’s chief labor statistician — Erika McEntarfar — because he doesn’t like the reality of job weaknesses undermining economic growth. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
“Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender and former associate of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, was moved to a minimum-security prison camp in Texas, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
“An FBI FOIA team redacted Trump’s name—and the names of other prominent public figures—from the documents, according to three people familiar with the matter.” www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...
So many interesting Epstein-Trump adjacent events:
Remember when the 2024 Trump campaign elevated the importance of the mental fitness of the commander in chief?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) said it will “begin an orderly wind-down of its operations” following the passage of the rescissions package and the release of a Senate appropriations bill which excludes funding for CPB for the first time in more than 50 years. cpb.org/pressroom/Co...
The White House published its table of Trump’s latest global tariffs regime last night. And it just reaffirms that his trade policy has absolutely no rhyme or reason: 10% tariffs on the Falkland Islands, but 40% on Laos. Utterly random and bonkers. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Re-election incentives: Biden's top political aide Mike Donilon was paid $4 million for his work on Biden's 2024 re-election campaign and would have made an additional $4 million if Biden had won. www.axios.com/2025/07/31/d...
Even as Trump threatens to increase tariffs yet again on any country that won’t sign on to a deal with the US by Friday, another dynamic is emerging: He has been letting plenty of companies—and entire industries—off the hook, often with no explanation. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
"In an era where false claims are the norm, it’s much easier to ignore the fact-checkers." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
TACO.
In rolling out the most aggressive tariff regime in the US in nearly a century, Trump has leaned heavily on emergency powers that had never been used before to impose import taxes. Two courts sanctioned him. Oral arguments in one case are being heard today. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Christina Paxson, Brown's president, signed the AACU letter in April denouncing "the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education" www.browndailyherald.com/article/2025... She took a "deal" with Trump anyway.
Congress approved the clawing back of $7.9 billion in foreign aid pledges. Who ends up losing out?
the weaponization of course evaluations in the Brown University deal takes the consumerist model of higher education to new heights. not only is your job contingent on it, but make any of your students uncomfortable and you’ll be investigated by the government
“Amid scenes of starvation in Gaza, the MAGA movement has become an unlikely epicenter of the national reckoning over America's relationship with Israel.” www.axios.com/2025/07/31/g...
"Historians warn about this compounding effect. When the institutions that check executive power — courts, watchdogs, press, Congress — are attacked in tandem, the erosion accelerates. The democratic fabric does not tear in one place; it frays everywhere at once." open.substack.com/pub/theratio...
Don't say I didn't warn you. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
"The slower we are to take action, and the more Zeldin and President Donald Trump undo climate progress, the higher the costs will grow and the harder the damage will be to reverse. That trillion dollars gets less significant by the hour."
"You probably wouldn’t set $87 trillion on fire to save $1 trillion. But then again, you probably aren’t Administrator Lee Zeldin’s Environmental Protection Agency." @markgongloff.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Kamala Harris says she won't run for CA governor in 2026.
Trump created (and may leave behind) a situation where the president can sue anyone with endless resources but cannot himself be sued for anything.
Trump's relentless campaign of fear and intimidation has led to a rapid retreat among hospitals previously offering gender affirming care to adolescents. For @opinion.bloomberg.com , I wrote about the cruelty of the current moment-and why it matters for access to other types of health care. (🎁 link)
"In narrow economic terms, the claim that the US has emerged the winner from both sets of negotiations is simply false. Tariffs are taxes. Before long, American consumers will pay most if not all of the increase in costs." www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
This is basically a glimpse at the pitch Zuckerberg has been giving to his mulit-million dollar new hires. Meta (he says) is the company best place to build AI for normal people to improve their day-to-day lives. (I think that's Google, personally)
Ehh, who needs water anyway www.space.com/science/clim...
CNBC: The EPA is moving to rescind this endangerment finding on carbon dioxide and greenhouses gases. Is that a danger to public health? MAKARY: To be honest, I don't know enough about that issue CNBC: You're in charge of our public health! Can you look into it for us?
Unbelievable: “The Senate confirmed former Trump lawyer Emil Bove 50-49 for a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge Tuesday as Republicans dismissed whistleblower complaints about his conduct at the Justice Department.” apnews.com/article/emil...
“He stole her.” Trump saw it as a property transfer. Like a real estate deal. The late Virginia Giuffre was a teenager at the time, about 17 years-old. And Epstein began sexually abusing and trafficking her.
If you think I've forgotten about the hurricane satellites, think again. The Navy is permanently unplugging them this week, on the brink of the busiest stretch of the season. There's so much more to this story, and I have the latest scoop. ⬇️
Trump: People were taken out of the spa, hired by Epstein… I told him we don’t want you taking our people, whether it’s spa or not spa. He did it again, I said out of here. Reporter: Was one of the stolen people Virginia Giuffre? Trump: I think so. He stole her.
"Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) issued a defiant response to the wide-ranging request from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) — first reported by Democracy Docket — for the state’s sensitive voter information and voting systems data." www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
I seriously do not know how this title got through even a single launch meeting.
He will lie, sir, with such volubility, that you would think truth were a fool.
Trump's lawyers noted that Murdoch "should be deposed as soon as possible because he is 94 years old and 'has suffered, but thankfully overcome, multiple health issues throughout his life' and would be unlikely to be able to appear in person at a trial."
It's getting personal: Trump's lawyers said that Rupert Murdoch, "because of his advanced age," should be deposed within 15 days in the president’s $10 billion libel lawsuit against him and The Wall Street Journal over the paper's Epstein coverage. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/b...
A new whistleblower has come forward to challenge the federal judicial nomination of Emil Bove, sharing evidence suggesting that the former Trump attorney for Trump and current top Justice Department official misled lawmakers during his confirmation hearing. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
“The gunman who killed at least four people and himself at a Midtown Manhattan office tower was targeting the National Football League, but ended up on Rudin Management’s floor by mistake, two senior law enforcement officers said.” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
DEVELOPING: Six people are dead, including the gunman, in tonight's shooting in Manhattan, an NYPD spokesperson said. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
RIP, Ryne Sandberg. The Hall of Fame Chicago Cubs second baseman was acclaimed for both his brilliant fielding and his power hitting. He was 65. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/28/s...
Translation: I'm worried.
Interesting timing. www.axios.com/2025/07/28/g...
"Even as the battle continues, Media Matters stands as an example of how legal warfare waged by powerful ideological opponents can squelch influential voices and stifle political dissent." www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/u...
This is such an important fact to highlight. DHS’s initial “debunking” of this incident was, as they now admit, a complete lie. There was no “targeted enforcement.” That was made up. Instead, Border Patrol agents were doing a “roving patrol” and this guy took off running on seeing them.
DHS has arrested two medical personnel at a surgical center in California for demanding that the officers trespassing in their building identify themselves & provide a warrant, accusing them of another.... wait for it... ASSAULT. The case shows how DHS lies relentlessly to violate the Constitution
I haven’t seen anyone post this song yet, though I’m sure that’s just my fault. RIP to a fucking legend.
“The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” - Orwell