mastersparky.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

What's in the Trump/GOP big, beautiful bill? -Tax cuts skewed to the rich -Medicaid & SNAP cuts -Ends IRS Direct File -New powers for Trump over the courts -Blocks state/local regulation against AI, including rent-gouging software like RealPage It's a big, ugly nightmare.

submitted 12 hours ago • 73 comments

ICE looking more and more like the American Gestpo.

submitted 16 hours ago • 1530 comments

Trump has gutted FEMA grants to build storm-resistant infrastructure in flood and hurricane-prone communities. Two-thirds of counties that have lost funding voted for him in 2024. Trump is even telling his own voters they're on their own. https://www.cbsnews.com/femagrantcuts/

submitted 1 day ago • 189 comments

For Trump, a military conflict with Iran would distract from: -Sinking poll numbers -A devastating (and unpopular) budget bill -Harmful trade wars -Unleashing the military on American soil -Millions of people protesting his authoritarianism We must remain on high alert.

submitted 2 days ago • 263 comments

“Running the government like a business” is just another way of saying that we should privatize government services afforded to everyone. You know who would love that? Wall Street and big corporations. Don’t buy into the myth. https://youtu.be/hqn1uD_B70U?si=aClsRAYTJHYGXpB4

submitted 2 days ago • 282 comments

One of Trump's first actions was to pardon Jan 6 insurrections. He offered a “get out of jail free” card to people who committed violence on his behalf. And he continues to spew hateful rhetoric towards his political opponents. This will only fuel more violence.

submitted 3 days ago • 107 comments

Take a close look at how Vance and Trump have been talking about going to war in the past 24 hours. Vance: “We never ask you to go to war unless you absolutely have to” Trump: “It’s possible we could get involved”

submitted 4 days ago • 252 comments

Yesterday’s demonstrations across the nation in favor of democracy and against Trump’s dictatorship revealed the power of the people. Millions reasserted the “We” in “We the people.” Some thoughts... https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-thought-5b2

submitted 4 days ago • 39 comments

Yesterday, millions of us reasserted the “We” in "We the people." We gained strength from our solidarity. We celebrated our numbers and our power. We will be steadfast. We will not cower to a dictator. We will win.

submitted 4 days ago • 495 comments

As we resist Trump’s tyranny, we gain solidarity. As we gain solidarity, we feel more courageous — and we weaken Trump and his regime. Today's protests are about standing up to Trump, but they're also about standing with each other. Be safe. Be peaceful. Be strong.

submitted 5 days ago • 92 comments

I want to take a moment to share an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence's grievances against King George III. Sound familiar?

submitted 6 days ago • 422 comments

Tomorrow, we will be demonstrating across this country against our wannabe king and his decision to destroy the constitutional rights that Americans fought long and hard to secure. We will show solidarity — and we will do it peacefully. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/tomorrow-is-no-kings-day

submitted 6 days ago • 76 comments

Undocumented immigrants paid an effective federal income tax rate of 5.27% in 2022. That means they paid a higher effective tax rate than 5 of the richest Americans…and a higher effective tax rate than 55 mega corporations. So let me ask you: who are the real freeloaders?

submitted 6 days ago • 402 comments

If you're heading to a protest tomorrow, it's important to know your rights. Consult this information from the ACLU. Be peaceful. Be safe. Be careful. Be strong.

submitted 6 days ago • 91 comments

DC federal judge REFUSES to give into the gov & stay her order that it was illegal for Trump admin to fire federal labor relations board head Her decision stands--another success for the rule of law Another @democracydefendersaction.org litigation win!

submitted 6 days ago • 38 comments

JUST IN: A federal judge has blocked federal election officials from enforcing Trump’s executive order forcing states to apply citizenship requirements, saying it imposes significant burdens and would harm eligible voters. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

submitted 6 days ago • 18 comments

BREAKING: Judge Breyer orders Trump to return control of the National Guard back to California, saying the call-up was illegal. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

submitted 7 days ago • 214 comments

We may disagree on many things, but we stand together on the fundamentals. We are relearning the meaning of “solidarity.” This is absolutely vital. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/solidarity

submitted 7 days ago • 49 comments

Under Trump's Big Ugly Bill, America's poorest families lose about $1600 per year. The richest households gain about $12,000 per year. It's Reverse Robin Hood. (Via CBO)

submitted 7 days ago • 33 comments

In 2020, when I told people that I was building a pro-democracy media outlet, people thought I was kidding. When I told them it was because the fight for democracy was the fight of our time, they thought I was being overly dramatic. Well...here we are. Please subscribe now. hubs.ly/Q03jcjqP0

submitted 8 days ago • 201 comments

Remember when Trump falsely claimed that Biden wasn’t doing enough to help North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene? Now his FEMA is holding up or denying states' disaster mitigation requests, which fund projects that help communities recover faster after natural disasters. Hello?

submitted 8 days ago • 159 comments

We believe in the Constitution, Bill of Rights, separation of powers, and checks and balances. The U.S. was founded in opposition to monarchy. We fought for democracy over dictatorship. What the Trump regime is doing is the antithesis of the values this nation was founded upon.

submitted 8 days ago • 68 comments

Stoke fear. Exploit desperation. Suspend the rule of law. Fan brutality. Every time the stronger brutalize the weak, it’s fundamentally the same playbook. Our duty is to stand up to brutality. Our moral obligation is to protect the vulnerable and hold the powerful accountable.

submitted 8 days ago • 220 comments

BREAKING: A federal appeals court has agreed to stay a lower court ruling that had blocked Trump’s tariff authority. The court will instead grant immediate expedited review, with a hearing on July 31

submitted 9 days ago • 21 comments

Trump and his authoritarian lackeys are spreading lies about immigrant workers in Los Angeles. Know the truth.

submitted 9 days ago • 43 comments

While Trump blusters about "law & order," a reminder that his administration has dropped or halted nearly 150 corporate enforcement actions. And Trump himself has pardoned dozens of his supporters convicted of crimes like money laundering and bribery. The hypocrisy is staggering.

submitted 9 days ago • 108 comments

Despite Musk's ouster, Trump's Social Security Administrator just announced DOGE will play a larger role in restructuring his agency. Reminder that DOGE's SSA cuts have already led to overwhelmed phone lines, gutted field offices, and slower claims processing. "Efficiency".

submitted 9 days ago • 59 comments

BREAKING: A fourth court has found that President Trump's invocation of the Alien Enemies Act was illegal, seeking to stretch the meaning of "invasion" beyond its plain meaning. The ruling blocks AEA deportations in the Western District of Texas. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

submitted 10 days ago • 81 comments

JUST IN: A federal judge in New York has ruled that the Trump administraiton's rush to send federal employee data to DOGE was a "breach of law and trust" that violated the Privacy Act and cybersecurity protections. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

submitted 10 days ago • 79 comments

If Trump can claim a "national emergency" to disappear legal residents without due process, what’s to stop him from doing the same to U.S. citizens who oppose him? No one is safe — not even people legally in the country, possibly not even American citizens. Fascism is here.

submitted 10 days ago • 229 comments

JUST IN: California has officially sued the Trump administration to rescind the deployment of the national guard over the objection of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The lawsuit: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

submitted 10 days ago • 38 comments

NEW: California's impending lawsuit will seek a court order to rescind Trump's deployment of the National Guard to L.A., saying it violated federal law and the 10th Amendment. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

submitted 10 days ago • 32 comments

BREAKING: we won vs. DOGE--again This time it is for mishandling of personal data at the on MILLIONS of current & former federal employees Preliminary injunction entered! Kudos to my @democracydefendersaction.org colleagues and the wonderful team listed below 👇

submitted 10 days ago • 49 comments

Tyranny requires constant effort. Oppression is the mask of fear. Authority is brittle. And most importantly: you are never truly alone when standing up to authoritarianism. You have friends everywhere.

submitted 11 days ago • 147 comments

Trump's biggest inaugural donors are already reaping their rewards: -Pilgrim's Pride ($5M) could benefit from deregulation of meat safety standards -Ripple ($4.9M) closed its SEC legal battle -Billionaire Warren Stephens ($4M) became UK Ambassador Everything is for sale.

submitted 12 days ago • 69 comments

Reminder that our Constitution guarantees due process to ALL persons — not just citizens — and enshrines habeas corpus as a fundamental right. Either everyone has due process — or no one does.

submitted 12 days ago • 127 comments

MAJOR UPDATE: The Supreme Court just handed DOGE the keys to all the sensitive personal information Social Security has on file — your income, benefits, health records, and more. Why do Donald Trump and his cronies need access to millions of Americans’ private data? It’s absurd.

submitted 13 days ago • 246 comments

Reminder that the Social Security Administration (per DOGE) instituted supposed anti-fraud checks for benefit claims made over the phone. Only two out of over 110,000 claims had a high probability of fraud — a rate of .0018%. But it slowed retirement claim processing by 25%.

submitted 13 days ago • 47 comments

In just 130 days, Elon... -Secured even more contracts -Derailed at least 40 fed investigations of his corporations -Gutted agencies that regulate his business -Installed loyalists throughout the government Elon has fallen out with Trump, but he got exactly what he wanted.

submitted 13 days ago • 182 comments

Republicans are on the verge of passing a budget bill that would amount to one of the greatest transfers of wealth from the working poor to the super rich. And two billionaire oligarchs are fighting about it because the bill doesn't cut vital social programs enough. Hello?

submitted 13 days ago • 94 comments

President Trump's “Big, Beautiful Bill” will make it easier for big banks and giant corporations to cheat you as Republicans try yet again to shut down the CFPB. I will use every tool at my disposal to defeat this attack on consumers, including challenging it under Senate rules.

submitted 14 days ago • 47 comments

That any of us have to care about the messy breakup of these two massive narcissists — and that they both individually wield such massive power — is an indictment of our political system and further proves the poisonous influence of Big Money on our democracy.

submitted 14 days ago • 644 comments

Citizens United is among the worst decisions in Supreme Court history. It's allowed billionaires to completely take over our politics and destroy our democracy. There are days when we are reminded just how pernicious that ruling was. Today is one of those days.

submitted 14 days ago • 94 comments

As Trump and Musk attack each other, don't forget: their ongoing DOGE cuts have made your life worse. It doesn't matter who wins the Trump-Musk feud. Thanks to them, millions of Americans have already lost crucial public services. youtu.be/M5LD2CSOzmI?...

submitted 14 days ago • 92 comments

Trump is losing in the courts. He's fighting publicly with Musk. His “big beautiful bill” has stalled. Trump is now left only with his vindictive rage. And of course his money-making schemes to line his pockets. He's likely to become even more unhinged — be warned.

submitted 14 days ago • 149 comments

Look beyond Trump and Musk's public blowout to the bigger problem: the infiltration of Big Money in our politics. It has corrupted our democracy — creating a vicious cycle that funnels more wealth and power to those at the top while drowning out the needs of regular Americans.

submitted 14 days ago • 168 comments

The Constitution guarantees due process to ALL persons — not just citizens — and enshrines habeas corpus as a fundamental right. Either everyone has due process — or no one does. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/04/us/politics/trump-deportations-venezuela-alien-enemies-act.html

submitted 14 days ago • 22 comments

Trump's tariffs, tax cuts, and austerity budget are a windfall for the super-rich at the expense of the poor. This is what class warfare looks like. [Via @4taxfairness.bsky.social‬]

submitted 15 days ago • 30 comments

JUST IN: Judge blocks Trump administration effort to dismantle Jobs Corps. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

submitted 15 days ago • 71 comments