Sam Minter

I know there's a lot going on but I feel it should probably be more of an above-the-fold story that members of Congress released a thoroughly documented report directly accusing the president of the United States of being a serial rapist.

Episode 1011: "Without Thinking Much" is out! On this week's Curmudgeon's Corner @abulsme.com and @imbou.bsky.social commiserate on unemployment, talk about movies, TV, and potential parodies of the podcast. Then they get... https://curmudgeons-corner.com/ccep.php?epnum=1011 #podcast #USPol

Episode 1010: "Just Look At It" is out! This week on Curmudgeon's Corner @imbou.bsky.social and @abulsme.com are all over the place. You have unemployment, the death penalty, the gas and diesel situation, Trump's health,... https://curmudgeons-corner.com/ccep.php?epnum=1010 #podcast #USPol

I double-checked this on a couple of Xitter stat sites and it's true. Average views of the main AfD account dropped 90% and average engagement dropped by 60%. This is commercial social media for you: bots, damn bots and Russian bots.

Episode 1009: "Impotent Gesticulation" is out! On this week's Curmudgeon's Corner @abulsme.com aggravates @imbou.bsky.social while discussing AI assisted writing, which is fun, but they also discuss some off the wall money... https://curmudgeons-corner.com/ccep.php?epnum=1009 #podcast #USPol

Ossoff is acting like Trump/MAGA/GOP and what they’ve done to the country is Actually Bad. Charismatic and well spoken, which sure helps. But no “my friends across the aisle,” no acting like the imaginary “Baileys” are the only ones who matter, no “don’t talk values, only kitchen table.” That’s it.

A cop warns on the price of witnessing death.

And 175 years later, remains one of the most powerful forces in modern American politics.

I think people should listen to what the administration trying to bring back spectacle lynchings, race riots, and middle passage-esque deportation voyages are trying to tell you about themselves. bsky.app/profile/bren...

ah damn, RIP Margaret Hamilton. she took safety-critical software engineering seriously, and got people to the moon and back. news.mit.edu/2026/margare...

A Haitian man legally immigrated to Ohio, then was given an ankle monitor bc Trump withdrew his status. He threw himself in front of truck. The trucker, who voted for Trump, is haunted. “Pierre was doing what he was supposed to do. We did not do right by him.” www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Again, let's just stop & remember that age-based legal restrictions on access to social media/online services are a bad idea & infringe the rights of young people to speak, access information and arts & culture, find community and play. Then look at the madness involved in trying to make them work.

I spelled out "superpower suicide" in this essay from May 2026. Empires have risen and failed before, but to my knowledge no state has ever chosen to kill its own power, and succeeded with such rapidity. snyder.substack.com/p/on-superpo...

It's extra alarming that those are NOT the colors of the American flag. They're dimmer, greyer, darker. The eagle has no olive branch, just arrows. This is pure fascism: "We are a nation in decline, and it's all because of [insert marginalized group of the moment]."

This is what I’ve been trying to tell y’all about the broligarchs, effective altruists, longtermists and other assorted followers of the cult of AI. They legit believe they are building a computer god and/or a synthetic species that will replace people and conquer the stars. Yes it’s bonkers.

I assume the DNC is paying for this?

🚨 BREAKING: In a major loss for voters, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to allow the Trump administration to initiate voter roll purges using a flawed database involving Americans' private data. The ruling will disproportionately impact naturalized citizens who've been wrongly flagged in the system.

One impeachment trial a month until he's gone. Make the Senate a permanent court while Trump holds office. Be clear about "It will be this way until we've run out of worthy crimes" so everyone's clear about the gig. Make John Roberts loathe his work.

Trump stole taxpayer $$ to destroy the White House and replace it with a firetrap and too few ladies stalls. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

From the class I teach on political corruption analysis: “Opportunistic and systemic corruption are related but distinct… Systemic corruption functions via networks of ongoing transactional relationships. Key links are usually based primarily on financial, service, and threat transactions…”

@vermontgmg.bsky.social "We need to return to punishing people who do obvious crimes." And how.

"Gentlemen, our 29% approval rating is too high. Let's start take away people's health care."

This is the dumbest thing in the world. The fraud is that people are paying for insurance and they’re… healthy?

UPDATE: They steal billions from us to build robots that kick the crumbs out of our mouths.

NEW: In late 2024, FBI investigators had enough evidence to launch a sweeping bribery probe that could ensnare top lawmakers, including Sen. Susan Collins. Then Trump was reelected and eviscerated the FBI and DOJ teams handling public corruption probes.

BREAKING: TV pool will not be providing coverage of presidential events until further notice b/c of CNN's ban, pool chair and FOX News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton said. It's effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

We really are getting into 'The Death of Stalin' and "Der Untergang' ('Downfall') territory.

oh good the consultants will save us

The key to getting low-information voters to vote for Democrats or just to sit out elections is to do everything possible to brand Republicans and especially Trump as stupid losers that are embarrassing to associate with. Make them the NY Jets fans of politics.

Man, it's a good thing Ed Sheeran decided to steer clear of politics, that worked out well for him

Mamdani is writing the playbook for how Democrats must continue to communicate with voters after Election Day. He could have done the usual thing and disappear after winning but if anything he’s communicating even MORE now.

I'm guessing Ed Sheeran's not a fan of the shape of things today. That's the best Ed Sheeran joke I can make because I'm unfamiliar with all but two of his songs. And you can't make me learn about any others.

Thou shalt not let AI companies regulate themselves. That’s insane. You wouldn’t let criminals make laws, would you? You know what, never mind.

“trump will destroy everything he cannot own in perpetuity” is one reason i am filled with dread over 2028

#BREAKING: Over public dissents from Justices Thomas and Alito, #SCOTUS *denies* the Trump administration’s request for a stay in the mail-in ballots case. The USPS Rule will remain blocked—almost certainly through the midterms.

A generic ballot of D+8 puts a lot of state legislative chambers in play. Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan are only a handful of seats away from electing a Democratic trifecta.

👀👀

Episode 1005: "Petunias and Horticulture" is out! On this week's Curmudgeon's Corner @abulsme.com and @imbou.bsky.social bounce all over the place. Economy Stuff. Divided opinions on AI. Movies. Smart Devices. Yemen. And... https://curmudgeons-corner.com/ccep.php?epnum=1005 #podcast #USPol

If the proposed slow down in AI development by frontier labs ends up restricting access to open weight models instead of focusing on the guardrails and penalties for not keeping track of your swarm of AI agents then we’ll know this was all about their IPOs.

Remarks like these made by Trump in Dallas are apparently moving Iran to reinstate and accelerate its nuclear weapons program. This is a level of foolishness that no American president has ever exhibited before.

The reason why they think their voters are this dumb and gullible is because they are.

Yuuuuup…

Job applicants are using AI to write resumes and prep interview answers. Companies are using AI to screen those applications and conduct initial interviews. We’ve officially automated both sides of a process meant to measure human connection. The irony is genuinely unreal.

"I will not engage with transphobia. I do not want teens to die from being denied medical care. If you do, please do not vote for me. I don't hang with murderers." See how easy it is, @democrats.org? "If you want to sexually assault children before letting them play sports, vote for my opponent."

Omg. When you’ve lost Joe DiGenova….

Post-Labor Day senate check-in, via Nate Silver: ALASKA 🔵 +0.8% FLORIDA 🔴 +9.9% GEORGIA 🔵 +8.1% IOWA 🔴 +0.9% KANSAS 🔴 +3.2% MAINE 🔵 +3.9% MICHIGAN 🔵 +2.5% MINNESOTA 🔵 +5.1% NORTH CAROLINA 🔵 +8.5% NEBRASKA 🔴 +1.2% NEW HAMPSHIRE 🔵 +3.0% OHIO 🔵 +3.4% TEXAS 🔵 +2.1% GENERIC BALLOT: 🔵 +6.7%

happy birthday to everyone born today!!!!!! sorry it’s statistically not that special