Ed Watkins

Grandpa. Hilltopper.

[Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD DSc(hon) @PeterHotez]

Many thanks @houmayor @HoustonTX for the new sidewalk in our Montrose HoustonTX neighborhood, they did a really good job and worked hard this week in the awful July heat. It’s much appreciated

[Stormy Daniels @StormyDaniels]

Burbank,CA!! See you tonight! https://t.co/xSJ3b0Tzqp

[Jonathan Lemire @JonLemire]

It takes a lot to win 12 in a row and only now be one game over .500

But this is some kind of fun run

[Frank Luntz @FrankLuntz]

Online prediction markets currently allow people to bet money on wildfires.

In January 2025, @Polymarket users could place wagers on how many acres the LA wildfires would consume, which locations they would reach, and when they would be contained.

“It’s not just easy to start a fire — now there’s potentially a financial incentive.”

https://t.co/MFvUaWf660

[Norm Eisen @NormEisen]

VICTORY: A federal court just ruled from the bench for FEMA CFO Mary Comans--after 20+ years of service she was fired on a lie, & today she won the hearing to clear her name

@DDFund_ is proud to stand w/ her

This is accountability in action -TN
https://t.co/kg6i512uvW

[Team Talarico @TeamTalaricoHQ]

Unearthed records just revealed that Ken Paxton owns 15 homes on a government salary.

This includes luxury real estate in Hawaii, Utah, and Florida.

[VoteVets @votevets]

BREAKING: Republicans just FAILED to secure enough votes for the “Take Care of America’s Veterans Act” in a massive win for the Veteran Community. The bill would have cut benefits for 1.5 million veterans by changing disability ratings for common conditions like tinnitus and sleep apnea and raising fees on VA home loans.

The TCAVA’s failure is a huge victory for the Democratic Veterans Caucus, which has led the fight against this bill since its introduction.

[Topper Talk Podcast 🎙️ @TOPPER_TALK]

@bootstongan Death was 4/2, funeral was 5/9, he was expected back 5/26. That’s a lot of leniency and understanding. Basic communication could have avoided all this.

[NYTPitchbot @DougJBalloon]

I can't breathe the air, I can't eat lettuce, I can't afford gas, and my kids have measles. But at least now our soldiers will have enough testosterone.

[David French @DavidAFrench]

Wait. Did we allow a normal, sensible person on this app? It has to be a violation of the terms of service.

[Don Winslow @donwinslow]

.@SecMullinDHS

[Thomas Massie @RepThomasMassie]

Though my amendment to strike $3.3 billion in aid to Israel from the State Dept Approps bill did not pass, 104 House Members voted in favor of it. The tide is changing.

Americans want their tax dollars to be spent improving things here at home, not waging war and genocide.

[Anthony Scaramucci @Scaramucci]

From @wimbledon to the @mlb all star game. Peak Summer!

[John Bourscheid 🇺🇸 🚀 @bourscheid]

🚨BREAKING: The drained Reflecting Pool did not reveal any slices. Instead, tire marks were visible, obvious damage from Trump’s vanity drive in a fleet of 10-ton vehicles for no reason at all. He ruined his own project, then lied and blamed the citizens who paid for it.

[Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1]

The Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia has a pest control problem and a litany of health violations.

That includes swarms of small flies observed in a storage room, several perishable food items stored above 41 degrees, and improper storage of raw steak, fish and burgers. https://t.co/gMGKeFvbfi

[Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 @cmclymer]

I have a funny personal story about Lindsey Graham.

In 2010, he voted against the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" despite overwhelming bipartisan support to overturn the ban on gay, lesbian, bisexual Americans serving openly in our military. (It passed and got signed.)

In 2013, he voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would have provided protections against discrimination for LGBTQ Americans in the workplace. (Substantial bipartisan support in the Senate but the GOP-controlled House refused to take a vote on it.)

In 2022, he voted against the Respect for Marriage Act despite bipartisan support for federalizing protections for same-sex marriage in case Obergefell got overturned. (The bill was passed and signed into law by President Biden).

In fact, he pretty much opposed LGBTQ rights at every turn in his career, never offering anything in the way of sound legal reasoning to justify his opposition.

A lot has been said about Mr. Graham's private life in the past few days. Some commentators say it's unfair to speculate over his sexual orientation, particularly in the wake of his death.

I think it's rather unfair that this man spent his entire career making the lives of LGBTQ Americans much harder for no good reason. Just because it was politically convenient for him.

It's been a rather fascinating exercise to watch many politicos and reporters share their fun and wistful anecdotes about Mr. Graham. He was so funny and so charming.

That's nice.

I'll always remember him as someone who viewed LGBTQ Americans as second-class citizens unworthy of equal treatment and dignity.

Perhaps hypocritically so.

Anyway... that's actually not a fun story but it is very personal.

[Michael McFaul @McFaul]

To our friends around the world: Trump is not America, and America is not Trump.

[The Towel Rack @TheTowelRackWKU]

So they check back in on May 26 after telling him they want him back in June, he tells them he won’t make it, and he’s upset because he didn’t honor their agreement? If this timeline is true, what did WKU do that was so wrong?

[Lucas Sanders 👊🏽🔥🇺🇸 @LucasSa56947288]

🚨JUST IN: Donald Trump was reportedly “apocalyptically angry” that everyone is calling the diarrhea epidemic “Trumporrhea.”

[𝔸𝕞𝕒𝕫𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖🌱 @SimplyNature8]

#DogsOfX 😅😊🥰