Smidge

Wife, Mother, Ga-Ga, Nurse, Defender of Mother Earth 🌎, Seeker of Truth, Proud member of #TheResistance #Texas #VoteBlue 🌈👩🏻‍🎤 🌊✌️No DM’s

[Rob Bonta @AGRobBonta]

Today, I am leading 12 states in challenging the proposed merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount and asking the court to block the deal.

California's film and entertainment industry touches the lives of Americans daily.

We’re going to court to fight for a free and fair market and protect this iconic industry. https://t.co/53emBuiKG9

[Citizens for Ethics @CREWcrew]

Here are the top corporate contributors to Trump's pet projects:

Meta, Amazon, Coinbase, Google/Youtube, RTX, Lockheed Martin, Mastercard, Exiger, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Altria Group, BlackRock, Nvidia, Palantir, Comcast, and Chevron.

Yes, they all want something from Trump.

[Joshua Reed Eakle 🗽 @JoshEakle]

Ossoff, to conservatives:

"Why are gangs of masked men... [in our cities] shooting people? What happened to 'Don't tread on me?' Are there any principled conservatives left?"

Good question.

Conservatives cannot claim a belief in liberty if they refuse to speak out against ICE.

[Chris Murphy 🟧 @ChrisMurphyCT]

The Paramount-Warner merger is illegal. The 2nd and 5th biggest studios combining. 200M subscribers. Prices will go through the roof.

But free speech will die too. Because the owners have cut a deal with Trump to silence his critics.

State AGs need to step in and block it. Now.

[LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 @LongTimeHistory]

Police violently arrest 14 year old Black boy—for riding a bike.

Officer slams him to ground in seconds—kneels on his neck.

Deploys taser after he's already face down on ground.

"Cop didn't have problem with his 3 white friends," said witness.

"White kids got to walk away."

Officer calls for backup and 3 more squad cars arrive almost immediately.

"Cop actually asked for backup for a little kid... he must be so proud of himself."

Incident occurred in Waukesha, Wisconsin—about 15 miles west of Milwaukee.

Samantha doesn't have an account on this platform—so posting first full length and credited video here to help raise awareness.

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

How about instead the list of 200,000-300,000 Americans who needlessly died from Covid bc they fell victim to a disgusting antivaccine disinformation campaign and refused Covid vaccines. It was led by the Murdoch media empire, Fox News, News Corps, Rogan podcasts, the corrupt wellness influencer industry pushing ivermectin, and of course RFK Jr and his organizations. They killed Americans. All documented in two books, my 2023 book, The Deadly Rise of Anti-science @JHUPress and #ScienceUnderSiege our 2025 book with @MichaelEMann @public_affairs

[Citizens for Ethics @CREWcrew]

Donald Trump is making more money than ever before. Literally BILLIONS last year alone. It's not normal. Not even close. https://t.co/xof8Hjqf3g

[Chris D. Jackson @ChrisDJackson]

.@AndyBeshearKY is showing Democrats how it’s DONE.

Kentucky Republicans passed a blatantly political, constitutionally questionable law to strip the governor of his power to fill a Senate vacancy.

And Andy appears ready to tell them: TOO BAD.

If McConnell’s seat opens, Beshear looks prepared to appoint who HE chooses and let Republicans cry about it.

This is how you fight power grabs. You don’t whine. You don’t surrender. You FIGHT BACK.

[Jason Bassler @JasonBassler1]

They want you to believe your voice doesn't matter.

Yet in just the last few days:

-LAPD canceled its Flock contract.

-Meta cancelled Muse Image AI after privacy outrage.

-One of the largest planned U.S. data centers was killed (PW Digital Gateway) by local opposition.

The surveillance state isn't inevitable.

It advances when people are apathetic.
It retreats when people fight back.

Public pressure works. Keep pushing.

[Mueller, She Wrote @MuellerSheWrote]

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: In a stunning admission, the FBI just confirmed to me the existence of training videos instructing FBI analysts on what to redact in the Epstein Files. I’ll show you the letter and discuss the massive implications in one hour. Link below: https://t.co/XLYGLMvglU

[Party for Socialism and Liberation @pslnational]

“ICE OUT OF HOUSTON, ICE OUT OF TEXAS!” A massive crowd once again took the streets, marching through downtown Houston, in response to last week’s ICE murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

As more details emerge about this reckless murder and endangerment of the entire Houston community, the people are united in demanding justice for Lorenzo and an end to ICE terror.

[Fred Guttenberg @fred_guttenberg]

Dear Jaime,

Below is the last birthday photo that we have of you. It is on your 14th birthday. Today should be your 23rd birthday. Today is the 9th year that we are honoring your memory and remembering you as the always laughing, always talking, always active, always dancing, always family and dog loving, and just the most amazing daughter who is missed every second of every day.

At your funeral, I talked about how you were the energy in our house and in every room that you went into. It is a fact that those who knew you knew that you had this amazing ability to always talk and to always say important and thoughtful things. We miss your amazing and powerful voice always. We miss your constant laughter.

I wonder what you would have been like now. I miss not getting to see you growing up, hearing about times with your friends and living your best life with them, having boyfriends, and pursuing your career as a pediatric physical therapist. I wonder if you would have met your life goal of full-time work and marriage by the age of 25. Without question, we know you would have had at least one dog in your house. Without question, we know you would have been using your voice as a voice for good and for those with differing abilities.

Those who were lucky enough to know you knew that your favorite color was orange. The meaning of orange in our life did not begin because of gun violence, it was genuinely your favorite color. The idea that your favorite color was also the recognized color of the gun violence prevention movement is just a tragic reality that we live with every day. Before your funeral, your studio dance sisters got together and made thousands of orange ribbons for us to give out at the funeral. While delivering your eulogy I said “I was never a voice in the gun violence debate before, but I will be now. With you by my side, I will fight. For those of you who do not know me and what I can be like when I take on a cause, I will be relentless. This will be my life’s cause going forward. The Orange Ribbon Movement started by Jaime’s beautiful sisters in Parkland Florida has become the rallying cry for the fight against gun violence.”

Approximately two weeks after the funeral, on a visit to Home Depot while wearing my orange ribbon, I was informed by another customer that orange was the color of the gun safety movement. It was a connection that I did not know of before this. It was not lost on me that the Home Depot sign is also orange. I truly took this as a sign from you, Jaime. The movement had a color, but it did not have a symbol. You were showing me the way Jaime. On that day, I said to mom that I want to make the orange ribbon the symbol of the gun violence prevention movement and to do it in your name. That was the day that we decided to begin our foundation Orange Ribbons for Jaime. The following week, I gave out thousands of orange ribbons at the march in DC and the connection of the orange ribbon to this movement began. I hope that nobody ever forgets going forward that when they see people wearing an orange ribbon because of gun violence, that is because of you Jaime, and the work of our foundation in your name. Your name will always be remembered.

In the early years of our foundation, the focus was on educating the country on why gun violence happens, making sure that the orange ribbon was becoming the symbol of this movement, and in supporting causes important to you and what you fought for, even at the age of 14. Over the years, our foundation started to focus more heavily on causes important to you in life and on our work to support survivors and families affected by gun violence. That is the pure focus of Orange Ribbons for Jaime today.

Jaime, I will be forever moved by the reality that your name is connected to the now recognized symbol for gun violence prevention. I will be forever grateful to those who allowed us into their lives and who we were able to support. Mom and I will struggle more today because it is your birthday. However, we will find purpose and meaning. Your amazing mom made blessing bags with all sorts of goodies, and we will drive around and spend the day giving out the blessing bags to those who are unhoused and less fortunate. Simply put, Jaime, you lived your short life always helping others and that is what we will do today.

We are proud of the work that we do to honor Jaime through our foundation Orange Ribbons for Jaime. If you are so inclined, please check out our website and if possible, please make a donation.

https://t.co/qGAmrDMQRe

Happy 23rd birthday Jaime. We love and miss you every second of every day.

[Mike Levin @MikeLevin]

This New York Times piece is worth your time. Here’s what is happening, as simply as I can put it.

Back in January, Trump sued the IRS, an agency he controls, demanding $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns a number of years ago.

IRS lawyers did their jobs. They wrote a memo laying out the defenses that could beat the suit, including the fact that Trump filed too late. His own lawyer was in court when the leaker pleaded guilty in October 2023, more than two years before Trump sued.

The Justice Department never showed up to court. Never argued back. Never used the defenses sitting on their desk.

The judge got suspicious and ordered both sides to explain whether they were actually opposing each other or just colluding. The day before that brief was due, Trump dropped the suit.

Same day, his Justice Department announced a $1.776 billion taxpayer-funded “anti-weaponization fund.” 

Trump gets a formal apology. The IRS agrees to drop any audits of him and his family, even though a 2024 Times report found a loss in an ongoing audit could cost him over $100 million.

The acting Attorney General, Trump’s former criminal defense attorney, picks the five commissioners who decide who gets paid. Trump can fire any of them. Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are not ruled out.

This is the most corrupt thing I’ve ever seen from an American president.

Where in the hell are my Republican colleagues?

https://t.co/La0nlLuz1r

[Citizens for Ethics @CREWcrew]

Firing the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before midterms is an attack on voting rights.

Trump's attempts to consolidate power over elections are a sign of creeping authoritarianism.

Don't look away.
https://t.co/U7j7Vf7pUR

[Elizabeth @alluringmedia]

January 6th is when Lindsey went on the floor and said he was done with Trump. Then Kevin McCarthy, then Mitch McConnell (all in this clip).

They could have walked away and followed through with the impeachment.

Don't ever forget that it's been the Republicans in Congress who have enabled this for the last 10 years.

[James Talarico @jamestalarico]

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was murdered by ICE.

His three sons called him “El mundo entero” — the whole world. They watched as their whole world died in a video posted on Facebook.

Lorenzo was our neighbor and fellow Texan. He deserves justice.

[SKI @skiistiredasf]

He was burning alive, yet he kept re-entering the burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle until all six soldiers and the Iraqi interpreter were safe. Burns covered 72% of his body. His first words were, ‘How are my boys?’ He died three weeks later. It took 16 years for him to receive the Medal of Honor. HIS NAME IS SERGEANT FIRST CLASS ALWYN C. CASHE, NEVER FORGET!!!

[James Talarico @jamestalarico]

The President of the United States said I insulted Jesus.

You want to know what insults Jesus?

Kicking the sick off their healthcare.
Bombing schoolchildren in Iran.
Deporting moms and babies.
Covering up the Epstein files.

[Christopher Webb @cwebbonline]

Interesting. McConnell’s “proof of life” photo was released shortly after this segment. 🤔

Andy Beshear says the Republican legislature changed the law to block him from appointing a Senator if a vacancy occurs.

He argues the Kentucky Constitution gives him that authority, calls the changes politically motivated, and says he’s prepared to fight the issue in court if a Senate seat becomes vacant, while wishing McConnell a full recovery.

[Marc E. Elias @marceelias]

Elias Law Group is currently litigating 80 voting and election cases in 41 states (incl. DC).