Today, however, I want to hear from you. What's on your mind? What topics should be on Popular Information's radar? You can leave your thoughts in the discussion thread linked below, starting now. I’ll be dropping by later today to answer any questions.
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I'd like to know more about the relationship between Russian oligarchs, and top US Republicans, starting with Mike Johnson. Please see if you can 'follow the money'.
Amen Daniel! This weighs heavy on me as well. In 2018, Mike Johnson was forced to return campaign donations illegally received from a Russian oligarch. And we know Russian money went to the NRA prior to the 2016 election, and that the NRA used those funds as part of their lobbying operations. It seems like you can’t shake the Republican tree without a Russian or Russian money falling out of it.
We need more eyes following the sources funding Republican candidates.
Exactly, MJ! And it isn’t really dependent on Trump. The Heritage people don’t care if it’s him or DeSantis or Vivek in the office, they will implement it and we’ll all be out of luck.
I’d like to see more coverage about trump’s age related deficiencies. We constantly hear about Biden’s gaffes yet almost nothing about trump’s. MSM seems obsessed about Biden, zero about the other guy. I am going to be 76, many friends are in their 80’s and function extraordinarily well. Just like Biden!!!
How about a deep look at the New York Times Biden coverage. First came 30-plus stories about his age. Now we have distorted coverage of the Michigan primary. This post from Daily Kos sums it up nicely:
“NYT decided to characterize the Michigan primary as follows:
President Biden won Michigan’s Democratic primary election on Tuesday but was facing significant opposition over his support for Israel as it wages war in Gaza, with a substantial percentage of voters casting ballots for “uncommitted” as part of a protest movement against him.
Former President Donald J. Trump was also victorious in the Republican primary, coasting past former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina to continue his undefeated primary streak. The Associated Press called both races as final polls closed at 9 p.m.
Notice the difference? Biden is currently winning 80% of the vote, with “uncommitted” at a distant 2nd with just 15%. Meanwhile, Trump is sitting at 66%, with Haley with a more substantial minority of 29%. So, Biden is overperforming 538’s expectations and Trump is once again underperforming them. Every poll had Biden under 80% and every poll had Trump over 70%. The aggregate for Trump on 538 is a massive 78.7%. He’s underperforming the polls by more than 10%.
AND YET, according to the NYT, Biden “was facing significant opposition” while Trump was “coasting past” Haley.”
Consider those who went on the July 4th trip (Rand Paul) and those who sought 1/6 pardons and their Russian funding. Now that NRA is gone, what’s the vehicle?
It's a smaller story, admittedly, but there is a measles outbreak in Broward County (FL) schools and the state's surgeon general insists it is parents' choice whether to allow unvaccinated children to attend school. This flies in the face of medical consensus.
I’d like to talk to you on my podcast @FreedomOverFascism about independent journalism and why it’s so important when the MSM is doing a terrible job of covering the stakes, rather than the odds. You’ve broken and covered stories that changed outcomes, and I’d love to interview you. Please? Freedomoverfascism.us. I’m a historian and the pod is for activists, candidates, and officials…mostly at the state and local level. TIA. Sgwilson at gmail dot com
I’d like to know more about how one man can control sending much needed aid to Ukraine (and more); are there options to work around Mike Johnson’s obvious working for 45? I’d also like to know what happened to big organizations taking their All-Star game, their concerts, etc., out of states passing egregious laws on abortion, book bans, LGBTQ+ community. Remember when NC tried to pass the bathroom ban? Now equally harmful laws are being passed and crickets.
Why is there a feeling of inevitability in msm about the election? DT once again is sucking all the oxygen out of the room. How will this affect voter turnout? As in driving, we go where we’re looking — and our viewpoint is constantly being directed toward the worst. How can newsrooms give us stories that restore hope and confidence in the fact that most of us want something better?
I have heard passing references to the notion that when Trump eventually becomes the Republican candidate, he will then receive classified briefings similar or the same as to what Biden gets in his Daily Presidential briefing. I find this terribly upsetting...if true, is there any way to stop it? t seems incredibly dangerous.
Thank your for shinning a light on Nex Benedict's murder. Important for national attention on these local cases that can get swept under the rug if no one is looking.
Love the war on culture topics that you address repeatedly in your articles. It’s very needed to stir the discussion in the right direction, and more of us need to join. Otherwise things might take a turn that no one expected, as with the abortion rights. Going back to the 1800s is not a way to solve contemporary issues.
I would like to see more on our attitude toward nature. For example, cutting trees to ship overseas and burn as green energy. Water and food security, seeds monopoly, Bill Gates’ agricultural land acquisition, exploitation of natural resources etc.
I'd like to see some light shown on the seemingly incestuous relationship between Aetna insurance and CVS pharmacy. There is something denton in the state of Rottmark!
Please keep GAZA in steady focus -- above all for the ghastly, screaming, humanitarian emergency that’s playing out in real time, which the US has in part enabled with no-strings provision of weapons & funds to Israel + US vetoes of 3 UN resolutions calling for a cease fire.
And keep Gaza in steady focus for its consequences for Biden's campaign, and all that might follow from this.
A ceasefire resolution from outside of the war is meaningless if Israel and/or Hamas refuses it. What then? UN troops going to go in and enforce it? I would like the war to end too but it’s disingenuous to point to the US being complicit in “enabling” without looking at the very real logistics of that.
Are we then to give no credit to the Biden administration doing the heavy work behind the scenes in enacting an actual ceasefire between the two war parties that would actually happen in Gaza, and the aid and actual brief ceasefires that did occur? Are we supposed to also ignore that the Biden administration are doing work on what “the day after” will look like after the war and henceforth?
Netanyahu will lose power the instant he doesn’t perform the maximalist aims of the far right wing government he currently heads, because that’s the deal he made in order to form his current government. So of course he’s pushing against Israel’s interests, favoring his own.
What’s happening in Gaza is horrific. Let’s be factual about what’s going on insofar as Biden. He’s more popular in Israel than Netanyahu is, and he’s been doing the work in trying to bring about Israeli diplomatic recognition and recognition and support of a self governing Palestine, in the service of a future peaceful resolution. That is what is needed and will be durable, not empty demands for a ceasefire from outside. It is frustrating in the here and now, for sure. The costs in lives and in property are horrific. They are largely the choices of Netanyahu, who has abused the support Biden gave. It is not Biden’s war that he is leading or has control over. It is still during, and it is not after.
Rebecca, you make a key point: “A ceasefire resolution . . . is meaningless if Israel and/or Hamas refuses it.”
“Meaningless” on the ground, in Gaza, yes, yes.
But politically, at home, wouldn’t Biden be advantaged by having voted FOR three cease fire resolutions? Wouldn’t that take away at least that criticism of him? What was the downside?
You both make excellent points. Biden is not the demon, and, he needs to elevate his rhetoric and actions in favor of Palestinians. In terms of the American president, he's been vocal regarding the West Bank. I hope he can secure a cease fire prior to November. I'd love to see him commit $10 billion to rebuilding Gaza.
I agree. As a Biden supporter in so many areas, I am sincerely confused as to how he can ( rightly I believe) support Ukraine against Putin’s aggression, and not support the UN Ceasefire in Gaza resolutions. I need to see behind the wizard’s curtain to understand. So many young and people long excluded from the table see only our refusal to stop supporting the murder of innocents. If there is something to clarify and shine the light on, now would be the time. Netanyahu continues his rampage and it looks like all the back room negotiations are doing nothing. Meanwhile the extreme suffering continues and to me and much of the world, it looks like America is in full support if not in words, certainly in actions.
The republican attack on science. PubMed degradation, measles in Florida, have no idea how reproduction works. They want to bring back smallpox and the black death.
In recent oral argument, Justice Thomas hesitated before saying he had no social media accounts. I bet he does have them and I bet they follow his wife. Sure would be something to figure out what they are
I’d like to see read hear a massive influx of solutions, ideas, proposals, amendments anything positive and hopeful covered to change the craziness we are bombarded with everyday! Got any of that?
It would be great to get more attention into Iowa's Republican governor and the GOP legislators' efforts to silence the lone Democrat in the statehouse, Rob Sand, state auditor. She's been looking for revenge ever since he audited her use of COVID funds. First, she and the legislature passed a bill that takes away the auditor's power to demand records from state agencies for audits. Now the legislature wants to make it legal for taxpayers to pay for outside auditors to audit state agency books instead of using Sand's office. It's just one more power play she and the GOP-controlled legislature are pursuing in their ultra right-wing agenda that so far has included banning books, arming teachers with guns , banning pregnant women's right to healthcare, busting unions, and making it legal to discriminate based on religious beliefs.
Pls keep the spotlight ON & investigate “the Ivankas” JARED & Ivanka Kushner - their ties to Putin & worldwide dictatorships. Highlighting their ties to the WaPo journalist murder too & SA BILLIONS. TY
I'm interested in the ongoing battle between health insurance companies and health: For example, in Massachusetts, healthcare providers chase reimbursement from companies like "BeHealthy Partnership" that pop up and then delay payment for months and even years, forcing providers to spend hours and hours on the phone and on paperwork rather than helping people who are suffering. These companies Who runs these companies? Is it a shell game? Who is getting rich by disrupting healthcare? [Thank you for your vital work!]
I would still appreciate more coverage of economics, as well as more coverage of both online leftist/green politics and the media.
For economic inspiration, there’s The Lever’s coverage of Elon Musk moving SpaceX’s legal infrastructure to Texas, Claudia Sahm’s coverage of the ARP and Robert Reich’s coverage of Amazon and Musk fighting the NLRB.
For the media, there’s obvious fodder from the layoffs this year. I’d also suggest combining Gabrielle Gurley’s coverage of transit issues with CityNerd and Nimesh in LA’s coverage of the same for inspiration.
Just like leading up to the last election, we are suddenly hearing more and more about illegal immigration from the MSM. I'd love to know how the numbers compare over the months and years- is there really a "surge" or is it just fearmongering? If it's the latter, who is behind it?
Michigan Democratic primary highlights not only blow back from Muslim voters over Gaza but also other voters. Sure some of them GOP cross votes but in my mind those young people who follow the Palestinians reporting on Tik Tok. You have to face this. It could get Trump elected. Look at the sheer number 101,067 of uncommitted votes.
It's time to take this seriously. Watch some of those Gaza reports on Tik Tok. I listened to my oldest daughter and youngest son. He realizes Biden is in trouble but will vote for him. He is ayoung millenial or old Gen Z. She is a millenial and is willing to vote for some other dark horse besides Biden and so are her friends. I have listened.
They don't understand that could elect Trump and end Democracy.
They see destruction, starvation and dead babies and us backing Netanyahu.
Biden needs to get a cease fire and quick. Please hit this head on like you do everything else. My son and I watched the Holocaust episode of WWII in color. Saturday night. We lost the entire European side of our family. It is sad to watch brutality. Then and now.
As you probably know, Bibi and the Convicted Rapist are as thick as thieves ... so this has all the makings of a trap for Biden (enabled by Putin). We all know who encouraged the expansion of settlements back in 2017 (which Joe has always opposed) so there's no point in helping this particular scorpion.
Young people for what ever reason are closer to their hearts. They see hypocrisy more strongly. They see innocent deaths more viscerally. I believe we who want to beat Yrump and the MAGA fascists , have to give a big listen to what our youth are experiencing and saying. I agree no 3rd party candidate has won the presidency in my lifetime. But they are not registering that fact. Ignoring this will be our downfall.
Let’s follow up on Tennessee and Texas two of the most egregious states and their backwards laws that are hurting people. In Tennessee their house is a mess and they’re further sequestering their formerly expelled reps from Nashville. Passing more laws in favor of guns even after the mass shooting. And allowing Nazis to protest, but blocking Black Lives Matter protesters. It’s a SS.
...and, of course, more articles that emphasize how little relevant factual information (about economics, social science, political science & civics, finance & business, environmental science, etc.) is available to the American public through mainstream media. Notice how programming typically reflects the perspective of business "leaders" and corporate/financial interests. An uninformed public isn't well-enough prepared to demand legislation and laws that protect the public interest and the common good (rather than the already-wealthy and already-powerful). The public can't force our elected representatives and government officials to act in the public interest if we (and those representatives and officials) don't actually understand how the public interest is best served.
I'd really like more articles about the state of journalism and media in the U.S. - the concrete impact of omissions of crucial context (providing quotes and paraphrase instead of reporting well-researched facts) and bias (deliberate misinformation, misleading language and framing, presentation of opinion as fact) in news coverage - including and especially from media sources labeled "liberal" (MSNBC, NPR, BBBC, etc.). I want the U.S. public to realize how little information they have access to about electoral candidates - the information voters really need to make informed decisions. Mainstream media (including so-called "public" media funded primarily by wealthy and corporate interests) provides polling data instead of information about candidate's funding, policies, and historic words and deeds. Mainstream media (strategically) avoids offending funders and political/corporate powerbrokers by reporting statements and claims rather than fact. Obviously - public information is the key to the restoration of a functioning democracy.
My question has to do with the concept of Newsworthy, the relationship between what people want to hear and what people need to hear. For the sake of focus I’m limiting my thoughts to TV, and more specifically to the four or five evening shows on MSNBC. These shows are all about TRUMP and the dangers he presents to democracy. Very important - - but every show? So where are the shows that deal with the effects of the programs of the Biden administration, to policy? Are those shows not newsworthy? Are people just going to change the channel because there’s not enough drama? You are good at facts and percentages - - I wonder about the ratio of news we want and get, and the news we need to hear about programs and Policy.
You've done great work on wage theft and labor violations. I'd love to see more about the stolen labor underlying AI and an analysis of whether any AI applications would be profitable if they had to pay the authors/artists who produced the work their models are trained on.
I wholeheartedly agree with this one. I’d like to see some digging into the issue of how these companies have stolen and violated the work of countless people, and how much money they’ve effectively stolen with their datasets alone. And if you cover this, I hope you will talk to some of the artists currently involved with the lawsuit against Midjourney. The so-called “AI” (it isn’t artificial intelligence) has serious implications for huge swathes of the workforce.
Please do a peice on the "88 journalists and media workers were confirmed dead: 83 Palestinian, 2 Israeli, and 3 Lebanese.16 journalists were reported injured. 4 journalists were reported missing.
25 journalists were reported arrested. Multiple assaults, threats, cyberattacks, censorship, and killings of family members. Committee to Protect Journalists on February 21, 2024". This issue needs to amplified to the general public. bob
Why has everyone just laughed off Putin's comments about the sale of Alaska being illegitimate? Why shouldn't we take seriously everything Putin says about what he perceives to belong to Russia, considering his history and Trump's open willingness to give him whatever he wants? I'd really like to understand how we've come to a point where nearly the entire GOP is appeasing and applauding Russia and has somehow managed to convince a significant number of Americans that Russia is not the dangerous enemy we commonly considered it to be as recently as 10-15 years ago -- which paves the way for a future where Putin demands Alaska be "returned" to Russia and Trump's brainwashed rural American base pushing for the US to just concede he's right and avoid a war.
Never saw any coverage on Putin’s statement, but somehow I’m not surprised. I doubt the local residents would be happy over their new government in Moscow, even though the state is two-thirds Republican.
But please let’s not dig too deep on this history. One of the lesser reason’s California became a state quickly in 1850, gold being the obvious one, was the small population of coastal Northern California feared, as did previous Mexican and Spanish governors, a renewed interest by Russia that had had an active fur trade and forts on the north coast dating from the mid eighteenth century. I can just see the East Coast California bashers and all the right-wingers screaming to sell the state, pay off the national debt, and give the remainder to American oligarchs.
Lucky for us, Russia doesn’t have the cash on hand. Unless they get a loan from Musk.
When does the Pro-Trump Embarrassment set in, if ever? When do supporters have to admit, at least to themselves, he may be "Alright Down There!" with a Star's Historic Right to Grab his Type! but he's not alright upstairs . .and neither is anyone who votes for him . .
How about exploring all the underhanded stuff the police do to keep the boot on the underclass? Look into what living in a residential hotel is really like. Or a homeless shelter--poor people have no civil rights at all. The cops poison them mildly, infect them with colds and stomach viruses, athlete's foot, anything they want. I know from experience that the heating units are used to disrupt people's sleep. Just that alone destroys someone's mind. Sleep deprivation is considered torture by the UN, and it's being used heavily to keep people from being able to function in society. It's being used against liberals by team trump police. Far as i can tell, the trumpy types at the bottom of society are in bed with the police. They get free drugs. I'm a decent guy just trying to survive and i get my email interdicted to keep me from communicating with people from my past, or anyone i meet who isn't already on their team.
The pandemic is not over, and the way our government has swept it under the rug has been a horrifying mess. I’d really like to see you cover COVID more, to help show people that it hasn’t gone anywhere. Our knowledge about COVID has come a long way but the mainstream reporting on it is completely lackluster and tends to “both sides” the issue rather than simply present facts (because the facts are frightening). This is an issue that affects everyone and is directly leading to so many other health issues for the American public that would have been unthinkable 5 years ago! Any mainstream coverage I’ve seen about COVID and the regression of our public health systems doesn’t dig into the topic enough and doesn’t search for the patterns or follow the money. Thank you for your consideration and your hard work!
I'd really like to talk about how we might flex our collective economic muscles to send a message to corporations who are supporting GOP/MAGA candidates and elected officials that we aren't on board with a fascist takeover of the United States or with companies willing to facilitate it. You have written extensively about the companies who swore off political donations to election deniers and then quietly started funneling cash to them again in short order. The only thing these people pay attention to is money. The Montgomer Bus Boycotts worked. I know there is collateral damange and hardships associated with boycotts, but a well-organized effort could mitigate some of the damage and I think a lot of us are ready to sacrifice in order to save democracy. There is so little coverage of the democracy-supporting majority and right now no corporation pays a price for supporting tyranny. I feel passionately that we need to change that, but we need leadership to spearhead any such effort.
I'd like to see if you could get more information about the National Guard in MO that has been sent for special training starting March 6 to an undisclosed location, ostensibly to prepare for the Nov 2024 presidential election. I know of someone who was called up for this and is on duty until after Jan 6. Who is doing the calling up (state or federal)? How many other states are doing this? What does this mean for us civilians?
The influence of the religious white-far-right (as exemplified by all those affiliated with the “New Apostolic Reformation” and “Seven Mountains” theology) on government institutions. There’s a tangle of connections and ties between NAR and groups like Family Research Council, to hyper-capitalists and ultra-libertarians like Harlan Crow, Peter Thiel, et.al., and all roads lead to SCOTUS, Congress, etc. You can help untangle all that and make the connections clear.
Since we're in an election year, it might be good to check in on companies who previously said they wouldn't donate to politicians running for re-election that engaged in the January 6th insurrection. Name and shame.
Considering the massive consequences of the upcoming elections I would like to see as much highlighting as possible of the many lies and hypocracies in the GOP candidates, from Trump and Johnson on down. They seem to be able to get away with just about anything without any accountability. There's so much dirt that needs to have a national spotlight shone on.
I want to see an economic impact analysis of the Republican campaign for forced birth, reduced access to contraception, and fetal personhood. Women made up 47% of the U.S. civilian labor force in 2023, and 51% of college educated workers over 25 are women. In 2023 the percentage of women age 25-54 in the workforce reached 75.3%, an all-time high. So what happens to the broader economy if a large segment of working women drop out of the workforce due to unwanted pregnancies and stays out longer because childcare is high cost and low supply? We saw a preview of this in 2020 when the burden of caregiving fell largely on women and pushed them out of the workforce. Republicans won’t be convinced that women are people who deserve bodily autonomy as a fundamental right, but pointing out they’re slowing the wheels of capitalism might break through.
Shine a spotlight on the erasure of what is still an ongoing COVID pandemic. The World Health Organization is warning that the pandemic is far from over. Over 15,000 Americans have died of COVID in the first two months of this year. Wastewater virus counts were at their second highest levels of the entire pandemic last month, and about a third of Americans were estimated to have been infected in that most recent surge. We now know that about 5-10% of even "mild" COVID infections will lead to Long COVID, and that any COVID infection is likely to cause measurable long-term neurological/cardiovascular damage.
But the economic pressure to "Re-Open The Economy", coded language to trade lives and health for continued enrichment of the richest, has now made it globally accepted policy to pretend COVID is "over" and to just ... stop talking about it. We could have made the simple changes necessary to truly "live with" the fact that a highly infectious SARS virus is now circulating among us: changes like adding air purifiers to businesses and classrooms, and wearing masks in crowded public locations. But instead, we went all-in on ignoring the pandemic, choosing the immediate gratification of short-term economic benefits at the cost of the tremendous long-term damage to our health that repeated COVID infections are causing.
How about the rural healthcare? I pay almost $900 a month for United Healthcare through the Colorado exchange. If I want a bone density test at a local hospital, it is $600. If I pay cash, $400 (this is just wrong). I can fly to Denver, take an Uber, get a bone density test at Sally Jobe, fly back to Cortez, for less than $400. This is just nuts.
I am interested in learning more about private equity's growing presence in our health care system. They have targeted hospital systems in both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts with devastating consequences for the public. What's the end game? How can we prevent their expanding footprint?
I'd like to see Popular Information expose fascism in Post January 6th America. All the failings of our systems and government agencies can be tied directly to the insurrection. How can we stop our further fall into Fascism if we don't pull the curtain off the violence being whipped up by stopping our government from functioning here at home and in our efforts to protect democracy globally? ----- "Today Florida is the laboratory for an American anti-democratic experiment. A former president in residence, a radical right governor and an extremist legislature are following unmistakable paths that were plowed almost exactly a century ago in tumultuous Italy.
One of these is the attack on the autonomy of local governments. (“In push to the right, Florida cities and counties become focus for DeSantis and lawmakers,” Tallahassee Democrat, Feb. 17, 2023.)
Another is the effort to muzzle the press. (“DeSantis, GOP lawmakers pursue bill to gut press freedom,” Miami Herald, Feb. 25, 2023.)
A third is the effort to constrict and restrict the vote. (“DeSantis signs additional voting restrictions into law before cheering crowd,” Florida Phoenix, April 25, 2022.)
A fourth is the assault on freedom of thought in schools and universities. (“FL Governor DeSantis’ proposals on higher education pose a grave threat to academic freedom and free speech at public colleges and universities,” PEN America, Feb. 2, 2023.)
A fifth is the attempt by the governor to create his own military force answerable only to himself. (“DeSantis seeks $98 million to fund Florida’s own military,” Click Orlando, March 9, 2023.)
In the legislature, state Sen. Blaize Ingoglia (R-11-Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties) is attempting to outlaw the Democratic Party in Florida through “The Ultimate Cancel Act” (SB 1248). This is clearly an effort to create a one-party state of the kind that Mussolini and Hitler established in Italy and Germany.
Ingoglia may want Florida to be a one-party state but in fact his own party is facing its own two distinct anti-democratic movements built around their leaders."
Campaign financing, dark money, secret PACs: How have they infiltrated/shaped our parties, was the change mostly due to Reagan and his politics, how does campaign financing/dark money/secret PACs operate today, what limits -if any- might be likely to be placed on this system, what is needed for actual meaningful reform of elections/political power, what steps towards actual meaningful reform could be taken by those sincere about change given the limitations of the current system?
Can Biden win reelection without the youth vote? How should boomers and older generations talk to youth about Biden without reifying the perception that boomers are out of touch, privileged, and entitled?
Biden's environmental legacy.
Why and how the DNC suppresses progressive candidates; how does this relate to issues around campaign financing, dark money, and secret PACs; is what we're seeing an obvious result of how money has infiltrated US politics?
The coming US elections are definitely a topic. Russia and Putin are fine topics. Ukraine is a fine one, too. Palestine and Israel are horrifically important topics. Climate change and what is being done to prevent or exacerbate its effects is big news. Oppression of non-white and/or non-affluent folks living in the US is also of interest. The rise of Fascism, possibly as a response to the above, within the US electorate is frightening and therefore, most interesting to me. "Only on Day One..."
I'd like to know more about the relationship between Russian oligarchs, and top US Republicans, starting with Mike Johnson. Please see if you can 'follow the money'.
Amen Daniel! This weighs heavy on me as well. In 2018, Mike Johnson was forced to return campaign donations illegally received from a Russian oligarch. And we know Russian money went to the NRA prior to the 2016 election, and that the NRA used those funds as part of their lobbying operations. It seems like you can’t shake the Republican tree without a Russian or Russian money falling out of it.
We need more eyes following the sources funding Republican candidates.
Steps to defeat Project 2025. It's terrifying. If things go well and Biden wins, Project 2025 will still be around.
Exactly, MJ! And it isn’t really dependent on Trump. The Heritage people don’t care if it’s him or DeSantis or Vivek in the office, they will implement it and we’ll all be out of luck.
I’d like to see more coverage about trump’s age related deficiencies. We constantly hear about Biden’s gaffes yet almost nothing about trump’s. MSM seems obsessed about Biden, zero about the other guy. I am going to be 76, many friends are in their 80’s and function extraordinarily well. Just like Biden!!!
How about a deep look at the New York Times Biden coverage. First came 30-plus stories about his age. Now we have distorted coverage of the Michigan primary. This post from Daily Kos sums it up nicely:
“NYT decided to characterize the Michigan primary as follows:
President Biden won Michigan’s Democratic primary election on Tuesday but was facing significant opposition over his support for Israel as it wages war in Gaza, with a substantial percentage of voters casting ballots for “uncommitted” as part of a protest movement against him.
Former President Donald J. Trump was also victorious in the Republican primary, coasting past former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina to continue his undefeated primary streak. The Associated Press called both races as final polls closed at 9 p.m.
Notice the difference? Biden is currently winning 80% of the vote, with “uncommitted” at a distant 2nd with just 15%. Meanwhile, Trump is sitting at 66%, with Haley with a more substantial minority of 29%. So, Biden is overperforming 538’s expectations and Trump is once again underperforming them. Every poll had Biden under 80% and every poll had Trump over 70%. The aggregate for Trump on 538 is a massive 78.7%. He’s underperforming the polls by more than 10%.
AND YET, according to the NYT, Biden “was facing significant opposition” while Trump was “coasting past” Haley.”
The uncommitted vote is now 13.3%
The problem of course is the electoral college.
One word: Christofascism.
Further on House/Senate-Russian Oligarchs:
Consider those who went on the July 4th trip (Rand Paul) and those who sought 1/6 pardons and their Russian funding. Now that NRA is gone, what’s the vehicle?
It's a smaller story, admittedly, but there is a measles outbreak in Broward County (FL) schools and the state's surgeon general insists it is parents' choice whether to allow unvaccinated children to attend school. This flies in the face of medical consensus.
History of measles, CDC https://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/history.html
I’d like to talk to you on my podcast @FreedomOverFascism about independent journalism and why it’s so important when the MSM is doing a terrible job of covering the stakes, rather than the odds. You’ve broken and covered stories that changed outcomes, and I’d love to interview you. Please? Freedomoverfascism.us. I’m a historian and the pod is for activists, candidates, and officials…mostly at the state and local level. TIA. Sgwilson at gmail dot com
Me too! I can't believe no one has bothered to file charges against the politicians from January 6th. And now they have a bill moving forward so it won't be called an insurrection. REALLY? It was a fascist squadristi. AUGH!!!!!! Can't wait to hear more from you. ------ https://www.theparadiseprogressive.com/blog-the-paradise-progressive/fascism-in-florida-blood-and-power-provides-perspective
You just got yourself a new follower of your podcast.
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it and share it with friends.
I’d like to know more about how one man can control sending much needed aid to Ukraine (and more); are there options to work around Mike Johnson’s obvious working for 45? I’d also like to know what happened to big organizations taking their All-Star game, their concerts, etc., out of states passing egregious laws on abortion, book bans, LGBTQ+ community. Remember when NC tried to pass the bathroom ban? Now equally harmful laws are being passed and crickets.
Why is there a feeling of inevitability in msm about the election? DT once again is sucking all the oxygen out of the room. How will this affect voter turnout? As in driving, we go where we’re looking — and our viewpoint is constantly being directed toward the worst. How can newsrooms give us stories that restore hope and confidence in the fact that most of us want something better?
Not only the MSM. My lefty news compilers typically offer a 10-to-1 ratio of stories about that Man vs. everything else under the sun.
I have heard passing references to the notion that when Trump eventually becomes the Republican candidate, he will then receive classified briefings similar or the same as to what Biden gets in his Daily Presidential briefing. I find this terribly upsetting...if true, is there any way to stop it? t seems incredibly dangerous.
Thank your for shinning a light on Nex Benedict's murder. Important for national attention on these local cases that can get swept under the rug if no one is looking.
Imagine the autopsy was done by OK. And no action by DoJ are getting ready to sweep this under the rug
Love the war on culture topics that you address repeatedly in your articles. It’s very needed to stir the discussion in the right direction, and more of us need to join. Otherwise things might take a turn that no one expected, as with the abortion rights. Going back to the 1800s is not a way to solve contemporary issues.
I would like to see more on our attitude toward nature. For example, cutting trees to ship overseas and burn as green energy. Water and food security, seeds monopoly, Bill Gates’ agricultural land acquisition, exploitation of natural resources etc.
Good morning Judd,
I'd like to see some light shown on the seemingly incestuous relationship between Aetna insurance and CVS pharmacy. There is something denton in the state of Rottmark!
Please keep GAZA in steady focus -- above all for the ghastly, screaming, humanitarian emergency that’s playing out in real time, which the US has in part enabled with no-strings provision of weapons & funds to Israel + US vetoes of 3 UN resolutions calling for a cease fire.
And keep Gaza in steady focus for its consequences for Biden's campaign, and all that might follow from this.
Thank you, Judd, for inviting reader suggestions!
A ceasefire resolution from outside of the war is meaningless if Israel and/or Hamas refuses it. What then? UN troops going to go in and enforce it? I would like the war to end too but it’s disingenuous to point to the US being complicit in “enabling” without looking at the very real logistics of that.
Are we then to give no credit to the Biden administration doing the heavy work behind the scenes in enacting an actual ceasefire between the two war parties that would actually happen in Gaza, and the aid and actual brief ceasefires that did occur? Are we supposed to also ignore that the Biden administration are doing work on what “the day after” will look like after the war and henceforth?
Netanyahu will lose power the instant he doesn’t perform the maximalist aims of the far right wing government he currently heads, because that’s the deal he made in order to form his current government. So of course he’s pushing against Israel’s interests, favoring his own.
What’s happening in Gaza is horrific. Let’s be factual about what’s going on insofar as Biden. He’s more popular in Israel than Netanyahu is, and he’s been doing the work in trying to bring about Israeli diplomatic recognition and recognition and support of a self governing Palestine, in the service of a future peaceful resolution. That is what is needed and will be durable, not empty demands for a ceasefire from outside. It is frustrating in the here and now, for sure. The costs in lives and in property are horrific. They are largely the choices of Netanyahu, who has abused the support Biden gave. It is not Biden’s war that he is leading or has control over. It is still during, and it is not after.
Rebecca, you make a key point: “A ceasefire resolution . . . is meaningless if Israel and/or Hamas refuses it.”
“Meaningless” on the ground, in Gaza, yes, yes.
But politically, at home, wouldn’t Biden be advantaged by having voted FOR three cease fire resolutions? Wouldn’t that take away at least that criticism of him? What was the downside?
Kindly explain.
Read all the remarks about MSM. He could cure Covid or Cancer and they would talk about his age...
There were no provisions for hostages in the UN's last ceasefire resolution.
You both make excellent points. Biden is not the demon, and, he needs to elevate his rhetoric and actions in favor of Palestinians. In terms of the American president, he's been vocal regarding the West Bank. I hope he can secure a cease fire prior to November. I'd love to see him commit $10 billion to rebuilding Gaza.
I agree. As a Biden supporter in so many areas, I am sincerely confused as to how he can ( rightly I believe) support Ukraine against Putin’s aggression, and not support the UN Ceasefire in Gaza resolutions. I need to see behind the wizard’s curtain to understand. So many young and people long excluded from the table see only our refusal to stop supporting the murder of innocents. If there is something to clarify and shine the light on, now would be the time. Netanyahu continues his rampage and it looks like all the back room negotiations are doing nothing. Meanwhile the extreme suffering continues and to me and much of the world, it looks like America is in full support if not in words, certainly in actions.
The republican attack on science. PubMed degradation, measles in Florida, have no idea how reproduction works. They want to bring back smallpox and the black death.
In recent oral argument, Justice Thomas hesitated before saying he had no social media accounts. I bet he does have them and I bet they follow his wife. Sure would be something to figure out what they are
I’d like to see read hear a massive influx of solutions, ideas, proposals, amendments anything positive and hopeful covered to change the craziness we are bombarded with everyday! Got any of that?
It would be great to get more attention into Iowa's Republican governor and the GOP legislators' efforts to silence the lone Democrat in the statehouse, Rob Sand, state auditor. She's been looking for revenge ever since he audited her use of COVID funds. First, she and the legislature passed a bill that takes away the auditor's power to demand records from state agencies for audits. Now the legislature wants to make it legal for taxpayers to pay for outside auditors to audit state agency books instead of using Sand's office. It's just one more power play she and the GOP-controlled legislature are pursuing in their ultra right-wing agenda that so far has included banning books, arming teachers with guns , banning pregnant women's right to healthcare, busting unions, and making it legal to discriminate based on religious beliefs.
Judd- great reporting.
Pls keep the spotlight ON & investigate “the Ivankas” JARED & Ivanka Kushner - their ties to Putin & worldwide dictatorships. Highlighting their ties to the WaPo journalist murder too & SA BILLIONS. TY
I'm interested in the ongoing battle between health insurance companies and health: For example, in Massachusetts, healthcare providers chase reimbursement from companies like "BeHealthy Partnership" that pop up and then delay payment for months and even years, forcing providers to spend hours and hours on the phone and on paperwork rather than helping people who are suffering. These companies Who runs these companies? Is it a shell game? Who is getting rich by disrupting healthcare? [Thank you for your vital work!]
I think the Texas AG Paxton security fraud trial starts in April.
I would still appreciate more coverage of economics, as well as more coverage of both online leftist/green politics and the media.
For economic inspiration, there’s The Lever’s coverage of Elon Musk moving SpaceX’s legal infrastructure to Texas, Claudia Sahm’s coverage of the ARP and Robert Reich’s coverage of Amazon and Musk fighting the NLRB.
For the media, there’s obvious fodder from the layoffs this year. I’d also suggest combining Gabrielle Gurley’s coverage of transit issues with CityNerd and Nimesh in LA’s coverage of the same for inspiration.
Just like leading up to the last election, we are suddenly hearing more and more about illegal immigration from the MSM. I'd love to know how the numbers compare over the months and years- is there really a "surge" or is it just fearmongering? If it's the latter, who is behind it?
Michigan Democratic primary highlights not only blow back from Muslim voters over Gaza but also other voters. Sure some of them GOP cross votes but in my mind those young people who follow the Palestinians reporting on Tik Tok. You have to face this. It could get Trump elected. Look at the sheer number 101,067 of uncommitted votes.
It's time to take this seriously. Watch some of those Gaza reports on Tik Tok. I listened to my oldest daughter and youngest son. He realizes Biden is in trouble but will vote for him. He is ayoung millenial or old Gen Z. She is a millenial and is willing to vote for some other dark horse besides Biden and so are her friends. I have listened.
They don't understand that could elect Trump and end Democracy.
They see destruction, starvation and dead babies and us backing Netanyahu.
Biden needs to get a cease fire and quick. Please hit this head on like you do everything else. My son and I watched the Holocaust episode of WWII in color. Saturday night. We lost the entire European side of our family. It is sad to watch brutality. Then and now.
As you probably know, Bibi and the Convicted Rapist are as thick as thieves ... so this has all the makings of a trap for Biden (enabled by Putin). We all know who encouraged the expansion of settlements back in 2017 (which Joe has always opposed) so there's no point in helping this particular scorpion.
Young people for what ever reason are closer to their hearts. They see hypocrisy more strongly. They see innocent deaths more viscerally. I believe we who want to beat Yrump and the MAGA fascists , have to give a big listen to what our youth are experiencing and saying. I agree no 3rd party candidate has won the presidency in my lifetime. But they are not registering that fact. Ignoring this will be our downfall.
Let’s follow up on Tennessee and Texas two of the most egregious states and their backwards laws that are hurting people. In Tennessee their house is a mess and they’re further sequestering their formerly expelled reps from Nashville. Passing more laws in favor of guns even after the mass shooting. And allowing Nazis to protest, but blocking Black Lives Matter protesters. It’s a SS.
...and, of course, more articles that emphasize how little relevant factual information (about economics, social science, political science & civics, finance & business, environmental science, etc.) is available to the American public through mainstream media. Notice how programming typically reflects the perspective of business "leaders" and corporate/financial interests. An uninformed public isn't well-enough prepared to demand legislation and laws that protect the public interest and the common good (rather than the already-wealthy and already-powerful). The public can't force our elected representatives and government officials to act in the public interest if we (and those representatives and officials) don't actually understand how the public interest is best served.
I'd really like more articles about the state of journalism and media in the U.S. - the concrete impact of omissions of crucial context (providing quotes and paraphrase instead of reporting well-researched facts) and bias (deliberate misinformation, misleading language and framing, presentation of opinion as fact) in news coverage - including and especially from media sources labeled "liberal" (MSNBC, NPR, BBBC, etc.). I want the U.S. public to realize how little information they have access to about electoral candidates - the information voters really need to make informed decisions. Mainstream media (including so-called "public" media funded primarily by wealthy and corporate interests) provides polling data instead of information about candidate's funding, policies, and historic words and deeds. Mainstream media (strategically) avoids offending funders and political/corporate powerbrokers by reporting statements and claims rather than fact. Obviously - public information is the key to the restoration of a functioning democracy.
My question has to do with the concept of Newsworthy, the relationship between what people want to hear and what people need to hear. For the sake of focus I’m limiting my thoughts to TV, and more specifically to the four or five evening shows on MSNBC. These shows are all about TRUMP and the dangers he presents to democracy. Very important - - but every show? So where are the shows that deal with the effects of the programs of the Biden administration, to policy? Are those shows not newsworthy? Are people just going to change the channel because there’s not enough drama? You are good at facts and percentages - - I wonder about the ratio of news we want and get, and the news we need to hear about programs and Policy.
The Article 5 convention the republicans are trying to convene to rewrite the Constitution. More people should be aware of this.
You've done great work on wage theft and labor violations. I'd love to see more about the stolen labor underlying AI and an analysis of whether any AI applications would be profitable if they had to pay the authors/artists who produced the work their models are trained on.
I wholeheartedly agree with this one. I’d like to see some digging into the issue of how these companies have stolen and violated the work of countless people, and how much money they’ve effectively stolen with their datasets alone. And if you cover this, I hope you will talk to some of the artists currently involved with the lawsuit against Midjourney. The so-called “AI” (it isn’t artificial intelligence) has serious implications for huge swathes of the workforce.
Please do a peice on the "88 journalists and media workers were confirmed dead: 83 Palestinian, 2 Israeli, and 3 Lebanese.16 journalists were reported injured. 4 journalists were reported missing.
25 journalists were reported arrested. Multiple assaults, threats, cyberattacks, censorship, and killings of family members. Committee to Protect Journalists on February 21, 2024". This issue needs to amplified to the general public. bob
Why has everyone just laughed off Putin's comments about the sale of Alaska being illegitimate? Why shouldn't we take seriously everything Putin says about what he perceives to belong to Russia, considering his history and Trump's open willingness to give him whatever he wants? I'd really like to understand how we've come to a point where nearly the entire GOP is appeasing and applauding Russia and has somehow managed to convince a significant number of Americans that Russia is not the dangerous enemy we commonly considered it to be as recently as 10-15 years ago -- which paves the way for a future where Putin demands Alaska be "returned" to Russia and Trump's brainwashed rural American base pushing for the US to just concede he's right and avoid a war.
Never saw any coverage on Putin’s statement, but somehow I’m not surprised. I doubt the local residents would be happy over their new government in Moscow, even though the state is two-thirds Republican.
But please let’s not dig too deep on this history. One of the lesser reason’s California became a state quickly in 1850, gold being the obvious one, was the small population of coastal Northern California feared, as did previous Mexican and Spanish governors, a renewed interest by Russia that had had an active fur trade and forts on the north coast dating from the mid eighteenth century. I can just see the East Coast California bashers and all the right-wingers screaming to sell the state, pay off the national debt, and give the remainder to American oligarchs.
Lucky for us, Russia doesn’t have the cash on hand. Unless they get a loan from Musk.
When does the Pro-Trump Embarrassment set in, if ever? When do supporters have to admit, at least to themselves, he may be "Alright Down There!" with a Star's Historic Right to Grab his Type! but he's not alright upstairs . .and neither is anyone who votes for him . .
How about exploring all the underhanded stuff the police do to keep the boot on the underclass? Look into what living in a residential hotel is really like. Or a homeless shelter--poor people have no civil rights at all. The cops poison them mildly, infect them with colds and stomach viruses, athlete's foot, anything they want. I know from experience that the heating units are used to disrupt people's sleep. Just that alone destroys someone's mind. Sleep deprivation is considered torture by the UN, and it's being used heavily to keep people from being able to function in society. It's being used against liberals by team trump police. Far as i can tell, the trumpy types at the bottom of society are in bed with the police. They get free drugs. I'm a decent guy just trying to survive and i get my email interdicted to keep me from communicating with people from my past, or anyone i meet who isn't already on their team.
The pandemic is not over, and the way our government has swept it under the rug has been a horrifying mess. I’d really like to see you cover COVID more, to help show people that it hasn’t gone anywhere. Our knowledge about COVID has come a long way but the mainstream reporting on it is completely lackluster and tends to “both sides” the issue rather than simply present facts (because the facts are frightening). This is an issue that affects everyone and is directly leading to so many other health issues for the American public that would have been unthinkable 5 years ago! Any mainstream coverage I’ve seen about COVID and the regression of our public health systems doesn’t dig into the topic enough and doesn’t search for the patterns or follow the money. Thank you for your consideration and your hard work!
I'd really like to talk about how we might flex our collective economic muscles to send a message to corporations who are supporting GOP/MAGA candidates and elected officials that we aren't on board with a fascist takeover of the United States or with companies willing to facilitate it. You have written extensively about the companies who swore off political donations to election deniers and then quietly started funneling cash to them again in short order. The only thing these people pay attention to is money. The Montgomer Bus Boycotts worked. I know there is collateral damange and hardships associated with boycotts, but a well-organized effort could mitigate some of the damage and I think a lot of us are ready to sacrifice in order to save democracy. There is so little coverage of the democracy-supporting majority and right now no corporation pays a price for supporting tyranny. I feel passionately that we need to change that, but we need leadership to spearhead any such effort.
I'd like to see if you could get more information about the National Guard in MO that has been sent for special training starting March 6 to an undisclosed location, ostensibly to prepare for the Nov 2024 presidential election. I know of someone who was called up for this and is on duty until after Jan 6. Who is doing the calling up (state or federal)? How many other states are doing this? What does this mean for us civilians?
The influence of the religious white-far-right (as exemplified by all those affiliated with the “New Apostolic Reformation” and “Seven Mountains” theology) on government institutions. There’s a tangle of connections and ties between NAR and groups like Family Research Council, to hyper-capitalists and ultra-libertarians like Harlan Crow, Peter Thiel, et.al., and all roads lead to SCOTUS, Congress, etc. You can help untangle all that and make the connections clear.
Since we're in an election year, it might be good to check in on companies who previously said they wouldn't donate to politicians running for re-election that engaged in the January 6th insurrection. Name and shame.
Considering the massive consequences of the upcoming elections I would like to see as much highlighting as possible of the many lies and hypocracies in the GOP candidates, from Trump and Johnson on down. They seem to be able to get away with just about anything without any accountability. There's so much dirt that needs to have a national spotlight shone on.
I want to see an economic impact analysis of the Republican campaign for forced birth, reduced access to contraception, and fetal personhood. Women made up 47% of the U.S. civilian labor force in 2023, and 51% of college educated workers over 25 are women. In 2023 the percentage of women age 25-54 in the workforce reached 75.3%, an all-time high. So what happens to the broader economy if a large segment of working women drop out of the workforce due to unwanted pregnancies and stays out longer because childcare is high cost and low supply? We saw a preview of this in 2020 when the burden of caregiving fell largely on women and pushed them out of the workforce. Republicans won’t be convinced that women are people who deserve bodily autonomy as a fundamental right, but pointing out they’re slowing the wheels of capitalism might break through.
Shine a spotlight on the erasure of what is still an ongoing COVID pandemic. The World Health Organization is warning that the pandemic is far from over. Over 15,000 Americans have died of COVID in the first two months of this year. Wastewater virus counts were at their second highest levels of the entire pandemic last month, and about a third of Americans were estimated to have been infected in that most recent surge. We now know that about 5-10% of even "mild" COVID infections will lead to Long COVID, and that any COVID infection is likely to cause measurable long-term neurological/cardiovascular damage.
But the economic pressure to "Re-Open The Economy", coded language to trade lives and health for continued enrichment of the richest, has now made it globally accepted policy to pretend COVID is "over" and to just ... stop talking about it. We could have made the simple changes necessary to truly "live with" the fact that a highly infectious SARS virus is now circulating among us: changes like adding air purifiers to businesses and classrooms, and wearing masks in crowded public locations. But instead, we went all-in on ignoring the pandemic, choosing the immediate gratification of short-term economic benefits at the cost of the tremendous long-term damage to our health that repeated COVID infections are causing.
Thank you for your indepth investigate work!
How about the rural healthcare? I pay almost $900 a month for United Healthcare through the Colorado exchange. If I want a bone density test at a local hospital, it is $600. If I pay cash, $400 (this is just wrong). I can fly to Denver, take an Uber, get a bone density test at Sally Jobe, fly back to Cortez, for less than $400. This is just nuts.
Thanks!
I’d like to see something on the fear that people that are not Jewish have regarding speaking out about the horrors in Gaza.
I'd like to understand who paid off Brett Kavanaugh's debts.
I am interested in learning more about private equity's growing presence in our health care system. They have targeted hospital systems in both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts with devastating consequences for the public. What's the end game? How can we prevent their expanding footprint?
I'd like to see Popular Information expose fascism in Post January 6th America. All the failings of our systems and government agencies can be tied directly to the insurrection. How can we stop our further fall into Fascism if we don't pull the curtain off the violence being whipped up by stopping our government from functioning here at home and in our efforts to protect democracy globally? ----- "Today Florida is the laboratory for an American anti-democratic experiment. A former president in residence, a radical right governor and an extremist legislature are following unmistakable paths that were plowed almost exactly a century ago in tumultuous Italy.
One of these is the attack on the autonomy of local governments. (“In push to the right, Florida cities and counties become focus for DeSantis and lawmakers,” Tallahassee Democrat, Feb. 17, 2023.)
Another is the effort to muzzle the press. (“DeSantis, GOP lawmakers pursue bill to gut press freedom,” Miami Herald, Feb. 25, 2023.)
A third is the effort to constrict and restrict the vote. (“DeSantis signs additional voting restrictions into law before cheering crowd,” Florida Phoenix, April 25, 2022.)
A fourth is the assault on freedom of thought in schools and universities. (“FL Governor DeSantis’ proposals on higher education pose a grave threat to academic freedom and free speech at public colleges and universities,” PEN America, Feb. 2, 2023.)
A fifth is the attempt by the governor to create his own military force answerable only to himself. (“DeSantis seeks $98 million to fund Florida’s own military,” Click Orlando, March 9, 2023.)
In the legislature, state Sen. Blaize Ingoglia (R-11-Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties) is attempting to outlaw the Democratic Party in Florida through “The Ultimate Cancel Act” (SB 1248). This is clearly an effort to create a one-party state of the kind that Mussolini and Hitler established in Italy and Germany.
Ingoglia may want Florida to be a one-party state but in fact his own party is facing its own two distinct anti-democratic movements built around their leaders."
https://www.theparadiseprogressive.com/blog-the-paradise-progressive/fascism-in-florida-blood-and-power-provides-perspective
Campaign financing, dark money, secret PACs: How have they infiltrated/shaped our parties, was the change mostly due to Reagan and his politics, how does campaign financing/dark money/secret PACs operate today, what limits -if any- might be likely to be placed on this system, what is needed for actual meaningful reform of elections/political power, what steps towards actual meaningful reform could be taken by those sincere about change given the limitations of the current system?
Can Biden win reelection without the youth vote? How should boomers and older generations talk to youth about Biden without reifying the perception that boomers are out of touch, privileged, and entitled?
Biden's environmental legacy.
Why and how the DNC suppresses progressive candidates; how does this relate to issues around campaign financing, dark money, and secret PACs; is what we're seeing an obvious result of how money has infiltrated US politics?
The coming US elections are definitely a topic. Russia and Putin are fine topics. Ukraine is a fine one, too. Palestine and Israel are horrifically important topics. Climate change and what is being done to prevent or exacerbate its effects is big news. Oppression of non-white and/or non-affluent folks living in the US is also of interest. The rise of Fascism, possibly as a response to the above, within the US electorate is frightening and therefore, most interesting to me. "Only on Day One..."