145 Comments
User's avatar
Charlie Cooper's avatar

What organizing are people successfully doing to resist fascism and corruption and build a new politics that supports middle-class prosperity, peace, and sustainability? The mobilizations we have seen are pretty big, but they are pep rallies. How are people putting pressure on Congress, business, and the Supreme Court?

Expand full comment
Paula Wolk's avatar

As sad, dangerous, frightening, as it is, we must know who ICE is disappearing and to where. We must also know who they are arresting “legally” and who they are hurting and arresting “illegally.” We also need to know who the ICE “employees” are and what they are being paid.

Expand full comment
Mary's avatar

I agree, this is very important.

Expand full comment
Robert Spottswood, M.A.'s avatar

I think it is time for popular information to help us understand the powerful narrative and galvanizing capacity of Zionism, because the silence about this is pretty deafening.

I am just an amateur student of history, and a Quaker, not a Jew, but it appears that modern Zionism does not have clear roots in Judaism.

You are so good at separating narrative from fact, and the silence about the roots of modern zionism is becoming more than deafening.

By some accounts, modern Zionism appears to have been a nationalist movement modeled on the emerging European nation state, and was not tied to the land of Palestine, but was also examining Madagascar, Uganda, and parts of Argentina.

Please apply your outstanding researches at least once to this, and help us all get some clarity for moving forward.

Thank you.

Expand full comment
Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

Interesting, Robert.

I would usually dismiss such a question as cover for deeper & conspiratorial antisemitic views, but your specific framing, and the nature of Quaker beliefs & actions, lead me to believe you’re asking this from a good faith perspective 🙏

It is something of a third rail, for certain, to talk about Zionism, even as a phenomenon — quite similar to talking about transgender activist ideology.

In both cases it’s absolutely possible to have serious reservations about the realities of these ideologies, without being based in bigotry or hatred, but also in each case different media seem to be quite happy to polarize the discussion into both “saying that about X is bigotry” (typically left-leaning identitarians) & “well yes, X are deserving of hatred” (typically right-wing conspiracy/rage farmers) when neither of those are actually representative of the concerns being expressed.

Nuance matters … and is sadly virtually non-existent these days, though the thoughtful longer form content on SubStack largely bucks that trend.

Expand full comment
Robert Spottswood, M.A.'s avatar

Yes, our venerated counselor training mentor put it succinctly, "Context controls the meanings we make."

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

Expand full comment
Schmendryck's avatar

It's unfortunate that those other nations you mentioned as potential locations are the same ones that Nazi Germany initially thought to "ship all the Jews," before settling on their final solution decision at Wansee. Theodore Herzl's initial idea of Zionism was to move to the place of origin of the Hebrews, and there's an interesting perspective about a large group of those who balked at the idea of going to Palestine specifically because there were people already living there. Interesting perspective here, covering a book by Rachel Cockrell about the idea of moving instead to Texas, from the "straight white American Jesus" podcast, and worth a listen although I have not read her book yet:

https://pca.st/episode/c1442599-d174-4c3a-b553-942650575aeb

Expand full comment
Charlie Cooper's avatar

Today in the U.S. there is a large Christian Zionist movement that has to do with specific interpretations of scripture. Here is a Christian Zionist explanation of why Mike Huckabee is a good choice for U.S. Ambassador to Israel: https://firstthings.com/mike-huckabees-biblical-vision-for-israel/

Expand full comment
Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

Oh yes, I am quite familiar with the apocalyptic evangelical POV: in a terrifying case of “the lord helps those who help themselves”, hastening Armageddon is quite high on the minds of many such Xian individuals, as well as on those of certain small (?) Jewish sects, such as the strange folk at the Temple Institute:

https://templeinstitute.org/para-aduma-the-red-heifer/

Expand full comment
Kathryn's avatar

I would like to know more about Palantir's infiltration into the government.

Expand full comment
Anne Smith's avatar

Yes! And the vast sums of money that are being made off of these for profit concentration camps.

Expand full comment
Andrea Hildebran Smith's avatar

You have good instincts, Judd, for stories - ones I knew I wanted and others I wouldn’t have had any idea about until I read them here. I want you to build a newsroom and continue to drive this outlet editorially.

Identifying corruption is top of the list. Where opportunities emerge to leverage coverage into impact, as you did especially in the first couple years, all the better, though in this tidal wave of corruption and societal move towards accommodation those openings are harder and harder to find.

Just keep doing what you’re doing. Trust yourself and train more people to do real journalism.

Expand full comment
Glenn's avatar

Judd, please keep reporting on crypto and digging deeper into the corrupt relationships between Trump/power brokers and the crypto industry. I’m particularly interested in who in congress has received funding from the crypto industry. I have many questions about the support that the GENIUS act has received from Democrats. Thank you for all your great reporting and best to you and your excellent staff.

Expand full comment
Peter Scully's avatar

Don't lose sight of the continued efforts to hobble medical research. This most recent development is very big news, but still under the radar outside of the research community:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02221-6

Expand full comment
Christina Werner's avatar

The ongoing catastrophe of global warming and the failure to protect clean water.

Expand full comment
Frances Mary D'Andrea's avatar

Agreed--especially with the increase in building enormous data centers that use tremendous amounts of power and water.

Expand full comment
Joseph Mangano's avatar

I wouldn't mind seeing more about the role of private detention facilities used by ICE and whether they're allowed to supersede the wishes of local authorities/government.

Expand full comment
Anne Tiffany's avatar

What about Trump's ear? There may well have been a true assassination attempt, but did a bullet really hit his ear? Where are the medical reports, follow up, assessment of the remarkable speed with which it apparently healed? I would like to see more information about distortion and withholding of the truth that may have occurred here to benefit a political campaign and create the myth of Trump's heroic courage. Those shaken in their faith in Trump by the Epstein fallout might benefit from another dose of reality.

Expand full comment
FCP's avatar

Look online. As soon as he is hit, before the secret service rushes him off the stage an aide rushes photographers around the side of the stage to get good pictures. Looks like it was set up to me.

Expand full comment
Robert's avatar

Hi Judd, PI… It’s really a challenge to suggest what you & your team have already achieved. Here are a few suggestions.. United States Postal Service~How costs are rising due to changes in shipping the mail to different centers… ie, Fort Wayne IN had regional receiving center moved Indianapolis..Inspector General reported No Management, few workers, increase in traffic. Order a book from Illinois goes to Georgia to Kentucky to Indianapolis to Fort Wayne. Why?

The training techniques for police in America…guns drawn first? And lastly, Are cities aware of homes being bought by equity companies; some owning 80 to 90 thousand? Colorado did a study..shocked. This is real reason for housing shortage. A Nation of Potter Fields? One more , Did a real Republican Senator Todd Young get changed to a MAGA due to treats from Musk and Maggot folks back home? Or

Did Senator Banks get a Too rated local TV reporter WPTA Fort Wayne fired for asking hard questions when first running for the senate seat?

Sorry..others will give you better topics. Thanks!

Expand full comment
Katy Bolger's avatar

The Post Office is important! DeJoy is taking his sweet time to build out the logistics of a private company taking over. A look into that would find a nest of vipers. And of course, the drive to privatize schools in both Florida and Texas - that is the main focus for both of those governors, to appease and enrich their shadowy (and not so shadowy) supporters who, like the private prison industries, grow rich off of their devious plans.

Expand full comment
Mary's avatar

De Joy has left--resigned.

I have received USPS items shredded by the machines, had letters returned as undeliverable when they were a bill in the official payment envelope, had payment rejected because the check was mangled in the mail.

Is this intentional? DJT has long wanted to privatize the post office, just like the weather reporting, and apparently the jails.

Expand full comment
Carol Hutchins's avatar

I wish to add my support for delving into USPS. Is it on the cusp of privatization? I fear the answer is “yes”. My understanding

is that DeJoy’s replacement has background as an exec with FedEx. What can be done to fend off privatization?

Expand full comment
Katy Bolger's avatar

I missed his resignation so thanks for that. I went back to see the reporting around it and it seems DeJoy has done a lateral move back into logistics and, according to whomever, he has prepared the USPS to go lateral with him - in other words, privatize the PO.

Expand full comment
Robert's avatar

Your right on!

Expand full comment
hw's avatar

Radley Balko publishes an excellent, fact-driven riveting Substack exploring the militarization of the American police.

Expand full comment
Robert's avatar

Thank you… the militarization is a real issue… swat teams, armored vehicles..

A Military mindset….. vs…

…what I mean is training in a mindset

of self protection and using common sense, recognizing the situations, applying the appropriate techniques and force such as better use of self defense without a gun drawn, working with fellow officers rather than being a lone cowboy, communication, respect of citizens rights , understanding of people

while helping- Serve & Protect!

Expand full comment
Katy Bolger's avatar

You can watch a police thriller procedural drama made anyway in Scandinavia and, in three seasons, not see one gun.

Expand full comment
Sally Stevens's avatar

POST OFFICE is yes, so important! They're suffereing already - talked with postman here in LA - services have been reduced, hours changed, EV's canceled, old trucks falling apart...it's a BASIC service that everyone to some degree or another, depents upon. And i was told in Studio City that any packages now are shipped by Fedex, not USPS.

Expand full comment
Kane's avatar

I'd like to learn more about how media, when operating in the global, capitalist context, erodes democracy through misinformation, sensationalism and immediacy.

Expand full comment
hw's avatar

Media Matters has reported on these issues for more than a decade.

Expand full comment
Jack Kelm's avatar

I would read manufacturing consent by Chomsky

https://files.libcom.org/files/2022-04/manufacturing_consent.pdf

Expand full comment
Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

Agreed, an excellent work as usual (but not always) from NC.

Expand full comment
Schmendryck's avatar

I'd suggest that even a light reading across the span of available media sources would reveal that.

Expand full comment
Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

I’m assuming Kane is looking for a journalists view on how such erosion can be avoided & even reversed, if that’s possible.

I’m doubtful myself, as the capitalist element — through corporatized media — will inevitably serve the purposes of the powers that control capital.

Expand full comment
Schmendryck's avatar

I would only suggest, as the unrepentant cynic that I am, that that is inherent in "control,” weather in the context of pure capitalism or not, but the nature of that control is inherently different in a cooperative -control environment. Unfortunately so much of the thinking of this nation has been inculcated in a certain way of thinking about Cooperative control that even affects progressives. & to a lesser extent, but unfortunately not ENOUGH of a lesser extent, as we see right at this very moment, a lot of people just like being told what to do, at least in the context of social control. Especially if they feel like that is giving them what they want, which is also part of the same indoctrinal process that I'm talking about. And as a cynic, again, there's a piece of me that just says “good fuckin' luck!” but I don't want that for myself, or my family, or my friends, or frankly my nation. And Kane, and Judd, and so many others, are looking for an effective way. Right? But are we finding it??

Expand full comment
Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

And unrepentant cynicism isn’t a bad thing imo, especially if it’s actually unrelenting skepticism tarred as cynicism by the socially-controlled masses 🙏

Expand full comment
Digital Canary 💪💪🇨🇦🇺🇦🗽's avatar

Agreed., wholeheartedly: “cooperative control”, as I sincerely hope to see come to fruition in a renewed & reconciled indigenous/settler relationship across Canada *A mari ad mare ad mare* (one thing to thank Trump for, perhaps) is a different beast *entirely* from capitalist control.

This is the underlying purpose of our Constitution and Charter of Rights & Freedoms, as well as our national motto of “Peace, Order, and Good Government,” from which flow the conditions for achieving the US desire of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” for the entire population of our unique Nation of Nations.

And I believe this mindset is the *only* means to achieve a stable and sustainable pluralistic secular democratic society, not just in Canada but around the world.

Expand full comment
BMart's avatar

Your reporting consistently shows up in court cases, other news sources, etc. Keep telling the stories that others will pick up and also amplify. The real impacts of ICE kidnappings on, for example, our food supply, construction, and other impacts. Closures of hospitals and health practices, especially in red states. Health insurance premium increases, both private and marketplace, especially in red states. Shameless cheating as in, for example, the Musk company saying they’re a disadvantaged entity.

Maybe there’s a massive project telling a nationwide story on a topic that hits every home - told by the network of the truth-telling avengers like Popular Information, Perfect Union, Mother Jones, Pro-Publica.

Expand full comment
Kindler's avatar

There is so much we need to learn about ICE and its gulags. The recent Human Rights Watch report on 3 detention centers in Florida was bleak. But also, who are these thugs in masks who often don’t look or act like law enforcement officers - were they deputized militia members? Now that they have billions awarded from Republicans in Congress, how are they going to use it? The Trump crackdown on immigrants is taking America to horrible places but we cannot look away, we must instead drill down.

Expand full comment
Danielle's avatar

Investigate why there is a move to dismantle biomedical research. Where are the pharmaceutical companies on this? Also what is behind the substitution of superstition for science.

Expand full comment
J Lacy's avatar

Your topic selection has been excellent and the substantiation should be used to teach writing to students! Thank you!

I'd like to read more pieces about how the new policies are affecting our environment and

National Parks.

I'd like to learn about how the media has changed, since the election, with vocabulary as well as topic choice, and why it appears limited and homogenous. Who is being courageous in this regard?

Expand full comment