Ball of Thread

Marsha Blackburn and a bunch of other far right Republicans are whining that DOJ discovered they had ties to Donald Trump's criminal attempt to steal the 2020 election. Meanwhile, between ICE's kidnapping and hit-and-run and the Trump Administration's murder, torture, kidnapping, and bribery, we're seeing a crime wave from white nationalists. Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

"America's Hitler" is not just ripping down the public entrance of the White House, he must be building a big new bunker to replace the old one. Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

Stephen Miller is trying to use the ICE invasion of Chicago to create a pretext to invade with troops. So far, mobilization of the entire Chicago community has prevented that. Read the post: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/16/how-city-of-chicago-beat-back-stephen-millers-shoddy-propaganda-so-far/ Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

The shutdown debate over healthcare has ignored one significant healthcare cost: What taxpayers are paying for the damage Kristi Noem's goons have done to people rounded up in their raids. Read the post: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/05/400000-the-free-medical-care-kristi-noems-goons-made-taxpayers-pay/ Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

Stephen Miller is trying hard to criminalize the Democratic Party. But the biggest crime scene in DC is the White House. Find out more: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/10/06/the-crime-wave-is-coming-from-inside-the-white-house/ Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

The same journalists who normalized Trump's past politicized prosecutions are shocked that Trump did it again with Jim Comey. Read the post: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/09/26/mainstream-press-confesses-they-missed-the-other-politicized-prosecutions/ Watch: https://youtu.be/KBEgfIU8Oyg?si=j1tifL_zlEZqF9RY Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

Given the looming shutdown, it's time for all the lefty pundits who demanded a shutdown to actually do something to win it. Read more: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/09/22/time-to-win-the-shutdown/ Support the government: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

The 2016 attack by Russia on the 2016 election helped US abandon rational discourse, created deep polarization, and continues to harm the US Deep State. Get the whole story: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzj-nJwdjvbfutHZdsNfOEou7UXvHm_SH Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

While much of the left is pushing for a shutdown later this month, almost none are talking about how a shutdown ties to any articulable strategy to fight fascism. Indeed, the hope it will be an "attentional" event simply outsources the agency of fixing the Democrats' attentional problems generally. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/GH7kzWO2c1s?si=4QVJ4DX1Fvi2MU9H Read more: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/09/09/the-education-of-ezra-klein/ Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/

JB Pritzker and Gavin Newsom both gave press conferences showing that Trump's attempts to invade their states is about authoritarianism, not law enforcement. But Newsom's effort more successfully exposed Trump's authoritarian spectacle. Read more: https://www.emptywheel.net/2025/09/02/a-tale-of-two-governors-confronting-versus-dick-wagging/ Support emptywheel: https://www.emptywheel.net/about/support/