Albanians have been gathering in the streets of Tirana ever day for over three weeks. The so-called 'flamingo revolution' started in reaction to the construction of luxury resorts linked to the Trump family in the south of the country on an island where the protected birds nest. FRANCE 24 went on the ground and spoke to some of them.
#Albania #Trump #Kushner #protests

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMz7zIsYSbo

"The #GOP-led House Committee on #Education and the #Workforce is also investigating the #union over #antisemitism, citing several of the same instances later outlined in the #BrandeisCenter complaint.

The #EEOC’s #NEA case is part of an expansion of the #Trump administration’s antisemitism investigations beyond college and K-12 campuses. Last week the U.S. Health and Human Services Department opened its own probe into the #American #Psychological Association, also based on a Brandeis Center complaint.

In addition to alleged harassment of #Jewish members at the convention, Miller said the center’s NEA complaint also involved diversity-based hiring practices at the union[...]"

In a former life I was something of a (small e) expert in labor movement strategy and giving the Trump admin ammunition to witch hunt you is just bad decision-making. This was completely foreseeable and totally avoidable.

https://www.jta.org/2026/06/23/united-states/feds-open-antisemitism-investigation-into-national-education-association

“Hello?” a voice said on the other end of the line. This time, the president had picked up.

“I’m writing a story about a big supporter of yours in the oil industry, Jeff Hildebrand,” I said. “Can I ask what you think about him?”
https://www.propublica.org/article/propublica-called-trump-hildebrand?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mastodon-post

#News #Oil #Gas #Trump #Journalism #Media #Journalists

The US used to require that corporations disclose the true identities of their beneficial owners (reducing the corrupt influence of shell companies) and kept a database of the info. Now the Trump admin is refusing to enforce the rule and deleting the data.

"Republicans Are Dismantling a Key Tool in the War Against Kleptocrats."
https://newrepublic.com/article/211855/republicans-making-world-safe-kleptocrats

PS: Because the database was never #OpenAccess -- basically, just for law enforcement officials -- it's probably beyond the reach of data rescue projects.

#Data #DefendResearch #Takedowns #Trump #TrumpVResearch #USPol #USPolitics

A federal judge has blocked an attempt by the #Trump admin to subpoena #Minnesota Gov #TimWalz & other #state officials, calling it an effort to “harass & retaliate against them.”

In a ruling unsealed Monday, US District Judge Patrick Schlitz found the “dominant purpose” of the subpoenas was to “coerce Minnesota officials into assisting the federal government with enforcing civil #immigration #law & to harass & retaliate against them for failing to do so.”

#MafiaState
https://apnews.com/article/immigration-enforcement-minnesota-subpoenas-e5047e842da6181cbd5f071ab4bb1d7b

@stux

I wish this were a #metaphor for the second #Trump term.

Alas it's narcissistic failures all the way down. No metaphor need.

The era of his self-aggrandizement is coming to an end!

#Vote Peacefully #Protest #Resist!

Donald Trump in World Cup 'crisis mode' as Epstein chants put attendance in doubt

https://www.aol.com/articles/donald-trump-world-cup-crisis-092305000.html

#Trump #Trumpstein #Epstein #WorldCup #FIFA #MAGA #Republicans

#ABC viewers across the country are getting a message from the network—If you like your #local stations, or #TheView, help us get the #government off our backs.

ABC on Monday launched an on-air campaign asking viewers to send comments to the #FCC’s website pushing back on the agency & its chairman, #BrendanCarr.


#law #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #FreePress #FourthEstate #Trump #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship #fascism #censorship #propaganda #trumpaganda

Since February, the #FCC has been investigating whether ABC’s #TheView violated the commission’s equal-time rule, which guarantees equal airtime to all candidates running for the same public office. #ABC has maintained that “The View” qualifies as what the commission calls a “bona fide” news program & is exempt from the rule, accusing the FCC of violating the #FirstAmendment in a legal filing.

#law #FreeSpeech #FreePress #FourthEstate #Trump #authoritarianism #dictatorship #fascism #censorship

In April, the #FCC also ordered an early review of ABC’s 8 #local stations over its diversity, equity & inclusion [ #DEI ] practices. The review was announced just days after #Trump & #Melania Trump intensely criticized ABC late-night host #JimmyKimmel, though the FCC maintained that the timing was *purely coincidental* 😉.

#law #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #FreePress #FourthEstate #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship #fascism #censorship #propaganda #trumpaganda

Nice

A new #ABC campaign urges viewers to push back against #FCC pressure

The #federal regulator is “investigating” the #Disney-owned television company on two fronts, with “#TheView” & ABC’s #local stations targeted [Ostensibly for airing #JimmyKimmel].

#law #FirstAmendment #FreeSpeech #FreePress #FourthEstate #Trump #authoritarianism #autocracy #dictatorship #fascism #censorship #propaganda #trumpaganda
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/06/22/new-abc-campaign-urges-viewers-push-back-against-fcc-pressure/

In blow to #Trump, federal judge blocks DHS from using citizenship database to purge voters https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-blow-to-trump-federal-judge-blocks-dhs-from-using-citizenship-database-to-purge-voters/

Look! Sealant Team 6 is guarding the Strait of Warm-Ooze. 🤣🤣

#Trump #ReflectingPool #Algae #USpol #USpolitics

Alt...

Photo of 6 National Guards at the edge of the reflecting pool with the Washington Monument in the distance.

#Trump admin plans to withhold homeland #security #funding to force #states into #election changes

The Trump admin is threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars in federal homeland security funds from states unless they adopt a sweeping set of election changes, according to multiple sources & internal documents obtained by CNN.

#law #US #Constitution #VotingRights #TrumpCoup #midterms #BigLie #MafiaState #WhiteSupremacy
https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/22/politics/homeland-security-grants-election-changes?cid=ios_app

#trump #iran #obama

Alt...

People are saying...

#Trump #TrumpIsACriminal #VotingRights #USPoliitcs

Alt...

Don Winslow posted the following: You cannot hack a mail in ballot. You can't keep a mail in ballot in line all day. You can't tell a mail in ballot the machines aren't working. This is why Trump is so DESPERATE to stop mail in voting.

I've been doing some light research on #Trump's #AlgaeGate arrests, failing $14+ million war of the #ReflectingPool renovation & the fascinating nanobubble tech deployed for the 1st time at a National Monument. I think I found the suspect responsible for all the vandalism: #DonaldTrump! How did he do it? By blowing hot air.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-reflecting-pool-paint-algae-6b7b499ada2701a34bc6bc380013ad04

This one is freaking weird so #GiftArticle

#TulsiGabbard policies & politics dictated to her by #CultLeader — for real

#cult #ChrisButler #SIF #Trump #cabinet #USpol
https://wapo.st/4viLSnW

“We’ve had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool,” #Trump posted on his social media site. “Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.” He offered no details to substantiate his claim.

Agencies responsible for law enforcement & upkeep on the #NationalMall — the #US #ParkPolice, #NationalParkService & #Interior Dept—did not comment.

#TaxpayersMoney

#Trump said Saturday night that he was likely to drain the Lincoln Memorial’s #ReflectingPool again, as workers contend with paint peeling off its surface & algae blooming in the wake of his $14 million renovation.
Trump made his announcement, after what he said was a meeting with contractors…at Camp David….It comes 16 days after the govt began refilling the pool after the renovation that Trump said would result in clean water & “could last for 100 years.”
#TaxpayersMoney
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/20/trump-likely-drain-reflecting-pool-again-following-peeling-paint-algae/

Since pieces of peeling paint started floating to the water’s surface earlier this week, the #Interior Dept has not responded to questions about the paint & why the #ReflectingPool surface is separating.

…#Trump blamed the damage on “disgraceful Vandalism,” an accusation he also made earlier this week. “Many additional people” were arrested, he said.

The Park Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the number of arrests.

#kakistocracy #TaxpayersMoney #GovernmentWaste

#Trump claimed vandals “took some form of knife or blade, & put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade.” He also claimed they poured corrosive & destructive chemicals into the #ReflectingPool. WaPo could not verify any of his allegations.

Pool experts’ explanations for the damage diverged from Trump’s. Steve Goodale, a swimming-pool expert who viewed footage of the peeled sheet of paint, said he believes the pool’s surface may have been improperly prepared for treatment.

#kakistocracy

FCC proposal would require telecoms to collect government ID, name, and address for all mobile customers under “Know-Your-Customer” rules. 📵
Privacy advocates warn it could effectively end anonymous “burner phones,” increasing risks for journalists, survivors, and marginalized users. 🔐

🔗 https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/if-the-fcc-bans-burner-phones-it-could-be-a-privacy-nightmare/

#TechNews #FCC #Privacy #Surveillance #Telecom #DigitalRights #CyberSecurity #DataPrivacy #CivilLiberties #Encryption #Policy #MobileSecurity #Mobile #USA #US #Trump

FISA Section 702 expires tonight, but US surveillance authorities continue under existing FISC certifications until 2027. 🛰️
Certifications under the FISA Court remain active until March 2027, enabling continued collection that includes incidental US communications. 🔐

🔗 https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/controversial-fisa-spying-law-expires-tonight-the-spying-will-continue/

#TechNews #FISA #Section702 #Surveillance #Privacy #Security #CivilLiberties #CyberSecurity #Government #Surveillance #Encryption #DataPrivacy #US #USA #Trump

”The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has become a metaphor for the Trump presidency. …Tim Walz commented: “Found an imaginary problem, said only they could fix it, didn’t listen to experts, hired buddies who grifted millions, failed miserably, bragged how great it went. The entire Trump presidency in a nutshell.” … The pattern Walz identified with regard to the pool applies also to Trump’s debacle in Iran.”
—Heather Cox Richardson, June 20, 2026
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-20-2026
#trump #usa #iran

ICYMI

These dumb 🤬

A major localized #flu #outbreak is currently affecting hundreds of new #MilitaryRecruits at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas. The outbreak began after “Defense” Secretary Pete #Hegseth made flu #vaccines optional in April, causing #vaccination rates to plummet to around 40%.

#AntiVax #ConspiracyTheories #Trump #RFKJr #ItsAboutCovidOnTrumpsWatch #vanity #science #medicine #vaccines #law #military #USpol #VaccinesWork #idiocracy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/us/flu-outbreak-air-force-base.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

At least 222 basic training recruits have contracted the #flu, with some requiring #hospitalization. The #outbreak has been ongoing for roughly 3 weeks.

Recruit Deaths—The #USAF is conducting a comprehensive medical review into the “sudden passing” of 25-yo-trainee Keon McDaniel, who suffered a medical emergency on June 12 & died on June 16.

#AntiVax #ConspiracyTheories #Trump #RFKJr #ItsAboutCovidOnTrumpsWatch #vanity #science #medicine #vaccines #law #military #USpol #VaccinesWork #idiocracy

"For US taxpayers & consumers,🚨the cost of the war is at least $132B, acc to Moody's Analytics. That factors in🚨#military spending , rising energy & commodity prices & interest rates."

And: lives & livelihoods, US assets, Iranians' freedom, whatever is left of America's standing in the world, many #alliances...: gone.

#Deaths #NationalSecurity #DOD #TrumpRegime #Trump #Hegseth #MarcoRubio #Vance #IranWar #Betrayal #Corruption #IllegalWar #Inflation #Debt #Economy #USPol
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/us/politics/iran-war-costs-deaths.html?unlocked_article_code=1.rVA.aTuv.O6muo-yaBP52&smid=nytcore-android-share

It would be funny if it weren’t such a colossal waste of #TaxpayersMoney

Blue paint is already peeling off the Lincoln Memorial's #ReflectingPool after Trump's $14 million renovation

An “American Flag Blue” paint sheet was seen floating on Thursday as workers tried to clean the worst algae buildup in at least 5 years from the pool.

#Trump #kakistocracy #GovernmentWaste #law #landmark #NationalMonument #conservation #planning #architecture
https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/06/19/blue-paint-is-peeling-off-reflecting-pool/

Seriously? Such a dick.

#Trump tries to blame #ReflectingPool woes on “vandalism”, without offering substantiation as usual.

The paint is peeling from Washington’s Reflecting Pool after the renovation ordered by Trump, & he is now alleging that someone damaged it intentionally.

#kakistocracy #TaxpayersMoney #GovernmentWaste #law #landmark #NationalMonument #conservation #planning #architecture
https://apnews.com/article/trump-reflecting-pool-paint-algae-6b7b499ada2701a34bc6bc380013ad04

Donald J. #Trump - Fart Of The Deal™️ soon in your local firepit! 🔥

TRUMP'S WAR OF WORDS...

Italy PM Meloni says these 'constant, unprovoked attacks' from Trump are 'senseless'
#AureFreePress #News #press #Trump #Italy

No wall. No Swamp Drain. No America First. No $5,000 DOGE check. No lower groceries. No $2 Gas. No $2,000 stimulus check. No Epstein Files accountability. #politics #Trump #news

28,000 people have signed a petition to rename the Chicago road on which Trump Tower sits, changing its name from Wabash Avenue to Barack Hussein Obama Avenue. Here's more from @USAToday.

https://flip.it/K.PfAZ

#Trump #Obama #Chicago

~14 000 000 dollars

14 million dollars wasted on "renovating" a pool that wasn't needed and it's worse then where it started

Like with most things in this current administration, they only thing they can do is destruction

I know 14 mil is just a droplet in the bucket at this point but take a second to imagine how much good you can do with that much money

Another day, another #Trump ugh

Submit an official comment now and demand that #USPS reject #Trump’s unlawful attack on #vote by #mail. https://click.actionnetwork.org/ss/c/u001.qUXRBnqZ7T8nxbpAcIVwoUsWLkUMWlo_0JmZttSlm3_5hbu1DV_K1a9EsXVVRCLGfT7BBdXs7hg0j1L-Cz4fX_a5LpNCwRpjClDsIgAzShrA5tUX-hwcssIK_-Te4Ftl1xXIz4AXNiABViFhvSRLFgpS_jIQPnvsysWWwr2hRQ_dzli4XzcNxFuDKCn1Va27Lw1HBcGiM9INjotXMkqwO8pfWsq5K8WphWbAJYx7sFCPOSjbjcab2echFRj4dFAiZaSBg5r5GhnX4ToHa6BXBjuiau9B0DVrxlnMewIpfxh2hzrUnsc8VHOxrDMOUQxasUTfJbmoYGLYmrVnQq69H9p2_wRLl0ioAhtOLkNCM4sdIOiqTHt1H0T3U54V6H-eMNGmsoKOFTkZ03KehewyT7_CsQHulvWIFEFM0iVyE9KV5RAhVvrKWNz4BjBZwCNnEDBc2pcYLBKzY8FLHZv9d09lJ24BZpBwBdcv3YtG7HD7jP0P9boS5cgYxAlS_M65EeM3TXoaiYObq1U0RbupOpxMPIH2Js217xZvKPI1L2pNkoJ3nuScPo0hAeUrVnRe/4rm/P2J-YaSwQ1GEx7paTjjDDA/h0/h001.Hi125oKR3luX4SmZWKfL5wz1mIFslzrb5GsB3PbHiqE

Because this is what freedom means.

"Trump Administration Tells Federal Employees to Wear 'Freedom' Pins—Or Else."
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/06/trump-freedom-250-pins-national-park-service/

#Trump #USPol #USPolitics

#US - #Iran deal redraws the #MiddleEast∶

Iran gains, rivals alarmed

Across the Middle East — from #Israel to #GulfStates & factions in #Lebanon — it looks more like the curse of the century: an accord that could leave Iran more secure, more ‌legitimate & ultimately more influential.

#geopolitics #NewWorldOrder #TrumpsWar #IranWar #NationalSecurity #economy #Trump #idiocracy #kakistocracy
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-iran-deal-redraws-middle-east-iran-gains-rivals-alarmed-2026-06-18/?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=notifications&utm_campaign=2025_engagement

"Trump Administration to Dismantle Ocean Monitoring System."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/ocean-observatories-initiative.html

"The Trump administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that was put in place a decade ago to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that affect the global #climate. The #NSF said it would send ships in June to begin removing more than 900 deep-sea instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, North Carolina, and an area between Greenland and Iceland known as the Irminger Sea."

PS: See my Mastodon thread on the Trump admin decision to destroy a perfectly good satellite gathering climate data.
https://fediscience.org/@petersuber/114977053147871488

#DefendResearch #DontLookUp #Trump #TrumpVResearch #USPol #USPolitics

Update. "US lawmakers fight Trump cuts to $386m ocean monitoring program: ‘supreme stupidity’."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/16/ocean-monitoring-cuts-trump

#Climate #DefendResearch #Trump #TrumpVResearch #USPol #USPolitics