Heather is a midnight writer

A small note near the floor at the exit of the truck notes the collaboration of PragerU and Hillsdale College, and claims that “neither institution received any federal funds and both generously contributed their own resources to help create this educational exhibit.” It also said “this truck was made possible through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services,” which is, of course, a federal agency. Every AI-generated video ended with a title card showing the White House and PragerU’s logo. “The White House is grateful for the partnership with PragerU and the US Department of Education for the production of this museum,” the card said. “This partnership does not constitute or imply a US Government or US Department of Education endorsement of PragerU.”

an enduring part of this administration, I feel, is sullying anything it can't destroy

In less than 1 week, Trump has wasted more than $5 BILLION of your taxpayer dollars on his war of choice on Iran.

That money could have covered the cost of SNAP for more than 2 million Americans for a year.

There's always money for war and never money for human needs.

The opening scene of my 2004 article 'Blind Into Baghdad' is an interview with Feith, at the Pentagon, on why it didn't make sense to plan for "the day after" in Iraq.

20+ years later, applying same 'logic' to Iran

See also: fallows.substack.com/p/the-arroga...

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

So far the war on Iran has cost $9.4 billion.

That's $1 billion per day.

$41,666,667 per hour.

$11,574 per second.

Thousands of lives lost.

People don't want this. They want a living wage. They want healthcare. They want to be able to afford a home. They want their basic needs met.

You thought NFTs were bad?

Wake up, babe, new fresh horrors await.

"This probably sounds like nightmare fuel to many, but to wealthy VCs and AI and crypto entrepreneurs it’s the next gold rush." is the quote of our time

Fairshake spending millions in MAGA-affiliated money to attack Stratton for taking $40K from people who also contributed to MAGA candidates echoes their 2024 strategy of spending millions to attack Katie Porter for taking $5K from "big pharma, big oil, and big bank executives"

“Congress has not done its job on the legal safeguards,” Senator Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, told me. “There are a number of senators who’ve taken a look at this but there seems to be no will to move forward because No. 1, people don’t understand A.I., but because, No. 2, we’ve seen the entry of really big political money tied to A.I. Just like the crypto space, a lot of senators are scared to stick their neck out even though action is being demanded of us on this issue.”

These PACs have already spent heavily to influence the outcome of multiple Congressional races. Top races influenced by crypto industry money Candidate State Office Support Oppose Other supportⓘ Goal achieved?ⓘ Outcome Bernie Moreno (R) OH Senate $40,134,927 $71,400 Won the general election Elissa Slotkin (D) MI Senate $10,046,680 $3,300 Won the general election Katie Porter (D) CA Senate $10,044,813 Defeated in the non-partisan primary Ruben Gallego (D) AZ Senate $10,039,655 $16,500 Won the general election Dan Helmer (D) VA House District 10 $3,954,591 $6,600 Defeated in the Democratic primary

"We've seen the entry of really big political money tied to A.I. Just like the crypto space, a lot of senators are scared to stick their neck out..."

Fascinating comment on AI regulation from Elissa Slotkin of all people, who received $10M — the second-most support — from crypto PACs in 2024.

Always delighted to see journalists using @followthecrypto.org data in their reporting! If you're a journalist following campaign finance and run across crypto spending, I'm always happy to talk to you.

Trump’s Venezuela strategy has failed in Iran The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei has dashed the US president’s hope of picking Iran’s new leader

Trump’s decision to go to war in Iran was powerfully influenced by his military success in Venezuela in early January. A US president who came to office promising to end wars was clearly intoxicated by what he called a “stunning, effective and powerful display” of military might. He was also openly

"Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion are manifestly illegal, constituting both a violation of the UN Charter and the international crime of aggression."

Iran, War Powers, and the Power of the Purse With America’s war in Iran costing around $2 billion per day, Congress faces a choice: use leverage to force an exit, or continue to fund it.

With #Trump's unauthorized war in #Iran costing around $2 billion per day, Congress will soon face a choice, writes @bfinucane.bsky.social (@crisisgroup.org). Use its leverage to force an exit, or vote to legalize it by funding it?

www.justsecurity.org/133361/iran-...
#IranWar

There Have Been No Approvals for New Transit Projects in the First Year of the Current Trump Administration

For the 1st time in the 1st year of a presidential administration since at least 1993, under Trump 2, the Federal Transit Administration signed 0 new contracts for major transit projects, like subways or light rail.

The US is facing a crisis of rail transit investment: www.urban.org/urban-wire/r...

Just a reminder that Muslims have been on this continent since the first arrival of non-Indigenous people. They were among the first generation of Americans, and have been here ever since.

Meanwhile Texas is denying Muslim schools the ability to participate in the state’s new school voucher scheme.

In case anyone’s wondering how “education freedom” is going down there or what it’s really about

U.S. Military Refuses to Endorse Trump Claim That Iran Bombed Girls’ School “It would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation,” CENTCOM told The Intercept.

“This is another instance of Trump lying and just talking out of his ass,” said a U.S. government official who reviewed satellite images of the Shajarah Tayyebeh school. “This clearly was not a failed rocket from the IRGC base.”

theintercept.com/2026/03/09/i...

Governor Pritzker sits behind the podium.

Governor Pritzker poses for a photo.

For the first time, CSL's full manufacturing process will be entirely in the US — with Illinois set to supply 100% of its immunoglobulin therapies demand.

Their new manufacturing facility in Kankakee County will create 300 new jobs and retain more than 1,200 existing positions.

This is nonsense.

In 1976, studies showed that less than 40% of jobs in America paid enough to support a family of four on their own.

This is, quite simply, not remotely true. One generation ago? In 2002? What about two and three generations ago? Nope. Not remotely true. It doesn't advance discussions of political economy to make absurd claims like this.

⚡️Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten is demanding the world speed up the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

🔗 united24media.com/latest-news/...

Paul Krugman and Heather Cox Richardson launch Lunch Money starting this Wednesday at noon eastern. Streaming live to YouTube, Facebook and Substack.

Nobel Prize-winning economist @pkrugman.bsky.social and historian @hcrichardson.bsky.social are joining forces for Lunch Money, a new monthly conversation series launching this Wednesday at 12 PM ET.

Streaming live on YouTube, Facebook, and Substack.

Best Twitter riposte of the day.

2 Teen Mariachi Musicians Released From ICE Detention Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas led a delegation of Democrats to a South Texas detention center to press for the release of the brothers and their family.

Two teenage brothers and mariachi stars who visited the White House last summer were released with their family on Monday from an ICE detention center in South Texas. Rep. Joaquin Castro led a delegation of Democrats to the center to press for the release.

This disgusting shit doesn’t belong in American society.

And Republicans who support it don’t belong in Congress.

Here is one Democrat already saying the very easy and obvious thing to say in response to comments like Ogles'

bsky.app/profile/whip...

Ogles' comments are as brazenly Islamophobic as it gets.

And yet, if past is precedent, House Republican leadership will say or do absolutely nothing about this.

I asked Mike Johnson's office for comment. So far, nada.

This should end his career.

But it won’t—not in 2026.

Even so—call, complain, speak up, push back.

I wish that Anti-Muslim bigots didn’t belong here.

Exclusive | National Bureau of Economic Research Cuts Ties With Larry Summers The former Treasury secretary and Harvard president is no longer affiliated with America’s leading economics organization.

Exclusive: Lawrence Summers has lost his affiliation with America’s leading economics organization, the latest consequence for the former Treasury secretary stemming from his ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein. on.wsj.com/4bzwjAM

jfc

Rubio HUMILIATES Himself During Trump’s GLOBAL PR STUNT YouTube video by Katie Phang

Marco Rubio asked Trump for permission to speak Spanish at the Shield Summit of the Americas, while Pete Hegseth insulted Spanish-speakers by claiming he “only speaks American.” My take on how Rubio’s continued bootlicking demeans the office & our country’s global standing.

youtu.be/o6yk2YsKzKw?...