LetMyPeopleVote
LetMyPeopleVote's JournalMike Luckovich -Lame Duck/Quiet Piggy
— Mike Luckovich (@mluckovich.bsky.social) 2025-11-20T19:06:28.661Z
Deadline Legal Blog-Judge issues berserk dissent from ruling blocking Texas congressional maps
Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee, spent much of his 104-page dissent attacking Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee in the majority.
Judge issues berserk dissent from ruling blocking Texas congressional maps/ Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan appointee, spent much of his 104-page dissent attacking Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee in the majority. www.ms.now/deadline-whi...
— (@jwwcan.bsky.social) 2025-11-20T15:50:34.357Z
https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/judge-dissent-texas-ruling-congressional-map-redistricting-rcna244875
Perhaps that was a sign that what would follow would be unusual. In retrospect, it managed to undersell things......
But the judge kicks off the next 100 pages by proclaiming that the main winners from Judge Browns opinion are George Soros and Gavin Newsom, referring to the progressive philanthropist who has long been a bogeyman of the right and Californias Democratic governor, respectively. The obvious losers are the People of Texas and the Rule of Law, Smith wrote.
In his admittedly disjointed opinion, Soros name would appear more than a dozen times in ways that would look more familiar in dark corners of the internet or, at best, on right-wing television or podcasts than in the pages of a judicial opinion, such as the judges reference to an expert in the case as a paid Soros operative who expects to receive $2.5 million in his Soros piggybank.
Perhaps mindful that his words will be taken as he writes them, Smith drops a footnote to offer that he supposes someone will say that in making these comments about the Soros connections, Im expressing a political view, not the proper role of a federal judge. But to a reader who would rush to that judgment, Smith explains that its not political for me to point that out by describing the political dynamics that are inherent in the litigation of redistricting cases......
Once the smoke clears from the recriminations and the bluster and whatever else one might say about the style of Smiths dissent, the legal disagreement might be boiled down to the following. The gist of Browns majority opinion is that the Texas map in question didnt merely seek partisan advantage (which the Supreme Court has basically said is fine) but more likely represents an unlawful racial gerrymander. As Smith sees it: This is about partisan politics, plain and simple.
Anthony Fauci, Rachel Maddow and James Carville seen sitting together at Dick Cheney's funeral in DC.
https://x.com/PollTracker2024/status/1991539447633178744The Borowitz Report-Trump Boasts That His Funeral Will Have Much Bigger Turnout Than Cheney's
Trump Boasts That His Funeral Will Have Much Bigger Turnout Than Cheneyâs
— (@ernie3.bsky.social) 2025-11-20T16:23:43.291Z
open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...
https://www.borowitzreport.com/p/trump-boasts-that-his-funeral-will
Dick Cheney, who was a loser and a terrible person, will be lucky to get a thousand people at his funeral, Trump posted on Truth Social. My funeral will draw MILLIONS!
Remarking that nobody cares about Cheneys funeral, Trump said he expects the turnout at his funeral to set records, noting, Every day, people say to me, Sir, I cant wait for that day to come.
MaddowBlog-White House targets Democratic veterans who told troops to refuse illegal orders
In theory, the Democratic video shouldnt have been especially controversial. In practice, Team Trumps pushback has been over the top.
Dem veterans reminded servicemembers to refuse illegal orders.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-11-20T16:04:49.330Z
Trump responded by accusing them of âsedition,â labeling them âtraitorsâ and suggesting that theyâre subject to arrest â all before raising the possibility *of capital punishment*. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-targets-democratic-veterans-told-troops-refuse-illegal-ord-rcna244954
The stark message, posted on Tuesday, was organized by Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, a former C.I.A. analyst who served multiple tours in Iraq. Our laws are clear, said Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a Navy veteran and former astronaut. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders, added Representative Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, who also served in the Navy.
...In theory, the video shouldnt have been especially controversial. After all, the Democratic veterans are correct: Service members arent supposed to follow illegal orders.
In practice, the partisan pushback has been ferocious.....
On Thursday morning, the president published an item to his social media platform responding to the message from the Democratic veterans, saying, This is really bad, and Dangerous to our Country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???
This dovetailed with a similar message, also posted on Thursday morning, which read, Its called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand We wont have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.
Soon after, the Republican added, SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!
Trump similarly amplified an online message written by someone else, who wrote, HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!.....
In the recent past, many leading GOP voices warned that rhetoric like this was corrosive to society and heightened the risk of political violence. Evidently, the incumbent president, outraged by calls in support of the rule of law, doesnt care.
The Borowitz Report-Lindsey Halligan Reveals Her Dream is to Someday Go to Law School

https://www.borowitzreport.com/p/lindsey-halligan-reveals-her-dream
Some people grow up dreaming of being a doctor or a teacher or a firefighter, she told reporters. Ever since I was a little kid Ive always dreamed of being a lawyer.
Imagining what life would be like if she went to law school, Halligan said, I wouldnt make so many mistakes in court and judges wouldnt always be yelling at me.
Halligan indicated she had her fingers crossed that she would get into law school someday, but added, I hope screwing up the Comey case wont hurt my chances.
MaddowBlog-Trump's 'piggy' comment extends his lengthy record of routine misogyny
When it comes to mistreating women, the president is who he appears to be.
Trumpâs âpiggyâ comment extends his lengthy record of routine misogyny
— (@enuffsaysv.bsky.social) 2025-11-20T02:18:32.830Z
When it comes to mistreating women, the president is who he appears to be.
Read in MS NOW: apple.news/AD0z5-YmbQke...
ðthis is who he is and has always been, a pig
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-piggy-comment-extends-lengthy-record-routine-misogyny-rcna244852
During a press gaggle on Air Force One on Friday, the reporter asked the president about one of the emails Epstein wrote about him that Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released last week. When she tried to follow up with a question about potentially incriminating details in the Epstein files, Trump pointed and said, Quiet. Quiet, Piggy.
The White House made no effort to deny the accuracy of the quote, which was captured on video, telling MS NOW in a statement that the presidents target deserved the rebuke after engaging in inappropriate and unprofessional conduct......
Complicating matters, however, is the familiarity of the circumstances. Meidas News Ron Filipkowski put together a video montage that highlights examples of Trump insulting, berating, demeaning and attacking female reporters just over the past few months.
Montage of 19 clips of Trump insulting, berating, demeaning and attacking female reporters over the past few months. Part 1.
— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2025-11-19T13:13:48.210Z
There were so many examples that Filipkowski soon after released a sequel.
Part 2
— Ron Filipkowski (@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social) 2025-11-19T13:15:47.452Z
Trump is, in other words, exactly who he appears to be. Hes the man in the E. Jean Carroll case. Hes the one on the Access Hollywood recording. Hes the Republican who suggested some of the women whove accused him of sexual misconduct werent attractive enough to attack. Hes the politician who vowed to protect women from the White House whether the women like it or not.
Hes also the one who didnt hesitate to shut down a reporter asking a reasonable question by calling her piggy.
Maddowblog-Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter arrested on child molestation charges, adding to pattern
Donald Trump has tried to downplay the number of accused Jan. 6 criminals whove ended up in legal trouble again, but the list is long and growing.
The list of Jan. 6 criminals who ended up getting arrested again after receiving Trump pardons is long and growing.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-11-19T16:44:26.468Z
The Andrew Johnson case out of Florida, however, is especially galling. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/pardoned-jan-6-rioter-arrested-child-molestation-charges-adding-patter-rcna244802
If he were right, and just one of the Jan. 6 criminals he pardoned had ended up in legal trouble again, Trumps reaction might have been defensible. But the growing list has many more than one name on it. NBC News reported:
A man pardoned by President Donald Trump for storming the Capitol was arrested on child molestation charges, according to Florida officials, who said he tried to use an anticipated Jan. 6 payout to silence the victim. Andrew Paul Johnson, 44, was arrested in Tennessee in August and extradited to Florida on charges of lewd/lascivious molestation, lewd/lascivious exhibition and transmission of material harmful to a minor.
....A recent New York Times report noted a variety of other examples, including Brent Holdridge, a pardoned Jan. 6 criminal who was arrested again in May in connection with a string of alleged thefts of industrial copper, and Matthew W. Huttle, who was fatally shot by a sheriffs deputy in January after he resisted arrest during a traffic stop, shortly after receiving a presidential pardon.
Whats more, this growing list doesnt include John Banuelos, a Jan. 6 rioter who was arrested last month on kidnapping and sexual assault charges. Banuelos wasnt pardoned, but he saw his Jan. 6 criminal case dropped by Trumps Justice Department the day after the Republicans second inauguration.
The president has also begun repardoning some Jan. 6 rioters, shielding them from accountability for other crimes, unrelated to their insurrectionist assault on the U.S. Capitol; but in most of the aforementioned cases, the accused are facing state and local charges, not federal charges.
In other words, if theyre waiting for another presidential rescue, theyre going to be disappointed.
MaddowBlog-The failure of Trump's case against CNN offers lessons for other media outlets
The demise of the presidents case is a demonstration of the benefits of fighting back and of the folly of appeasement.
The failure of Trumpâs case against CNN offers lessons for other media outlets
— Redeem the soul America (@rneagle.bsky.social) 2025-11-19T22:50:46.208Z
The demise of the presidentâs case is a demonstration of the benefits of fighting back â and of the folly of appeasement.
apple.news/AkNg-guVwTpe...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/failure-trumps-case-cnn-offers-lessons-media-outlets-rcna244847
A lower court agreed and rejected the case in 2023. As my MS NOW colleague Jordan Rubin reported, an appellate court came to the same conclusion this week.
President Donald Trump lost his bid to revive his defamation lawsuit against CNN for the networks use of the phrase Big Lie, regarding his claims about the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden. The unanimous ruling came from a three-judge appellate panel on Tuesday, with two of the judges being Trump appointees.
......In the weeks and months that followed, Trump has repeatedly pointed to these controversial settlement agreements as evidence of his targets guilt, even as those networks denied any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, news organizations that stood up for themselves and pushed back against the ridiculous attempts at intimidation have prevailed.
Let this be a lesson to the larger political world: The only way to lose in a fight against Trump is to pursue a course rooted in appeasement. Its true when it comes to law firms; its true when it comes to higher education; and its true in his court fights against news organizations.
Deadline Legal Blog-How the Trump administration can keep some Epstein files secret under the new bill
The Justice Department could cling to exceptions for withholding or redacting information related to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
How the Trump administration can keep some Epstein files secret under the new bill - MS NOW
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2025-11-19T19:41:25.783Z
apple.news/AfSITt9A9S2u...
https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/trump-epstein-files-release-bill-pam-bondi-exceptions-rcna244810
In fact, the administration has much to work with in the bills exceptions to the rule requiring disclosure.
Even as Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested at a press conference on Wednesday that the government had new information, additional information and promised to investigate any leads and provide maximum transparency under the law, the bill says that the attorney general may withhold or redact records across several categories listed in the bill. That includes material that would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, which is notable in light of Trumps recent command to investigate Democrats tied to Epstein. The bill says that any withholding of information on grounds of active investigations or ongoing cases must be narrowly tailored and temporary, but the bill seems to leave that determination to the attorney general herself. A broad investigation by the Justice Department could have far-reaching implications for keeping records secret.
Another potential exception to what can be released is information related to national defense or foreign policy. The bill says that such information would need to be classified pursuant to executive order.
The bill also says that records cant be withheld or redacted for reasons of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary. But that section could conflict with exceptions for disclosure, depending on what exactly is in the files.,,,,,,
The bill says all redactions must be accompanied by a written justification published in the Federal Register and submitted to Congress. And it adds that all decisions to classify any covered information after July 1, 2025 shall be published in the Federal Register and submitted to Congress, including the date of classification, the identity of the classifying authority, and an unclassified summary of the justification.
So if Trump signs the bill, we will be looking at what information is released within a month. But well also want to keep a close eye on the explanations the administration gives for what it has deemed fit to keep secret.
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