Backyard Politics
@backyardpolitics.bsky.social
It's all about tending to our gardens and our politics.
Friday News Dump - GenX loves NJ MAGA, US media is OK with Israel targeting journalists, immigrants get Alligator Alcatraz while employers get nothing, and Dobson is dead.
Friday News Dump - 8/22/25
Gen X Loves MAGA, Media OK with Israel Targeting Journalists, Dobson Dead
open.substack.com
August 22, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Friday News Dump - GenX loves NJ MAGA, US media is OK with Israel targeting journalists, immigrants get Alligator Alcatraz while employers get nothing, and Dobson is dead.
Why aren't Democrats blaming Trump and RFKj and Joe Rogan for the CDC shooting? The right wing anti-vaxx rhetoric is DIRECTLY responsible for the death of a police officer, and there are almost no Dems calling it out. More lost aspects of the news in this week's Friday News Dump.
Friday News Dump - 8/15/25
No one calling out anti-vaxx rhetoric for CDC shooting, Trump admin erases global pedos from State Dept reports, Trump already blaming courts for bad economy, and more lost stories from the past week.
open.substack.com
August 15, 2025 at 10:34 AM
Why aren't Democrats blaming Trump and RFKj and Joe Rogan for the CDC shooting? The right wing anti-vaxx rhetoric is DIRECTLY responsible for the death of a police officer, and there are almost no Dems calling it out. More lost aspects of the news in this week's Friday News Dump.
Trump returns a Confederate traitor to DC, denies DACA health insurance, Ignores all crime (unless it happens to MAGA or is by an immigrant), and then invades DC.
Get all the news that disappeared this week in the Friday News Dump. open.substack.com/pub/joinordi...
Get all the news that disappeared this week in the Friday News Dump. open.substack.com/pub/joinordi...
Friday News Dump - August 8, 2025
The second of a weekly series resurrecting story details that didn’t get enough attention. It’s almost as if they were part of a Friday News Dump.
open.substack.com
August 8, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Trump returns a Confederate traitor to DC, denies DACA health insurance, Ignores all crime (unless it happens to MAGA or is by an immigrant), and then invades DC.
Get all the news that disappeared this week in the Friday News Dump. open.substack.com/pub/joinordi...
Get all the news that disappeared this week in the Friday News Dump. open.substack.com/pub/joinordi...
Expect Trump and the Republicans to call for an end to boating like they did for wind.
www.nj.com/ocean/2025/0...
www.nj.com/ocean/2025/0...
Minke whale dies after collision with boat caught on video in Jersey Shore bay
The whale could be seen nearly capsizing a small vessel, sending one person overboard in the Barnegat Bay.
www.nj.com
August 3, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Expect Trump and the Republicans to call for an end to boating like they did for wind.
www.nj.com/ocean/2025/0...
www.nj.com/ocean/2025/0...
In very Blue NJ, in very Blue Somerset County, a municipal judge said "there's a new sheriff in town" just 8 days after Trump took office and threatened children with ICE deporting their mothers. "You are going to end your mother’s life."
That's MAGA in positions of power feeling free to be evil.
That's MAGA in positions of power feeling free to be evil.
NJ panel says judge threatened to sic ICE on truant children and their mothers • New Jersey Monitor
The judge, who was suspended in February, told one girl "there's a new sheriff in town" soon after President Trump's inauguration.
newjerseymonitor.com
July 31, 2025 at 10:45 AM
In very Blue NJ, in very Blue Somerset County, a municipal judge said "there's a new sheriff in town" just 8 days after Trump took office and threatened children with ICE deporting their mothers. "You are going to end your mother’s life."
That's MAGA in positions of power feeling free to be evil.
That's MAGA in positions of power feeling free to be evil.
Under Donald Trump ISIL is making a comeback.
Is ISIL a growing threat in the DR Congo and East Africa?
Experts warn that ISIL-affiliated ADF fighters may be stepping up attacks to stay relevant, amid regional peace efforts.
www.aljazeera.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Under Donald Trump ISIL is making a comeback.
Despite GOP votes against Bove and many Republicans and independents outside of the Senate saying he is not qualified, not one article characterizes the opposition as "bipartisan". Just Democratic.
C'mon, media. Do your job.
C'mon, media. Do your job.
Senate confirms Emil Bove to Third Circuit, as Dems fail to thwart Trump pick
Two Republicans voted against Bove, but it wasn't enough to tank his nomination.
www.politico.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Despite GOP votes against Bove and many Republicans and independents outside of the Senate saying he is not qualified, not one article characterizes the opposition as "bipartisan". Just Democratic.
C'mon, media. Do your job.
C'mon, media. Do your job.
Gotta wonder how "pulpit" is defined. There are asshat right wing Christian Nationalist "preachers" with TV shows that reach millions. Is that a pulpit?
How Conservative Christians Cracked a 70-Year-Old Law
www.nytimes.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Gotta wonder how "pulpit" is defined. There are asshat right wing Christian Nationalist "preachers" with TV shows that reach millions. Is that a pulpit?
I am SHOCKED that the farm subsidy increases will go to giant corporate farms and not to support family farms of the heartland. Also, there's gambling in this establishment?
Trump’s Tax Bill Expands Farm Subsidies. Not All Farmers Will Benefit.
www.nytimes.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:37 AM
I am SHOCKED that the farm subsidy increases will go to giant corporate farms and not to support family farms of the heartland. Also, there's gambling in this establishment?
Grand? @npr.org, I don't think that's the adjective you were looking for.
BTW, not only "hasn't materialized" but "never existed", and "allegations are racist and partisan propaganda".
BTW, not only "hasn't materialized" but "never existed", and "allegations are racist and partisan propaganda".
Despite grand claims, a new report shows noncitizen voting hasn't materialized
New research confirms what election experts have said all along: Noncitizen voting occasionally happens but in minuscule numbers, and not in any coordinated way.
www.npr.org
July 30, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Grand? @npr.org, I don't think that's the adjective you were looking for.
BTW, not only "hasn't materialized" but "never existed", and "allegations are racist and partisan propaganda".
BTW, not only "hasn't materialized" but "never existed", and "allegations are racist and partisan propaganda".
Trump says he stopped being friends with Epstein because Epstein was poaching spa workers from Mara Lago. Asked if they were "young girls" Trump said they were.
Which means Trump hired these "young girls" to work his spa before Epstein stole them away. That's not the defense Trump thinks it is.
Which means Trump hired these "young girls" to work his spa before Epstein stole them away. That's not the defense Trump thinks it is.
Trump says his falling out with Jeffrey Epstein was over spa workers at Mar-a-Lago
Trump has said he kicked Epstein out of his club for hiring workers away from Mar-a-Lago. When asked Tuesday if the workers included young women, Trump responded, "the answer is yes, they were."
www.npr.org
July 30, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Trump says he stopped being friends with Epstein because Epstein was poaching spa workers from Mara Lago. Asked if they were "young girls" Trump said they were.
Which means Trump hired these "young girls" to work his spa before Epstein stole them away. That's not the defense Trump thinks it is.
Which means Trump hired these "young girls" to work his spa before Epstein stole them away. That's not the defense Trump thinks it is.
More evidence Trump is not going after the worst of the worst, but for volume. He's the Walmart of immigration enforcement.
Share of violent crime convictions in ICE arrests drops under Trump • New Jersey Monitor
40% of ICE arrests from Jan. 20 through late June were of convicted criminals, down from the same period under the Biden administration.
newjerseymonitor.com
July 28, 2025 at 10:42 AM
More evidence Trump is not going after the worst of the worst, but for volume. He's the Walmart of immigration enforcement.
So MAGA is going to rely on a convicted sex trafficker to tell the truth about the President who is an adjudicated sexual criminal.
Right-Wing Influencers Say Ghislaine Maxwell Is Key to Unlocking Epstein Case
www.nytimes.com
July 27, 2025 at 2:41 PM
So MAGA is going to rely on a convicted sex trafficker to tell the truth about the President who is an adjudicated sexual criminal.
Why aren't the @democrats.org, @democrats.senate.gov, @housedemocrats.bsky.social, progressive Dems, conservative Dems, moderate Dems, blue dog Dems, yellow dog Dems, LGBTQ+ Dems. @demgovs.org, and everyone else to the left of Putin screaming INDEPENDENT COUNSEL!
What the Timeline Reveals About Trump and the Epstein Files
The administration’s rhetoric has shifted in notable ways.
www.politico.com
July 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Why aren't the @democrats.org, @democrats.senate.gov, @housedemocrats.bsky.social, progressive Dems, conservative Dems, moderate Dems, blue dog Dems, yellow dog Dems, LGBTQ+ Dems. @demgovs.org, and everyone else to the left of Putin screaming INDEPENDENT COUNSEL!
The US pulled out of talks with Israel and Hamas yesterday. Not on the front page of the @nytimes.com site. Not on the @washingtonpost.com web front page. Or the @wsj.com. Or @npr.org .
But Epstein is on all of them. C'mon, media! Do your job!
But Epstein is on all of them. C'mon, media! Do your job!
Trump on Hamas: ‘They want to die’
“They really didn’t want to make a deal,” the president said a day after the U.S. pulled out of ceasefire talks.
www.politico.com
July 25, 2025 at 4:55 PM
The US pulled out of talks with Israel and Hamas yesterday. Not on the front page of the @nytimes.com site. Not on the @washingtonpost.com web front page. Or the @wsj.com. Or @npr.org .
But Epstein is on all of them. C'mon, media! Do your job!
But Epstein is on all of them. C'mon, media! Do your job!
Trump admits federal subsidies are necessary for businesses to be successful. In saying he won't cut SpaceX subsidies, he wrote, “I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before."
Trump denies he will cut Elon Musk’s federal subsidies
The denial walks back statements from both himself and his press secretary amid an ongoing rift between the former allies.
www.politico.com
July 25, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Trump admits federal subsidies are necessary for businesses to be successful. In saying he won't cut SpaceX subsidies, he wrote, “I want Elon, and all businesses within our Country, to THRIVE, in fact, THRIVE like never before."
If Trump is in the Epstein files then Democrats should demand an independent prosecutor.
July 24, 2025 at 4:07 PM
If Trump is in the Epstein files then Democrats should demand an independent prosecutor.
Trump's Japan "deal" is bad for US manufacturing: It "means some cars manufactured by U.S. companies could end up facing higher duties than some cars built entirely overseas."
Trump's 'massive' deal with Japan is giving US automakers heartburn
The preliminary agreement suggests there is a path forward to lowering the auto duties on other major trading partners, as well.
www.politico.com
July 24, 2025 at 10:15 AM
Trump's Japan "deal" is bad for US manufacturing: It "means some cars manufactured by U.S. companies could end up facing higher duties than some cars built entirely overseas."
"Just to be clear: The director of national intelligence for the United States of America is making allegations against a former U.S. presidential candidate based on material from Russia’s intelligence services." -- Heather Cox Richardson
July 23, 2025
This morning, President Donald J.
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
July 24, 2025 at 10:14 AM
"Just to be clear: The director of national intelligence for the United States of America is making allegations against a former U.S. presidential candidate based on material from Russia’s intelligence services." -- Heather Cox Richardson
Looks like the WSJ has it in for Trump, and isn't afraid of the lawsuit.
WSJ Reports Trump Knows His Name Is Listed in Epstein Files—Because Bondi Told Him
During what sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal describe as...
talkingpointsmemo.com
July 24, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Looks like the WSJ has it in for Trump, and isn't afraid of the lawsuit.
This is another example of how the media's inability to report completely gives Trump undeserved wins. Trump claimed he told Coke to use sugar, Coke reports they will sell A cola with sugar but still sell the corn syrup stuff, the media reports, "Coke will use sugar after Trump's demands!"
How Coca-Cola's cane sugar switch could reshape soda market
Coca-Cola is rolling out a new version of its classic soda made with American cane sugar this fall. Scientists say it's no healthier than the original, but the shift could prove a savvy business move.
www.cbsnews.com
July 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
This is another example of how the media's inability to report completely gives Trump undeserved wins. Trump claimed he told Coke to use sugar, Coke reports they will sell A cola with sugar but still sell the corn syrup stuff, the media reports, "Coke will use sugar after Trump's demands!"
Trump sure did destroy Iran's nuclear program!
Video: Iran’s president says country won’t abandon its nuclear programme
Iran’s President has told Al Jazeera his country is committed to continuing its nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
www.aljazeera.com
July 23, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Trump sure did destroy Iran's nuclear program!
There are protests out there every day, @npr.org, and the only coverage you give is nonsense like this.
Get some reporters out to the protests. They are on highway overpasses every day, at town gazebos every weekend. Report on them like you report on Epstein and maybe they'll be more effective.
Get some reporters out to the protests. They are on highway overpasses every day, at town gazebos every weekend. Report on them like you report on Epstein and maybe they'll be more effective.
Protests are near constant. Do they work? : Code Switch
To the casual observer, it might seem like the U.S. has been spent years in a constant state of protest, from the Women's March in 2017 to the racial uprisings in 2020 to the No Kings protests earlier...
www.npr.org
July 23, 2025 at 12:40 PM
There are protests out there every day, @npr.org, and the only coverage you give is nonsense like this.
Get some reporters out to the protests. They are on highway overpasses every day, at town gazebos every weekend. Report on them like you report on Epstein and maybe they'll be more effective.
Get some reporters out to the protests. They are on highway overpasses every day, at town gazebos every weekend. Report on them like you report on Epstein and maybe they'll be more effective.
#Mandani won a contested #NYC primary where there are 3.3M registered Dems.
#Gottheimer lost a contested #NJ primary where there are 2.5M Dems.
Gottheimer says Mandani is not "aligned" with the Party. And he did it on #Fox News.
Wake up, @democrats.org. We're all #Dems.
#Gottheimer lost a contested #NJ primary where there are 2.5M Dems.
Gottheimer says Mandani is not "aligned" with the Party. And he did it on #Fox News.
Wake up, @democrats.org. We're all #Dems.
Mandani's agenda is clearly not aligned with the Democratic Party, says Dem rep | Fox News Video
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., discusses how Zohran Mamdani’s agenda strays from the Democratic Party on ‘The Will Cain Show.’
www.foxnews.com
July 23, 2025 at 11:54 AM
#Mandani won a contested #NYC primary where there are 3.3M registered Dems.
#Gottheimer lost a contested #NJ primary where there are 2.5M Dems.
Gottheimer says Mandani is not "aligned" with the Party. And he did it on #Fox News.
Wake up, @democrats.org. We're all #Dems.
#Gottheimer lost a contested #NJ primary where there are 2.5M Dems.
Gottheimer says Mandani is not "aligned" with the Party. And he did it on #Fox News.
Wake up, @democrats.org. We're all #Dems.