David Rotenstein
@davidrotenstein.bsky.social
Writer. Folklorist. Historian. https://blog.historian4hire.net/about/ | History is my hustle. Also @covertnky.com
Reposted by David Rotenstein
CARTOON OF THE DAY 🇺🇸
December 29, 2025 at 9:53 PM
CARTOON OF THE DAY 🇺🇸
Reposted by David Rotenstein
“Is he dead yet?” should be the first question asked at every White House press conference.
“OK, but it’s happening soon, right?” should be the second.
And then maybe “how fucked are you all once he’s dead and can’t pardon you anymore?” if they’re still at the lectern
“OK, but it’s happening soon, right?” should be the second.
And then maybe “how fucked are you all once he’s dead and can’t pardon you anymore?” if they’re still at the lectern
December 29, 2025 at 6:41 PM
“Is he dead yet?” should be the first question asked at every White House press conference.
“OK, but it’s happening soon, right?” should be the second.
And then maybe “how fucked are you all once he’s dead and can’t pardon you anymore?” if they’re still at the lectern
“OK, but it’s happening soon, right?” should be the second.
And then maybe “how fucked are you all once he’s dead and can’t pardon you anymore?” if they’re still at the lectern
Less than 15 minutes into All Things Considered we switched to music. I can’t stand to hear his voice or reporters wasting bandwidth talking about him as though all of this is normal.
December 28, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Less than 15 minutes into All Things Considered we switched to music. I can’t stand to hear his voice or reporters wasting bandwidth talking about him as though all of this is normal.
Reposted by David Rotenstein
South Park called it, and it’s hilarious.
One of the creators purchased the Trump Kennedy Center URL address before the name was even changed because they know Trump’s narcissism is in the driver’s seat.
One of the creators purchased the Trump Kennedy Center URL address before the name was even changed because they know Trump’s narcissism is in the driver’s seat.
December 27, 2025 at 12:38 AM
South Park called it, and it’s hilarious.
One of the creators purchased the Trump Kennedy Center URL address before the name was even changed because they know Trump’s narcissism is in the driver’s seat.
One of the creators purchased the Trump Kennedy Center URL address before the name was even changed because they know Trump’s narcissism is in the driver’s seat.
I’m reading @vermontgmg.bsky.social’s book, “Raven Rock,” and I’m increasingly pissed about the amount of Cold War history that trump destroyed along with the East Wing. It will be possible to raze the ballroom if it’s ever completed, but all of that history is gone for good.
December 27, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I’m reading @vermontgmg.bsky.social’s book, “Raven Rock,” and I’m increasingly pissed about the amount of Cold War history that trump destroyed along with the East Wing. It will be possible to raze the ballroom if it’s ever completed, but all of that history is gone for good.
A Banjo in a box the day after Boxing Day.
December 27, 2025 at 12:32 PM
A Banjo in a box the day after Boxing Day.
No front yard for your urban giant skeleton? It’s no problem for this Covington tattoo parlor.
December 26, 2025 at 11:11 PM
No front yard for your urban giant skeleton? It’s no problem for this Covington tattoo parlor.
Reposted by David Rotenstein
ICE’s occupation in Memphis, the largest Black-majority city in the country, has reshaped daily life, keeping kids out of school and parents from work, turning grocery shopping into a mission that risks one’s family being torn apart.
I'm a veteran criminal justice reporter. I've never seen anything like ICE-occupied Memphis.
“It’s about as sad as you can possibly imagine."
www.motherjones.com
December 26, 2025 at 6:00 PM
ICE’s occupation in Memphis, the largest Black-majority city in the country, has reshaped daily life, keeping kids out of school and parents from work, turning grocery shopping into a mission that risks one’s family being torn apart.
Ordered by a human, fulfilled by AI?
Every single package I ordered from a wide variety of retailers this season was wrong. From shoddy manufacturing to mistakes in size, color, and options to delivery problems and broken merchandise.
I don't know what is wrong with American businesses. But this has been completely subpar.
I don't know what is wrong with American businesses. But this has been completely subpar.
December 26, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Ordered by a human, fulfilled by AI?
Reposted by David Rotenstein
Amazing the crap this page now publishes; could be the WSJ PolluterPage. They are increasingly indistinguishable.
Opinion | The real issue strangling America’s electric grid
AI data centers are being blamed for price spikes manufactured in statehouses and D.C.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 26, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Amazing the crap this page now publishes; could be the WSJ PolluterPage. They are increasingly indistinguishable.
Reposted by David Rotenstein
December 26, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Donnie Demento got a Christmas toy!
December 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Donnie Demento got a Christmas toy!
My year-end, two-word summary of 2025: It Sucked.
December 26, 2025 at 3:11 PM
My year-end, two-word summary of 2025: It Sucked.
A fascinating outcome for future scholars will be comparing this with the McCarran Act & all of the conspiracy theories and legends it spawned — if there are any university humanities departments that survive the trumpocene/MAGA.
Camps where tens of thousands of politically disfavored people will be concentrated.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
ICE documents reveal plan to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses
The Trump administration wants to build seven large-scale deportation hubs to speed up deportations, internal ICE documents show.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM
A fascinating outcome for future scholars will be comparing this with the McCarran Act & all of the conspiracy theories and legends it spawned — if there are any university humanities departments that survive the trumpocene/MAGA.
My latest column for the Western Pennsylvania History magazine is out. It's all about the John Eichleay Co. barge- and boat-building business. Did you know the Pittsburgh company best known for moving large buildings also produced some of the nation's best-known showboats? 🗃️
December 26, 2025 at 2:18 PM
My latest column for the Western Pennsylvania History magazine is out. It's all about the John Eichleay Co. barge- and boat-building business. Did you know the Pittsburgh company best known for moving large buildings also produced some of the nation's best-known showboats? 🗃️
Reposted by David Rotenstein
Assembling sites for new crime history tours in 2026. One site that should be on the bike tour but won't b/c it's too far afield is this brick building (left). It has ties to the birth of syndicated horse race betting, Churchill Downs, and key Cincy area casinos. If only its walls could talk!
December 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Assembling sites for new crime history tours in 2026. One site that should be on the bike tour but won't b/c it's too far afield is this brick building (left). It has ties to the birth of syndicated horse race betting, Churchill Downs, and key Cincy area casinos. If only its walls could talk!
This is a holiday photo from an Atlanta-area newsroom. Can anyone spot what/who might be missing here?
December 26, 2025 at 1:42 PM
This is a holiday photo from an Atlanta-area newsroom. Can anyone spot what/who might be missing here?
How naive I was to be astonished by Pgh. madam Mae Scheible's audacity running a brothel across the street from the county courthouse. Covington gamblers did something similar & fire insurance maps labeled the casinos, including one marked "gambling 2d [floor]." Jail "rock breaking yard" a bonus!
December 26, 2025 at 1:32 PM
How naive I was to be astonished by Pgh. madam Mae Scheible's audacity running a brothel across the street from the county courthouse. Covington gamblers did something similar & fire insurance maps labeled the casinos, including one marked "gambling 2d [floor]." Jail "rock breaking yard" a bonus!
Apparently the hottest spot for a Christmas meal in Covington is this downtown Chinese restaurant. Lots of Jewish Christmas adopters here?
December 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Apparently the hottest spot for a Christmas meal in Covington is this downtown Chinese restaurant. Lots of Jewish Christmas adopters here?
Sadly, this Christmas morning we saw no gamblers’ ghosts in the fog at the foot of the Cincinnati-Covington suspension bridge. At least the view was nice 😁.
December 25, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Sadly, this Christmas morning we saw no gamblers’ ghosts in the fog at the foot of the Cincinnati-Covington suspension bridge. At least the view was nice 😁.
Reposted by David Rotenstein
"Like Amazon Prime, but with human beings."
December 24, 2025 at 5:50 PM
"Like Amazon Prime, but with human beings."
Reposted by David Rotenstein
It remains wild to me that during the first trump administration there was a long debate over terminology after AOC (correctly) called border internment "concentration camps" and now having concentration camps is a core domestic policy.
The purpose of that stupid debate was to normalize the idea.
The purpose of that stupid debate was to normalize the idea.
Camps where tens of thousands of politically disfavored people will be concentrated.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
ICE documents reveal plan to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses
The Trump administration wants to build seven large-scale deportation hubs to speed up deportations, internal ICE documents show.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 24, 2025 at 2:21 PM
It remains wild to me that during the first trump administration there was a long debate over terminology after AOC (correctly) called border internment "concentration camps" and now having concentration camps is a core domestic policy.
The purpose of that stupid debate was to normalize the idea.
The purpose of that stupid debate was to normalize the idea.
Reposted by David Rotenstein
DOJ redacting files earlier today
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December 24, 2025 at 5:06 PM
DOJ redacting files earlier today
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Even the most mundane technical notices from agencies like the FCC now read like a lunatic's rant. docs.fcc.gov/public/attac...
December 23, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Even the most mundane technical notices from agencies like the FCC now read like a lunatic's rant. docs.fcc.gov/public/attac...
Reposted by David Rotenstein
Reposting my husband's artwork.
December 23, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposting my husband's artwork.