John McTague
@johnmctague.bsky.social
Interested in local DC urbanism, MLB, rescue dogs, political science, and LGBTQ history 🏳️🌈
Reposted by John McTague
The 51st recently hired our first salaried employee (!) by bringing Christina on full-time as Executive Editor. Now, we need to hire Martin as our full-time reporter!!! You can help us get there by tossing a few dollars (or more...) to our fundraiser. 🥳 51st.news/help-us-hire...
Help us hire Martin Austermuhle!
The 51st is growing — but we can’t do it without you.
51st.news
July 14, 2025 at 8:41 PM
The 51st recently hired our first salaried employee (!) by bringing Christina on full-time as Executive Editor. Now, we need to hire Martin as our full-time reporter!!! You can help us get there by tossing a few dollars (or more...) to our fundraiser. 🥳 51st.news/help-us-hire...
Reposted by John McTague
If you're a member of the Democratic gerontocracy, the chances of you catching a primary challenger just went up 1000%.
June 25, 2025 at 1:55 AM
If you're a member of the Democratic gerontocracy, the chances of you catching a primary challenger just went up 1000%.
Reposted by John McTague
It's 2015. President Barack Obama has accepted a "sky palace" jumbo jet from the Qatari government, which he'll own after he leaves office. "Everybody relax," he says in an interview with the New York Times. Everyone does. The networks then televise the military parade in his honor on his birthday.
May 11, 2025 at 6:43 PM
It's 2015. President Barack Obama has accepted a "sky palace" jumbo jet from the Qatari government, which he'll own after he leaves office. "Everybody relax," he says in an interview with the New York Times. Everyone does. The networks then televise the military parade in his honor on his birthday.
Reposted by John McTague
35+ years of peer-reviewed studies confirm that publicly financed stadiums, especially publicly financed football stadiums, are a horrendous deal for taxpayers & for cities. Any public official proposing to invest in a stadium should be challenged to respond to those research findings directly.
April 28, 2025 at 12:24 PM
35+ years of peer-reviewed studies confirm that publicly financed stadiums, especially publicly financed football stadiums, are a horrendous deal for taxpayers & for cities. Any public official proposing to invest in a stadium should be challenged to respond to those research findings directly.
Reposted by John McTague
Sounds crazy right? Now imagine this is *always* the situation for 700,000 District of Columbia residents
Again, to be crystal clear: Nearly 800,000 Americans in Houston, Texas now face taxation without representation.
April 3, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Sounds crazy right? Now imagine this is *always* the situation for 700,000 District of Columbia residents
Reposted by John McTague
Txt STOP to opt out of updates on war plans
March 24, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Txt STOP to opt out of updates on war plans
Reposted by John McTague
Reposted by John McTague
Chart of cumulative protests reported from Jan 22 - Feb 28, 2017 vs 2025:
March 19, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Chart of cumulative protests reported from Jan 22 - Feb 28, 2017 vs 2025:
Reposted by John McTague
1/🧵 Judges across ideological lines are ruling against Trump at strikingly similar rates (84% liberal, 86% centrist, 82% conservative). This isn't partisan opposition to Trump—it's the judiciary functioning as intended by cutting across partisan lines to uphold the Constitution.
March 18, 2025 at 9:32 PM
1/🧵 Judges across ideological lines are ruling against Trump at strikingly similar rates (84% liberal, 86% centrist, 82% conservative). This isn't partisan opposition to Trump—it's the judiciary functioning as intended by cutting across partisan lines to uphold the Constitution.
Reposted by John McTague
Democratic Leaders Stand Real Still In Hopes No One Notices Them
Democratic Leaders Stand Real Still In Hopes No One Notices Them
WASHINGTON—With the elected officials trying their hardest not to move a muscle, reports confirmed Monday that top Democratic leaders in Congress were standing real still in hopes that the American pe...
theonion.com
March 14, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Democratic Leaders Stand Real Still In Hopes No One Notices Them
Reposted by John McTague
There are many Democrats who don’t agree with some or many of AOC’s policy ideas. But what she gets and more conventional Democrats do not is that political fight can be catalyzing and transformative. You can change the shape of the playing board in ways … www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/p...
Ocasio-Cortez mobilizes Democrats against Schumer plan as colleagues privately urge her to consider primary challenge | CNN Politics
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Thursday that she plans to mobilize her massive base of followers to oppose what she described as an “acquiesce” by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to accept th...
www.cnn.com
March 14, 2025 at 2:47 AM
There are many Democrats who don’t agree with some or many of AOC’s policy ideas. But what she gets and more conventional Democrats do not is that political fight can be catalyzing and transformative. You can change the shape of the playing board in ways … www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/p...
Reposted by John McTague
DC firefighters who rushed into the freezing Potomac after the deadly American Airlines Flight 5342 crash could lose their jobs if Congress does not fix the DC budget issue in the CR.
March 12, 2025 at 9:19 PM
DC firefighters who rushed into the freezing Potomac after the deadly American Airlines Flight 5342 crash could lose their jobs if Congress does not fix the DC budget issue in the CR.
Reposted by John McTague
NEW from me: With House Republicans passing a partisan, damaging continuing resolution that gives Donald Trump and Elon Musk free rein to continue to strangle appropriated spending, Senate Democrats have to decide whether they will actively participate in their institution's own destruction.
Senate Democrats’ Choice: Block the Republican Spending Bill or Dissolve Congress
The House’s continuing resolution would effectively hand over spending decisions to Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
prospect.org
March 12, 2025 at 12:11 AM
NEW from me: With House Republicans passing a partisan, damaging continuing resolution that gives Donald Trump and Elon Musk free rein to continue to strangle appropriated spending, Senate Democrats have to decide whether they will actively participate in their institution's own destruction.
Help thousands of students and scholars *in the middle of their academic experiences abroad* resume receiving the funding legally appropriated to them.
www.nafsa.org/ECAFundingFr...
www.nafsa.org/ECAFundingFr...
Ongoing Funding Freeze of ECA Programs at Department of State
NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange.
www.nafsa.org
March 8, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Help thousands of students and scholars *in the middle of their academic experiences abroad* resume receiving the funding legally appropriated to them.
www.nafsa.org/ECAFundingFr...
www.nafsa.org/ECAFundingFr...
Reposted by John McTague
Pitch perfect response from Georgetown Law reminding Ed Martin that it’s wildly inappropriate on both religious liberty and free speech grounds for him to attempt to use the power of his (interim) office to dictate what curriculum is “unacceptable” at the university.
With his permission, I'm sharing Dean Treanor's response to Ed Martin's letter:
March 6, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Pitch perfect response from Georgetown Law reminding Ed Martin that it’s wildly inappropriate on both religious liberty and free speech grounds for him to attempt to use the power of his (interim) office to dictate what curriculum is “unacceptable” at the university.
Reposted by John McTague
Trump is trying to do two separate things: 1.) become an authoritarian leader, and 2.) implement a massively unpopular policy program. These goals conflict with each other and are hopefully self sabotaging in the end. 1x
February 23, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Trump is trying to do two separate things: 1.) become an authoritarian leader, and 2.) implement a massively unpopular policy program. These goals conflict with each other and are hopefully self sabotaging in the end. 1x
Shoutout to supporting local organizations doing important work in this political environment
www.wandaalstonfoundation.org/support-us/
www.wandaalstonfoundation.org/support-us/
Support Us – Wanda Alston Foundation
www.wandaalstonfoundation.org
February 6, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Shoutout to supporting local organizations doing important work in this political environment
www.wandaalstonfoundation.org/support-us/
www.wandaalstonfoundation.org/support-us/
Laurie Anderson, Four Talks, Hirshhorn Museum
December 30, 2024 at 7:55 PM
Laurie Anderson, Four Talks, Hirshhorn Museum
Reposted by John McTague
Jimmy Carter outlived one of his obituary writers:
December 29, 2024 at 9:47 PM
Jimmy Carter outlived one of his obituary writers:
Reposted by John McTague
Undergrads these days are really good, actually
December 3, 2024 at 11:27 PM
Undergrads these days are really good, actually
Reposted by John McTague
If you think independent local journalism is important, here are some free ways you can help The 51st grow 🌱
Help The 51st Grow—for Free!
We’ve been publishing for almost two months (!) and growing The 51st with you has been thrilling. Our progress has been heartening, and each day this dream of growing a sustainable worker-led newsroom...
51st.news
November 25, 2024 at 9:51 PM
If you think independent local journalism is important, here are some free ways you can help The 51st grow 🌱
Reposted by John McTague
Rachel Pollack's 1995 TransSisters interview reads like it came out yesterday
November 22, 2024 at 12:59 AM
Rachel Pollack's 1995 TransSisters interview reads like it came out yesterday
Reposted by John McTague
Carol Moseley Braun was the first Black woman elected to the Senate in 1993. Jesse Helms once followed her into the Senate elevator singing "Dixie." He told fellow Senator Orrin Hatch, "I'm going to sing Dixie until she cries."
Thinking about that today.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Thinking about that today.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Rep. Mace introduces measure to ban trans women from Capitol’s female bathrooms
The South Carolina Republican’s resolution comes two weeks after the historic election of Democrat Sarah McBride, a trans woman, to Congress.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 19, 2024 at 7:04 PM
Carol Moseley Braun was the first Black woman elected to the Senate in 1993. Jesse Helms once followed her into the Senate elevator singing "Dixie." He told fellow Senator Orrin Hatch, "I'm going to sing Dixie until she cries."
Thinking about that today.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Thinking about that today.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by John McTague
The share of Republicans who say that they’re worse off financially than they were a year ago is already down 15-points since the election.
November 20, 2024 at 3:56 PM
The share of Republicans who say that they’re worse off financially than they were a year ago is already down 15-points since the election.