Michael Mechanic
@michaelmechanic.bsky.social
Mother Jones editor; author of "Jackpot," an "entertaining and eviscerating" (Jane Mayer) book on America's wealth insanity (readjackpot.com); piano player turned punk rock drummer turned old-time fiddler; dad of Gen Zers; gardener; curmudgeon about town.
Pinned
It's a good day when your book shows up on a senator's desk. You can get your own copy via ReadJackpot.com/order
Apart from being heartless, this just doesn't seem like a smart political strategy.
November 9, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Apart from being heartless, this just doesn't seem like a smart political strategy.
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
Federal immigration agents pepper-sprayed an infant today.
Story by @ckubzansky.bsky.social and @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social
Story by @ckubzansky.bsky.social and @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social
Shots fired at immigration agents in Little Village as residents confront Bovino, Border Patrol, authorities say
Community members once again confronted a convoy of Border Patrol agents led by Cmdr. Gregory Bovino as it moved through Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Federal immigration agents pepper-sprayed an infant today.
Story by @ckubzansky.bsky.social and @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social
Story by @ckubzansky.bsky.social and @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
Remember the time Obama personally caught a fainting woman during his speech — rather than just blankly staring like a sociopath?
Character isn't something you tell people about.
It's something you live.
Character isn't something you tell people about.
It's something you live.
November 7, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Remember the time Obama personally caught a fainting woman during his speech — rather than just blankly staring like a sociopath?
Character isn't something you tell people about.
It's something you live.
Character isn't something you tell people about.
It's something you live.
Like Leona Helmsley once said, taxes are for "the little people."
How the Trump Administration Is Giving Even More Tax Breaks to the Wealthy
www.nytimes.com
November 8, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Like Leona Helmsley once said, taxes are for "the little people."
On the other hand, getting rid of the "money sucking" health insurers and doing Medicare for all would be a great move.
November 8, 2025 at 4:10 PM
On the other hand, getting rid of the "money sucking" health insurers and doing Medicare for all would be a great move.
Gosh, remember when Obama tried to include simply one option that didn't involve the evil insurance companies and Republicans threw a fit and wouldn't allow it and called it socialism?
Hmm, who would people be purchasing their own healthcare from, Mr. President?
November 8, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Gosh, remember when Obama tried to include simply one option that didn't involve the evil insurance companies and Republicans threw a fit and wouldn't allow it and called it socialism?
Except...it's not even satire anymore.
November 7, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Except...it's not even satire anymore.
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
He has now erased fully 10% of the term to which Grijalva was elected.
Speaker Johnson is officially keeping the House in recess again next week. This will be the eighth consecutive week the House has been out of session. The chamber hasn't met since Sept. 19. Adelita Grijalva, who was elected on Sept. 23, has not been sworn in.
November 7, 2025 at 7:44 PM
He has now erased fully 10% of the term to which Grijalva was elected.
Seems @motherjones.com has a story for any occasion, which is a good enough reason to support us this year. motherjones.com/donate
November 7, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Seems @motherjones.com has a story for any occasion, which is a good enough reason to support us this year. motherjones.com/donate
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
On the event of James Watson's death, I highly recommend this 2023 commentary from @matthewcobb.bsky.social and Nathaniel Comfort with crucial new insights into the discovery of the double helix. (And also check out Cobb's brand new biography of Francis Crick) www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM
On the event of James Watson's death, I highly recommend this 2023 commentary from @matthewcobb.bsky.social and Nathaniel Comfort with crucial new insights into the discovery of the double helix. (And also check out Cobb's brand new biography of Francis Crick) www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
Pierrot, by Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1718-19, 📸 by @andyharnik
November 7, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Pierrot, by Jean-Antoine Watteau, 1718-19, 📸 by @andyharnik
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
If Musk meets all the benchmarks of his new $1 trillion pay package from Tesla he will be paid $274 MILLION EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS
This is his part-time job
This is his part-time job
November 7, 2025 at 1:59 AM
If Musk meets all the benchmarks of his new $1 trillion pay package from Tesla he will be paid $274 MILLION EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS
This is his part-time job
This is his part-time job
My constitutional amendment: Repeal the executive pardon power and put pardons in the hands of nonpartisan commissions. As is, it's a conduit for corruption and favoritism.
SCOOP: Alexander Smirnov, the FBI informant convicted of lying about a fake bribery scheme involving the Bidens has been quietly released from prison just months into a six-year sentence—raising concern he could be pardoned by Trump any moment.
jacquelinesweet.substack.com/p/fbi-inform...
jacquelinesweet.substack.com/p/fbi-inform...
FBI Informant Who Lied About Bidens Quietly Released From Jail Sparking Trump Pardon Fears
Alexander Smirnov was quietly furloughed from prison months ago.
jacquelinesweet.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:20 PM
My constitutional amendment: Repeal the executive pardon power and put pardons in the hands of nonpartisan commissions. As is, it's a conduit for corruption and favoritism.
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
The Constitution protects the right to free speech and the right to peacefully assemble. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/06/o...
‘The use of force shocks the conscience’: Judge issues sweeping injunction on Chicago tactics of immigration agents
A federal judge in Chicago issued a sweeping injunction that puts more permanent restrictions on the use of force by immigration agents during “Operation Midway Blitz.”
www.chicagotribune.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:01 PM
The Constitution protects the right to free speech and the right to peacefully assemble. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/06/o...
This is great.
November 7, 2025 at 6:14 PM
This is great.
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
“Sweet. My fifteen mins of fame. Lmao.”
This is what Border Patrol agent Charles Exum allegedly texted after shooting a woman in Chicago.
This is what Border Patrol agent Charles Exum allegedly texted after shooting a woman in Chicago.
A Border Patrol agent bragged about shooting someone, texts show
"Sweet. My fifteen mins of fame. Lmao."
www.motherjones.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:00 PM
“Sweet. My fifteen mins of fame. Lmao.”
This is what Border Patrol agent Charles Exum allegedly texted after shooting a woman in Chicago.
This is what Border Patrol agent Charles Exum allegedly texted after shooting a woman in Chicago.
I take it these fuckboys will be laboring at US mines, refineries, farms, and construction sites once we get rid of all them damned immigrants.
I guess the Trump Labor Department's ideal workforce is, uh... frat boys?
November 7, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I take it these fuckboys will be laboring at US mines, refineries, farms, and construction sites once we get rid of all them damned immigrants.
While you're stuck in endless security lines, with delayed and canceled flights, the super-rich get to keep flying unencumbered (and spew way more than their fair share of carbon emissions, too). At least some privileged folks realize how uncool this is...
Private planes make up nearly 12% of all flights.
And yet even with major air traffic control safety concerns, the DOT is planning to exclude them from its plan to order 10% cut in flights at 40 major U.S. airports.
People who can afford to charter flights will be fine. Everyone else is screwed.
And yet even with major air traffic control safety concerns, the DOT is planning to exclude them from its plan to order 10% cut in flights at 40 major U.S. airports.
People who can afford to charter flights will be fine. Everyone else is screwed.
November 7, 2025 at 6:06 PM
While you're stuck in endless security lines, with delayed and canceled flights, the super-rich get to keep flying unencumbered (and spew way more than their fair share of carbon emissions, too). At least some privileged folks realize how uncool this is...
I guess the Trump Labor Department's ideal workforce is, uh... frat boys?
November 7, 2025 at 3:34 PM
I guess the Trump Labor Department's ideal workforce is, uh... frat boys?
This is murder.
Cleaning Woman Killed Through Door After Arriving at Wrong Home, Police Say
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:47 AM
This is murder.
Yeah, so we knew this was coming, but not how bloody fast it was coming.
Who wants to be a trillionaire?
Don’t laugh. That’s exactly where America’s oligarchic policies are taking us.
www.motherjones.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Yeah, so we knew this was coming, but not how bloody fast it was coming.
Reposted by Michael Mechanic
November 6, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Well, isn't this quite the show of character.
Also: what a gift to Trump's political rivals.
Also: what a gift to Trump's political rivals.
incredible photo that's definitely worth at least 1,000 words from Andrew Harnik of Getty
November 6, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Well, isn't this quite the show of character.
Also: what a gift to Trump's political rivals.
Also: what a gift to Trump's political rivals.
If we were to convert Elon Musk's net worth (as of today) into $100 bills, we'd get roughly 4,914,000,000 bills, enough to completely paper over 9,494 football fields—including the end zones.
And you make $25 an hour.
And you make $25 an hour.
November 6, 2025 at 10:44 PM
If we were to convert Elon Musk's net worth (as of today) into $100 bills, we'd get roughly 4,914,000,000 bills, enough to completely paper over 9,494 football fields—including the end zones.
And you make $25 an hour.
And you make $25 an hour.
Looks like I'm gonna have to recalculate...
November 6, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Looks like I'm gonna have to recalculate...