Phil Stevens
@philstevens19.bsky.social
Retired Illinois public ed guy and proud dad/husband. I love critical thinking based on objective truth. And there’s the Michigan football thing.
Read this. Share it. It’s hard to overstate the criminality promoted by ICE. My WW2 ETO vet dad said that Germany handed power to sick, sadistic, immoral jerks. Go ahead and convince me we haven’t now too.
We Found More Than 40 Cases of Immigration Agents Using Banned Chokeholds and Other Moves That Can Cut Off Breathing
Civilians have had apparent seizures. One had his eyes roll back. Another had ribs broken. “I felt like I was going to pass out and die,” said a 16-year-old citizen put in a chokehold. The government ...
www.propublica.org
January 13, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Read this. Share it. It’s hard to overstate the criminality promoted by ICE. My WW2 ETO vet dad said that Germany handed power to sick, sadistic, immoral jerks. Go ahead and convince me we haven’t now too.
Our neighbors pretty much suck. They’re scared of ranked choice because it makes moderation more electable and Indiana Republicans are NOT moderate.
Indiana eyes banning ranked choice voting
A bill prohibiting ranked choice voting passed out of the Indiana Senate Elections Committee on Monday.
www.chicagotribune.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:22 AM
Our neighbors pretty much suck. They’re scared of ranked choice because it makes moderation more electable and Indiana Republicans are NOT moderate.
But the whales! And the cancer! Whrrr, whrrr.
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 11:37 PM
But the whales! And the cancer! Whrrr, whrrr.
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Judge Strikes Down Trump’s Latest Effort to Stop Offshore Wind www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/c...
Given the talent levels of Donald’s legal team, I like our odds.
Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/u...
Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/u...
Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Given the talent levels of Donald’s legal team, I like our odds.
Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/u...
Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/u...
Reposted by Phil Stevens
In 48 other states, new moms have access to Medicaid for up to one year after they give birth. Not in Wisconsin.
There, the limit remains two months. And it’s only because of one man: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
(Published Nov. 2025)
There, the limit remains two months. And it’s only because of one man: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
(Published Nov. 2025)
He Vowed to “Protect the Unborn.” Now He’s Blocking a Bill to Expand Medicaid for Wisconsin’s New Moms.
Splitting with anti-abortion members of his own party, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has refused to join 48 other states in ensuring that vulnerable women have access to potentially lifesaving ...
www.propublica.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:00 PM
In 48 other states, new moms have access to Medicaid for up to one year after they give birth. Not in Wisconsin.
There, the limit remains two months. And it’s only because of one man: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
(Published Nov. 2025)
There, the limit remains two months. And it’s only because of one man: Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.
(Published Nov. 2025)
All the takeaways are eye popping but the big one for me: 2/3 of grazing on public land is done by 10% of ranchers. So another tax break for rich guys. Go figure.
NEW: As President Donald Trump’s administration pushes a pro-ranching agenda, ProPublica and High Country News investigated how public lands grazing has evolved.
Here are the biggest takeaways from our reporting.
Here are the biggest takeaways from our reporting.
The Biggest Takeaways From Our Investigation Into Grazing on Public Lands
Livestock grazing is allowed across 240 million acres of federal land. Our investigation revealed the subsidies propping up ranching, its impact on the environment and the politics underpinning the system.
www.propublica.org
January 12, 2026 at 3:18 PM
All the takeaways are eye popping but the big one for me: 2/3 of grazing on public land is done by 10% of ranchers. So another tax break for rich guys. Go figure.
Gift link. Betcha didn’t know that the real victims of racism are white dudes. As a white dude myself, I was very surprised by that having been a victim only zero times in my life.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
Trump Says Civil Rights Led to White People Being ‘Very Badly Treated’
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 2:20 AM
Gift link. Betcha didn’t know that the real victims of racism are white dudes. As a white dude myself, I was very surprised by that having been a victim only zero times in my life.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/u...
Reposted by Phil Stevens
Noem is a liar and her agency is filled with liars. Receipts:
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
TAPPER: You called Renee Good a "domestic terrorist." Why did you not wait for an investigation?
NOEM: Everything I've said has been proven to be factual and the truth. This administration wants to operate in transparency.
T: What you said is not what happened
N: It absolutely is what happened
NOEM: Everything I've said has been proven to be factual and the truth. This administration wants to operate in transparency.
T: What you said is not what happened
N: It absolutely is what happened
January 11, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Noem is a liar and her agency is filled with liars. Receipts:
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
www.ms.now/opinion/kris...
Reposted by Phil Stevens
Tapper to Noem: "I just showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers on J6. Trump pardoned them all. You said Trump is enforcing all the laws equally. That's just not true. There's a different standard for LEOs being attacked if they're being attacked by Trump supporters."
January 11, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Tapper to Noem: "I just showed you video of people attacking law enforcement officers on J6. Trump pardoned them all. You said Trump is enforcing all the laws equally. That's just not true. There's a different standard for LEOs being attacked if they're being attacked by Trump supporters."
Reposted by Phil Stevens
I ran FBI shooting reviews. I’m sharing my concerns with CNN over the state of Minnesota not having access to evidence, and, what might happen when a shooting report draft gets to Washington:
f.io/f28gnmqr
f.io/f28gnmqr
Frank Figliuzzi.mp4 - Frank Figliuzzi - Frame.io
f.io
January 11, 2026 at 2:56 PM
I ran FBI shooting reviews. I’m sharing my concerns with CNN over the state of Minnesota not having access to evidence, and, what might happen when a shooting report draft gets to Washington:
f.io/f28gnmqr
f.io/f28gnmqr
Chicago Tribune has consistently solid reporting. Enjoy FREE read of how Venezuelan migrants have been weighing persecution and poverty in Venezuela vs. Trump’s war on them here.
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/11/v...
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/11/v...
After Maduro’s capture, Venezuelans in the Chicago area face difficult choice: ‘People are afraid to stay and people are afraid to return’
After the U.S. captured and imprisoned Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last week, many Venezuelans in the Chicago area are left with conflicting emotions.
www.chicagotribune.com
January 11, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Chicago Tribune has consistently solid reporting. Enjoy FREE read of how Venezuelan migrants have been weighing persecution and poverty in Venezuela vs. Trump’s war on them here.
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/11/v...
www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/11/v...
DHS Releases Watchlist Of Mothers Driving Cars — theonion.com/dhs-releases...
DHS Releases Watchlist Of Mothers Driving Cars
WASHINGTON—Circulating a new advisory that highlighted what it called the “worst of the worst,” the Department of Homeland Security released a watchlist Friday warning Americans about the presence of ...
theonion.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:37 PM
DHS Releases Watchlist Of Mothers Driving Cars — theonion.com/dhs-releases...
Boy, does this one land.
January 9, 2026
Beginning in 1943, the War Department published a series of pamphlets for U.S.
open.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Boy, does this one land.
Reposted by Phil Stevens
ICE killed Renee Nicole Good. Trump, Noem are lying about it.
"I was told by the Trump administration that she was going to kill people. That her vehicle was a weapon.
And I knew it was bull----. Because I have eyes."
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
"I was told by the Trump administration that she was going to kill people. That her vehicle was a weapon.
And I knew it was bull----. Because I have eyes."
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
ICE killed Renee Nicole Good. Trump, Noem are lying about it. | Opinion
I watched videos of a federal agent shooting and killing Renee Nicole Good and felt anger well up in my throat, knowing the government was lying.
www.usatoday.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:25 PM
ICE killed Renee Nicole Good. Trump, Noem are lying about it.
"I was told by the Trump administration that she was going to kill people. That her vehicle was a weapon.
And I knew it was bull----. Because I have eyes."
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
"I was told by the Trump administration that she was going to kill people. That her vehicle was a weapon.
And I knew it was bull----. Because I have eyes."
www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
Reminder: our border with Canada used to be the longest undefended border in the world because our citizens have lived in total peace for 2 centuries.
Thanks Trump voters!
Thanks Trump voters!
Canada’s armed forces are planning for threats from America
They started rebuilding in 2025, before Donald Trump’s most recent bid for hemispheric dominance
www.economist.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Reminder: our border with Canada used to be the longest undefended border in the world because our citizens have lived in total peace for 2 centuries.
Thanks Trump voters!
Thanks Trump voters!
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
NEWSMAX: I want to get your reaction to the shooting in Minneapolis
SEN. RICKETTS: It's terrible. Friday is actually Law Enforcement Appreciation Day & we should really celebrate what our law enforcement officers do to keep us safe. It's really discouraging to see these attacks on law enforcement
SEN. RICKETTS: It's terrible. Friday is actually Law Enforcement Appreciation Day & we should really celebrate what our law enforcement officers do to keep us safe. It's really discouraging to see these attacks on law enforcement
January 8, 2026 at 1:20 AM
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
This is really bad news. Economic impact will be quite negative.
Congressional forecasters have lowered their projection for U.S. population growth over the next decade by 7 million people as a result of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown as well as falling birth rates. n.pr/4sqO1wZ
U.S. population growth is slowing. The immigration crackdown is a major factor
Congressional forecasters have lowered their projection for U.S. population growth over the next decade by 7 million people as a result of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown as well as falling birth rates.
n.pr
January 8, 2026 at 1:14 AM
This is really bad news. Economic impact will be quite negative.
Reposted by Phil Stevens
This was murder. Trump is defending a murder, a murder committed on his behalf.
America is not being made safe. It is becoming more dangerous each and every day because Donald Trump is a criminal who commands and encourages others to commit crimes on his behalf—as he has done for years.
America is not being made safe. It is becoming more dangerous each and every day because Donald Trump is a criminal who commands and encourages others to commit crimes on his behalf—as he has done for years.
Trump: "I have just viewed the clip of the event which took place in Minneapolis. It is a horrible thing to watch. The woman screaming was, obviously, a professional agitator, and the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting ... "
January 7, 2026 at 11:50 PM
This was murder. Trump is defending a murder, a murder committed on his behalf.
America is not being made safe. It is becoming more dangerous each and every day because Donald Trump is a criminal who commands and encourages others to commit crimes on his behalf—as he has done for years.
America is not being made safe. It is becoming more dangerous each and every day because Donald Trump is a criminal who commands and encourages others to commit crimes on his behalf—as he has done for years.
Reposted by Phil Stevens
Politicians love to ban Chinese farmland until it impacts the hog market. Oklahoma’s new law restricts foreign ownership but explicitly protects Smithfield Foods, a Chinese-owned behemoth. National security is paramount, provided it doesn’t inconvenience corporate agriculture or interrupt profits.
Oklahoma’s Ban on Chinese-Owned Farmland Made an Exception for Smithfield Foods
While approximately 4.3% of Oklahoma farmland is foreign-owned, according to the USDA’s most recent filings, most of that is held by Canadian and European companies for renewable energy projects. Less than 1% of that share is Chinese.
www.agriculture.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Politicians love to ban Chinese farmland until it impacts the hog market. Oklahoma’s new law restricts foreign ownership but explicitly protects Smithfield Foods, a Chinese-owned behemoth. National security is paramount, provided it doesn’t inconvenience corporate agriculture or interrupt profits.
Reposted by Phil Stevens
My friend @charlotteclymer.bsky.social has written about Mark Kelly’s distinguished military career. This is not to be missed. open.substack.com/pub/charlott...
The Extraordinary Military Career of Mark Kelly
Good lord, has this man done a lot.
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:25 AM
My friend @charlotteclymer.bsky.social has written about Mark Kelly’s distinguished military career. This is not to be missed. open.substack.com/pub/charlott...
Reposted by Phil Stevens
If you got $1 million, you can pretty much commit any crime you want and Trump will pardon you. I would recommend Pam Bondi’s brother for representation. He seems to get the best results, for some reason.
January 2, 2026 at 12:04 AM
If you got $1 million, you can pretty much commit any crime you want and Trump will pardon you. I would recommend Pam Bondi’s brother for representation. He seems to get the best results, for some reason.
Reposted by Phil Stevens
Earl Lamont Smith was convicted of stealing thousands of government computers and selling them for profit. He pleaded guilty and waived his right to a trial. Trump pardoned him on May 28, 2025.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration says it's freezing child care funds to Minnesota after a series of fraud schemes in recent years.
December 31, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Earl Lamont Smith was convicted of stealing thousands of government computers and selling them for profit. He pleaded guilty and waived his right to a trial. Trump pardoned him on May 28, 2025.
Bullies with badges. Read this.
DHS says ICE agents are frequent targets of violence. Have you seen ONE video or pic that shows protesters doing anything beyond loud and obnoxious? Yet there are scores of recorded incidents of ICE using excessive force on people doing nothing illegal.
DHS says ICE agents are frequent targets of violence. Have you seen ONE video or pic that shows protesters doing anything beyond loud and obnoxious? Yet there are scores of recorded incidents of ICE using excessive force on people doing nothing illegal.
We found more than two dozen cases of immigration agents using "less lethal" weapons in ways that appear to flout the government's own rules, including by aiming at someone’s head, spine or groin or deploying chemical agents near children.
Published Nov. w/ @frontlinepbs.bsky.social
Published Nov. w/ @frontlinepbs.bsky.social
Trump’s Immigration Forces Deploy “Less Lethal” Weapons in Dangerous Ways, Skirting Rules and Maiming Protesters
Civil rights and weapons experts cite the consequences of federal agents’ use of crowd control weapons: religious leaders shot with pepper balls and noxious chemicals. A nurse nearly blinded by tear g...
www.propublica.org
December 31, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Bullies with badges. Read this.
DHS says ICE agents are frequent targets of violence. Have you seen ONE video or pic that shows protesters doing anything beyond loud and obnoxious? Yet there are scores of recorded incidents of ICE using excessive force on people doing nothing illegal.
DHS says ICE agents are frequent targets of violence. Have you seen ONE video or pic that shows protesters doing anything beyond loud and obnoxious? Yet there are scores of recorded incidents of ICE using excessive force on people doing nothing illegal.
Reposted by Phil Stevens
Succinct and simple explanation of why ICE agents are acting like lawless thugs: because the Supreme Court allows for it.
Why ICE Is Getting Away With It
The Constitution inarguably applies to federal immigration agents—but the Supreme Court has taken away the hope of ever holding them to that standard.
www.theatlantic.com
December 29, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Succinct and simple explanation of why ICE agents are acting like lawless thugs: because the Supreme Court allows for it.
60+ years have taught me that Lions fandom is a fool’s errand but let’s go Red Wings!
December 26, 2025 at 12:56 AM
60+ years have taught me that Lions fandom is a fool’s errand but let’s go Red Wings!