Ric Cairns
@riccairns.bsky.social
Progressive political dreamer working in brand and marketing in Walyalup/Fremantle, Western Australia. Imaginative enough to think we can make politics better. See voicesforfremantle.org
“Trump told Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that he would release the funds if Schumer would agree to name Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C., and New York City’s Penn Station after him.” The grift is astounding.
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
February 16, 2026
On February 13 and 14, President Donald J.
open.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 5:25 AM
“Trump told Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that he would release the funds if Schumer would agree to name Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C., and New York City’s Penn Station after him.” The grift is astounding.
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...
"In the era of Trump and ICE and a general shift to the right in politics across the globe, any moment in which democratic freedoms are weakened in the name of authoritarian justifications like “social cohesion” should have us on high alert." #nswpolice #auspol
open.substack.com/pub/tdunlop/...
open.substack.com/pub/tdunlop/...
We will decide who gets beaten by police and the manner in which they are beaten
The shameful official response to the protests in Sydney
open.substack.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:07 AM
"In the era of Trump and ICE and a general shift to the right in politics across the globe, any moment in which democratic freedoms are weakened in the name of authoritarian justifications like “social cohesion” should have us on high alert." #nswpolice #auspol
open.substack.com/pub/tdunlop/...
open.substack.com/pub/tdunlop/...
The 300 laid off staff at the Post included a woman currently reporting from the Ukraine war zone. Observations here from @carolecadwalla.bsky.social - similarly retrenched from The Guardian as journalism struggles for survival. #washingtonpost open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Fight!
Fuck Bezos. The Washington Post can and must rise again.
open.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:29 AM
The 300 laid off staff at the Post included a woman currently reporting from the Ukraine war zone. Observations here from @carolecadwalla.bsky.social - similarly retrenched from The Guardian as journalism struggles for survival. #washingtonpost open.substack.com/pub/broligar...
Reposted by Ric Cairns
Wow! What sounded like the entire AEW Dynamite audience in Las Vegas tonight chanted "Fuck ICE! Fuck ICE!" in unison before the main event
February 5, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Wow! What sounded like the entire AEW Dynamite audience in Las Vegas tonight chanted "Fuck ICE! Fuck ICE!" in unison before the main event
Well Jeff’s gotta pay for that Melania movie somehow. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Washington Post Begins Sweeping Layoffs
www.nytimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Well Jeff’s gotta pay for that Melania movie somehow. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
Taika Waititi uses some (close enough) de-aging in this hilarious Super Bowl ad. Brilliant concept. 🙌 youtu.be/fnncIVKvJkg?...
Jurassic Park … Works (Extended) | Big Game Commercial 2026 | Xfinity
YouTube video by Jurassic World
youtu.be
February 3, 2026 at 5:51 AM
Taika Waititi uses some (close enough) de-aging in this hilarious Super Bowl ad. Brilliant concept. 🙌 youtu.be/fnncIVKvJkg?...
Who is a ‘real Jew’? Fascinating insights from someone whose experience has straddled the divides.
michaelwest.com.au/zionism-the-...
michaelwest.com.au/zionism-the-...
Zionism. The greatest pyramid scheme ever invented? - Michael West
Not all Jews are equal; some are more equal than others. Questioning the myth that Australian Jews are the same as Israeli Jews.
michaelwest.com.au
January 31, 2026 at 7:45 AM
Who is a ‘real Jew’? Fascinating insights from someone whose experience has straddled the divides.
michaelwest.com.au/zionism-the-...
michaelwest.com.au/zionism-the-...
"Protest suppression tactics in the U.S. increasingly resemble Russian methods not just in outcome, but in execution."
open.substack.com/pub/oliverko...
open.substack.com/pub/oliverko...
Take Notice
TAKE NOTICE:
open.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 2:21 AM
"Protest suppression tactics in the U.S. increasingly resemble Russian methods not just in outcome, but in execution."
open.substack.com/pub/oliverko...
open.substack.com/pub/oliverko...
A turning point?
Art by Steve Brodner www.stevebrodner.com/
Art by Steve Brodner www.stevebrodner.com/
January 27, 2026 at 3:33 AM
A turning point?
Art by Steve Brodner www.stevebrodner.com/
Art by Steve Brodner www.stevebrodner.com/
Reposted by Ric Cairns
“Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them. If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.” — President Bill Clinton, 1/25/26
January 26, 2026 at 10:27 AM
“Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them. If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back.” — President Bill Clinton, 1/25/26
Reposted by Ric Cairns
This can’t be repeated enough. Not only won’t they investigate, they may never even tell us who did this.
Think about the message that sends to the next ones. Nobody is safe.
Think about the message that sends to the next ones. Nobody is safe.
January 26, 2026 at 5:22 AM
This can’t be repeated enough. Not only won’t they investigate, they may never even tell us who did this.
Think about the message that sends to the next ones. Nobody is safe.
Think about the message that sends to the next ones. Nobody is safe.
Reposted by Ric Cairns
The people who spent years defending and even lionizing Kyle Rittenhouse and Ashli Babbitt now want us to believe that an unarmed mother in her car and a disarmed nurse were domestic terrorists who deserved to be murdered by law enforcement.
January 25, 2026 at 4:26 AM
The people who spent years defending and even lionizing Kyle Rittenhouse and Ashli Babbitt now want us to believe that an unarmed mother in her car and a disarmed nurse were domestic terrorists who deserved to be murdered by law enforcement.
Reposted by Ric Cairns
In October, ICE grabbed Maher Tarabishi.
He was a 24/7 caregiver for his disabled son Wael.
At the time of Maher’s detention, disability advocates warned that taking away Wael’s caregiver put his life at risk.
Wael died on Friday at age 30.
ICE caused his death.
They didn’t get to say goodbye.
He was a 24/7 caregiver for his disabled son Wael.
At the time of Maher’s detention, disability advocates warned that taking away Wael’s caregiver put his life at risk.
Wael died on Friday at age 30.
ICE caused his death.
They didn’t get to say goodbye.
Disabled son of ICE detainee dies after 30 days of hospitalization
It had been months since Wael Tarabishi seen his father. The family is calling on ICE to release Maher Tarabishi so he may attend his son's funeral.
www.wfaa.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:01 AM
In October, ICE grabbed Maher Tarabishi.
He was a 24/7 caregiver for his disabled son Wael.
At the time of Maher’s detention, disability advocates warned that taking away Wael’s caregiver put his life at risk.
Wael died on Friday at age 30.
ICE caused his death.
They didn’t get to say goodbye.
He was a 24/7 caregiver for his disabled son Wael.
At the time of Maher’s detention, disability advocates warned that taking away Wael’s caregiver put his life at risk.
Wael died on Friday at age 30.
ICE caused his death.
They didn’t get to say goodbye.
Reposted by Ric Cairns
A public school superintendent in Minnesota said federal immigration agents have detained four young students over the last two weeks, including a 5-year-old who was allegedly "used as bait."
January 22, 2026 at 3:35 PM
A public school superintendent in Minnesota said federal immigration agents have detained four young students over the last two weeks, including a 5-year-old who was allegedly "used as bait."
Reposted by Ric Cairns
Whatever is in the Epstein Files is so explosive that the leaders of the Department of Justice are openly breaking the law every day to keep us from seeing it. (Just a reminder amongst all the other stuff flying around.)
January 22, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Whatever is in the Epstein Files is so explosive that the leaders of the Department of Justice are openly breaking the law every day to keep us from seeing it. (Just a reminder amongst all the other stuff flying around.)
This may end up being the defining speech for the coming era. Carney - a man for the times if ever there was one - confronts the world’s convenient submission to the US in the past and lays out a new way forward for middle powers like Canada (and Australia).
youtu.be/kDMyeGQm3NA?...
youtu.be/kDMyeGQm3NA?...
Full: PM Mark Carney speaks at World Economic Forum in Davos
YouTube video by FactPointVideo
youtu.be
January 21, 2026 at 6:56 AM
This may end up being the defining speech for the coming era. Carney - a man for the times if ever there was one - confronts the world’s convenient submission to the US in the past and lays out a new way forward for middle powers like Canada (and Australia).
youtu.be/kDMyeGQm3NA?...
youtu.be/kDMyeGQm3NA?...
Turns out polluting the land may have come back to, ahem, bite us. #sharkattacks #sharks
theconversation.com/4-shark-bite...
theconversation.com/4-shark-bite...
4 shark bites in 48 hours: how what we do on land may shape shark behaviour
Recent shark attacks may be linked less to shark behaviour – and more to the pollutants, pesticides and parasites humans send into the ocean.
theconversation.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Turns out polluting the land may have come back to, ahem, bite us. #sharkattacks #sharks
theconversation.com/4-shark-bite...
theconversation.com/4-shark-bite...
Reposted by Ric Cairns
The main bank account holding revenue from the Venezuelan oil sales is located in Qatar.
“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls so that he can sell assets seized by the American military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
www.semafor.com/article/01/1...
“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls so that he can sell assets seized by the American military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
www.semafor.com/article/01/1...
Exclusive: US gets first $500 million Venezuelan oil deal, holding some proceeds in Qatar
The details shared with Semafor mark an initial milestone in the administration’s plan following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
www.semafor.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:42 AM
The main bank account holding revenue from the Venezuelan oil sales is located in Qatar.
“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls so that he can sell assets seized by the American military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
www.semafor.com/article/01/1...
“There is no basis in law for a president to set up an offshore account that he controls so that he can sell assets seized by the American military,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
www.semafor.com/article/01/1...
Reposted by Ric Cairns
This has been the plan all along.
- Foment violence and chaos in the streets of MN
- Implement the Insurrection Act
- Declare Martial Law
- Suspend elections
- Foment violence and chaos in the streets of MN
- Implement the Insurrection Act
- Declare Martial Law
- Suspend elections
January 15, 2026 at 1:57 PM
This has been the plan all along.
- Foment violence and chaos in the streets of MN
- Implement the Insurrection Act
- Declare Martial Law
- Suspend elections
- Foment violence and chaos in the streets of MN
- Implement the Insurrection Act
- Declare Martial Law
- Suspend elections
Reposted by Ric Cairns
The insurrection act was always the end goal - I’ve been talking about this for months. He’s been trying to find a city that would push back enough to give him a (flimsy) excuse to do it
January 15, 2026 at 2:05 PM
The insurrection act was always the end goal - I’ve been talking about this for months. He’s been trying to find a city that would push back enough to give him a (flimsy) excuse to do it
This is a very clever solution to the Australia Day debate: a public holiday on the second last Monday of January. We get a long weekend every January, and the public holiday never falls on January 26. Let's move past this unnecessary conflict: add your name to the petition.
c.org/7CL6TcPCX9
c.org/7CL6TcPCX9
Sign the Petition
Create an Australian Long Weekend: Move the Public Holiday from Jan 26
c.org
January 14, 2026 at 3:34 AM
This is a very clever solution to the Australia Day debate: a public holiday on the second last Monday of January. We get a long weekend every January, and the public holiday never falls on January 26. Let's move past this unnecessary conflict: add your name to the petition.
c.org/7CL6TcPCX9
c.org/7CL6TcPCX9
Heartfelt, and wise as always. Louise Adler has more integrity than all the politicians in Australia. #aww
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week | Louise Adler
Cancelling the Australian Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah weakens freedom of speech and is the harbinger of a less free nation
www.theguardian.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Heartfelt, and wise as always. Louise Adler has more integrity than all the politicians in Australia. #aww
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Ric Cairns
Nikki Glaser calls out CBS News at the Golden Globes while it’s being broadcast on CBS.
“And the award for Most Editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News, America’s newest place to see B.S. News.”
“And the award for Most Editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News, America’s newest place to see B.S. News.”
January 12, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Nikki Glaser calls out CBS News at the Golden Globes while it’s being broadcast on CBS.
“And the award for Most Editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News, America’s newest place to see B.S. News.”
“And the award for Most Editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News, America’s newest place to see B.S. News.”
Reposted by Ric Cairns
Let us all stand with Chairman Powell.
January 12, 2026 at 2:36 AM
Let us all stand with Chairman Powell.