Richard Silvia
@yesrising.bsky.social
YesRising | Hope for the weird ones still standing.
Essays, poetry, music, & meaning.
You’re not alone. 🏳️🌈
👉🏻 https://linktr.ee/YesRising
Essays, poetry, music, & meaning.
You’re not alone. 🏳️🌈
👉🏻 https://linktr.ee/YesRising
Pinned
Richard Silvia
@yesrising.bsky.social
· Dec 14
A lot of people feel exhausted, out of place, and quietly hopeful anyway. That’s not a contradiction. That’s a sign you’re still human.
YesRising
YesRising
Reposted by Richard Silvia
“As the airplane took off, Epstein started touching me forcibly in between my legs, and I freaked out. I realized, this is not a modeling opportunity, I've been kidnapped. They whisked me away to the island. I was stuck there. They never arranged any modeling opportunities, I was completely conned."
Epstein survivor tells CBS News how she was trafficked, and assaulted
Juliette Bryant says not long after meeting Jeffrey Epstein, he assaulted her, and she realized, "this is not a modeling opportunity, I've been kidnapped."
www.aol.com
February 17, 2026 at 6:06 PM
“As the airplane took off, Epstein started touching me forcibly in between my legs, and I freaked out. I realized, this is not a modeling opportunity, I've been kidnapped. They whisked me away to the island. I was stuck there. They never arranged any modeling opportunities, I was completely conned."
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Visitors to our country should not face a digital shakedown. @wyden.senate.gov and I are calling on CBP to reverse its invasive proposal to collect five years of social media history from travelers from trusted partner nations.
February 13, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Visitors to our country should not face a digital shakedown. @wyden.senate.gov and I are calling on CBP to reverse its invasive proposal to collect five years of social media history from travelers from trusted partner nations.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
There was such hope.
Such pride.
Such joy in living to see that moment.
Such pride.
Such joy in living to see that moment.
I saw the news of Obama’s election in 2008 on a TV in the Harvard Graduate School of Education library, where I was helping close up after a work study shift.
As y’all know, I’m contractually neutral on politics. But when I saw Jesse Jackson weeping, I lost it. youtu.be/Dgs8siSNXNU?...
As y’all know, I’m contractually neutral on politics. But when I saw Jesse Jackson weeping, I lost it. youtu.be/Dgs8siSNXNU?...
Rev. Jesse Jackson weeps in Grant Park after Barack Obama elected president in 2008
YouTube video by CBS Chicago
youtu.be
February 17, 2026 at 6:32 PM
There was such hope.
Such pride.
Such joy in living to see that moment.
Such pride.
Such joy in living to see that moment.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Trump’s propaganda czar Brendan Carr and Trump-controlled CBS refused to let Colbert air his interview with James Talarico. You can watch the interview here, and it already has 1.4M views. youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?...
Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
youtu.be
February 17, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Trump’s propaganda czar Brendan Carr and Trump-controlled CBS refused to let Colbert air his interview with James Talarico. You can watch the interview here, and it already has 1.4M views. youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?...
Reposted by Richard Silvia
The mass censorship this administration is doing is happening in big ways (Colbert) + countless medium and small ways that many people are not allowed to say because their employer has forbidden them; they won’t risk losing their job to speak up. There are lists of forbidden words & images.
February 17, 2026 at 4:12 PM
The mass censorship this administration is doing is happening in big ways (Colbert) + countless medium and small ways that many people are not allowed to say because their employer has forbidden them; they won’t risk losing their job to speak up. There are lists of forbidden words & images.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
History teaches us that the greatest harms often begin with the quiet acceptance of the unacceptable. I have seen where that road leads, and I will not walk it again without resistance.
February 17, 2026 at 5:51 PM
History teaches us that the greatest harms often begin with the quiet acceptance of the unacceptable. I have seen where that road leads, and I will not walk it again without resistance.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Radley Balko: The Democrats' demands to "reform" Trump's immigration thugs aren't reforms at all. They're already the law, the Constitution, and widely accepted police practices. And in a free society, they'd never be negotiable.
The Constitution is not a bargaining chip for a budget negotiation
The Democrats demanded that Trump's immigration cops follow the law and the Constitution. The Republicans called those demands "nonstarters."
open.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Radley Balko: The Democrats' demands to "reform" Trump's immigration thugs aren't reforms at all. They're already the law, the Constitution, and widely accepted police practices. And in a free society, they'd never be negotiable.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Florida: we deported all your hard working employees, but have no fear, we're bringing back child labor to fix it.
Seems like Democrats have all sorts of messaging opportunities here
Seems like Democrats have all sorts of messaging opportunities here
Florida AG James Uthmeier: "We need to focus on getting people into the workforce even earlier. We passed legislation last year to help high school students get their hands dirty and get on job sites more quickly."
February 17, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Florida: we deported all your hard working employees, but have no fear, we're bringing back child labor to fix it.
Seems like Democrats have all sorts of messaging opportunities here
Seems like Democrats have all sorts of messaging opportunities here
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Tricia McLaughlin is reportedly out at DHS, according to multiple sources. She’s a very close ally of Noem.
That news, plus stories like the below which are coming out daily, strongly suggest the knives are clearly out for Noem inside DHS.
That news, plus stories like the below which are coming out daily, strongly suggest the knives are clearly out for Noem inside DHS.
February 17, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Tricia McLaughlin is reportedly out at DHS, according to multiple sources. She’s a very close ally of Noem.
That news, plus stories like the below which are coming out daily, strongly suggest the knives are clearly out for Noem inside DHS.
That news, plus stories like the below which are coming out daily, strongly suggest the knives are clearly out for Noem inside DHS.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
I don’t think anyone acquainted with the Epstein files can deny that the Republican Party is sincerely committed to putting children to work.
Florida AG James Uthmeier: "We need to focus on getting people into the workforce even earlier. We passed legislation last year to help high school students get their hands dirty and get on job sites more quickly."
February 17, 2026 at 4:36 PM
I don’t think anyone acquainted with the Epstein files can deny that the Republican Party is sincerely committed to putting children to work.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
In a way, not surprising at all. Public officials like Dr. Birx (who was actually a respected expert on AIDS before Covid) and Fauci often restrained Trump's impulses and Trump hated it. He believes Covid cost him the election (and it did). His new appointees are a revenge against public health.
Not only did Trump fail to learn any lessons from covid, but his public health policies have somehow gotten far more dangerous and destructive in Trump 2.0. God forbid he and RFK Jr have to handle a global pandemic. We'll be pining for the days of Dr. Birx.
Trump somehow got worse on public health after covid
He's incapable of learning lessons and actively resists it.
www.publicnotice.co
February 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM
In a way, not surprising at all. Public officials like Dr. Birx (who was actually a respected expert on AIDS before Covid) and Fauci often restrained Trump's impulses and Trump hated it. He believes Covid cost him the election (and it did). His new appointees are a revenge against public health.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Here is what Democracy Docket is tracking for you today:
Active Voting Rights Cases: 166
Active Redistricting Cases: 49
Active Anti-Voting Cases: 89
Active Pro-Voting Cases: 73
Active DOJ Lawsuits: 24
Stay informed. Subscribe today. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
Active Voting Rights Cases: 166
Active Redistricting Cases: 49
Active Anti-Voting Cases: 89
Active Pro-Voting Cases: 73
Active DOJ Lawsuits: 24
Stay informed. Subscribe today. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
February 17, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Here is what Democracy Docket is tracking for you today:
Active Voting Rights Cases: 166
Active Redistricting Cases: 49
Active Anti-Voting Cases: 89
Active Pro-Voting Cases: 73
Active DOJ Lawsuits: 24
Stay informed. Subscribe today. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
Active Voting Rights Cases: 166
Active Redistricting Cases: 49
Active Anti-Voting Cases: 89
Active Pro-Voting Cases: 73
Active DOJ Lawsuits: 24
Stay informed. Subscribe today. hubs.ly/Q03M8rql0
Excellent American Conversation: @katebarrcanwin.bsky.social and @hcrichardson.bsky.social —I call this a demonstration of hope for the time we are living in. This is how we reclaim civil society, in my eyes.
www.youtube.com/live/_WwKZH7...
www.youtube.com/live/_WwKZH7...
American Conversations: Kate Barr
YouTube video by Heather Cox Richardson
www.youtube.com
February 17, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Excellent American Conversation: @katebarrcanwin.bsky.social and @hcrichardson.bsky.social —I call this a demonstration of hope for the time we are living in. This is how we reclaim civil society, in my eyes.
www.youtube.com/live/_WwKZH7...
www.youtube.com/live/_WwKZH7...
This campaign is a demonstration of hope. I just watched her interview with Heather Cox Richardson. Highly recommend ⬇️
Early voting starts TODAY.
And in District 14, the primary is the election that actually decides who goes to Congress.
Because of gerrymandered maps, the general is basically predetermined. The Republican primary is the real contest. So here’s how you vote for me 🧵
And in District 14, the primary is the election that actually decides who goes to Congress.
Because of gerrymandered maps, the general is basically predetermined. The Republican primary is the real contest. So here’s how you vote for me 🧵
February 17, 2026 at 4:46 PM
This campaign is a demonstration of hope. I just watched her interview with Heather Cox Richardson. Highly recommend ⬇️
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Tomorrow I get to ask one of my favorite thinkers alllll about political parties. (I have so many questions.)
If you are also a nerd, fan, and/or want to understand what on earth is happening right now, I hope you’ll join us!
Live on HCR’s YouTube channel and Facebook tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11am
If you are also a nerd, fan, and/or want to understand what on earth is happening right now, I hope you’ll join us!
Live on HCR’s YouTube channel and Facebook tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11am
February 17, 2026 at 3:04 AM
Tomorrow I get to ask one of my favorite thinkers alllll about political parties. (I have so many questions.)
If you are also a nerd, fan, and/or want to understand what on earth is happening right now, I hope you’ll join us!
Live on HCR’s YouTube channel and Facebook tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11am
If you are also a nerd, fan, and/or want to understand what on earth is happening right now, I hope you’ll join us!
Live on HCR’s YouTube channel and Facebook tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11am
Reposted by Richard Silvia
“Moral panic” is the projection of half baked media hosts, journalists, and networks beholden to the thugs that own them.
America has much better to offer should we decide to get off our asses and do something about it.
America has much better to offer should we decide to get off our asses and do something about it.
February 17, 2026 at 4:13 PM
“Moral panic” is the projection of half baked media hosts, journalists, and networks beholden to the thugs that own them.
America has much better to offer should we decide to get off our asses and do something about it.
America has much better to offer should we decide to get off our asses and do something about it.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Reposted by Richard Silvia
As an attorney with occasional experience with the Equal Time rule, I can explain what's going on here and how the FCC's Brandon Carr is leveraging his position to force late night and daytime talk show hosts to exclude Democratic candidates.
First I need to explain the Equal Time rule itself. 1/
First I need to explain the Equal Time rule itself. 1/
Stephen Colbert said that the FCC and CBS - which is in no way a compromised or complicit organization - wouldn’t allow him to broadcast an interview with Democratic State Rep James Talarico. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/a...
Colbert Doesn’t Give an FCC About Calling Out CBS
www.nytimes.com
February 17, 2026 at 1:37 PM
As an attorney with occasional experience with the Equal Time rule, I can explain what's going on here and how the FCC's Brandon Carr is leveraging his position to force late night and daytime talk show hosts to exclude Democratic candidates.
First I need to explain the Equal Time rule itself. 1/
First I need to explain the Equal Time rule itself. 1/
Reposted by Richard Silvia
1. Major corporations — including General Motors, State Farm, JPMorgan Chase, Delta, and Microsoft — are bankrolling a political ad from Senate candidate Andy Barr featuring a white nationalist slogan.
Major corporations bankroll political ad featuring white supremacist slogan
Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY), who is running to replace Mitch McConnell in the United States Senate, released his first television ad earlier this month.
popular.info
February 17, 2026 at 1:43 PM
1. Major corporations — including General Motors, State Farm, JPMorgan Chase, Delta, and Microsoft — are bankrolling a political ad from Senate candidate Andy Barr featuring a white nationalist slogan.
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Does that seem fair to you?
February 16, 2026 at 11:11 PM
Does that seem fair to you?
Reposted by Richard Silvia
When your university gets rid of the diversity office and the vice chancellor overseeing it… who do you call to report white supremacist stickers on campus?
February 17, 2026 at 1:54 PM
When your university gets rid of the diversity office and the vice chancellor overseeing it… who do you call to report white supremacist stickers on campus?
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Trump’s FCC pressured CBS into not airing Stephen Colbert’s interview of James Talarico.
Here it is on YouTube. Worth watching.
youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?...
Here it is on YouTube. Worth watching.
youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?...
Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislatu…
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
youtu.be
February 17, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Trump’s FCC pressured CBS into not airing Stephen Colbert’s interview of James Talarico.
Here it is on YouTube. Worth watching.
youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?...
Here it is on YouTube. Worth watching.
youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?...
Something from my archives, circa 2018. And the fight goes on…
—YesRising
—YesRising
February 17, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Something from my archives, circa 2018. And the fight goes on…
—YesRising
—YesRising
Reposted by Richard Silvia
Reposted by Richard Silvia
gotta do investigations into DHS “waste, fraud and abuse” as pretext for killing the agency
The interior of Kristi Noem’s new billionaire-class luxury jet is complete with two bidets and a wet bar with a wine chiller. It will be purchased on our dime from the slush fund Congress approved in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
open.substack.com/pub/newsnotn...
open.substack.com/pub/newsnotn...
Let Them Fly First Class: Kristi Noem’s DHS Luxury Jet Scandal
Inside Noem's flying palace. Plus: Pentagon demands obedient, deadly AI. The race to deploy untested nuclear reactors. Lawmakers move to rein in presidential pardons. And remembering Robert Duvall.
open.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:53 AM
gotta do investigations into DHS “waste, fraud and abuse” as pretext for killing the agency