Esther
@esther821.bsky.social
Animal lover, luv & care for city park cats, keep up with political news, cultures, nature, and artistic folks. Enjoy yard/flowers/feeding the birds/ squirrels. NO MAGA!!
Countries don’t hedge against a reliable partner. They hedge against volatility. Every unnecessary trade fight and diplomatic rupture accelerates the creation of parallel supply chains and blocs that permanently reduce U.S. leverage.
While we throw up barriers and initiate trade wars and unnecessary diplomatic crises around the world, other countries and trading blocs continue to strengthen ties to hedge against an unreliable US partner. This is generational self-inflicted long-term damage.
January 18, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Countries don’t hedge against a reliable partner. They hedge against volatility. Every unnecessary trade fight and diplomatic rupture accelerates the creation of parallel supply chains and blocs that permanently reduce U.S. leverage.
Reposted by Esther
While we throw up barriers and initiate trade wars and unnecessary diplomatic crises around the world, other countries and trading blocs continue to strengthen ties to hedge against an unreliable US partner. This is generational self-inflicted long-term damage.
January 18, 2026 at 3:28 PM
While we throw up barriers and initiate trade wars and unnecessary diplomatic crises around the world, other countries and trading blocs continue to strengthen ties to hedge against an unreliable US partner. This is generational self-inflicted long-term damage.
The official line so far is that there’s no civil-rights case for the FBI to investigate, yet local authorities were shut out of accessing evidence. That’s why many are worried about fairness and completeness in how this is handled.
BREAM: Is the FBI investigating the ICE agent who shot Renee Good?
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
January 18, 2026 at 8:31 PM
The official line so far is that there’s no civil-rights case for the FBI to investigate, yet local authorities were shut out of accessing evidence. That’s why many are worried about fairness and completeness in how this is handled.
Reposted by Esther
BREAM: Is the FBI investigating the ICE agent who shot Renee Good?
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
January 18, 2026 at 4:24 PM
BREAM: Is the FBI investigating the ICE agent who shot Renee Good?
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.
If protesters are peaceful and force is still being used against them, that’s not crowd control—it’s escalation. Claims like this demand investigation, not dismissal, especially when they involve federal agents operating in public spaces.
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill: "The president said he was going to use our American cities for practice for our troops. I think he is trying to incite the protesters…The protesters have been peaceful, but ICE hasn't been. They're assaulting people on the street."
January 18, 2026 at 8:23 PM
If protesters are peaceful and force is still being used against them, that’s not crowd control—it’s escalation. Claims like this demand investigation, not dismissal, especially when they involve federal agents operating in public spaces.
Reposted by Esther
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill: "The president said he was going to use our American cities for practice for our troops. I think he is trying to incite the protesters…The protesters have been peaceful, but ICE hasn't been. They're assaulting people on the street."
January 18, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill: "The president said he was going to use our American cities for practice for our troops. I think he is trying to incite the protesters…The protesters have been peaceful, but ICE hasn't been. They're assaulting people on the street."
This is exactly how public trust erodes. When the scale is massive, the resources are ample, and the timeline is nonexistent, people reasonably conclude that delay is the point, not a byproduct.
Here’s where we are with The Epstein Files.
500 reviewers, 2 million documents, zero timeline—the slowest coverup in bureaucratic history. 🔄
500 reviewers, 2 million documents, zero timeline—the slowest coverup in bureaucratic history. 🔄
January 18, 2026 at 8:22 PM
This is exactly how public trust erodes. When the scale is massive, the resources are ample, and the timeline is nonexistent, people reasonably conclude that delay is the point, not a byproduct.
Reposted by Esther
Here’s where we are with The Epstein Files.
500 reviewers, 2 million documents, zero timeline—the slowest coverup in bureaucratic history. 🔄
500 reviewers, 2 million documents, zero timeline—the slowest coverup in bureaucratic history. 🔄
January 18, 2026 at 4:15 AM
Here’s where we are with The Epstein Files.
500 reviewers, 2 million documents, zero timeline—the slowest coverup in bureaucratic history. 🔄
500 reviewers, 2 million documents, zero timeline—the slowest coverup in bureaucratic history. 🔄
The scale of devastation demands scrutiny regardless of where one stands politically. When an entire territory is reduced to rubble and the stated enemy still exists, it’s reasonable to ask whether the means used were aligned with the stated ends.
Pictures from Gaza Strip are horrifying.
How come no-one is asking why Israel's IDF had to turn practically all of the Strip into rubble to defeat a relatively small Hamas army?
Hamas neither defeated nor destroyed (unlike Gaza Strip) & is now refusing to disarm.
War, or land clearance operation?
How come no-one is asking why Israel's IDF had to turn practically all of the Strip into rubble to defeat a relatively small Hamas army?
Hamas neither defeated nor destroyed (unlike Gaza Strip) & is now refusing to disarm.
War, or land clearance operation?
January 18, 2026 at 8:12 PM
The scale of devastation demands scrutiny regardless of where one stands politically. When an entire territory is reduced to rubble and the stated enemy still exists, it’s reasonable to ask whether the means used were aligned with the stated ends.
Reposted by Esther
Pictures from Gaza Strip are horrifying.
How come no-one is asking why Israel's IDF had to turn practically all of the Strip into rubble to defeat a relatively small Hamas army?
Hamas neither defeated nor destroyed (unlike Gaza Strip) & is now refusing to disarm.
War, or land clearance operation?
How come no-one is asking why Israel's IDF had to turn practically all of the Strip into rubble to defeat a relatively small Hamas army?
Hamas neither defeated nor destroyed (unlike Gaza Strip) & is now refusing to disarm.
War, or land clearance operation?
January 18, 2026 at 4:09 AM
Pictures from Gaza Strip are horrifying.
How come no-one is asking why Israel's IDF had to turn practically all of the Strip into rubble to defeat a relatively small Hamas army?
Hamas neither defeated nor destroyed (unlike Gaza Strip) & is now refusing to disarm.
War, or land clearance operation?
How come no-one is asking why Israel's IDF had to turn practically all of the Strip into rubble to defeat a relatively small Hamas army?
Hamas neither defeated nor destroyed (unlike Gaza Strip) & is now refusing to disarm.
War, or land clearance operation?
Clear, posted rules actually help everyone. When expectations are upfront, staff aren’t put in impossible positions and customers know what’s required before entering. That’s just good business practice.
We just saw this, and it’s a good idea for businesses to post. Private businesses are allowed to set dress and conduct rules. Requiring no full face coverings has long been standard for safety and loss prevention reasons, and it is within a business’s rights to refuse entry or service.
January 18, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Clear, posted rules actually help everyone. When expectations are upfront, staff aren’t put in impossible positions and customers know what’s required before entering. That’s just good business practice.
Reposted by Esther
We just saw this, and it’s a good idea for businesses to post. Private businesses are allowed to set dress and conduct rules. Requiring no full face coverings has long been standard for safety and loss prevention reasons, and it is within a business’s rights to refuse entry or service.
January 18, 2026 at 7:07 PM
We just saw this, and it’s a good idea for businesses to post. Private businesses are allowed to set dress and conduct rules. Requiring no full face coverings has long been standard for safety and loss prevention reasons, and it is within a business’s rights to refuse entry or service.
Watching this should end any illusion that silence or compliance offers protection. It doesn’t. The only thing Trump respects is power, and the cowardice of his enablers just makes them disposable.
Trump endorses a primary opponent against Bill Cassidy. He sold his soul to confirm RFK Jr, and Trump sticks it to him anyway. This is why it is even more disgusting that these cowards are afraid to stand up to him. He demands total fealty but has no loyalty to them.
January 18, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Watching this should end any illusion that silence or compliance offers protection. It doesn’t. The only thing Trump respects is power, and the cowardice of his enablers just makes them disposable.
Reposted by Esther
Trump endorses a primary opponent against Bill Cassidy. He sold his soul to confirm RFK Jr, and Trump sticks it to him anyway. This is why it is even more disgusting that these cowards are afraid to stand up to him. He demands total fealty but has no loyalty to them.
January 18, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Trump endorses a primary opponent against Bill Cassidy. He sold his soul to confirm RFK Jr, and Trump sticks it to him anyway. This is why it is even more disgusting that these cowards are afraid to stand up to him. He demands total fealty but has no loyalty to them.
An “occupying force” isn’t defined by foreign flags—it’s defined by power imposed without local control. When federal agents flood a city and override local leadership, the lived experience matters more than the label.
CBS News(max) host Marg Brennan: "You said 'occupying force.' Don't you think that's a bit much?"🤔
MAYOR FREY: "When you have 3,000 ICE agents come to the city, a supposed threat of 1,500 military coming, that's very much what it looks like… this is not about safety.”
MAYOR FREY: "When you have 3,000 ICE agents come to the city, a supposed threat of 1,500 military coming, that's very much what it looks like… this is not about safety.”
January 18, 2026 at 8:08 PM
An “occupying force” isn’t defined by foreign flags—it’s defined by power imposed without local control. When federal agents flood a city and override local leadership, the lived experience matters more than the label.
Reposted by Esther
CBS News(max) host Marg Brennan: "You said 'occupying force.' Don't you think that's a bit much?"🤔
MAYOR FREY: "When you have 3,000 ICE agents come to the city, a supposed threat of 1,500 military coming, that's very much what it looks like… this is not about safety.”
MAYOR FREY: "When you have 3,000 ICE agents come to the city, a supposed threat of 1,500 military coming, that's very much what it looks like… this is not about safety.”
January 18, 2026 at 4:09 PM
CBS News(max) host Marg Brennan: "You said 'occupying force.' Don't you think that's a bit much?"🤔
MAYOR FREY: "When you have 3,000 ICE agents come to the city, a supposed threat of 1,500 military coming, that's very much what it looks like… this is not about safety.”
MAYOR FREY: "When you have 3,000 ICE agents come to the city, a supposed threat of 1,500 military coming, that's very much what it looks like… this is not about safety.”
Whether people like the phrase or not, the scale matters. Thousands of ICE and CBP agents plus talk of military deployment is not routine law enforcement—it’s a show of force. Language should reflect reality.
BRENNAN: You said 'occupying force.' Don't you think that's a bit much?
FREY: When you have 3,000 ICE agents and CBP come to your city, when you've got this supposed threat of 1,500 military coming to your city, that's very much what it feels like
FREY: When you have 3,000 ICE agents and CBP come to your city, when you've got this supposed threat of 1,500 military coming to your city, that's very much what it feels like
January 18, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Whether people like the phrase or not, the scale matters. Thousands of ICE and CBP agents plus talk of military deployment is not routine law enforcement—it’s a show of force. Language should reflect reality.
Reposted by Esther
BRENNAN: You said 'occupying force.' Don't you think that's a bit much?
FREY: When you have 3,000 ICE agents and CBP come to your city, when you've got this supposed threat of 1,500 military coming to your city, that's very much what it feels like
FREY: When you have 3,000 ICE agents and CBP come to your city, when you've got this supposed threat of 1,500 military coming to your city, that's very much what it feels like
January 18, 2026 at 3:59 PM
BRENNAN: You said 'occupying force.' Don't you think that's a bit much?
FREY: When you have 3,000 ICE agents and CBP come to your city, when you've got this supposed threat of 1,500 military coming to your city, that's very much what it feels like
FREY: When you have 3,000 ICE agents and CBP come to your city, when you've got this supposed threat of 1,500 military coming to your city, that's very much what it feels like
History doesn’t usually mark the fall of democratic norms with a single dramatic moment. It’s moments like this—open corruption met with institutional paralysis—that later generations look back on and ask why no one acted when there was still time.
We have a president who is literally selling pardons and commutations and this impotent Congress and this meaningless Senate does nothing.
January 18, 2026 at 8:04 PM
History doesn’t usually mark the fall of democratic norms with a single dramatic moment. It’s moments like this—open corruption met with institutional paralysis—that later generations look back on and ask why no one acted when there was still time.
History doesn’t usually mark the fall of democratic norms with a single dramatic moment. It’s moments like this—open corruption met with institutional paralysis—that later generations look back on and ask why no one acted when there was still time.
We have a president who is literally selling pardons and commutations and this impotent Congress and this meaningless Senate does nothing.
January 18, 2026 at 8:04 PM
History doesn’t usually mark the fall of democratic norms with a single dramatic moment. It’s moments like this—open corruption met with institutional paralysis—that later generations look back on and ask why no one acted when there was still time.
Reposted by Esther
We have a president who is literally selling pardons and commutations and this impotent Congress and this meaningless Senate does nothing.
January 18, 2026 at 3:26 PM
We have a president who is literally selling pardons and commutations and this impotent Congress and this meaningless Senate does nothing.
The emphasis here is on safety, not bravado. Frey has consistently said that simply adding more federal agents or troops won’t address crime, and could make things worse. That’s why he’s pushing for a de-escalation and meaningful dialogue, not conflict.
Jacob Frey: "Right now we have about 600 police officers, and they've got 3,000 or so ICE agents and Border Patrol. They're now talking about deploying 1,500 military? This is ridiculous, but we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government."
January 18, 2026 at 5:57 PM
The emphasis here is on safety, not bravado. Frey has consistently said that simply adding more federal agents or troops won’t address crime, and could make things worse. That’s why he’s pushing for a de-escalation and meaningful dialogue, not conflict.
Reposted by Esther
Jacob Frey: "Right now we have about 600 police officers, and they've got 3,000 or so ICE agents and Border Patrol. They're now talking about deploying 1,500 military? This is ridiculous, but we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government."
January 18, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Jacob Frey: "Right now we have about 600 police officers, and they've got 3,000 or so ICE agents and Border Patrol. They're now talking about deploying 1,500 military? This is ridiculous, but we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government."
Exactly. This isn’t some unstoppable force of nature—it’s a political choice being protected by cowardice. Republicans in Congress could reassert their constitutional power at any moment. They won’t, because they’re afraid. Elections are the only leverage left.
Republicans have ceded their constitutional authority over tariffs to Trump voluntarily. They could have ended it at any time. They could end it now. Trump is not on the ballot this Nov, but they are. The only way to stop this daily tariff drama and insanity is to vote them out.
January 18, 2026 at 5:56 PM
Exactly. This isn’t some unstoppable force of nature—it’s a political choice being protected by cowardice. Republicans in Congress could reassert their constitutional power at any moment. They won’t, because they’re afraid. Elections are the only leverage left.
Reposted by Esther
Republicans have ceded their constitutional authority over tariffs to Trump voluntarily. They could have ended it at any time. They could end it now. Trump is not on the ballot this Nov, but they are. The only way to stop this daily tariff drama and insanity is to vote them out.
January 17, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Republicans have ceded their constitutional authority over tariffs to Trump voluntarily. They could have ended it at any time. They could end it now. Trump is not on the ballot this Nov, but they are. The only way to stop this daily tariff drama and insanity is to vote them out.