Ben Friedman
@fish-husband.bsky.social
Dad to teenager, Fish-husband, Aussie-adjacent, Small Business-owner, Pit-heeler-dad, Gardening, Recovering Aid Worker, RPCV
📍DMV (Washington, DC & Greenbelt, MD) via Chicago, Kentucky, London, Ecuador, Honduras, Afghanistan, Jakarta
📍DMV (Washington, DC & Greenbelt, MD) via Chicago, Kentucky, London, Ecuador, Honduras, Afghanistan, Jakarta
Reposted by Ben Friedman
Interesting piece in @columjournreview.bsky.social by PolitiFact founder Bill Adair..
www.cjr.org/analysis/pol...
Which confirms what many of us have been saying ABOUT 'fact-check' features and "critics say"/"both-sides" coverage for decades now.
(And they have ignored or huffily denied.)
www.cjr.org/analysis/pol...
Which confirms what many of us have been saying ABOUT 'fact-check' features and "critics say"/"both-sides" coverage for decades now.
(And they have ignored or huffily denied.)
May 7, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Interesting piece in @columjournreview.bsky.social by PolitiFact founder Bill Adair..
www.cjr.org/analysis/pol...
Which confirms what many of us have been saying ABOUT 'fact-check' features and "critics say"/"both-sides" coverage for decades now.
(And they have ignored or huffily denied.)
www.cjr.org/analysis/pol...
Which confirms what many of us have been saying ABOUT 'fact-check' features and "critics say"/"both-sides" coverage for decades now.
(And they have ignored or huffily denied.)
A shameful disgrace.
March 1, 2025 at 2:03 AM
A shameful disgrace.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
Not a bad idea -- if House Republicans refuse to hold town halls in their congressional districts, local Democrats should set one of their own up.
Every Democrat who lost in a district in 2024 should hold a town hall if those Republicans won't.
February 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Not a bad idea -- if House Republicans refuse to hold town halls in their congressional districts, local Democrats should set one of their own up.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
Hakeem Jeffries is in no way shape or form the man for the moment. And so many of us have known this for a long time.
Would it be good for NYC if fmr Gov. Andrew Cuomo gets into the Mayor's race?
"I think he'd be a candidate that a lot of people, as I've heard from the district that I represent, would be very interested in checking out," Dem Leader Jeffries tells me.
"I think he'd be a candidate that a lot of people, as I've heard from the district that I represent, would be very interested in checking out," Dem Leader Jeffries tells me.
February 26, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Hakeem Jeffries is in no way shape or form the man for the moment. And so many of us have known this for a long time.
Jon Stewart literally out here bleeding for us.
Jon Stewart Reworks Trump & Elon’s Sweeping DOGE Budget Cuts
youtu.be/utl2uLh1wVI
youtu.be/utl2uLh1wVI
Jon Stewart Reworks Trump & Elon’s Sweeping DOGE Budget Cuts | The Daily Show
YouTube video by The Daily Show
youtu.be
February 26, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Jon Stewart literally out here bleeding for us.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
“You’re terminated because…?”
Fired federal employees are telling their stories—no deep state, just career public servants tossed aside.
DOGE’s mass firings aren’t about efficiency—they’re gutting expertise, wrecking lives, and calling it “reform.”
Fired federal employees are telling their stories—no deep state, just career public servants tossed aside.
DOGE’s mass firings aren’t about efficiency—they’re gutting expertise, wrecking lives, and calling it “reform.”
February 26, 2025 at 1:26 AM
“You’re terminated because…?”
Fired federal employees are telling their stories—no deep state, just career public servants tossed aside.
DOGE’s mass firings aren’t about efficiency—they’re gutting expertise, wrecking lives, and calling it “reform.”
Fired federal employees are telling their stories—no deep state, just career public servants tossed aside.
DOGE’s mass firings aren’t about efficiency—they’re gutting expertise, wrecking lives, and calling it “reform.”
If you read one thing today, let it be this piece that explains the how and the WHY of the dismantling of the USG.
This appears to be the Musk/doge playbook almost to the letter.
Yarvin says this in a podcast. “The speed that this happens with has to take everyone’s breath away. It should execute at a rate that totally baffles its enemies.”
By “enemies” he means we the people!
This has to be stopped asap!
Yarvin says this in a podcast. “The speed that this happens with has to take everyone’s breath away. It should execute at a rate that totally baffles its enemies.”
By “enemies” he means we the people!
This has to be stopped asap!
The philosophy behind DOGE: Curtis Yarvin and the Butterfly Revolution
Last week, KeepTrack documented the steps Elon Musk is taking to unilaterally shut down government agencies.
keeptrack.substack.com
February 26, 2025 at 4:29 AM
If you read one thing today, let it be this piece that explains the how and the WHY of the dismantling of the USG.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
There are moments in politics where the math is simple. This is one of them. The budget bill that just cleared the Senate now moves to the House, where Republicans hold a narrow 218-215 majority.
jimvincent.us/the-house-go...
jimvincent.us/the-house-go...
The House GOP Budget Hinges on Two Votes—17 Are at Risk
The House Republican majority is razor-thin—218 to 215—and if just two Republicans fail to vote for this budget, it collapses. The bill slashes Medicaid by $880 billion, guts agricultural support, and weakens defense contracts, directly harming seniors, farmers, and workers in districts where representatives won by the narrowest margins. Trump does not vote in their districts, but the people who will suffer under this budget do.
jimvincent.us
February 25, 2025 at 9:06 AM
There are moments in politics where the math is simple. This is one of them. The budget bill that just cleared the Senate now moves to the House, where Republicans hold a narrow 218-215 majority.
jimvincent.us/the-house-go...
jimvincent.us/the-house-go...
Reposted by Ben Friedman
This morning at Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HQ in DC as mandatory return to office began, this video played on loop for ~5 mins on screens throughout the building, per agency source.
Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.
Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.
February 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
This morning at Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HQ in DC as mandatory return to office began, this video played on loop for ~5 mins on screens throughout the building, per agency source.
Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.
Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
I worked hard for years to help USAID/ West Africa and USAID/ Washington make good decisions about the use of its resources. I’m devastated for the career civil servants and Foreign Service employees who are hurt by this administration’s harmful actions. And perhaps worse for the people they serve.
BREAKING: Nearly all USAID direct hires are being placed on leave tonight at midnight. My latest with Fatma Tanis at @npr.org:
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
Trump officials will put 4,700 USAID employees on leave and eliminate 1,600 jobs
The decision comes in the wake of a judge's ruling that such a move will not cause irreparable harm to the employees. There will be exceptions for several hundred employees in roles deemed critical.
www.npr.org
February 24, 2025 at 3:39 AM
I worked hard for years to help USAID/ West Africa and USAID/ Washington make good decisions about the use of its resources. I’m devastated for the career civil servants and Foreign Service employees who are hurt by this administration’s harmful actions. And perhaps worse for the people they serve.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
DOGE recommended firing workers at:
-FDA, which oversees Neuralink
-FAA, which oversees SpaceX
-USAID, which probed Starlink
-CFPB, which oversees Tesla's financing arm and a potential payment platform on X.
"Conflict of interest" is a severe understatement.
-FDA, which oversees Neuralink
-FAA, which oversees SpaceX
-USAID, which probed Starlink
-CFPB, which oversees Tesla's financing arm and a potential payment platform on X.
"Conflict of interest" is a severe understatement.
February 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
DOGE recommended firing workers at:
-FDA, which oversees Neuralink
-FAA, which oversees SpaceX
-USAID, which probed Starlink
-CFPB, which oversees Tesla's financing arm and a potential payment platform on X.
"Conflict of interest" is a severe understatement.
-FDA, which oversees Neuralink
-FAA, which oversees SpaceX
-USAID, which probed Starlink
-CFPB, which oversees Tesla's financing arm and a potential payment platform on X.
"Conflict of interest" is a severe understatement.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
Could someone place an order for 100 more Jasmine Crocketts for overnight delivery to the Democratic Party
thx in advance
thx in advance
Crockett: "It's just that they're idiots. These are the same guys as it relates to our nuclear stockpile, they're like, 'Oh, wait a minute, we needed those guys? Can we get them back? Oh, we don't know how to.' I don't know how anyone can look at this administration & feel a semblance of confidence"
February 19, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Could someone place an order for 100 more Jasmine Crocketts for overnight delivery to the Democratic Party
thx in advance
thx in advance
WTF is going on with all these plane crashes??
February 18, 2025 at 1:09 AM
WTF is going on with all these plane crashes??
Indirect costs are are quite literally the "costs of doing business" and anyone who understands government contracts also knows that these costs are not arbitrary but are based on actual audited expenses.
NIH funding is a matter of life or death
Johns Hopkins psychiatrist Paul Nestadt says cutting NIH funding for suicide prevention research is 'not just a fiscal decision—it's a threat to human lives'
hub.jhu.edu
February 17, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Indirect costs are are quite literally the "costs of doing business" and anyone who understands government contracts also knows that these costs are not arbitrary but are based on actual audited expenses.
Is there anybody with any significant platform looking into this?
I think we might know where all the missing Dem ballots went
This is Ethan Shaotran. He's one of Musk's DOGE takeover hackers
2 yrs ago he won the Berkeley AI Hackathon
But in 2000 won the HackGT7 with a ballot altering program called BallotProof
Here's the deep dive that he couldn't scrub....
This is Ethan Shaotran. He's one of Musk's DOGE takeover hackers
2 yrs ago he won the Berkeley AI Hackathon
But in 2000 won the HackGT7 with a ballot altering program called BallotProof
Here's the deep dive that he couldn't scrub....
February 13, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Is there anybody with any significant platform looking into this?
Reposted by Ben Friedman
This is an absolute scandal.
Trump and Marco Rubio abandoned American workers and their families abroad, delaying waivers to provide for their safe return to the United States.
As these civil servants lost their possessions, housing, and money, Elon Musk was slandering them with bogus accusations.
Trump and Marco Rubio abandoned American workers and their families abroad, delaying waivers to provide for their safe return to the United States.
As these civil servants lost their possessions, housing, and money, Elon Musk was slandering them with bogus accusations.
Via Robbie Gramer at Politico, in a legal filing a USAID employee details trying to leave Kinshasa, Congo with their family and leaving their possessions behidn amid panic created by Trump and Musk's sudden shutdown of the agency
February 12, 2025 at 10:26 PM
This is an absolute scandal.
Trump and Marco Rubio abandoned American workers and their families abroad, delaying waivers to provide for their safe return to the United States.
As these civil servants lost their possessions, housing, and money, Elon Musk was slandering them with bogus accusations.
Trump and Marco Rubio abandoned American workers and their families abroad, delaying waivers to provide for their safe return to the United States.
As these civil servants lost their possessions, housing, and money, Elon Musk was slandering them with bogus accusations.
Every little bit helps I guess ... www.devex.com/news/devex-n...
Devex Newswire: Legal pressure on Trump’s foreign aid freeze ramps up
The latest lawsuit against Trump’s foreign aid freeze; the data on how much funding is affected by the U.S. aid halting; and WFP resumes food aid delivery.
www.devex.com
February 11, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Every little bit helps I guess ... www.devex.com/news/devex-n...
Reposted by Ben Friedman
The Judge's order blocking Trump from putting 2,200 USAID workers on administrative leave and reinstating the 500 that were already on administrative leave. My latest: www.muellershewrote.com/p/judge-nich...
Judge Nichols' Order Blocking Trump From Gutting USAID
It's been a minute since I wrote about a court order, but this one is really good
www.muellershewrote.com
February 8, 2025 at 5:52 AM
The Judge's order blocking Trump from putting 2,200 USAID workers on administrative leave and reinstating the 500 that were already on administrative leave. My latest: www.muellershewrote.com/p/judge-nich...
And we have motive.
Elon Musk's Enemy, USAID, Was Investigating Starlink Over Its Contracts in Ukraine https://gizmodo.com/elon-musks-enemy-usaid-was-investigating-starlink-over-its-contracts-in-ukraine-2000559365
Elon Musk's Enemy, USAID, Was Investigating Starlink Over Its Contracts in Ukraine
The agency was in the midst of a probe into the billionaire's company at the time of Musk's assault.
gizmodo.com
February 6, 2025 at 3:08 AM
And we have motive.
Reposted by Ben Friedman
(h/t: @the.language.nerds)
February 3, 2025 at 12:05 PM
(h/t: @the.language.nerds)
Reposted by Ben Friedman
This is not just a coup and a Constitutional crisis. It is a national security catastrophe for the United States from which there is no assurance we will ever fully recover. Not hyperbole. If foreign enemies had landed troops on our shores it’s unlikely they would’ve done as much damage as fast.
February 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM
This is not just a coup and a Constitutional crisis. It is a national security catastrophe for the United States from which there is no assurance we will ever fully recover. Not hyperbole. If foreign enemies had landed troops on our shores it’s unlikely they would’ve done as much damage as fast.
Kudos to Wired for figuring this out.
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover | WIRED search.app/hJv9GXnH4z9L...
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover | WIRED search.app/hJv9GXnH4z9L...
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover
Engineers between 19 and 24, most linked to Musk’s companies, are playing a key role as he seizes control of federal infrastructure.
search.app
February 3, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Kudos to Wired for figuring this out.
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover | WIRED search.app/hJv9GXnH4z9L...
The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk’s Government Takeover | WIRED search.app/hJv9GXnH4z9L...
Who are these people??
It really feels like the media should drill down on this last bit.
We see “DOGE personnel,” but it’s not clear what that means. This seems like something that should be verifiable by reporters, and if it can’t be, that’s a problem and a big story.
We see “DOGE personnel,” but it’s not clear what that means. This seems like something that should be verifiable by reporters, and if it can’t be, that’s a problem and a big story.
3/ different pieces fit together. There also seems to be a significant amount of downloading government data onto private servers, etc, totally outside any cybersecurity regime. Additionally it’s unclear to the people inside whether the people doing these things actually work for the US govt…
February 2, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Who are these people??
Watching @markwarner.bsky.social on CBS Face the Nation and he is so measured and reasonable and I just want to scream at the teevee: GET ANGRY AND UNREASONABLE!!
February 2, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Watching @markwarner.bsky.social on CBS Face the Nation and he is so measured and reasonable and I just want to scream at the teevee: GET ANGRY AND UNREASONABLE!!