Joe
@joefender85.bsky.social
Journalist. Univ of Iowa grad. Opinions are my own.
I have cats and a dog living together. Yes, it is mass hysteria.
I have cats and a dog living together. Yes, it is mass hysteria.
This is just not true. They've passed very little legislation, long recesses, government shutdown. This Congress will be lucky to surpass the 118th assembly, which was historically inactive in 2023.
Mike Johnson: "We've had one of the most productive Congresses in the history of the institution."
December 5, 2025 at 3:34 PM
This is just not true. They've passed very little legislation, long recesses, government shutdown. This Congress will be lucky to surpass the 118th assembly, which was historically inactive in 2023.
The lethal strike on survivors of a U.S. attack on a Venezuelan boat alleged to be trafficking drugs is a textbook example of an illegal order, experts told UPI.
Venezuelan boat strike on survivors ‘textbook example’ of illegal order, experts say - UPI.com
Military law experts say the U.S. military's lethal strike on Venezuelans clinging to debris is a textbook example of carrying out an illegal order.
www.upi.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:10 PM
The lethal strike on survivors of a U.S. attack on a Venezuelan boat alleged to be trafficking drugs is a textbook example of an illegal order, experts told UPI.
President Donald Trump's calls to ramp up nuclear weapons testing last week have put nuclear watchdogs and world leaders on alert while experts say the United States has little to gain.
Experts warn explosive nuclear testing would trigger escalation - UPI.com
President Donald Trump's calls to ramp up nuclear weapons testing have put nuclear watchdogs on alert while experts say the United States has little to gain.
www.upi.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
President Donald Trump's calls to ramp up nuclear weapons testing last week have put nuclear watchdogs and world leaders on alert while experts say the United States has little to gain.
More than 40 million people may be without access to adequate food beginning Saturday if the government shutdown continues.
Food banks feeling strain ahead of potential SNAP lapse - UPI.com
Local food banks and pantries across the country are seeing increases in need due to layoffs and government workers being furloughed during the shutdown.
www.upi.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:43 PM
More than 40 million people may be without access to adequate food beginning Saturday if the government shutdown continues.
Winter is coming for farmers in the Midwest and the long, cold months will be filled with questions about how to keep producing.
The beef market has been the bright spot for farmers but that may change with President Trump's plan to purchase from Argentina and rhetoric blaming ranchers for prices.
The beef market has been the bright spot for farmers but that may change with President Trump's plan to purchase from Argentina and rhetoric blaming ranchers for prices.
Shutdown, Trump's beef deal compound troubles for farmers - UPI.com
American farmers are facing difficult operating decisions as winter approaches due to tariffs, U.S. trade policies, high input costs and global competition.
www.upi.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Winter is coming for farmers in the Midwest and the long, cold months will be filled with questions about how to keep producing.
The beef market has been the bright spot for farmers but that may change with President Trump's plan to purchase from Argentina and rhetoric blaming ranchers for prices.
The beef market has been the bright spot for farmers but that may change with President Trump's plan to purchase from Argentina and rhetoric blaming ranchers for prices.
The push for "energy dominance" by opening up public lands to more drilling runs counter to the way the energy industry is moving, experts told me while putting this story together. There are not solid answers about what happens to the land when the drilling stops.
Most public land already open to energy production; Trump wants more - UPI.com
The Trump administration has vowed to open up public land to usher in an age of American energy dominance but in the West there is little frontier left.
www.upi.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:24 PM
The push for "energy dominance" by opening up public lands to more drilling runs counter to the way the energy industry is moving, experts told me while putting this story together. There are not solid answers about what happens to the land when the drilling stops.
Doctors expect to continue prescribing acetaminophen as usual for pain and fever management during pregnancy.
The Trump administration's position that there is a link between Tylenol use and autism has caused fear and confusion among patients, despite no new evidence supporting the claim.
The Trump administration's position that there is a link between Tylenol use and autism has caused fear and confusion among patients, despite no new evidence supporting the claim.
Doctors can continue recommending Tylenol despite FDA announcement - UPI.com
Healthcare professionals maintain that acetaminophen is safe to use at recommended doses during pregnancy, despite the Trump claiming it is linked to autism.
www.upi.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Doctors expect to continue prescribing acetaminophen as usual for pain and fever management during pregnancy.
The Trump administration's position that there is a link between Tylenol use and autism has caused fear and confusion among patients, despite no new evidence supporting the claim.
The Trump administration's position that there is a link between Tylenol use and autism has caused fear and confusion among patients, despite no new evidence supporting the claim.
Reposted by Joe
1/ DEVELOPING: A journalist was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital following another incident with an ICE agent at 26 Federal Plaza, an immigration court in NYC. The last I heard, he was getting X-rays for his lower back.
September 30, 2025 at 6:37 PM
1/ DEVELOPING: A journalist was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital following another incident with an ICE agent at 26 Federal Plaza, an immigration court in NYC. The last I heard, he was getting X-rays for his lower back.
The deal to keep TikTok available to users in the U.S. seems on the surface to meet the requirements laid out by Congress last year: U.S. ownership, operation and oversight.
It also raises new concerns about propaganda and misinformation. But potentially serving new propagandists.
It also raises new concerns about propaganda and misinformation. But potentially serving new propagandists.
TikTok deal answers some concerns, raises others - UPI.com
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to keep TikTok active for 170 million U.S. users with U.S. investors owning 80% of the company.
www.upi.com
September 26, 2025 at 8:53 PM
The deal to keep TikTok available to users in the U.S. seems on the surface to meet the requirements laid out by Congress last year: U.S. ownership, operation and oversight.
It also raises new concerns about propaganda and misinformation. But potentially serving new propagandists.
It also raises new concerns about propaganda and misinformation. But potentially serving new propagandists.
President Trump is signing executive orders in the White House right now. On the TikTok EO he just signed, he named a few of the investors, including Rupert Murdoch and I believe I heard him say Mike Lindell.
September 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
President Trump is signing executive orders in the White House right now. On the TikTok EO he just signed, he named a few of the investors, including Rupert Murdoch and I believe I heard him say Mike Lindell.
Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air but FCC Chairman Carr and President Trump have still executed a pressure campaign that threatens free speech and it goes beyond late night shows.
Trump, Carr push boundaries of broadcast law, FCC authority - UPI.com
The FCC is prohibited from influencing network content but Chairman Brendan Carr and President Donald Trump have used pressure campaigns to test those limits.
www.upi.com
September 24, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Jimmy Kimmel is back on the air but FCC Chairman Carr and President Trump have still executed a pressure campaign that threatens free speech and it goes beyond late night shows.
Reposted by Joe
this is real, and yes that reply that is the head of the FCC
September 18, 2025 at 8:05 PM
this is real, and yes that reply that is the head of the FCC
U.S. immigration policies and the State Department's student visa revocations have international students looking to global competitors for their studies, setting the stage for economic losses and few jobs created in the United States.
Immigration policy drawing international students away from U.S. - UPI.com
The fall semester has arrived with fewer international students on campuses in the United States, due in part to the Trump administration's student visa policy.
www.upi.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:52 PM
U.S. immigration policies and the State Department's student visa revocations have international students looking to global competitors for their studies, setting the stage for economic losses and few jobs created in the United States.
Reposted by Joe
They just tear-gassed us. They tried to run us over in a van holding a peaceful protester. They shot us with pepper balls. They dragged another protester into the facility.
moments ago, ice agents again came out of the broadview detention/“professing” facility to escort a silver suv out of the lot.
one of the agents picked up and threw congressional candidate kat abughazaleh to the ground.
one of the agents picked up and threw congressional candidate kat abughazaleh to the ground.
September 19, 2025 at 1:54 PM
They just tear-gassed us. They tried to run us over in a van holding a peaceful protester. They shot us with pepper balls. They dragged another protester into the facility.
President Trump is pushing to bring prayer into public schools. A handful of states have passed laws to mandate religious symbols and teachings in public schools.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has started taking a different view on the subject of religion and public schools.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has started taking a different view on the subject of religion and public schools.
President Trump's school prayer proposal advances religious showdown - UPI.com
President Donald Trump announced his intention to bring prayer into public schools, furthering a push to place religious symbols and practices in schools.
www.upi.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
President Trump is pushing to bring prayer into public schools. A handful of states have passed laws to mandate religious symbols and teachings in public schools.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has started taking a different view on the subject of religion and public schools.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has started taking a different view on the subject of religion and public schools.
Reposted by Joe
Murder. He’s calling for the murder of people, a significant percentage of whom are veterans who served in our country’s military.
Brian Kilmeade endorses euthanizing homeless people: "Involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill them."
September 14, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Murder. He’s calling for the murder of people, a significant percentage of whom are veterans who served in our country’s military.
This new Street Fighter movie is going to make the JCVD movie look like The Godfather.
September 5, 2025 at 2:10 PM
This new Street Fighter movie is going to make the JCVD movie look like The Godfather.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' lame duck term looks just a little different after Democratic Senator-elect Catelin Drey's special election last week.
Experts and campaign operatives have different views of what the election result means. What is certain is some kind of change is coming to Iowa.
Experts and campaign operatives have different views of what the election result means. What is certain is some kind of change is coming to Iowa.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' lame duck term and a Democrats' special election win - UPI.com
A Democrat flipped an Iowa Senate seat for the second time this year in a state that has been won by President Donald Trump in the last three general elections.
www.upi.com
September 4, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' lame duck term looks just a little different after Democratic Senator-elect Catelin Drey's special election last week.
Experts and campaign operatives have different views of what the election result means. What is certain is some kind of change is coming to Iowa.
Experts and campaign operatives have different views of what the election result means. What is certain is some kind of change is coming to Iowa.
Reposted by Joe
BREAKING: Social Security Administration chief data officer and whistle-blower Charles Borges has resigned after bombshell report that SSA put highly-sensitive data at risk. He sent out an email to colleagues moments ago.
Here is the text of his email shared with me:
Here is the text of his email shared with me:
August 29, 2025 at 7:26 PM
BREAKING: Social Security Administration chief data officer and whistle-blower Charles Borges has resigned after bombshell report that SSA put highly-sensitive data at risk. He sent out an email to colleagues moments ago.
Here is the text of his email shared with me:
Here is the text of his email shared with me:
President Trump wants to end mail-in voting, which he has no authority to do. But his desire to change U.S. elections goes well beyond that. He has reduced the office that enforces many election laws, cut the budget for cybersecurity and sowed doubt in the system, experts say.
Mail-in voting latest target of Donald Trump's election ire - UPI.com
President Donald Trump's wish to end mail-in voting is only part of his grander vision for fundamentally changing the election process, experts say.
www.upi.com
August 27, 2025 at 1:42 PM
President Trump wants to end mail-in voting, which he has no authority to do. But his desire to change U.S. elections goes well beyond that. He has reduced the office that enforces many election laws, cut the budget for cybersecurity and sowed doubt in the system, experts say.
Reposted by Joe
After this, he was arrested by the US Secret Service.
August 25, 2025 at 11:30 PM
After this, he was arrested by the US Secret Service.
President Trump and Texas lawmakers' redistricting plan meant to increase Republicans' majority in Congress is setting the stage for a partisan arms race with California and other states ready to join the fray.
"What they're doing is unconstitutional," Justin Levitt told UPI.
"What they're doing is unconstitutional," Justin Levitt told UPI.
Texas redistricting sets course for partisan arms race - UPI.com
Texas Republicans are near passing a new congressional map, sparking a response from California and igniting a new battle between Republicans and Democrats.
www.upi.com
August 20, 2025 at 1:55 PM
President Trump and Texas lawmakers' redistricting plan meant to increase Republicans' majority in Congress is setting the stage for a partisan arms race with California and other states ready to join the fray.
"What they're doing is unconstitutional," Justin Levitt told UPI.
"What they're doing is unconstitutional," Justin Levitt told UPI.
President Donald Trump’s declaration of a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., has again placed military soldiers on the streets of an American city.
Guard deployment in Washington, D.C. 'desensitizing' to military presence - UPI.com
President Donald Trump's declaration of a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., has again placed military soldiers on the streets of an American city.
www.upi.com
August 18, 2025 at 2:29 PM
President Donald Trump’s declaration of a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., has again placed military soldiers on the streets of an American city.
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rehear a case that will likely have implications on the future of the Voting Rights Act and redistricting/gerrymandering cases.
A special focus is on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
A special focus is on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Supreme Court poised to rehear voting rights case - UPI.com
The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to rehear a redistricting case that will have implications on the Voting Rights Act when its next term begins in October.
www.upi.com
August 13, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rehear a case that will likely have implications on the future of the Voting Rights Act and redistricting/gerrymandering cases.
A special focus is on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
A special focus is on Justice Brett Kavanaugh.