Launce Rake
@launce.bsky.social
Occasional writer, disaster-responder, part-time cook and dilettante
This is extremely disturbing. It needs to be taken very seriously. It appears that they have been doing this systematically throughout multiple agencies.
www.narativ.org/p/whistle-bl...
www.narativ.org/p/whistle-bl...
Whistle Blower: Russian Breach of US Data Through DOGE Was Carried Out Over Starlink "Directly to Russia"
Daniel Berulis appeared on Rachel Maddow's news show with his attorney Andrew Bakaj
www.narativ.org
April 16, 2025 at 4:42 AM
This is extremely disturbing. It needs to be taken very seriously. It appears that they have been doing this systematically throughout multiple agencies.
www.narativ.org/p/whistle-bl...
www.narativ.org/p/whistle-bl...
Reposted by Launce Rake
A legal resident of New Hampshire was “violently interrogated” for hours, stripped naked, and forced into a cold shower. Given little food or water and prevented from taking medication, he collapsed and was hospitalized.
No One Is Safe From America’s Abusive Immigration Authorities Anymore
Even legal residents and tourists are being terrorized by Trump-emboldened officers at ICE and CBP.
newrepublic.com
March 20, 2025 at 10:35 PM
A legal resident of New Hampshire was “violently interrogated” for hours, stripped naked, and forced into a cold shower. Given little food or water and prevented from taking medication, he collapsed and was hospitalized.
Seriously. We have handed total oversight of essential federal government services to a man who publicly admits to using powerful psychoactive drugs on (at least) a weekly basis. Drug abusing leadership didn't help Nazi Germany, either.
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
What Ketamine Does to the Human Brain
Excessive use of the drug can make anyone feel like they rule the world.
www.theatlantic.com
March 13, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Seriously. We have handed total oversight of essential federal government services to a man who publicly admits to using powerful psychoactive drugs on (at least) a weekly basis. Drug abusing leadership didn't help Nazi Germany, either.
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
Who needs that fancy-pants European wine when we've got hardworking American chemists cooking up plenty of meth and bathtub fentanyl? America First!!!
March 13, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Who needs that fancy-pants European wine when we've got hardworking American chemists cooking up plenty of meth and bathtub fentanyl? America First!!!
The goal was clearly to make the vast majority of Americans dumber, poorer and sicker. Mission accomplished.
March 4, 2025 at 10:12 PM
The goal was clearly to make the vast majority of Americans dumber, poorer and sicker. Mission accomplished.
If another country decided to wage an undeclared war on the United States government and civilian population, it would look just like this. But I'm sure Russia has our best interests in mind.
March 4, 2025 at 9:35 PM
If another country decided to wage an undeclared war on the United States government and civilian population, it would look just like this. But I'm sure Russia has our best interests in mind.
Wall Street Journal: "The Dumbest Trade War in History." Tariffs for tariff's sake, with constantly shifting rationales. (How does taxing car parts curb American appetites for illegal drugs?) It makes Smoot-Hawley look carefully well-considered in comparison.
March 4, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Wall Street Journal: "The Dumbest Trade War in History." Tariffs for tariff's sake, with constantly shifting rationales. (How does taxing car parts curb American appetites for illegal drugs?) It makes Smoot-Hawley look carefully well-considered in comparison.
Reposted by Launce Rake
“This is going to be a massive loss of life overall,” a surgeon who formerly led USAID’s global health initiatives tells @gregsargent.bsky.social. “Children are likely already dying, and will clearly be dying in large numbers.”
Musk’s Purges Suddenly Take a Horrific Turn—and Wreck an Ugly MAGA Lie
We can now be depressingly confident that their mass cuts are killing people.
newrepublic.com
March 1, 2025 at 4:37 PM
“This is going to be a massive loss of life overall,” a surgeon who formerly led USAID’s global health initiatives tells @gregsargent.bsky.social. “Children are likely already dying, and will clearly be dying in large numbers.”
Reposted by Launce Rake
For anyone wondering why Donald Trump refuses to criticise Putin, while hectoring Zelenskyy, here is my piece about the US president's 1987 trip to Moscow. Trump's visit was arranged by the ... KGB. Extract comes from my #1 New York Times-bestselling book 'Collusion' www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
The Hidden History of Trump’s First Trip to Moscow
In 1987, a young real estate developer traveled to the Soviet Union. The KGB almost certainly made the trip happen.
www.politico.com
March 1, 2025 at 3:54 PM
For anyone wondering why Donald Trump refuses to criticise Putin, while hectoring Zelenskyy, here is my piece about the US president's 1987 trip to Moscow. Trump's visit was arranged by the ... KGB. Extract comes from my #1 New York Times-bestselling book 'Collusion' www.politico.com/magazine/sto...
Reposted by Launce Rake
This is one of the most shameful days in U.S. history. A weak, corrupt, deceitful, compromised Kremlinist U.S. president recruited his Yarvinist VP to gang up on a heroic ally on live TV. It devolved into a shouting match.
Why? This report explains _exactly_ why:
Why? This report explains _exactly_ why:
The Birth of the Trump Doctrine Lies in the 1987 Recruitment of Donald Trump By the KGB During His Trip to Moscow That Year
How Trump responded to his recruitment remains unclear. What is clear, however, is that it shaped his entrance into politics and his foreign policy in a way the world now ignores at its peril.
sethabramson.substack.com
February 28, 2025 at 6:37 PM
This is one of the most shameful days in U.S. history. A weak, corrupt, deceitful, compromised Kremlinist U.S. president recruited his Yarvinist VP to gang up on a heroic ally on live TV. It devolved into a shouting match.
Why? This report explains _exactly_ why:
Why? This report explains _exactly_ why:
Reposted by Launce Rake
Breaking News: David Johansen, who as frontman of the New York Dolls was in the vanguard of glam and punk rock, has died at 75.
David Johansen, Who Fronted the New York Dolls and More, Dies at 75
In the 1970s, he and the transgressive Dolls were proto-punk pioneers. He later refashioned himself as the pompadoured lounge lizard Buster Poindexter.
www.nytimes.com
March 1, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Breaking News: David Johansen, who as frontman of the New York Dolls was in the vanguard of glam and punk rock, has died at 75.
Reposted by Launce Rake
More than a dozen senior leaders at FEMA have been fired or have quit under President Trump, weeks ahead of hurricane season.
Senior Leaders Are Leaving FEMA
Along with about 1,000 rank-and-file workers, FEMA is losing some of the managers most experienced in handling emergency efforts.
www.nytimes.com
February 27, 2025 at 11:43 PM
More than a dozen senior leaders at FEMA have been fired or have quit under President Trump, weeks ahead of hurricane season.
The grift continues: FAA is taking a $2.4 billion contract, awarded 2 years ago to Verizon, and giving it to Musk's Starlink. Meanwhile, Musk has fired the FAA investigators who were looking into Musk's SpaceX for alleged safety violations. www.msn.com/en-us/news/t...
MSN
www.msn.com
February 28, 2025 at 12:39 AM
The grift continues: FAA is taking a $2.4 billion contract, awarded 2 years ago to Verizon, and giving it to Musk's Starlink. Meanwhile, Musk has fired the FAA investigators who were looking into Musk's SpaceX for alleged safety violations. www.msn.com/en-us/news/t...
The Trump administration isn't just pro-Russia. It's pro-virus as well.
The Trump administration has canceled an upcoming meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee, a move that could complicate efforts to produce flu shots in time for the upcoming season.
Trump Administration Cancels Meeting of FDA Vaccine Advisers, Risking Flu-Shot Delay
The Trump administration has canceled an upcoming meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee, a move that could complicate efforts to produce flu shots in time for the up...
www.bloomberg.com
February 27, 2025 at 4:43 AM
The Trump administration isn't just pro-Russia. It's pro-virus as well.
Grabbed my measles vax and a pad-kee-mao lunch special, extra spicy, with a large Thai iced tea, and enjoyed driving around so much on this glorious sunny spring day in Las Vegas, I almost forgot that our country is rapidly sliding into tyranny and depraved corruption.
February 26, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Grabbed my measles vax and a pad-kee-mao lunch special, extra spicy, with a large Thai iced tea, and enjoyed driving around so much on this glorious sunny spring day in Las Vegas, I almost forgot that our country is rapidly sliding into tyranny and depraved corruption.
Reposted by Launce Rake
So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
Elon Musk: "We will make mistakes. We won't be perfect ... so for example, with USAID, one of the things we accidentally canceled very briefly was ebola prevention."
February 26, 2025 at 10:41 PM
So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
Reposted by Launce Rake
ICYMI: DOGE’s *own data* show that approx 40% of its cuts are saving the government a grand total of… 🥁 $0 👀😬⤵️
40% of DOGE's cuts are... meaningless.
According to a new analysis by the Associated Press analyzing DOGE's own website, many of the Musk cuts have saved the US government a whopping $0.
@juliannemcshane.bsky.social reports:
According to a new analysis by the Associated Press analyzing DOGE's own website, many of the Musk cuts have saved the US government a whopping $0.
@juliannemcshane.bsky.social reports:
A new report reveals that 40% of Musk's cuts have saved a whopping $0. #elonmusk #doge #donaldtrump
YouTube video by Mother Jones
youtube.com
February 26, 2025 at 9:58 PM
ICYMI: DOGE’s *own data* show that approx 40% of its cuts are saving the government a grand total of… 🥁 $0 👀😬⤵️
"FDA's March meeting to select flu shot strains for 2025-2026 season has been canceled..." Drug companies need about 6 months to make shots in time for fall vax campaigns.
No flu strain selection, no flu vaccine, lots of sick people. A triumph for pathogens, courtesy of idiot conspiracy theorists.
No flu strain selection, no flu vaccine, lots of sick people. A triumph for pathogens, courtesy of idiot conspiracy theorists.
February 26, 2025 at 11:47 PM
"FDA's March meeting to select flu shot strains for 2025-2026 season has been canceled..." Drug companies need about 6 months to make shots in time for fall vax campaigns.
No flu strain selection, no flu vaccine, lots of sick people. A triumph for pathogens, courtesy of idiot conspiracy theorists.
No flu strain selection, no flu vaccine, lots of sick people. A triumph for pathogens, courtesy of idiot conspiracy theorists.
Reposted by Launce Rake
Today is a good time to remind everyone to consider supporting independent journalism.
Also, federal workers, please consider talking to journalists from independent news outlets.
Signal: abbyvesoulis.09
Also, federal workers, please consider talking to journalists from independent news outlets.
Signal: abbyvesoulis.09
SCOOP: WaPo Opinion editor David Shipley is out. Jeff Bezos emails staff about a change to Post Opinions: "We are going to be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets."
February 26, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Today is a good time to remind everyone to consider supporting independent journalism.
Also, federal workers, please consider talking to journalists from independent news outlets.
Signal: abbyvesoulis.09
Also, federal workers, please consider talking to journalists from independent news outlets.
Signal: abbyvesoulis.09
Grabbed my measles vax and a pad-kee-mao lunch special, extra spicy, with a large Thai iced tea, and enjoyed driving around so much on this glorious sunny spring day in Las Vegas, I almost forgot that our country is rapidly sliding into tyranny and depraved corruption.
February 26, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Grabbed my measles vax and a pad-kee-mao lunch special, extra spicy, with a large Thai iced tea, and enjoyed driving around so much on this glorious sunny spring day in Las Vegas, I almost forgot that our country is rapidly sliding into tyranny and depraved corruption.
Reposted by Launce Rake
The horrible tragic crash last night over DCA is an example where this third principle is important. We don't really know what caused the crash. It is totally appropriate to ask tough questions of the people running the government, and as context to note they've undertaken a war on the civil service
January 30, 2025 at 2:39 PM
The horrible tragic crash last night over DCA is an example where this third principle is important. We don't really know what caused the crash. It is totally appropriate to ask tough questions of the people running the government, and as context to note they've undertaken a war on the civil service
Punk Rock Bowling next spring in Las Vegas features ska-punk rockers The Interrupters, cleaned up drunks Social Distortion, the not-quite New Order, and Gang of Four, among many others. PRB remains probably the best curated punk and punk-adjacent festival around, year after year. punkrockbowling.com
Punk Rock Bowling – May 2025 in Downtown Las Vegas
punkrockbowling.com
November 22, 2024 at 6:35 PM
Punk Rock Bowling next spring in Las Vegas features ska-punk rockers The Interrupters, cleaned up drunks Social Distortion, the not-quite New Order, and Gang of Four, among many others. PRB remains probably the best curated punk and punk-adjacent festival around, year after year. punkrockbowling.com