mfranceschi.bsky.social
@mfranceschi.bsky.social
Reposted
Two lawyers, one Yale educated, one Harvard educated; one the VP, one a senator, suggesting that decisions made by courts aren’t legitimate if they don’t like the outcome. This is dangerous territory.
February 9, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reposted
Not all FBI background checks are created equal. As it turns out, Hegseth's background check didn't include his ex-wives or the woman who accused him of sexual assault. That's not an oversight. The FBI is letting itself be party to a whitewash. www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/the-fbi-ba...
The FBI background check on Pete Hegseth is a whitewash—and that's on purpose!
The incoming Trump administration is trying to cover-up the FBI's investigation even before it takes office
www.doomsdayscenario.co
January 14, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted
It’s hard to overstate how far Republican standards have sunk. In Trump I, John Ratcliffe’s nomination for DNI was withdrawn because he was considered inexperienced. He looks like Dean Acheson compared to Hegseth, who received rave reviews from Wicker & co today. Astonishing.
January 14, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Reposted
A handful of billionaires now have unprecedented control over banking, the food we eat, our healthcare, and the information we receive.

Many are now currying favor with Trump to avoid accountability and maintain their power.

This is what oligarchy looks like.
January 15, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Reposted
“Lie to them?”
January 6, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted
According to Barron’s, Elon Musk’s wealth increased by almost $200 billion between November 5 and December 20. That means he could give $250,000 to every homeless person in the US and still be as rich as he was on November 5.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. saw an 18.1% increase in homelessness this year, with more than 770,000 people counted as homeless.
December 27, 2024 at 6:13 PM
Reposted
After some Costco shareholders asked the company to end its DEI policies, this was their response: “Our board has considered this proposal and believes that our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary."

This explains why Costco is an industry leader!
December 27, 2024 at 8:44 PM
Reposted
“…the frustrated and humiliated intellectual, the rich and scared speculator, the spoiled son, the labor tyrant, the fellow who has achieved success by smelling out the wind of success—they would all go Nazi in a crisis.”

People cite this essay for its central idea, but it’s also damn good writing.
Who Goes Nazi?, by Dorothy Thompson
harpers.org
December 27, 2024 at 7:29 PM
Reposted
Earlier this week, Bret Stephens, a house conservative at the New York Times wrote a particularly terrible piece titled “Done With Never Trump.” @therickwilson.bsky.social wrote a reply to Bret. Never Trump means Never Trump. If you agree, please share it widely.
bit.ly/4fq8ytB
Forever Never Trump
My Response To Bret Stephens
therickwilson.substack.com
December 19, 2024 at 3:05 PM
Reposted
Chris Murphy: "I read the headlines about the Liz Cheney criminal referral and almost every single one of them in mainstream media played this straight as if it was a normal function of legislative power, instead of telling the truth, which is that this is made up out of thin air."
December 18, 2024 at 9:14 PM
Reposted
Yes, of course. But the counterpoint is that it's kind of insane that we just had the most unprecedentedly rapid & total economic recovery & the electorate threw out the incumbent party & chose lawless authoritarianism because inflation was above 4% for about 2 years

bsky.app/profile/mcop...
The number of people on here who think a Great Depression won’t move anyone politically because the Dems lost an election by 1.5% is kind of insane.
December 15, 2024 at 5:44 PM
Reposted
Pretty damn spot-on, don’t you think?
December 14, 2024 at 9:10 PM
Reposted
Any time we see another CEO pony up a million for Trump’s inauguration, remember this headline.
December 14, 2024 at 6:57 PM
Reposted
In an English statement, Netanyahu said that Israel's incursions into Syria would be temporary. The Hebrew version made no such promise: "One thing we've learned over the years is that it's usually more important to follow what Netanyahu says in Hebrew." www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Why Europe has gone cold on Israel's blitz and 'temporary' occupation in Syria
***
www.haaretz.com
December 13, 2024 at 4:53 AM
Reposted
Why do so many feel like they've fallen behind?

It's not because of immigrants, trans people, the “deep state,” or any other bogeyman trotted out by the GOP.

It's because big corporations and billionaires have rigged markets and siphoned off most of the economy's gains.
December 12, 2024 at 4:00 AM
Reposted
Even as Americans live longer, they spend more of their years in poor health than any other country, a new study shows.

People in the US live with illness for 12.4 years on average – up from 10.9 years in 2000, according to a study published by the American Medical Association
Americans Spend More Years Sick Than Rest of World, Study Finds
Even as Americans live longer, they spend more of their years in poor health than any other country, a new study shows.
www.bloomberg.com
December 11, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Reposted
🚨In this video, we explore how America is living through a Second Gilded Age, marked by extreme wealth for a few and hardship for many. Today, the richest 1% control more wealth than the bottom 90%.
youtu.be/tERXJyttono
We Are Living Through America’s Second Gilded Age: What Does This Mean?
YouTube video by The Intellectualist
youtu.be
December 11, 2024 at 6:48 PM
Reposted
Looking at apartment neighborhoods in Los Angeles (left) and Edinburgh (right) shows us how allowing taller buildings (four stories vs two) makes it possible to have much more green space.
December 10, 2024 at 5:15 AM
Reposted
The United States has the highest GDP in the world by *ten trillion dollars*. It's not even close. Americans should retire at 60 w/ full pension. We should have free universal healthcare. We should have free PreK-PhD education. This belt-tightening ideology is a neurotoxin limiting our potential.
December 9, 2024 at 2:27 PM
Reposted
When they talk about privatizing Veterans’ care and Medicare, they mean allowing companies to provide healthcare for a profit.

But how do companies make those profits? By *denying* care to many who need it.

Don’t get fooled by the “privatization” label. It means “for profit” and YOU are the cost.
December 8, 2024 at 1:47 AM
Reposted
Amid the backdrop that more than a dozen members of Trump's Cabinet are billionaires, a reminder that this is what happened to income inequality in this country once the tax rate for top earners was slashed after 1980. Trickle down does not work and top earners' priority is themselves.
December 8, 2024 at 12:08 AM
Reposted
I don't know who needs to know this, but Pro Publica has an online thing that will format a letter to your US health insurance company to demand the records behind a claim denial. (which the insurance is then legally required to provide in most cases)

projects.propublica.org/claimfile/
Find Out Why Health Insurance Denied Your Claim
You likely have the right to access records that explain why your insurer denied your claim or prior authorization request. Use ProPublica’s free tool to generate a letter requesting your claim file f...
projects.propublica.org
March 22, 2024 at 1:25 PM
Reposted
Little fact to keep in the back of your mind, as you watch the Trump administration unfold: His proposed cabinet is 2000 times wealthier than Biden's. H/t @brianbeutler.bsky.social
December 7, 2024 at 2:58 AM
Reposted
"It will be my objective
to phase out Social Security, to pull it out by the roots."
— Elon Musk
"The guy rakes in $71 million an hour since Nov. 5 gets to decide if your $1,900 a month Social Security- something you’ve paid your whole life for, is too much & better spent on his shiny space toys?"
December 7, 2024 at 12:21 AM