Week 47
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Not a good week for Trump. The Republican Indiana legislature refused to redistrict to help him out in the 2026 election.
Another indictment against Letitia James turned down. That’s 3.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was freed. The Department of Justice tried for one more dirty trick and got slapped down. The administration’s continued pursuit of this one man has been inhumane. What they are trying to do beyond their customary cruelty is to prove that they can do anything to anyone, and the lower courts are slapping them down. What the Supreme Six will say is anyone’s guess.
Republicans in Congress voted to raise insurance rates for people getting their insurance through the ACA.
All of these things are excellent fodder for the campaign against Republicans. Trump helped out by holding a rally in which he declared affordability a hoax. Even without amplification, people are getting the story, and Trump’s numbers are consistently going down. The current level is probably one thing that emboldened the Indiana state legislators, and we can expect to see more defections.
Speculation continues about Trump’s hand bruise, which was worse this week. Apparently it’s possible that an infusion is being administered through his hand. I would have thought that if he is having regular infusions, they would install a port in his chest, but who knows. When I had minor surgery recently, the anaesthetic was administered intravenously through my hand. As far as symptoms, Trump has always been crude, ignorant, and a liar. He may be getting worse, but the baseline was pretty bad.
Hulu announced this week that they have “The Death of Stalin.” This may or may not be connected to Trump’s apparent health issues. Autocrats famously do not groom successors. Stalin didn’t have one. Formally, J.D. Vance is Trump’s successor, but it certainly looks like others have some interest in holding power. In any case, I recommend the movie.
Olivia Nuzzi’s self-indulgent book sold only 1200 copies. As Scott noted, she did real harm to all of us by her unethical actions.
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but Heads Up News from Dan Froomkin lists resistance efforts. It’s good for lifting your spirits and getting ideas on action. I follow a number of small news outlets that are getting local stories. I haven’t figured them out, but my sense is that they are mostly reliable. I plan to look more closely at them in the new year.
Follow the court-watchers for the details of the lawsuits. Chris Geidner (LawDork, Bluesky), Roger Parloff (Lawfare, Bluesky), and the Just Security tracker.
As usual, keep it to things that have actually happened, not hypotheticals. What is actually happening is bad enough.
Caring for yourself and loved ones is resistance too. Post your pets.
161 more weeks to go. What are you doing?
Previous weeks: Week 10, Week 20, Week 30, Week 40, Week 41, Week 42, Week 43, Week 44, Week 45, Week 46