Esther
@esther493.bsky.social
Animal lover, luv & care for city park cats, keep up with political news, cultures, nature, and artistic folks. Enjoy yard/flowers/feeding the birds/ squirrels. NO MAGA!!
You don’t have to like a news organization—or agree with its reporting—to understand why press freedom matters. The government should not be deciding which outlets deserve access based on their editorial coverage. That is precisely why constitutional protections for a free press exist.
NEW: Trump says in the Oval Office that “there may be others to join” CNN MSNOW and Politico from being banned from the White House
September 19, 2026 at 12:37 AM
You don’t have to like a news organization—or agree with its reporting—to understand why press freedom matters. The government should not be deciding which outlets deserve access based on their editorial coverage. That is precisely why constitutional protections for a free press exist.
Reposted by Esther
NEW: Trump says in the Oval Office that “there may be others to join” CNN MSNOW and Politico from being banned from the White House
September 18, 2026 at 8:09 PM
NEW: Trump says in the Oval Office that “there may be others to join” CNN MSNOW and Politico from being banned from the White House
This is why following the paper trail matters. Don’t rely on campaign spin or partisan talking points—look at the dates, contributions, endorsements, communications, and what was publicly known at each point. The record should speak for itself.
🚨 NEWS: Ken Paxton kept taking money from a longtime political ally accused by at least eight men of sexual abuse, even after the allegations became public.
The disturbing ties span more than a decade. Receipts below.
The disturbing ties span more than a decade. Receipts below.
Paxton Kept Close to Alleged Child Abuser Long After the Allegations Surfaced, Taking Money From Him
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has spent more than a decade cultivating a political alliance with Paul Pressler, the once-revered Southern Baptist power
meidasnews.com
September 19, 2026 at 12:36 AM
This is why following the paper trail matters. Don’t rely on campaign spin or partisan talking points—look at the dates, contributions, endorsements, communications, and what was publicly known at each point. The record should speak for itself.
Reposted by Esther
🚨 NEWS: Ken Paxton kept taking money from a longtime political ally accused by at least eight men of sexual abuse, even after the allegations became public.
The disturbing ties span more than a decade. Receipts below.
The disturbing ties span more than a decade. Receipts below.
Paxton Kept Close to Alleged Child Abuser Long After the Allegations Surfaced, Taking Money From Him
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has spent more than a decade cultivating a political alliance with Paul Pressler, the once-revered Southern Baptist power
meidasnews.com
September 18, 2026 at 7:17 PM
🚨 NEWS: Ken Paxton kept taking money from a longtime political ally accused by at least eight men of sexual abuse, even after the allegations became public.
The disturbing ties span more than a decade. Receipts below.
The disturbing ties span more than a decade. Receipts below.
Trust in the judiciary cannot simply be demanded; it has to be earned. Clear reasoning, consistent standards, and meaningful transparency are especially important when the Court is making decisions that affect millions of people and potentially alter government policy.
The Supreme Court's "shadow docket" allows justices to effectively make rulings in secret without explaining their decisions.
Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?
https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-shadow-docket-rulings-milestone
Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?
https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-shadow-docket-rulings-milestone
September 19, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Trust in the judiciary cannot simply be demanded; it has to be earned. Clear reasoning, consistent standards, and meaningful transparency are especially important when the Court is making decisions that affect millions of people and potentially alter government policy.
Reposted by Esther
The Supreme Court's "shadow docket" allows justices to effectively make rulings in secret without explaining their decisions.
Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?
https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-shadow-docket-rulings-milestone
Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?
https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-shadow-docket-rulings-milestone
September 18, 2026 at 8:45 PM
The Supreme Court's "shadow docket" allows justices to effectively make rulings in secret without explaining their decisions.
Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?
https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-shadow-docket-rulings-milestone
Is it any wonder why so many do not trust the Roberts court?
https://www.propublica.org/article/supreme-court-shadow-docket-rulings-milestone
The right to vote means very little if people are afraid to exercise it. The fact that civil-rights organizations are asking a federal court to prevent potential voter intimidation should be taken seriously. Elections belong to voters, not to armed government agents.
🚨BREAKING: A group of pro-voting and civil rights organizations is asking a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from using federal law enforcement to intimidate voters during the midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Pro-voting groups sue to prevent Trump admin from sending federal agents to intimidate voters
The administration's "conduct has transformed voting and voting-related activities—ordinary acts of civic participation—into sources of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear," plaintiffs say.
www.democracydocket.com
September 19, 2026 at 12:20 AM
The right to vote means very little if people are afraid to exercise it. The fact that civil-rights organizations are asking a federal court to prevent potential voter intimidation should be taken seriously. Elections belong to voters, not to armed government agents.
Reposted by Esther
🚨BREAKING: A group of pro-voting and civil rights organizations is asking a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from using federal law enforcement to intimidate voters during the midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Pro-voting groups sue to prevent Trump admin from sending federal agents to intimidate voters
The administration's "conduct has transformed voting and voting-related activities—ordinary acts of civic participation—into sources of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear," plaintiffs say.
www.democracydocket.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:32 PM
🚨BREAKING: A group of pro-voting and civil rights organizations is asking a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from using federal law enforcement to intimidate voters during the midterm elections. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
The interesting part is not simply that Trump visited Moscow—it’s what happened around that period and how his public positions evolved afterward. The documented timeline is enough to warrant questions about influences, relationships, and motivations, while leaving conclusions to the evidence.
September 19, 2026 at 12:19 AM
The interesting part is not simply that Trump visited Moscow—it’s what happened around that period and how his public positions evolved afterward. The documented timeline is enough to warrant questions about influences, relationships, and motivations, while leaving conclusions to the evidence.
Reposted by Esther
The people who keep the economy running shouldn’t be the ones struggling most to afford the basics. Any serious economic agenda should ask why essential costs keep rising, who benefits from the current system, and what can actually be done to improve affordability.
As gas prices in Michigan hit $5/gallon and diesel hits a record $6.59, it shouldn't be this hard to buy gas, groceries, or afford healthcare. Our economy has been rigged against the very people who make it work. I'm running for Senate to change that.
September 19, 2026 at 12:16 AM
The people who keep the economy running shouldn’t be the ones struggling most to afford the basics. Any serious economic agenda should ask why essential costs keep rising, who benefits from the current system, and what can actually be done to improve affordability.
Reposted by Esther
As gas prices in Michigan hit $5/gallon and diesel hits a record $6.59, it shouldn't be this hard to buy gas, groceries, or afford healthcare. Our economy has been rigged against the very people who make it work. I'm running for Senate to change that.
September 18, 2026 at 6:27 PM
As gas prices in Michigan hit $5/gallon and diesel hits a record $6.59, it shouldn't be this hard to buy gas, groceries, or afford healthcare. Our economy has been rigged against the very people who make it work. I'm running for Senate to change that.
There’s nothing wrong with reconsidering your political views. In fact, admitting that you got something wrong can be a sign of honesty. What’s difficult to take seriously is acting as though previous endorsements, conversations, and influence simply never happened.
Joe Rogan suddenly acting like he was an innocent bystander for years and had no idea what Trump was all about until now and did nothing to help get him elected is pretty weak and pathetic. Just own it.
September 19, 2026 at 12:16 AM
There’s nothing wrong with reconsidering your political views. In fact, admitting that you got something wrong can be a sign of honesty. What’s difficult to take seriously is acting as though previous endorsements, conversations, and influence simply never happened.
Reposted by Esther
Joe Rogan suddenly acting like he was an innocent bystander for years and had no idea what Trump was all about until now and did nothing to help get him elected is pretty weak and pathetic. Just own it.
September 18, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Joe Rogan suddenly acting like he was an innocent bystander for years and had no idea what Trump was all about until now and did nothing to help get him elected is pretty weak and pathetic. Just own it.
That shirt, those beers, that face. Paul Newman somehow managed to make “I’m here to relax” look like a fully developed lifestyle philosophy. Honestly, this picture is less a photograph and more a master class in effortless cool.
PAUL NEWMAN in a 'get really stoned' tee with four beers, in 1981.
Dude.
Dude.
September 19, 2026 at 12:14 AM
That shirt, those beers, that face. Paul Newman somehow managed to make “I’m here to relax” look like a fully developed lifestyle philosophy. Honestly, this picture is less a photograph and more a master class in effortless cool.
Reposted by Esther
PAUL NEWMAN in a 'get really stoned' tee with four beers, in 1981.
Dude.
Dude.
September 18, 2026 at 5:46 PM
PAUL NEWMAN in a 'get really stoned' tee with four beers, in 1981.
Dude.
Dude.
The striking part isn’t simply the size of the numbers—it’s the concentration. If wealth and influence reinforce one another, then reducing inequality requires looking not only at individual fortunes, but also at the policies and institutions that determine who gets to accumulate wealth and power.
The 400 richest Americans are now worth a record $8 trillion.
The entire bottom 50% of American households is worth just $4.27 trillion.
Read that back.
Remember: Wealth can’t be separated from power. Power begets wealth and wealth begets power.
The entire bottom 50% of American households is worth just $4.27 trillion.
Read that back.
Remember: Wealth can’t be separated from power. Power begets wealth and wealth begets power.
September 19, 2026 at 12:13 AM
The striking part isn’t simply the size of the numbers—it’s the concentration. If wealth and influence reinforce one another, then reducing inequality requires looking not only at individual fortunes, but also at the policies and institutions that determine who gets to accumulate wealth and power.
Reposted by Esther
The 400 richest Americans are now worth a record $8 trillion.
The entire bottom 50% of American households is worth just $4.27 trillion.
Read that back.
Remember: Wealth can’t be separated from power. Power begets wealth and wealth begets power.
The entire bottom 50% of American households is worth just $4.27 trillion.
Read that back.
Remember: Wealth can’t be separated from power. Power begets wealth and wealth begets power.
September 18, 2026 at 11:01 PM
The 400 richest Americans are now worth a record $8 trillion.
The entire bottom 50% of American households is worth just $4.27 trillion.
Read that back.
Remember: Wealth can’t be separated from power. Power begets wealth and wealth begets power.
The entire bottom 50% of American households is worth just $4.27 trillion.
Read that back.
Remember: Wealth can’t be separated from power. Power begets wealth and wealth begets power.
The countdown matters less than what it represents: a moment when the governing record gets put under the microscope. Promises, spending, legislation, healthcare, costs, and the choices made with political power should all be part of that public accounting.
Jeffries: MAGA is running scared. They can run, but they can’t hide because the clock is ticking. 46 days until there’s going to be accountability visited upon them by the American people for the fact that they have completely and totally failed.
September 19, 2026 at 12:11 AM
The countdown matters less than what it represents: a moment when the governing record gets put under the microscope. Promises, spending, legislation, healthcare, costs, and the choices made with political power should all be part of that public accounting.
Reposted by Esther
Jeffries: MAGA is running scared. They can run, but they can’t hide because the clock is ticking. 46 days until there’s going to be accountability visited upon them by the American people for the fact that they have completely and totally failed.
September 18, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Jeffries: MAGA is running scared. They can run, but they can’t hide because the clock is ticking. 46 days until there’s going to be accountability visited upon them by the American people for the fact that they have completely and totally failed.
A government that fears scrutiny should be met with more transparency, not less. The Bill of Rights was designed to protect ordinary Americans from unchecked government power, which is exactly why those freedoms must be defended when they become inconvenient.
They hate the Bill of Rights because freedom is a threat to people in government who want to hide the truth about what they are doing from the American people. So they behave like tyrants because that is what they are. Vote this party out of power.
September 19, 2026 at 12:10 AM
A government that fears scrutiny should be met with more transparency, not less. The Bill of Rights was designed to protect ordinary Americans from unchecked government power, which is exactly why those freedoms must be defended when they become inconvenient.
Reposted by Esther
They hate the Bill of Rights because freedom is a threat to people in government who want to hide the truth about what they are doing from the American people. So they behave like tyrants because that is what they are. Vote this party out of power.
September 18, 2026 at 11:45 PM
They hate the Bill of Rights because freedom is a threat to people in government who want to hide the truth about what they are doing from the American people. So they behave like tyrants because that is what they are. Vote this party out of power.
Culture-war headlines may generate plenty of attention, but the real test of any political party is its governing record. Who gets tax breaks, who gets assistance, who pays the costs, and whether working people can afford healthcare, housing, food, and a decent life.
This is the Republican Party. Corrupt as hell, constantly starting wars, blowing up the deficit, giving tax cuts for billionaires, bailing out corporations, cutting health care, making everything more expensive, while serving up culture war drivel to distract you from all that.
September 19, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Culture-war headlines may generate plenty of attention, but the real test of any political party is its governing record. Who gets tax breaks, who gets assistance, who pays the costs, and whether working people can afford healthcare, housing, food, and a decent life.
Reposted by Esther
This is the Republican Party. Corrupt as hell, constantly starting wars, blowing up the deficit, giving tax cuts for billionaires, bailing out corporations, cutting health care, making everything more expensive, while serving up culture war drivel to distract you from all that.
September 18, 2026 at 1:34 AM
This is the Republican Party. Corrupt as hell, constantly starting wars, blowing up the deficit, giving tax cuts for billionaires, bailing out corporations, cutting health care, making everything more expensive, while serving up culture war drivel to distract you from all that.
Serious allegations should never be treated as irrelevant simply because political relationships are convenient. If these ties continued after the allegations became public, the public is entitled to ask what considerations led to those relationships being maintained.
🚨BREAKING: New reporting says Ken Paxton maintained political ties to Paul Pressler and two key associates even after sexual-abuse allegations against Pressler became public. Paxton kept taking their money, using their endorsements, and standing by them.
Paxton Kept Close to Alleged Child Abuser Long After the Allegations Surfaced, Taking Money From Him
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has spent more than a decade cultivating a political alliance with Paul Pressler, the once-revered Southern Baptist power
meidasnews.com
September 19, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Serious allegations should never be treated as irrelevant simply because political relationships are convenient. If these ties continued after the allegations became public, the public is entitled to ask what considerations led to those relationships being maintained.