@mollyruhlman.bsky.social
Reposted
There's an attempt out there to REshape the media image of recent US gov't cuts, as hyper-rational, even humane, BUT once the totality is taken into view it is impossible to make that case, no matter how much the US fed deficit is your central issue - just consider USAID apnews.com/article/usai...
What to know about USAID and the deadly impacts of US foreign aid cuts
The foreign aid landscape has changed dramatically since U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration dissolved the United States Agency for International Development, once the world’s largest humanit...
apnews.com
September 22, 2026 at 1:45 AM
There's an attempt out there to REshape the media image of recent US gov't cuts, as hyper-rational, even humane, BUT once the totality is taken into view it is impossible to make that case, no matter how much the US fed deficit is your central issue - just consider USAID apnews.com/article/usai...
Reposted
New study shows that — contra widely accepted narratives — there is NO EVIDENCE that professors change their students’ politics and make them more liberal through their teaching
August 8, 2026 at 7:37 PM
New study shows that — contra widely accepted narratives — there is NO EVIDENCE that professors change their students’ politics and make them more liberal through their teaching
Reposted
🧵Can't get numb to this: in the Iran War, we have a total vacuum of leadership in the Pentagon and State Dept amid a strategic disaster of America's own making. Two pieces show how: first, Hegseth blaming Trump's bad info on near-empty missile stockpiles on a deputy. wapo.st/4hQVTF0 1/
Trump, Hegseth clashed at Camp David over Iran missile depletion concerns
At a Camp David summit this weekend, President Trump demanded answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over extreme munitions shortages.
wapo.st
August 6, 2026 at 7:30 PM
🧵Can't get numb to this: in the Iran War, we have a total vacuum of leadership in the Pentagon and State Dept amid a strategic disaster of America's own making. Two pieces show how: first, Hegseth blaming Trump's bad info on near-empty missile stockpiles on a deputy. wapo.st/4hQVTF0 1/
Reposted
It is just mind-boggling and too easy to forget that we are in the midst of what might be the worst strategic calamity of the 21st century with implications for the entire world and nobody is minding the store. They are crowdsourcing ideas from the troops. 8/
www.cnn.com/2026/08/03/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/08/03/p...
Exclusive: US military asks troops for ‘creative and unconventional’ ideas to punish Iran | CNN Politics
The request from a senior officer at the US military command carrying out President Donald Trump’s war with Iran came in an email: We need ideas.
www.cnn.com
August 6, 2026 at 7:30 PM
It is just mind-boggling and too easy to forget that we are in the midst of what might be the worst strategic calamity of the 21st century with implications for the entire world and nobody is minding the store. They are crowdsourcing ideas from the troops. 8/
www.cnn.com/2026/08/03/p...
www.cnn.com/2026/08/03/p...
Reposted
We can see this in the ICE flight data. Domestic “round-up” flights are spiking, and some activist flight watchers report the flights are getting fuller.
But deportation and removal flights remain steady. This means the concentration camps are getting packed to the brim. It’s awful to comprehend.
But deportation and removal flights remain steady. This means the concentration camps are getting packed to the brim. It’s awful to comprehend.
ICE is engaged in a very large escalation nationwide, with the agency claiming to be hitting record arrest numbers amid the return of quotas. This has gotten very little attention from the media because ICE learned lessons from the chaotic disasters of Kristi Noem’s tenure.
Keep a watch.
Keep a watch.
ICE is surging in the Seattle area. (Map shows activity in the last week)
Do you have your whistle with you?
Do you have your whistle with you?
July 9, 2026 at 12:19 PM
We can see this in the ICE flight data. Domestic “round-up” flights are spiking, and some activist flight watchers report the flights are getting fuller.
But deportation and removal flights remain steady. This means the concentration camps are getting packed to the brim. It’s awful to comprehend.
But deportation and removal flights remain steady. This means the concentration camps are getting packed to the brim. It’s awful to comprehend.
Reposted
Trump’s war with Iran wasn’t run-of-the-mill dumb. It was world-historical dumb. It’s the biggest fuck-up by a major power since Kaiser Wilhelm II.
In my latest, I go through the Iran deal point-by-point to help you understand the monumental act of surrender it represents.
In my latest, I go through the Iran deal point-by-point to help you understand the monumental act of surrender it represents.
Dissecting Trump's Iran Screwup
This has been the biggest self-own by any state in the past century.
open.substack.com
June 20, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Trump’s war with Iran wasn’t run-of-the-mill dumb. It was world-historical dumb. It’s the biggest fuck-up by a major power since Kaiser Wilhelm II.
In my latest, I go through the Iran deal point-by-point to help you understand the monumental act of surrender it represents.
In my latest, I go through the Iran deal point-by-point to help you understand the monumental act of surrender it represents.
Reposted
OK we can add "ripping out a state of the art filtration system for the reflecting pool because Obama installed it" to the list of things Trump has done out of absolute bitter jealousy of the first Black president.
June 21, 2026 at 6:30 AM
OK we can add "ripping out a state of the art filtration system for the reflecting pool because Obama installed it" to the list of things Trump has done out of absolute bitter jealousy of the first Black president.
Reposted
The claim that "Israel wants to kill its way out of every problem" is the sort of thing that tends to draw a DOJ investigation and the blocking of federal funds when made by campus actors.
Vance blasts Israel’s response to Iran deal: “You're a country of nine million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.”
June 18, 2026 at 4:39 PM
The claim that "Israel wants to kill its way out of every problem" is the sort of thing that tends to draw a DOJ investigation and the blocking of federal funds when made by campus actors.
Reposted
After watching us blow all our stockpiles to little effect, get bored, give up, and give away the store just to get away from the headlines I imagine Europe will be working on becoming less reliant on the US entirely of their own accord, no prodding needed
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashes out at NATO allies, announcing a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe that will depend on how fast they take responsibility for their own security.
Hegseth lashes out at NATO allies and announces a review of U.S. forces in Europe
The defense secretary lambasted European allies for failing to provide U.S. forces access to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran, calling it “shameful.”
nbcnews.to
June 18, 2026 at 4:41 PM
After watching us blow all our stockpiles to little effect, get bored, give up, and give away the store just to get away from the headlines I imagine Europe will be working on becoming less reliant on the US entirely of their own accord, no prodding needed
Reposted
"It’s amazing how many times, in just a year and a half, Trump has followed this precise script":
1: Announces his intent to solve some longstanding problem.
2: Ignores all logistical challenges.
3: Tries the first idea he thinks of.
4: Fails bigly.
www.thebulwark.com/p/make-ameri...
1: Announces his intent to solve some longstanding problem.
2: Ignores all logistical challenges.
3: Tries the first idea he thinks of.
4: Fails bigly.
www.thebulwark.com/p/make-ameri...
Make America Green Algae-ish
How Trump makes everything worse in four easy steps.
www.thebulwark.com
June 17, 2026 at 10:26 PM
"It’s amazing how many times, in just a year and a half, Trump has followed this precise script":
1: Announces his intent to solve some longstanding problem.
2: Ignores all logistical challenges.
3: Tries the first idea he thinks of.
4: Fails bigly.
www.thebulwark.com/p/make-ameri...
1: Announces his intent to solve some longstanding problem.
2: Ignores all logistical challenges.
3: Tries the first idea he thinks of.
4: Fails bigly.
www.thebulwark.com/p/make-ameri...
Reposted
The impact of the USAID shutdown on Africa, as seen from space and on the ground.
M. Nicolini and I study the effects of the aid cuts by linking GODAD data on USAID projects to satellite-based measures of economic activity and IPC food insecurity indicators.
👉 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
1/11
M. Nicolini and I study the effects of the aid cuts by linking GODAD data on USAID projects to satellite-based measures of economic activity and IPC food insecurity indicators.
👉 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
1/11
June 3, 2026 at 9:42 AM
The impact of the USAID shutdown on Africa, as seen from space and on the ground.
M. Nicolini and I study the effects of the aid cuts by linking GODAD data on USAID projects to satellite-based measures of economic activity and IPC food insecurity indicators.
👉 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
1/11
M. Nicolini and I study the effects of the aid cuts by linking GODAD data on USAID projects to satellite-based measures of economic activity and IPC food insecurity indicators.
👉 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
1/11
Reposted
🧵 Public science in the US has taken some heavy hits over the last year, but the White House OMB is proposing a series of changes that will result in a TKO for science as we know it unless we fight back. Here's what's happening, and why it matters. 1/n
May 29, 2026 at 7:04 PM
🧵 Public science in the US has taken some heavy hits over the last year, but the White House OMB is proposing a series of changes that will result in a TKO for science as we know it unless we fight back. Here's what's happening, and why it matters. 1/n
Reposted
My Go Big or Go Home thoughts for this Saturday: I make the case for why we should consider amending the Constitution to create a fourth branch open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
We Need a Fourth Branch
Why our most vital institutions should be placed in a constitutional vault - beyond the reach of any President.
open.substack.com
May 30, 2026 at 12:43 PM
My Go Big or Go Home thoughts for this Saturday: I make the case for why we should consider amending the Constitution to create a fourth branch open.substack.com/pub/asharang...
Reposted
Absolutely accurate: “If Trump had not pulled out of the JCPOA, Iran’s stockpile of HEU—its shortest path to the bomb—would not exist. Trump’s claim that if he had not pulled out, Iran would now have nuclear weapons is simply a lie,” @matthew-bunn.bsky.social. www.armscontrol.org/act/2026-05/...
Managing the Dangers of Iran’s Remaining Nuclear Capabilities | Arms Control Association
www.armscontrol.org
May 2, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Absolutely accurate: “If Trump had not pulled out of the JCPOA, Iran’s stockpile of HEU—its shortest path to the bomb—would not exist. Trump’s claim that if he had not pulled out, Iran would now have nuclear weapons is simply a lie,” @matthew-bunn.bsky.social. www.armscontrol.org/act/2026-05/...
Reposted
by my tally we are now spending ~$2B to companies to NOT build more energy infrastructure. in the middle of an energy crisis
The Trump administration has announced two more payouts for energy companies to walk away from U.S. offshore wind projects under development.
Trump administration to pay 2 more companies to walk away from US offshore wind leases
The Trump administration has announced two more payouts for energy companies to walk away from U.S. offshore wind projects under development.
bit.ly
April 28, 2026 at 7:45 PM
by my tally we are now spending ~$2B to companies to NOT build more energy infrastructure. in the middle of an energy crisis
Reposted
Thirteen U.S. troops died trying to get these people to safety — Afghan interpreters, soldiers, and the families of our service members. Veterans spent sleepless nights during the chaotic withdrawal fighting to keep them alive. Now our own government is going to abandon them.
Breaking News: President Trump is said to be in talks to send Afghans who helped the U.S. war effort to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Trump Is Said to Be in Talks to Send Afghans Who Aided U.S. Forces to Congo
A U.S. aid worker said that the Afghans, who were evacuated to Qatar, would face a choice between moving to the Democratic Republic of Congo and living under the Taliban.
nyti.ms
April 21, 2026 at 9:46 PM
Thirteen U.S. troops died trying to get these people to safety — Afghan interpreters, soldiers, and the families of our service members. Veterans spent sleepless nights during the chaotic withdrawal fighting to keep them alive. Now our own government is going to abandon them.
Reposted
Reminder that analysts thought there was a deal to be struck with North Korea in 2017-2018, not to denuclearize (they won't), but to count/verify nukes, stabilize situation. Trump didn't order any diplomatic work for that and instead did a photo op with Kim.
His diplomacy and his deals are fake.
His diplomacy and his deals are fake.
April 21, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Reminder that analysts thought there was a deal to be struck with North Korea in 2017-2018, not to denuclearize (they won't), but to count/verify nukes, stabilize situation. Trump didn't order any diplomatic work for that and instead did a photo op with Kim.
His diplomacy and his deals are fake.
His diplomacy and his deals are fake.
Reposted
BREAKING: The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine just issued a formal statement defending Pope Leo XIV's teaching authority on just war doctrine — less than twelve hours after JD Vance told a Turning Point USA crowd the pope should “be careful” talking theology.
This is a serious escalation.
This is a serious escalation.
April 15, 2026 at 5:07 PM
BREAKING: The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine just issued a formal statement defending Pope Leo XIV's teaching authority on just war doctrine — less than twelve hours after JD Vance told a Turning Point USA crowd the pope should “be careful” talking theology.
This is a serious escalation.
This is a serious escalation.
Reposted
It's not just that Orbán losing inspires hope in other competitive-autocratic countries ruled by right-wing nationalist authoritarians. It's that his loss materially changes things in those other countries, because he's been operating as a headquarters and funding source...
April 12, 2026 at 7:01 PM
It's not just that Orbán losing inspires hope in other competitive-autocratic countries ruled by right-wing nationalist authoritarians. It's that his loss materially changes things in those other countries, because he's been operating as a headquarters and funding source...
Reposted
People get stuck on the potential for LOAC violation - ah, I caught you, that’s a war crime - without engaging with why it’s a matter of law. Yes, humanity and morality, but also and importantly: stopping a spiral of horrific reciprocity.
Made a similar point about LOAC, reciprocity, and attacks on regional energy infrastructure in an interview today.
Understanding why these LOAC rules exist and impressing that upon clients—up to and including POTUS—ought to be a critical skill for executive branch lawyers.
Understanding why these LOAC rules exist and impressing that upon clients—up to and including POTUS—ought to be a critical skill for executive branch lawyers.
April 7, 2026 at 11:36 AM
People get stuck on the potential for LOAC violation - ah, I caught you, that’s a war crime - without engaging with why it’s a matter of law. Yes, humanity and morality, but also and importantly: stopping a spiral of horrific reciprocity.
Reposted
Armageddon is terrible, but our only other option was diversity trainings at work.
April 7, 2026 at 1:22 PM
Armageddon is terrible, but our only other option was diversity trainings at work.
Reposted
🧵Some LOAC observations.
Whether it would be legal to attack a certain target would depend in the first place whether it was a military objective.
Military objectives may be attacked. Civilian objects may not. Attacking civilian objects is a war crime. 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Whether it would be legal to attack a certain target would depend in the first place whether it was a military objective.
Military objectives may be attacked. Civilian objects may not. Attacking civilian objects is a war crime. 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Top Aides Advise Trump Blasting Iran’s Infrastructure Is Fair Game
Officials say hitting power plants and roadways is necessary to cripple Iran’s weapons programs.
www.wsj.com
April 4, 2026 at 8:04 PM
🧵Some LOAC observations.
Whether it would be legal to attack a certain target would depend in the first place whether it was a military objective.
Military objectives may be attacked. Civilian objects may not. Attacking civilian objects is a war crime. 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Whether it would be legal to attack a certain target would depend in the first place whether it was a military objective.
Military objectives may be attacked. Civilian objects may not. Attacking civilian objects is a war crime. 1/n
www.wsj.com/world/middle...
Reposted
Constitutional lawyer here. I don't think it would violate the Constitution for the VP/Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, but the intended constitutional remedy for this behavior is impeachment & removal. The fact that that remedy is politically impossible is a scandal and a crisis.
If I were in Trump's Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment.
This is completely, utterly unhinged. He's already killed thousands. He's going to kill thousands more.
This is completely, utterly unhinged. He's already killed thousands. He's going to kill thousands more.
April 5, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Constitutional lawyer here. I don't think it would violate the Constitution for the VP/Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, but the intended constitutional remedy for this behavior is impeachment & removal. The fact that that remedy is politically impossible is a scandal and a crisis.
No way to run a super power
Among all the things wrong with this catastrophe, it is terrible for the President of the United States to be threatening what might be an extremely dangerous escalation of a major war via unstaffed social media posts. No way to run a superpower.
Trump says Iran has 48 hours to open up the Strait of Hormuz, “before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!”
April 4, 2026 at 7:28 PM
No way to run a super power