Monday, August 10, 2026

TODAY'S TOP MADDOWBLOG POSTS

As Burgum’s troubles intensify at the Interior Department, Trump’s new move won’t help

Given its overlapping messes, the Cabinet agency could use a real inspector general. The president apparently has a different idea in mind.

Russia sanctions bill includes highly controversial provision on Trump’s tariff power

The point isn’t about whether imposing additional sanctions on Russia is a good idea; it’s about a tangentially related element about trade authority.

The White House tries (and fails) to put a positive spin on ugly economic results

“If you look at the overall economy, then things are really, really booming,” the White House’s top economist said, despite reality.

Trump acknowledges lack of ‘proof’ as his Reflecting Pool claims unravel

“Unfortunately, there is no video or proof, other than the damage, itself,” the president wrote online, referring to his metastasizing fiasco.

MORE FROM THE MADDOWBLOG

WHAT'S ON RACHEL'S BLUESKY RADAR?

"All told, the economy has added 542,000 jobs over Trump’s 19-month second term, a dramatic decline from the nearly 2.7 million jobs that were added over the previous 19 months under President Joe Biden..."
(MaddowBlog)
“Tuberculosis, a bacterial disease that spreads through the air, is considered such a serious public health risk that there are state laws specifically related to controlling it. The law makes clear that 'investigation is not optional'...”

Colorado health authorities continue to be blocked from investigating tuberculosis case at Aurora ICE facility
(Colorado Sun)
"The flurry of activity comes as the administration has slashed cyber specialists at the Department of Homeland Security and has not sought to renew funding for cybersecurity grants to states..."

Water systems are ripe for cyberattacks, experts warn after suspected Iranian hacks — As lawmakers call for protections after incidents in 12 states, an EPA rule that Republicans fought would “remove most of the low-hanging fruit,” a cybersecurity chief said.
(Washington Post)
"Carl Ruby, pastor of Central Christian Church in Springfield and founder of Springfield Neighbors United, said he and others prayed with Haitian immigrants at last week’s rally. This week, they served communion to people before they entered the ICE office.

Ruby said communion was intended to remind people that they would not be alone as they entered their appointments.

“We want the last thing that they experience is to be a reminder that Christ is going with them,” Ruby said.

Ruby said he believes the biblical call to welcome immigrants is especially relevant to the situation facing Springfield’s Haitian community.

He cited Matthew 25, in which Jesus speaks about welcoming strangers."

"‘We're not going to let them do it in the shadows’: Hundreds rally at site where Haitians required to check-in, get monitors after end of TPS..."
(Springfield News-Sun)
remind me again why we're building this? at all?

"He made the case that his company’s approach to developing powerful AI—one that focuses on distributing it as widely as possible and pushing many decisions about values to the end user—is the one that is least likely to lead to disastrous outcomes such as totalitarianism, mass unemployment or the rise of an unstoppable computer mind that threatens humanity."

Mark Zuckerberg Lays Out New AI Vision in 6,500-Word Essay
(Rachel shares Wall Street Journal)
Conservatives stand behind Ossoff. See the latest Senate endorsements
(USA Today)
Meet the army of amateur archivists racing to save US history in national parks — Save Our Signs aims to document every sign in the more than 400 national parks and historic sites across the country before the Trump administration removes them
(The Guardian)
"Our hope is that clean energy will go back to being a bipartisan issue, maybe one of the few issues that all Americans can agree on. But before we get there, we’ve got to continue our retribution tour and take out a few more members who have voted the wrong way..."

How solar donors helped take down a Trump-backed Republican — A pro-renewable energy political action committee was behind Rep. Andy Ogles' primary loss Thursday.
(Politico)
"In case this isn’t obvious, the Republican crusade against one of the nation’s most accomplished and celebrated scientists is rapidly descending into madness..."
(MaddowBlog)
Adelanto ICE facility, north-east of Los Angeles:

The video shows a plastic bottle filled with water, which he said was given to detainees to drink.

It appeared to have small pests of some kind swimming inside... “worms” or some kind of “larvae”:

(Rachel shares the Guardian and a frame from the video)

Republicans say they warned NC GOP leaders for years about convicted sex offender’s party roles — Republicans say they raised concerns within the party, including to then-Chairman Michael Whatley, now a candidate for the US Senate, about Harvey West Jr. serving in leadership roles
(Cardinal & Pine)
"Democratic turnout for House primaries in a majority-Black Tennessee county surged to the highest level in a decade Thursday, the latest sign that redistricting may be energizing Black voters across the South..."
(Washington Post)
"People either try to forget them or find others to blame. Attributing the pandemic to fate or random chance isn’t satisfying; a lot of people need a villain, even if, in this case, the villain is a man who helped end the pandemic that was ravaging the world..."
...
"So what explains the rage directed at one of the most distinguished scientists of his generation? Some of it is the result of an era in which a major political party—in this case, the Republican Party—has become deranged and captive to conspiratorial thinking. It draws energy from the dark passions. Many people within the party, especially within its leadership and the right-wing ecosystem, delight in destroying institutions and individuals. Fauci has a target on his back because during the pandemic, he refused to live in the Twilight Zone. He called out those who did. And for MAGA world, that is unforgivable."

Why MAGA Is So Obsessed With Fauci
(The Atlantic)
Historic documents in limbo with proposed National Archives closure
(Nichi Bei News)
"Individual I.R.S. agents could face criminal investigations under a future administration for following through on Mr. Blanche’s order..."

Republicans Let Trump Keep Unparalleled Benefit: I.R.S. Immunity
(New York Times)

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Rachel has a new book!

"Department of Fate: The Promise, the Power, and the Collapse of America’s Most Consequential Institution"

comes out November 10 but you can pre-order now.

See MS.NOW/DepartmentOfFate for links and options to pre-order.