politics

Summary

Since Donald Trump’s election win, sales of dystopian and politically themed books have surged, with titles like The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984 climbing the U.S. bestseller lists.

Feminist and anti-tyranny works, such as Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit and On Democracy by Timothy Snyder, have also seen significant spikes, reflecting public concerns over women’s rights and democratic values.

Women’s rights groups and individuals have voiced alarm over potential threats to reproductive rights, recalling Trump’s support for the Roe v. Wade overturn during his previous term.

Summary

President-elect Donald Trump’s team is reportedly planning to end two Biden-era immigration programs, potentially making hundreds of thousands of migrants who entered the U.S. legally eligible for deportation.

These programs—CBP One and the CHNV parole program—allowed over 1.3 million migrants from countries like Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter the U.S. legally.

Trump’s initial deportation focus is expected to include individuals deemed national security risks, such as Chinese nationals of military age, as well as those with criminal convictions.

Legal challenges are anticipated, similar to those seen during Trump’s first term.

Summary

Mike Davis, a Trump adviser and possible nominee for attorney general, issued a threatening warning to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump for business fraud, not to continue her legal actions against him in his second term, threatening to put her in prison.

Davis’s inflammatory remarks, including personal insults, come as James has vowed to defend Americans against any unconstitutional actions by the new administration.

Known for his extreme rhetoric, Davis has previously suggested punishing journalists and Trump’s political opponents harshly, though it’s often unclear when he’s serious.

Trump has hinted at a significant role for Davis in his administration.

Summary

Following the Democrats’ recent election losses, some, including Senator Bernie Sanders, argue that the party failed by “abandoning” the working class.

However, critics counter that Democrats under Biden implemented one of the most pro-working class agendas in decades, passing union-supportive policies, job-creating infrastructure bills, and increasing wages.

Despite these efforts, Democrats saw little electoral benefit, especially among nonwhite working-class voters, as cultural grievances took precedence for many working-class voters.

Analysts suggest that the party’s best path forward may be to focus on college-educated suburban voters rather than attempting to win back working-class Republicans.

Summary

Oregon Democrat Janelle Bynum won a seat in the U.S. House, becoming the state’s first Black representative after defeating Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer in a closely watched race for Oregon’s 5th Congressional District.

Bynum led by a strong margin in key counties, ensuring a Democratic victory. Her campaign emphasized combatting extremism, reproductive rights, and economic growth, and she received significant support and funding from national Democrats.

While Republicans retain a narrow lead in the overall House, Bynum’s win represents a major gain for Oregon Democrats amid a competitive election cycle.

We were losing slowly. Now we are losing quickly. Democracy, accountability, human rights, social justice – all were rolling backwards as money swarmed our politics. Above all, our life-support systems – the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, ecosystems, ice and snow – have been hammered and hammered, regardless of who is in power. Donald Trump might strike the killer blows, but he is not the cause of an ecocidal economic system. He is the embodiment of it.

Trump has pledged to wage war on planet Earth, ripping up US climate commitments and reverting to unrestrained fossil fuel extraction and burning. If he follows the Project 2025 agenda, he will leave the UN climate framework altogether, making his assault on Earth systems much harder to reverse.

His evangelical base, eager to advance the biblical apocalypse, will love him for it. Most simply deny climate breakdown. Others perceive events such as floods and fires not as warnings, but as joyous portents of the end of times: a great cleansing, in which the righteous will be uplifted to sit at the right hand of God, while their enemies will be cast into the fiery pit. What we will see under a new Trump presidency is a neat alignment of the interests of fossil fuel companies and a constituency gunning for Armageddon (and hoping that Benjamin Netanyahu will assist its delivery).

Summary

The Biden administration has lifted a de facto ban on American military contractors working in Ukraine to help maintain U.S.-provided weapons like F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems.

This policy shift allows the Pentagon to hire American companies for on-the-ground support, aiming to speed up repairs and keep Ukrainian military equipment operational.

Contractors will be positioned far from front lines and will focus solely on equipment maintenance.

The plan’s future is uncertain under incoming President Donald Trump, who has pledged to quickly end the Ukraine-Russia conflict.