We Are Watching

They want to keep us on edge - overwhelmed. We aren’t giving in. Keep track.

Oct 2025

16-31: Massive turnouts across the US for No Kings 2! protests. Economy remains uncertain, with 5 polls showing Trump approval on the economy below 40% and inflation remaining persistent. Pentagon continues crackdown on communications with Congress, after seating right wing journalists in press pool following main stream media refusal to sign censorship agreements. Trump strikes a sour note with US ranchers, proposing to flood the US market with Argentine beef. China's boycott of US farm commodities, esp. soybeans, is hurting the Midwest. Trump demolishes the East Wing of the White House (construction equipment just showed up and down it went in a week - because he says so). White House confirms that CIA is conducting covert missions in Venezuela, and a US carrier strike force is directed to Caribbean. Trump continues to strike boats without providing proof of his claims about drug trafficking. US Admiral who headed Southern Command resigns early. Trump claims the US owes him $230 million for legal harassment. (.... more to come, per nbc, ap, nytimes, hcr)

1-15: US Government shuts down. Vought of OMB says he'll use the shutdown to conduct massive layoffs of federal workers, Government websites put up partisan messages blaming Democrats for shutdown, and Administration revokes numerous federal grants to Blue state projects (none of which is legal or proper). Speaker Johnson puts House on recess to avoid negotiating. Democrats make clear they intend to preserve Affordable Care Act market stability and premium support. Strikes continue against boats off Venezuelan coast. Nobel Committee Awards Peace Price to Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machada. ICE and other federal agents in Chicago become increasingly aggressive. Courts intervene on National Guard deployments, mostly to block but with enough contradictions to keep everyone confused. Naked cyclists protest in Portland - as does a caped frog and other inflatable characters. NY AG Letitia James is indicted by politicized DOJ. Trump helps broker cease fire in Gaza - Hamas releases last of living Israeli hostages and repatriates remains of those killed. Palestinians assess the ruins of Gaza. Hamas reportedly conducts retribution killings. Trump awards Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously to Charlie Kirk. Trump dabbles in Ukraine War - taking slightly harder line with Putin but also withholding key supports from Ukraine. Supreme Court refused to take up Alex Jones appeal of $1.5 billion in damages to Sandy Hook families. US AG Pam Bondi gives disgraceful performance at Senate Judiciary Committee - combative, evasive and condescending. Sen Schiff holds her feet to the fire. Trump administration bails out Argentine ally Pres. Milie with at least $20 billion in US Treasury support. (nbc, ap, nytimes, heather cox richardson)

Sept 2025

15-30: Trump makes a state visit to United Kingdom and separately delivers an address to the United National General Assembly in New York. He was true to his boorish form at both. DOJ pursues its agenda of retribution, securing a partial and questionable indictment of former FBI head James Comey. Killings by mass shooters continue to rip up the US, one at an immigration center in Texas and another at a Mormon church in Michigan. We are reduced to reading bullet casings and ignoring all else. Hegseth summons all military flag officers and senior command NCOs to an unprecedented lecture at Quantico - Hegseth and Trump blather, the military personnel remained stoic. Trump appears to tell his generals they will be used to suppress “the enemy within”. Jimmy Kimmel was yanked off the air, then reinstated - consumer outcry apparently still has some teeth. Trump and RFK blame autism on Tylenol and pregnant women. The Senate changed their rules to bypass Democratic advice and consent, confirming 48 Trump appointees in one batch. More Venezuela boats are labeled enemy vessels and blownup with only assertions lacking legal or public accountability. Federal forces, including ICE and border patrol, ramp up activity in Chicago, Portland and Memphis. The Supreme Court uses its shadow docket to allow Trump to fire a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission despite the terms of the law. Press reports that negotiations to avert a government shutdown were failing, but all indications are that the GOP had been angling for a test of resolve - and at midnight Sept 30th, the first shutdown since 2018 begins. (nbc, ap, nytimes, heather cox richardson)

8-14: Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University during a Turning Point USA event, the right-wing organization he founded. "The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible," wrote Governor Gavin Newsom, D-California. "In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in every form." After a 3-day manhunt, the alleged killer was arrested, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. The killing sparked waves of recriminations and speculations about motive, political responsibilities, gun violence in America, freedom of expression, and Mr. Kirk's legacy. On the same day, there was a deadly shooting at a Colorado high school. Poland and NATO allies shot down a wave of Russian drones violating Polish airspace. Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Qatar. Brazil’s former President and Trump-ally Jair Bolsonaro was found guilty of plotting a coup and was sentenced to prison. A judge has blocked Trump's effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Trump's D.C. emergency order expired, but renewals are on the horizon. Homeland Security launched a new immigration operation in Chicago. Senate Republicans blocked Democrats’ effort to release Epstein files. (ap, nbc, pbs) Fox news host Brian Kilmeade said on-air this week that homeless people who refuse help or services should be subject to "involuntary lethal injection." Four days later he apologized. (the hill)

1-7: National Guard deployments continued in Washington, D.C., with additional guards sent from Georgia. President Trump signed an executive order claiming to rename the Department of Defense to the "Department of War". Administration continues to prepare for Chicago expansion of federal law enforcement to usurp local control - including an offensive post threatening “War” using Vietnam imagery from Apocalypse Now. Maryland leaders rejected Trump's proposal to send National Guard troops to Baltimore. A federal judge blocks flights that were to send children to Guatemala. US Navy attacked a speedboat in the Caribbean, apparently killing 11 - legal basis dubious. Trump claims it was a Venezuelan drug boat. China held a summit and military parade, including Russia and North Korea, signaling continued geopolitical rivalry with the US (ap). Federal judges stymied several Trump overreaches this week - blocking use of National Guard in California for law enforcement, objecting to the use of Alien Enemies Act in deportations, unfreezing $2 billion in federal research funds to Harvard, and ruling against against Sec Kristi Noem and Dept of Homeland Security for orders terminating temporary protected status for immigrants from Haiti and Venezuela. Sen Bill Cassidy (R-La) was one of many challenging RFK Jr. on chaos and misinformation coming from his HHS. “I would say, effectively, we’re denying people vaccine,” Cassidy challenged Kennedy during a Senate hearing. (nbc)

Aug 2025

25-31: A federal appeals court ruled many of Trump’s tariffs illegal but delayed enforcement. The White House moved to cancel $4.9 billion in foreign aid. FEMA staff warned Trump’s policies were weakening disaster readiness. Trump ordered a Chicago immigration crackdown, expanded National Guard powers nationwide, and threatened funding cuts to cities with cashless bail. CDC director Susan Monarez was fired after resisting dismissal, prompting senior resignations. Fed governor Lisa Cook sued Trump over her firing. Texas approved a gerrymandered map. Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said she won’t run again. Russia escalated strikes in Ukraine and flew drones over U.S. arms routes. (nytimes)

18-24: Following the Alaska debacle, European leaders flew to Washington DC to rally with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy during his Oval Office meeting. Trump purged Russia-focused intelligence officials, raided John Bolton’s home, and continued the use of federal and military forces in DC.(pbs w/atlantic on washington week)

11-17: Trump met Putin in Alaska. Ukraine was excluded. No Ukraine ceasefire or deal followed. Trump deployed National Guard and federal agents to Washington DC, usurping local law enforcement control. (pbs w/atlantic on washington week)

1-10: Plans announced for Putin and Trump to meet in Alaska regarding Ukraine - Putin offers nothing. Israeli declares further moves on Gaza. Arab states call for Hamas to give up control. Starvation and humanitarian crisis for Palestinians escalate. Trump continues targeting universities, demanding admission data. He is also looking at banks with alleged anti-conservative bias. Texas redistricting standoff escalates, with Texas governor and DA aggressively alleging the political act as criminal, attempts to involve FBI, and push to remove Democrats from the legislature. Democratic governors in Illinois, California and NY hit back - to protect Texas lawmakers and to accelerate their own pro-Democratic redistricting as counter-balance. Trump ends week claiming the right to "redo" the Census and remove undocumented persons (unconstitutional). NY Times summarized ICE's expanded budget and actions - $75 billion allocated to increase deportations, expand detention facilities, and lower hiring standards for agents. Climate and energy actions all going backwards - cancelled renewable projects, more drilling, and NASA shuts down some climate research. After various delays, a load of Trump's tariffs took hold - goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union now subject to tariff rates from 10 to 20%. Federal Judge blocks Trump administration from ending protections for 60,000 from Central America and Nepal. The Justice Department seeks voter and election information from at least 19 states. Trump removes the head of Bureau of Labor Statistics after poor jobs numbers. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting says it will close. HHS under RFK Jr. kicks medical associations off CDC vaccine work group, and then revokes funding for critical mRNA research - harping back to anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories. Congress goes home for August. White House announces new $200M ballroom. (sources: ap, nytimes, nbc news)

July 2025

28-31: Tariff posturing was ripe in advance of Aug 1 deadline - with deal claimed with EU and Japan. China and US still talking.  Brazil pushes back at Trump meddling in trial of former Brazilian President Bolsonaro. Trump threatens to undo Canadian trade deal over Gaza. France also pushes back. Starvation in Gaza finally put enough pressure on Trump to criticize Israel's siege operation. UK may recognize the Palestinian State. Russia continues attacks in Ukraine. Epstein scandal continues to widen, as Ghislaine Maxwell refuses to testify before Congress without immunity, and by end of week was transferred to easier prison in Texas. A federal court continues to block Trump's plan to unconstitutionally deny birthright citizenship. Dept of Education relents on its blockade of local education funds. EPA announces it will undo the scientific finding that authorizes climate change action. DOJ alleges misconduct against a judge that hasn't coddled them. Sen. Cory Booker challenges fellow Senate Democrats with a "wake-up call."  Members of Congress sue over access to ICE detention centers. Brown University among the latest to cave to Trump. Confirmation of many presidential appointments is bottled up by Democrats - though it was not enough to prevent Emil Bove from being named an appeals court judge.  More former Venezuelan detainees sent from US to CECOT in El Salvador relate horror stories of their captivity. Rose Garden paved over. Fights continue over legality and responsibility for "Alligator Alcatraz." (nytimes, ap, nbc)

21-27: Jeffrey Epstein dominates headlines - Trump DOJ makes limited immunity deal in a private meeting with Epstein's accomplice, convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. House Speaker Johnson sends members home to avoid a vote of accountability. Columbia University succumbs to Trump pressure, paying over $200 million over supposed transgressions. Trump visits the Fed building renovations, trying to use alleged cost overruns in his pressure campaign against Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Supreme Court allows Trump to fire members of Consumer Product Safety Commission despite Congress's intent that it have independence. Trump makes tariff news with Japan this week and Indonesia the week before (details of which are hard to track - we'll see how it all shakes out). GOP makes clear that mid-decade redistricting is their 2026 House strategy. US Labor Dept announces it will weaken or repeal over 60 worker safety/protection regulations. EPA eliminates its science R&D arm, weakening independent review of hazards. Congressional Budget Office confirms in their final scoring that the big budget bill will add $3-4 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years. It will also leave 10 million more Americans without health insurance. France set to recognize Palestine as a state, say Prime Minister Macron. CBS/Paramount appears to give in to Trump's extortion to cancel Stephen Colbert --- Colbert and friends make clear the gloves are off. Paramount get's their $8 billion merger deal done for Skydance. South Park goes full Satan satire against the President. Trump accuses former President Obama of "treason" in yet another deflection. Trump ends the week with an escape to visit his golf course in Scotland. (nbc, ap, nytimes)

14-20: The over 200 immigrants shipped to the torture prison in El Salvador were released to Venezuela as part of a prisoner exchange. Senate Democrats walked out of a Judiciary Committee meeting intended to advance Emil Bove's nomination as a lifetime US judge. Epstein heats up the airwaves, with Trump calling his supporters "weaklings" for not abandoning their demands for information. Fresh off their big ugly bill win, Congress also approves the "rescissions package" to cut $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting. DHS sent 5 detained immigrants to Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) in Africa - people that have no ties to that nation. Trump signals some toughness against Russia with plan to send weapons via NATO and the threat at least of secondary sanctions. Serious reports of ICE mistreatment of detainees continue to emerge. An ICE report shows about 72% of immigrants detained had no criminal convictions. Supreme Court uses their shadow docket to enable the destruction of the Department of Education - including a layoff of nearly 1,400 employees. (nbc, ap, nytimes)

7-13: The Archbishop of Miami (Florida) condemned Alligator Alcatraz, calling it "corrosive of the common good." Tariff income bumped federal receipts --- money that comes fundamentally from consumers and American retailers. Sen. Tillis criticizes Defense Secretary Hegseth over unauthorized halt in weapon shipments to Ukraine. IRS rules that churches can now open endorse candidates while keeping tax-exempt status. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House - Gaza children continue to suffer from hunger with little relief in sight. (nbc, ap, nytimes)

1-6: On partisan lines, the Senate and House each pushed through the Big Ugly Budget bill by the Trump-imposed deadline of before July 4th. All Kansas GOP members voted for the budget. The bill includes $4.5 Trillion in taxes skewed to the wealthy and corporations, deep future cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and a dramatic expansion of ICE police and immigrant detention. The deportation of 8 men from the US to war-torn South Sudan was completed after the Supreme Court pulled back protections. Most of the men have no ties to South Sudan or Africa. DOJ states its intent to amp up "denaturalization" to would yank already conferred US citizenship based on crimes or national security risk (as defined by the administration). Social Security Administration sends out a partisan email with misleading information on the budget bill, while Homeland Security posted a disgraceful meme of alligators with ICE uniform hats. Paramount, the owner of CBS, capitulates to Trump in a lawsuit over 60 Minutes coverage. Supreme Court decision restricts National Injunctions, a once favorite tactic to hobble Biden's progressive agenda but now not so favored when applied to Trump's overreach. Court also gve parents more options to "opt out" of all sorts of assignments, including any with LGBTQ themes. The Court did, however, save a a provision of Obamacare that empowers a federal task force to decide which preventative health measures must be covered by insurance. RFK Jr. now runs controls that board. Russia declares that it fully occupies the Luhansk region of Ukraine, one of 4 provinces it annexed in 2022. After phone call, Trump says Putin doesn't want to end war. Major attacks levied on Kyiv. Devastating floods hit central Texas on July 4th, many dead along the Guadalupe River, including young girls at a summer camp. (Sources: AP Morning Wire, NY Times “The Morning”, NBC News, the Independent, the Hill)

For older entries, back to Nov 5, 2024, visit the archive.

(photo at top by Charl Durand on unsplash)