Jonah Blank @JonahBlank Twitter profile

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Jonah Blank

4 months

While my website is under repair, some links to publications: ♦️Books: -Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Retracing the Ramayana Through India. -Mullahs on the Mainframe: Islam and Modernity Among the Daudi Bohras. [see🧵for articles]

Mullahs on the Mainframe: Islam and Modernity among the…

In Jonah Blank's important, myth-shattering book, the W…

www.goodreads.com

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Last Seen Profiles

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

Fun fact: -I staffed @joebiden for nearly a decade. Every year, he threw a Christmas party for staff. Bonus fact: -He alternated the site between his home in Wilmington & his DC office. To show that staff based in the Capital were no more highly-valued than those in Delaware.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

4 years

"The Christmas season will be canceled" -- Trump says Biden will cancel Christmas

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

I understand why Deborah Birx is trying to launder her reputation. I don't understand why @FaceTheNation is helping her do so. Suggested question: Dr Birx, why are you just telling this to us NOW?

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

3 years

"I saw the president presenting graphs that I never made. So I know that someone ... was creating a parallel set of data and graphics that were shown to the president. I don't know to this day who." -- Dr. Birx

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

For those still deciding whether to give @JoeBiden your vote, here's a little story that shows what he's like-- and why he deserves your trust. Over nearly a decade of staffing #JoeBiden , we took a number of helicopter flights in #Afghanistan ... <1/ >

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

Has the president been meeting with rulers from... ...Lord of the Rings?

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

4 years

"I meet with foreign leaders of countries, & they have an expression, 'Sir, we are a forest nation.' But they say, 'we have trees that are far more explosive than the trees in California. We don't understand how a thing like that can happen. You have to manage your forest" -Trump

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

The most famous business school in America is @Wharton . Its most famous graduate inherited his fortune from his father, declared corporate bankruptcy six times, managed to lose money as a casino-owner-- yet convinced millions that he's good at business. How can this be? Well:

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

6 months

I didn't know a lot of the grim details outlined in this @vox piece on Israel's mass-detention of #Palestinians : Many of those held are guilty of no crime, some subjected to torture, few given real legal recourse. You probably didn't either. You should:

Why Israel imprisons so many Palestinians

150 Palestinian prisoners are being released as part of Israel and Hamas’s recent hostage deal. But thousands more remain behind bars.

www.vox.com

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Yes. Here's proof: -In 1967, #opencarry of #firearms was legal in #California . Until #BlackPanthers started conducting (legal) armed patrols, and staged a (legal) armed protest at the State Capitol. -On July 28, 1967 a law banning open carry was signed. ...By Gov. Ronald Reagan.

Soledad O'Brien

@soledadobrien

5 years

This would all wrap up pretty quick if a large groups of young Black and Muslim men just walked around local stores with guns strapped to their bodies.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

When @KamalaHarris gave a shout-out to her "chittis" (ie, her mother's sisters)... ...It was-- I'm pretty sure-- the first time that #Tamil has been spoken at a US political convention.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

When a #Jesuit priest calls your remarks at the #NationalPrayerBreakfast "disgusting"... Also: I forget-- Did #Jesus blatantly rig his own trial, and then smugly hold up a scroll reading, "Acquitted"?

James Martin, SJ

@JamesMartinSJ

4 years

The President's speech at the #NationalPrayerBreakfast was disgusting. Self-serving, mean-spirited and targeting his "enemies," it was the opposite of prayer. At the heart of the believer's relationship with God is a profound humility before the Lord. And at the heart of the...

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Every day, for 12 years, I had to go through a metal-detector to enter my office in the US Senate. I had to take off my belt and surrender my keys, just to go to work. Who knew that all I really needed to do was... ..shout obscenities at the guards, and wave a Confederate flag?

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

Bonus: -If I've got any of the details wrong about @joebiden 's steady leadership on that ridge-line in #Afghanistan ... ... @ablinken can correct me: he was there, and can testify to the boss' coolness in a rather dicey situation.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

<6/6> ...For the next 4 hours, until a convoy from Bagram rescued us, @joebiden : -Let the soldiers do their job, and trusted their judgement. -Was grateful, rather than short-tempered, to the helo pilots. -Showed the calm leadership that kept the rest of us grounded. So: #Vote .

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Listen to the whole tape. You won't regret it. Spoiler alert: He doesn't just demand that Georgia's SecState commit voter fraud. He explicitly threatens both him and his counsel. Tony Soprano would have been far more subtle.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

3 years

The audio of Trump demanding the Georgia secretary of state “find” enough votes so his loss to Biden can be overturned needs to be heard to be believed

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

And in return, US Administration offers #India : 1. Ummm.... 2. Er.... 3. Well, you see.... 4. The real point here is.... 5. Hmmmm........ 6. "Oldest democracy and largest democracy" 7. Invitation to Mar-a-Lago? 8. Hey, does @narendramodi play golf? 9. OK, well.... 10. Trust us.

Suhasini Haidar

@suhasinih

5 years

List of US trade-asks as of date: 1. Don't buy Iran oil 2. Don't buy S 400 3. Don't allow Huawei in 5G trials 4. Don't insist on storing your own data locally 5. No new e-commerce rules 6. Buy US oil 7. Buy US planes 8. Buy US 5G tech 9. Zero out Harley Davidson tariffs 10. TBA

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

How dangerously incompetent is the US Administration's response to #CoronaVirus ? This dangerously incompetent: 👇🏽

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

This is huge news: 🙏🏽 #Moderna . Pfizer, AstraZeneca, J&J, and others: -Ball's in your court.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

No rush. It's not as we need the entire investigation completed before they're up for reelection. In 11 months, 17 days.

Don Winslow

@donwinslow

2 years

Not one Republican member of Congress has received a subpoena for their involvement in January 6.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

<5/ > ...Up to now, the day had been going well. But suddenly, not at all. One could easily imagine a Very Important Person getting...agitated. And taking it out on anybody around him. (Just imagine how Donald Trump would react!) Not @joebiden ...

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has some thoughts on the #Uvalde shooting: -He blames the teachers. -For not coming to class every morning armed to the teeth. Locked and loaded, flak vests on, and ready to kill.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

2 years

Asked on Newsmax about his solution for school shootings, Texas AG Ken Paxton mentions arming teachers

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Replicating a study by... ...every Black driver.

NBC News

@NBCNews

3 years

A recent American Psychological Association study revealed that police officers speak to Black drivers in a more disrespectful tone during traffic stops than the way they speak to white drivers.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Reminder: -All of the political appointees who will be conveniently discovering their consciences today... ...are exactly the same people who spent the past four years enabling every single action up to this point.

Maggie Haberman

@maggieNYT

3 years

Source close to Trump says more resignations are expected in the next 24 hours.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

<3/ > ...the storm was faster than we were. Visibility suddenly was reduced to zero, with mountain cliffs on either side. We had to put down on an icy ridge (Side-note: @USArmy helicopter pilots are incredible!). Here's where we landed:

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Last time I can remember a month-long press clampdown in #Kashmir was... ..Never. I reported from Kashmir at the height of the insurgency (1995), and during times far more volatile (1998, 1999) than #NewDelhi claims is the situation today. If that's true, let the story be told.

Rana Ayyub

@RanaAyyub

5 years

A month since the lockdown, if the Indian govt is convinced that everything is NORMAL in Kashmir, why are non Indian, foreign journalists not allowed access to the valley. Why are they denied permit to report from Kashmir ?

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

<4/ > ...So @joebiden is stranded on an icy ridge-line, in Taliban-controlled territory, and the only protection we've got are two .50cal mounted guns, and the rifles & side-arms of the few troops/PSD in the 2 Blackhawks. No way to safely take off, no way for help to reach us...

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

8 years

In case anyone is wondering who #KhizrKhan 's son is, here's who:

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

I've refrained from watching the Trump #TownHall live, to avoid giving @NBCnews an additional click for its bizarre stunt. Fortunately, @atrupar has assembled some highlights. Here's Trump claiming *not to know* whether he took a #COVID test on day of debate with @joebiden :

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

4 years

Here’s Trump making a total mess of the question about when his last negative coronavirus test was during the NBC town hall

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

I took my kids to see #StarWars in #Jakarta . This scene wasn't cut here. Nobody cared. Is #Singapore less tolerant than #Indonesia ? The sequence featured many varieties of alien-on-alien first-basery. Does #Disney really believe two human women kissing is just too out-there?

The New York Times

@nytimes

4 years

Disney cut a brief kiss between 2 female characters in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" from screenings in Singapore. It was the first overt appearance of gay characters in a "Star Wars" film.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

<2/ > ...One of those helo flights was a little more memorable than the others. It was in February 2008. We were returning from a FOB (Forward Operating Base) in territory controlled by the Taliban. And a storm was moving in...

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

I was in #Varanasi ( #NarendraModi 's constituency) on #India 's election day, spoke with ~15 voters at 3 polling sites. I asked what they felt were the most important issues in the election. ...Not one of them mentioned a #Hindutva issue. Top answers: "Vikas" & "Swasti"

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

I often had to brief @joebiden on facts that were at variance with his preconceptions, or would require him to adjust his positions. And if I'd ever failed to do so, he would have fired me immediately. Because that's what responsible leaders do.

John Harwood

@JohnJHarwood

4 years

“As one intelligence veteran who occasionally briefed Trump told me: “On a visceral level, his view was, ‘You all are supposed to be helping me.’ But when you’d bring in evidence that Russia interfered, that’s what he’d refer to as not helpful.” /1

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

What @DavidCornDC says is 100% accurate-- and we know this not from the #MuellerReport , but from the participants' OWN statements. ... #Mueller 's task was merely to determine what could be proven in a court of law-- not to find the truth. As for the truth-- we already knew that.

David Corn

@DavidCornDC

5 years

Russia attacked the 2016 election to help Trump. His campaign signaled Moscow it was fine with that, and Trump also lied about the attack and helped Putin get away with it. And most Republicans and conservatives don’t give a damn. This is sad and troubling.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Don't worry, Alabama: - #Yoga as practiced in the US has exactly as much relation to #Hinduism as a department-store Santa has to #Christianity .

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Mr President: 1. The correct spelling is #M ötleyCrüe. 2. Their retirement tour was in 2015. 3. If they were to enter the race, it would certainly boost the debate-night ratings.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

7 months

Watch this for the last 5 seconds. Just to observe with Margaret Brennan's expression, and realize that you are not alone.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

7 months

Rep. Mike Turner tells Margaret Brennan he's unbothered by allegations Jim Jordan turned a blind eye to sexual assault and also unconcerned about Jordan's involvement in the J6 plot

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

True. This is why we need straight talk on #CoronaVirus from US govt officials at @DHSgov , @CDCgov & White House. Since we're not getting it from them, thank you @tedlieu for providing necessary context.

Ted Lieu

@tedlieu

4 years

Dear @DHS_Wolf : Highly disturbing you don’t know basic facts. The mortality rate for the flu is about 0.1%, and it killed over 60,000 people in the 2018-19 season. Coronavirus is about 20 times deadlier. That’s why people are freaked out. You need to correct your testimony.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

What was my then-boss @joebiden doing on the morning of #September11 ? He was standing on the steps of the Capital, together with his #GOP & #Democratic colleagues, singing "God Bless America." Because in a moment of terror, he wanted to show that we were all in this together.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

This is the sort of thing that is captured on video. Even *after* nationwide protests against #PoliceBrutality . Just *imagine* the sort of thing that happens when nobody is taping. #BlackLivesMatter

Naveed Shah 🇺🇸

@ArmyofNaveed

3 years

“The officers allegedly told Nazario if he were to complain, they’d charge him with crimes like obstruction, eluding, and assault on a law enforcement officer—potentially destroying his military career.” Full Story via @VICENews

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

The most powerful man in the world, to a grieving widow: -Your late husband, a #WW2 combat vet who helped create #Medicare , is probably in Hell. Grieving Widow: -That made me sad. Press: -Wow-- those two are really going at each other! @RepDebDingell #JohnDingell

Soledad O'Brien

@soledadobrien

4 years

Excellent example of media “both-sides-ing”: According to @axios Congresswoman Dingell ‘hit back’ by talking about her grief after the President suggested her dead husband is in hell? That’s ‘hitting back’? Whew. Media is not serving you, folks.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

7 years

This report is from @Forbes . ..A magazine that proudly calls itself a "Capitalist Tool," and made its name with puff-pieces on billionaires.

Forbes

@Forbes

7 years

How Donald Trump shifted kids-cancer charity money into his business:

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

...you see, a madman has purchased the company. We thought he'd just use it as a trollish plaything, but now he seems intent on deliberately driving it into bankruptcy. For future communication, check your personal email.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

There is exactly one Administration official with *any* credibility whatsoever on #COVID19 . Here's what the President has to say about him:

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

4 years

Trump disses Dr. Fauci: "I inherited him ... you inherit a lot of people, and you have some you love, some you don't. I like him. I don't agree with him that often."

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Trump admits that Putin made a policy commitment based not on any interest of the United States, but on the political interest of Donald Trump. #Putin doesn't give ANYTHING for free. ♦️What did Trump promise him in return? (Maybe: 2nd term withdrawal from #NATO )

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

2 years

Trump tells Hannity he had a "very strong" conversation with Putin in which he received some sort of assurance that Putin wouldn't invade Ukraine while he was in office

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Also: -Nobody who commits a mass shooting is a "law abiding citizen."

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

2 years

During gun violence hearing, John Cornyn claims "law abiding citizens are not gonna commit" mass shootings. (Who wants to tell him that mass shooters often obtain their guns legally?)

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Want a point-by-point explanation of why the #Iraq War was based on lies-- and not (as its neo-con & Bush Admin supporters like @AriFleischer claim) merely bad intel? ... @dylanmatt at @voxdotcom (relying on info from @davidcorndc ) provides it:

George W. Bush really did lie about WMDs, and his aides are still lying for him

Ari Fleischer’s latest excuses are pathetic.

www.vox.com

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Amen. #India 's democracy is patterned on Westminster-- but was created by Indians themselves. As late as July 1947, not one of the pseudo-democratic institutions established by the Brits had any real power. #Democracy was built in India *despite* the Brits-- not *by* them.

Milan Vaishnav

@MilanV

2 years

This quote almost made me lose my lunch: “You can’t impose your values — you have to accommodate them to the values of the country. It took Britain 250 years to build democracy in India.”

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

7 years

President says he has conferred with the "Prime Minister of Afghanistan." ( #Afghanistan has not had a prime minister in 20 years).

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

"Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless."

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

6 years

A few hard truths about the #IraqWar : 1. Those of us who opposed it BEFORE the invasion were ignored. 2. Those of us who opposed it DURING the fighting were mocked. 3. Those of us who opposed it AFTER its failure were insulted. ...Before the next war, maybe listen to us?

Michael Beschloss

@BeschlossDC

6 years

“Bush Orders Start of War on Iraq”--15 years ago tomorrow:

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

A lot of discussion in the press about #CodeWord -level security clearance & whether Presidential phonecalls with foreign leaders should receive it. A brief thread, to help clear up some inaccurate reporting (and some *very* inaccurate White House messaging: <1/8>

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

On behalf of all other dads: -C'mon, Billy Kemper! You're making the rest of us look bad!

Rex Chapman🏇🏼

@RexChapman

3 years

This is professional surfer Billy Kemper — and his son Lion — surfing together. Just gonna leave it here. Magnificent…

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Trump's lawyer's description of #MarALagoRaid seems to stretch the truth: -Says presidents get to decide which documents are covered by the Presidential Records Act. No, that's false. -Says @FBI agents refused to show her a warrant: Hard to believe, likely false.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

2 years

asked on Real America's Voice what the search warrant said, Trump attorney Christina Bobb hems and haws but ultimately says it had to do with the Presidential Records Act and classified documents

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

This is damning. @CapitolPolice have one mission: protect Congress, & all who work or visit there. The unit's leadership failed-- and only the heroism of individual officers like #EugeneGoodman prevented an epic disaster. They're not providing answers. Even to their bosses.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

Mr President: 1. That is literally what a military alliance means. 2. In the alliance's 70-year history, only one #NATO nation has ever invoked #Article5 -- ie, asked allies to come to its defense. It was the US. Over 1,000 non-US @NATO troops have died in #Afghanistan . So far.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

4 years

Trump won't commit to coming to the defense of fellow NATO members if they're militarily attacked

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

During #CoronaVirusOutbreak , I've cleared #immigration in: - #HongKong (twice) - #Singapore (multiple times) - #Indonesia (multiple times) - #Japan . Each had remote temperature sensors, to check all passengers for fever without their even pausing one step. Scenes like this: 0

David Enrich

@davidenrich

4 years

This is the horde of people awaiting health inspections after international flights into @fly2ohare in Chicago. A social-distancing nightmare! (Shared with me by someone in Chicago)

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

True. Also: -There are Congressional elections every two years. -There are Presidential elections every four years. -There are other elections each and every year. -If Trump can't be indicted in an election year, he can never be indicted. Which may be the point.

Sarah Kendzior

@sarahkendzior

2 years

Be VERY suspicious of this argument and watch who makes it. Trump is not on the ballot. He has committed espionage, staged a coup, and is an ongoing threat. He is deeply tied to organized crime. The refusal to prosecute him on previous offenses led us to this horrific juncture.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

Amb @McFaul makes a key point here that is too often ignored: Any case against Hunter (or @joebiden ) is up to law enforcement, not #Congress . -And if there were any evidence to support a case, don't you think AG #Barr 's "Justice" Department would have prosecuted them long ago?

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

6 years

Not bad, #JeffBezos . ...At 2% of your reported disposable equity, though, it's still a smaller percentage than most normal people give to #charity . But a good start.

The New York Times

@nytimes

6 years

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos pledged $2 billion for a new fund to help homeless families and start preschools, called Day 1 Fund. The money is by far the largest philanthropic donation by Bezos, who is the world's richest person.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

6 years

Politics is often a dirty game-- but this false accusation against #Kerala MP @ShashiTharoor is about as dirty as the game can get. ...I've been fortunate to have #ShashiTharoor as a friend for three decades. Like everyone who knows him, I know this is BS:

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Haven't been paying attention to the #MrPotatoHead mega-controversy? No need to. Because @cmclymer just decisively ended it.

Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦

@cmclymer

3 years

@DavidBrodyCBN So, let me get this right: because the potato toy presents and identities as male, you respect his decision and need no supposed scientific validation? 🤔

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

If you'd like the key moments in #AmyConeyBarrett confirmation hearing, @atruper 's feed provides them in easily-accessible video.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

4 years

Amy Coney Barrett was asked an extremely basic question about Trump's powers. Her refusal to answer it spoke volumes.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

6 months

Seems an odd conspiracy theory: -The person REALLY running the government is... ...the most popular president in recent history.

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

6 months

Maria Bartiromo to Rep. Richard McCormick: "So who is running the show here? Does [Biden] know what's going on or is he being directed by President Obama?"

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

If only decision-makers in Pakistan had known where the #Taliban had been headquartered for the past 20 years...

Connect the World

@CNNConnect

3 years

"The world is leaving Pakistan with an impossible situation next door. It's very unfair." Pakistan's NatSec Adviser @YusufMoeed tells @BeckyCNN what's happening in Afghanistan is like "deja vu".

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

True. But the problem is far worse: -Most of us can't understand the complexities of #CoronaVirus response. But we're willing to accept the judgement of qualified experts-- we *seek* such guidance. The president does not. And millions will be infected who might otherwise not.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

How broken is our justice system? This broken:

philip lewis

@Phil_Lewis_

3 years

A 76-year-old was sent back to federal prison for not answering a call from her probation officer while attending a computer class. "As I was told, because she could have been robbing a bank, they’re going to treat her as if she was robbing a bank.”

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

“Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets. We see a lot of money pouring in from #Russia .” -Donald Trump Jr. ()

Mark D. Levine

@MarkLevineNYC

2 years

It's not just London. For years Manhattan has been one of the most popular safe harbors for Russian oligarchs to park their cash, especially via ultra-high end apartments. It's time to start seizing their properties. #SupportUkraine

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

Just putting this out there: -One of the most conservative former members of the Tea Party ( @WalshFreedom ) has a better take on #democracy than the Establishment of both parties. (And his comment applies to #Bloomberg as well as to the incumbent president)

Joe Walsh

@WalshFreedom

4 years

I would vote for socialism over authoritarianism.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Fact-check: ✅ There is no legitimate reason for #MerrickGarland to refrain from prosecuting #SteveBannon . None. There is no legitimate reason for him NOT to have announced the prosecution immediately: @TheJusticeDept had plenty of advance notice to figure out its position.

Sarah Kendzior

@sarahkendzior

3 years

"A functional government does not need to be convinced to prosecute people who launch a seditious violent attack. They would want to in order to protect the country. You need to ask some tough questions about why this government will not." -- @gaslitnation

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

#Malaysia 's Opposition Leader @anwaribrahim has a stronger response to #MyanmarCoup than the nation's governing officials:

Melissa Goh

@MelGohCNA

3 years

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim warns that Myanmar is on the verge of sinking further into the abyss of military dictatorship. ASEAN and world leaders must stand united and call for the immediate release of political leaders and the reinstatement of the rule of law in Myanmar.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Did the US president just say that he is holding a citizen of #China hostage? ...If there's a legitimate case against #MengWanzhou (one significant enough to merit a diplomatic brawl) she should be tried. If she is just being used as a pawn in a #TradeWar , she should be released.

Reuters

@Reuters

5 years

EXCLUSIVE: Trump says release of #Huawei CFO could be part of a broader trade deal with China. More on Huawei:

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

1 year

I've never seen the rider outlast the bull. (h/t @RexChapman )

That One Show With Bryan Combs

@ThatOneShowBC

1 year

This is the greatest achievement in human history. It will never be topped.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

True. For nine years, I staffed @joebiden on issues across #SouthAsia & #SoutheastAsia . (For a year, also the #MiddleEast ). I often had to tell him things that he didn't want to hear. And if I'd failed to do so, he'd have fired me on the spot. As any true leader would.

David Rothkopf

@djrothkopf

4 years

@sam_vinograd If people are withholding critical national security information from the president because he "reacts badly to it" they are culpable, are derelict in their duty & should be held accountable. No matter how flawed the president is, their job is to provide him with the whole truth.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Big development in #India involving status of #Kashmir . I'll have more comments later, but here's a brief (& valuable) rundown from @BDUTT :

barkha dutt

@BDUTT

5 years

The big picture: @AmitShah moves bill to revoke #Article370 #Art35A . Scraps J&K special status. Cites Governor's consent as consent of the state. J&K to be a Union Territory, have less powers than even Delhi govt. Security thus to be in centres hands.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

6 years

Important point on #Putin 's attempt to intimidate former US ambassador to #Russia , @McFaul - and US president's willingness to accept it: --This isn't just about #MichaelMcFaul . It's about the ability of the US government, through the @StateDept , to advocate American values.

Michael McFaul

@McFaul

6 years

If Putin succeeds in detaining/harassing me through abuses of @INTERPOL_HQ Red Notice system, ambassadors serving in dictatorships around the world will become more cautious in speaking out for human rights & democracy. Dangerous precedent.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV. No need for @POTUS to take the test. Unlike his predecessor: He could easily pass it.

The Washington Post

@washingtonpost

3 years

Rep. Ronny Jackson said Trump aced a cognitive test. Now he’s demanding Biden take one, citing “mental impairment.”

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

This person was Trump's Ambassador to the UN. Her job description, for nearly two years, was literally asking one set of unfriendly nations for help in dealing with another.

Will Saletan (wsaletan on Threads)

@saletan

2 years

"I was mortified that Biden went so far as asking China for help with Russia. I mean, you never ask an enemy for help with another enemy." — @NikkiHaley on MTP, expressing either ignorance or defiance of one of the most basic lessons of geopolitics

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Prediction: -It will all depend on whether or not he has a platform. Hannity, Tucker, Rush, etc, etc, keep their influence for decades-- because they have a platform. Sarah Palin? Not so much. Will OAN/Sinclair be sufficient platform? Will Fox provide him an alternate?

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Bottom line: 1. There is no legitimate rationale for classifying the #Ukraine phonecall at #CodeWord /SCI level. Same may be true for calls w/leaders of #Russia & #SaudiArabia . 2. Classification is meant to protect the secrets of the nation. Not those of the President. <8/8>

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

7 years

Evidence that America, in all its diversity, already IS pretty darn good:

Julia Carrie Wong

@juliacarriew

7 years

Pretty cool that Muslim ban blocked by Chinese-American AG arguing on behalf of Syrian-American plaintiff before a Native Hawaiian judge.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

For those who don't know @AshaRangappa_ 's background: -She is a former @FBI Special Agent. -She specialized in counterintelligence and counterterrorism. -She certainly knows far more about the world of intel than the guy "educating" her. (GOP Rep Mike Turner)

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

7 years

#SaudiArabia 's Crown Prince #MbS has essentially declared war on: - #Lebanon - #Yemen - #Qatar - #Iran & entire #Saudi royal family. ...He's 32.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

6 years

Is there a scale for measuring pettiness? If not, I think I know what to call each unit:

DonnaCassata

@DonnaCassata

6 years

Trump rejected plans for a White House statement praising McCain

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

Got to hand it to #Indonesia for stoicism: 100 million people have no electricity, the sun is setting, and #matilampu ("blackout") is trending on Twitter. ...But most of the Tweets are memes about re-learning Stone Age life-skills. #KeepCalmAndCarryOn

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

In case anyone is keeping track: No, the president's claim is not true. Not even partially. Not even a little bit. And, yes, these blatantly false claims are *very* dangerous: Mr President, please stop-- before one of your supporters acts out your inflammatory rhetoric.

Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D

@RVAwonk

5 years

Holy hell. Trump just told the crowd at his Wisconsin rally that after women give birth, the baby is "wrapped in a blanket" and then "the mother and the doctor decide whether to execute the baby."

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ( @ajc ) reports victims at Young's Asian Massage as: -Two Asian women -One white woman, one white man (Also one Latin man, injured but not killed)

Dianne Gallagher

@DianneG

3 years

Young’s Asian Massage – Acworth GA • 4 dead •1 injured at hospital •Police have not given race, gender of victims •Sheriff says suspect in custody Atlanta Police Investigating: Gold Massage Spa •3 dead, Asian Females Aroma Therapy Spa •1 dead Asian Female

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

"You're gonna like the way you look... ...(But nobody else will)." (OK, that's Men's Wearhouse. Same principle).

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

2 years

worst Kohl's ad ever

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

5 years

MSM coverage of #ElizabethWarren 's DNA is exactly the same #journalism failure as that perpetrated in 2016 about @HillaryClinton 's emails: Obsessive focus on an embarassing-but-not-disqualifying story for which facts are already known, while ignoring far more substantive issues.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Yes. Exactly this. #LongCovid is the single most under-reported, under-researched, and under-resourced aspect of the #COVID19 pandemic.

Mehdi Hasan

@mehdirhasan

3 years

The willful downplaying of #longcovid is both morally wrong and bonkers from a public policy perspective given the healthcare costs of tackling it in the coming years and maybe decades.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

In case you're wondering whether to believe @NPRKelly or #MikePompeo , here's a reminder by @sbg1 of @NewYorker of #Pompeo 's dubious relationship with the truth. (FWIW: @NewYorker has the toughest fact-checking in #journalism . The facts here have been ruthlessly verified).

Susan Glasser

@sbg1

4 years

This is outrageous. @NPRKelly is a professional of unimpeached credibility. As for @SecPompeo reupping my profile with his record of misleading the public about his own past. https://.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/08/26/mike-pompeo-the-secretary-of-trump

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

What does #VoterSuppression look like? This 👇🏽

Paul Begala

@PaulBegala

4 years

For those of you not from Texas, Harris County includes Houston, and has more people than 24 states. It will have one drop box.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

That would be the best outcome for the country, and even for him too (by resigning, he'd get a pardon from Mike Pence, which would stand up to legal scrutiny far better than the self-pardon he'd otherwise take). But my bet: No. Instead: House #Impeachment ; Senate: No conviction.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Fact-check: ✅ Want to see exactly how the Philippines' (ex) would-be dictator Rodrigo Duterte explains everything about Trump and his supporters? Here's my article on it, in the @monthly :

Duterte, the Philippine Trump, Bids Farewell | Washington Monthly

As the Manila strongman comes to the end of his term, Filipinos, like Americans, still live in the shadow of authoritarianism.

washingtonmonthly.com

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

. @sarahkendzior is right. ...in 2017. (Also, of course, today. But just in case anyone has spent the past four years asking, "Who could possibly have predicted this?")

Sarah Kendzior

@sarahkendzior

6 years

What's happened to the US was a preventable tragedy brought on by blind faith and failure of the imagination: to recognize authoritarianism, to call traitors out, to realize that institutions are only as good as those upholding them.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

US interrogators describe how they engaged in #torture . Under the guidance of GOP-appointed leadership of @TheJusticeDept . Seems like this shouldn't have been 14 screens down on @nytimes website. Below news of the Met Gala and something about videogames.

C.I.A. Captive Was Too Small for Waterboard, Interrogator Testifies (Published 2022)

The former C.I.A. contract psychologist described both approved and unapproved interrogation techniques that he observed and carried out in the black sites.

www.nytimes.com

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Why is #BodyArmor legal for civilians? It has no legitimate civilian use, and is in no way protected by the Second Amendment. If he had not been wearing body armor, the #Uvalde shooter might have been stopped before he massacred 19 children and two teachers.

NBC News

@NBCNews

2 years

Police officers were initially unable to stop gunman who was wearing body armor when he killed 19 children and 2 teachers at Uvalde elementary school, official says.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

3 years

Not going to watch this. Because I'm trying to maintain the belief that every character on @TheSimpsons is an individual, real human being.

Rex Chapman🏇🏼

@RexChapman

3 years

Every voice that Nancy Cartwright does on the Simpsons in under 40-seconds. Art...

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

#Muharram is the most important time of year for the @Dawoodi_Bohras (a community who were kind enough to let me conduct fieldwork with them). They travel from all over the world to observe #Ashura together. If they can adjust their lives for #COVID19 , so can we all.

The Dawoodi Bohras of USA 🇺🇸

@Bohras_USA

4 years

Children of the @Dawoodi_Bohras community of #TheWoodlands #TX make homemade decorations as families spend #Ashara and the holy month of #Muharram at home this year due to #COVID19 restrictions. @JoeBiden

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Not only one of the strongest #progressive elected officials, anywhere. Also, one of the kindest. #RIPPaulWellstone

Aaron Rupar

@atrupar

2 years

gone 20 years ago today

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

4 years

No, @jaketapper . Please be accurate: @MikeBloomberg has PROMISED to spend $100 million. Just like he PROMISED to spend $1 billion. Don't treat his promise as something that will happen. Report it as fact when-- and if-- it happens. That would be #journalism .

Jake Tapper

@jaketapper

4 years

WaPo: Mike Bloomberg to spend at least $100 million in Florida to benefit Joe Biden

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

1 year

Two possible explanations for #Elon 's sale of $3.6 billion in @tesla stock this week: 1. As @BriannaWu suggests, he may be enormously over-leveraged. 2. #Tesla 's share price has fallen ~50% over the past year. He may know something we don't-- and knows it'll drop much further.

Brianna Wu

@BriannaWu

1 year

My feeling is Musk is in a much more precarious financial state than is commonly understood, and it’s affecting his judgement in extreme ways. It’s not commonly understood just how leveraged his stock is. Even billionaires can only have so many cash burning machine companies.

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Jonah Blank

@JonahBlank

2 years

Here's the letter that Cy Vance sent to Donald Trump on his election. Perhaps his sycophancy was heartfelt. Perhaps he was looking for a Federal job. Either way: It certainly helps explain his failure to do his job as DA.

Sarah Kendzior

@sarahkendzior

4 years

In 2010, Ivanka and Don Jr were nearly indicted for felony fraud. The district attorney who dropped the case -- after a hefty donation from Trump's lawyer -- was Cy Vance. SCOTUS ruled that Vance, not Congress, can access Trump's tax returns.

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