Can we put taxes in escrow?

Trump has made it clear that he will reduce funding for blue states. He is also eliminating programs that were funded.

Can we withhold income taxes and put them in escrow? I don’t think this is legal but it can’t hurt to ask. I don’t see why I should pay for Trump’s behavior.

More posts on job losses by Black women

Trump claimed that immigrants were “taking Black jobs,” but even after he deported 350,000 immigrants this year, 300,000 Black women lost their jobs. Black unemployment, overall, has soared to 7.5% under Trump, while white unemployment has dropped to 3.7%.

Keith Boykin (@keithboykin.bsky.social) 2025-10-12T15:46:40.921Z

Over 300,000 Black women have lost jobs this year In Minneapolis, Sheletta Brundidge is hosting a job fair for Black women, by Black women. This is what community looks like. When doors close, we open new ones. 💙kstp.com/kstp-news/to…

Rep. Ilhan Omar (@repilhan.bsky.social) 2025-10-15T14:17:19.373Z

Trump’s terrible RIFs to the Department of Education

Trump really meant it when he said he loves the poorly educated.

We are hearing that almost all of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) has been let go. This is devastating news for both the employees, who are being treated as nothing more than political pawns, and for K–12 education in this country—both deserve better.

Alt Department of Education (@altdepted.bsky.social) 2025-10-10T21:40:53.524Z

There are reports that the *entire* office of special education at the US Dept of Education has been cut. These hardworking folks ensure kids with disabilities get equal access to a quality education. America’s children deserve better than this.

Sara Partridge, Ph.D. (@sarapartridge.bsky.social) 2025-10-11T16:51:19.554Z

Trump’s terrible RIFs to the CDC’

Does he think his cult doesn’t get cancer, too? It’s not just Democrats who will be affected by this awful decision..

FULL STORY HERE: Emails began flooding CDC inboxes late Friday night announcing dozens of layoffs. HR people brought back from furlough to oversee the RIFs. Disease detectives, entire Washington office, global health, injury prevention, MMWR staff among those hit.www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u…

Sheryl Gay Stolberg (@sherylnyt.bsky.social) 2025-10-11T04:49:12.553Z

NEW: @CDCgov hit hard by massive firings that several staff describe to me as a “bloodbath.” Among those RIFd:—leadership of the center for immunization and respiratory diseases;—leadership of global health center—leadership of the measles outbreak response; 1/4

Lena Sun (@lenasun.bsky.social) 2025-10-11T12:49:36.988Z

More on the CDC tonight: @jeremyfaust.bsky.social , who is impeccably sourced there (physician, Harvard faculty) has details on the divisions hit by the apparently illegal RIFS. insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n…

Maryn McKenna (@marynmck.bsky.social) 2025-10-11T02:58:49.361Z

This is beyond bad. All of our disease defenses are down now. We are sitting ducks. This is #RussellVought #DonaldTrump #RFKJr. They are endangering American lives with their insane crusade. These men are hazardous to your health and dangerous to the republic. http://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u…

Gregg Gonsalves (@gregggonsalves.bsky.social) 2025-10-11T10:08:37.483Z

Trump lies about the Associated Press (AP)

He lost the case.

The AP pushes back:"In fact, the AP won its case against Trump, but the president successfully earned a delay in getting the ruling enforced before the U.S. Court of Appeals considers the issue. Arguments on the president's appeal are scheduled for November."apnews.com/article/ap-t…

Bob Burgess (@bobburgess.bsky.social) 2025-10-06T20:16:15.146Z

OVERLOOKED: Trump praised judge/his ruling in case over AP being kicked out of White House pool. Called Judge Trevor McFadden (his own appointee, Trump DOJ atty, Colloton clerk) "somewhat liberal." McFadden found WH 'brazen' move violated AP's 1A rights http://www.politico.com/news/2025/04…

Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein.bsky.social) 2025-10-01T17:45:18.769Z

Trump telling warfighters about his war with The AP: "We won in court. How bout that? Isn't that so cool?"

Brian Stelter (@brianstelter.bsky.social) 2025-09-30T13:46:52.162Z

Trump: "We got sued by the Associated Press, and they lost. In fact, the judge was so good he said, 'He's calling it the Gulf of America. He's got all the approvals' … they got thrown out of court. In fact, they're almost not allowed to cover me anymore because of that. It was a big hit."

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-10-05T20:56:22.814Z

The DC Circuit is set to consider whether Trump violated the First Amendment by expelling the Associated Press from the White House press pool. @knightcolumbia.org's brief, just filed. knightcolumbia.org/content/knig…

Jameel Jaffer (@jameeljaffer.bsky.social) 2025-10-06T19:27:18.522Z

A Trump coin would be illegal

This administration doesn’t care and nobody will stop them.

It is not clear that Mr. Trump’s image can be featured on a coin. An 1866 law enshrined a tradition that only deceased people could appear on U.S. currency to avoid the appearance that America was a monarchy. Trump admin is planning to do it anyway.By Alan Rappeportwww.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/b…

Eric Lipton NYT (@ericlipton.nytimes.com) 2025-10-04T02:50:50.952Z

The only thing I can conclude from this is that the U.S. Treasury Dept. is planning on doing something pretty drastic to ensure they comply with U.S. code.

Charles Ghoul-ba ✡️ (@charlesgaba.com) 2025-10-06T19:24:10.045Z

Even more posts on Republicans and sex crimes

A Texas megachurch pastor and GOP leader has been arrested for crimes against children. Not Robert Morris, a different one. Not Josiah Anthony, a different one. Not Luke Cunningham, a different one. Not Tony Evans, a different one. Not Scott Crenshaw, a different one. Not Steve Lawson, a different o

JLRay (@jlray.bsky.social) 2025-10-05T15:35:16.381Z

Republican who won county seat pleads guilty to sexual assault of daughterJohn Jessup to resign as commissioner in Hancock, Indiana, and faces prison after guilty plea over incident in Las Vegaswww.theguardian.com/us-news/2024…

Angels In Velvet (@angelsinvelvet.bsky.social) 2025-08-22T01:45:22.613Z

“Former South Carolina state lawmaker Robert John “RJ” May III has agreed to plead guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material.”

Juan Escalante (@juansaaa.com) 2025-09-27T20:35:08.290Z

GOP Charleston County Judge James B.Gosnell Jr., arrested on child sex abuse material charges, held in jail. Bond denied.A flash drive was found with sexually explicit photos & videos of minors, including infants & toddlers.#USDemocracy #Voices4Victoryabcnews4.com/news/local/c…

TommasinaResist⚜️🇨🇦🦋🐈‍⬛🇺🇦 (@tommasinaresist.bsky.social) 2025-09-21T18:31:15.299Z

Thomas Pynchon’s “Low-lands”

I have been thinking about Thomas Pynchon a lot recently since his new novel will be released on Tuesday, October 7th,

Here are the front and back covers of a literary magazine, New World Writing, from 1960 that included Pynchon’s “Low-lands”. The story was later included in his 1984 collection Slow Learner. The story includes the character Pig Bodine who also appears in Pynchon’s novels V. and Gravity’s Rainbow.