absenteeism
"My Life Fell Apart"
The defense that is not a defense
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Pushback 107
Democratic anger at their own party fuels 2026 primaries Democratic Report Says Disorder at DOGE Jeopardized Americans’ Data Wall Street Journal asks judge to make Trump pay up for filing 'meritless' lawsuit over 'proven true' story about Jeffrey Epstein birthday letter UN General Assembly Trump Protest
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Quick Round-Up for the Low Attention Span Reader
Comedy, Movies, IG, Music - no reading required
Pushback 106
State Lawmakers Are Getting Arrested at Detention Centers and Yelling at Masked ICE Agents. Good. Unions Sue Trump Administration Over Union Busting at Voice of America, USAGM 3 members of federal control board in Puerto Rico sue Trump and others for illegal firings Film and TV writers — and Michael Eisner
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My Many-Tentacled Mini-Empire
Dear Friends: I appreciate that the title of this newsletter is a little obtuse. I explained it my first post this way: The name of this newsletter, The Octopus and The Ant, is taken from my two tattoos, which are, well, you can probably guess. The Octopus, to Aristotle, was
Pushback 105
I'm not the only one who thinks we need the next ten amendments. Rep. Sean Casten (IL-6) has introduced a Package of Legislation to Reform American Democracy. Go Sean! Please ask your rep to support! I set up a bunch of new alerts for protests nationwide. I
labor
"Free" Speech and the Workplace
Thanks to social media, people have had increased opportunities to share their personal and political views beyond their immediate circle of friends and family. As a result, there is an increase in the number of people who have come under scrutiny at work for their comments on social media about
Rebuild 3: The Next Ten
I'll get to the links below, but first, I want to share an idea I've been kicking around all week. It is not, unfortunately, a plan to rescue the labor movement and thus the country. It's bigger than that. Just as many of the
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A Weekend At Writers Fantasy Camp
Well, Not Quite
Pushback 103: A Great Mystery
As you know, most of my posts are just links, harvested from the internet to give you a quick reminder that all is not lost. Occasionally, I will create more in-depth content, such as my Resource Guide and My Blueprint for Saving Democracy. Today, I want to dive into
Pushback 102
Once again, the good news, in no particular order: 'Unconstitutional' and 'unlawful': Judges push back on Trump's expanding power Chicago gears up as Trump troop deployment looms: ‘We aren’t helpless’ US appeals court pauses restrictions on Trump's use of troops in
Newsletter
Using A (Certified) Court Reporter
When the Benefits Outweigh the Costs