Pushback 125

Andrea Dooley

04 Jan 2026 — 2 min read

Almost 23 years ago, I woke to my clock radio playing Colin Powell's testimony to Congress about "spent fuel rods" and "weapons of mass destruction" which necessitated an invasion of Iraq. Remember when Republican presidents pretended that there was a reason to invade a foreign country for its oil?

We don't need to be shocked to be outraged.

This remains an optimistic newsletter, however. I want to note that the difference this time is that Democrats are not lining up to agree with the fallacious justification for war and are not authorizing this invasion. Small comforts, I guess. More importantly, millions of people are primed and ready to protest. Only 18% of Americans support this invasion, and it will no doubt be just as buffoonish and idiotically executed as every other illegal action Trump has taken in the past year.

In other news:

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Times Square erupts in protest over US strikes on Venezuela

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Angry town halls nationwide find a new villain: the data center driving up your electricity bill while fueling job-killing AI

Some Conservatives Break With Donald Trump Over Iran Threat

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Republican senators push back on new Trump policy

St Petersburg calls for an end to 278(g)

Trump Effect Continues: Democrats Land Historic Win in Key Red State