Clay Jones

Drunkie and the Blowfish

Why did Kash Patel snorkel around the Arizona?

Clay Jones

When Kash Patel visited Hawaii last summer, he participated in what government officials described as a “VIP snorkel” around the USS Arizona, the battleship that sits at the bottom of Pearl Harbor as a memorial, in an outing coordinated by the military. The battleship sunk at the battle of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Empire entombs more than 900 sailors and Marines.

The swim, revealed in government emails obtained by The Associated Press, comes to light amid criticism of Patel’s use of an FBI plane and his global travels, which have blurred professional responsibilities with leisure activities. Patel has chosen to live in Las Vegas for a reason.

When the Patel made the visit to Hawaii, the FBI took pains to note the director was not on vacation, highlighting his walking tour of the bureau’s Honolulu field office and meetings with local law enforcement. But what they left out was the swim. If Kash, who prefers to spell his first name as “Ka$h,” wasn’t doing anything wrong or suspicious, then why did they leave it out?

The USS Arizona is considered one of the most hallowed sites in the United States. With few exceptions, snorkeling and diving are off-limits around the battleship. Marine archaeologists and crews from the National Park Service make occasional dives at the memorial to survey the condition of the wreck. Other dives have been conducted to inter the remains of Arizona survivors who wanted to rest eternally with their former shipmates. (snip-MORE)

Clay Jones, Open Windows

Trump returns from China trip

claims “fantastic” deals

Ann Telnaes

From the Guardian: “Trump leaves China without breakthroughs on Iran, Taiwan or AI”

I’m sure the only fantastic deals would have been made for the Trump family’s benefit, not America’s.


Can You Grift Me Now?

Reach out and Grift someone

Clay Jones

I’ve seen countless memes about the Trump phone over the past week or so. You may have seen these yourself. Heck, you may have even shared them. I found them to be very annoying. Why did I find them annoying? Because they weren’t true. Well, they weren’t entirely true. (snip)

But what really annoyed me about these memes is what annoys me with social media in general. People shared them without fact-checking the claims in the memes. People were using the memes as a news source. I even saw a prize-winning colleague of mine share one of these memes. And if I were to go into the comments and point out the falsehoods in the meme, people would accuse me of defending Trump and of being one of his kool-Aid-drinking cultists.

When it comes to spreading bullshit, liberals can be just as bad as MAGAts, just so long as they want to believe the bullshit. How many fake photos have you seen that someone was claiming were from the Epstein files? I rest my case. (snip-MORE)


MAGA Cookies

He’s not the smartest cookie

Clay Jones

Trump is in China, where he is not thinking about our finances, but of the finances of the 17 megarich executives and Eric, who took the trip with him.

Trump landed in China on Wednesday night, where he was greeted at the airport by the vice president, Han Zheng, whose position is a ceremonial role. He was also sent to Trump’s inauguration. He is not a member of the elite Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of power in China’s ruling Communist Party. Zheng has little influence over policymaking.

Trump was also welcomed by a military band, an honor guard, and hundreds of Chinese youth waving flags. Experts on China believe the communist nation is sending a message to Donald Trump by sending a ceremonial figure to greet him and that they are choosing symbolism over substance. (snip-MORE)

Art & A Mental Health Moment Or 2 With Jenny Lawson

There is still whimsy and warmness in the world and you deserve it.

Jenny Lawson (thebloggess)

Hello, friend!

I am two days late on sending this because I was stuck in a depression and it ate all of my extra energy. I started and stopped several drawings because I’m not sure if I didn’t like them or if I just didn’t like me very much. My dr recommended sun and exercise and other things that sound very easy when you are not depressed and it reminded me of a poem my mom read to me so often I’d almost memorized it. (All of A.A. Milne’s poems are the songs of my childhood.) If you hate poetry, skip this part.

The poem always made me feel both cozy and sad at the same time, which was a confusing thing for a small child but also a combination that my brain would grow to specialize in.

It reminded me that recently I’d read that tiny harvest mice have been found asleep in flower beds and so I decided to draw that:

“Sometimes harvest mice will crawl into flowers to feast on the pollen and stamens and will fall asleep inside.”

The drawing is simple and plain and fairly unimpressive, but it made me feel warm inside my heart and that is a very special sort of magic.

This is all a very long way of saying that whimsy and comfort and coziness and nostalgia and joy are all worth more than we give them credit for…whether in drawing mice or reading poems from childhood or eating nectar and drunkenly falling asleep inside flowers.

Go find comfort, my friend.

I promise that you deserve it.

Hugs,

me

Clay Jones

Spiked Election

Court overrules the people

Clay Jones

This cartoon was drawn for the Fredericksburg Advance.

Lately, it seems that Democrats cannot win, even when they win.

The Supreme Court has struck down the Voting Rights Act, ruling that race cannot be a factor in drawing congressional districts, which has now set off southern red states to redraw all their districts to guarantee that their entire congressional delegation will be lily white.

And Republicans, who hate fair elections anyway, have redrawn their congressional districts mid-decade in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina, and now in Florida, without putting it to a vote by the people, and can gain as many as 14 seats. But in Virginia, where the people did vote on it, four conservative justices have ruled it unconstitutional and thrown out the entire election. (snip-MORE)


Frickin’ Hegseth

MAGAts even make war weird.

Clay Jones

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported about the possibility that Iran could be using “mine-carrying dolphins” to attack U.S. warships. Seriously.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who does not want to acknowledge any strength of the Iranian military, said at one of his He-Man press briefings last week after being asked about kamikaze dolphins, “I cannot confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins, but I can confirm they don’t.”

We cannot confirm or deny whether Hegseth was joking or if he was serious because Republicans do not have a sense of humor. An example to prove this would be Greg Gutfeld. (snip-MORE)


Space Bribe

Who won’t Donald Trump accept a bribe from?

Clay Jones

Donald Trump declassified 162 files and identified flying objects last week. And it landed with a thud.

The files, hosted on a defense department website, include dozens of testimonials from civilians, federal agents, diplomats, and astronauts who reported seeing UFOs. There are also new videos, but they are like the ones that we’ve seen over the past few decades, grainy, squiggly, and usually creating more questions than answers.

It’s almost like it doesn’t matter what they release, as skeptics will see it as proof that there’s nothing out there, while true believers will claim it’s proof that we are being visited, while also claiming that the government is still withholding information.

Personally, I do believe there is life out there, but I don’t believe we are being visited. I also believe that the government is withholding information. For example, they’re withholding information on the Epstein files. And regarding these UFO files, I think the government may be embarrassed by how little it knows. (snip-MORE)

Political cartoons / memes / and news I want to share. 5-12-2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

Democrats vow to fight $1 billion Senate security proposal for White House ballroom (Associated Press)#Trump

TrumpWatch (@trumpwatch.skyfleet.blue) 2026-05-11T10:43:50.861Z

 

 

 

#national embarrassment from Liberals Are Cool

 

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

 

 

‘Actually a Disease’: Trump Goes Off on TDS During Maternal Healthcare Event

Mediaite (@mediaite.com) 2026-05-11T16:01:11Z

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

 

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

Hassett lies his ass off: "Almost all of the job creation that happened under President Biden was the employment of illegal aliens"

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-05-10T14:32:58.493Z

 

 

 

Hassett preemptively blames blue states for sluggish national GDP growth: "If we disappoint at all, it'll be because of, like, what happens to New York and California because of these misguided policies"

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-05-10T14:35:21.265Z

 

 

 

 

 

Republicans who denied 2020 election results could be governors next year http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202…

Timothy McBride (@mcbridetd.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T09:22:27.153Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

#medicare for all from Liberals Are Cool

 

 

 

People are already peddling ivermectin for Hantavirus. The same people had never heard of Hantavirus 3 days ago. We live in the dumbest possible timeline.

Angry (@angrystaffer.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T01:28:15.240Z

Everybody stay calm, the top virologists, medical research scientists, clinical researchers and clinical pharmacologists on Twitter have been working around the clock for two minutes and already discovered that Ivermectin cures the hantavirus.

Covie (@covie93.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T14:19:20.506Z

Right on cue. A new outbreak and immediate misinformation about “miracle cures.”Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug, not a proven treatment for #hantavirus. Being an RNA virus does not mean ivermectin works against it.Promoting unsupported therapies during an outbreak causes real harm.

Krutika Kuppalli, MD FIDSA (@krutikakuppalli.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T10:59:14.860Z

 

Those who cheered ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment are now making unsubstantiated claims about its use against hantavirus.

The Intercept (@theintercept.com) 2026-05-08T16:11:44.698Z

New vein of Maga Moron stupid discovered in Texas. Dr Mary Talley Bowden who was reprimanded for treating COVID-19 without permission in Texas,now says the Hantavirus can be treated with ivermectin and that she will be selling it to Texans only without prescriptions.www.rawstory.com/mary-bowden-…

Sylvaners (@sylvaners.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T22:22:14.307Z

 

Ivermectin is not a proven treatment for hantavirus. Read more: u.afp.com/SRou

AFP Fact Check (@factcheck.afp.com) 2026-05-08T21:17:46.206Z

RFK Jr: "In 1970, men had twice the sperm count as our teenagers do today"

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-05-11T15:38:29.578Z

 

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

#SCOTUS from Liberals Are Cool

Image from Liberals Are Cool

This is not a photo from the civil rights era. This is Tennessee yesterday May 7, 2026.

This is the vision of America the GOP and Republicans want.

 

Was the Voting Rights Act created because Democrats established racist gerrymanders, as Rep. Byron Donalds said? No. The law targeted a range of discriminatory practices for voting such as literacy tests, poll taxes and violence.

PolitiFact (@politifact.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T16:06:00.717Z

 

 

 

 

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

Tuesday we will head into the belly of the beast for an Oversight hearing in Palm Beach to hear from Epstein Survivors in FL. We won’t stop until there’s justice.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) (@repstansbury.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T00:34:07.809Z

 

 

Tuesday we will head into the belly of the beast for an Oversight hearing in Palm Beach to hear from Epstein Survivors in FL. We won’t stop until there’s justice.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) (@repstansbury.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T00:34:07.809Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trump is really crashing out on social media today. Mother’s Day must be tough for him. His latest screed: “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP”

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-05-10T20:14:11.590Z

 

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells 60 Minutes he wants Israel to eventually stop relying on U.S. military aid: “It's time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support.” 60Minutes.com

60 Minutes (@60minutes.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T18:53:40.420Z

BREAKING: antifa thugs erect obscenely suggestive Benjamin Netanyahu statue right next to the 15 foot tall Donald Trump statue, at his golf course at Trump National Doral in Florida.#DonaldTrump #GoldenStatue

Paulley Ticks (@tomadelsbach.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T17:50:09.518Z

Netanyahu hints at upcoming war on social media."I think there's been a concerted effort by several states to basically vilify Israel in the social, primarily in the social media … We've not fought back yet; so we'll have to do that."

Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T00:34:08.648Z

 

 

Netanyahu Blames Social Media for Israel’s Crumbling Support in USA. As opposed to that slaughter and ethnic cleansing of both Christian and Muslim Palestinians and Lebanese. Netanyahu is making it clear Christian and Muslim lives do NOT matter! http://www.mediaite.com/media/news/n…

Dean Obeidallah (@deanobeidallah.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T00:43:19.876Z

 

Russia Has Lost More Than 350,000 Soldiers, New Estimate FindsNYT gift articleAbout half a million soldiers have died on Russian and Ukrainian sidesDoesn't include those who have died on the front this year and deaths of foreigners who have fought for RussiaWhile Trump sleepsbit.ly/4eVTckj

Frank D. Russo (@fdrtoday.bsky.social) 2026-05-09T18:34:49.068Z

 

Trump invites Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Larry Fink and other CEOs to join China trip for Xi summit

CNBC (@cnbc.com) 2026-05-11T15:57:44.966Z

 

 

 

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

This Week’s “Lay Lines”

Carol Lay’s Lay Lines on GoComics (click the toon to go to the page if you care to.)

Political cartoons / memes / and news I want to share. 5-11-2026

 

#Dysphoria from genderqueer positivity
Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

 

#snl from stay hyped. get chicks #snl from stay hyped. get chicks

 

 

Image from loraaj

 

Image from No-Longer-Just-Another-Bondi-Blonde.

 

#equality from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

 

 

 

A man and a woman watch TV in the living room.

“Sometimes I wonder if we’ll ever know the truth about anything.”

 

#hope from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

#republican assholes from Rejecting Republicans

 

Image from No-Longer-Just-Another-Bondi-Blonde.

 

‘Mild panic will set in soon’: GOP donors left to wonder about Trump’s $300 million war chest http://www.politico.com/news/2026/05…

Timothy McBride (@mcbridetd.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T09:22:12.654Z

 

 

 

image

Image from Liberals Are Cool

 

 

#MAGA from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

#MAGA from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

#MAGA from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

 

 

#Trump Mobile from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

Image from Making Donald Drumpf Again

 

 

 

Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

Image from Bowlby's Bric-a-brac

 

#The Mad Sonneteer from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

 

Image from Bowlby's Bric-a-brac

 

 

Lee Judge for 5/7/2026

 

 

 

 

image

 

Image from No-Longer-Just-Another-Bondi-Blonde.

 

Image from Bowlby's Bric-a-brac

Image from Rejecting Republicans

 

 

 

Political cartoon of the day

 

 

 

image

 

 

 

Jon Russo for 5/9/2026

 

Lee Judge for 5/8/2026

 

 

Image from reading.writing.revolution

 

Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

Image from Saywhat Politics

 

Image from Bowlby's Bric-a-brac

 

Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

Inside Ben Shapiro’s MAGA meltdownThe Daily Wire was once ascendant in right-wing media. Now, the “anti-woke” company faces contentious layoffs, ideological battles and dwindling relevance online.www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2…

Timothy McBride (@mcbridetd.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T04:36:37.633Z

 

Image from reading.writing.revolution

 

#pope leo xiv from Saywhat Politics

 

 

 

But it would have been allowed to celebrate a Christian only private event in the theocratic state of religious Texas.  Hugs

A planned celebration of an important Muslim holiday at a Grand Prairie water park has been canceled after backlash from Texas Governor Greg Abbott over religious discrimination.

FOX 4 News (@fox4dfw.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T14:30:14Z

 

Image from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

 

David Horsey for 5/8/2026

 

 

 

 

 

David Horsey for 5/7/2026

 

#ceasefire from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

Image from Bowlby's Bric-a-brac

 

US intelligence-gathering flights are surging off Cuba

Patrick Phillips (@patrickdotweb.bsky.social) 2026-05-10T14:20:06.275Z

 

 

 

 

 

Jon Russo for 5/7/2026

 

David Horsey for 5/6/2026

#TSA from What Are You Really Afraid Of?

 

 

 

Clay Jones, Open Windows

HantaPrez

Yes, Donald Trump has experience with a pandemic

Clay Jones

One of the many disqualifiers that should have prevented Donald Trump from becoming president again, and this one’s near the top of the list, is the way he handled the coronavirus pandemic.

When the pandemic hit our nation, Donald Trump should have been a leader. He should’ve been on the front lines in the response to the pandemic. He should have been telling the nation to follow the guidelines, even if they were changing as we learned more about the virus, and he should’ve been following them himself as an example. He should have been active in making sure that every state received the medical supplies it needed to save lives. (snip-MORE)


Animated movie titles and credits

A geeky post even non-animators might find interesting

Ann Telnaes

[Click Through To See Her Video-It’s Cool!]

I just love animated film titles and credits. It’s a great way to grab the audience’s attention and give a glimpse of the movie they’re about to see. In the case of end credits, a clever animated sequence keeps the audience in their seats so proper acknowledgement can be given, not only to the stars but to all of the people who have worked on the film.

Here are some of my favorites:

  1. Of course you can’t talk about animated titles and credits without mentioning the great Saul Bass. Anatomy of a Murder, North by Northwest, Psycho, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, Ocean’s Eleven, I could go on and on. The end credits of Around the World in 80 Days is a masterclass in the use of stylized characters, design, color, music, and movement to tell a story (while managing to list the massive cast of the film.)Bass title sequences have obviously inspired other films, such as Netflix’s Feud: Bette and Joan and the television series Mad Men.
  2. There are several Pink Panther movies with animated titles but my favorite is the first created by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises because of its simplicity and the interaction between the character and text/graphics.
  3. Pixar’s Ratatuoille end credits, design lead Teddy Newton.Unlike the 3D computer generated style of the main body of the film, Ratatuoille’s end credits are in 2D. The character and background designs are wonderfully stylized and have the feel of loose sketches one would see in the conceptual stage of an animated feature. The color and music also contribute to this fantastic mini-movie. Love, love, love this.
  4. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids title sequence/ Kroyer FilmsAnother wonderful title sequence in a 2D style.
  5. City Slickers title sequence/ Kurtz & FriendsAnother great use of a character interacting with the text (cowboy and lasso).

The video posted above is the end credits to Democracy Under Siege, the documentary some of you might have viewed last week. While I created the hand drawn gifs, all the credit for this marvelous sequence goes to Antoine Vermeesch of Clin d’oiel films. His selection of sound effects and music melded perfectly with the animation.


FB-lie Detector

Kash Patel is forcing FBI agents to take polygraph tests to find out who told a reporter he has a drinking problem

Clay Jones

Kash Patel, the worst FBI Director in the history of the bureau, has ordered the polygraphing of more than two dozen former and current members of his security detail, as well as other staff, to find leakers among his team, according to two people briefed on the development.

They described Kash as being in panic mode to save his job after negative publicity about his drinking, partying, and other extracurricular activities had come to Donald Trump’s attention.

Kash demanded the polygraph examinations to determine if any members of the team that travels with him or staff who have access to sensitive details about his decisions have communicated with reporters, according to the people, who asked to speak anonymously due to the threat of retribution.

The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into Sarah Fitzpatrick, the reporter who wrote that “excessive drinking” was causing deep concern in the bureau. Patel is suing The Atlantic for $250 million over the story. Because of the story, more informers from within the FBI are contacting Fitzpatrick and the magazine to provide dirt on Patel.

And because of these informers, we have learned that Patel is handing out personalized, branded bottles of bourbon. (snip-MORE)


Political cartoons / memes / and news I want to share. 5-10-2026

 

Hi everyone,

My webcomic about a transgender girl’s page, Assigned Male Comics, is currently down because it got hacked during the night, along with my personal page and the french version of the comic. After receiving several thousands of death threats in the past few days for making my art, my address was also posted on several forums. I am currently in a safe place and my roommate and I will move away before the end of the week.

Today. May 17th. International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. I just want people to be aware that this is what you get for being trans on the internet and for reframing transness into something positive and empowering. I’d also like to acknowledge that this attack was mostly planned because of four explicit reasons :
1. I am a woman
2. I am trans
3. I support non-binary people
4. I support intersex people.

I will keep making my comics, no worries. Folks at Facebook are currently making sure this won’t happen again before I can put my page back up. Nothing was lost.

I know many of my readers will be worried. This is my personal profile, also if you can share this as widely as possible so it reaches them, it would be greatly appreciated.

You can still read my comics on tumblr : http://assignedmale.tumblr.com
or on paper : http://assignedmale.etsy.com
and support my work on Patreon : www.patreon.com/assignedmale

I also set up a Paypal donation email if you want to help with the relocating : sophie@assignedmale.com

Thanks everyone for your support. ❤

 

(sarcastic voice) “All of them! Trans women are the source of all evil

 

 

 

Joey Weatherford for 5/9/2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Trump privately advocated for painting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located next to the White House, with a “magic paint with silicate." A panel of experts is warning the so-called magic paint could be incompatible with the ornate federal office building's granite exterior.

CNN (@cnn.com) 2026-04-12T07:02:01.730369355Z

 

 

Statue in North Korea. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Trump Is Toxic’: Pete Hegseth’s Pastor Says President Is Like ‘Chemo’ For America’s ‘Cancer’

Mediaite (@mediaite.com) 2026-05-08T20:45:37Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The No-Bid Contract That Is Turning Washington’s Reflecting Pool Blue – “President Trump handpicked a firm he said had worked on his swimming pool to repair the iconic site near the Lincoln Memorial.”www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/u…

Jamie Gangel (@jamiegangel.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T19:47:53.572Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harley Schwadron CagleCartoons.com

 

Turns out the House candidate endorsed by @hoyer.house.gov in MD-5 is a lobbyist for Ellison-owned Oracle, and didn’t initially disclose his six figure bonuses for that work. Vote for @libradunn1.bsky.social on June 23rd. wamu.org/story/26/05/…

Mueller, She Wrote (@muellershewrote.com) 2026-05-08T16:41:43.119Z

 

Press freedom groups allege Larry Ellison promised to fire CNN anchors

Los Angeles Times (@latimes.com) 2026-05-08T16:27:03.030Z

 

 

 

 

John Branch for 5/8/2026

 

 

 

John Darkow Columbia Missourian

 

Political cartoon of the day

 

The findings indicated a 27% decreased risk of Alzheimer’s among study participants who ate at least five eggs per week. #Health

NewsNation (@newsnation.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T18:52:06.268Z

 

 

#politics from Cartoon Politics

 

 

Max Miller… call your office!archive.is/c9VR4

The Rooster (@rooster.info) 2026-05-07T20:46:26.398Z

 

#politics from Cartoon Politics

 

 

 

 

 

 

#politics from Cartoon Politics

 

 

Bill Day FloridaPolitics.com

 

Alabama lawmakers pass plan for new US House primary if courts allow different districts (Associated Press)#Trump

TrumpWatch (@trumpwatch.skyfleet.blue) 2026-05-08T19:42:34.879Z

 

 

Trump, with no evidence, claims Congo sent prisoners to US border with Mexico

Politico (@politico.com) 2026-05-08T19:21:18Z

 

A federal magistrate questioned how Cole Tomas Allen has been placed in near solitary confinement, with little access to visitors and calls. Judge Zia Faruqui said it was like nothing he’d seen with other defendants, including J6ers with prior offenses accused of political violence.

Zach Montague (@zjmontague.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T18:28:29.403Z

 

1. ICE has not paid for detainee medical care for 7 MONTHSThe termination of payments to providers has coincided with a MASSIVE SPIKE in detainee deaths.This is a health crisis and a moral crisis. Follow along for details.🧵

Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T13:48:48.736Z

2. On October 3, 2025, the Trump admin stopped paying 3rd parties for medical care for ICE detainees.In November 2025, ICE said the situation was an “absolute emergency” that needed to be fixed “immediately” to “prevent any further… loss of life.”

Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T13:50:24.285Z

3. According to the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC), payments to third parties were supposed to resume on April 30. ICE has contracted with a private firm, Acentra Health, to process reimbursements. But April 30 came and went, and still, nothing is being processed.

Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T13:50:24.286Z

4. Meanwhile, detainee deaths at ICE facilities are skyrocketing.From 2018 to 2024, the average number of people who died in ICE custody annually was 8.9. Since ICE stopped medical reimbursements on October 3, 2025, people have been dying in ICE custody at a rate of 51.7 people annually.

Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T13:52:29.616Z

5. Beyond the data, there are numerous examples of individual cases that suggest essential medical care is being denied to ICE detainees. Details in today's Popular Information.

Judd Legum (@juddlegum.bsky.social) 2026-05-04T13:52:29.617Z

 

 

 

 

 

#politics from Cartoon Politics

 

 

 

 

Joey Weatherford for 5/8/2026

 

 

Joey Weatherford for 5/7/2026

 

 

 

 

 

⚡️ Update: Zelensky's decree authorizing Russia's Victory Day parade in Moscow includes coordinates of Red Square.It remains unclear whether Ukraine intends to carry out strikes elsewhere.

The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) 2026-05-08T18:59:55.834Z

 

 

 

 

Political cartoons / memes / and news I want to share. 5-9-2026

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trump administration is demolishing Social Security’s customer service, making it harder and harder for Americans to get their earned benefits. Now, Ted Cruz reveals the full scheme: They are wrecking Social Security so they can rob it.

Martin O'Malley (@martinomalley.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T13:38:37.402Z

 

Trump’s ONLY GOALS AS PRESIDENT –
1) Make a lot of money for himself, his family and his rich supporters – and use the presidency to get business deals for him and his sons around the world
2) Use the DOJ to go after literally anyone he feels slighted him, criticized him or “injured” him, while also covering up and erasing his past misdeeds (Epstein) and erasing the history of January 6
3) Slap his name and likeness on everything he can – cash, coins, buildings, airports, highways, and get royalties for the use of his name
4) Strengthen his ties to Vladimir Putin and other dictators and oligarchs to get as much power as much as he can
5) Going down as one of the great men of history, like Alexander the Great or Napoleon

Trump DOESN’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT –
1) The basic job of a president
2) The economic well being of Americans
3) The functions of government to serve the people
4) America’s relationship with allies or reputation around the world
5) The United States if it doesn’t relate to him or his needs

 

 

Trump is talking about future inaugurations being held in his ballroom

Jake Lahut (@jakelahut.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T11:37:48.024Z

 

Real estate titan compares 'tax the rich' slogan to racial slurs

Politico (@politico.com) 2026-05-05T21:58:13Z

 

Climate campaigners attack Shell over ‘windfall’ profits from Iran war

The Guardian (@theguardian.com) 2026-05-07T06:25:19Z

 

 

 

Shell first-quarter profits up 115% from $3.2bn to $6.9bn.Will rise even more due to Trump's illegal wars.Bumper payouts for execs and shareholders; higher inflation, poverty, misery for us.120,000 Britons a year die in fuel poverty,Must levy windfall taxes.

Prem Sikka (@premnsikka.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T13:37:49.160Z

 

NYC board votes to consider rent freeze, keeping Mamdani pledge alive gothamist.com/news/nyc-boa…

Gothamist (@gothamist.com) 2026-05-08T00:14:12.811682Z

 

 

 

 

 

Tennessee Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a proposed congressional map that slices into the state’s majority-Black district and will likely secure them an all-GOP federal delegation.Tennessee unveils new congressional map poised to erase Dem seatwww.politico.com/news/2026/05…

Lauren Ashley Davis (@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T16:11:45.424Z

⚡️UPDATE – NAACP files emergency petition to Block the racist @GovBillLee Republican 9-0 map that strips representation from majority-Black Memphis: “In violation of clear and unambiguous Tennessee statutory law and the mandates of the TN Constitution” http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/p…

The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T22:43:41.255Z

 

A red-state governor is facing a recall effort in his own state that was launched by voters upset with him canceling elections amid a redistricting effort.

Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-05-05T22:50:53Z

 

BREAKING: Virginia Supreme Court throws out redistricting referendum results

Axios (@axios.com) 2026-05-08T14:20:05.341Z

Madison Sheahan campaigned on her background as an ICE official, and it didn't work.

HuffPost (@huffpost.com) 2026-05-06T02:12:58.230Z

Max Miller… call your office!archive.is/c9VR4

The Rooster (@rooster.info) 2026-05-07T20:46:26.398Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BREAKING:ABC has accused Trump's FCC of violating its free speech rights — arguing that regulators had a "chilling effect" on free speech by trying to punish political content they disagreed with.

Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T15:50:28.873Z

 

 

Exclusive: A frustrated President Trump over the weekend upbraided FDA Commissioner Marty Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products.

The Wall Street Journal (@wsj.com) 2026-05-05T16:44:05.954907Z

 

F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe http://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/u…

Rita O’Reilly (@ritaoreilly.bsky.social) 2026-05-05T18:51:46.939Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A white male New York Times employee filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging that the paper discriminated against him by not giving him a promotion because he is a white male.

New York Magazine (@nymag.com) 2026-05-05T19:54:59.171Z

Anti-woke Vivek Ramaswamy confronts racism in his run for Ohio governor

Freedom Writers Collaborative (@fwcollaborative.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T09:05:21Z

 

 

EXCLUSIVE: Since SCOTUS ruled in Callais v. Louisiana, we’ve been answering questions about what it means for elections.But one still stands: who is Callais, one of the plaintiffs who targeted the state’s second majority-Black district?He’s an election denier who attended the Jan. 6 protest.

Democracy Docket (@democracydocket.com) 2026-05-05T17:12:22.696731869Z

 

BREAKING: In a PANIC, Kash Patel ordered polygraphs for at least two dozen current and former members of his security detail looking for leaks. Those would be the folks that would see him drinking or wake him the next morning. http://www.ms.now/news/kash-pa…

Mueller, She Wrote (@muellershewrote.com) 2026-05-07T21:11:00.093Z

 

 

Activist who gave out fliers with Stephen Miller’s address won’t face charges

Freedom Writers Collaborative (@fwcollaborative.bsky.social) 2026-05-05T21:41:16Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOJ seeks to take on Trump’s E. Jean Carroll case

Politico (@politico.com) 2026-05-06T17:33:25Z

 

DOJ Plans to Intervene in Trump’s Supreme Court Carroll Appealwww.bloomberg.com/news/article…

Mike Walker (@newnarrative.bsky.social) 2026-05-06T17:00:58.347Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trump says he is pausing "Project Freedom" in the Strait of Hormuz already

MeidasTouch (@meidastouch.com) 2026-05-05T22:57:39.270Z

 

Breaking: U.S. intelligence says Iran can outlast Trump’s Hormuz blockade for monthswww.washingtonpost.com/national-sec…

Mike Walker (@newnarrative.bsky.social) 2026-05-07T15:34:59.304Z

 

US launches review of Mexican consulates reut.rs/4ngD6DP

Reuters (@reuters.com) 2026-05-08T03:50:09Z