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Wednesday Morning Open Thread: This Morning, I’m Still Proud to Be A Democrat

by Anne Laurie| March 5, 20258:28 am| 198 Comments

This post is in: Democratic Response to Trump 2.0, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat

I’ll sum up Trump's speech for those who missed it:
He's raising costs for families with pointless trade wars.
He’s slashing health care for seniors and families.
He's going after the CHIPS Act and all the jobs it created.
And he’s abandoning allies for Putin.

— Captain Mark Kelly (@captmarkkelly.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 11:19 PM

Not saying it’ll be this particular woman — don’t know if she even wants the job — but I have to disagree with Betty Cracker’s earlier assessment: When we do finally get our first female president, it’s gonna be someone very like Senator Slotkin — a proudly centrist, ‘practical’ professional, who will set our liberal teeth on edge at least once in every speech. I’m just wondering whether she’ll get there as Pete Buttigieg’s vice president, or whether he’ll be hers.

Here’s the PBS transcript. Beware hasty / dishonest edits on social media:

… I won’t take it personally if you’ve never heard of me. I’m the new senator from the great state of Michigan, where I grew up. I’ve been in public service my entire life, because I happened to be in New York City on 9/11 when the twin towers came down. Before the smoke cleared, I knew I wanted a life in national security.

I was recruited by the CIA and did three tours in Iraq, alongside the military. In between, I worked at the White House under President Bush and President Obama, two very different leaders who both believed that America is exceptional.

You can find that same sense of patriotism here in Wyandotte, Michigan, where I am tonight. It’s a working-class town just south of Detroit. President Trump and I both won here in November. It might not seem like it, but plenty of places like this still exist all across the United States – places where people believe that if you work hard, and play by the rules, you should do well and your kids do better…

We just went through another fraught election season. Americans made it clear that prices are too high and that government needs to be more responsive to their needs. America wants change. But there is a responsible way to make change, and a reckless way. And, we can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country, and as a democracy…

Look, President Trump talked a big game on the economy, but it’s always important to read the fine print. So: do his plans actually help Americans get ahead?

Not even close.

President Trump is trying to deliver an unprecedented giveaway to his billionaire friends. He’s on the hunt to find trillions of dollars to pass along to the wealthiest in America. And to do that, he’s going to make you pay in every part of your life…

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While we’re on the subject of Elon Musk, is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information, and your bank accounts? No oversight. No protections against cyber-attack. No guardrails on what they do with your private data…

President Trump loves to promise “peace through strength.” That’s actually a line he stole from Ronald Reagan. But let me tell you, after the spectacle that just took place in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be rolling over in his grave. We all want an end to the war in Ukraine, but Reagan understood that true strength required America to combine our military and economic might with moral clarity.

And that scene in the Oval Office wasn’t just a bad episode of reality TV. It summed up Trump’s whole approach to the world. He believes in cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin and kicking our friends, like Canada, in the teeth. He sees American leadership as merely a series of real estate transactions.

As a Cold War kid, I’m thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s. Trump would have lost us the Cold War…

So as much as we need to make our government more responsive to our lives today, don’t for one moment fool yourself that democracy isn’t precious and worth saving.

But how do we actually do that? I know a lot of you have been asking that question.

First, don’t tune out. It’s easy to be exhausted, but America needs you now more than ever. If previous generations had not fought for democracy, where would we be today?

Second, hold your elected officials, including me, accountable. Watch how they’re voting. Go to town halls and demand they take action. That’s as American as apple pie.

Three, organize. Pick just one issue you’re passionate about — and engage. And doom scrolling doesn’t count. Join a group that cares about your issue, and act. And if you can’t find one, start one…

Other Democratic responses, per the Washington Post:

… At different points in the night, Democrats held up signs in the chamber that said, “This is not normal,” “False” and “Musk steals.” Some stood up and turned their backs to Trump, revealing shirts that said “RESIST” on the back before silently leaving the chamber. And early on in the president’s remarks, Democratic Rep. Al Green (Texas), stood up, shouted and shook his cane at Trump — prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to order his removal from the chamber…

Since 2018 — when she ran for the House as part of a wave of women who sought public office in response to Trump’s first presidency — Slotkin has positioned herself as a moderate, championing abortion rights, a ban on assault weapons, lowering prescription drug costs and pushing for economic opportunities for the middle class. During last year’s campaign, she picked up an endorsement from former congresswoman Liz Cheney, the Wyoming Republican who campaigned against Trump and his allies down the stretch.

On the Senate campaign trail, Rogers portrayed Slotkin as too liberal for Michigan, saying she was consistently in line with President Joe Biden’s policies on inflation and border policy. Slotkin, however, argued that her national security background inoculated her somewhat from those attacks.

“My background maybe runs counter to type with what their stereotype of a Democrat is,” Slotkin told The Washington Post in August. “It’s hard to say that the CIA officer is too woke. You know what I mean?”…

Rep. Al Green addresses reporters after being escorted out by the Sergeant At Arms.

"It's worth it to let people know that there's some of us who are going to stand up."#StateOfTheUnion pic.twitter.com/doyPIsQqPm

— Def Pen (@DefPen) March 5, 2025

It looks like all the Democrats' seats were empty by the time he finished his speech.

— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 11:01 PM

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: This Morning, I’m Still Proud to Be A DemocratPost + Comments (198)

About Last Night…

by Betty Cracker| March 5, 20256:45 am| 123 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity

We opted not to watch Trump tell belligerent lies while Republicans clapped like trained seals last night. Instead, we rewatched “The Royal Tenenbaums.” I figured I’d catch up on the speech via clips, social media reax and media coverage this morning. But after a perfunctory look, I find myself completely uninterested in what Trump said.

Still from The Royal Tenenbaums showing Gene Hackman as Royal, lying on his back in pink pajamas. The caption is THE FUCK YOU CARE?

I do care about how Democrats responded. It looks like they road-tested ALL peanut gallery suggestions last night. Some boycotted the event, including AOC and Senators Murray and Murphy. Some walked out mid-speech in protest, wearing t-shirts with slogans like “No Kings Live Here” and “Resist,” including Florida’s Maxwell Frost and Rep. Crockett of Texas.

Some, including Rep. Jayapal, held up signs that said “Lies” and “Save Medicare” and “Musk Steals.” Some heckled — Al Green of Texas was removed from the chamber after shouting out the truth, which is that Trump has no mandate to cut Medicaid.

Other Democrats jeered and laughed out loud at particularly dumb lines, like when Trump praised anti-science kook RFK Jr., who is currently presiding over a measles outbreak, and when Trump said “rule by unelected bureaucrats is over” while praising the unelected, un-confirmed, apartheid South Africa-born gazillionaire who is illegally dismantling the federal government.

The only truly idiotic response by a Democrat that I saw came before the speech:

Mark Warner on Fox: “I may disagree with the president, but I respect the office of the president. I’m probably not gonna be jumping up applauding a lot, but I owe him his due as president. The president has made great, great progress on border crossings. That’s something we ought to celebrate.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) March 4, 2025 at 3:51 PM

And no, I didn’t see what he said before or after, and I don’t need to. There’s no context that would make that inane blather acceptable, especially from a senator whose state will bear the brunt of a massive, illegal firing spree by Musk. Any Democrat who feels they just have to hand it to Trump — on any issue — should shut the fuck up and maybe consider leaving politics forever.

I watched Senator Slotkin’s rebuttal and thought she did a pretty good job considering it is a historically thankless role. I appreciated that she called out Musk and his minions. (The speech could have contained less implicit Reagan hagiography, but I guess that plays well among the dwindling number of surviving “Reagan Democrats” in Michigan.) I liked her call to action — stop doomscrolling, get involved.

Overall, I’d give Slotkin a B+, unless grading on the Katie Britt scale, in which case Slotkin gets an A+.

What say you? Open thread.

About Last Night…Post + Comments (123)

War for Ukraine Day 1,104: Another Night of Drone Storms

by Adam L Silverman| March 4, 20259:42 pm| 73 Comments

This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Military, Open Threads, Russia, Silverman on Security, War, War in Ukraine

(Image by NEIVANMADE)

There’s a lot going on tonight, so I’m going to just run through the basics.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

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Ukraine and America Deserve a Respectful Dialogue and a Clear Position From One Another – Address by the President

4 March 2025 – 20:00

Dear Ukrainians,

Today, many people have the same question: what will happen next with U.S. assistance?

I have instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Defense, the heads of our intelligence agencies, and our diplomats to contact their counterparts in the United States and obtain official information. People should not have to guess. Ukraine and America deserve a respectful dialogue and a clear position from one another. Especially when it comes to protecting lives during a full-scale war.

Of course, in Ukraine, we have been receiving various signals for weeks now, and there has already been a precedent for aid being halted. There was a suspension of humanitarian aid, of energy aid. There was also a halt in military aid – at the end of January, but at that time, everything was quickly resumed. We saw the risks. Therefore, our agencies – both military and special services – managed to develop action algorithms for any developments in the situation. This is not 2022 anymore. Our resilience is stronger now. We have the means to defend ourselves. But for us, maintaining normal, partnership-based relations with America is essential to bringing the war to a real end. None of us wants an endless war.

Ukraine will always be grateful to the U.S. for all the support that has been and is being provided, and which is working to preserve the now rather fragile foundations of security in Europe. After all, this is not just about our country. It is about everyone in Europe. We seek constructive cooperation. Partnership-based relations. We can only regret what happened at the White House instead of our negotiations. But we must find the strength to move forward, to respect one another, just as we have always respected America, Europe, and all our partners, and to do everything together to bring peace closer. And I thank everyone who is supporting Ukraine in this effort.

Today, I have already spoken with the President of Finland, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister of Greece, the Prime Minister of Croatia, the NATO Secretary General, and the leader of Germany’s CDU party, Friedrich Merz – the very party that won the recent Bundestag elections. Clear support for Ukraine. Thank you. There is very important news from the European Commission about significant funds for Europe’s defense. For us, this primarily means additional air defense – more systems, more missiles, and increased ability to protect our cities and villages, our positions. And all of this creates a solid additional foundation for efforts to bring the war to an end. We will continue consultations, and new joint steps will follow. Ukraine deserves peace. Ukrainians deserve respect.

And one last thing.

We know that the Russians have not changed their positions or demands regarding Ukraine. They will insist on reducing our army, they will seek a legal renunciation of our territories, as well as a significant political deformation of Ukraine with the weakening of the Ukrainian Constitution. But I will say that, in fact, as long as we all in Ukraine stand together and stand strong, as long as we are here, no one will succeed in this – peace will be dignified.

Glory to Ukraine!

First Lady Zelenska visited the School of Superheroes, which was funded by her foundation and the government of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Video followed by the write up of the event.

Ukraine’s Largest School of Superheroes Center, Established with Financial Support from the Olena Zelenska Foundation, Begins Operating in Lviv

4 March 2025 – 19:10

The largest School of Superheroes center has fully launched in Lviv. This is the sixth educational space established with full funding from the Olena Zelenska Foundation. The Foundation’s partner, the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein, has become the donor of the project.

The First Lady of Ukraine, the Foundation’s team, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Sports of the Principality of Liechtenstein, Dominique Hasler, visited the new School of Superheroes.”

I am grateful to the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein for supporting this project of the Foundation. Children who have to undergo long-term inpatient treatment desperately need communication, attention, and the opportunity to develop, and continue their education,” Olena Zelenska said.

The new center will operate at the Clinical Center for Pediatric Medicine, which in 2023 merged two hospitals of the region – Okhmatdyt and the Western Ukrainian Specialized Children’s Medical Center.

“This is an important step in expanding our capacity to implement the rights to education for the young patients of the hospitals. The center has educational spaces in two buildings of the hospital, which allows us to provide education to a larger number of children,” emphasized Nataliia Zhilinska, Director of the State Institution “School of Superheroes.”

Currently, the Clinical Center for Pediatric Medicine is one of the leading institutions in Ukraine in bone marrow and kidney transplants, as well as in the treatment of oncology, hematology, orphan and other pediatric diseases. Over 20,000 children from across the country receive assistance there every year.

During a meeting with Dominique Hasler, the team of the Foundation also discussed plans for cooperation, including support in expanding the network of the School of Superheroes.

“We thank the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein for their help with the project to provide humanitarian aid to large foster families. In particular, with donor funds, we were able to assist 92 such families from the Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia, and Ternopil regions,” said Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.

This year, with funding from the Foundation, six more branches of the School of Superheroes will be opened in Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Lutsk, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, and Mukachevo.

The School of Superheroes project operates under the patronage of the First Lady. These are educational spaces in children’s hospitals where young patients can follow the school curriculum while undergoing treatment.

Georgia:

Rustaveli is blocked again.

#GeorgiaProtests
Day 97

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:23 PM

Day 97. Non-stop protests continue in Tbilisi and small regional towns alike. #GeorgiaProtests

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 4:26 PM

Photos show supporters gathered outside the courthouse before Mzia Amaglobeli’s trial begins.

📷 Mindia Gabadze/Publika.ge

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 4:42 AM

Thank you, Ambassador Gasri! 🇫🇷 🇬🇪

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— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 9:51 AM

As the trial of Mzia Amaglobeli begins, she enters the courtroom.

#terroringeorgia #freemzia

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— Publika.ge (@publikage.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 6:07 AM

Proceedings at the Batumi City Court, where the pre-trial hearing for Batumelebi & Netgazeti founder and CEO Mzia Amaglobeli is taking place, are currently in recess. The court has been on break for over an hour, with attendees awaiting the resumption of the hearing.

#MediaUnderAttack

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 4, 2025 at 10:54 AM

🔴 Judge Viktor Metreveli upheld Mzia Amaglobeli’s pre-trial detention, accepting the prosecution’s argument that she poses a risk of reoffending. Meanwhile, the court deemed nearly all evidence presented by the defense inadmissible.

#RepressionInGeorgia
#MediaUnderAttack

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— Batumelebi&Netgazeti (@netgazeti.org) March 4, 2025 at 2:17 PM

There will be war in Europe, continuous or periodic, as long as Russia is able to wage wars.
Anyone discarding this truth is either naive or an enabler.
The only solution is to not leave any grey security zones around Russia.

— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) March 2, 2025 at 11:22 AM

The EU:

We are living in dangerous times.

Europe‘s security is threatened in a very real way.

Today I present ReArm Europe.

A plan for a safer and more resilient Europe ↓

europa.eu/!MFPVMC

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— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu) March 4, 2025 at 3:52 AM

ReArm means:

• More fiscal space for national public funding for defence through the escape clause

• A new instrument for loans to EU countries for defence capabilities most needed

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu) March 4, 2025 at 3:53 AM

• More flexible use of EU funding towards defence investment

• More private capital mobilised via the Savings and Investment Union and the @eib.org

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu) March 4, 2025 at 3:53 AM

Full text of the von der Leyen statement on the “ReArm Europe” plan

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— Steve Peers (@stevepeers.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 5:36 AM

“Eutelsat said it was in talks with European governments about providing additional satellite connectivity in Ukraine, as investors bet that the French satellite operator could replace Elon Musk’s Starlink in the country.” www.ft.com/content/f4cc…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 10:22 AM

From The Financial Times:

Eutelsat said it was in talks with European governments about providing additional satellite connectivity in Ukraine, as investors bet that the French satellite operator could replace Elon Musk’s Starlink in the country.

Eutelsat, the owner of OneWeb, a rival to Starlink, said on Tuesday that it was “actively collaborating with European institutions and business partners”, adding that it had equipment that could be “deployed swiftly in Ukraine to connect the most critical missions and infrastructures”.

Ukraine has relied heavily on Starlink for its military campaigns as it has played a critical role in improving its communications on the battlefield, but there are fears this could be under threat after the US suspended military aid to Kyiv on Monday.

Shares in Eutelsat soared as much as 123 per cent to €4.50 before easing back to trade up 70 per cent, as investors bet that European leaders’ efforts to support Ukraine and shoulder more of the burden for its security would boost demand for the group’s services.

The shares remain far below the more than €10 they were trading at before Eutelsat announced its acquisition of OneWeb in 2022.

US officials have raised the possibility of cutting Ukraine’s access to Starlink’s satellite system, Reuters reported last week. Musk, Starlink’s billionaire owner and a key adviser to US President Donald Trump, said in a tweet that the story was false.

Eutelsat said its talks with European governments were focused on using a combination of its satellite constellations — OneWeb at about 1,200km above the earth and the Geo satellites at 35,000km — to strengthen satellite connectivity in Ukraine and the Black Sea region.

Both are capable of providing connectivity for Ukrainian drones, which have inflicted serious damage on Russian forces. Some military experts believe any large concentration of Russian troops or tanks would be decimated by Ukrainian drone attacks.

The EU on Tuesday proposed a package of €150bn in loans to capitals for defence procurement. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said the move could facilitate “immediate military equipment for Ukraine”.

Eutelsat said that “the timing [of deploying additional user terminals for critical missions and infrastructure] depends on procurement decisions by European member states and the necessary infrastructure co-ordination”.

A commission spokesperson told the Financial Times that it was exploring “possible alternatives to Starlink in Ukraine”.

This could eventually include access to the GovSatCom system, which will pool the satellite capabilities of member states in a highly secure network for government services such as crisis management, critical infrastructure operation or surveillance.

This service is not due to be operational before next year, although it could be accelerated, according to one European official.

OneWeb already provides services to Ukraine through a German distributor, but its technology is older than Starlink’s. Starlink has more than 7,000 satellites in orbit, while OneWeb has fewer than 700.

More at the link.

Germany:

MASSIVE FISCAL PACKAGE OUT OF BERLIN: 12-20%+ of GDP.

– 500 billion fund for public investment
– All defence spending above 1% of GDP not counted for debt brake.
– Federal states can borrow 0.35% p.y. for investment.

Germany is back – economically and militarily.

1/x

— Sander Tordoir (@sandertordoir.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM

CDU (Merz) and SPD (Klingbeil) CSU (Söder) just gave the presser. Big question is whether greens will sign up – my guess is yes.

Focus of the package is on defence and infrastructure. But money is fungible: tax cuts can be paid by reshuffling into special fund.

2/x

— Sander Tordoir (@sandertordoir.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:28 PM

I’m this sure will rekindle the German growth engine.

Private consumption, industrial production, and confidence have been down for years (See chart).

Balanced package of defence, industrial policy, public investment and tax cuts will drive op demand, consumption and growth.

3/x

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— Sander Tordoir (@sandertordoir.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM

Germany was stuck in a macroeconomic situation that is unique in its post-Cold War history.

Private household consumption and industrial production grew in line with German GDP, alternating as engines of growth. That is no longer the case.

4/x

— Sander Tordoir (@sandertordoir.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:33 PM

German industrial production has been declining for five years while private consumption never recovered from the pandemic shock (See Chart).

Fiscal policy that targets both will help.

So after years of not expecting growth, I’m raising my German growth estimates: Germany is back.

5/5.

— Sander Tordoir (@sandertordoir.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:34 PM

This is massive. The real Zeitenwende.

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— Annette Dittert (@annettedittert.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 2:31 PM

Merz conspicuously quotes Draghi’s 2012 “whatever it takes” (the moment in eurozone crisis when then ECB chief steadied market nerves by pledging to hold up the euro). A recognition of what is most at stake in present moment: Europe’s credibility.

— Jeremy Cliffe (@jeremycliffe.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:46 PM

Hard to know what’s more mind-boggling:
– debt brake, nemesis of Scholz government, suddenly defanged
– CDU/CSU u-turn within days of election
– sheer fiscal firepower unleashed (larger than GDPs of most European countries)
– old-school Merz dragging Germany into the present

— Jeremy Cliffe (@jeremycliffe.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 2:26 PM

Hats off to Merz. Moving fast and breaking things before he’s even in office.

An (as yet) unelected leader showing the other EU 26 the scale of the massive changes required.

— Henry Foy (@henryjfoy.ft.com) March 4, 2025 at 1:29 PM

France:

Even leader of the French far-right party “National Rally,” Marine Le Pen, condemned the suspension of American military aid to Ukraine.

“This is very cruel to the Ukrainian soldiers who patriotically defend their country.” – she said.
www.lefigaro.fr/politique/ma…

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— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM

Finland:

“Trump will soon realize that his ‘peace strategy’ for Ukraine does not work.” – Finnish Foreign Minister.

According to Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, the White House’s strategy is essentially to appease Russia while pressuring Ukraine.

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 11:34 AM

The UK:

Over the course of a week, the UK debate has completely changed. Just days ago, the right was still trying to use Trump to humiliate Starmer. Now, after the Zelenskyy meeting & Vance’s nonsense, there’s a consensus against the US administration. British Trump supporters utterly marginalised.

— Ian Dunt (@iandunt.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 7:36 AM

Managing to make Farage look like less of a Trump/Vance fluffer, this week of all weeks, is really some achievement.

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— Alex Andreou (@sturdyalex.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 9:17 AM

Politics is about whose side you’re on.

Kemi Badenoch has just shown she is on the side of JD Vance rather than our brave armed forces and the families who’ve lost loved ones in conflicts over the past 40 years.

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— Ed Davey (@eddavey.libdems.org.uk) March 4, 2025 at 8:43 AM

The US:

This is what Badenoch is trying to spin:

457 British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan after going to war to support America after America was attacked on 9/11. Has Trump ever said thank you?

Trump and Vance insult all of us.

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— Shaun Pinner (@olddogua.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 6:05 AM

The Brits were also in charge of Multinational Division South (MND South) during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Brits took 179 uniformed KIA and at least three British government civilians were also killed in action.

The parallels with the Yanukovych regime are becoming increasingly eerie

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— Tatarigami (@tatarigami.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 10:24 AM

🧵 A few words on US military aid to Ukraine. This comes in two flavours. Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) takes things from existing US stockpiles. Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) procures new things from US companies. (Chart: www.csis.org/analysis/ukr…)

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 8:35 AM

The bulk of PDA that was ‘notified’ by Biden was delivered by January 20th with the exception of some armoured vehicles which needed repair. There was about 3.8bn of that left. Big part of it was delivery of NATO-standard ammo. If that stops, Ukraine faces an eventual crunch—but not an immediate one

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 8:35 AM

USAI funding was used for some key weapons: air-defence systems, interceptors, high-end electronic warfare, armaments for jets. Orders in pipeline would/will deliver this year & next by default. Canceling it—rather than just pausing, as has happened—would require cancelling contracts with US firms.

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 8:35 AM

My understanding is that, even without PDA deliveries, Ukraine would be fine for some months as long as it remained on the defensive. The serious problems arise down the line, not in days or weeks. Withdrawal of US intel or Starlink provision would cause more immediate disruption, of course.

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 8:35 AM

The sliver of good news. “More difficult would be stopping shipments of newly produced weapons from contracts Ukraine signed with the defense industry, though with funds provided by the United States. Legally, those belong to Ukraine.” www.csis.org/analysis/ukr…

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— Shashank Joshi (@shashj.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 8:50 AM

🥴 Reuters: US prepares plan for potential easing of sanctions against Russia

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— Ukrainska Pravda 🇺🇦 (@pravda.ua) March 3, 2025 at 5:20 PM

From Ukrainska Pravda:

The United States is working on a plan to potentially ease sanctions against Russia as part of Donald Trump’s efforts to renew ties with Moscow and end the war in Ukraine.

Source: Reuters, citing a US official and another person familiar with the matter, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The White House has asked the State Department and the Treasury Department to draw up a list of sanctions that could be eased. The sources said the list had been requested for discussion by US officials and the Russian side as part of broader negotiations by the US administration to improve diplomatic and economic relations.

The sanctions agencies are now preparing proposals on the lifting of sanctions from certain legal entities and individuals, including some Russian oligarchs, Reuters’ sources said.

The fact that the White House specifically requested this list in recent days underscores the willingness of Trump and his advisers to ease Russian sanctions as part of a potential deal with Moscow.

It is unclear exactly what Washington might demand from Russia in exchange for sanctions relief.

US sources say the White House asked State and Treasury Department officials to draw up the possible sanctions relief plan before Trump extended the state of emergency last week over the situation in Ukraine.

The state of emergency imposes sanctions on certain assets and individuals involved in Russia’s war. The measures, introduced by the Obama administration, have been in place since March 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea.

Background:

In January, Trump threatened to increase sanctions against Russia if Putin was unwilling to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. But recently, Trump administration officials have openly acknowledged the possibility of sanctions against Moscow being eased.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had assured European allies that the US would maintain sanctions against Russia at least until an agreement is reached to end the Russo-Ukrainian war.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television on 20 February, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said economic restrictions on Russia could be relaxed based on the Kremlin’s willingness to negotiate.

Trump told reporters on 26 February that Russian sanctions could be eased “at some point”.

Who could’ve possibly predicted?

I haven’t even met Donald for negotiations and he’s already given me everything I want.

— Darth Putin (@darthputinkgb.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 5:55 AM

Back to Ukraine.

Trump says he wants peace, yet he’s stopping aid. In reality, he’s just helping Russia keep killing Ukrainians.

— Maria Avdeeva (@mariainkharkiv.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 12:27 AM

This isn’t a peace plan, it’s a trap to force our surrender. Siding with Russia never helped anyone. Putin isn’t negotiating—he wants our capitulation. Ukraine will remain strong 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

— Maria Avdeeva (@mariainkharkiv.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:21 AM

Halting US aid to Ukraine means cutting off air defense—leaving homes, hospitals, and schools unprotected. Every intercepted missile saves lives. Without support, civilians will pay the price in blood. This isn’t just about war; it’s about humanity.

— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 3:28 AM

Ukrainian intelligence shows drones for long-range strikes. ‘Lyutyi’ drone can fly over 2000 km and carry 40-70 kg of explosives.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 12:55 PM

NEW: Ukrainian PM says artillery production in Ukraine has tripled in two years. Production of armored personnel fivefold, anti-tank weapons two fold, and ammunition by a factor of 2.5.

— Michael Horowitz (@michaelhorowitz.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 6:05 AM

According to the PM, Ukraine produces around a third of the weapons needed on the battlefield, and the goal is to reach 50%

— Michael Horowitz (@michaelhorowitz.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 6:05 AM

Odesa:

Russia attacked the Odesa region tonight, killing at least one person and destroying several households and infrastructure facilities.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 7:41 PM

Kharkiv:

There are Russian drones over Kharkiv that have been coming for several hours now. I can hear them flying nearby or the occasional sound of air defense, along with Russian ballistic missiles targeting the Kharkiv region outside the city.

This is just our life now.

— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 7:37 PM

Sumy:

Tonight, russia struck a children’s hospital in Sumy with a drone.

The drone was loaded with shrapnel.

It’s a miracle that the hospital was empty.

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— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 6:39 AM

Kherson Oblast:

Cluster munition strike on the Russian military training grounds in the Kherson region.

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 1:58 PM

Russian occupied Crimea:

A radar station, presumably 96L6E from the Russian S-300/S-400 air defense system, is burning on a highway in Crimea. t.me/Crimeanwind/…

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— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) March 4, 2025 at 5:57 AM

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

A new video from Patron’s official TikTok.

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Open thread!

War for Ukraine Day 1,104: Another Night of Drone StormsPost + Comments (73)

Open Thread: Another SotU Viewing Alternative

by Anne Laurie| March 4, 20255:58 pm| 160 Comments

This post is in: Democratic Response to Trump 2.0, Justice, Open Threads

(H/t commentor Ben Cisco)

Per Urban Insite:

This Tuesday, Roland Martin will be talking State of Our Union. Going live at 7 pm EST and will go to midnight or 1 am. We will break this up into 30 minute blocks. We will have CBC members, labor leaders, civil rights, voting rights, business, grassroots activists and millennials. We will NOT carry Donald Trump’s speech. When Trump walks to the mic, we will go live to New Haven, Conn. where Rev. Barber will deliver OUR speech. My team will be servicing clips of the twice impeached, criminally convicted felon-in-chief, and we’ll discuss after Rev. Barber is done. Spread the word! I would love to have 100,000 watching us LIVE at Youtube.com/RolandSMartin or on the BSN app.

Open Thread: Another SotU Viewing AlternativePost + Comments (160)

Lowering the Bar (Open Thread)

by Betty Cracker| March 4, 20251:44 pm| 186 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics, Open Threads, Politics, Republican Stupidity

If you’re an stock market investor, it’s probably best to avert your eyes from the ticker today. It’s a rerun anyway, a repeat of the Dow’s 600-plus plunge yesterday last time I looked. The Trump Slump is here.

CNN Hill reporter Manu Raju asked random elected Republicans for their thoughts on the Trump Slump and shared their comments on his account at The Bad Place. Here’s a sample:

Some Rs acknowledge that there could be higher prices with Trump’s Mexico and Canada tariffs but believe their constituents would be willing to stomach that to back Trump’s policies.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin told me “of course” he’s worried tariffs could impact his state but argued that his constituents are willing to “do what it takes” to support the president’s policy.

“Are the American people ready to get the country back on track and do what it takes to make that happen? Absolutely…

It’s going to affect a lot of companies. We’re going to have to adjust some prices for it, but the president is tired of people taking advantage of our country.”

Asked if his constituents are ready to pay higher prices, Mullin said: “I think our constituents are going to do what it takes to get America back on track. We’re tired of countries taking advantage of us.”

Mullin appears to believe his constituents share Trump’s moronic belief that other countries are ripping the U.S. off. I’m not one of Mullin’s constituents, but I do live among the type of people who would send a wrassler named “Markwayne” to the U.S. Senate. I think he is mistaken.

Rep. Mark Alford of Missouri told me he thinks tariffs are “going to have an impact,” particularly on farmers, though he said he expects some “offsets” to the costs by increasing domestic energy production.

“We all have a role to play in this to right size our government, and if I have to pay a little bit more for something, I’m all for it to get America right again, to start whittling down” the debts

Asked if he thinks his constituents feel the same way about shouldering some of the costs, Alford said: “I think so.”

“Look, we have lived under the oppression of Joe Biden’s hyper-inflation for some years. We’ve seen some corrections in that, there’s ups and downs, but this economy is going to start churning,” he said, expressing hope that people will “have more money to invest to spend.

“And it’s just going to take a little patience on the front end,” he said.

Wait, was Alford one of the Republicans featured in my favorite news genre, Republicans Fleeing Town Halls? Why yes — that was him. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say he has no fucking idea what his constituents think since he runs away when they try to tell him.

And speaking of Republicans Fleeing Town Halls, that fun is over, according to a report at TPM:

The chair of the House GOP’s campaign arm told Republican lawmakers Tuesday to stop holding in-person town halls amid a wave of angry backlash over the cuts undertaken by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), the NRCC chair, delivered the message inside a closed-door meeting of House Republicans, according to three people granted anonymity to describe the private remarks.

Hudson, you’re a fucking killjoy.

Look, maybe angry voters are like the Tyrannous Rex in Jurassic Park, and if GOP lawmakers remain absolutely motionless, voters won’t notice them and therefore won’t complain about higher prices at the grocery store, skyrocketing heat costs, shuttered SSA and VA facilities, cancer research defunding, etc. But constituent blowback became such a thing that even the demented orange shitbag felt motivated to lie about it:

Tweet from Trump lying about "paid troublemakers" infiltrating GOP lawmaker town halls.

Lies work until they don’t. Keep calling, writing and showing up. These pricks are feeling the heat.

Meanwhile, even the liberal Wall Street Journal…

We’ve courted Mr. Trump’s ire by calling the Mexico and Canada levies the “dumbest” in history, and we may have understated the point. Mr. Trump is whacking friends, not adversaries. His taxes will hit every cross-border transaction, and the North American vehicle market is so interconnected that some cars cross a border as many as eight times as they’re assembled.

Mr. Trump also objected when we reported an analysis by the Anderson Economic Group that the 25% tariff will raise the cost of a full-sized SUV assembled in North America by $9,000 and a pickup truck by $8,000. Is this how the new Republican Party plans on helping working-class voters?

How bad will things get? I have no idea. This piece from The Guardian lays out a worst-case scenario of systemic collapse.

Though we might find it hard to imagine, we cannot now rule it out: the possibility of systemic collapse in the United States. The degradation of federal government by Donald Trump and Elon Musk could trigger a series of converging and compounding crises, leading to social, financial and industrial failure.

We really can’t rule anything out with greedy and insane people with their hands on every lever. To paraphrase my own self from a Bluesky thread on the linked Guardian piece, I don’t rule out systemic collapse either.

But in the short term, I think it’s more likely the U.S. will share Twitter’s trajectory under the weirdo dipshit who now runs both. It will become jankier with functionality increasingly degraded. It will be overrun by crypto scammers. It will be the preferred venue of racist and antisemitic goons. It will suffer a massive loss of value. It will be abandoned by many decent folks and adopted by droves of hard-right extremists and leering misogynists. To sum up, it becomes the proverbial Nazi bar.

When they promised to run the country like a business, this is what they meant.

Open thread.

Lowering the Bar (Open Thread)Post + Comments (186)

Where are the Presidents?

by WaterGirl| March 4, 20259:57 am| 168 Comments

This post is in: Democratic Response to Trump 2.0, Open Threads, Opposition to Trump-Musk, Organizing & Resistance, Resistance to Trump

I don’t really know who this person is in the video below, but I pretty much agree with every word he said.

We have 4 living presidents who are still alive.

This is not the time to be polite and adhere to the convention of former presidents not speaking out about the current president.

The current president is burning it all down. Why are they not speaking out?

Do the responsibilities of being president totally end once they leave office?

Where are the Presidents?Post + Comments (168)

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: State of Disunion

by Anne Laurie| March 4, 20257:45 am| 227 Comments

This post is in: Democratic Response to Trump 2.0, Open Threads, Trump-Musk

Next Tuesday, we won’t waste a second in responding to Trump’s steam of lies at the State of the Union.
I’m not attending in person. Instead I’m partnering w @moveon.org to provide live real time response. Join us to learn the truth about the billionaire seizure of our government.

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— Chris Murphy (@chrismurphyct.bsky.social) February 28, 2025 at 3:31 PM

I don’t think I can bear to sit through tonight’s debacle, even at the pinhole-camera remove of reading media liveblogs. Can a sundowning Trump even navigate the long aisle to the podium, especially with his legislatorial fans baying and groping at him? Maybe he can take a cue from his beloved musicals and be borne aloft on a gilded palanquin by six or eight burly SecSer agents… that’s the kind of visual for which he hungers.

We know he’ll lie, because that’s what he does. We know there will be ‘tremendous content’ attempts to shock, horrify, and defile everything America is supposed to stand for. No doubt memos have gone out mandating every eligible Republican be planted in their seat, preferably well before the cameras start rolling. (Let’s hope none of them are sufficiently inspired by the spirit of Mardi Gras — and I very much include Coach Tuberville in this — to flash their tits at the cameras.) We know that Democratic attendance will be much spottier, for reasons. I’m wishing Elissa Slotkin the best in her rebuttal speech, and assume I’ll be able to post it by this time tomorrow.

Some are saying Democrats shouldn't attend Donald Trump's State of the Union.
I disagree.
They should attend. And the minute he starts speaking, start getting up, one-by-one, and solemnly leave the chamber.
It will be all anyone talks about the next day. And will drive Donald crazy.

— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social) March 2, 2025 at 9:54 PM

this is fine, as far as it goes, i can understand not wanting to leave the entire chamber to trump, especially if he shits the bed, but i think more highly of the ones doing town halls instead, if i'm being honest.

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— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 3, 2025 at 7:48 PM

show full post on front page

he's likely going to announce that he's ending the DOE, it would be better optics not to have an entire chamber of cheers for that, to the degree anyone will be watching, which no one will.

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 3, 2025 at 7:50 PM

that said, if you're not going, you'd best be doing a fucking town hall or something

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 3, 2025 at 7:54 PM

we're in "no good choices" land at this point, people have to understand that.

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachine.com) March 3, 2025 at 7:48 PM

You can be “strong, determined and dignified” and still engage in a meaningful protest of a corrupt, lawless, un-American regime, which is what I was suggesting last week.
Treating this speech, this president, and this regime as normal only normalizes their wanton abnormality.

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— Stephen Schwartz (@atomicanalyst.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 8:42 PM

I have a better idea. www.offmessage.net/p/boycott-th…

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— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 9:32 AM

FTR, I don’t think Dems should treat this as a normal SOTU. I also don’t think they should all boycott. I think leadership should go, & maybe 20 or so smart combative members unafraid to heckle. [People like Jim McGovern] And they should all be wearing the Ukrainian colors.
As for everyone else…

— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 4:16 PM

…if possible they should be in their districts doing a town hall & doing whatever they can to get local TV & radio.

— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 4:17 PM

But NO Democrat should be standing on the aisle waiting to shake any of their hands.
And no Democrat should go because they promised someone would be their guest in the gallery & don’t want to tell the guest it ain’t happening.

— Dana Houle (@danahoule.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 6:44 PM

Amid all the whining about Dems that largely ignores what role particular Dems play, it is quite significant that Murray, Senate Appropriations Ranking and so the one in discussions about making Trump follow the law to get $$, is doing this.

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— emptywheel (@emptywheel.bsky.social) March 3, 2025 at 7:42 PM

When we had a real State of the Union pic.twitter.com/PVBQJVrZY1

— Sibylle (@AHaschi) March 3, 2025

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: State of DisunionPost + Comments (227)

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

No one could have predicted…

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Republicans do not trust women.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

“I was told there would be no fact checking.”

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

So fucking stupid, and still doing a tremendous amount of damage.

Washington Post Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: This Morning, I’m Still Proud to Be A Democrat

About Last Night…

War for Ukraine Day 1,104: Another Night of Drone Storms

Ukraine and America Deserve a Respectful Dialogue and a Clear Position From One Another – Address by the President

Ukraine’s Largest School of Superheroes Center, Established with Financial Support from the Olena Zelenska Foundation, Begins Operating in Lviv

Open Thread: Another SotU Viewing Alternative

Lowering the Bar (Open Thread)

Where are the Presidents?

Tuesday Morning Open Thread: State of Disunion