Early in my career, I profiled a young progressive activist who organized some interesting — and particularly disruptive — protests during the Occupy movement zeitgeist at Nashford-Kelp College in rural Iowa. I first met the guy through a piece I wrote for Slate in January 2012, so this was early-peak Occupy. He was an interesting dude; a double-major in comp-sci and business who had effectively flipped on his family, an old-Chicago-via-Richmond blue blood clan of financiers.

Of course, “trust-fund college kid resists familial legacy” isn’t exactly a headline, but this student really burned it down: his work with Occupy involved writing open-source code that opened the door for handy-enough hackers to track and interrupt Nashford-Kelp’s trading portfolio, which at the time was managed by some now-incarcerated fudge-and-play hedge funders, including our young would-be revolutionary’s uncle and grandfather.

You know their names: The Drammers.

You might even remember the student’s name: Erick Drammer.

But on the off chance that Erick Drammer doesn’t ring a bell, you might be from the corner of the internet that’s more familiar with his current nom de plume: Skankc*nt_69. Or, perhaps he would prefer “nom de guerre,” as the lead host of Skankified 2000, the barn-busting far-far-dirtbag-left podcast currently taking in just over $180,000 every month from Patreon supporters.

I haven’t spoken to the guy in years. He asked me out for a date after the Slate story ran and I turned him down, citing the best excuse any woman has, and I didn’t even have to pretend: I mostly (only) date women! Still, I thought I ended up with a pretty positive relationship with Drammer. At least, I didn’t think I had an antagonistic one.

Unfortunately I’ve had to turn comments off of past posts, and lock down my social media, because of last week’s viral clip from his Skankified 2000 podcast, wherein Drammer accuses me of trying to capitalize on the wholly baseless charges against me. (Transcript follows.)

No way, man, hold up on the fucking parade for Jasmine Rebuke. You’re making it sound like she’s Captain Fucking America. Or Captain Marvel, at least Captain America’s got a set of balls on him. She wrote a blog post. Saying what? That our fascist fucking zombie president is cracked out on RevTech juice? No shit! We knew that already. And she knew the risk she was taking and now she wants us to treat her like she’s, I don’t know, Mother Teresa. For doing her job? Which by the way she’s been pretty shit at for a long time. I mean, that Forbes thing she wrote about Carron Nielsberg? The savior of Silicon Valley or whatever? That was a straight up suck-and-swallow job. I’m not saying she deserves to go to federal prison for being a mediocre journalist, but let’s reset the levels, here. There are literally people in the streets literally risking their lives – guys facing off against Rudy Ruiz’s actual fascist goon squads, including kids, legally armed with AK-47s, while Jasmine Rebuke hides behind a keyboard, pushing her little Go Fund Me page. I mean good luck to her, but I’m not giving her a dime. 

I really can’t stress this enough: If I could be in any situation other than the one I’m in right now, I’d be there. None of this holds a profit motive for me, and I’d rather continue flying under the radar so I can just do my regular job.

I understand that the goal of podcasts such as Skankified and their ilk thrive on hot takes that garner listeners, but let’s be clear: It’s vastly more remunerative for Drammer to float an entirely out-of-pocket idea about my motivations than it is for me to just ask for basic legal defense funding. For Drammer to suggest that I’m the one on the take? Makes him vastly more money than any appeal I’ve ever made for my legal fees.

If anyone’s on the take, it’s not me. I mean, it’s not even close. Skankified 2000 brings in nearly $2 million every year between Drammar and his co-host, Ariadne Ploral (née Laura Tarrant). And that’s not even mentioning whatever they’re making off of their Netlifx “comedy” special and their Substack newsletter, which has somewhere upwards of 20,000 paid subscribers.

I appreciated what Drammer did during Occupy. I even listen to his podcast sometimes, even when it’s not explicitly job to do so! I hate contributing to the “leftists are fighting themselves” narrative in these times (not least because I’ve striven to cast myself as a nonpartisan observer), but I can’t let something like this go without standing up for myself. I don’t really know who “we” is right now, but I know that there are a lot of people who oppose what President Ruiz is doing to the country, and I’ve recently gotten a very clear idea of what Ruiz’s goal is: to silence dissent by any means necessary.

I wrote what I wrote about President Ruiz collapsing in the Chicago hotel because it is what I witnessed with my own eyes, and I stand by it — lawyers be damned. I know Ruiz has clear ties to a volatile tech magnate with deeply complicated views about the technology he says he has mastered. I asked for none of this, and it’s been an awful journey so far, even with the incredible support of my readers.

I’m not ready now, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready, to talk about what it was like to be behind bars for writing nothing but the truth. And I don’t give a damn if you donate to my legal fund. I don’t give a damn if Erick Drammer donates to my legal fund.

But I refuse to be cast as a grifter for telling the truth.

Anyway, here’s my usual news roundup:

What Else I’m Reading Right Now:

• “Dozens more arrested at UT-Austin as police use pepper spray, flash bangs to break up protests” (Texas Tribune)
• “SPJ demands Texas Department of Public Safety drop charges and arrest warrant against Fox 7 News photojournalist” (SPJ)
• “Texas has a new lake for the first time in nearly 30 years” (CBS News)
• “Layoffs and upheaval at Texas universities spur fear as lawmakers continue DEI crackdown” (Texas Tribune)
• “Columbia Students Arrested Over Campus Rally May Face Other Consequences” (NYT)
• “East Texas counties see flooding, extreme winds as storms batter area” (KLTV)

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

It was quite the scrum outside the Dallas Federal Courts Building yesterday! I can’t believe that literally hundreds of folks came out to support me at a hearing that ended up lasting less than 20 minutes. (The Dallas Morning News reported a crowd of over 300 people!)

I’m so grateful to everyone who waited in that ridiculous line to get into the courtroom—I heard some people were outside as early as 6am. I am genuinely so honored by y’all’s dedication. I’m especially grateful that, while there were definitely a few tense moments, the whole thing went down without any serious conflict.

For me, this isn’t about protesting or drama or hashtag-resistance. It’s just about getting a fair hearing. Of course I super appreciate the speakers who came out, and especially the support from the Movement for a Free Press and the Texas Journalism Guild for organizing the rally. Faith and Niles really had the crowd going, and I wish I could have said more. But I’m trying to be mindful about the advice of my legal counsel, so I’ll just share this recording of the statement I read at the pre-hearing press conference, with a transcript below:

Hi, everybody. I wish I could take questions, but on the advice of my legal team, I’m only going to read a statement. Thanks for understanding.

First, I want to give my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported me over these last several weeks. Your kind words and generous donations to my defense fund have given me hope during a very difficult time. I have been subjected to baseless attacks on my character and professionalism, which have only made dealing with these unjust charges that much harder. So let me be clear: I am innocent. I am an accredited member of the press whose only goals are to inform the public and, when necessary, to hold elected officials to the basic standards of accountability that our democracy demands. The facts of my case show, beyond a doubt, that these charges are nothing but an attempt to silence the free press. I have always reported honestly, fairly, and accurately in everything I have covered. I have every belief that, following a swift resolution to this case, I will continue to do so. Thank you. That’s all I have for now, sorry.

Do I sound like a total, fragile weirdo? This whole thing has been so, so weird. I’m used to being on the other end of the mic, and being the one who won’t take “no” for an answer when someone says they can’t comment. But I really can’t!

I don’t have anything incredible to report from the hearing. It was mostly procedural, just to prove that I am who I am, that I’m not on the run, and that I refuse to plead guilty to these baseless charges that I am some kind of traitor or spy, brought by the Ruiz Administration, which has previously vetted and historically treated me as the legitimate, accredited journalist I am. But even that is maybe too much to say! Sorry, lawyers!

I would love to say more about what I’ve been through since February, but I have to let today’s statement speak for itself.

Since this has nothing to do with my case: I was able to spend some time with my closest friends watching the eclipse on Monday. We drove out to Dallas and spent the afternoon on a shockingly sunny downtown rooftop (the forecast had been for clouds!) and I got to feel extremely small in the vast scope of things, which I found surprisingly soothing. It was an intense reminder that we are all spinning infinitely around on a big blue marble in space, whether we are powerful politicians wielding history-changing biotech or regular folks just watching the skies with our pets and friends. Whatever happens to me or us or the country, even in these ~ unprecedented times ~ is part of a much bigger, million-year story of humanity. I don’t know, maybe I’m grasping at straws. It was really something.

I miss being able to send y’all my usual dispatches. I’m going to try to find a way to stay on the RevTech/election ’24 beat without compromising my case, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, here’s my usual news roundup:

What Else I’m Reading Right Now:

• “How a Case Against Fox News Tore Apart a Media-Fighting Law Firm” (NYT)
• “Texas power outage map: Powerful storm leaves over 100,000 homes, businesses without power” (USA Today)
• “Texas AG Ken Paxton reaches deal to end securities fraud charges after 9 years” (AP)
• “Texas AG Ken Paxton sues Harris County to block program that would give cash to poorest households” (Texas Tribune)
• “‘Just a whole lotta mess’: East Texas looks at aftermath following heavy storms” (KETK)
• “UFO over East Texas? Here’s what it really was” (CBS 19)

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

Hi, y’all! Minne’s newsletter manager, Andrea, here again.

As Minne would say, “sorry for the radio silence,” but we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that Minne is comfortable and safe following her unjust detainment in federal custody for over two weeks in February and March. She’s been prepping hard with her legal defense team, and we’re confident these charges will be dismissed.

To that end: after a couple of delays, it looks like Minne will have a hearing in Dallas on Wednesday, April 10 concerning the wholly inappropriate allegations that have been lodged against her by the Ruiz Administration.

There will be a support rally for Jasmine at 9am outside the federal courts building in downtown Dallas on Wednesday, and we hope her newsletter readers can join us and help spread the word. Your support on social media and through Minne’s legal defense Go Fund Me page have already made a huge difference in lifting Minne’s spirits!

Endless thanks are due to the Movement for a Free Press and the Texas Journalism Guild, who have organized and are sponsoring the rally, which will feature appearances from Congressman Niles Kirkpatrick and Faith J. Descartes of the Young People’s New Freedom Movement.

We don’t yet know whether Jasmine will be available to speak at, after, or about the hearing, but please be assured that your presence supporting her against these unfair charges mean the world to her, and to the untold numbers of journalists and average American citizens who have already been silenced.

We acknowledge that those who stand against these charges in public are taking a not-insubstantial risk in coming out to support the freedom of the press; we encourage ralliers to ensure they have contact information for legal representation through entities such as the ACLU of Texas and others that may be able to provide support in the event of mass arrests. We’re hoping for — and expecting — a quiet day, but want ralliers to be prepared regardless.

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

Hi, everyone. I’m not sure Minne ever mentioned me on the blog here, so please allow me to introduce myself real quick and then we’ll get into what’s going on with Minne and her case and how you can help. I’m Andrea, and I’m Minne’s newsletter admin. Usually I help out with tech queries, managing her subscriptions, and online promo. Today, I’m here to post an update on what’s been happening the last couple weeks.

On Thursday, February 22, Minne was charged under the Emergency Expanded Patriot Act following the publication of this post concerning a recent incident Minne witnessed in Chicago involving President Ruiz. Federal prosecutors have alleged that Minne engaged in the “unlawful exchange” of “sensitive information relating to national security” with “entities hostile to the freedom and safety of the United States.” To be emphatically clear: Jasmine Rebuke denies these allegations. She does have legal representation, and voluntarily presented herself to law enforcement officials in Gallum County on Monday, February 26. She has not been released from custody, but we are optimistic about having her home soon.

We are disappointed that some publications who have published Minne’s work in the past have chosen to remove her articles from their sites and archives. But we believe there is no reason to remove any of the content Minne previously published here on her newsletter, and in fact encourage readers to share it widely in the spirit of free speech and support for a free press.

I’ll have more information on how readers can contribute to Minne’s defense in the coming days. I’m sure Minne would want me to thank you all for the kind words and support.

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

A few days ago, Rudy Ruiz’s press office gave me two options: publish what I’m going to write in this post and risk not just my career but my freedom, or continue enjoying “the privilege” of following Ruiz on the campaign trail and participating in an ongoing cover-up of the president’s health issues. After consulting with a legal team from the Freelancer’s Guild and doing some hard thinking about my role as a journalist in these ~ unprecedented ~ times, I came to a conclusion. One I might regret.

Spoiler alert: I’m back home in Turner Falls and, well, you’re reading this.

I didn’t clock the initial signs that something was amiss; when Ruiz’s team started pulling him from campaign events earlier than scheduled, I took it as a precautionary measure following the campaign bombing in New Hampshire last month. And there’s plenty going on in the world that would explain Ruiz being called away suddenly during interviews and press briefings to do the actual job of being president. But on February 8, after a blow-out win in the Nevada caucus, Ruiz skipped his victory-lap appearance at the Trump International Hotel in Vegas, disappointing hundreds of supporters and leaving the speechifying to Vice President Grantham. (The VP got what I’ll call a thoroughly tepid reception, despite fiery delivery from a 95-year-old who is looking remarkably spry these days. I don’t think the stress of the presidency, especially with Ruiz dogging him over the 25th Amendment, particularly agreed with Grantham.)

The Ruiz campaign described Grantham’s surrogate appearance as a “goodwill gesture” meant to show that the men had “repaired” their relationship after the “tense events” of 2023. This smelled like bullshit to me, so I put in a request for a one-on-one with Ruiz at his earliest convenience, which turned out to be on Valentine’s Day of all days. We met in Ruiz’s suite at the Langham Hotel in Chicago, a couple of hours before Ruiz was scheduled to host a “Luv 2 Luv Rudy” fundraiser dinner for highfalutin midwestern donors.

An aide escorted me into the room. Ruiz, who appeared to be lost in contemplation at the window, turned after a few seconds and dismissed the staffer with the assurance that he’d be “just fine” for a few minutes. We shook hands, and I could see the impact of several weeks’ hard campaigning and, I assumed, the stressful aftermath of the attack on his campaign back east. The president looked almost wet — swimming, jellied eyes, sagging jowls, his usually crisp suit practically swallowing his typically athletic frame. But he still had the charm turned up to eleven.

“I reckon I’m not the guy you’d like to be sitting across from tonight?”

“Or the woman, actually.” (I can do charm, too. Even if it means needling the most powerful homophobe in America.)

Ruiz laughed, which turned into a choking cough and a labored attempt to pour himself a glass of water from the pitcher on the parlor table between us. Once he’d composed himself, I asked the president if he was alright, and said he looked tired. Were the New Hampshire bombings still weighing on him?

“I’m just damn glad no one was seriously injured, praise Jesus above. I know I look like heck, but I told them I thought my hometown reporter deserved a few answers.”

Well then, I figured, let’s get right into it. “You’re leaving scheduled appearances early, and you skipped your victory party in Vegas. That should have been a huge night for you, but you turned the spotlight over to Grantham. Why?”

“Ashleigh’s getting on up there, I thought it’d be nice to give the old guy a thrill.”

“He’s your vice president; if you win in November, and it looks like you will, it seems like there are plenty of thrills on the way still.”

I let a long silence hang between us. Old reporter’s trick. Shut up until they don’t.

Finally: “You’re right. I’m not going to call November a foregone, but it is. Nikki will drop out of this thing soon. I haven’t even looked at the numbers for the other guys, but they can’t catch me, even if they put up that red-faced pinko punk from Seattle the girls your age are so crazy about. Though I gather he’s maybe not your, uh, type.”

I ignored this little dig. The “red-faced pinko punk from Seattle” is, of course, Democratic Congressman Niles Kirkpatrick, formerly of 90s grunge band Grass Scandal.

“So you’re conserving your energy for the easy fight ahead?”

“You could say that.” Ruiz reached for his glass, then retracted when he noticed me noticing his hands shaking. Not nerves, surely? He’s given thousands and thousands of interviews, lots of them to reporters tougher and higher-profile than Jasmine Rebuke of the Perpetually Hustling Freelancer Times.

“Well, can I say it? Is that why you’re pulling back on public appearances? Mr. President, the American people deserve to know that you’re in shape to run the country for another four years. Commentators are saying you’re rattled by the bombings. That you’re cowed by the first real pushback, the first direct attack, you’ve received in years.”

“I’m not cowed! Never call me cowed!” The president pushed himself to his feet with an exasperated grunt, then pitched forward and caught himself on the low table, sending the pitcher of water tumbling to the floor with Ruiz not far behind.

Secret Service agents swarmed the room in moments. I barely had enough time — and the wherewithal — to switch on my camera before an agent grabbed me by both shoulders and hustled me into the hallway. The agent posted up between me and the suite, blocking my view of what was happening inside until the president appeared gasping in the doorway, propelling himself forward in a kind of flailing army-crawl.

Over the buzz and crackle of Secret Service radios and what sounded like a half-dozen people yelling for medics, I could just hear the president rasping out a demand for what sounded like “the serum” before deflating into unconsciousness.

I spent the next hour sequestered in the presidential suite’s security detail room, giving a statement three times over to the Secret Service, Chicago PD, and the FBI. From this interaction, I learned that the feds have quite the file on me — though I assume they have something similar on everyone who gets cleared for the president’s campaign press corps. I was moments from asking if I seriously needed to lawyer up before Ruiz’s chief of staff came into the room to tell me I was free to head back to my own room on the media floor — a relief. Could this be that easy? Of course not: the CoS told me I was not, however, free to write about what had happened, and the president’s legal team would be contacting me shortly to discuss my “options.”

I pushed back, of course. This wasn’t just news, or even just headline news — this was ground-shaking news. Matter-of-national-security news that the American people had a right to hear. And as soon as I said that out loud, I knew I’d screwed myself. I’m not a lawyer, but I’m familiar enough with the Emergency Expanded Patriot Act to know that my aforementioned “options” were going to be extremely limited unless I wanted to face time in a federal lock-up.

I’m not proud of it, but I capitulated. I caught the first flight back to Gallum County and lived to write another day — today. And that’s curious, isn’t it? That the only woman in the room when the president suddenly collapsed was sent back to get a good night’s sleep after a mere hour’s interrogation about what had just transpired? That no one wondered if, I don’t know, a journalist who’s been recently critical of the president poisoned him after he’d been the target of a domestic terror weeks before?

The only answer I can come up with is this: whatever happened to President Ruiz was not a surprise to the people closest to him. Indeed, Ruiz was back on the campaign trail the next day, stumping in Cleveland, looking robust and fresh-faced at a local meat packing plant.

Perhaps “the serum” worked. But why had he needed it so badly — and so suddenly — in the first place?

What Else I’m Reading Right Now:

• “Texas earthquake of 4.7 magnitude largest of 30 in area in past three weeks” (The Guardian)
• “Texas governor announces plans to build 80-acre base in Eagle Pass for up 1,800 National Guard troops” (CNN)
• “Hidden cameras aim to expose DEI efforts in Texas colleges despite ban” (Dallas Morning News)

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

Hello from the breakfast room of an aggressively bland mid-range hotel somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard. I passed on some suspiciously neon eggs in favor of a bowl of Corn Flakes and a limp cinnamon roll.

For obvious reasons, I’m not able to get specific about where the Ruiz campaign is spending the weekend. Members of the press who are traveling with Ruiz (and, I think, Grantham) have been asked not to post on socials for the next few days, because there’s evidence that suggests Wednesday’s attack was made possible in part by location metadata embedded in a couple of photos posted to Twitter. The other reporters — including, surprisingly, the guys from Red State Report and The Blaze — and I are currently in something of a standoff with Ruiz’s team, which has requested we allow them to “scan” our devices for a “security check.” I’m not exactly falling all over myself to hand over my electronics to the people who already force me to take a pregnancy test to cross state lines.

I was headed pretty much straight for the blasts when the bombs went off. Ruiz’s campaign motorcade is famously unsubtle — none of the classic, brooding authority of a snaking line of black SUVs. “Rudy’s Ryde” is a red, white, and blue custom job (remember his hearse?), and it was parked on a public street alongside a couple of “decoys” that I guess nobody thought would basically be a giant “place IEDs here” sign. The things are practically visible from space.

The explosion happened during breakfast, when Ruiz was hosting one of those classic average-folks-in-the-diner confabs. The guys from the Post and the Times still can’t get enough of the idea of Rudy the Revival President as “just a regular guy” story (but let’s be honest, they ate up this angle even before the president was resurrected). But I’ve heard Ruiz’s canned answers (“Not on Rudy Ruiz’s time, and not on Rudy Ruiz’s dime!”) dozens of times by now, so I headed outside hoping to find something more organic than the Ruiz campaign’s carefully curated selection of regular Joe-Schmoes.

Thanks everyone for checking in. Yes, I was still in New Hampshire along with Ruiz’s entourage and a few other reporters this morning. It was a scary few minutes, but the press pool have now been moved to a secure location and given our devices back.

At this point y’all probably have more details than I do; we have very limited internet access here and it’s practically impossible to load videos. We’re supposed to be getting a briefing from local authorities here in a couple minutes, so I’ll post more when I know more.

You can take the job away from the reporter, but you can’t take the reporter away from the keyboard. Subscribe to Minne Moves Home for dispatches on national news, the ‘24 presidential race, and snapshots of small-town Texas life.

The Associated Press finally called Iowa for Rudy Ruiz after a day of contentious political snarking between the Ruiz, Grantham, and Haley campaigns. It seems even death itself cannot stop the Rudy Ruiz train — the current/former president saw a record win in the Republican caucus.

I drove down to Austin last night to witness RevTech founder Carron Nielsberg being as manic and prickly as ever during a keynote interview at a SXSW Futures preview event. Texas Tribune journo Rosie Barnes handled the questions and, incredibly, managed to maintain a straight face through some truly bombastic stuff, including the assertion that America’s president-once-again, Rudy Ruiz, “is a god.” (The Ruiz Administration, which of course has deeper-than-deep ties to the American evangelical movement and might presumably take exception to this characterization, so far hasn’t commented.)

You can watch the full 90-minute conversation on YouTube (if you’ve got a strong stomach for unhinged rants and confrontation, really what else are Saturdays good for?), but my ears perked up when Barnes prompted Nielsberg for comment on my recent TIME cover story on RevTech, asking whether revival technology is “overblown.”

I promise I didn’t put Rosie up to it, but I was nevertheless fascinated by his response (transcript below). Listen in:

I was gearing up to post a response to the (many, ugh) critics of my TIME feature on RevTech (it’s been … a rough couple of weeks) when I got a text from a friend in the White House press pool.

It’s official: President Ashleigh Grantham, Jr. will be America’s second shortest-serving president, as he intends to “restore” the presidency to Rudy Ruiz “with all legal haste and urgency.” Grantham will of course retain the honor of being America’s oldest-ever commander-in-chief. He turns 95 on January 10.

The Hill had the scoop a few minutes before 11am ET today, publishing a piece just as the Grantham Administration announced it would be issuing a “special message” live from the Oval Office at 3pm ET. It’s all but certain that the contents of that “special message” will be that Grantham’s DOJ intends to drop the administration’s challenge to Rudy Ruiz’s 25th Amendment claim to the presidency. Grantham is expected to move back into his former position as veep.

Ruiz posted a very short, text-only update on PatriotWire shortly after The Hill piece ran, saying he’ll be issuing a public statement “from my heart, in America’s heartland,” this evening.

Is it okay to be proud of reaching a career milestone knowing I’ve only done so because I happen to share a hometown with the resurrected President of the United States? When the world is descending ever deeper in to fascism, and we’re losing more of our human and civil rights by the day?

I don’t know. But I am proud of my first-ever TIME cover story, “Is This the End of the End?”, which takes a look at what’s happened so far — and what’s coming next — for a world rocked by the end of that great equalizer, death.

But for the children running around with rifles, today’s street fair in downtown Turner Falls looked much like the ones I remember from my childhood. Smelled like them, too — the scent of funnel cakes and turkey legs and tacos al pastor from Taqueria El Jefe hit me from blocks away, which is where I had to park owing to the veritable throngs of locals who turned out for the nationwide “Make Ready for Rudy” day of action.

The event was spearheaded by the New Life Church of Turner Falls, famously President Rudy Ruiz’s home congregation. In the lead-up, the day of action was heavily promoted by megachurch leader and YouTube star Pastor Kathy Donaldson, a die-hard (I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself) Ruiz supporter who I think we’ll find out soon has likely lost her already tenuous designation as official White House chaplain. President Ashleigh Grantham’s been reluctant to shake up too much in D.C. since he was sworn in this summer, preferring instead to telegraph his commitment to serving as a steward of Ruiz’s legacy by maintaining the status quo (minus, of course, Ruiz). But I can’t see Grantham welcoming Donaldson back on the premises following what was a pretty explicit call for Americans to take up arms to demand Ruiz retake the White House.

Nothing like waking up to dozens of texts asking for intel about Henry Kissinger’s rumored connection to a spooky tech company with a penchant for raising craven politicians from the dead to jump-start me out of a month of neglecting my newsletter.

One text, though, stood out: a rough mock-up of a political cartoon by my fellow-former HazMedia colleague, Jamal McWhorter, who’s now at the Spammer Quarterly. The final product ran today over on their blog, and they’ve been kind enough to let me reprint it here:

The former U.S Secretary of State, of course, died last night at his home in Connecticut at the age of 100. At Discourse Blog, Jack Mirkinson has a dismaying rundown of the many fawning Kissinger obits running in the mainstream press today, while Rolling Stone published a fair assessment of Kissinger’s legacy as a war criminal beloved by, as the headline put it “America’s ruling class.”

Hi, y’all! I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me, but it’s not because I’ve forgotten about you. I’m currently spending my Thanksgiving week curled up trying to beat COVID while I work on edits for a major piece that should be out in early December — I’m really excited to share it with you.

In the meantime, you can catch up on my archives from the very beginning right here.

Stay tuned, and stay healthy, y’all!

-Minne

With all that’s going on in the news, you could be forgiven for missing the scuttled interview that President Ashleigh Grantham gave to NPR’s Myrtle Campos-Cockle this morning. In an exclusive, NPR says it has confirmed that Grantham toured the RevTech outfit at the Treetops Trailer Community in the last few weeks.

The first part of their conversation is about what you’d expect — Grantham reiterates his intent to increase U.S. funding for Israeli attacks on Gaza and makes the case that he’s the rightful president under the 25th Amendment.

But the real fireworks come at the end of the interview. Grantham becomes unsettled when Campos-Cockle confronts him with evidence that he’s met with Carron Nielsberg and Pastor Kathy Donaldson at Treetops on at least one recent occasion. It’s unclear when the meeting took place, but it’s at least been since RevTech set up shop in Turner Falls; I heard from my own sources who spotted a presidential detail at Treetops in mid-October, but that’s not unusual these days, what with Rudy Ruiz making frequent visits to the trailer community. I’m kicking myself for not following up.