Evening Roundup, July 22
Featuring Max Stier, Jess Piper & Jennifer Rubin, Pasha Dashtgard, Mimi Rocah & Jacqueline Kelly, Meredith Blake & Indivisible, RJ Matson, Nick Anderson, and "Let's Do Lunch" with Jared Bernstein
Trump’s reckless assault on the federal workforce affects every aspect of our lives
The devastating floods and tragic deaths that occurred in Central Texas earlier this month are a glaring warning sign of what’s to come in the months and years ahead—not just additional natural disasters and heartbreak but a huge societal toll from President Donald Trump’s reckless assault on the federal workforce and critical programs and services affe…
Rural America is worth saving: Jess Piper on finding blue dots in red states
Jess Piper joins Jen to discuss how rural America is being severely impacted by Medicaid cuts, the need to prepare for extreme weather, and understanding that change is needed, even though it’s tough work.
Pasha Dashtgard on Why American Men Feel Trapped
The State of American Men 2025, a new report from Equimundo, finds that “men aren’t in crisis because of who they are—but because of what they lack.” 86% of men say that being a “provider” is what defines manhood first and foremost. But to claim that title in today’s economic landscape is a tall order, and the pressure is taking a major psychological t…
How Andor is Inspiring Fans to Fight Authoritarianism in the Real World
Andor may be set a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but fans of the Star Wars series are getting inspired by its political messages in the here and now.
Maurene Comey’s unjustified firing looks even more corrupt today
Trump's Justice Department has bulldozed the norms of justice and fired dozens of prosecutors. By Mimi Rocah and Jacqueline Kelly.
Nothing to see here
RJ draws several editorial cartoons each week for his substack, e pluribus cartoonum, and for Roll Call, the newspaper of Congress and Capitol Hill. His work is widely syndicated to print newspapers by Cagle Cartoons.
If the shoe fits
Nick Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist whose cartoons have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post and elsewhere. Find him on Substack at nickanderson.substack.com.
Let’s Do Lunch! 07/22
Thank you The Contrarian, Elizabeth Grey, Sofia Kinzinger, Carla Atkinson, Cathy R. Payne, and many others for tuning into another episode ofLet’s Do Lunch! with Timiraos, Nick! Join us every Tuesday at 12pm ET and leave your econ questions in the comments.
The more I read, the more powerless I feel. The system is rigged against the very ones who define democracy: us! . But I won't give up. I will never give up. When's the next rally? I've deleted Paramount+, anything to do with Amazon, Whole Foods or Zappos (what else does Bezos own), stopped shopping at Target and held my nose to vote against Trump (which means voting for old guard democrats who'd have maintained the status quo). WE NEED CHANGE. Where do I sign up?