Exposing the Dark Money Network Secretly Funding Establishment Democratic Influencers

Taylor Lorenz is an investigative journalist and author of Extremely Online. Last Friday, Lorenz joined Current Affairs Editor-in-Chief Nathan J. Robinson and Digital Editor John Ross (who was formerly a producer for The David Pakman Show) to discuss her bombshell Wired investigation into Chorus, Good Influence, and the 1630 Fund, the dark money network secretly funding establishment Democratic influencers, including David Pakman, Brian Taylor Cohen, and Leigh “Politics Girl” McGowan.





0:00-10:04 – Taylor Lorenz’s Reporting
10:04-13:50 – Why is Matters
13:50-18:04 – How Good Influence Works
18:04-24:57 – Suppression of Gaza
24:57-29:12 – The Decline of Journalism
29:12-32:31 – How Good Influence Provides Value
32:31-35:11 – The Democratic Party’s “Messaging Problem”
35:11-40:56 – The Response to Taylor Lorenz’s Article
40:56- 44:37 – What We Can Learn From This


Related Off-site Links:
Brian Tyler Cohen Rages in Response to Demfluencer Dark Money Scandal – Krystal Ball (Breaking Points, September 5, 2025).
Taylor Lorenz Spills All the Tea and Responds to Critics – Kyle Kulinski and Krystal Ball (Secular Talk, September 5, 2025).
David Pakman Threatens to Sue Taylor Lorenz – Sabby Sabs (September 6, 2025).
Brian Tyler Cohen Accidently Reveals Desperation with Journalist Smears – The Katie Halper Show (September 3, 2025).
David Pakman’s Dark Money Denial Ridiculed by Taylor Lorenz – The Katie Halper Show (September 5, 2025).
Liberal Tiktoker Allie O’Brien Accidentally Exposes Her Corruption with “Receipts” – The Katie Halper Show (September 6, 2025).
“He Called Me a Heifer”- Abusive Dem Influencers Exposed by Journalist Taylor Lorenz – The Katie Halper Show (September 8, 2025).
Dark Money Funding Dem Influencers Exposed – The Majority Report (August 29, 2025).
Pakman’s Dark Money “Chorus” Response Gets Way Worse – The Majority Report (September 4, 2025).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Mike Figueredo on the “Political Malpractice” of the Democratic Party
• How Democrats Can Start Winning Again
• The Longstanding Fault Lines Within the Democratic Party Have Surfaced Again in Minnesota
• The Rational National’s Take on Zohran Mamdani
• Dorothy Lennon: Quote of the Day – June 26, 2025
• What It Means to Be a Leftist in 2025
• Ted Rall: Democrats Are Not “the Left”

Late Summer Blooms

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Late Summer Blooms (2016)
• Photo of the Day – August 9, 2025
• Summer Vignettes (2022)
• Summer Garden (2021)
• Summer Blooms – 2021 | 2018 |2015 | 2014 | 2009 | 2008
• O Breath of Summer
• A Summer Sunset Psalm
• In Summer Light
• September Garden
• Summer’s End (2024)
• Summer’s End (2021)
• Summer’s Parting Gift
• Eternal Summer

Image: Michael J. Bayly.

Chris Smalls: We Need to Escape the “Two-Party Plantation”

Chris Smalls, the American labor organizer who founded the first independent, worker-led union at a Staten Island Amazon warehouse, was recently interviewed by Briahna Joy Grey on her podcast, Bad Faith.

In this 23-minute interview, Chris talks about the lack of support he has received from fellow progressives, ones who align themselves with the Democratic Party, over his recent mistreatment by Israeli authorities. How did this mistreatment come about? Well, in July, Chris was illegally detained along with his fellow crew members on the most recent Freedom Flotilla ship headed to Gaza to break Israel’s illegal siege by delivering food and medical supplies.

In his conversation with Briahna, Chris shares how he and the one Arab member of the flotilla were treated differently and how he was abandoned by the U.S. embassy, in sharp contrast to how other governments supported their nationals. Chris also talks about the betrayal by labor leadership and leftist leaders like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) who, to date, remain silent on his capture and assault.

Finally, Chris reveals plans to develop a revitalized Labor Party that cannot be ignored by “Dem-captured labor leadership,” the need to leave the Democratic Party “plantation,” and why he won’t be supporting an AOC 2028 presidential run. All in all, it’s an interview well-worth watching.





See also the following Wild Reed posts:
• Chris Smalls: Quote of the Day – August 5, 2025
• U.S. Labor Leader Chris Smalls Joins the Crew of the Handala
• Jonah Walters: Quote of the Day – September 5, 2016
• Mike Figueredo on the “Political Malpractice” of the Democratic Party
• What It Means to Be a Leftist in 2025
• Ted Rall: Democrats Are Not “the Left”
• “No Kings”? Absolutely. But Also “No Oligarchy”
• Norman Solomon: Quote of the Day – June 16, 2025
• Peter Bloom: Quote of the Day – June 10, 2025
• Eric Fernández: Quote of the Day – May 14, 2025
• Progressive Perspectives on Bernie Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour
• Butch Ware on His Run for California Governor and the Wider Goal of Disrupting the Duopoly
• “The Moment Is Ripe”: Butch Ware on Building a “True Oppositional Alternative” to the Duopoly
• Building Solidarity on the Left
• Why the Democratic Party Is Not Going to Save Us From Fascism
• Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
• A Timely Conversation
• Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
• The “Green Smoothie” Option
• Jill Stein: “We Give Reasons for People to Come Out and Vote”
• At the Minnesota Capitol, a Show of Solidarity for Workers’ Rights in Wisconsin and Beyond (2011)
• Across America, “the Giant is Awake”
• General Strike for Peace (2007)


Related Off-site Links:
Chris Smalls on Bridging the Gaps Between Union Labor and Palestinian Activism – The Joy Reid Show (August 17, 2025).
Chris Smalls Exposes Bernie Sanders and AOC’s Shocking Gaza Hypocrisy – Kit Cabello (Hard Lens Media, August 16, 2025).
“I Rubbed Them the Wrong Way”: An Interview with Chris Smalls – Sabrina Salvati (Sabby Sabs, August 8, 2025).
Chris Smalls Is Coming Home; Will This Shake the U.S. Labor Movement Into Action on Gaza? – Mike Elk (Common Dreams, July 31, 2025).
Detainment of Chris Smalls: White Supremacy at the Core of Zionism – The Black Alliance for Peace (Popular Resistance, July 31, 2025).
Chris Smalls Beaten in IDF Custody; Teamsters President Silent – Due Dissidence (July 30, 2025).
U.S. Gaza Freedom Flotilla Members Say No Consular Support Given After Abduction by Israeli Forces – Brett Wilkins (Common Dreams, July 30, 2025).
Where’s the Outrage Over Labor Leader Chris Smalls’ Violent Arrest by the IDF? – Mike Elk (Common Dreams, July 29, 2025).

The GI Rights Hotline

Related Off-site Links:
Is the U.S. Military Poised to Experience a New Surge in Conscientious Objectors? – Hope Hodge Seck (Mother Jones, July 12, 2025).
Calls to GI Hotlines Rise as Service Members Consider Defying Trump’s Orders – Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg (Truthout, July 4, 2025).
Veterans’ Advocates Warn of Low Morale Amid L.A. Deployment: “This Is Not What We Signed Up For” – Hailey Branson-Potts and Phi Do (Los Angeles Times, June 24, 2025).
Hotline for Military Service Members Sees Uptick in Calls Following Activations in Los Angeles – Lolita Lopez (NBC Los Angeles, June 22, 2025).
Why U.S. Troops Are Concerned About Trump’s Deployment: An Interview with Steve Woolford, Counselor with the GI Rights Hotline – Al Jazeera (June 18, 2025).
Veterans Oppose Mass Deportations and Domestic Military Deployments – Veterans for Peace (Common Dreams, February 10, 2025).
The GI Rights Hotline – Official Site.

UPDATE: “No Trump! No Troops!” Thousands March in Chicago as President Threatens “War” – Jon Queally (Common Dreams, September 8, 2025).


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• “He Is Enacting an Authoritarian Agenda”: Khalil Gibran Muhammad on Donald Trump’s Militarization of Law Enforcement
• Garrett Graff: “America Tips Into Fascism”
• Brent Molnar on the “Cold War in Our Own House”
• James Greenberg on Trumpism: “The Tactics Are Unmistakable”
• Brent Molnar on the Silence of the Generals

Matthew Cooke’s Labor Day Message

Related Off-site Links:
Americans Take to the Streets for 1,000+ “Workers Over Billionaires” Labor Day Rallies – Brett Wilkins (Common Dreams, September 1, 2025).
Labor Day 2025: No to Dictatorship! – Socialist Equality Party (U.S.) and International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (World Socialist Web Site, August 31, 2025).
A Compact for American Workers to Share This Labor Day – Ralph Nader (Common Dreams, September 1, 2025).
Immigrant or U.S.-Born, We’re All in the Same Boat – Mariana M. (Common Dreams, September 1, 2025).
What Would a General Strike in the U.S. Actually Look Like? – Jeremy Brecher (Waging Nonviolence, April 8, 2025).


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• A Labor Day Prayer
• Jonah Walters: Quote of the Day – September 5, 2016
• Something to Think About – September 3, 2012
• Where Did All the Money Go?
• Rocking the Cradle of Power
• A Show of Solidarity for Workers’ Rights in Wisconsin and Beyond (2011)
• Resisting the Hand of the Empire
• John Pilger on Resisting Empire
• “Our Anti-Imperialism Must Be Consistent”
• How Empires Are Built and Rebellions Are Born
• Chris Hedges on the End of the American Empire

August Vignettes

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• A Smoky Summer
• Commemorating the Lives Lost in Hiroshima 80 Years Ago Today
• Photo of the Day – August 9, 2025
• A Call to Divest from Israel
• The Longstanding Fault Lines Within the Democratic Party Have Surfaced Again in Minnesota
• “It’s Here, and We Are Sleepwalking Through It”
• Marianne Williamson: “We’re Moving Into Totalitarianism”
• Garrett Graff: “America Tips Into Fascism”
• Welcome to the Rebellion
• The Strongest Force in the Universe
• Going Deeper to Change Everything
• Idrees Ahmad: Quote of the Day – August 25, 2025
• Two Responses to Today’s Mass Shooting in Minneapolis
• Michael Sala: Quote of the Day – August 29, 2025
• Aglow

Images: Michael J. Bayly.

Mike Figueredo on the “Political Malpractice” of the Democratic Party

The Humanist Report is a podcast created and hosted by Mike Figueredo. It’s dedicated to “disseminating socio-political and religious news stories,” a sharing that’s supplemented with progressive commentary.

Recently, Figueredo shared his thoughts on the current state of the Democratic Party in the U.S. It is a party that’s “in shambles,” says Figueredo, and one that is failing as an oppositonal party to the rising fascism of the Republican Party. And yet “as bad as Trump is,” says Figueredo, “it’s not translating into support for Democrats.”

In the 20-minute video below, Figueredo looks at recent data and talks about why the Democratic Party is “bleeding so much support.” A major reason for this “hemorrhaging of support” is, of course, Gaza. At one point, Figueredo quotes George Bisharat who in a recent Los Angeles Times article entited “Democrats Will Pay for Ignoring Base’s Qualms About Gaza,” wrote:

Gaza is politically damaging not only because of the issue itself – though the moral stakes could hardly be higher – but also because it has become a measure of where leaders’ loyalties lie. Voters read it as a test of whether their representatives will stand with the people who elected them or with wealthy donors and foreign lobbies. Fail that test and many will assume you might betray them on other critical issues in the future. The Democratic leadership’s unwillingness to adapt is not just bad politics; it’s a betrayal of basic democratic principles. Rank-and-file Democrats overwhelmingly want an end to the carnage, an end to unconditional military aid to Israel, and policies rooted in human rights and international law. Yet too many leaders seem more concerned with keeping favor in donor circles than with honoring the public’s will.

There are, of course, Democratic leaders speaking out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. They are leaders who also prioritize their constituents’ values and needs in other ways as well. Figueredo highlights in particular Zohran Mamdani and Omar Fateh, two young democratic socialists who many believe represent the future of the Democratic Party, even as the Democratic establishment continues to undermine them and their mayoral campaigns in New York and Minneapolis respectively.





Related Off-site Links:
Progressive Candidate Graham Platner, the “Mandami of Maine,” Pummels Susan Collins in Early Poll – Mike Figueredo (The Humanist Report, August 28, 2025).
The Democratic Party Can’t Be Reformed – Black Green Red (August 20, 2025).
The Left Can Only Win If There is a Left – Richard Moser (CounterPunch, August 2, 2024).
The Democrats Actively Expedited Class Dealignment: An Interview with Neal Meyer – Vivek Chibber (Jacobin, May 12, 2025).
Why the Democratic Party Is Not Going to Save Us From Fascism – The Humanist Report (March 6, 2025).
Trump Is Unpopular – and So Are the Do-Nothing Democrats – Jeet Heer (The Nation, February 18, 2025).
If You’re a Democrat Annoyed by Outraged Voters, You Are Doing It Wrong – Norman Solomon (Common Dreams, February 24, 2025).
Dems Reportedly Angry That Progressives Are Pushing Them to Act Like an Opposition Party – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, February 12, 2025).

UPDATES: How Elites Destroyed the Democratic Party in the U.S. and Fuelled Populism: An Interview with Joan Williams – Al Jazeera (August 31, 2025).
People “Are Tired of Backroom Decisions”: A Conversation With Minneapolis’s Omar Fateh – Peter Lucas (The Nation, September 5, 2025).
Omar Fateh Has All the Right Enemies – Alex Skopic (Current Affairs, September 5, 2025).


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• How Democrats Can Start Winning Again
• The Longstanding Fault Lines Within the Democratic Party Have Surfaced Again in Minnesota
• The Rational National’s Take on Zohran Mamdani
• Dorothy Lennon: Quote of the Day – June 26, 2025
• What It Means to Be a Leftist in 2025
• Ted Rall: Democrats Are Not “the Left”
• My Summer of Supporting Progressive Down-Ballot Candidates
• “No Kings”? Absolutely. But Also “No Oligarchy”
• Norman Solomon: Quote of the Day – June 16, 2025
• Peter Bloom: Quote of the Day – June 10, 2025
• Eric Fernández: Quote of the Day – May 14, 2025
• Progressive Perspectives on Bernie Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” Tour
• Why the Democratic Party Is Not Going to Save Us From Fascism
• Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
• A Timely Conversation
• Breaking the Mold: Why Progressives Should Push for Marianne Williamson to Lead the DNC
• Inauguration Day Thoughts
• Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
• “A New Chapter of the Democratic Party Needs to Begin”
• The Lamentable Legacy of the Biden Administration
• Peter Bloom on the Unmasking of the “Democratic Charade”
• When Democrats Undermine Democracy
• Marianne Williamson on What Democrats Need to Do to Inspire Voters and Counter the “Hotbed of Grievances That Donald Trump is Offering”
• Progressive Perspectives on the Crisis in U.S. Electoral Politics (2024)
• Marianne Williamson: “‘Vote Blue No Matter Who’ Is Not Enough to Win in November”
• Centrist/Corporatist Democrats Have Just Launched “Left Punching” Season
• AOC Falls in Line
• The Cassandra of U.S. Politics on the “True State of the Union”
• “Let the People Decide”: Marianne Williamson on the DNC’s Efforts to Deny and Suppress the Democratic Process
• Marianne Williamson’s “Radical Idea” of Putting People First
• Marianne Williamson: “We Need to Disrupt the Corrupt”
• Mark Harris: Quote of the Day – August 10, 2023
• Ben Burgis: Quote of the Day – March 10, 2023
• Progressive Perspectives on Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Run
• More Progressive Perspectives on Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Run
• Will Democrats Never Learn?
• David Sirota: Quote of the Day – January 28, 2021
• “As Much the Sounding of An Alarm As a Time for Self-Congratulations”
• Progressive Perspectives on the Biden-Harris Ticket (2020)
• Luke Savage: Quote of the Day – February 9, 2020
• David A. Love: Quote of the Day – November 27, 2019
• Marianne Williamson: “Anything That Will Help People Thrive, I’m Interested In”
• Sarah Jones: Quote of the Day – October 29, 2019
• Bernie Sanders: Quote of the Day – June 12, 2019
• Beto, Biden and Buttigieg: “Empty Suits and Poll-Tested Brands”
• Progressive Perspectives on Joe Biden's Presidential Run (2019)
• Jeff Cohen on How Obama’s “Corporate Liberalism” Led to the Rise of Trump
• Progressives and Obama
• Hope, History, and Bernie Sanders

Aglow

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Summer Vignettes
• O Breath of Summer
• Summer Blooms (2021)
• Summer Garden
• A Summer Sunset Psalm
• Eternal Summer
• Aglow (2023)

Image: Michael J. Bayly.

Quote of the Day

The same systems that perpetuate the killing of schoolchildren in the United States perpetuate the killing of Palestinian children in Gaza: supremacy, the belief that some lives are more worthy than others; patriarchy, our culture of division, dominance, and violence; and capitalism, which values profit and power not just over any and all other things, but over all other ideals and even life itself.

We take no action to prevent the murder of one group, while we subsidize the murder of the other. This is America. This is what the U.S.A. stands for in the world. This is refusing to awaken. This is what your flag-waving represents to me.

– Michael Sala
via social media
August 29, 2025

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Two Responses to Today’s Mass Shooting in Minneapolis (8/27/25)
• “A Year of War Against Children”
• The Choice Before Us
• Chris Hedges on the End of the American Empire
• Active Hope
• Cultivating Stillness
• Why “Revolutionary Love” Gives Michelle Alexander Hope
• Hope in the Midst of Collapse
• Steve Clemens: “If We Wish to Stand with the Holy Innocents, We Must Stand in Opposition to Empire”

Image: Artist unknown.

More Than a King: Remembering Chadwick Boseman, Five Years On

Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer on August 28, 2020. He was 43.

In remembering and honoring Chadwick today, I share (with added images and links) the following article by Paige Boyd, published earlier today at Majicatl.com.

_________________

Five years ago, the world lost a monumental talent. Chadwick Boseman was more than an actor; he was a force of nature on screen, bringing dignity, strength, and profound humanity to every role. While he is globally celebrated for his iconic portrayal of King T’Challa in Black Panther, his body of work is rich with powerful performances that deserve the same level of recognition. As we remember his incredible legacy, let’s explore some of the roles that showcase the true depth of his remarkable skill.

The Understated Rebel: Sergeant Norman Holloway in Da 5 Bloods (2020)

In one of his final roles, Boseman plays “Stormin’” Norman, the revered, fallen squad leader of a group of Black soldiers in the Vietnam War. Appearing in flashbacks, his presence looms large over the entire film. He is the moral compass and the revolutionary heart of the group. Boseman portrays Norman not as a mythic figure, but as a grounded, intelligent leader whose influence transcends time. It’s a performance that radiates charisma and quiet power, proving he could make an indelible impact with limited screen time.

The Charismatic Athlete: Vontae Mack in Draft Day (2014)

Long before he was King of Wakanda, Boseman played Vontae Mack, a top football prospect in this fast-paced sports drama. Though a supporting character, he steals every scene he’s in. He infuses Vontae with an infectious confidence and an unwavering belief in his own worth. This role demonstrated his ability to command attention and convey ambition and star quality, offering an early glimpse of the leading man he was destined to become.

The Determined Lawyer: Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017)

Playing a legal giant like Thurgood Marshall is a tall order, but Boseman delivered a performance filled with swagger, intellect, and vulnerability. The film focuses on an early case in Marshall’s career, and Boseman captures the fire of a young lawyer fighting against a prejudiced system. He portrays Marshall not just as a historical icon, but as a brilliant and sometimes flawed man. His performance is a masterclass in conveying strength through conviction and sharp legal argument.

The Grieving Brother: Jacob King in Message from the King (2016)

In this gritty revenge thriller, Boseman takes on the role of Jacob King, a man from Cape Town who travels to Los Angeles to find his missing sister. This performance is a departure from his more heroic roles, showing a darker, more visceral side of his talent. He moves through the city’s underbelly with a quiet but relentless intensity. Boseman’s portrayal is largely internal, conveying a world of pain and determination through his eyes and physicality, proving he could be just as compelling in silence as he was delivering a powerful speech.

The Tragic Genius: Levee Green in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

In his final film role, Chadwick Boseman delivers a searing performance as Levee Green, an ambitious trumpeter with dreams of making it big. Boseman brings extraordinary emotional depth to Levee, masterfully channeling the character’s bravado, pain, and restless energy. His portrayal captures Levee’s vulnerability and simmering anger, revealing hidden scars beneath the charismatic surface. The intensity and rawness Boseman shows in this part are nothing short of breathtaking, particularly in the film’s gut-wrenching monologues and explosive confrontations. Through Levee, Boseman explores themes of hope, grief, and the lasting wounds of injustice, cementing his legacy as an actor who could illuminate even the most tragic complexity of the human soul.


A Lasting Legacy

Chadwick Boseman’s career was a testament to his dedication, versatility, and profound understanding of the human spirit. While Wakanda will forever be his kingdom, these roles highlight the immense range he possessed. He could be a leader, a fighter, a mentor, or a brother with equal conviction.

Five years on, his absence is still deeply felt, but his work continues to inspire. By exploring these performances, we not only appreciate his craft but also honor the full spectrum of his artistry. He was a gifted storyteller who gave his all to every character, leaving behind a legacy of excellence that will continue to move audiences for generations to come.

– Paige Boyd
"More Than A King:
Chadwick Boseman’s Five Most Underrated Roles"
Majicatl.com August 28, 2025

For previous Wild Reed posts about Chadwick and his work, written when he was still with us, see:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther

For The Wild Reed’s special series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick since his passing, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time Marked By Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose
• The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
• Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”
• “The Perfect Send-Off”
• Heroes Are Never Really Gone
• Remembering Chadwick (2022)

Related Off-site Links:
Chadwick Boseman’s Words of Wisdom That Still Speak to Us Five Years After His Death – Shanelle Genai (The Root, August 27, 2025).
Howard University Celebrates Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy – WUSA9.com (August 27, 2025).
See the Most Iconic Moments of Chadwick Boseman’s Career 5 Years After His Death – Karen Mizoguchi and Liam Mathews (People, August 28, 2025).
Remembering Chadwick Boseman Five Years After His Death: New Documentary Planned – Jose Franco (Greenville Online, August 28, 2025).

Two Responses to Today’s Mass Shooting in Minneapolis

With hearts full of grief, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet stand with the families of Annunciation School and Parish, and with all who were impacted by today’s senseless violence. We grieve the loss of lives and the shattering of peace in a sacred place. Our hearts go out to the children, teachers, clergy, parishioners, neighbors, and first responders who endured this unimaginable tragedy.

At the heart of our charism is the belief that we are all one, that God’s love unites us beyond fear and division. We pray that the healing presence of our God of peace be poured out abundantly on every person touched by this tragedy. We entrust the souls of those who have died to God’s tender mercy, and we hold their families in love and prayer.

We echo the call of Archbishop Hebda and our wider Church community: gun violence must end. We join with people of all faiths in demanding change and working for peace so our communities can flourish free from violence.

– Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet & Consociates,
St. Paul Province
via social media
August 27, 2025

The Minneapolis shooter, Robin Westman, is being reported as trans, and that detail is already being highlighted in coverage in ways that distract from the bigger picture. The truth is that identity here does not explain the violence. Less than one tenth of one percent of mass shootings involve a trans person, which makes it statistically insignificant. The overwhelming majority of shooters are right wing cis men, yet that pattern rarely drives headlines.

What we are seeing is the right wing predictably jumping on these reports to stir up their base. Rather than dealing with the real drivers of mass violence like guns being everywhere and extremist rhetoric spreading online, they zero in on a marginalized group. It is not about understanding the facts, it is about creating a convenient villain.

The bias is obvious. When shooters are cis white men, the story shifts to individual failings or vague nods to mental health. When a shooter is reported as trans, political operatives suddenly push the idea that it reflects an entire community. That is scapegoating, and it distracts from any real effort to prevent future shootings.

– The Other 98%
via social media
August 27, 2025

Related Off-site Links:
Police ID Shooter Who Killed Two Children and Wounded 17 Others at Minneapolis Catholic School and Church – Minnesota Public Radio News (August 27, 2025). Minneapolis Mass Shooting Exposes Trump-GOP Lies on Crime and Gun Violence, Critics Say – Stephen Prager (Common Dreams, August 27, 2025).
Two Children Killed in Minneapolis School Shooting as Trump Rolls Back Gun Safety Regulations – Democracy Now! (August 28, 2025).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Beginning the Process
• Reflections on Associate/Consociate Programs by Joan Chittister
• Making My Consociate Commitment
• The Vatican and U.S. Women Religious
• Celebrating the “Sisters of Peace”
• Jamelle Bouie: Quote of the Day – October 2, 2017
• “I Pray, I Pray”
• Prayer of the Week – June 19, 2016
• Something to THink About – December 14, 2012
• Paula Simons: Quote of the Day – December 15, 2012
• Rejoice?
• The Social Roots of Yet Another American Tragedy
• Discerning and Embodying Sacred Presence in Times of Violence and Strife
• Questioning God’s Benevolence in the Face of Tragedy
• What the Bible Really Says About Gender Justice
• Accounting for the Backlash
• Angela Kade Goepferd on the “Manufactured Controversy” Targeting Gender-Affirming Care
• The Bigger Box of Crayons We All Deserve
• Transgender in America Today
• Trans 101

Welcome to the Rebellion

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I can think of no TV series that so captures the political zeitgeist we’re living through, one dominated by the rise of fascism in the U.S., than Andor. Streaming on the Disney+ platform, Andor is a prequel to the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which in turn serves as a prequel to the events of Star Wars: A New Hope (1977).

Among other things, Andor reminds us that resistance and rebellions to fascism, authoritarianism, and empire are built on hope.

Today I invite you to experience the story of “the Rebellion” in the Star Wars universe via the following epic 10-minute video by SWFT. It’s a video that artfully weaves together scenes from Andor, Rogue One, and the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi).





For more of Andor at The Wild Reed, see:
• The Revolution Will Be Televised
• Andor: The Star Wars Franchise’s “First Piece of Universally Excellent Television”
• The Brilliance of Andor
• Inauguration Day Thoughts
• How Empires Are Built and Rebellions Are Born
• Andor Season One Recap
• The Reckoning Is Here
• Andor’s Depiction of the Rise of Fascism: Not Predictive But Reflective
• Andor: “A Magnum Opus of Anti-Imperialist Art”


See also the related Wild Reed posts:
• Jason Duchin: “It’s Here, and We Are Sleepwalking Through It”
• Marianne Williamson: “We’re Moving Into Totalitarianism”
• “He Is Enacting an Authoritarian Agenda”: Khalil Gibran Muhammad on Donald Trump’s Militarization of Law Enforcement
• Marianne Williamson: Quote of the Day – July 26, 2025
• Robert Reich: “This Is Fascism”
• “Protesting Is What Patriotism Looks Like in Public”: The “No Kings” Protests of June 14, 2025
• Peter Bloom: Quote of the Day – June 10, 2025
• “This Is How Democracy Unravels”


Related Off-site Links:
The Side of Andor That Nobody Talks About – Epic Sell (August 24, 2025).
Tony Gilroy on What Andor Says About Trump’s Fragile Authoritarian Regime – Lovett or Leave It (August 24, 2025).

Garrett Graff: “America Tips Into Fascism”

Following are excerpts from a piece that Garrett Graff published earlier today on Doomsday Scenario, his “regular column on national security, geopolitics, history, and – unfortunately – the fight for democracy in the Trump era.”

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The United States, just months before its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has tipped over the edge into authoritarianism and fascism. In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen here. The precise moment when and where in recent weeks America crossed that invisible line from democracy into authoritarianism can and will be debated by future historians, but it’s clear that the line itself has been crossed.

I think many Americans wrongly believe there would be one clear unambiguous moment where we go from “democracy” to “authoritarianism.” Instead, this is exactly how it happens – a blurring here, a norm destroyed there, a presidential diktat unchallenged. Then you wake up one morning and our country is different.

Today, August 25, 2025, is that morning. Something is materially different in our country this week than last.

Everything else from here on out is just a matter of degree and wondering how bad it will get and how far it will go? Do we end up “merely” like Hungary or do we go all the way toward an “American Reich”? So far, after years of studying World War II, I fear that America’s trajectory feels more like Berlin circa 1933 than it does Budapest circa 2015.

I debated in recent days whether this column should be written by our fearless foreign correspondent William Boot, who started satirically chronicling the backsliding of American democracy in January and the willful destruction of the federal government, but it seems more important to write plainly.

Saying that our country has tipped over an invisible edge into an authoritarian state plainly is important — and easier than most in the media and pundit class will pretend it is. They will presumably for some period of time – perhaps even a long period of time – stick to euphemisms (with lines like “No president has asserted such direct and sweeping control over the nation’s capital” and “Through immigration crackdowns and cultural purges, President Trump is wielding government power to enforce a more rigid, exclusionary definition of what it means to be American.”) and continue to give voice to “both siders,” but the reality is that only one political party is responsible for this moment. They will say that Trump’s motives are inscrutable or unclear – but the effect of Trump’s governing style is undeniable.

American fascism looks like the president using armed military units from governors loyal to his regime to seize cities run by opposition political figures and it looks like the president using federal law enforcement to target regime opponents.

American fascism looks like the would-be self-proclaimed king deploying the military on US soil not only not in response to requests by local or state officials but over – and almost specifically to spite – their vociferous objections.

The president’s military occupation of the capital has escalated in recent days into something not seen since British troops marched the streets of colonial Boston — even though precisely nothing has happened to warrant it, the Pentagon has now armed the National Guard patrolling DC and armored vehicles, designed for the worst of combat, are patrolling the capital, where they’re colliding with civilian vehicles because war transports are not supposed to be on civilian streets. (Why a 14-ton MRAP is in any way necessary for a domestic police mission is its own worthy line of questioning!)

Word came over the weekend that the president is now drawing up plans and explicitly threatening domestic political opponents like the governors of California and Illinois with similar military occupations – exercising emergency powers in a moment where the only emergency is his own abuse of power.

Civilians who try lawfully to exercise their right to document the abuses of the regime are themselves arrested and charged with felonies through trumped-up charges teeming with official lies. The fact that this military takeover and federal occupation is being done to the city’s residents – and not on their behalf – is evident in how deserted DC has become as residents refuse to enter public spaces where they might have to interact with agents of the state.

America has become a country where armed officers of the state shout “Papers please!” on the street at men and women heading home from work, a vision we associate with the Gestapo in Nazi Germany or the KGB in Soviet Russia, and where masked men wrestle to the ground and abduct people without due process into unmarked vehicles, disappearing them into an opaque system where their family members beg for information.

[. . .] One could say that Trump has blown through the nation’s constitutional and political guardrails, but a more accurate assessment is that both Congress and the Supreme Court — who have, as I wrote earlier this spring, effectively rolled over and played dead when it comes to their constitutional duty to exert checks and balances – removed those guardrails helpfully in advance. [. . .] The response, meanwhile, by Democrats has been unconscionably weak. [. . .] National Democrats seem all invisible as the military takes over policing the streets of the capital and prosecuting its crimes. This should be a lay-up to oppose – the most basic duty of any congressional figure, and yet, “House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with other senior Democrats, have not been a part of any concerted effort to voice opposition to the occupation.”

[. . .] For years in covering the rise (and return) of Trump and Trumpism, I imagined there was some line that the GOP would not be willing to compromise for greed and power – some incident that would bring party leaders to their senses, some principle or red-line would be unwilling to trade or cross in pursuit of furthering Trump’s agenda. Even after January 6th, I held hope that might be the end. But then Eric Cantor’s buddy Kevin McCarthy showed up at Mar-a-Lago and the rehabilitation tour began.

It has led here, to this moment, where all three branches of the GOP-controlled government have been willing to torch the republic and democracy that generations of elected officials and citizens have tended for 249 years simply to please Donald Trump and avoid running afoul of his temper.

Where America goes from here is a story yet to be written. It will surely get worse – Trump’s push now is clearly focused on locking in an illegitimate claim to power. Whether we can come back from this moment is a story yet unknown. But it’s clear today America is different and, even if we fight our way back, it will never be the same again.

To read Garrett Graff’s “America Tips Into Fascism” in its entirety, click here.

Related Off-site Links:
DC Residents’ Anger at Fed Presence Grows as Poll Shows “Overwhelming” Opposition to Trump Takeover – Brad Reed (Common Dreams, August 20, 2025).
Hello, Fascism – Christopher Impiglia (Common Dreams, August 13, 2025).
Trump White House Says Military Occupation of Nation’s Capital Set to Expand – Brett Wilkins (Common Dreams, August 13, 2025).
The Militarization of America – Marianne Williamson (Transform, August 13, 2025).
Trump’s Military Occupation of D.C. Egged On by Corporate Lobbyists: Report – Stephen Prager (Common Dreams, August 13, 2025).
Trump’s D.C. Takeover Is an Ominous Move – Chauncey DeVega (Salon, August 12, 2025).
Trump Isn’t Liberating D.C. He’s Subduing It – William Kristol, Andrew Egger, and Jim Swift (The Bulwark, August 12, 2025).
Black D.C. Is Center Stage in the Opening Act of Trump’s Authoritarian Rehearsal – Stacey Patton (Newsone, August 12, 2025).
Federalizing Fear: Trump Turns D.C. Into a Stage for Authoritarian Power – James Greenberg (James’s Substack, August 12, 2025).
“This Isn’t Normal!” Secret Pentagon Plan for Troops to Put Down Local “Unrest” Nationwide – Jon Queally (Common Dreams, August 12, 2025).
Trump’s Takeover: ACLU on Federalizing D.C. Police and Deploying 800 National Guard – Democracy Now! (August 12, 2025).
Trump Is Testing Martial Law in D.C. – TrumpFile.org (August 11, 2025).
The Rule of Law Is Dead in the U.S. – Elie Mystal (The Nation, July 30, 2025).
The Fascists Are Trying to Break You, Good People. Don’t Let Them – John Pavlovitz (The Beautiful Mess, July 17, 2025).

UPDATES: The U.S. Is Becoming What It Once Fought Against – The Australian Independent Media Network (August 26, 2025)
“No Trump! No Troops!” Thousands March in Chicago as President Threatens “War” – Jon Queally (Common Dreams, September 8, 2025).


See also the following chronologically-ordered Wild Reed posts:
• Inauguration Day Thoughts
• Marisa Kabas: “We’re Witnessing a Coup By an Unelected Billionaire Propped Up By a Felonious President”
• Timothy Snyder on Resisting the Oligarchs’ “Logic of Destruction”
• “This Is Essentially Viktor Orbán’s Playbook”
• “An Extremely Clever Ruse” by and for the Rich: Owen Jones on Elon Musk’s Coup
• “To Be a Rib in This Body of Our Country”
• Quote of the Day – February 21, 2025
• Ralph Nader: “We’re Heading Into the Most Serious Crisis in American History. There’s No Comparison”
• Why the Democratic Party Is Not Going to Save Us From Fascism
• “This Is How Democracy Unravels”
• Jason Stanley on How Fascism Works
• James Greenberg on Trumpism: “The Tactics Are Unmistakable”
• Tony Pentimalli on Trump’s “Death Warrant for Democracy”
• “This Is What Fascism Looks Like”
• Peter Bloom: Quote of the Day – June 10, 2025
• “Protesting Is What Patriotism Looks Like in Public”: The “No Kings” Protests of June 14, 2025
• “No Kings”? Absolutely. But Also “No Oligarchy”
• Marianne Williamson: Quote of the Day – June 20, 2025
• Rep. Ro Khanna: Quote of the Day – June 24, 2025
• “This Is Fascism”
• The Declaration of Resistance
• The Choice Before Us
• Marianne Williamson: Quote of the Day – July 26, 2025
• How Democrats Can Start Winning Again
• Brent Molnar on the MAGA Cult and Its Intentions
• James Greenberg: “The Choices We Make Matter”
• Brent Molnar on the “Cold War in Our Own House”
• “He Is Enacting an Authoritarian Agenda”: Khalil Gibran Muhammad on Donald Trump’s Militarization of Law Enforcement

See also:
• Trump’s Playbook (2016)
• Progressive Perspectives on the Rise of Donald Trump
• Progressive Perspectives on the Election of Donald Trump
• On International Human Rights Day, Saying “No” to Trump and His Fascist Agenda
• Trump’s America: Normalized White Supremacy and a Rising Tide of Racist Violence (2017)
• “We Have an Emergency On Our Hands”: Marianne Williamson On the “Freefall” of American Democracy (2020)
• “Fascism Is Upon Us”
• Trump’s Legacy
• Progressive Perspectives on the 2020 U.S. Election Results
• “As Much the Sounding of An Alarm As a Time for Self-Congratulations”
• Republicans Don’t Care About American Democracy
• Republicans Pose an “Existential Threat” to American Democracy (2021)
• Chauncey Devega on the Ongoing Danger of the Trump Cult (2022)
• A Deeper Perspective on What’s Really Attacking American Democracy
• “How Can One Overreact to a Mortal Threat to American Democracy?”
• Historian Nancy MacLean: The Threat to American Democracy Is at “Red-Alert Stage”
• “Come for the Racism, Stay for the Autocracy”
• Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Presidential Election