Good evening, I’m British Chris, and you’re watching Raw America.
We’ve got four stories today that reveal the collapse of our democratic institutions. The Supreme Court blesses partisan gerrymandering in California. Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post embraces mass layoffs. Trump hides from the Super Bowl because his own advisers know he’d get booed. And a government attorney has a public meltdown in court, begging a judge to hold her in contempt because—and I quote—“this job sucks.”
While corporate outlets treat these as separate stories, we’re here to show you the connections they won’t. We’re building independent media that can’t be bought, bullied, or silenced. If you value journalism that connects the dots, please subscribe and support our work.
Let’s start with some good news.
California Gets Its Maps—But at What Cost?
The Supreme Court will allow California to use new congressional maps that could flip five Republican seats to Democrats. Governor Gavin Newsom called it a victory, saying Trump “started this redistricting war” and “lost.”
California voters overwhelmingly approved these maps in November after Trump pushed Texas to redraw their districts for Republicans. Fair’s fair, right?
But here’s what should worry everyone: Justice Alito admitted both efforts were about “partisan advantage pure and simple.” The Supreme Court is essentially saying electoral manipulation is perfectly legal as long as you’re honest about doing it for partisan reasons.
Think about what we’re celebrating. Yes, it helps Democrats short-term, but we’re cheering a system where both parties openly admit they’re rigging districts and the highest court says that’s fine. When politicians choose their voters instead of voters choosing politicians, democracy loses.
Bezos Continues His Demolition Job
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos’ minions are murdering the Washington Post. Three hundred journalists—38% of the newsroom—are being sacked. The sports section: gone. Foreign bureaus: decimated. The metro staff cut from 40 to 12 people. 12 people to cover the entire Washington metro area.
Some reporters even received their pink slips overseas—in Ukraine. “I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone,” reporter Lizze Johnson wrote on X. “I have no words.”
Ruth Marcus, who worked at the Post for over 40 years, called this “near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction” in today’s New Yorker. When Bezos bought the Post, his net worth was $25 billion. It’s now $250 billion. He could fund the Post’s losses for centuries without noticing.
Look at the timeline. Bezos killed the Harris endorsement, losing 250,000 subscribers. Amazon licensed a Melania documentary for $40 million before the inauguration. When the FBI raided a Post reporter’s home, Bezos said nothing. Nothing.
What’s particularly galling is the timing. While staff waited for the axe, Bezos was partying at Paris Fashion Week. Publisher Will Lewis was hobnobbing in Davos. They’re literally celebrating while burning down American journalism.
Meanwhile, Raw America is rebuilding it. Join us as a supporter today.
The President Who’s Afraid of Americans
Here’s a delicious bit of cowardice: Trump is skipping the Super Bowl because he’s terrified Americans will boo him. His excuse? It’s “too far away”—because apparently Air Force One doesn’t fly.
The real reason, according to reporting by the Substack newsletter Zeteo, is that his advisers know he’d get “big league” booed. Multiple sources say aides “quietly determined that the chances were rather high” of massive booing that would create viral video clips the administration wants to avoid.
This is the man who claims a mandate, who insists he’s beloved by real Americans. But his approval rating has collapsed, massive protests fill the streets, and his immigration crackdown is backfiring so badly that his own team won’t let him appear in public.
Government Lawyers in Full Collapse
Perhaps the most revealing story today comes from a Minnesota federal courtroom. In a hearing yesterday that Raw America highlighted on our Notes page, Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Le had a complete meltdown, telling the judge “this job sucks” and begging to be held in contempt so she could “get 24 hours of sleep.”
Speaking to a Minnesota court, Le described getting federal agents to comply with court orders as “pulling teeth,” requiring “10 emails” and “threatening to walk out” for basic compliance. Within 24 hours, she was reassigned.
This isn’t one person having a bad day—this is what happens when you run government through cruelty and chaos rather than competence and law. The government’s attorneys are drowning in detention cases, watching federal agents openly ignore court orders, and the people tasked with making the system work are publicly admitting defeat.
The Pattern Points to Resistance
Here’s what these stories actually reveal: when institutions fail, Americans fight back. The Supreme Court may bless gerrymandering, but California voters overwhelmingly chose to fight fire with fire. Billionaire newspaper owners may gut newsrooms, but that’s creating space for independent outlets like Raw America to grow.
Even that government attorney’s breakdown shows the system working—she’s refusing to quietly implement policies she knows are wrong. Her public confession of the chaos isn’t a sign of defeat; it’s evidence for the courts and the public about what’s really happening.
Corporate outlets won’t connect these dots because they’re part of the old system. Outlets like Raw America exist because you’re demanding something better. Every subscription, every share, every person who refuses to accept the unacceptable builds the resistance.
I’m British Chris for Raw America. Thanks for watching, and don’t let them normalize any of this.
