justin webb

Really interesting and the most insightful analysis of 🇺🇸 2026 midterms, from @Messina2012 with @JustinOnWeb on #Americast podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas…

This has been the weirdest arc of the midterms. In a week, Haley Stevens went from exemplary primary loser to immolating her career to keep a fellow Democrat out of the Senate.

Something is going horribly wrong in the Senate race in Michigan. And I am going to keep calling it out. On the one hand, the Republicans are conducting a campaign of blatant anti-Muslim fear mongering. Mike Rogers, Donald Trump and the rest of the GOP need to knock it off. Mike needs to personally and repeatedly denounce hate against Muslims. But now, at the same time, we have TWO ads from the Democratic side that ALSO traffic in hate and intolerance — causing alarm for some Black and Jewish voters. Seriously— WTF ???? The first ad was from Rebellion PAC (NOT the official Abdul El-Sayyed campaign). It suggested that Americans can’t buy groceries because the USA sends so much money to Israel. That is a lie. The USA spends less than 00.1 percent of our federal budget on support for Israel. But this ad pretends bananas cost too much because the Jewish state is bleeding us dry. TOTALLY nuts. And yet — this kind of thinking has always put Jewish lives at risk. Blaming Jews for everyone’s economic problems has a long, bloody history. Abdul did try to separate himself from the ad. He accurately noted that his campaign didn’t produce it. But the problem is: if you listen, Abdul actually NEVER DENOUNCED the CONTENT of the ad. He never said, “This ad is wrong.” He just said, “Hey, it wasn’t me.” 😬😬😬 That ad — and Abdul’s refusal to forthrightly denounce it — is scaring some Jewish Democrats in Michigan, who now are more reluctant to vote for him. In other words, that one ad alone is jeopardizing our party’s shot at taking back the U.S. Senate. BUT IT GETS WORSE! Then Abdul’s formal, official campaign put out its OWN ad — which features none other than the vile and contemptible Tucker Carlson (!!!). As you know, Tucker Carlson is a rabid, anti-Black bigot who also traffics in anti-Jewish stereotypes. He is anathema to most Black people and most Jews. No Democrat should ever celebrate the words of a white nationalist who actively undermines the safety of Black people and Jewish people. Moreover, given the importance of Black and Jewish Democrats to our victory in Michigan, the decision to include Tucker Carlson in any Democratic ad there is truly baffling. Why am I speaking out about this now? Because I want Democrats to build a winning coalition — now and into the future. Chasing off any Black or Jewish voters is a path to defeat — both in the short term and the long term. As proud Democrats, it can feel uncomfortable or risky to speak against intolerance in our own party, especially just days before a national election. It would be easier for us to let this stuff slide, shut up and close ranks. But that would make us hypocrites. For 10 years, we Democrats have watched with dismay and disgust as Republicans (who know better) have refused to challenge ANY bad ideas or bad actions in their own ranks. As a result, their party curdled into a cult — one that is now wrecking the country AND falling apart. As Democrats, we should not make the same mistake. Anti-Muslim hate is wrong. Period. Anti-Jewish hate is wrong. Period. Tucker Carlson’s white nationalism is wrong. Period. All candidates in Michigan need to say that clearly— and then pull down/denounce any ads that normalize hate or elevate hate mongers.

Oh rugby is so fucking back

Today's the day. ALL THE WRONG MOVES is officially out in the world. I'm about to head out on the US tour and do a lot of press in the coming weeks, and before the whirlwind really kicks off, I wanted to take a moment to say something simple: I will never forget what it took to write this book. The blood, sweat, tears, and time that went into it - the early mornings, the rewrites, the moments of doubt - it's all in these pages now. Writing a book is a strange kind of vulnerability. You spend months, sometimes years, wrestling with ideas in private, and then one day you just release it. It's out of your hands. I'm beyond grateful for everyone who has supported me along the way, the people who read early drafts, and everyone who's already pre-ordered or shown up for this launch. You made this possible. If you've been thinking about it, it would mean the world to me if you considered picking up a copy today. Whether you get the hardcover, audiobook (read by me), or ebook, every order on launch day makes a real difference. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ❤️

Amol Rajan at the Edinburgh TV festival explains why the BBC is “screwed” via Wile E Coyote.

NEW: The legendary @TinaBrownLM confirms Meghan Markle "has a job", landing an acting role... tinabrown.substack.com/p/meg…

ROD LIDDLE: An amazing bloke. He sent me out to do a Today programme piece on the new Millwall stadium in 1990 (his team), and said "it should not be less than 8 minutes long, and we will lead with it." There followed the obligatory BBC defenestration by people half as talented. He shifted right and remained hilariously... Rod. He combined brutality, humour and kindness. I'm really sorry to hear he's gone. RIP mate.