We're pretty critical of Rep. Jeff Hurd when he appears to be on the wrong track, so it's only fair that we point out when he does something praiseworthy. 

He was one of four Republicans in the House who voted against censuring Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her remarks concerning the late Charlie Kirk. 

Hurd was quick to point out that he found her remarks "vile," but added "“The right response to reprehensible speech like this isn’t silencing: it’s more speech." 

Sounds a lot like what AG Phil Weiser said when he was in town last week. 

If you agree with Rep. Hurd, give his office a call and let his staff know. Because you can be certain the people who disagree are weighing in. 

You've probably seen the footage of the devastating earthquake that hit Southeast Asia on Friday. Aid workers are scrambling to help those affected, but the efforts have run into obstacles. 

Myanmar, the country hardest hit, already was in the throes of a humanitarian crisis.

What you may not know: The Trump administration's decision to eliminate USAID means that the most experienced folks at earthquake recovery efforts are sidelined. The New York Times explains the issue. (Gift link, no subscription needed.)

This is just another example of how Trump and his enablers in Washington have gutted agencies with no real understanding of how they work and their role in the world. 

Elon Musk's DOGE crew has access to several government databases that contain citizens' personal data, including the Social Security database. 

Wonder what they're doing with your information? There's a way to find out!

A federal judge has ruled that DOGE must comply with Freedom of Information requests from citizens. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) has set up a site with step-by-step instructions for filing a request.