Ben Panko
@btpanko
Followers
3K
Following
985K
Media
889
Statuses
24K
Chicagoan. Writer. #RVA native, Pittsburgh lover. Politics and Star Wars nerd, leftist, crazy cat guy. Same username on 🧵and 🦋. He/him.
Chicago, IL
Joined May 2014
Mao spinning in his grave. Total sparrow cultural victory.
What’s a bothersome puddle to humans is a joyful playground for these little sparrows.
36
2K
23K
He probably texted these while driving 100 mph with his child crying in the back of the vehicle
When Axios began reporting on this story, Fetterman texted, "Enjoy your clickbait!" Asked a follow-up question, Fetterman said, "Please do not contact."
0
3
18
imagine walking into a casino and seeing JB Pritzker at your blackjack table 😭
Gov. JB Pritzker released partial tax records Wednesday showing he and his wife reported more than $10.3 million in taxable income — including more than $1.4 million in income from gambling. https://t.co/KTmvnyL18O
27
25
491
Happy birthday to the tweet of the decade
'I never thought leopards would eat MY face,' sobs woman who voted for the Leopards Eating People's Faces Party.
41
2K
19K
Starting a rumor right now that Pritzker caused the Trump Taj Mahal to go out of business with the dice in one hand and a bottle of Malort in the other hand
Gov. JB Pritzker released partial tax records Wednesday showing he and his wife reported more than $10.3 million in taxable income — including more than $1.4 million in income from gambling. https://t.co/KTmvnyL18O
3
4
68
american pope is such a funny detail to have in the background of geopolitics
74
7K
159K
Old heads: When you move in w your girlfriend/wife you can still do this. I call it Rumpus Time. I say yeah I’ll be in bed in a bit and then I spend 3 hours lookin at Buick grand nationals on BAT and then the other 3 looking at aerial photos of the CIA black site thats in Chicago
y’all males say “good night” and stay up for an extra 6 hours
117
1K
29K
thinking how rachel bade's first big break was carrying water for congressional republicans that the obama white house was directing the IRS to investigate its enemies. good time for her to disappear from journalism I suppose.
BREAKING via WSJ The Trump administration is planning sweeping changes in criminal division at the IRS. Full Story: https://t.co/9d2PjQP9fn
7
32
307
Nobody really caring about "optics" is a pretty new feature of this shutdown.
The government has been shutdown for weeks. Thousands of federal works are facing layoffs. Jim Justice threw his dog a birthday party. from @tspencenews
15
21
530
so it’s over
BREAKING: @MrBeast has filed a trademark to launch his own bank. The org will be called MrBeast Financial. The filing was submitted on an intent-to-use basis, which under trademark law means there are genuine plans to bring this to life.
5
8
214
For those wondering why Mamdani would go on Fox News, this moment and the reaction it’s aimed to generate are the answer:
Mamdani: "I just want to speak directly to the president. I will not be a mayor like Mayor Adams who will call you to stay out of jail. I won't be a disgraced governor like Andrew Cuomo who will call you to ask how to win this election. I can do those things on my own. I will,
42
497
8K
Joe O'Dea's experience running for Senate in Colorado in 2022 feels like a good example: Republicans nominated an explicitly pro-choice and anti-Trump candidate and he still lost by 14 points. Lot of complexities there to be sure, but it's a good example that any individual
Could a pro-life Dem like Brandon Presley win a +15 Trump seat in Mississippi? Voters do separate state races from federal races.
7
22
356
100% agreed there would be a considerable amount of friction, but the GOP winning the house in a D+3 year would be a pretty powerful experience for both Dem politicians and the base.
I’ll believe it when I see it, existing minority reps have been extremely resistant to diluting their seats at all for the purpose of increasing the total number of democratic seats
8
19
444
again, it’s an open secret in DC that basically all of the GOP staff class are unabashed (literal swastika flags in their cubicles!) Nazis
A friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylor’s office today… Taylor’s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background.
128
1K
10K
and it's not just the South that would be impacted by killing Section 2. If Section 2 dies, this map would be totally legal. These are all at least Harris +5.
Section 2 of the VRA is the last remaining safeguard against truly extreme gerrymandering. If it’s gutted, the GOP could flip up to 10 seats across the South, but it would also free Dems to draw more aggressive maps in blue states. Both of the maps shown below would become legal.
7
14
185
Lmao they really think the 5-2 Dem Illinois Supreme Court would actually overturn a map here
The Illinois map would not be legal because the Illinois state constitution requires that districts be compact. State law would still apply here.
1
0
16
why are you covering prediction market odds from an online casino as if it’s actual polling data
Democrats' chance of taking the House in 2026 have plummeted, while GOP chances have skyrocketed over the last 6 months... Why? 1. Dems aren't keeping up with the pace they set in 2017 on the generic ballot. 2. GOP may be looking at big gains from mid-decade redistricting.
74
392
5K
Charlie Crist will not be satisfied until he has run for every single office in the state of Florida as a member of every existing party
Breaking: Charlie Crist is mulling a run for St. Petersburg mayor https://t.co/Wacwy741ul
7
90
1K
oh my fucking god lmao
BREAKING: The Trump administration will set price floors across a range of industries to combat market manipulation by China, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
12
117
4K
Plowing the sidewalks for our less able-bodied neighbors when it snows? Too luxurious, can't afford that! Plowing the horse shit from the mounted police? Sign the Tribune editorial board up for that job!
From the Editorial Board: As Mayor Brandon Johnson prepares to give his budget address Thursday, one idea should get tossed aside: eliminating Chicago’s mounted police unit. https://t.co/8jQwvwMVk6
4
5
47