Any university that agrees to this outrageous “compact” is a full participant in Trump’s assault on democracy. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

I find that in Alan's formulation below, Dem party leaders aren't even at the "could be lost" phase below, let alone "has been lost." Individual Dems have reached "could"; Pritzker alone is at "has." Schumer/Jeffries seem to consider it a badge of Seriousness to actively *deny* "could." That's bad.

“Theocratic libertarian” is exactly as incoherent as it sounds. No laws at all except for the laws of God, which… turns out… is gonna require a lot of laws written by men "He Believes America Should Be a Theocracy. He Says His Influence Is Growing." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/o...

Call attention to the federal charges of targeted activists in Portland, Oregon. Those of us with federal charges are being prosecuted in silence with zero media coverage as they federally railroad us. Please help boost!

I have to point out that the day before this 9th Circuit panel revved up to decide that Portland was too dangerously war-torn to rely on regular law enforcement to keep order, my Portland-based law school somehow safely hosted a different 9CA judge for a normal law school event.

Important thread.

You can’t give them credit on crime because, as @jvl.bsky.social argued this week, they are looking for pretexts for their authoritarian consolidation. He’s right, gov’ts like this one look for reasons and justifications to crack down, even if they’re fabricated www.thebulwark.com/p/legal-orde...

At the same time, we aren’t even a year into this new administration. And already the president is prosecuting his enemies, consolidating media control through his allies, and putting troops on the streets of Americans cities. This train is hurtling forward.

America is a competitive authoritarian state now. More than a few scholars of democracy are saying this www.fairobserver.com/politics/ame...

many of you would have choked here

Fascinating moment in the power of DC Think. Democrats are clearly *not* looking for an off ramp right now. They’re actually saying this. Which is a measure of how badly it’s going for the GOP. It’s the GOP that is actually looking for the offeamp.

Also fuck you Texas for doing this, invading another state with armed troops; lone star Republic my ass

Michigan Avenue right now.

I can’t believe I have to say this, but historically, masked men who kidnap families in the middle of the night are usually not the good guys.

Chicago Public Schools has set up a command center to help schools navigate ICE activity near them as the school district faces increased pressure to do more to help schools and families navigate the situation.

Mike Johnson’s abrupt closure of the House had more to do with stalling a congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation than previously reported, and it appears to have been a direct response to the Treasury’s surrender of Epstein’s financial records.

48-51 vote on Schiff-Kaine resolution to block further strikes in the Caribbean. Resolution does not pass.

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen... The building is in a 27 million dollar foreclosure filed by Wells Fargo. The next day, Wells Fargo filed an emergency motion for receivership. The fascist regime kindly emptied the building for donor Wells Fargo.

In the past before a ceasefire took effect, Israel has engaged in waves of strikes to try to kill as many people and bring about as much destruction as possible in Gaza at the last minute. We’ll see if Israel does so again, but the dangers for those in Gaza (including the hostages) aren’t yet over.

Wow — Harvard Crimson student newspaper busts Hegseth for having written a long policy brief touting diversity before he joined Trump’s war on DEI. With receipts. Bravo, Crimson. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Temporary Restraining Order to be granted tomorrow in the Chicago case filed by journalists, pastors, and others hit with riot control munitions by ICE!

😕 Here’s the video again: www.instagram.com/reel/DPi9m_2...

"At the Vatican Wednesday, Pope Leo urged bishops to 'speak strongly' on behalf of immigrants affected by Trump’s deportation drive. The pope met privately Tuesday with 100 American Catholics involved in migrant ministry, thanking them for their work..." www.thedailybeast.com/pope-leo-ram...

The White House Antifa Roundtable is one of the best displays I’ve seen of this-is-how-bad-it’s-gotten — just a sewer of open fascism, dementia, morons and freaks, and incoherent rage.

Last weekend, the Trump administration sent 10 more people to an Eswatini prison, joining five other ICE detainees sent there in July. None of the 15 men sent to the nation are from Eswatini. But they are now under the authority of its king. Read Noah Lanard's full story: https://bit.ly/47gNtB1

The administration is turning the “war on drugs” from a metaphor into an actual war. Shouldn’t such a momentous decision require the consent of Congress? If Trump wants a Gulf of Venezuela resolution, he should say so. If he doesn’t, he should stop the kinetic strikes. wapo.st/4o9ZEVW

Border Patrol's Gregory Bovino: "We need reasonable suspicion to make an immigration arrest. Notice I did not say probable cause, nor did I say I need a warrant? Perhaps you look panicked when you see a Border Patrol agent. Perhaps you look scared ..." So they scare people and then can arrest them.

Thanks to the national sports gambling law Sam Alito announced in 2018, there’s been a measurable hit on financial health in states that have opened up legalized gambling scholar.google.com/scholar_case...

Donald Trump is breaching the Constitution and breaking the law. A show of force so he can militarize our cities because of the 2026 elections. We need to stand up together and speak up.

Back in federal judge Sara Ellis' courtroom in Chicago for a second day of discussion on a proposed restraining order to rein in federal immigration agents' violent behavior. Debate began on this issue on Monday, and ended without the court entering a formal order.

Coming around to the theory that they're Truman Showing him

We know more about the massive military-style raid on a Chicago housing complex thanks to the reporting of @southsideweekly.bsky.social, @blockclubchi.bsky.social, and neighborhood resident Eboni Watson who chronicled the event. Among the emerging questions: what's real estate's role in this?

My gosh. After the US bombed multiple boats in the middle of the ocean, murdering people on grounds that they were allegedly "carrying drugs," the US Attorney General says "Just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach, President Trump, with Antifa."

‘Everyone’s just getting destroyed’: MTG calls on Johnson to bring House back to DC and rails on GOP handling of health care www.cnn.com/2025/10/08/p...

The president of the United States thinks there are no stores in Portland, OR. The president of the United States is mentally unhinged – and dangerous.

If what Trump is doing is legal - if his loopholes are technically real loopholes - the laws need to change. An if it's illegal, folks need to go to jail. No other options unless you want *all of this* to be standard American politics from here on out. @jvl.bsky.social and @eggerdc.bsky.social:

Even apart from the rank lawlessness of a reprisal prosecution, this has to be about the lousiest case I've ever seen. If it gets to trial, US will get its head handed to it. Prosecutors Warned Main Comey Witness Would Doom Entire Case newrepublic.com/post/201467/... via @newrepublic.com

The president’s mental acuity is declining, Case Study #6283.

Gallego has been about as good at messaging on the GOP refusing to fund the government as you can be.

Hard to take DHS seriously when they say citizen recordings are illegal but they’ve got a whole reality TV setup documenting their actions.

The NYT piece today links to Susanne Lohmann's research on protest in Dresden, which discusses how the painfully normal effect helps legitimize dissidence www.jstor.org/stable/2950679 www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

‘Newburgh Four’ Terrorism Case Releases Show Dire Need for FBI Reforms A judge eviscerated the government for inventing a terror plot, declaring that “the real lead conspirator was the United States.” www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

Every year I donate money to Nola to Angola, which raises money for a bus service that takes people to the Louisiana State Penitentiary to see their loved ones. What a phenomenal year for other people to do the same! www.mightycause.com/organization...

Tomorrow, I, along with Senator Kaine will be forcing a vote to block President Trump’s use of our Armed Forces to conduct strikes against vessels in the Caribbean Sea. Congress has not authorized these strikes. They are illegal and risk dragging America into another war.

I WILL be unembalmed and buried in a dimple wooden coffin, hopefully no vault. I WILL have a full Rite I Burial of the Dead solemn high mass with black vestments.

Not to discount the enormous damage they have done, and still can do, but this really might be one of the dumbest governments in the history of the world.

will note again that immergut’s opinion was a small-c conservative opinion. maybe it doesn’t matter, but i won’t assume that in advance.

Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here. Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

If you’re not following @jackjenkins.me yet, you should be.

It’s been a long time since my Latin American Politics class but I remember that people generally don’t like it when you target priests