Barton Gellman
@bartongellman.bsky.social
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@BrennanCenter | ex Atlantic, WaPo | Author, Angler & Dark Mirror | bartongellman.com/contact
pinned post!
Verification: this is the real Barton Gellman, senior advisor at the Brennan Center, author of Dark Mirror & Angler, and former staff writer at The Atlantic and The Washington Post.
about 1 year ago
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Brennan Center
10 days ago
The Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority applies originalism to interpret the Constitution. Our new guide shows lawyers how to defeat shoddy historical arguments in court.
bit.ly/44yksPF
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A New Playbook for Countering Originalism in Court
Our guide shows lawyers how to defeat shoddy historical arguments.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/new-playbook-countering-originalism-court
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Brennan Center
10 days ago
The president has no authority to change election rules. Wendy Weiser and other Brennan Center experts discuss how we challenged President Trump's power grabs on the latest episode of The Briefing with Michael Waldman:
bit.ly/48SQYPc
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Jim Alwine
12 days ago
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated that the 1918 flu pandemic was caused by a lab virus from vaccine research, a defective influenza vaccine. Let’s analyze what a lie this is. First, in 1918, 107 years ago, virology was in its infancy
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404 Media
12 days ago
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable group. “Big tech has made their choice.”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
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Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable…
https://www.404media.co/google-has-chosen-a-side-in-trumps-mass-deportation-effort/
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Brennan Center
13 days ago
ICE has long used the latest spy tech to pursue immigrants — but now it’s also targeting anti-ICE protesters and anyone who allegedly funds them.
bit.ly/3Kq348R
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ICE Wants to Go After Dissenters as well as Immigrants
The Trump administration is being open about its plans to violate Americans’ First and Fourth Amendment rights.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/ice-wants-go-after-dissenters-well-immigrants
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Ryan Goodman
23 days ago
It is international law 101 that a military blockade is not just a violation of the UN Charter, but a crime of aggression. Unless that blockade is in response to an 'armed attack.' None of President's Trump's list of complaints come close to an armed attack. 1/
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The Bulwark
23 days ago
Full show: Substack:
lnk.thebulwark.com/4rZK5CY
YouTube:
lnk.thebulwark.com/4rUKbfn
Apple:
lnk.thebulwark.com/3LLwajw
Spotify:
lnk.thebulwark.com/4a8qqu7
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Robert Reich
27 days ago
The world's richest 0.001% now control 3x as much wealth as the entire bottom half of humanity combined. 56,000 wealthy individuals have more than roughly 4 billion people. Read that back.
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Just 0.001% hold three times the wealth of poorest half of humanity, report finds
Data from World Inequality Report also showed top 10% of income-earners earn more than the other 90%
https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2025/dec/10/just-0001-hold-three-times-the-wealth-of-poorest-half-of-humanity-report-finds
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Larry Norden
27 days ago
Trump's executive order to block states from protecting their citizens from AI will almost certainly fail in court. Why issue it? It may still have a chilling effect if states cave. And that would make some of the largest political spenders very happy.
www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...
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Money in Politics Roundup — October 2025
Our new recurring feature covers key stories from the world of campaign finance and influence buying, from the AI industry to super PAC support for a lame-duck president.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/money-politics-roundup-october-2025
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Brennan Center
27 days ago
The Department of Justice filed lawsuits against four more states — CO, HI, MA, and NV— for not providing their statewide voter registration lists in response to the department’s request. The total number of states being sued over their voter files now stands at 18, which we are tracking here:
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Tracker of Justice Department Requests for Voter Information
The Trump administration is pressing state officials to provide sensitive information about voters.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/tracker-justice-department-requests-voter-information
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Greg Sargent
28 days ago
Remarkable how brutal the ruling against Trump on Abrego Garcia truly is: It details flagrant and malicious abuses of power all throughout. Trump and Stephen Miller were testing their ability to spread lawless state terror. But the court held the line. 1/ (new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2043...
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Fiasco for Trump as Judge Issues Harsh Rebuke in Abrego Garcia Case
Judge Paula Xinis’s ruling temporarily freed Kilmar Abrego Garcia from custody. It also savagely indicted Trump’s lawless handling of this whole affair from start to finish.
https://newrepublic.com/article/204355/trump-judge-rebuke-abrego-garcia-case
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Brennan Center
27 days ago
Yesterday, President Trump issued an executive order blocking state enforcement of AI regulation. This comes after a flood of donations from the AI industry to the Trump administration, as we map out in our money in politics roundup:
bit.ly/42wEcSM
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Money in Politics Roundup — October 2025
Our new recurring feature covers key stories from the world of campaign finance and influence buying, from the AI industry to super PAC support for a lame-duck president.
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/money-politics-roundup-october-2025
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Garrett M. Graff
28 days ago
Seven conclusions about what we've learned about Trumpism and the resilience of American democracy across 2025 — the big one: Donald Trump is losing.
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/donald-tru...
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Donald Trump is losing.
Seven conclusions as 2025 winds down.
https://www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/donald-trump-is-losing
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Steve Vladeck
28 days ago
The President of the United States has the exact same power to pardon a state-court conviction that you or I have—which is to say, none.
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State Court Report
28 days ago
State courts shape daily life more than you think, but keeping up with the decisions that matter can be a challenge. From legal scholars to students to rights advocates, hear from some of our superusers about how they use State Court Report. Subscribe today:
go.statecourtreport.org/subscribe
.
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If you're looking for a great read on the state of our space programs -- Moon, Mars, asteroids, robot probes, and don't forget the Oort Cloud -- check out this gem from
@joelachenbach.bsky.social
:
slate.com/technology/2...
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It May Be the Literal Key to Human Destiny. Under Trump, It’s the Greatest Disaster It’s Ever Been.
What happened to NASA?
https://slate.com/technology/2025/12/moon-space-nasa-mars-life-trump-elon-musk.html?tpcc=giftedarticle
28 days ago
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Yes. Please.
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28 days ago
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The Washington Post has a new deeply reported look into the September 2 boat strike. Balanced writing but disturbing details.
wapo.st/4a6lypq
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How a U.S. admiral decided to kill two boat strike survivors
The controversial order given by Adm. Frank Bradley is under scrutiny from Congress. Inside the most consequential deliberation of his career.
https://wapo.st/4a6lypq
29 days ago
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Tom “T.M.” Wolf
about 1 month ago
As we face up to SCOTUS arguments over birthright citizenship, understanding this constitutional guarantee has never been more important.
@brennancenter.org
&
@oah.org
have you covered with this video feat.
@katemasur.bsky.social
@marthasjones.bsky.social
& Erika Lee:
www.youtube.com/live/6QCIt0l...
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The Guarantee of Birthright Citizenship
YouTube video by Brennan Center for Justice
https://www.youtube.com/live/6QCIt0lT4jk
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Tom “T.M.” Wolf
about 1 month ago
Presidents can’t rescind birthright citizenship.
www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...
@brennancenter.org
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Philip Gourevitch
about 1 month ago
political science
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The New York Times
about 1 month ago
Elon Musk’s charitable foundation grew larger than ever in 2024. But, for the fourth year in a row, the huge charity failed to give away the minimum amount required by law — and the donations it did make went largely to charities closely tied to Musk himself, who is the world's richest man.
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Elon Musk’s Foundation Grows to $14 Billion, but Gives Little to Outsiders
The philanthropy has become one of America’s biggest, but most of its giving went to charities closely tied to the world’s richest man.
https://nyti.ms/4oyDLPP
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Dirt Dork.
about 1 month ago
Much like our immigration system, there's so much shit that will make normal people go "but it shouldn't work like that!" in our prisons. Share Bolts widely.
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Acyn
about 1 month ago
Noem: You made it through the hurricane season without a hurricane—you kept the hurricanes away. We appreciate that.
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Acyn
about 1 month ago
Noem: You have saved hundreds of millions of lives with the Cocaine you’ve blown up in the Caribbean
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Aaron Rupar
about 1 month ago
Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara notes the MPD will not work with federal agents & says "In moments like this, I know how real the fear is in our community. People are going to want to speak out, protest, & exercise their 1st Amendment rights. We will absolutely defend people's right to do just that"
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Very good thread.
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about 1 month ago
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Tom “T.M.” Wolf
about 1 month ago
The fall semester has been SUPER busy for the members of the Historians Council on the Constitution. Walk with me through this đź§µfor highlights from the historians' work on some of the most pressing legal issues of the day, from agency independence to voting rights...
@brennancenter.org
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Anyone I know going to be in Aspen December 18-22?
about 1 month ago
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The New York Times
about 1 month ago
A Trump administration request to the Supreme Court to deploy troops in Chicago contains factual errors, mischaracterizing the responsiveness of local police and the actions of protesters, our Visual Investigations team found.
nyti.ms/43T7qfn
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Times Analysis Finds Errors in Trump’s Supreme Court Filing That Calls for National Guard in Chicago
The Trump administration has claimed the police were slow to protect federal agents on Oct. 4, but videos and audio show that their rationale conflates hours of events involving a shooting, a protest, a car crash and a police radio call.
https://nyti.ms/43T7qfn
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Catherine Rampell
about 2 months ago
We're now at the RE-PARDONS stage of this presidency
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
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Trump re-pardons a Jan. 6 defendant to erase unrelated gun conviction
The new pardon ends a legal clash over the limits of Trump’s sweeping Day One clemency for those who stormed the Capitol.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/15/trump-re-pardons-a-jan-6-defendant-to-erase-unrelated-gun-conviction-five-year-jail-term-00653425
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Justin Wolfers
about 2 months ago
It's a revealing moment... J.D. Vance welcomes a two-legged robot helping on the job site. But if that helper is a person named Jose, he calls it a threat. Same tasks, same productivity boost. The inconsistency reveals this isn’t about economics.
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Aaron Parnas
about 2 months ago
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen. Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
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Stephanie Allen
about 2 months ago
“The shock value is wearing off and, in fact, the targeted communities are fighting back faster and with a more tried-and-true playbook: Organize quickly, step up and document the abuses, protest loudly, and fight in the courtrooms.”
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Kyle Clark
about 2 months ago
We’ve talked about how we in the media normalize (even incentivize) aberrant behavior by public figures who make it their brand. But just imagine if an official in your city or town had told a female reporter asking about a sex abuse scandal, “Quiet, piggy.” Headlines for days.
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Adam Serwer
about 2 months ago
The fact that no one in the room stood up for her says a lot about how we got here
bsky.app/profile/pale...
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Ahmed Baba
about 2 months ago
Can confirm that Fox News totally ignored the press conference where Epstein survivors and lawmakers called for the release of the Epstein files. Last week, they ignored key revelations from the Epstein emails. These omissions depict a false reality to their viewers.
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southpaw
about 2 months ago
Really ties all the threads together, this one
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Kyle Cheney
about 2 months ago
JUST IN: A federal appeals court panel (with 2/3 Trump appointees) calls his lawsuit against CNN — over use of the term Big Lie — "meritless" and affirms the decision by a lower court to throw it out.
s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
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Kevin M. Kruse
about 2 months ago
“They’re trying to somehow tie President Trump to the scandal”
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Alison Frankel
about 2 months ago
Here’s an example of journalistic dedication. My husband,
@danfagin.bsky.social
, wrote the butterfly story. To fact-check the rice grains analogy, he asked a rice scientist (yes, there are such a thing) to weigh a dozen grains so Dan could get the average weight of a single grain.
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Adam Klasfeld
about 2 months ago
This opinion demands to be read in full. Among the problems with the grand jury proceedings: * The key evidence presented to the grand jury came from a search that may have violated the Fourth Amendment. * Lindsey Halligan apparently misstated the law to the grand jury, twice.
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Adam Klasfeld
about 2 months ago
A federal judge ORDERS the disclosure of James Comey's grand jury minutes to the defense, citing a "disturbing pattern pattern of profound investigative missteps" and casting doubt on Lindsey Halligan's declaration about the gap in the record. Background
www.allrisenews.com/p/halligan-c...
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Asha Rangappa
about 2 months ago
Todd Blanche would have had these emails before interviewing Maxwell. Why didn’t he question her directly about her exchanges? Why did he not follow up when she said things that were onviously a lie?? This shows that was a performance intended to dupe the public and benefit her (and Trump)
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Reupping my look at Cheney’s legacy for those who sensibly spent time with friends and family over the weekend.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
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What I Learned About Dick Cheney
The former vice president was certain he knew better than the citizens he served what was good for them.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/11/barton-gellman-what-i-learned-about-dick-cheney/684875/?gift=vyPOKDHr5Rd8zb4D97YxOH7z6krmrWbabLrLbclHnZU
about 2 months ago
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Brendan Nyhan
2 months ago
First kids at a Halloween parade getting tear gassed and now this. Abhorrent and unacceptable.
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Rebuttal from a very smart lawyer (and friend) to one of my arguments in
@theatlantic.com
piece on Cheney.
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2 months ago
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Nearly two decades after my book on Cheney, I took a shot at assessing his legacy. It’s more complicated than you might think.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
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What I Learned About Dick Cheney
The former vice president was certain he knew better than the citizens he served what was good for them.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/11/barton-gellman-what-i-learned-about-dick-cheney/684875/?gift=vyPOKDHr5Rd8zb4D97YxODRcNNgXVhqPym-ngiDTjPw
2 months ago
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Quinta Jurecic
2 months ago
so far, grand and petit juries are the institutions with the best track record in standing up to authoritarianism
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Trump’s Revenge Campaign Has a Weakness
Prosecuting his enemies is turning out to be more difficult than he’d hoped—at least for now.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/08/trump-doj-political-prosecutions/683861/?gift=mTq34Ny-ZVr996jdTJS9Tm-WKRAzby7OIik0LdDzNng&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
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Brennan Center
2 months ago
President Trump’s troop deployments in Los Angeles, DC, Chicago, and other cities pose real threats to civil liberties and the rule of law.  Experts will discuss the legality of Trump's domestic military deployments. Join us for a virtual event on Mon., Nov. 10, at 3pm EST. RSVP:
bit.ly/4hJjSnB
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Troops in American Cities
Experts discuss the legality of domestic military deployments.
https://www.brennancenter.org/events/troops-american-cities
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