With 44 government accessible cameras per person, this report claims DC residents face more surveillance than than other city in the world (but where is London?) neomam.com/most-surveil...

"Citizenship and liberty should not depend on a person’s ability to gather paperwork from behind detention walls or retain legal counsel under duress. If normalized, this approach puts countless citizens at risk of detention first and verification later.” www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

a Reagan appointed judge calls the administration's effort to deport five students who had been in the United States an “unconstitutional conspiracy” to “twist the laws” and “pick off” a few prominent activists in an aim to intimidate noncitizens across academia www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...

Groups in #Nigeria funding dueling lobby teams in DC, with Republican connected Madison & Washington "trying to use the Trump administration’s claims of genocide against Nigerian Christians to promote Biafra’s independence" (and Sen. Cruz falling for it). www.thisdaylive.com/2026/01/14/a...

From Kennedy at Harvard Law: "defensive, ridiculously formulaic cancellations by students is one thing. Encroachments by departments of the executive branch of the federal government are another thing, a worse thing, altogether." www.chronicle.com/article/rand...

In Latin America, a big step in 1980s/90s transitions from military dictatorship to civilian rule was to stop trying civilians in military courtrooms. This isn’t exactly that, but having civilians prosecuted by people in uniform is a big step toward Latin America's "bad old days"—here in the US.

#ForesightAfrica @brookings.edu when president of Exxon-Mobil explained to Trump last week that Venezuela is "uninvestible" he highlighted need for development #democracy good governance. Power imbalance globally is real so a question for #Africa countires is how to position themselves for partners

A good case for AfCTA at @brookings.edu 25% of #trade across #Africa is not primary resources, while over 51% of exports abroad are natural resources, oil, ie with less value added

@brookings.edu young people in #Africa more likely to be unemployed, and more engaged online. Analysis of protests complements finding that efforts to counter #misinformation increasingly important to the relation between governance and developing

On average, countries received 106% of their annual health budgets in aid. @brookings.edu

Amid an internet blackout and violent government crackdown that has targeted thousands of protestors across Iran, PEN America joins the #FreeNarges Coalition and 30+ organizations to sound the alarm about grave threats to jailed writers, journalists and human rights defenders pen.org/press-releas...

"rescuing" Venezuelans abroad, and shooting them at home. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/u...

FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

I really hope Trump carries through on his threat to withhold $1 billion for Smithsonian. It will backfire on him spectacularly when 1.5 million Americans of all political stripes arrive here in April to visit 21 free, world famous museums but they are shut down because he wants to rewrite history

Lawmaker questions about immigrant arrests go unanswered by D.C. police. "...it is against department policy to enforce civil immigration laws without a criminal warrant or an order from a judge" says the police chief. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...

Washington National Opera is moving out of the Kennedy Center www.washingtonpost.com/style/2026/0...

If you're looking for a gig that'll make you feel big/ come with me and put some folks in detention/ if you are lacking control and authority/ come with me and hunt down minorities/ Join ICE youtu.be/61I4hlig78w?...

One of the few foreign policy accomplishments of Trump admin #1 was the Abraham accords. Ghebrezghiabher argues here that #Sudan 's withdrawal from the accords, and the ongoing civil war, risks return to Islamic #authoritarianism, and undermining #Mideast peace www.jns.org/how-sudans-c...

African Peace And Security fellowships with SSRC www.ssrc.org/programs/afr...

Make it viral.

PEN America: Congressional subpoena targeting investigative journalist Seth Harp, "follows a familiar playbook: using government tools to intimidate reporters and deter coverage that officials don’t like. We stand with Seth Harp." pen.org/press-releas...

Congrats to my friend and co-author, Ned McMahon on his new article reviewing 80 years of foreign aid in the SAIS Journal of Intl Affairs. Taking into consideration a year of Trump, they argue at that this too shall pass... saisreview.sais.jhu.edu/foreign-assi...

Another ICE operation, another casuality, another Noem lie. If you live in DC join us tonight to make sure the tragic overreach in Minneapolis doesn't get repeated.

I guess I'm ok with conservatives banning Plato in college courses, as long as they also ban Strauss, Hayek, Friedman, Alan Bloom, Harvey Mansfield and Stephen Miller. dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...

We join PEN International in condemning the Venezuelan authorities' detention of over a dozen journalists in Caracas on Monday. Venezuelan authorities must immediately release all journalists still detained and guarantee that they can work without intimidation.

ICYMI: The DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously denied DOGE's latest attempt to prevent discovery in our lawsuit against them brought under FOIA and the Federal Records Act. Transparency matters.

If you are a foreign president who commits crimes overseas, America will come get you, arrest you, and lock you up. But if you are a US president who commits crimes here in the United States, America will give you immunity from prosecution, reelect you, and bribe you with billions of dollars.

#Venezula handed democrats (and Democrats) a perfect wedge issue to divide Republican party. Even before illegal bombing of Caracas, the isolationist wing started dusting off their copies of the constitution--and maybe even remembered that Congress overrode a presidential veto to pass War Powers Act

Agreed. It's not like Venezuela was thinking about invading the US. So members of Congress who want to defend the Constitution probably need to form a brief legislative coalition with isolationist wing of GOP, some of whom actually know the history of failed efforts to impose ally govts by force.

On Monday, Jan. 5 at noon ET, join Editor in Chief @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org, Senior Editors @annabower.bsky.social @rparloff.bsky.social @mollyroberts.bsky.social @ericcolumbus.bsky.social, & Public Service Fellow @michael-feinberg.bsky.social for the Trials of the Trump Administration

That's 30 boat attacks now, with a total of 107 victims. Like a dark mystery novel with a serial killer who delights in his murders by posting videos after each one.

Don't Let the Few Silence the Many. Join PEN America to Fight for the Freedom to Read. pen.org/eoy25-suppor... #bannedbooks #censorship #freedomtoread

Every time you hear the word "precision" in connection with the US strikes in #Nigeria, check out a map so you can question how an attack on #Sokoto state led to ordinance landing in Kwara State

Pictures coming in from Sokoto #Nigeria. Anyone in a position to confirm the munition? Hearing so far that one of these landed close to a health clinic, and as being reported elsewhere, ISWAP not very active in Jabo

Details coming in on US attacks on #Nigeria, where I used to live. Military value of some targeted towns so far unclear. Civil society groups such as CISLAC so far questioning the scope of cooperation (especially given govt of Nigeria's statement in November) www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/us-s...

BREAKING: We are suing Trump & his cronies to restore the Kennedy Center’s lawful name We @democracydefendersaction.org are proud to represent Kennedy Center Trustee @repbeatty.bsky.social w/ our friends at Washington Litigation Group Congress named the Kennedy Center & only they can change it

Trump and Rubio struck a corrupt deal with Bukele to deport Venezuelans—without due process—to a torture gulag in El Salvador.   Democrats will continue to demand answers and hold accountable this admin for this heinous quid pro quo. thehill.com/homenews/adm...

Can someone please get Usha Vance to comment? www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...

In conversation with PEN America, Ben Folds talked about his decision to step down from the Kennedy Center, art as activism, and why he doesn’t believe in writer’s block. Read the full interview at: https://pen.org/ben-folds-interview/ #benfolds #kennedycenter

People think of Susie Wiles as this low key Margaret Thatcher mastermind who is managing the unmanagable, hence the nickname "ice maiden." Yet somehow Laura Loomer is wandering around the White House, and Steve Miller is the shadow secretary of DHS, as last week's cong hearing with Noem made plain

Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate! Wishing you a meaningful and beautiful Festival of Lights.

You know what's really missing from the coverage of the illegal demolition of the White House's East Wing? Comment from Melania. It says a lot about the First Lady (or someday the First Gentleman) www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...

These days ads for and media about AI feel like harbingers of the apocalypse, yet occasionally they get it right. Good night all!

"The chaos and confusion around the FEMA review council report – from Secretary Noem’s manipulation of the council’s original report to the abrupt cancellation of today’s meeting – is just the latest example of how the Trump administration has sought to undermine FEMA’s effectiveness at every turn."

help @standupforscience.bsky.social impeach RFK Jr! House resolution: he has "imperiled the health and safety of the American people, eroded public confidence in the Nation’s public health institutions, and stalled decades of scientific and medical progress" www.standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkj...

File this under very clever data. Congratulations Joan!

MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported? NOEM: We haven't deported veterans MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea

Never a dull day in DC: at annual congressional hearing with DHS + FBI, Sect. Noem bailed saying she had to attend a FEMA mtg, which wasn't true. I think real reason is that she has no idea how to testify about threats DHS is ignoring due to singular focus on immigration thehill.com/homenews/adm...

#Nigeria reacts to American threats of military intervention...with sarcasm worthy of Ngugi's "Wizard of the Crow" (which mocks dictators) africasacountry.com/2025/12/call...

Military #coup thwarted in #Benin! The #ECOWAS intervention, led by #Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire is notable in an age of authoritarian cooperation in regional orgs, notably the autocrats who formed the Alliance of Sahel States. Civil society voice needed now www.premiumtimesng.com.