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Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 2h

And @profgalloway.com gave JB some decent advice.

bsdtectr @bsdtectr.bsky.social · 2h

This lays out pretty well why Pritzker is doing what he’s doing, so far.

Some us cautioned a while ago that JB didn’t “win” anything as we still have more than 3 years to go and the fascists don’t exactly just give up,

Also, points out the importance of independent media.

Does also touch upon…

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 5h

How Chicago managed to defeat Stephen Miller's propaganda, at least so far.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlv...

Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 2h

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BLUESKY!

Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 2h

A lack of meaningful consequences (and Mitch McConnell) lands us here.

We are a country of laws or we are nothing.

Matthew Cebul @matthewcebul.bsky.social · 3h

💯 The goal is threefold:

1) Tie the GOP to corruption + crime, thus reclaiming "law + order."

2) Perhaps deter some violations now.

3) Build popular support for an anti-corruption crusade when Dems regain office, a master frame that Dems can use to legitimize transformative institutional change.

Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 4h

Instead of "This is inappropriate!" Democrats - especially those who might run for president - should say right now "Anyone who participates in this should know: You are committing a crime, and in the next administration you will be prosecuted."

That will change the frame of the story.

Reposted by Josh Hilby

Matthew Cebul @matthewcebul.bsky.social · 3h

💯 The goal is threefold:

1) Tie the GOP to corruption + crime, thus reclaiming "law + order."

2) Perhaps deter some violations now.

3) Build popular support for an anti-corruption crusade when Dems regain office, a master frame that Dems can use to legitimize transformative institutional change.

Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 4h

Instead of "This is inappropriate!" Democrats - especially those who might run for president - should say right now "Anyone who participates in this should know: You are committing a crime, and in the next administration you will be prosecuted."

That will change the frame of the story.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 14h

Again, it is a full-blown federal felony crime for anyone in the White House or Executive Office of the President to order tax investigations into anyone.

And it's not just a crime to DO it, it's even a federal crime for an employee not to REPORT such an order to the Treasury Inspector General.

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Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 13h

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Reposted by Josh Hilby

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 14h

Again, it is a full-blown federal felony crime for anyone in the White House or Executive Office of the President to order tax investigations into anyone.

And it's not just a crime to DO it, it's even a federal crime for an employee not to REPORT such an order to the Treasury Inspector General.

26 U.S. Code § 7217 - Prohibition on executive branch influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations
U.S. Code
Notes
prev | next
(a)Prohibition
It shall be unlawful for any applicable person to request, directly or indirectly, any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service to conduct or terminate an audit or other investigation of any particular taxpayer with respect to the tax liability of such taxpayer.

(b)Reporting requirement
Any officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service receiving any request prohibited by subsection (a) shall report the receipt of such request to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

(c)Exceptions
Subsection (a) shall not apply to any written request made—
(1)to an applicable person by or on behalf of the taxpayer and forwarded by such applicable person to the Internal Revenue Service;
(2)by an applicable person for disclosure of return or return information under section 6103 if such request is made in accordance with the requirements of such section; or
(3)by the Secretary of the Treasury as a consequence of the implementation of a change in tax policy.
(d)Penalty
Any person who willfully violates subsection (a) or fails to report under subsection (b) shall be punished upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution.

(e)Applicable person
For purposes of this section, the term “applicable person” means—
(1)the President, the Vice President, any employee of the executive office of the President, and any employee of the executive office of the Vice President; and
(2)any individual (other than the Attorney General of the United States) serving in a position specified in section 5312 of title 5, United States Code.

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Reposted by Josh Hilby

“Boo!” Saysceej @saysceej.bsky.social · 16h

I know that this is stupid to expect at this point…but it’s illegal. And not like in a “it doesn’t say a dog can’t play” way, but in an explicit “under no circumstances may a dog play and this isn’t just a rule in this league this is fundamental to the actual game” way.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 18h

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

nyti.ms

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Reposted by Josh Hilby

Sanho Tree @sanho.bsky.social · 22h

Sen. Rand Paul: “what were their names” and “what was the evidence linking them to being part of a gang?”
“The Coast Guard, when they interdict boats, … about 25% of the time the boat that they board doesn’t have drugs on it. So they have made an error, but they don’t kill them.”

US strikes another alleged drug-carrying boat off Venezuela coast

The strike marks the fifth deadly strike on an alleged drug-carrying vessel in the region.

www.militarytimes.com

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Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 20h

If anti-woke is real….

Ask any one of them to remove name and race from all applications to hire and make college admissions totally blind.

These are not serious people. They are just white power folks COSPLAYing being normal.

Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 20h

CUTTTTTEEEERS!!!

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Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 21h

We are literally seeing every 80’s movie bad guy WASP/ country club type come to the fore in America.

Micah @rincewind.run · 21h

I think two things are true:

1. young republicans were always terrible and racist

2. young republicans become openly hitler-loving groypers is in fact a new and alarming development that is worth paying attention to

Reposted by Josh Hilby

Adam Weinstein @adamweinstein.bsky.social · 22h

It's been a fact of my entire working life, but I can't for the life of me understand why open, explicitly partisan gerrymandering is legal in the first place

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Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 23h

Lemme say this clearly.

Fuck you JD.

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 23h

Also a reminder these weren’t “Kids”! Some of these “Young Republicans,” which includes ages up to 40, were elected officials or government appointees.

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Reposted by Josh Hilby

Annika Brockschmidt @ardenthistorian.bsky.social · 23h

1.) One of those „kids“ is a state senator in Vermont. (They’re not kids)
2.) kids are bigots is a weird stance
3.) going full boys will be boys about the „I love Hitler“ chat is quite a choice
4.) What else to expect from a guy who still follows Bronze Age Pervert on X? (Rhetorical question)

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Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 1d

The first person to confront Trump on camera and call him a fucking narcissistic child to his face will be the “have you no shame, sir” person of our age.

Josh Hilby @ilprofessore.bsky.social · 1d

If we subscribe to the idea we live in a society with generally shared societal mores, the only guardrails to that enforcement are shame and then at some point law. I think all of this is happening because somehow people want to make shitty online behavior ok IRL.And we let that go for too long IMO

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