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Nate Ela

@nateela.bsky.social

2.2K followers 630 following 770 posts

Law prof + sociologist at @TempleLaw. Property, land, cities, democracy. Philly (no longer quite so) newbie. nateela.net | SSRN: bit.ly/ElaSSRN (Views are mine, not those of any institution.)

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · Nov 15

Here’s a piece on how we could get from here to multiparty democracy in the U-S-A, via state courts. Revising some this month, all ears 👂if you have thoughts… papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

A Path to Multiparty Democracy

Americans are sick of the two-party system. Yet in almost every state, a crucial ballot access restriction denies them any meaningful alternative. A century ago

papers.ssrn.com

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 53m

At a workshop this afternoon the main feedback on my paper was “do you have a normative theory of production?”

And I was like 🤔 “yeah, I need one...”

As a staring point, maybe: Not this 👇

Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 1h

And this:
92% of the growth in the entire country this year has been data centers. And some of that is "circular deals" that dont involve actual money

fortune.com/2025/10/07/d...

Without data centers, GDP growth was 0.1% in the first half of 2025, Harvard economist says | Fortune

Is a U.S. without data centers a country without GDP growth?

fortune.com

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1h

The calls for a circular economy have been answered.

Except it’s a game of telephone and they didn’t understand.

Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 1h

And this:
92% of the growth in the entire country this year has been data centers. And some of that is "circular deals" that dont involve actual money

fortune.com/2025/10/07/d...

Without data centers, GDP growth was 0.1% in the first half of 2025, Harvard economist says | Fortune

Is a U.S. without data centers a country without GDP growth?

fortune.com

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Reposted by Nate Ela

rachelruysch.bsky.social @rachelruysch.bsky.social · 5h

There is no arsonist to blame—just deepening, widening uncertainty. The private home insurance market in California is not functioning. "The math doesn’t work,” @scrawford.bsky.social
susanpcrawford.substack.com/p/california...

California's insurer of last resort seeks 36% rate hike

As authorities solve one mystery—who set the fire that devastated Pacific Palisades—another deepens: how to make the math work for home insurance in California

susanpcrawford.substack.com

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1h

The End of History

Aman Batheja @amanbatheja.bsky.social · 1h

This is the line to get into the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, which will close in a few hours and not reopen until the shutdown ends

Long line of people waiting to get through security at the museum

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1h

This news (and thread) has now been seared into my memory

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1h

Important caveat to my angrypost…

(Still, tho, the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration probably remains)

Matt Weiner @mattweiner19.bsky.social · 2h

I was going to angrypost about this, but the underlying story seems to be "rando says something stupid"? Can Trump even appoint people to the TikTok board?

I mean it still absolutely sucks, but this looks like "UK papers will say anything"
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Donald Trump’s 19-year-old son, Barron, could be in the running for a top job at TikTok, according to the president’s former social media manager.

Trump has previously claimed that he “saved” TikTok and that users now “owe” his government for allowing it to remain available in the US.

Jack Advent, the president’s 22-year-old former social media manager, joined in by saying that Trump should give his teen son a position on the social media platform to broaden its appeal for young people.

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1h

The comparative politics folks have a name for this type of government, right? Great opportunity for coauthoring with a US corporate governance person.

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 16h

Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...

Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job

US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board

www.telegraph.co.uk

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1h

This is horrible.

Sara Partridge, Ph.D. @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 4h

There are reports that the *entire* office of special education at the US Dept of Education has been cut. These hardworking folks ensure kids with disabilities get equal access to a quality education.

America’s children deserve better than this.

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Reposted by Nate Ela

Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 6h

The leadership of the measles outbreak response was fired in the RIF spree while RFK JR attempts to completely dismantle measles vaccine access for children.

Measles (Rubeola)
MENU V
As of October 7, 2025, a total of 1,563 confirmed* measles cases were reported in the United States. Among these, 1,542
measles cases were reported by 42 jurisdictions: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, lowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, New York State, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. A total of 21 measles cases were reported among international visitors to the U.S.
There have been 44 outbreaks** reported in 2025, and 87% of confirmed cases (1,355 of 1,563) are outbreak-associated. For comparison, 16 outbreaks were reported during 2024 and 69% of cases (198 of 285) were outbreak-associated.

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Reposted by Nate Ela

erin pineda @erinrpineda.bsky.social · 9h

“individuals participating in a public expression activity in this area are subject to discipline and/or arrest” is a delillo-level dystopian sentence

Miriam Posner @miriamposner.com · 1d

Found this just incredibly depressing, more than anything.

An easel sign reads, “UCLA
ATTENTION
No events are permitted in this area today. Per Policy 852, this location is NOT designated for public expression activities.
Individuals participating in an event or a public expression activity in this area are subject to discipline and/or arrest.
Scan for policy information.”

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 17h

This is horrible

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 18h

Appears the Trump admin’s reduction in force has hit housing hard this evening.

Reports that all CDFI fund staff have been let go. HUD appears to have lost 442 staff.

Yet another federal cut that will make providing affordable housing in the US all the more challenging.

Reports that all staff of CDFI Fund have been let go

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Reposted by Nate Ela

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 19h

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1d

I started watching my first Phillies game of the season two outs before the end of the Phillies season. I have a feeling I may be the one to blame, not the pitcher.

Reposted by Nate Ela

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 2d

A rare poll of Pennsylvania's supreme court races!

Among likely voters, a new F&M poll finds... a lot of uncertainty, though "yes" to retention is ahead for all 3 Dem justices.

The yes leads the no 39/29, 39/22, and 38/25. But that's a ton of voters who say they don't know for each one.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

National Guard: Nice federal court you’ve got there, would be a shame if something happened to it.

N.D. Ill.: Uh, we didn’t ask for this.

[In background, Insurrection Act and Stephen Miller ominously loom]

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 2d

Chicago federal court chief judge says she has not requested National Guard for courthouse

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 2d

Be careful!

a close up of a woman 's face with the words movieclips.com visible in the corner

ALT: a close up of a woman 's face with the words movieclips.com visible in the corner

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Nate Ela

Jamal Greene @jamalgreene.bsky.social · 2d

This is the courthouse where the TRO hearing on the National Guard deployment will be held later today. This is extremely disturbing.

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 2d

Chicago federal court chief judge says she has not requested National Guard for courthouse

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Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 2d

Chief Judge Kendall's statement comes as last night an Army commander told a federal court that DHS had so far made two requests for National Guard deployments in the Chicago area: (1) at the Broadview ICE facility, (2) at the Dirksen Courthouse on Friday. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Reposted by Nate Ela

Ben Heath @jbentonheath.bsky.social · 3d

I’m giving a talk at @brooklynlawschool.bsky.social on Friday about the Compact as an example of domestic economic warfare. So naturally @himself.bsky.social scoops
me in the NY Times! My talk will argue that more experts in economic warfare need to start thinking about how the war comes home.

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 3d

"It wanted to signal strength. Instead, it’s revealing its weakness. The administration’s need to break the academy is forcing it to make a desperately risky gamble." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 4d

Corn starch with a cloying dose of corn syrup, yum!

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

A *lot* could happen between now and Thursday morning, when the court has set its hearing.

We may learn what Pritzker means by Illinois using every lever at its disposal to fight back…

Updates from NYTimes reporters:

10 minutes ago
Julie Bosman:
Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois said the state would use every lever at its disposal to fight back against the Trump administration's deployment of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, which the governor at a news conference called an "unconstitutional invasion of Illinois by the federal government."

16 minutes ago
Mitch Smith:
In an emergency hearing, a federal judge declined to immediately block President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, as state and local officials had requested in a lawsuit filed this morning. She set a hearing for the issue on Thursday. Troops from Texas are on their way, according to a military official.

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Reposted by Nate Ela

Matthew Stiegler @matthewstiegler.bsky.social · 5d

A top Trump official accusing federal district court judges, "as a class," of engaging in insurrection is a profoundly dangerous development.

Matthew Stiegler @matthewstiegler.bsky.social · 5d

❗❗❗

Stephen Miller: "It's simply a factually accurate statement that when a judge assumes for him- or herself the powers that have been relegated or delegated by the Constitution to the president, that that is a form of illegal insurrection." ...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Q: You called the judge's ruling 'legal insurrection.' Are you recommending the president take action against judges who rule against him?

STEPHEN MILLER: No. It's simply a factually accurate statement

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

Reminds me of the first draft of SB 83, as initially presented to Ohio public unis. According to that, first violation of ban on "divisive concepts" = loss of 25% of state funds. Second = 50% cut. Third strike = campus zero'd out. OH legislators wised up and redrafted.

This is even more draconian.

Ben Heath @jbentonheath.bsky.social · 5d

This post is excellent, and the best coverage of the "compact" that I've seen so far. @fishkin.bsky.social is the only person I've read so far who understands that the most important part of the compact is this (final) paragraph, which is mostly ignored in the reporting & in the takes.

Adherence to this agreement shall be subject to review by the Department of Justice. Universities
found to have willfully or negligently violated this agreement shall lose access to the benefits of this
agreement for a period of no less than 1 year. Subsequent violations of this agreement shall result in a loss
of access to the benefits of this agreement for no less than 2 years. Further, upon determination of any
violations, all monies advanced by the U.S. government during the year of any violation shall be returned
to the U.S. government. Finally, any private contributions to the university during the year(s) in which such
violation occurred shall be returned to the grantor upon the request of the grantor.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

38 minutes ago
Eric Schmitt Reporting on the U.S. military
The first group of about 200 Texas National Guard solders is en route to Chicago, a U.S. military official said on Monday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday federalized 400 members of the the state's National Guard, with the support of Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, to support federal law enforcement officials in Chicago and Portland.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

www.fourriversexplorer.com/fort-defianc...

Fort Defiance Park - Four Rivers Explorer

Fort Defiance Park in Cairo, Illinois, marks one of the world’s most important river confluences – the Ohio and Mississippi. On a typical day, 4.4 million gallons of water merge at Fort Defiance ever...