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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 17m

I guess Bari Weiss's "university" won't have to reckon with a 60 Minutes investigation

www.thenation.com/article/soci...

How a Free-Speech University Sidles Up to Orbán’s Strongman Rule

Bari Weiss's University of Austin, touted as a haven for free academic inquiry, has a dozen scholars and officials with ties to Hungary's speech-suppressing regime

www.thenation.com

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Ashwin Rodrigues @ashwinrodrigues.com · 3h

cop, lying: Me and my friends, who are troops, will delete Candy Crush if Zohrani 'Hussein' Mamdani is mayor of New York City. We are the most active users on the platform and this could affect the stock market

Bari Weiss: Chilling. And not the cool weed kind of chilling. This week on 60 Minutes

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 3h

Likewise, if "most people" are moving toward acceptance of same-sex relationships or more egalitarian principles, that is evidence that those positions are wrong, that the world is degenerating exactly as predicted, and that force/patriarchy/etc. is needed, whether it turns people's hearts or not

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 3h

In other words if you think that "most people" are going to Hell, it is not an obstacle to setting fire to Social Security that it was built upon the will of and retains the favor of "most people" - in fact, that's evidence of a fatal flaw

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 3h

this is very interesting and may be true

But also a lot of these guys know they are in an extreme minority and relish it. Of course "The World" came up with communal answers to individual sin problems. That is what the Devil does and it is what the Christian Nationalist must use Power to dismantle

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 8h

a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 9h

What he’s railing against is a profound shift in culture, status… He’s obsessed with the idea that America is controlled by a leftist “ruling elite” - but “elite” isn’t defined socio-economically or by political power, it means something like: Getting to define “real America” and who gets to belong.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 8h

a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 9h

What he’s railing against is a profound shift in culture, status… He’s obsessed with the idea that America is controlled by a leftist “ruling elite” - but “elite” isn’t defined socio-economically or by political power, it means something like: Getting to define “real America” and who gets to belong.

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 3h

I knew a guy who walked around holding an ear of corn to his head when using phones everywhere was new, to illustrate how silly people looked, and that is 100% how the ad reads to me. "You are all ridiculous"

Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 4h

IMO a lot of members of the House are also ignoring the rhetorical power of saying, the NEXT time these ppl do something craven/illicit/illegal/cruel:

"Yes, behavior like this is why I filed articles to IMPEACH this terrible person but ______ shut me down bc they wouldn't let the truth come out"

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 4h

(well, this is not a good definition of group project. I mean group compact, etc.)

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 4h

Others argue that members of the House of Reps doing their Constitutional duty is futile/just symbolic/a protest. Setting aside the fact that these people are constantly engaging in symbolic claptrap, the oath of office is not a group project, in which you do your duty only if other people do theirs

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 5h

As it is, right now, those who have filed articles of impeachment have had them go nowhere. But at minimum a Democrat gets even one headline for an actual attempt to exercise power, rather than for giving a speech about how someone else needs to get on the stick

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 5h

Yeah, it's not a strategy in that sense. It's about members openly doing their duty (and making a record)

The way the system is designed, it is primarily Congress (not the courts, not the states) that should be moving (swiftly!) to curb POTUS. But: crickets, and not just because of GOP majority.

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 5h

If someone is impeached in the house and successfully tried in the Senate, they would be removed (and POTUS would have to nominate new people confirmable under changed conditions) but that isn't really my point

It's more about ppl holding one tool and not trying to use it, while pointing elsewhere

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alec karakatsanis @equalityalec.bsky.social · 5h

And this leads to one thing, among many, that scares me a lot now: Things were already very bad on this front, but the unhinged gestapo tactics of ICE grant enormous power to predators across society in positions of power to prey upon vulnerable people: employers, abusers, etc.

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alec karakatsanis @equalityalec.bsky.social · 5h

But when you realize that most violence is not by strangers (hence police violence being large %), you see why it's vital for cops to obscure it: no one believes more $$ for punishment bureaucracy is a solution to the reasons people **in some kind of relationship with each other** hurt each other.

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alec karakatsanis @equalityalec.bsky.social · 5h

THREAD. Did you know that at about 1/3 of all stranger homicides in the U.S. are perpetrated by police? But there's something hidden here that is important to understand in this authoritarian moment.

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Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 6h

Read this dispatch from 2025 America: Family of Chicago-area man killed by ICE seeks to reunite with his children who are now in foster care in Idaho. By @chicagotribune.com @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/12/s...

Family of Chicago-area man killed by ICE seeks to reunite with his children who are now in foster care in Idaho

The state of Idaho took custody of the children a few weeks after Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was killed by ICE agents in Franklin Park on Sept. 12.

www.chicagotribune.com

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 5h

OK

Also: he could be impeached

bsky.app/profile/kyle...

Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 7h

Sens. Schumer, Merkley, Murray, and Peters are calling for the resignation of OMB Director Russell Vought.

"By impounding billions of dollars … and aggressively pursuing the illegal use of pocket rescissions, Vought has done everything in his power to gut the federal government piece by piece."

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 7h

Also: does anyone happen to understand the basis on which IDOC employees would be empowered to police the general public? I am not familiar with this concept.

Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 21h

whomever decided it would be a good idea to add Orange Crush to this situation should answer some questions

These are...not people acquainted with the First Amendment or how it applies to people who are free

They are...not known for their judicious use of force

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · Mar 5

The public can and should demand that prosecutors bring lower charges/no charges when it is in the interest of justice.

That is not a bid for lawbreaking. It is not an unreasonable demand. It is expecting prosecutors to uphold professional standards.

Prosecutors should not imply otherwise.

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · Mar 5

I don't post this bc the CCSAO needs to know it. They do. Every prosecutor in the country does.

I post it bc the years of caterwauling over Foxx bringing less resource- and collateral-consequences-intensive charges for certain retail theft cases has distorted the expectations of the general public

Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · Mar 4

"She added that a reclassification of charges, from a felony to misdemeanor is not being considered. The office must follow state statutes, she said, and cannot unilaterally change its charging practices."

well, couple quick things about that:
www.americanbar.org/groups/crimi...

ABA
Standard 3-4.3 Minimum Requirements for Filing and Maintaining Criminal Charges
(a) A prosecutor should seek or file criminal charges only if the prosecutor reasonably believes that the charges are supported by probable cause, that admissible evidence will be sufficient to support conviction beyond a reasonable doubt, and that the decision to charge is in the interests of justice.

Standard 3-4.4 Discretion in Filing, Declining, Maintaining, and Dismissing Criminal Charges
(a) In order to fully implement the prosecutor’s functions and duties, including the obligation to enforce the law while exercising sound discretion, the prosecutor is not obliged to file or maintain all criminal charges which the evidence might support. Among the factors which the prosecutor may properly consider in exercising discretion to initiate, decline, or dismiss a criminal charge, even though it meets the requirements of Standard 3-4.3, are:

(i) the strength of the case;

(ii) the prosecutor’s doubt that the accused is in fact guilty;

(iii) the extent or absence of harm caused by the offense;

(iv) the impact of prosecution or non-prosecution on the public welfare;

(v) the background and characteristics of the offender, including any voluntary restitution or efforts at rehabilitation;

(vi) whether the authorized or likely punishment or collateral consequences are disproportionate in relation to the particular offense or the offender;

(vii) the views and motives of the victim or complainant;

(viii) any improper conduct by law enforcement;

(ix) unwarranted disparate treatment of similarly situated persons;

(x) potential collateral impact on third parties, including witnesses or victims;

(xi) cooperation of the offender in the apprehension or conviction of others;

(xii) the possible influence of any cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic or other improper biases;

(xiii) changes in law or policy;

(xiv) the fair and efficient distribution of limited prosecutorial resources;

(xv) the likelihood of prosecution by another jurisdiction; and

(xvi) whether the public’s interests in the matter might be appropriately vindicated by available civil, regulatory, administrative, or private remedies.

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unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 8h

Any time families come to deliver meds to the detention center now, someone shoves a camera + mic in their face. A few days ago we watched reporters do this to someone while crying. People don't realize they don't have to consent to it, so they go along with it.

These journos are not seeing Heaven

Secret Third Thing @gochujung.bsky.social · 8h

Yesterday, Don Lemon interrupted patient care for a visibly sensitive situation by shoving a mic in a patient’s face then getting annoyed at me when I swatted it out of the way & told him it was inappropriate. Yes, protests should be documented but no, they are not “content” & there is a difference.

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Secret Third Thing @gochujung.bsky.social · 8h

Yesterday, Don Lemon interrupted patient care for a visibly sensitive situation by shoving a mic in a patient’s face then getting annoyed at me when I swatted it out of the way & told him it was inappropriate. Yes, protests should be documented but no, they are not “content” & there is a difference.

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Stephanie Kollmann @slkollmann.bsky.social · 7h

If a prosecutor's office claims that it cannot timely consider police evidence via a robust/meaningful felony review process

but it charges low-level cases as felonies instead of misd, or pursues protest charges

Those are issues it prioritizes over verifying legal sufficiency/justice of its cases

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