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Erol Akcay

@akcay.theoretical.bio

3.8K followers 3.6K following 310 posts

Ecology, evolution, and social dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania. He/him https://akcay.theoretical.bio

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Biology 27%

Sociology 16%

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Erol Akcay @akcay.theoretical.bio · Nov 6

I deleted my twitter/X account. I am now only on here and (rarely) on Mastodon.

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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Gavin A. Schmidt, Erol Akçay , and 2 more Dorothy Bishop, Gavin A. Schmidt, Erol Akçay, Mathias Frisch, Mun-Keat Looi

Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 1d

🎵 They did the Monster Slash 😭 @ellecordova.bsky.social

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Reposted by Linda J. Skitka, Efrén O. Pérez, Daniel Stone , and 2 more Linda J. Skitka, Efrén O. Pérez, Daniel Stone, David R. Miller, Erol Akçay

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d

Resistance to authoritarianism is a coordination game. That's why universities and law firms and nonprofits can't let themselves be picked off one by one. 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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Erol Akcay @akcay.theoretical.bio · 2d

Most chromosomes of any animal on Earth so far!

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Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Rebecca Sear, Erol Akçay , and 2 more Lisa W. Fazio, Rebecca Sear, Erol Akçay, Larry W. Hunter, David Spurrett

Jeremy Berg @jeremymberg.bsky.social · 3d

I have been trying to get this published as an op-ed, but I am going to post it here since I think it is timely in light of the "consent" extortion events.

Deafening Quiet from the Scientific Establishment

jeremymberg.github.io/jeremyberg.g...

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jeremymberg.github.io

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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 5d

A WILD ONE: A man broke his leg during an arrest by ICE at a car wash south of L.A.

ICE has held him under 24/7 guard at a hospital, registering him under a pseudonym, for *37 days* without telling him why.

A judge has ordered his immediate release.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele , and 9 more Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Elizabeth Saunders, Philip Nel, Joseph Schafer, Juan Cole, Laurent Pech, James Goodwin, Erol Akçay, Dana R. Fisher, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 5d

If a federal judge, appointed by Trump, can call him “simply untethered to facts,” our White House press corps can as well.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

In sum, the President is certainly entitled "a great level of deference," Newsom II, 141
F.4th at 1048, in his determination that he "is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws
of the United States." 10 U.S.C. § 12406(3). But "a great level of deference" is not equivalent to
ignoring the facts on the ground. As the Ninth Circuit articulated, courts must "review the
President's determination to ensure that it reflects a colorable assessment of the facts and law
PAGE 22 - OPINION AND ORDER
Case 3:25-cv-01756-IM Document 56
Filed 10/04/25
Page 23 of 31
within a 'range of honest judgment.'" Id. at 1051 (quoting Sterling, 278 U.S. at 399). Here, this
Court concludes that the President did not have a "colorable basis" to invoke § 12406(3) to
federalize the National Guard because the situation on the ground belied an inability of federal
law enforcement officers to execute federal law. Id. at 1051-52. The President's determination
was simply untethered to the facts.
c. Whether there is a Rebellion or Danger of Rebellion
Defendants also aroue that the Sentember 28 2025 federalization order is authorized

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Governor JB Pritzker @govpritzker.illinois.gov · 5d

This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.

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Reposted by Colin F. Camerer, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 11 more Colin F. Camerer, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Mor Naaman, Jennifer Dill, Robert C. Richards, Aaron Sojourner, Michael Zimmer, Erol Akçay, Dean Eckles, Ann Bartow, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Dan Immergluck, Timothy D. McBride

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 6d

Federal officer blasts chemical spray into vocal but nonviolent Portland protester, video shows

The interaction illustrates how federal law enforcement officers do use aggressive tactics against protesters who yell and needle officers but don’t appear to present clear physical threats.

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Reposted by Erol Akçay

Tom “T.M.” Wolf @tomtmwolf.bsky.social · 6d

BREAKING -- 1st Cir. says Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship REMAINS BLOCKED.

Opinion includes a helpful TL;DR:

Don't mistake the length of our answer for the existence of a real question. Birthright citizenship is broad-based and it's sacred. @brennancenter.org

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Reposted by Erol Akçay, Robert Apel, Dan Immergluck

Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 6d

News coverage of the Trump administration's proposed "compact" with universities has been, so far, shockingly bad.

I hate to pick on NPR reporter Elissa Nadworny, who's usually a solid reporter, but almost every important thing I heard her say this morning about the proposed "compact" was false.

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Reposted by Erich Fromm, Rosemary A. Joyce, Janet Murray , and 8 more Erich Fromm, Rosemary A. Joyce, Janet Murray, Alan Richardson, Erol Akçay, Brian Keegan, Aurélien Mondon, Carol J. Adams, Daxton R. Stewart, Magda Teter, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 7d

Bari Weiss is set to be named the editor in chief of CBS News, the New York Post reports

Paramount Skydance is poised to name Bari Weiss as editor in chief of CBS News in the coming days — giving the hard-charging journalist unusual clout to revamp the struggling network as it also acquires her scrappy news site the Free Press, The Post has learned.

Weiss — a 41-year-old former New York Times opinion writer who has built the Free Press into a buzzworthy site with a contrarian bent — is expected to be named to the top post in a Monday announcement, although the talks are in flux and the timing could change, a source close to the situation said.

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Reposted by David Lazer, Scott L. Greer, Joshua Goodman , and 9 more David Lazer, Scott L. Greer, Joshua Goodman, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Iveta Silova, Johann N. Neem, Scott A. Imberman, Erol Akçay, Kate Starbird, Victor Pickard, Todd Hedrick, David Darmofal

AAUP @aaup.org · 7d

The Trump admin’s offer to give preferential treatment to institutions that toe the party line reeks of bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda.

This is corruption.

Adherence to ‘loyalty oaths’ would usher in a new era of thought policing in American higher education.

Universities Must Reject Trump Admin 'Loyalty Oath' Compacts

The AAUP and AFT warn that the Trump administration’s offer to give preferential treatment to colleges and universities that court government favor in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological...

www.aaup.org

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Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 4 more Richard S.J. Tol, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, Alan Richardson, David R. Miller, Erol Akçay, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 8d

All blue states. What a surprise. I guess all we can do is vote out every single Republican candidate for every office in those states since none of them will speak up or do anything. And the Appropriations Chair Susan Collins.

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Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Peter Murphy, Alan Richardson , and 2 more Michael E. Mann, Peter Murphy, Alan Richardson, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Erol Akçay

Brian Tyler Cohen @briantylercohen.bsky.social · 8d

Priorities.

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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller, James Goodwin , and 2 more Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller, James Goodwin, Erol Akçay, Greg Linden

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 8d

We are now in the domain of not just illegal impoundments, but targeted illegal impoundments to punish liberal spaces. Not different from what Trump is doing to to universities.

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 8d

OMB Director Russell Voight says that US DOT will announce that the federal government is "pausing" funding for both Gateway and the Second Avenue Subway because of "unconstitutional DEI principles" -- x.com/russvought/s...

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Reposted by Erol Akçay

Charles Ghoul-ba ✡️ @charlesgaba.com · 9d

📣 OK, with ~3 hours to go before the midnight government shutdown, I'm going to go through ALL 50 STATES +DC ONE BY ONE to remind everyone of how many Americans healthcare Democrats are fighting to save (and this is just #ACA exchange enrollees; don't forget about Medicaid).

Please bear with me.

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Reposted by Erol Akçay

Stanford University Press @stanfordpress.bsky.social · 9d

Population Biology Modeling & Theory (PBMT) is a peer-reviewed journal reporting advances in modeling and theory within population biology. Its scope spans demography, ecology, epidemiology, evolutionary biology, population genetics, and phylogenetics. PBMT will be online soon.

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Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Christopher Wright, Daniel W. Drezner , and 4 more Brendan Nyhan, Christopher Wright, Daniel W. Drezner, David R. Miller, Caroline Fohlin, James Goodwin, Erol Akçay

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 9d

I know we're desensitized, but it's important to note, again, that today's events would have led to the immediate impeachment & removal of any president from at least Truman to at least Obama. We're hundreds of miles on the interstate past Richard Nixon's high school prank-level crimes compared to 👇

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9d

Trump wraps up a speech to military leaders that represented a major escalation of his effort to weaponize the armed forces into a tool he can use to violently quash domestic dissent. Hard to imagine how anyone with a shred of dignity can keep serving after this, which of course is the point.

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Reposted by Erol Akçay

Michael McDonald @electproject.bsky.social · 9d

Again...Republicans WANT the government shutdown. They would do it even if they controlled every congressional seat

Jacob Bogage @jacobbogage.bsky.social · 9d

👀 Just Now -- President Trump in the Oval Office said a government shutdown gives his administration the power to cut benefit programs, which include Social Security and Medicare.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

“We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them, and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like. And, you all know Russell Vought. He’s become very popular recently because he can trim the budget to a level that you couldn't do any other way. So they're taking a risk by having a shutdown. Because of the shutdown, we can do things medically and other ways, including benefits. We can cut large numbers of people. We don't want to do that, but we don't want fraud, waste and abuse.”

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Reposted by David R. Miller, Erol Akçay, Jelena Subotić , and 2 more David R. Miller, Erol Akçay, Jelena Subotić, Manisha Sinha, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 9d

Really the only question that matters

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Reposted by Scott L. Greer, Diane Ravitch, Eric Goldman , and 7 more Scott L. Greer, Diane Ravitch, Eric Goldman, Joseph Schafer, Anders Nilsson, David R. Miller, Erol Akçay, Anne Norton, Greg Linden, Michael Evans

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 9d

The president just gathered the highest ranking officers in the military to tell them that he may order them to kill American citizens -- and that they better follow his orders. All in response to a series of crises that have no basis in reality.

I don't know how to yell any louder.

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Reposted by Anna O. Law, Elizabeth Saunders, Nandita Sharma , and 28 more Anna O. Law, Elizabeth Saunders, Nandita Sharma, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, David Kaufman, Steve Peers, Rosemary A. Joyce, Diane Ravitch, Sanford F. Schram, Robert Black, James Grimmelmann, Smith, Charles W. Smith, Alan Richardson, David R. Miller, Johann N. Neem, Andrew Jacobs, Gerald Friedman, Robert B. Reich, Michael H. Whitworth, James Goodwin, Erol Akçay, Jason Lyall, Sarah Roberts, Mary Jane Curry, Henry Jones, Simon Lester, Daxton R. Stewart, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 9d

the president of the united states wants to use the american military to kill american citizens on american soil. that's the whole story!

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Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Melanie C. Green, Rebecca Tushnet , and 4 more Elizabeth Saunders, Melanie C. Green, Rebecca Tushnet, David R. Miller, Erol Akçay, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Manisha Sinha

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 9d

pete hegseth, who you will recall has been accused of domestic abuse and sexual assault, has announced a new policy by which you cannot file anonymous complaints of mistreatment. sex criminal solidarity.

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Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Erol Akçay

Ian L Morgan @ianlmorgan.bsky.social · 11d

DHS is proposing a rule that would end "duration of status" for J, F and other visa holders. This would decimate the international graduate student and postdoc population, which are a crucial part of the United States biomedical workforce. There's still time for you to comment on the proposed rule.

Establishing a Fixed Time Period of Admission and an Extension of Stay Procedure for Nonimmigrant Academic Students, Exchange Visitors, and Representatives of Foreign Information Media

Unlike most nonimmigrant classifications, which are admitted for a fixed time period, aliens in the F (academic student), J (exchange visitor), and most I (representatives of foreign information media...

www.federalregister.gov

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Reposted by Ashish Arora, Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller , and 4 more Ashish Arora, Brendan Nyhan, David R. Miller, Erol Akçay, Kathleen Kennedy, Manisha Sinha, David Darmofal

Scott MacFarlane @macfarlanenews.bsky.social · 11d

Amid an ongoing wave of conspiracy theories and bogus claims about Jan 6, I’ll note this from our reporting:

Rioters made all kinds of claims and defenses in court … and jurors convicted 100% of the defendants who went to trial

100%

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Reposted by Jan W. Mueller, Fabián Muniesa, Erol Akçay , and 2 more Jan W. Mueller, Fabián Muniesa, Erol Akçay, Aviel Roshwald, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 12d

The Department of Education followed Bondi’s memo with a demand for new admissions data on the racial makeup, standardized-test scores, and GPA of applicants and admitted students for all institutions that receive federal student aid. Justin Driver, a Yale Law professor and the author of The Fall of Affirmative Action, told me that he expects any elite college that doesn’t start enrolling fewer Black students to be accused by the Trump administration of breaking the law.

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Reposted by Erol Akçay

Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 13d

This is a long clip, but I want you to see how BIG this New Yorkers Against ICE march was. At least two city blocks of people. You are not alone and we are going to win.

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Reposted by Jennifer Dill, Will Lowe, Erol Akçay , and 3 more Jennifer Dill, Will Lowe, Erol Akçay, Ann Bartow, Alessandro Rigolon, Nicole Guenther Discenza

NPR @npr.org · 14d

In 2024, 7,100 pedestrians were killed on the road, and in recent years, more than 1,000 cyclists have been hit and killed annually. Safety experts explain how bikers and walkers can stay safe.

8 walking and biking safety tips that just might save your life

In 2024, 7,100 pedestrians were killed on the road, and in recent years, more than 1,000 cyclists have been hit and killed annually. Safety experts explain how bikers and walkers can stay safe.

n.pr

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Reposted by Diane Ravitch, Alan Richardson, Lisa Ann Richey , and 2 more Diane Ravitch, Alan Richardson, Lisa Ann Richey, Erol Akçay, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Elizabeth Warren @warren.senate.gov · 15d

"Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative.”

Bowing down to a bully never works.

And we can’t become numb to this corruption in plain sight.

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Reposted by David R. Miller, Stephen D. Murphy, Erol Akçay , and 3 more David R. Miller, Stephen D. Murphy, Erol Akçay, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Dan Immergluck

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 15d

to me, the “column” is less a form than an opportunity (and a challenge). you’re telling me i have as much space as i’d like to make an argument about anything i’d like to an audience inclined to pay close attention? well let’s see if they’ll read 2000 words on democratic legitimacy. (gift link)

Opinion | This Is About So Much More Than Lisa Cook

www.nytimes.com

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