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bathshebablue.bsky.social
Bathsheba in Blue
@bathshebablue.bsky.social
4.6K followers 3K following 11K posts
Here mostly for politics.

Lifelong #Democrat.

Slava Ukraine!

Refugee from the bird site. Thought they were sweet bluebirds then they turned into shrieking flying monkeys wearing Nazi helmets.
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Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
hillaryclinton.bsky.social
Are you one of nearly 70 million American women who changed their names when they got married? 🙋‍♀️

Republicans in Congress want to make it harder for you to vote.

Tell your senator to oppose the SAVE Act. indivisible.org/actions/stop...
The 19th: House passes elections overhaul bill that could make it harder for married women to vote
February 13, 2026 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
npr.org
In his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators that he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation's official vaccine recommendations. He did both. n.pr/46QDn9p
RFK Jr. made promises to get his job as health secretary. He's broken many of them
In his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators that he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation's official vaccine recommendations. He did both.
n.pr
February 13, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
emptywheel.bsky.social
This and Sarah Rogers' slush fund to spend on Farage.
February 13, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
yair-rosenberg.bsky.social
In 1862, General Ulysses Grant expelled Jews from his military district during the Civil War, a move reversed by President Lincoln. In 2026, Candace Owens praised Grant’s expulsion. And this week, a now ex-member of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission wouldn’t tell me whether that was antisemitic.
Carrie Prejean Boller Is Not Going Quietly
The former beauty queen, dismissed from Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, says that it’s “anti-Christian” to accuse her of anti-Semitism.
www.theatlantic.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
Is there anyone in the Trump admin who isn’t a complete scumbag?
February 13, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
theguardian.com
Boss of P&O Ferries owner DP World leaves over Jeffrey Epstein links
Boss of P&O Ferries owner DP World leaves over Jeffrey Epstein links
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s exit as group chair and CEO follows pressure after publication of emails The boss of P&O Ferries owner, DP World, has left the company after revelations over his ties with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein forced the ports and logistics company to take action. Dubai-based DP World, which is ultimately owned by Dubai’s royal family, announced Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s departure as the group’s chair and chief executive on Friday. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
ronfilipkowski.bsky.social
The community note is the icing on the cake.
February 13, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
I will admit this was one that I had to both click through and then search for myself to believe it's real.
leahmcelrath.bsky.social Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 10h
Jeffrey Epstein to Bill Gates in December 2016:

“come to visit the island. new adminstration people visiting”

(www.justice.gov/epstein/file...)
From: "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@gmail.com To: Bill Gates Subject: Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2016 10:14:35 +0000 come to visit the island. new adminstration people visiting
February 13, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
joshgerstein.bsky.social
NEW: After announcement of end to MN immigration surge, Trump admin slammed by Trump-appointed judge for denying detainees access to lawyers. Feds also drop criminal charges against 2 immigrants over incident Noem called "attempted murder." w/@kyledcheney.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Court rebukes Trump administration for denying immigration detainees access to lawyers
It’s the latest and perhaps most pointed rebuke yet from Minnesota federal judges.
www.politico.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
beijingpalmer.bsky.social
Arnaud is, as has long been known, a fucking idiot, but this is a surprisingly common delusion about Chinese history, as is the idea that it was consistently 'religiously tolerant.' Religious politics were extremely intense, and persecution of disliked sects common.
thoc.bsky.social 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕒 ℙ𝕠𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕥 @thoc.bsky.social · 15h
It is this humble servant's duty to report that Arnaud Bertrand is never beating the charges of being a thoroughly historically-illiterate dumbass...
February 13, 2026 at 2:48 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
motherjones.com
According to ICE’s own data, none of its officers have been killed by an immigrant in the agency’s history.
How dangerous is it really to work for ICE?
According to ICE’s own data, none of its officers have been killed by an immigrant in the agency’s history.
www.motherjones.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
markjacob.bsky.social
Here’s a gift link to a well-written and perceptive story by Robert Draper in the New York Times. He’s 100% correct that the Epstein scandal has exposed the moral rot in America’s elite.
The Epstein Files and the Hidden World of an Unaccountable Elite
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:07 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
“.. Noem and Lewandowski frequently berate senior level staff, give polygraph tests to employees they don’t trust and have fired employees—in one incident, Lewandowski fired a U.S. Coast Guard pilot after Noem’s blanket was left behind on a plane ..”

@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
February 13, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
captainfubar.bsky.social
This is just unconscionable man
February 13, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
The TRO goes in depth and provides very specific requirements.
Defendants shall ensure that every noncitizen taken into custody under the Immigration and Nationality Act and initially detained at the ERO Holding Facility at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building located at 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota ("Detainee"), within one hour of their 36 CASE 0:26-cv-00749-NEB-DLM Doc. 95 Filed 02/12/26 Page 37 of 41 detention and prior to being transferred out of state, is given the following materials: a. Defendants shall provide Detainees their A-number in writing. b. Defendants shall provide a printed copy of Exhibit A to this Order. c. Defendants shall attach to Exhibit A a list of accurate telephone numbers for current free legal service providers serving the jurisdiction of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul Office. d. Exhibit A, the list of free legal service providers, and written notification of the Detainee's A-number shall be furnished to each Detainee in English, Spanish, Somali, French, and Hmong. Defendants shall provide, without charge, to each Detainee who is illiterate or not proficient in any of those languages an in-person or telephonic oral translation of these materials. Defendants shall provide Detainees with reasonable and equitable access to telephones. Within one hour of detention and prior to being transferred out of the Whipple Federal Building, Detainees shall be provided free, private, and unmonitored access to the telephone. Defendants shall permit Detainees to make the number of calls necessary to reach counsel or family. 37 CASE 0:26-cv-00749-NEB-DLM Doc. 95 Filed 02/12/26 Page 38 of 41 3. Thereafter, Defendants shall provide Detainees with access to confidential telephone calls with their legal representation at no charge to the Detainee. a. Defendants shall not restrict the number of calls a Detainee places to their legal representatives or to obtain representation. Defendants shall not limit the duration of such calls by rule or automatic cut-off, unless necessary for security purposes or to maintain orderly and fair access to telephones. If time limits are necessary for such calls, the calls shall be no shorter than 20 minutes, and the Detainee shall be allowed to continue the call, if desired, at the first available opportunity. Additionally, Defendants shall ensure privacy for Detainees' telephone calls regarding legal matters. Detainees must be able to make such calls without being overheard by officers, other staff, or other Detainees. Defendants shall allow inbound confidential calls from Detainees' legal representation. A telephone number for counsel to call in order to reach Detainees shall be conspicuously displayed online. Defendants shall monitor that telephone line from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. CST, seven days per week. If an attorney requests that Defendants provide the attorney's name, phone number, or other 38 CASE 0:26-cv-00749-NEB-DLM Doc. 95 Filed 02/12/26 Page 39 of 41 message to a Detainee, the Detainee shall receive that information, in writing, as promptly as possible. 4. Detainees with disabilities shall be provided access to telephone services on the same terms as Detainees without disabilities are provided access to telephones. Such telephone services may include video relay service or video remote interpretation service. 5. Defendants shall ensure that the Online Detainee Locator System of defendant Immigrations and Customs Enforcement accurately identifies the location of each Detainee by name, date of birth, and A-number in real time. 6. Defendants shall not transfer a Detainee out of Minnesota during the first 72 hours of their detention. If Defendants transfer a Detainee from the Whipple Federal Building, the following obligations apply: a. First and foremost, Defendants shall inform the Detainee of the transfer destination. b. After being told the transfer destination, Defendants shall provide the Detainee with the opportunity to use the telephone until they are able to reach counsel or family. These calls shall be free, private, and accessible as outlined in Paragraphs 2 and 4, above. 39 CASE 0:26-cv-00749-NEB-DLM Doc. 95 Filed 02/12/26 Page 40 of 41 8. Defendants shall provide access to the Whipple Federal Building for legal visitation by current and prospective attorneys, legal representatives, and legal assistants. Legal visitation shall be permitted seven days per week, for a minimum of eight hours per day on business days (Monday through Friday), and a minimum of four hours per day on weekends and holidays. Defendants shall provide private rooms for closed-door discussions between Detainees and current and prospective attorneys, legal representatives, and legal assistants. 9. Defendants shall not retaliate in any manner against any Plaintiff or Detainee, including in their immigration proceedings or in any other context, for participating in this litigation or complaining about any alleged violation of this Temporary Restraining Order.
February 13, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Context note here: Judge Brasel was nominated by Trump, but at the recommendation of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat.

Brasel was nominated alongside Judge Tostrud, who was nominated at the recommendation of then-Rep. Erik Paulsen, a Republican.

www.startribune.com/minnesota-fe...
Minnesota federal judicial nominees tested on Capitol Hill
Hennepin County judge, Mitchell Hamline law prof could join federal court.
www.startribune.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
After looking at other cases from elsewhere, Brasel is brutal: "Under any explication of the due process analysis on this record, the obstacles the government has put in place at Whipple rise to the level of an unconstitutional infringement of noncitizen detainees' right to access counsel."
So too here. Defendants do not attempt to rebut or distinguish these cases. Under any explication of the due process analysis on this record, the obstacles the government has put in place at Whipple rise to the level of an unconstitutional infringement of noncitizen detainees' right to access counsel.
February 13, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Here's the opinion and order from Brasel, finding a likely Fifth Amendment violation: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

This echoes the D.C. rulings I discussed at Law Dork earlier today: www.lawdork.com/p/the-dc-dis...
The D.C. District Court strikes back
Three judges issued three rulings protecting constitutional rights in cases relating to Trump admin actions against federal inmates, Alien Enemies Act deportees, and Sen. Mark Kelly.
www.lawdork.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
BREAKING: Judge Nancy Brasel, a Trump appointee, has issued a TRO in the Minnesota access-to-counsel case about treatment at Whipple.

"It appears that in planning for Operation Metro Surge, the government failed to plan for the constitutional rights of its civil detainees."
It appears that in planning for Operation Metro Surge, the government failed to plan for the constitutional rights of its civil detainees. The government suggests — with minimal explanation and even less evidence — that doing so would result in "chaos." The Constitution does not permit the government to arrest thousands of individuals and then disregard their constitutional rights because it would be too challenging to honor those rights. 14 At this preliminary stage, Plaintiffs have made a clear showing of likelihood of success on their Fifth Amendment claim.
February 13, 2026 at 12:14 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
bylinetimes.bsky.social
📌 ICYMI — Trump Pardon Buries FBI’s Secret Work for Putin’s Oligarchs

The former FBI agent's pardon came after his co-defendant’s daughter donated $3.5 million to Donald Trump

https://bylinetimes.com/2026/02/11/trump-pardon-buries-fbis-secret-work-for-putins-oligarchs/
Trump Pardon Buries FBI's Secret Work for Putin's Oligarchs
The former FBI agent's pardon came after his co-defendant’s daughter donated $3.5 million to Donald Trump
bylinetimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:16 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
acyn.bsky.social
Klein: People are afraid to come into clinics or hospitals because they’re afraid they’ll be snatched. So they’re staying home with acute conditions like appendicitis. They’re not going to their follow-up neonatal appointments. They’re allowing their jaundiced babies to go untreated.
February 13, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
I, meanwhile, am working with a nonprofit organization to improve access to courts.

If you want to subscribe to Law Dork — www.lawdork.com — and/or support Public Justice — www.publicjustice.net — in our efforts, we would so appreciate it.
davekarpf.bsky.social Dave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 13h
TIL that Polymarket sponsors Matt Yglesias’s Substack.
1 Polymarket is sponsoring this post, but the odds are not meaningfully different in other markets.
February 13, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
motherjones.com
“There’s no respect for what these veterans need, which is privacy…even though I love working with veterans, and I have loved being at the VA for the most part, it was just really demoralizing.”
Why VA psychologists are quitting in record numbers
The agency shed mental health staff for the first time in a decade as demand for care soared 40 percent.
www.motherjones.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
propublica.org
“You starve your public schools to feed your private schools and charter schools,” said one superintendent about the state’s efforts to grow charter schools. “Our foundation was set up for a free and appropriate education for all kids. All kids!”

(Published Oct. 2025)
This Is Ground Zero in the Conservative Quest for More Patriotic and Christian Public Schools
Oklahoma has spent years reshaping public schools to integrate lessons about Jesus and encourage pride in America’s history. By the time the second Trump administration began espousing its “America Fi...
www.propublica.org
February 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Reposted by Bathsheba in Blue
davidsainez.com
If you live or even drive through the south bay (California), Flock doesn't need Ring since it has a contract with the city of San Jose.

www.404media.co/aclu-and-eff...
ACLU and EFF Sue a City Blanketed With Flock Surveillance Cameras
“Most drivers are unaware that San Jose’s Police Department is tracking their locations and do not know all that their saved location data can reveal about their private lives and activities."
www.404media.co
February 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM