Chris Conzen
@chrisconzen.bsky.social
Pronouns: He, Him, His. Community College professional and advocate for student success.
“In the illiberal world created by Trumpism, you don’t have to ask—you can just proclaim. You can change on a dime, saying or thinking anything at all.”
Does MAGA Have Ideas?
A new book traces the intellectual origins of Trumpism—straight into the void.
www.newyorker.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
“In the illiberal world created by Trumpism, you don’t have to ask—you can just proclaim. You can change on a dime, saying or thinking anything at all.”
Well, this explains being more openly critical
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, former Trump loyalist, says she is resigning from Congress
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a once-loyal supporter of President Donald Trump who has become a critic, says she is resigning from Congress in January.
apnews.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Well, this explains being more openly critical
My non-Higher Ed friends caught the NPR piece mentioned by Dr. Kelchen here. It's a reminder that the perceptions of Higher Ed are much more impactful than the facts.
College Prices Have Not Risen Dramatically in the Last Decade—But Will That Change?
Higher education is facing a crisis of confidence among the general public, and much of that is driven by concerns regarding affordability. For example, about 80 percent of Democrats and Republican…
robertkelchen.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:18 PM
My non-Higher Ed friends caught the NPR piece mentioned by Dr. Kelchen here. It's a reminder that the perceptions of Higher Ed are much more impactful than the facts.
“What should give Americans equal pause is the inhumanity happening beyond the cameras, away from the view of judges and lawyers and the media. Due process is not a constitutional right afforded only to citizens; legal restrictions on unlawful detention apply to all people on U.S. soil.”
Opinion | ‘The System Is Meant to Break You’: What ICE Is Doing to People Here Legally
www.nytimes.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:24 PM
“What should give Americans equal pause is the inhumanity happening beyond the cameras, away from the view of judges and lawyers and the media. Due process is not a constitutional right afforded only to citizens; legal restrictions on unlawful detention apply to all people on U.S. soil.”
“It is not hard to predict chaos and confusion for the next several years. That is time that should be used instead to strengthen our education system and help states and localities with all the guidance and assistance and funding they need.“
Downgrading Education Is a Disastrous Misreading of What Our Country Needs
Guernsey: Amid demands to improve reading and integrate AI, do we really want to be a country without a Department of Education in the 21st century?
www.the74million.org
November 20, 2025 at 6:07 PM
“It is not hard to predict chaos and confusion for the next several years. That is time that should be used instead to strengthen our education system and help states and localities with all the guidance and assistance and funding they need.“
“Florida’s rapidly expanding voucher program effectively bankrupted the K–12 funding formula in 2024–25, resulting in a $47 million deficit.”
“Whatever could go wrong, Has gone wrong” – Accountabaloney
Florida’s rapidly expanding voucher program effectively bankrupted the K–12 funding formula in 2024–25, resulting in a $47 million deficit. Today, the Florida Legislature received a briefing on the…
accountabaloney.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:48 AM
“Florida’s rapidly expanding voucher program effectively bankrupted the K–12 funding formula in 2024–25, resulting in a $47 million deficit.”
Reposted by Chris Conzen
“When will the woke left realize the evil of cancel culture”
New: Reuters has tallied job losses, suspensions and investigations stemming from the reaction to Charlie Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination. Its findings: More than 600 Americans have been punished, and the figure is likely to be an under-count.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
November 19, 2025 at 10:44 PM
“When will the woke left realize the evil of cancel culture”
Reposted by Chris Conzen
New: Reuters has tallied job losses, suspensions and investigations stemming from the reaction to Charlie Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination. Its findings: More than 600 Americans have been punished, and the figure is likely to be an under-count.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
November 19, 2025 at 11:35 AM
New: Reuters has tallied job losses, suspensions and investigations stemming from the reaction to Charlie Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination. Its findings: More than 600 Americans have been punished, and the figure is likely to be an under-count.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." US Constitution
White House prepares executive order to block state AI laws
Draft document obtained by POLITICO calls for task force and multi-agency approach.
www.politico.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:44 PM
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." US Constitution
“The Trump administration’s restructuring plan will create “more confusion, more mistakes and more barriers” for students and families in need of support”
‘Selling off the Department of Education for parts’: The agency’s major overhaul faces fierce backlash
The Trump administration’s restructuring plan will create “more confusion, more mistakes and more barriers” for students and families in need of support, advocates say.
19thnews.org
November 19, 2025 at 11:35 PM
“The Trump administration’s restructuring plan will create “more confusion, more mistakes and more barriers” for students and families in need of support”
Multiple health professions were excluded from the higher professional student loan cap. Now, casual observers may say “well, colleges should lower tuition for those programs”. But it’s not that simple.
November 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Multiple health professions were excluded from the higher professional student loan cap. Now, casual observers may say “well, colleges should lower tuition for those programs”. But it’s not that simple.
Reposted by Chris Conzen
one thing i think is true is that republicans assumed that democrats would not respond in kind and that the forceful pushback spooked them (a lesson to learn here, perhaps)
Trump's corrupt scheme to rig 2026 is suddenly falling apart:
*Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymander
*Indiana GOP lacks votes to redraw map
*Big Dem win in Virginia could give Ds more seats
On the pod, DLCC head Heather Williams is informative on what's next:
newrepublic.com/article/2033...
*Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymander
*Indiana GOP lacks votes to redraw map
*Big Dem win in Virginia could give Ds more seats
On the pod, DLCC head Heather Williams is informative on what's next:
newrepublic.com/article/2033...
Trump’s Plot to Rig 2026 Is Falling Apart, and Boy Is He Mad About It
As the Trump-GOP scheme to gerrymander the midterms suddenly faces big new setbacks, a Democratic operative who’s leading in these fights explains why the battle isn’t over—and what must happen now.
newrepublic.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:13 PM
one thing i think is true is that republicans assumed that democrats would not respond in kind and that the forceful pushback spooked them (a lesson to learn here, perhaps)
“In any other administration, at any other time in American history, this level of corruption would be a political disaster — a scandal that could bring down the administration. For the Trump administration, it is a Tuesday.”
Opinion | The White House Gold Rush Is On
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:20 PM
“In any other administration, at any other time in American history, this level of corruption would be a political disaster — a scandal that could bring down the administration. For the Trump administration, it is a Tuesday.”
“This isn’t about improving student outcomes; it’s about implementing a business model that transforms students into widgets instead of human beings who need support.”
Dismantling of the Department of Education Fails Students
Statement from EdTrust president and CEO, Denise Forte
edtrust.org
November 19, 2025 at 1:12 PM
“This isn’t about improving student outcomes; it’s about implementing a business model that transforms students into widgets instead of human beings who need support.”
“The loss of an elimination status means that measles will once again be considered endemic to the US, an embarrassing public health backslide for a vaccine-preventable disease.”
CDC data confirms US is 2 months away from losing measles elimination status
Elimination status is lost if the virus spreads continuously for 12 months.
arstechnica.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:45 AM
“The loss of an elimination status means that measles will once again be considered endemic to the US, an embarrassing public health backslide for a vaccine-preventable disease.”
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show. Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.
www.propublica.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:08 PM
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
“The deployment of warships, aircraft and troops to the southern Caribbean represents the biggest US naval mobilization in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in 1989. Meanwhile, the strikes on boats near the two countries have earned sharp condemnation”
Why Trump Is Flexing US Power In Waters Off Venezuela, Colombia
President Donald Trump is using dramatic military deployments and strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels to pressure Venezuela and Colombia under the banner of a regional anti-narcotics…
www.bloomberg.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:20 PM
“The deployment of warships, aircraft and troops to the southern Caribbean represents the biggest US naval mobilization in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in 1989. Meanwhile, the strikes on boats near the two countries have earned sharp condemnation”
“When the Trump administration brutally cut federal funding for biomedical research earlier this year, at least 383 clinical trials that were already in progress were abruptly cancelled, cutting off over 74,000 trial participants from their experimental treatments, monitoring, or follow-ups”
Trump admin axed 383 active clinical trials, dumping over 74K participants
It’s a “violation of foundational ethical principles of human participant research.”…
arstechnica.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:16 AM
“When the Trump administration brutally cut federal funding for biomedical research earlier this year, at least 383 clinical trials that were already in progress were abruptly cancelled, cutting off over 74,000 trial participants from their experimental treatments, monitoring, or follow-ups”
"Mr. Trump’s abuses of spending power fall into three categories. First, he has refused to spend money that Congress allocated...Second, Mr. Trump has spent money that Congress has not allocated...Third, the president has taken steps that effectively overturn Congress’s spending decisions."
Opinion | Trump’s Spending Abuses Are Out of Control
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:05 PM
"Mr. Trump’s abuses of spending power fall into three categories. First, he has refused to spend money that Congress allocated...Second, Mr. Trump has spent money that Congress has not allocated...Third, the president has taken steps that effectively overturn Congress’s spending decisions."
“I never thought I would lose my father in this way,” said Cheila Carranza, 14, this week, holding back tears as she gazed at a photo of him on her phone in her grandmother’s crowded home, where she lives in one room with her mother and two siblings.
Family of Fisherman Killed in U.S. Military Strike Says It Wants Justice
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM
“I never thought I would lose my father in this way,” said Cheila Carranza, 14, this week, holding back tears as she gazed at a photo of him on her phone in her grandmother’s crowded home, where she lives in one room with her mother and two siblings.
“closer inspection shows that an increasing number of structural supports — across businesses, labor markets, consumers and stocks — are looking wobbly. A Jenga-like collapse, meaning an unexpected economic downturn, is not inevitable. But it is a growing, underappreciated possibility.”
Opinion | This Is How Our Economy Comes Crashing Down
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:16 PM
“closer inspection shows that an increasing number of structural supports — across businesses, labor markets, consumers and stocks — are looking wobbly. A Jenga-like collapse, meaning an unexpected economic downturn, is not inevitable. But it is a growing, underappreciated possibility.”
“The former guard at a military prison notorious for its harsh treatment of Palestinians told the AP detainees were routinely shackled with chains and kicked and hit with batons, and that the facility had been dubbed a ‘graveyard’ because so many prisoners were dying there.”
Palestinian deaths in Israeli custody have surged. A prison guard describes rampant abuse
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The number of Palestinians dying in Israeli custody surged to nearly 100 people since the start of the war in Gaza, according to a report published Monday by a human rights…
apnews.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:27 PM
“The former guard at a military prison notorious for its harsh treatment of Palestinians told the AP detainees were routinely shackled with chains and kicked and hit with batons, and that the facility had been dubbed a ‘graveyard’ because so many prisoners were dying there.”
Will Kash investigate this?
“An Indiana Senate Republican who President Donald Trump called out in a Truth Social post Sunday for not backing the White House’s plan to draw new congressional maps was later targeted by a swatting, according to local authorities.”
“An Indiana Senate Republican who President Donald Trump called out in a Truth Social post Sunday for not backing the White House’s plan to draw new congressional maps was later targeted by a swatting, according to local authorities.”
Indiana Republican called out by Trump on redistricting is swatted
Authorities said sheriff’s deputies responded to the home of state Sen. Greg Goode’s after a false report of violence.
www.politico.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Will Kash investigate this?
“An Indiana Senate Republican who President Donald Trump called out in a Truth Social post Sunday for not backing the White House’s plan to draw new congressional maps was later targeted by a swatting, according to local authorities.”
“An Indiana Senate Republican who President Donald Trump called out in a Truth Social post Sunday for not backing the White House’s plan to draw new congressional maps was later targeted by a swatting, according to local authorities.”
‘Trump is inconsistent with Christian principles’: why the Democratic party is seeing a rise of white clergy candidates - The Guardian
‘Trump is inconsistent with Christian principles’: why the Democratic party is seeing a rise of white clergy candidates — Guardian US
From Texas and Iowa to Arkansas, faith leaders are wading into politics to counter the rise of Christian nationalism
apple.news
November 17, 2025 at 3:16 AM
‘Trump is inconsistent with Christian principles’: why the Democratic party is seeing a rise of white clergy candidates - The Guardian
How Elon Musk’s Changes to X Made Our Discourse Far Stupider talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/how-e...
How Elon Musk’s Changes to X Made Our Discourse Far Stupider
We don’t know the minute when X started throttling links to news,...
talkingpointsmemo.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:29 AM
How Elon Musk’s Changes to X Made Our Discourse Far Stupider talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/how-e...