Melek Ortabasi
@mortabasi.bsky.social
1.8K followers 860 following 3.9K posts
Mother, scholar, voter. Unsinkable. Expertise in World lit, Japanese lit, children’s lit, translation studies, and general saltiness. Contributor to @roganslist.bsky.social
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mortabasi.bsky.social
Self-promotion incoming: happy to announce my latest article has been published in @jjs-jrnl.bsky.social! #kidlit #translation
mortabasi.bsky.social
Ok never fucking mind I don’t want to hear about her
cassandrasaidso.bsky.social
Right-winger Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, is an enthusiastic trump supporter, describes trump as a “visionary," and says that trump was right to bomb the Venezuelan boat, and he's Venezuela’s best chance for regime change.
😑
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Nobel Peace Prize winner hailed Trump as ‘visionary’ just days before her victory
Maria Corina Machado was given the award for promoting democracy in Venezuela and says that the US president is the country’s best chance for regime change
www.independent.co.uk
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
mortabasi.bsky.social
They are all parroting this bullshit line in lockstep. I know, because CO-3 Rep Jeff Turd repeated it verbatim in his email newsletter. Oh sorry I mean Jeff Hurd
demsabroadcanada.bsky.social
Are these shutdown attacks on Democrats from the White House and federal agencies against the law?

YES, because of the Hatch Act. Learn more about the act, and how the Trump administration is violating it!
@demsabroad.bsky.social #TrumpsGovernmentShutdown #GovernmentShutdown #blametrump
mortabasi.bsky.social
Ugh.
demsabroadcanada.bsky.social
If “Did Not Vote” Had Been A Candidate In The 2020 US Presidential Election.

Don’t let this be you! Americans living abroad go to votefromabroad.org every year and request your emailed ballots. #DemsAbroad

Explanation: brilliantmaps.com/did-not-vote... @demsabroad.bsky.social
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
nctowncrier.bsky.social
Spread the word.
#VoteFromAbroad!
demsabroadcanada.bsky.social
🚨 Pennsylvania abroad voters, your vote could save the 2026-28 elections!
🗳️ Make sure you request your ballot votefromabroad.org

✅ Then, make sure you vote YES on retaining all 3 of the Supreme Court justices! These judges’ rulings will make the difference on redistricting, voting rights, and more.
mortabasi.bsky.social
It’s even winking at you!
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
ashtonpittman.bsky.social
ICE left David, a 17-year-old boy, stranded on the side of Interstate 20 after pulling over his immigrant father, Hector, in Mississippi.

David began running in the scorching sun after the car and watched as it disappeared from sight—soon headed to a Louisiana ICE prison.

Here's their story.
ICE Stranded a 17-Year-Old on I-20 After Arresting His Father. The Mississippi Dad Now Faces Deportation.
A 17-year-old watched as ICE arrested his immigrant father, Hector, on I-20 in June. The family faces mounting legal fees and the risk of deportation.
www.mississippifreepress.org
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
drlaurahaynes.bsky.social
Honestly, I don’t blame them. In fact it sounds like a great option considering what’s happening at American universities

#AcademicSky
gtconway.bsky.social
"The University of Zurich said the married couple, who currently work at MIT, would join its economics faculty …. [They] will be moving … at a time when experts are warning that Trump's cuts to research funding and attacks on … freedoms could lead to a brain drain …."

www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/a...
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
cocchino.bsky.social
"UT is being dismantled piece by piece. Those who see higher education as a threat are intervening directly breaking norms...even constitutional protections — in an effort to suppress and punish controversial opinions among our students and faculty" www.statesman.com/opinion/colu... #AcademicBluesky
After 35 years at UT Austin, I hardly recognize my university | Opinion
What was once a beacon of access and discovery is now fighting for its soul and mission as political attacks upend norms, rules and rights, Lisa L. Moore writes.
www.statesman.com
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
aclu.org
ACLU @aclu.org · 5h
For many families, the Trump administration’s efforts to restrict birthright citizenship have turned what should've been the happiest moments — the birth of a new child — into a time of stress and uncertainty.

We won't back down from defending the 14th Amendment.
Immigrant Parents Confront Fear, Uncertainty Over Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Threats
Families share how Trump’s threat to end birthright citizenship turned moments of joy into doubt about their children’s futures.
www.aclu.org
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
bowlerhatscience.org
Public universities serving the public!
histoftech.bsky.social
The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...
mortabasi.bsky.social
I’m more interested in hearing about the winner than the loser. Call me crazy 🤷🏻‍♀️
mortabasi.bsky.social
It’s going to rain all weekend so I ran off to the woods before it set in. #fungifriends
mortabasi.bsky.social
Good night from these ding dongs
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
propublica.org
Kristi Noem, while governor of South Dakota, supplemented her roughly $130,000 salary by secretly accepting $80,000 donated to a political nonprofit she was affiliated with, records show.

She never disclosed this income on federal ethics forms.

(Published June)
Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations
A dark money group paid $80,000 to Noem’s personal company when she was governor of South Dakota. She did not include this income on her federal disclosure forms, a likely violation of ethics requirem...
www.propublica.org
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
donlinn.bsky.social
Claim and celebrate ALL the victories
nytimes.com
A library director in Wyoming who was fired two years ago because she refused to remove books with sexual content and LGBTQ themes from a library’s children and young adult sections was awarded $700,000 in a settlement on Wednesday.
Librarian Fired in Books Dispute to Receive $700,000 Settlement
County officials in Wyoming fired Terri Lesley, a library director, after she refused to purge children and young adult books that contained sexual content and L.G.B.T.Q. themes.
nyti.ms
mortabasi.bsky.social
I’m sorry. (I’m completely in love with it.)
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
jael.bsky.social
SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news
Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says
It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.
heatmap.news
mortabasi.bsky.social
Thank you University of Washington!
mortabasi.bsky.social
it is indeed my favorite!
mortabasi.bsky.social
Here comes the faculty procession. Congrats to our Fall 2025 grads! @sfufass.bsky.social #SFU
Reposted by Melek Ortabasi
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
Did DOGE save us $2 trillion?

“Not even close. .. Total spending excluding interest rose $220 billion, or 4%, for the entire fiscal year.” 🤡

@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/economy/tari...