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Nate Ela

@nateela.bsky.social

2.2K followers 630 following 760 posts

Law prof + sociologist at @TempleLaw. Property, land, cities, democracy. Philly (no longer quite so) newbie. nateela.net | SSRN: bit.ly/ElaSSRN (Views are mine, not those of any institution.)

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · Nov 15

Here’s a piece on how we could get from here to multiparty democracy in the U-S-A, via state courts. Revising some this month, all ears 👂if you have thoughts… papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

A Path to Multiparty Democracy

Americans are sick of the two-party system. Yet in almost every state, a crucial ballot access restriction denies them any meaningful alternative. A century ago

papers.ssrn.com

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Reposted by Nate Ela

erin pineda @erinrpineda.bsky.social · 39m

“individuals participating in a public expression activity in this area are subject to discipline and/or arrest” is a delillo-level dystopian sentence

Miriam Posner @miriamposner.com · 15h

Found this just incredibly depressing, more than anything.

An easel sign reads, “UCLA
ATTENTION
No events are permitted in this area today. Per Policy 852, this location is NOT designated for public expression activities.
Individuals participating in an event or a public expression activity in this area are subject to discipline and/or arrest.
Scan for policy information.”

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 9h

This is horrible

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 9h

Appears the Trump admin’s reduction in force has hit housing hard this evening.

Reports that all CDFI fund staff have been let go. HUD appears to have lost 442 staff.

Yet another federal cut that will make providing affordable housing in the US all the more challenging.

Reports that all staff of CDFI Fund have been let go

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Reposted by Nate Ela

Sheryl Gay Stolberg @sherylnyt.bsky.social · 10h

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1d

I started watching my first Phillies game of the season two outs before the end of the Phillies season. I have a feeling I may be the one to blame, not the pitcher.

Reposted by Nate Ela

Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 1d

A rare poll of Pennsylvania's supreme court races!

Among likely voters, a new F&M poll finds... a lot of uncertainty, though "yes" to retention is ahead for all 3 Dem justices.

The yes leads the no 39/29, 39/22, and 38/25. But that's a ton of voters who say they don't know for each one.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1d

National Guard: Nice federal court you’ve got there, would be a shame if something happened to it.

N.D. Ill.: Uh, we didn’t ask for this.

[In background, Insurrection Act and Stephen Miller ominously loom]

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 1d

Chicago federal court chief judge says she has not requested National Guard for courthouse

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 1d

Be careful!

a close up of a woman 's face with the words movieclips.com visible in the corner

ALT: a close up of a woman 's face with the words movieclips.com visible in the corner

media.tenor.com

Reposted by Nate Ela

Jamal Greene @jamalgreene.bsky.social · 1d

This is the courthouse where the TRO hearing on the National Guard deployment will be held later today. This is extremely disturbing.

Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 1d

Chicago federal court chief judge says she has not requested National Guard for courthouse

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Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 1d

Chief Judge Kendall's statement comes as last night an Army commander told a federal court that DHS had so far made two requests for National Guard deployments in the Chicago area: (1) at the Broadview ICE facility, (2) at the Dirksen Courthouse on Friday. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Ben Heath @jbentonheath.bsky.social · 2d

I’m giving a talk at @brooklynlawschool.bsky.social on Friday about the Compact as an example of domestic economic warfare. So naturally @himself.bsky.social scoops
me in the NY Times! My talk will argue that more experts in economic warfare need to start thinking about how the war comes home.

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 3d

"It wanted to signal strength. Instead, it’s revealing its weakness. The administration’s need to break the academy is forcing it to make a desperately risky gamble." 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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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 3d

Corn starch with a cloying dose of corn syrup, yum!

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 4d

A *lot* could happen between now and Thursday morning, when the court has set its hearing.

We may learn what Pritzker means by Illinois using every lever at its disposal to fight back…

Updates from NYTimes reporters:

10 minutes ago
Julie Bosman:
Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois said the state would use every lever at its disposal to fight back against the Trump administration's deployment of the Texas National Guard to Illinois, which the governor at a news conference called an "unconstitutional invasion of Illinois by the federal government."

16 minutes ago
Mitch Smith:
In an emergency hearing, a federal judge declined to immediately block President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, as state and local officials had requested in a lawsuit filed this morning. She set a hearing for the issue on Thursday. Troops from Texas are on their way, according to a military official.

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Reposted by Nate Ela

Matthew Stiegler @matthewstiegler.bsky.social · 4d

A top Trump official accusing federal district court judges, "as a class," of engaging in insurrection is a profoundly dangerous development.

Matthew Stiegler @matthewstiegler.bsky.social · 4d

❗❗❗

Stephen Miller: "It's simply a factually accurate statement that when a judge assumes for him- or herself the powers that have been relegated or delegated by the Constitution to the president, that that is a form of illegal insurrection." ...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d

Q: You called the judge's ruling 'legal insurrection.' Are you recommending the president take action against judges who rule against him?

STEPHEN MILLER: No. It's simply a factually accurate statement

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 4d

Reminds me of the first draft of SB 83, as initially presented to Ohio public unis. According to that, first violation of ban on "divisive concepts" = loss of 25% of state funds. Second = 50% cut. Third strike = campus zero'd out. OH legislators wised up and redrafted.

This is even more draconian.

Ben Heath @jbentonheath.bsky.social · 4d

This post is excellent, and the best coverage of the "compact" that I've seen so far. @fishkin.bsky.social is the only person I've read so far who understands that the most important part of the compact is this (final) paragraph, which is mostly ignored in the reporting & in the takes.

Adherence to this agreement shall be subject to review by the Department of Justice. Universities
found to have willfully or negligently violated this agreement shall lose access to the benefits of this
agreement for a period of no less than 1 year. Subsequent violations of this agreement shall result in a loss
of access to the benefits of this agreement for no less than 2 years. Further, upon determination of any
violations, all monies advanced by the U.S. government during the year of any violation shall be returned
to the U.S. government. Finally, any private contributions to the university during the year(s) in which such
violation occurred shall be returned to the grantor upon the request of the grantor.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 4d

38 minutes ago
Eric Schmitt Reporting on the U.S. military
The first group of about 200 Texas National Guard solders is en route to Chicago, a U.S. military official said on Monday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday federalized 400 members of the the state's National Guard, with the support of Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, to support federal law enforcement officials in Chicago and Portland.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

www.fourriversexplorer.com/fort-defianc...

Fort Defiance Park - Four Rivers Explorer

Fort Defiance Park in Cairo, Illinois, marks one of the world’s most important river confluences – the Ohio and Mississippi. On a typical day, 4.4 million gallons of water merge at Fort Defiance ever...

www.fourriversexplorer.com

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

Crazy to think someone in Pritzker's office has run tabletop exercises, some perhaps leading not just to standoffs in court but also on the I-55 bridge from MO to East St. Louis, w/ IL guard blocking TX guard.

Less likely, but perhaps more fitting, if that were to happen at Fort Defiance.

A civil war map of the city of Cairo, IL and Camp Defiance, with accompanying text that reads "Camp Defiance was commissioned in 1861 to provide defense against a potential attack from the Confederacy. A line of sentries was posted along the Mississippi River levee upstream 20 miles form Cairo. Boats were stopped and searched for goods being shipped south the to rebels. Forty pieces of artillery were in position and 5,000 men were being trained at the site. The Illinois Central Railroad stopped in Cairo and reportedly could provide 50,000 men in 24 hours' notice if provoked by the South."

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

This seems correct, and also brave. Especially considering what Miller has been tweeting out about district court judges, and that a judge's house in SC appears to have blown up earlier today.

Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 5d

Immergut: I'm handling this on expedited basis, but defendants haven't provided new info.

SHE RULES FROM THE BENCH: I grant the plaintiffs motion for a second TRO based on reasons stated in previous order...

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

may the phone gods smile and bless the many connections, for lo, there is much to deliberate tonight

Reposted by Nate Ela

Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 5d

This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power by the President of the United States.

America is on the brink of martial law.

Do not be silent.

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

This evening, President Trump is ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States. No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

Taking a few minutes to figure out wtf to do about the secretary of defense ordering TX nat'l guard to invade OR seems... reasonable?

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 5d

UPDATE: Hegseth today called up 400 members of the Texas National Guard, with Gov. Abbott's apparent permission, to be deployed "where needed, including in the cities of Portland and Chicago." www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

5) judge starts emergency hearing late, presumably b/c reading secretary of defense's order calling up TX nat'l guard to invade Portland/Oregon

Kate Riga @kateriga.bsky.social · 5d

1) Trump-appointed judge rules admin cannot deploy Oregon National Guard to Portland 2) Trump admin deploys California Guard there instead, circumventing her ruling 3) CA joins Portland/Oregon in filing for a second temporary restraining order 4) judge schedules emergency hearing (about to start)

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Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 5d

Statement from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

This evening, President Trump is ordering 400 members of the Texas National Guard for deployments to Illinois, Oregon, and other locations within the United States. No officials from the federal government called me directly to discuss or coordinate.
We must now start calling this what it is: Trump's Invasion. It started with federal agents, it will soon include deploying federalized members of the Illinois National Guard against our wishes, and it will now involve sending in another state's military troops.
I call on Governor Abbott to immediately withdraw any support for this decision and refuse to coordinate. There is no reason a President should send military troops into a sovereign state without their knowledge, consent, or cooperation.
The brave men and women who serve in our national guards must not be used as political props. This is a moment where every American must speak up and help stop this madness.

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Nate Ela @nateela.bsky.social · 5d

Here I was, thinking that they've stayed away so far for fear of pissing off the suburbs in a purple state... and instead this probably the real reason:

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