Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey

@dont-d.bsky.social

67 followers 210 following 43 posts

Sociologist of organizations, inequality, and hope

Videos

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey is a professor of sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Source: Wikipedia

Political science 33%

Economics 33%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · 16d

This is a hard book. Both familiar and unusually clear. Plutocrats+disinformation+attacks on science=climate and pandemic holocausts.

Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 16d

“Mann and Hotez detail how bad actors continue to propagate misinformation, persecute scientists, undermine science-based decisions from policymakers and the public and threaten global health and safety”

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How did assaults on science become the norm — and what can we do?

An insightful book explores attacks on science from a historical and a personal perspective.

www.nature.com

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · 16d

Great wealth engenders great influence. Democracy wilts.

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 16d

The richest man on earth owns X.

The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok.

The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post.

See the problem here?

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Richard E. Lenski, Michael Wagner , and 29 more Timothy Snyder, Richard E. Lenski, Michael Wagner, Koen Frenken, Stefan Reis, Thomas Agoritsas, Gavin L. Foster, Leigh Sparks, Amir Attaran, Jacob Montgomery, Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey, Cathy N. Davidson, Alison Phipps, Sanford F. Schram, Enzo Rossi, Nancy T. Ammerman, Peter Schöttler, Jonathan Hopkin, Laurent Pech, Leonhard Dobusch, W. Andy Knight, Rory O’Connell, Aurélien Mondon, Peter Stegmaier, Henry Jones, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Arlene Stein, Greg Linden, Pam Jarvis, Dan Immergluck, Annalee Newitz, Bill Hare

Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 16d

1.9K 20K 58K

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Rebecca Sear @rebeccasear.bsky.social · 16d

How did assaults on science become the norm — and what can we do?

An insightful book explores attacks on science from a historical and a personal perspective.

www.nature.com

1 12 33

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Kate-Eviva @kate-eviva.bsky.social · Sep 7

Just wondering how we can build a less contested more #consensus building way to #govern here that builds a sustainable #society that can also be #fair and prosperous. The current politics is effectively destroying our planet. #auspol

1 2 8

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Aug 14

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

The Family Business: An Open Letter (satire/opinion)

Things have changed, Jennifer Lundquist writes (satirically).

www.insidehighered.com

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · Feb 18

hechingerreport.org/proof-points...

DOGE's death blow to education studies

Researchers say students and schools will suffer without vital data

hechingerreport.org

17 40

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · Feb 18

It is only a matter of time before our home-grown fascists follow this strategy and change anyone describing what they are (and what they do) with defamation.

This is why the administration is determined to repeal Times v Sullivan.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Feb 18

Placebo frontman Brian Molko charged with calling Meloni ‘fascist’ and ‘racist’

The singer is being charged with defamation of the far-right Italian prime minister leader while performing at a festival in Turin in 2023 Placebo frontman Brian Molko is being charged with defamation after appearing to call the Italian prime minister,…

www.theguardian.com

2 47 170

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Dustin Avent-Holt @daventholt.bsky.social · Feb 18

This is a great thread highlighting what this administration’s actions are doing to higher ed. And remember that this is what they want, to break universities in the US.

Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · Feb 13

It's time to start a thread on higher ed budget cuts announced due to actual and potential cuts to federal funding. Northwestern is placing additional scrutiny on all spending and trying to cut non-personnel spending by 10% this year.

8 10

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Tiffany J. Huang @tiffjhuang.bsky.social · Feb 20

"Trying to make yourself a smaller target doesn’t mean the people intent on destroying you are going to stop attacking...

"the more prestigious institutions cowering in the face of the intimidation perhaps do not see their mission in terms of providing access to all." - @biblioracle.bsky.social

Higher ed must resist authoritarian rule. It's the mission.

Trying to make your institution a smaller target isn’t going to work.

www.insidehighered.com

1 43 100

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

OuttaMyCandyBowl @outtamylaine.bsky.social · Mar 30

Hubs & I were talking at breakfast just today about the urgency for each sector of American society to stand firm as one. As the Legal community is finding out, flying solo makes it easier for a corrupt regime to pick you off, and capitulation wins you nothing. The power is in standing arm-in-arm.

Michael Yarbrough (he/him) @mwyarbrough.bsky.social · Mar 30

This exciting resolution from Rutgers University Senate is exactly the kind of model I think higher ed needs: a mutual defense pact of, in this case, Big 10 schools. They call for member institutions to create a joint defense fund and make resources available to any member institution under attack.

Excerpt from Rutgers University Senate resolution calling for a Mutual Academic Defense Compact. The excerpt reads:

"BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the Rutgers University Senate urges the President of Rutgers University to formally propose and help establish a Mutual Academic Defense Compact (MADC) among all members of the Big Ten Academic Alliance;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, under this compact, all participating institutions shall commit meaningful funding to a shared or distributed defense fund. This fund shall be used to provide immediate and strategic support to any member institution under direct political or legal infringement;"

2 5

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Philip N Cohen @philipncohen.com · Jul 26

Here, I illustrated our essay with a picture of Trump trying to demolish a statue upon the shoulder of which stands a scientist.

trump swinging a golf club at The Thinker while a cartoon scientist stands on its shoulder.

1 2

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Jul 23

www.forbes.com/sites/adiaha...

What Fissured Workplaces Really Mean for Workers

As companies outsource more roles, fissured workplaces are rising. Here's how they’re affecting job quality, wages, and worker safety across industries.

www.forbes.com

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Jul 11

theconversation.com/inequality-h...

Inequality has risen from 1970 to Trump − that has 3 hidden costs that undermine democracy

The Republican tax bill is set to worsen inequality, government data shows. It’s part of a 50-year trend that’s affecting the social fabric as well as the economy.

theconversation.com

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Work In Progress @wipsociology.bsky.social · Jul 4

A post by ‪Donald Tomaskovic-Devey‬ (@dont-d.bsky.social‬) on the newest edition of Recapitalizing America is now available on the Work In Progress blog:

Recapitalizing America Redux – Work in Progress

www.wipsociology.org

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Jun 25

This

Christine Is Fed Up With Republicans @coralgableswang.bsky.social · Jun 24

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Jun 25

Of course, "While once surprising, scholars have come to recognize...."

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Jun 3

www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...

This Is a Summer to Organize (opinion)

Faculty may want a break, but the architects of the assault on higher ed won’t be breaking and neither should we, Jennifer Lundquist and Kathy Roberts Forde write.

www.insidehighered.com

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · May 28

Resist

Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · May 26

The authoritarian script:
1) Court rules against leader
2) Attack judges as biased/dangerous
3) Delegitimize judicial system
4) Create permission for threats
5) IF NO MASS RESISTANCE → Purge the courts
6) IF MASS RESISTANCE → Forced to retreat

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · May 26

6 310 680

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · May 26

I can't agree more.

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · May 25

Sunday thought
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Sunday thought

A new phase of Trump neofascism

open.substack.com

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Dustin Avent-Holt @daventholt.bsky.social · May 24

Funding awards are down in nearly every division, and total new awards approximate levels of new awards in the early 1990s. 🧪

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Trump Has Cut Science Funding to Its Lowest Level in Decades

The lag in funding extends far beyond D.E.I. initiatives, affecting almost every area of science: chemistry, computing, engineering, materials and more.

www.nytimes.com

2 2

Reposted by Laurence H. Tribe, Brian Leiter, Erica Chenoweth , and 5 more Laurence H. Tribe, Brian Leiter, Erica Chenoweth, Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey, Marlene Wind, Pepper D. Culpepper, Michael Evans, Carissa Byrne Hessick

Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · May 24

Stunning. May was brutal for Trump in federal court: 96% loss rate ⚖️. Even GOP-appointed judges have ruled against the admin 72% of the time. District courts are doing their job defending the Constitution. Soon the Supreme Court may be the only court unwilling to defend the rule of law.

Infographic titled “Judges reject Trump at an accelerating pace” with subtitle “Federal district court rulings against the administration.”

The first bar chart, labeled “By month, %”, shows the percentage of federal district court rulings against the Trump administration:
• February: 53.8% (7 out of 13)
• March: 74.3% (26 out of 35)
• April: 76.1% (51 out of 67)
• May: 96.3% (26 out of 27)

The second bar chart, labeled “By appointing party, %”, shows rulings against the Trump administration by the party of the judge’s appointing president:
• Republican-appointed judges: 72.2% (26 out of 36)
• Democratic-appointed judges: 80.4% (74 out of 92)

Source: Bonica, Adam; Sen, Maya, 2025, “Common-space Measures of Judicial Ideology for Federal Judges (2024 update),” https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/CK3EEL
Note: Coding scheme details available at data4democracy.substack.com/p/when-judges-become-targets-judicial

170 1.8K 5.5K

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · May 2

Alternative hypothesis -- zoom moves long distance collaboration towards zero, more co-authors from outside the US, for senior scholars at least.

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Apr 22

A giant, who wrote that the poor pay more.

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · Apr 21

Pete Hegseth is a pretty despicable human being, on top of the other, many deficits he brought to the Pentagon

But you should be even madder at the 50 senators who knew Hegseth was an alcoholic, a serial abuser of women, and a poser massively unqualified for the post and yet voted for him anyway

410 3K 12K

Reposted by Donald Tomaskovic‐Devey

Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · Apr 21

“Big Tech companies including X, Meta, Apple and TikTok should be aware the bloc is ready to enforce its full digital rulebook no matter who is in charge of these firms or where they're located”

European Commission Prez
@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu on DSA enforcement

www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Von der Leyen warns X, Meta, TikTok to play by the rules in Europe — no matter who’s CEO

The European Commission will enforce its digital rulebook without fear, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

www.politico.eu

1 19 66

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Apr 20

Sunday thought
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Sunday thought

The contagion of courage

open.substack.com

Donald Tomaskovic-Devey @dont-d.bsky.social · Apr 18

My dad, a feral demographer from Queens, used to say there were only a few hundred people in the world, rushing around on busses so you could meet someone you already knew.