btilford.bsky.social
btilford.bsky.social
btilford.bsky.social
@btilford.bsky.social
Co-President of the San Ramon Valley Democratic Club
Delegate to the California Democratic Party
Ph.D. in Psychology, UC Riverside
Professor Eric Schickler:
What Donald Trump Has Taught Us about American Political Institutions url: academic.oup.com/psq/article/...
What Donald Trump Has Taught Us about American Political Institutions
Abstract. Generations of political scientists have viewed the American constitutional system and its surrounding pluralist civil society as stable touchsto
academic.oup.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by btilford.bsky.social
Across America and the world, people are realizing it’s not possible to appease America’s dictator.

The only way to deal with him is to stand up to him — and the only way to stand up to him is by joining together against him.

It's time for a massive general strike across the country.
January 25, 2026 at 8:01 PM
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Donald Trump is telling us exactly what he plans to do in the 2026 midterms — and almost no one is paying attention.

Watch, learn and share. youtu.be/DK8A8gTmD1I?...
Trump Announces Plot to Cancel the 2026 Elections
YouTube video by Democracy Docket
youtu.be
January 25, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Genetic researchers were seeking children for an ambitious, federally funded project to track brain development
Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science’
www.nytimes.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:17 PM
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🚀 These reads are out of this world! Join the SciFri Book Club, an online community where you can explore science books, connect with fellow readers, take part in author talks, and more: buff.ly/yk17YSF
December 19, 2025 at 1:20 AM
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I cannot emphasize how serious an assault on democracy this is. Any effort by the Trump administration to engage in false claims of fraud or mass voter suppression relies on this as a building block. As importantly, there is no legitimate reason DOJ would want this information.
🚨BREAKING: The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. Thursday for unfettered access to the states’ voter registration records. The federal government has now filed lawsuits against 21 states, plus D.C.

This is a developing story...
DOJ Sues Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin and DC, Expanding Campaign of Voter Data Lawsuits to 22
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
December 18, 2025 at 11:54 PM
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It all might make more sense if he actually were drinking. But Trump, with his "alcoholic's personality," seems even less inhibited in a way that has many in Washington shaking their heads and wondering if the leader of the free world has lost it. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
Shouting, Ranting, Insulting: Trump’s Uninhibited Second Term
www.nytimes.com
December 19, 2025 at 1:03 AM
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The deal would put one of the biggest social media into the hands of an autocratic president's close allies
* ORACLE, SILVER LAKE, ANDREESSEN TO CONTROL TIKOK IN US: WSJ

$ORCL
December 19, 2025 at 12:56 AM
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December 19, 2025 at 1:31 AM
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December 19, 2025 at 1:32 AM
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"Nearby, neighbors and activists shouted, blew whistles and set up trash bins to try to block a Border Patrol caravan..."

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Bovino’s back: Border Patrol commander leads fresh round of immigration raids in Chicago area
Gregory Bovino returned to Little Village Tuesday after playing a key role in the early phases of Operation Midway Blitz, the immigration enforcement campaign that has stoked fear among Chicago’s immi...
chicago.suntimes.com
December 19, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Reposted by btilford.bsky.social
This catches something really important. The risk
is less that this crew changes the regime and more that while trying to do so they cash out the whole thing. Which is one more powerful reason why resistance is patriotic.
The U.S. is giving dying mall vibes.

I can't explain it, but you know I'm right.
December 19, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Reposted by btilford.bsky.social
I'm a veteran criminal justice reporter. I've never seen anything like ICE-occupied Memphis. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
I'm a veteran criminal justice reporter. I've never seen anything like ICE-occupied Memphis.
“It’s about as sad as you can possibly imagine."
www.motherjones.com
December 16, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Reposted by btilford.bsky.social
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

👇👇👇👇 this this this👇👇👇👇
December 19, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Reposted by btilford.bsky.social
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com

The Trump administration’s political rhetoric is fueling a rise in judicial threats, Judge Esther Salas warns. For her, the issue is personal.
Opinion | Threats to Judges Could Lead to a Judicial System Crisis
The rise in judicial threats is being fueled by the political rhetoric of the Trump administration, a judge argues.
nyti.ms
December 19, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Reposted by btilford.bsky.social
I think Asha Rangappa is right — they are lining up the external and internal enemies. Or trying to. This is very risky and will almost certainly blow up in their faces.
I keep saying this but no one is connecting the dots. The war is to satisfy legal preconditions for mass removal *domestically* of Latinos (i.e., suddenly a lot of people are going to be “Venezuelan” for purposes of removal). This is 100% Stephen Miller…oil claim is to make grandpa go along
There is no national security logic that would impel the US to want to do regime change in Venezuela. It's simply not that important. I'm not even sure wag the dog is the right metaphor for what's happening here. Seems like an insane misallocation of US national security assets and attention.
December 19, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Reposted by btilford.bsky.social
Billionaires are using a loophole to avoid Medicare taxes. Closing it — and eliminating other ways around the tax for wealthy business owners — could raise more than $250 billion over 10 years for the program.

(Published Dec. 2024)
How a Decades-Old Loophole Lets Billionaires Avoid Medicare Taxes
Some of Wall Street’s richest and most powerful figures are using a legal loophole to avoid paying millions of dollars in taxes earmarked for health care, a ProPublica investigation found.
www.propublica.org
December 19, 2025 at 2:30 AM
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Finding ways to pay for upgrades is challenging, said Erik Porse @ucanrwater.bsky.social @ucanr.edu, because it will also require convincing ratepayers who will bear the costs. “I don’t think we’ve really grappled with how much water system charges and bills and rates could increase.”
The wildfires revealed the limitations of California’s water systems. When L.A.’s overtaxed systems lost pressure, fire hydrants ran dry. A year later, residents and experts are weighing solutions that would make more water available for firefighting. www.latimes.com/environment/...
L.A.'s hydrants ran dry during the fires. Residents are still demanding solutions
Nearly a year after the devastating fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, residents and experts say the water problems that hindered firefighting leave several lessons.
www.latimes.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:45 PM
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Today I received FOUR death notifications for people in ICE custody. That's 30 deaths since Trump took office. It's appalling & unacceptable.
 
ICE is required—by law—to ensure detainees are safe & their basic needs are met. It's clear this isn't the case. We NEED answers.
December 18, 2025 at 11:39 PM
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here's today's post: "old man yells at country" — scenes from a batshit speech.
thanks for reading, and please sign up for my daily newsletter to keep getting the good stuff —
old man yells at country
scenes from a batshit speech
bit.ly
December 18, 2025 at 4:23 PM
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Breaking News: A Wisconsin judge was found guilty of obstructing federal agents who were waiting outside her courtroom to arrest an undocumented immigrant.
Judge Convicted of Obstructing Agents as They Sought Undocumented Immigrant
The Wisconsin state judge, Hannah C. Dugan, was accused of ushering a man to a side door as federal agents waited outside a courtroom.
nyti.ms
December 19, 2025 at 3:00 AM