Laura Dronen
@dronen.bsky.social
Comms and Digital with the North Dakota Democratic-NPL | IAMAW member | life-long Fargoan | watercolor painter | novice crocheter | widow
Reposted by Laura Dronen
why are there rarely articles written about liberals in red state urban centers (e.g. Salt Lake City) being gerrymandered into some rural conservative representative?
December 26, 2025 at 10:23 PM
why are there rarely articles written about liberals in red state urban centers (e.g. Salt Lake City) being gerrymandered into some rural conservative representative?
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Trump is busy working hard to bring down rent and housing prices just like he campaigned on
December 26, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Trump is busy working hard to bring down rent and housing prices just like he campaigned on
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Kind of wild how the take that some of Trump's supporters were "deplorable" was some huge scandal, but regularly screaming about "radical left scum" is just a thing he'll say with no media backlash.
December 25, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Kind of wild how the take that some of Trump's supporters were "deplorable" was some huge scandal, but regularly screaming about "radical left scum" is just a thing he'll say with no media backlash.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
In retrospect the Bush-era War On Christmas stuff seems more ominous than it did at the time. It was just cable news guys crying about dumb/fake shit, then and now; I mean the campaign to turn Christmas, which most everyone likes and feels warmly about, into just another thing to get mad about.
December 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
In retrospect the Bush-era War On Christmas stuff seems more ominous than it did at the time. It was just cable news guys crying about dumb/fake shit, then and now; I mean the campaign to turn Christmas, which most everyone likes and feels warmly about, into just another thing to get mad about.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
The blatant selling of pardons is perhaps the clearest instance of criminal conduct authorized by SCOTUS. Pardons are a quintessential "official act." So, even when Trump takes a bribe to issue one, he is presumably above the criminal law.
The president’s own chief of staff was reportedly stunned by his pardon of a former Honduran president.
Trump’s Ice Maiden Blindsided by President’s Controversial Pardon
The president’s own chief of staff was reportedly stunned by his pardon of a former Honduran president.
trib.al
December 25, 2025 at 4:23 PM
The blatant selling of pardons is perhaps the clearest instance of criminal conduct authorized by SCOTUS. Pardons are a quintessential "official act." So, even when Trump takes a bribe to issue one, he is presumably above the criminal law.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Mar-a-Lago, President Trump assured children that Santa wasn’t a guerrilla.
“We want to make sure he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa.”
“We want to make sure he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa.”
’Twas the night before Christmas at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Here’s what happened.
Visions of “clean, beautiful coal” danced in the president’s head as he took calls from children curious about Santa’s location.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 25, 2025 at 6:30 PM
’Twas the night before Christmas, and all through Mar-a-Lago, President Trump assured children that Santa wasn’t a guerrilla.
“We want to make sure he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa.”
“We want to make sure he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa.”
Reposted by Laura Dronen
I guess if you don't view immigrants as people, it might make sense to store them in shipping containers. Like freight.
www.semafor.com/article/02/0...
www.semafor.com/article/02/0...
Trump team considers housing detained migrants in container offices
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is in discussions with Phoenix-based Willscot about a lease, according to people familiar with the matter.
www.semafor.com
February 6, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I guess if you don't view immigrants as people, it might make sense to store them in shipping containers. Like freight.
www.semafor.com/article/02/0...
www.semafor.com/article/02/0...
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Brett Kavanaugh (September 2025): The facts and how they relate to the law don’t matter. Assume ICE and other federal forces always act with integrity, always respect rights, and consistently impose minimal burden.
Brett Kavanaugh (December 2025): Should I not have done that? Was that wrong?
Brett Kavanaugh (December 2025): Should I not have done that? Was that wrong?
Kavanaugh in a footnote in today's opinion says "the officers must not make interior immigration stops or arrests based on race or ethnicity."
December 23, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Brett Kavanaugh (September 2025): The facts and how they relate to the law don’t matter. Assume ICE and other federal forces always act with integrity, always respect rights, and consistently impose minimal burden.
Brett Kavanaugh (December 2025): Should I not have done that? Was that wrong?
Brett Kavanaugh (December 2025): Should I not have done that? Was that wrong?
Me December 26-30
December 24, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Me December 26-30
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Nothing Bari Weiss does makes sense until you realize that she's only gotten where she is by claiming to be an unbiased moderate yet somehow always telling powerful people exactly what they want to hear.
The full Weiss memo is dogshit
-who cares if administration figures “regret” sending people to CECOT
-who cares about the criminal histories of the people we sent to CECOT, we sent them to a torture prison
—who cares about the “debate” over the legality of sending people to a torture prison
-who cares if administration figures “regret” sending people to CECOT
-who cares about the criminal histories of the people we sent to CECOT, we sent them to a torture prison
—who cares about the “debate” over the legality of sending people to a torture prison
December 23, 2025 at 5:38 AM
Nothing Bari Weiss does makes sense until you realize that she's only gotten where she is by claiming to be an unbiased moderate yet somehow always telling powerful people exactly what they want to hear.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
I hope everyone who believed Bari Weiss’s free speech schtick feels deeply ashamed of themselves
December 22, 2025 at 1:13 AM
I hope everyone who believed Bari Weiss’s free speech schtick feels deeply ashamed of themselves
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Only public figure I've seen they didn't blur out so far is Bill Clinton, which we probably should've expected.
Anyway a couple interesting ones. These photos are directly next to redacted child pornography in the files.
Anyway a couple interesting ones. These photos are directly next to redacted child pornography in the files.
December 19, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Only public figure I've seen they didn't blur out so far is Bill Clinton, which we probably should've expected.
Anyway a couple interesting ones. These photos are directly next to redacted child pornography in the files.
Anyway a couple interesting ones. These photos are directly next to redacted child pornography in the files.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
related to this a lot of people in the pundit class need to learn how to just be annoyed by someone or something without turning it into What’s Wrong With America
i am fascinated by how nate silver turns everything he doesn’t like into a bespoke ideology. it’s not that he is annoyed by HCR, it is that she is a dreaded “ism” responsible for everything he doesn’t like about the democratic party. same with bluesky.
what the fuck are you talking about man
December 13, 2025 at 11:38 PM
related to this a lot of people in the pundit class need to learn how to just be annoyed by someone or something without turning it into What’s Wrong With America
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Oh. My. God. I did not realize this article cited “ai” use in science in its reasoning.
These tools are incredible, it’s true. AlphaFold is straight up an example of how AI can actually work for us. But even that starts with a scientist with an idea!
These tools are incredible, it’s true. AlphaFold is straight up an example of how AI can actually work for us. But even that starts with a scientist with an idea!
None of the examples in this article are “restarting the world’s idea machine.” They are AI tools helping scientists automate rote or routine tasks.
December 16, 2025 at 4:02 AM
Oh. My. God. I did not realize this article cited “ai” use in science in its reasoning.
These tools are incredible, it’s true. AlphaFold is straight up an example of how AI can actually work for us. But even that starts with a scientist with an idea!
These tools are incredible, it’s true. AlphaFold is straight up an example of how AI can actually work for us. But even that starts with a scientist with an idea!
Reposted by Laura Dronen
A trainer at the gym told me that one of his clients in tech (very Seattle story) was frantically asking him what AI might be good for at the gym. Real “We have to make this thing happen, what is it for???” vibes.
December 16, 2025 at 3:01 AM
A trainer at the gym told me that one of his clients in tech (very Seattle story) was frantically asking him what AI might be good for at the gym. Real “We have to make this thing happen, what is it for???” vibes.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
It is rare that i reach out to as many trump advisers and officials that I did today and get literally no one willing to defend this, even off the record.
"Trump Dances on Rob Reiner's Grave"
BREAKING: Trump Dances on Rob Reiner’s Grave
Even for President Donald Trump, this is sickening.
zeteo.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:17 AM
It is rare that i reach out to as many trump advisers and officials that I did today and get literally no one willing to defend this, even off the record.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Today, in the Sunday print NYT, we published an investigative look at Harold Hamm, the 13th child of Oklahoma sharecroppers who started an oil company named Continental, which turned him into a billionaire, powerbroker and friend of Donald J. Trump. You may never have heard of Hamm. But you should
December 15, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Today, in the Sunday print NYT, we published an investigative look at Harold Hamm, the 13th child of Oklahoma sharecroppers who started an oil company named Continental, which turned him into a billionaire, powerbroker and friend of Donald J. Trump. You may never have heard of Hamm. But you should
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Hamm is only among a dozen or so key oil CEOs. But his friendship with Trump allowed him to play an outsized role in naming Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Hamm is a good buddy with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Here they were last year with Burgum at a VIP dinner in North Dakota.
December 15, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Hamm is only among a dozen or so key oil CEOs. But his friendship with Trump allowed him to play an outsized role in naming Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Hamm is a good buddy with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Here they were last year with Burgum at a VIP dinner in North Dakota.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara to US citizen detained by ICE: "I apologize that this happened to you in my city with people wearing vests that say 'police.' That's embarrassing."
December 11, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara to US citizen detained by ICE: "I apologize that this happened to you in my city with people wearing vests that say 'police.' That's embarrassing."
Reposted by Laura Dronen
The Trump administration is going to try very hard not to release the complete September 2 video or accompanying documents. They're going to try not to release the complete Epstein files.
To which the response should be: No Kings. No Cover-ups.
To which the response should be: No Kings. No Cover-ups.
December 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The Trump administration is going to try very hard not to release the complete September 2 video or accompanying documents. They're going to try not to release the complete Epstein files.
To which the response should be: No Kings. No Cover-ups.
To which the response should be: No Kings. No Cover-ups.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
If the Sep. 2 boat really had "narco-terrorists" on board, questioning the survivors would have been a way to learn about how the organization worked, where more drugs were stashed, etc. But this isn't a counter-terrorism campaign. It's a shooting gallery with helpless targets.
December 7, 2025 at 3:32 PM
If the Sep. 2 boat really had "narco-terrorists" on board, questioning the survivors would have been a way to learn about how the organization worked, where more drugs were stashed, etc. But this isn't a counter-terrorism campaign. It's a shooting gallery with helpless targets.
Reposted by Laura Dronen
legitimate military targets
December 7, 2025 at 9:59 PM
legitimate military targets
Reposted by Laura Dronen
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
December 7, 2025 at 8:31 AM
My dad abhors any negative comments about immigrants. Asked him recently why he’s so strong on it: ‘Because we’re always happy to take the rich and clever ones. Which means it’s not about disliking immigrants. It’s about disliking the poor and vulnerable. And that’s a bad human instinct.’
Reposted by Laura Dronen
My constituent, Wilmer, was mauled by an ICE attack dog despite the fact that, as he has consistently explained, he was not resisting arrest or trying to flee—his wife and young children, all U.S. citizens, were forced to watch helplessly as Wilmer was violently attacked and dragged away.
December 6, 2025 at 2:41 AM
My constituent, Wilmer, was mauled by an ICE attack dog despite the fact that, as he has consistently explained, he was not resisting arrest or trying to flee—his wife and young children, all U.S. citizens, were forced to watch helplessly as Wilmer was violently attacked and dragged away.