Emmett O'Connell
@emmettoconnell.mas.to.ap.brid.gy
blogger at Olympia Time, (former-ish) semi-pro history writer, Podcaster at the Olympia Standard, full-time local government (elections, document recording, etc) […]
[bridged from https://mas.to/@emmettoconnell on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
[bridged from https://mas.to/@emmettoconnell on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
Interfaith leaders protested at the Idaho Capitol, accusing lawmakers of misusing Christianity to justify laws harming trans, immigrant, and marginalized communities. Clergy called for church–state separation, compassion, and moral courage as the legislative session began […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 13, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Interfaith leaders protested at the Idaho Capitol, accusing lawmakers of misusing Christianity to justify laws harming trans, immigrant, and marginalized communities. Clergy called for church–state separation, compassion, and moral courage as the legislative session began […]
If you live in Washington state, don't take your lights down
January 13, 2026 at 3:55 AM
If you live in Washington state, don't take your lights down
The Freedom Foundation is suing Oregon to block a new law banning impersonation of union representatives, arguing it violates the First Amendment.
Unions say the law stops fraud and misleading mailers aimed at persuading workers to drop membership.
Conservative think tank asks court to block […]
Unions say the law stops fraud and misleading mailers aimed at persuading workers to drop membership.
Conservative think tank asks court to block […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 10, 2026 at 4:44 PM
The Freedom Foundation is suing Oregon to block a new law banning impersonation of union representatives, arguing it violates the First Amendment.
Unions say the law stops fraud and misleading mailers aimed at persuading workers to drop membership.
Conservative think tank asks court to block […]
Unions say the law stops fraud and misleading mailers aimed at persuading workers to drop membership.
Conservative think tank asks court to block […]
A right-wing misinformation frenzy over real Minnesota fraud cases spiraled into mass ICE raids, frozen federal funds, and violent clashes. Trump and MAGA media tied the scandals to Somali communities, escalating xenophobia and political retaliation.
How the Right-Wing Outrage Machine Prompted […]
How the Right-Wing Outrage Machine Prompted […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 10, 2026 at 4:37 PM
A right-wing misinformation frenzy over real Minnesota fraud cases spiraled into mass ICE raids, frozen federal funds, and violent clashes. Trump and MAGA media tied the scandals to Somali communities, escalating xenophobia and political retaliation.
How the Right-Wing Outrage Machine Prompted […]
How the Right-Wing Outrage Machine Prompted […]
The 1926 Rose Bowl symbolized two paths of exclusion: the South used football to repackage Jim Crow pride, while the Northwest embedded white supremacy through law and bureaucracy. One hid racism in spectacle; the other normalized it through quiet, lasting policies.
The South’s Mythology, the […]
The South’s Mythology, the […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 10, 2026 at 1:50 PM
The 1926 Rose Bowl symbolized two paths of exclusion: the South used football to repackage Jim Crow pride, while the Northwest embedded white supremacy through law and bureaucracy. One hid racism in spectacle; the other normalized it through quiet, lasting policies.
The South’s Mythology, the […]
The South’s Mythology, the […]
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna subpoenaed and threatened a journalist with prosecution for posting a publicly available university bio, falsely calling it “doxxing.” It’s blatant First Amendment intimidation and misuse of congressional power […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 10, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna subpoenaed and threatened a journalist with prosecution for posting a publicly available university bio, falsely calling it “doxxing.” It’s blatant First Amendment intimidation and misuse of congressional power […]
A federal judge blocked Trump’s 2025 election order requiring proof of citizenship and Election Day ballot receipt, siding with Oregon and Washington. The court ruled Trump lacked authority to change election law, protecting mail voting and postmarked ballots.
Federal judge blocks Trump […]
Federal judge blocks Trump […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 10, 2026 at 1:24 PM
A federal judge blocked Trump’s 2025 election order requiring proof of citizenship and Election Day ballot receipt, siding with Oregon and Washington. The court ruled Trump lacked authority to change election law, protecting mail voting and postmarked ballots.
Federal judge blocks Trump […]
Federal judge blocks Trump […]
A tenured Tennessee professor fired for sharing a Charlie Kirk headline without comment was reinstated and awarded $500,000 after the university admitted it violated its own termination process under political pressure […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 9, 2026 at 2:12 PM
A tenured Tennessee professor fired for sharing a Charlie Kirk headline without comment was reinstated and awarded $500,000 after the university admitted it violated its own termination process under political pressure […]
ICE’s racial profiling under Trump echoes WWII-era internment of Japanese Americans. Using race and language to target immigrants, it shows how U.S. immigration policy still relies on exclusion […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 9, 2026 at 2:09 PM
ICE’s racial profiling under Trump echoes WWII-era internment of Japanese Americans. Using race and language to target immigrants, it shows how U.S. immigration policy still relies on exclusion […]
Despite pledges to block access, ICE and CBP searched Washington driver’s license data at least nine times Aug–Nov via a law-enforcement data network, UW researchers found. The state says ICE access ended mid-November, but gaps remain.
ICE searched WA driver’s license data into November, report […]
ICE searched WA driver’s license data into November, report […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 9, 2026 at 2:06 PM
Despite pledges to block access, ICE and CBP searched Washington driver’s license data at least nine times Aug–Nov via a law-enforcement data network, UW researchers found. The state says ICE access ended mid-November, but gaps remain.
ICE searched WA driver’s license data into November, report […]
ICE searched WA driver’s license data into November, report […]
I am so glad a 9th episode of Stranger Things didn't drop tonight because my fan fiction about Bill Ruckelshaus leading an investigation into DOE would have made *zero* sense.
January 8, 2026 at 5:15 AM
I am so glad a 9th episode of Stranger Things didn't drop tonight because my fan fiction about Bill Ruckelshaus leading an investigation into DOE would have made *zero* sense.
When we supported the Jaguar Eating our Faces party, we didn't realize we the jaguar would eat *our* face
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/06/right-wing-media-companies-begin-bickering-at-the-fcc-over-who-gets-to-dominate-the-exploding-right-wing-propaganda-market/
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/06/right-wing-media-companies-begin-bickering-at-the-fcc-over-who-gets-to-dominate-the-exploding-right-wing-propaganda-market/
Right Wing Media Companies Begin Bickering At The FCC Over Who Gets To Dominate The Exploding Right Wing Propaganda Market
American right wing propaganda companies are beginning to fight among themselves as a shrinking number of dodgy media companies vie for domination of the Trump-coddled U.S. propaganda market. Newsmax, a right wing propaganda organization pretending to be a cable news company, is upset at the fact that Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA, two right wing […]
www.techdirt.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:56 PM
When we supported the Jaguar Eating our Faces party, we didn't realize we the jaguar would eat *our* face
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/06/right-wing-media-companies-begin-bickering-at-the-fcc-over-who-gets-to-dominate-the-exploding-right-wing-propaganda-market/
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/01/06/right-wing-media-companies-begin-bickering-at-the-fcc-over-who-gets-to-dominate-the-exploding-right-wing-propaganda-market/
Buddhist monks on a 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Texas to D.C. faced belligerent Christian protesters in Georgia. Protesters shouted and disrupted moments of silence, but the monks responded with calm, compassion, and continued walking for peace […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 7, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Buddhist monks on a 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Texas to D.C. faced belligerent Christian protesters in Georgia. Protesters shouted and disrupted moments of silence, but the monks responded with calm, compassion, and continued walking for peace […]
This week’s Olympia Time email newsletter takes on Brier Dudley’s take on “wacky” elections, argues voters aren’t uninformed so much as informed differently, and looks at social media, algorithms, and digital public spaces. Plus links on disinfo response, mindfulness, and supporting local […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 4, 2026 at 6:02 PM
This week’s Olympia Time email newsletter takes on Brier Dudley’s take on “wacky” elections, argues voters aren’t uninformed so much as informed differently, and looks at social media, algorithms, and digital public spaces. Plus links on disinfo response, mindfulness, and supporting local […]
They would prefer to prevent an eligible voter than have the impression of any fraud could occur
https://thefulcrum.us/elections/texas-voter-roll-citizenship-misidentification
https://thefulcrum.us/elections/texas-voter-roll-citizenship-misidentification
Texas flagged some voters as ‘potential noncitizens’ but they had already provided proof of citizenship
Texas officials have now determined that 11 registered voters in Travis County flagged as potential noncitizens actually provided proof of citizenship while obtaining a driver’s license or state ID at the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to county leaders.Votebeat earlier this month repo...
thefulcrum.us
January 4, 2026 at 2:14 PM
They would prefer to prevent an eligible voter than have the impression of any fraud could occur
https://thefulcrum.us/elections/texas-voter-roll-citizenship-misidentification
https://thefulcrum.us/elections/texas-voter-roll-citizenship-misidentification
Brier Dudley blames “wacky” elections on less news, but voters who feel uninformed usually don’t vote. Seattle isn’t a news desert, it has digital outlets shaping results. The real problem isn’t social media, it’s outrage-driven algorithms.
Brier Dudley is wrong about the news – Olympia Time […]
Brier Dudley is wrong about the news – Olympia Time […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
January 3, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Brier Dudley blames “wacky” elections on less news, but voters who feel uninformed usually don’t vote. Seattle isn’t a news desert, it has digital outlets shaping results. The real problem isn’t social media, it’s outrage-driven algorithms.
Brier Dudley is wrong about the news – Olympia Time […]
Brier Dudley is wrong about the news – Olympia Time […]
1/ Ever wonder how a rumor in MN becomes a physical confrontation in WA in 72 hours? It’s a new model: Participatory Disinformation. WA's digital ecosystem is perfectly primed for these outbreaks. 🧵
January 1, 2026 at 4:07 PM
1/ Ever wonder how a rumor in MN becomes a physical confrontation in WA in 72 hours? It’s a new model: Participatory Disinformation. WA's digital ecosystem is perfectly primed for these outbreaks. 🧵
Dallas County GOP failed to launch a costly, slow, error prone hand-count of March primary ballots after recruiting only half the 3,000 workers needed. Despite raising $420K, the plan was abandoned over staffing and timing concerns […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
December 30, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Dallas County GOP failed to launch a costly, slow, error prone hand-count of March primary ballots after recruiting only half the 3,000 workers needed. Despite raising $420K, the plan was abandoned over staffing and timing concerns […]
1/
The MAGA civil war and the Obama administration’s failure to respond effectively to the financial crisis are the same problem, expressed at different moral concentrations.
Stick with me.
The MAGA civil war and the Obama administration’s failure to respond effectively to the financial crisis are the same problem, expressed at different moral concentrations.
Stick with me.
December 30, 2025 at 5:35 PM
1/
The MAGA civil war and the Obama administration’s failure to respond effectively to the financial crisis are the same problem, expressed at different moral concentrations.
Stick with me.
The MAGA civil war and the Obama administration’s failure to respond effectively to the financial crisis are the same problem, expressed at different moral concentrations.
Stick with me.
This is bad-faithed hand wringing that ignores the damage done to already existing "merit-based, execution-focused public servants" for absolutely political reasons, to grease the skids for oligarchs.
/1
https://www.city-journal.org/article/government-dysfunction-voters-trust-political-divisions
/1
https://www.city-journal.org/article/government-dysfunction-voters-trust-political-divisions
Fixing Government’s “Back-of-House” Problem
From national referenda to merit-based public servants, an agenda for reform
www.city-journal.org
December 30, 2025 at 3:28 PM
This is bad-faithed hand wringing that ignores the damage done to already existing "merit-based, execution-focused public servants" for absolutely political reasons, to grease the skids for oligarchs.
/1
https://www.city-journal.org/article/government-dysfunction-voters-trust-political-divisions
/1
https://www.city-journal.org/article/government-dysfunction-voters-trust-political-divisions
Apropos the interest in Minnesota Fraud, a white guy (probably) stole a million dollars in rent money in my town and no one did a God damned thing.
https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/olympia-diaper-guy-named-in-940k-rent-aid-fraud-investigation/
https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/olympia-diaper-guy-named-in-940k-rent-aid-fraud-investigation/
Olympia ‘Diaper Guy’ named in $940K rent aid fraud investigation
Auditors flagged dozens of payments to Lance Benson’s property management company as suspected fraud. But county leaders chose to go after the nonprofit aid distributor instead.
www.cascadepbs.org
December 30, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Apropos the interest in Minnesota Fraud, a white guy (probably) stole a million dollars in rent money in my town and no one did a God damned thing.
https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/olympia-diaper-guy-named-in-940k-rent-aid-fraud-investigation/
https://www.cascadepbs.org/investigations/2025/09/olympia-diaper-guy-named-in-940k-rent-aid-fraud-investigation/
You mean to tell me the biggest unsolved mystery of Jan 6 2021 was someone who believed the Big Lie? Crazy right?
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/doj-jan-6-bomber-suspect-believed-2020-election-conspiracy-theories-acted-out-of-frustration-with-the-world-around-him
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/doj-jan-6-bomber-suspect-believed-2020-election-conspiracy-theories-acted-out-of-frustration-with-the-world-around-him
DOJ: Jan. 6 Bomber Suspect Believed 2020 Election Conspiracy Theories, Acted Out of ‘Frustration With the World Around Him’
One of Jan. 6’s enduring mysteries, that of who planted pipe bombs...
talkingpointsmemo.com
December 30, 2025 at 1:02 AM
You mean to tell me the biggest unsolved mystery of Jan 6 2021 was someone who believed the Big Lie? Crazy right?
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/doj-jan-6-bomber-suspect-believed-2020-election-conspiracy-theories-acted-out-of-frustration-with-the-world-around-him
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/doj-jan-6-bomber-suspect-believed-2020-election-conspiracy-theories-acted-out-of-frustration-with-the-world-around-him
Reposted by Emmett O'Connell
@emmettoconnell
I found a copy of Seattle From the Margins in a Little Free Library. Reading it has been like wearing time travel X-ray specs. It's the first account of western Washington history I've read that doesn't feel like it's hiding anything. Where everything makes sense.
I thought also […]
I found a copy of Seattle From the Margins in a Little Free Library. Reading it has been like wearing time travel X-ray specs. It's the first account of western Washington history I've read that doesn't feel like it's hiding anything. Where everything makes sense.
I thought also […]
Original post on social.seattle.wa.us
social.seattle.wa.us
December 28, 2025 at 8:39 PM
@emmettoconnell
I found a copy of Seattle From the Margins in a Little Free Library. Reading it has been like wearing time travel X-ray specs. It's the first account of western Washington history I've read that doesn't feel like it's hiding anything. Where everything makes sense.
I thought also […]
I found a copy of Seattle From the Margins in a Little Free Library. Reading it has been like wearing time travel X-ray specs. It's the first account of western Washington history I've read that doesn't feel like it's hiding anything. Where everything makes sense.
I thought also […]
This week on the Olympia Time newsletter:
Seattle Doesn’t Play Itself: film turns Seattle into a concept, not a place via LA Plays Itself, screen myths, and key books/films.
Plus: Olympia Standard year-end w/ Mayor Dontae Payne & Dani Madrone; Thurston Chronicle launch; 1876 election history […]
Seattle Doesn’t Play Itself: film turns Seattle into a concept, not a place via LA Plays Itself, screen myths, and key books/films.
Plus: Olympia Standard year-end w/ Mayor Dontae Payne & Dani Madrone; Thurston Chronicle launch; 1876 election history […]
Original post on mas.to
mas.to
December 28, 2025 at 2:51 PM
This week on the Olympia Time newsletter:
Seattle Doesn’t Play Itself: film turns Seattle into a concept, not a place via LA Plays Itself, screen myths, and key books/films.
Plus: Olympia Standard year-end w/ Mayor Dontae Payne & Dani Madrone; Thurston Chronicle launch; 1876 election history […]
Seattle Doesn’t Play Itself: film turns Seattle into a concept, not a place via LA Plays Itself, screen myths, and key books/films.
Plus: Olympia Standard year-end w/ Mayor Dontae Payne & Dani Madrone; Thurston Chronicle launch; 1876 election history […]