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Reposted by Justin Levitt

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 2h

"We took the freedom of speech away," says the president

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3h

Trump: "We took the freedom of speech away because that's been through the courts and the courts said you have freedom of speech, but what has happened is when they burn a flag it agitates and irritates crowds."

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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 8h

if blue state governors and mayors aren't already thinking about the reliability of various police forces nominally under their control, they should start immediately

southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 9h

The situation in America is not great. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 18h

Don’t look away.

bsky.app/profile/mske...

Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 18d

CW: protester being struck in the head by a pepper ball

Footage I took earlier of the moment Reverend David Black, a regular protester outside of the Broadview Detention Center, was shot in the head with a pepper ball by ICE agents on the roof of the facility.

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Reposted by Justin Levitt

💞Sabrina💞 @sabrinarina.bsky.social · 1d

Oregon National Guard Adjutant General, General Gronewold says if they are federalized, that he will advise the Title 10 commander to utilize National Guard Troops to PROTECT protesters at ICE facilities. This is the right answer.

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John Yuda 🥄 @yuda.org · 1d

An under appreciated benefit of smartphones is now accessible they’ve made transit. Prior to having one I could not keep enough of the WMATA map in my head to use buses. Now I use them all over town.

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Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 1d

Ordering state police to have a confrontation with federal agents or the military — while it might “feel” satisfying to some — is a recipe for disaster, one in which someone will get hurt, and provide the exact pretext they are looking for to…do something worse. Pritzker is right here, sorry

Laur-eeeeee😱 (spooky scream) @laurie-merrell.bsky.social · 1d

If you still know anyone who imagines that Pritzker or Johnson will order police under their command to arrest federal agents, you can send them this (1hr12min42sec timestamp). They are explicit that they will not and they view courts as only venue for enforcement.

www.youtube.com/live/vqP4YFV...

LIVE: Illinois' JD Pritzker on Trump's use of National Guard

YouTube video by Reuters

www.youtube.com

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Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 2d

This really makes it sound like a Border Patrol agent tried to kill an anti-ICE activist in Chicago and DHS lied to cover for him

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 2d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 2d

Precisely.

There’s nothing quite as effective at dispelling the facade of cosplay totalitarian goonery as ridicule at the wobbly midsection of a beloved furry chaos gremlin.

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 2d

It’s seriously worth considering the possibility that Gritty is the reason they haven’t yet tried the military-ICE combo in Philly.

competentposter @competentposter.bsky.social · 4d

wizard frog is insane

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 2d

Lamentably, you're right about the trial court ... but wasn't the last word.

The court of appeals stayed most of that opinion in June. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

And they're still hearing the merits of the appeal. www.courtlistener.com/docket/69869...

storage.courtlistener.com

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 5d

The shutdown is absolutely just an excuse for what Vought had planned longer-term.

And also, the shutdown is helping to expose those massively unpopular plans for what they are while there’s still opportunity to fight back.

It sucks, but it’s better than the alternative.

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 5d

In honor of Taylor's new album, Russ Vought is in his "Look What You Made Me Do" phase of the shutdown.
He's making decisions he’s always wanted to make & blaming Democrats for forcing him to make them. It’s just as unpopular as DOGE was; the public is smart enough to see (and abhor) Mafia tactics.

The ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ Phase of the Shutdown

Russ Vought has no authority during the shutdown to implement DOGE 2.0 to extract political pain from Democrats. In fact, he’s admitted that outright.

prospect.org

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Reposted by Justin Levitt

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 5d

NEW: Judge Crenshaw finds that the Trump admin's criminal prosecution of Kilmar Abrego Garcia may well be vindictive—and greenlights discovery and an evidentiary hearing. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

MEMORANDUM OPINION
By way of context, a federal prosecutor is the representative not of an ordinary party to a controversy, but of a sovereignty whose obligation to govern impartially is as compelling as its obligation to govern at all. The obligation to govern impartially concerns, above all, the state's exercise of coercive power-meaning its power to deprive its subjects of life, liberty, or property... As a representative of the state, a prosecutor's exercise of coercive power must be impartial ... [in] that prosecutorial power may not be exercised vindictivelymeaning that the prosecutor may not punish a defendant for exercising a protected statutory or constitutional right.
United States v. Zakhari, 85 F.4th 367, 384-85 (6th Cir. 2023) (Kethledge, J., concurring) (citations and quotations omitted). This context frames review of Defendant Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia's ("Abrego") motion to dismiss his indictment for vindictive and selective
prosecution. (Doc. Nos. 104-05). The Government opposes the motion (Doc. No. 121), and Abrego has replied (Doc. No. 127). Abrego's motion is not ripe for decision because he seeks discovery and an evidentiary hearing because there is some evidence of vindictiveness here. For the reasons that follow, the Court holds that the totality of events creates a sufficient evidentiary basis to conclude that there is a "realistic likelihood of vindictiveness" that entitles Abrego to discovery and requires an evidentiary hearing before the Court decides his motion. United States
v. Andrews, 633 F.2d 449, 457 (6th Cir. 1980) (en banc), cert. denied, 450 U.S. 927 (1981).

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Anthony Michael Kreis @anthonymkreis.bsky.social · 5d

The rule of law means that civilians who commit crimes are prosecuted in courts of law with benefit of due process. Extrajudicial executions in international waters are an affront to our Constitution and the law of nations. It isn’t national defense. It’s murder.

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Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 6d

IF ANY CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY SIGNS THIS RADICAL AGREEMENT, THEY'LL LOSE BILLIONS IN STATE FUNDING — INCLUDING CAL GRANTS — INSTANTLY.

CALIFORNIA WILL NOT BANKROLL SCHOOLS THAT SELL OUT THEIR STUDENTS, PROFESSORS, RESEARCHERS, AND SURRENDER ACADEMIC FREEDOM.

New York Times: "Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference."

The White House asked nine top universities to pledge support for President Trump’s agenda to help ensure access to research funding.

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 7d

A lot of this @americanprogress.bsky.social discussion on the Roberts Court was one big (informative) *smdh* …

but also, we’ve got the power to do a lot more than shake.

bsky.app/profile/amer...

Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 7d

"We hold an awful lot of agency to change what the court does." @justinlevitt.bsky.social on the inevitable and necessary SCOTUS reforms:

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 7d

The title of this broken record is actually

"Federal Workers Are Being Told to Violate Federal Law" (feat. Hatch Act)

bsky.app/profile/tell...

Vittoria Elliott @telliotter.bsky.social · 7d

SCOOP: Federal workers are being told to blame democrats for the shutdown. At SBA workers got an email suggesting they set out-of-office replies blaming Democrats for the shutdown and at HUD internal systems have a pop-up blaming "the Radical Left."

@wired.com

www.wired.com/story/govern...

Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown

Workers at one agency were given unhinged, partisan language to use when setting out-of-office replies.

www.wired.com

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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 7d

"We hold an awful lot of agency to change what the court does." @justinlevitt.bsky.social on the inevitable and necessary SCOTUS reforms:

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 7d

The DOJ will not prosecute _for the next 39 months_.

But there’s likely to be a lot of attention on statutes of limitations a few years from now.

Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 7d

Also, I was under the impression that the Democrats lacked the votes to vote anything down. Did they take the majority in the last few days and forgot to tell anyone?

(The biggest surprise there would be not getting a text with the news, asking for money.)

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Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · 8d

My guess is this was coordinated across the entire executive branch, like a Hands Across the Hatch Act Violation event or something

Breaking: HHS, Commerce, Probably Other Agencies Send Entire Staff Email Blaming Democrats for Shutdown

Please forgive the multiple editions in one day — occasionally I'll send breaking news out such as this. On Tuesday afternoon, employees at the Department for Health and Human Services and the Depart...

www.gravityisgone.com

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 9d

Joining an all-star lineup to assess 20 years of the Roberts Court tomorrow.

And a preview: with apologies to @audrelawdamercy.bsky.social, the “balls and strikes” analogy was profoundly prescient (derogatory).

Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 9d

Join CAP tomorrow at 12 PM EDT for an event that will dive into 20 years of the Roberts court and the upcoming Supreme Court term. Our expert panel, including @justinlevitt.bsky.social, @profciara.bsky.social, and @ngertner.bsky.social, will be moderated by CAP's @doo-dc.bsky.social.

20 Years of the Roberts Court: The Chief Justice’s Legacy and the Coming Term

Please join the Center for American Progress for a virtual event that will dive into 20 years of the Roberts court and the upcoming Supreme Court term.

www.americanprogress.org

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Center for American Progress @americanprogress.bsky.social · 9d

Join CAP tomorrow at 12 PM EDT for an event that will dive into 20 years of the Roberts court and the upcoming Supreme Court term. Our expert panel, including @justinlevitt.bsky.social, @profciara.bsky.social, and @ngertner.bsky.social, will be moderated by CAP's @doo-dc.bsky.social.

20 Years of the Roberts Court: The Chief Justice’s Legacy and the Coming Term

Please join the Center for American Progress for a virtual event that will dive into 20 years of the Roberts court and the upcoming Supreme Court term.

www.americanprogress.org

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 9d

1: Aaron’s right.

2: The fact that he can’t confidently say 9-0 (I can’t either!) is itself _stunning_.

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 9d

And they’re _great_.

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Justin Levitt @justinlevitt.bsky.social · 12d

Empowering Vought +
passing a rescission package package =
a very public announcement that Democrats would just be “negotiating” with Jello.

Why should any Dem member of Congress expect that any deal will last longer than the day it takes to unwind the parts Dems like?

bsky.app/profile/rinc...

Micah @rincewind.run · 12d

republicans are, despite the best efforts of centrist democrats, going to make “bipartisanship” functionally impossible because they can’t even bother to lie about following whatever deals they make

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 12d

The point of funding deals is to secure money that helps people. If the administration plans to just illegally ignore any deal you make with them, what’s the point of making a deal?

Don’t take it from me, take it from,,,,, Steve Womack, a senior GOP appropriator.

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