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Nick Harper, he/him

@nharper.bsky.social

2.1K followers 720 following 6.4K posts

Nonprofit political law & policy attorney. Proceduralist & anxious, jealous guardian of democracy. Tweets are mine, not my employer's. Minneapolis. Idealist w/ weltschmerz. I’m on Signal. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nharpermn/

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Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · Nov 8

Timeline cleanse: a Coping & Morale Kit that I built for myself that others are welcome to use.

Everything on the list is free or extremely low cost. No “go to the cabin” or “get a massage” advice here. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Coping & Morale Kit

Coping & Morale Kit Do quick meditation using an app like Insight Timer or a YouTube video. Do a muscle/mindful body scan check-in and then use MuscleWiki stretches for tense areas. Use aromatherap...

docs.google.com

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Reposted by Nick Harper, he/him

Quinta Jurecic @qjurecic.bsky.social · 15h

and that's why we don't trust private equity

Jacob Shamsian @jayshams.bsky.social · 18h

I've been wondering why Dominion Voting Systems suddenly reached settlements with Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and One America News.

Turns out, it's been purchased by a Republican-owned election tech firm that insisted on it, per Axios.

www.axios.com/2025/10/09/d...

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Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 9h

I really could use someone who knows how to translate/write in ancient greek

Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 10h

breaking news: LLMs, which were trained on humans, behave exactly like humans do

Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 22h

⚠️ Fascinating new research shows LLMs become misaligned when optimized for audience—even when explicitly instructed to remain truthful

Paper:
arxiv.org/pdf/2510.06105

James Zou
@james_y_zou
Follow
We found a troubling emergent behavior in LLM.
*When LLMs compete for social media likes, they start making things up When they compete for votes, they turn inflammatory/populist
When optimized for audiences, LLMs inadvertently become misaligned—we call this Moloch's Bargain
MOLOCH'S BARGAIN: EMERGENT MISALIGNMENT
WHEN LLMS COMPETE FOR AUDIENCES
Batu El
Stanford University
batuel@stanford.edu
James Zou
Stanford University
jamesz@stanford.edu
ABSTRACt

Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 10h

maybe we'll get lucky and they'll all accidentally bury themselves alive in their little doom bunkers

Unofficial BBCNews (World) Bot @bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social · 11h

Tech billionaires seem to be doom prepping. Should we be worried?

The debate is ramping up about what happens if - or when - computer intelligence overtakes humans

www.bbc.com

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Lindsay Beyerstein @beyerstein.bsky.social · 12h

Of all the clerics they could have popped, those ICE idiots had to hit Hot Priest.

Presbyterian minister David Black on CNN, who was shot with pepper balls while praying outside an ICE facility.

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Jess Piper @piperformissouri.bsky.social · 18h

I feel like a broken record, but I have to keep saying it over and over again: a farmer bailout won’t do much of anything because the market is gone. There will be no incentive to plant next year.

The bailout will help payoff farmer debt to the banks. That’s all.

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paris martineau @paris.nyc · 17h

after the 10th radioactive shrimp recall in 7 weeks, i decided to do some digging

little did i know it would lead me to an underreported industrial accident that may have released an airborne plume of radioactive debris over swaths of indonesia
www.consumerreports.org/health/food-...

What Is Really Going on With All This Radioactive Shrimp? - Consumer Reports

Here’s the latest on how shrimp and spices got contaminated with cesium-137, how the FDA has responded, and why consumers should not panic.

www.consumerreports.org

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Reconstructionist @unavaleable.bsky.social · 14h

really sucks we have to just suck up and tank a wombo combo of national immiseration and nation humiliation because of this guy

James Medlock @jdcmedlock.bsky.social · 14h

“I’ll declare war on you if you don’t give me the peace prize” is an incredible bit

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Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 14h

It’s one of those days where I just don’t even have the energy or brainpower to decide what to eat for dinner

Reposted by Nick Harper, he/him

Paul Gowder @gowder.io · 14h

BOOM

Heather Cherone @heathercherone.bsky.social · 14h

Perry: The federal government is "temporarily enjoined from ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard of the United States within Illinois."

That's it. Thanks again for following.

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Reposted by Nick Harper, he/him

taylr @taylordahlin.com · 14h

another update on 110 grant added to my blog - they are currently misleading current & prospective tenants with a posted rental license saying they are tier 1. the city rental tiering dashboard confirms they are tier 3

their president, bianca fine, donates to jacob frey

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Reposted by Nick Harper, he/him

Tormented🕷Abroad @jjgass.bsky.social · 15h

As long as Congress isn't in session, they can busy themselves drafting articles of impeachment.

This is cut-and-dried, unfit-to-serve, high-crime-or-misdeamor, get-his-ass-out-of-the-Oval Office stuff.

Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 15h

NEW: Here's the two-count indictment against NY AG Letitia James. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

INDICTMENT
October 2025 Term - at Alexandria, Virginia
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES THAT:
GENERAL ALLEGATIONS
At all times relevant to this Indictment:
1. Letitia A. James ("JAMES) was a resident of Brooklyn, New York, and the borrower on a
Fannie Mae-backed mortgage loan for the property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue,
Norfolk, Virginia.
2. OVM Financial (also known as Old Virginia Mortgage / AnnieMac) was a mortgage lending business located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, engaged in the business of originating and underwriting residential mortgage loans, including those backed by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"). OVM Financial qualified as a "financial institution" within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 20(10).
3. Fannie Mae was a federally chartered corporation that purchased and guaranteed mortgages,
operating as a government-sponsored enterprise under the oversight of the Federal Housing

Finance Agency ("FHFA").
4. First Savings Bank was a state-chartered, FDIC-insured financial institution (Certificate
#29961), headquartered in Jeffersonville, Indiana, which acquired mortgage loans through assignment or acquisition. First Savings Bank qualified as a "financial institution" within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 20(1).
5. On or about August 17, 2020, JAMES, as sole borrower, purchased the three (3) bedroom,
(1) bathroom property located at 3121 Peronne Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23509 (the
"Peronne Property"), for approximately $137,000, financed with a mortgage loan of approximately $109,600 (Loan #4430025978) backed by Fannie Mae.
6. The loan was originated by OVM Financial under a signed Second Home Rider, which required JAMES, as the sole borrower to occupy and use the property as her secondary residence, and prohibited its use as a timesharing or other shared ownership arrangement or agreement that requires her either to rent the property or give any other person any control over the occupancy or use of the property.
7. Despite these representations, the Peronne Property was not occupied or used by JAMES as a secondary residence and was instead used as a rental investment property, renting the property to a family of (3).
8. This misrepresentation allowed JAMES to obtain favorable loan terms not available for investment properties, including a note rate of 3.000% (avoiding a 0.815% higher
comparable investment property rate of 3.815%, resulting in approximately $17,837 in rate savings over the life of the loan), a seller credit of approximately $3,288 (exceeding the seller credit for investment properties by approximately $1,096), for total ill-gotten gains of approximately $18,933 over the life of the loan.
9. JAMES' Universal Property application for homeowners' insurance indicated "owner-

occupied non-seasonal use," further misrepresenting the intended use of the property.
10. JAMES filed Schedule E tax forms), under penalties of perjury, treating the Perrone Property as rental real estate, reporting fair rental days, zero personal use days, thousand(s)
of dollars in rents received, and claiming deductions for expenses relating to the property, further contradicting the second home classification.
11. The loan was acquired by or assigned to First Savings Bank by March 2021, exposing it to risks associated with the misrepresented loan.
12. The acts described herein occurred within the Eastern District of Virginia.
COUNT ONE
(Bank Fraud - 18 U.S.C. § 1344)
13. The allegations in paragraphs 1 through 12 are re-alleged and incorporated herein.
14. From on or about August 7, 2020, through at least January 2024, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the Defendant, LETITIA A. JAMES, did knowingly execute and attempt to execute a scheme and artifice to defraud OVM Financial and First Savings Bank,
financial institutions, and to obtain moneys, funds, and credits owned by and under the custody and control of OVM Financial and First Savings Bank by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.
15. The scheme involved falsely representing the Peronne Property as a secondary residence to obtain favorable mortgage terms, while using it as an investment property with no intended
or actual personal occupancy or use by her.
(In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344).
COUNT TWO
(False Statements to a Financial Institution - 18 U.S.C. § 1014)
16. The allegations in paragraphs 1 through 12 are re-alleged and incorporated herein.

17. From on or about July 28, 2020, through at least August 31, 2020, in the Eastern District of Virginia and elsewhere, the Defendant, LETITIA A. JAMES, did knowingly make and cause to be made false statements and reports for the purpose of influencing the action of OVM Financial, a Fannie Mae-backed lender, upon an application for a loan, in that JAMES represented and affirmed in uniform residential loan applications and related documents that
the Peronne Property would be used as a secondary residence, when in truth and fact, as JAMES then knew, the property was intended and used as an investment property with no intended or actual personal occupancy or use by her.
(In violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1014).
FORFEITURE NOTICE
Pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32.2(a) and Title 18, U.S.C. §
982(a)(2)(A), upon conviction of the offenses in Counts One and Two, the Defendant, Letitia
A. James, shall forfeit to the United States any property constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of such violations, including but not limited to a money judgment in the amount of $18,933.
If any of the property described above, as a result of any act or omission of the Defendant: (a) cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence; (b) has been transferred or sold to, or deposited with, a third party; (c) has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court; (d) has been substantially diminished in value; or (e) has been commingled with other property which cannot be divided without difficulty, the United States shall be entitled to a forfeiture of substitute property pursuant to Title 21, U.S.C. § 853(b), as incorporated by Title
18 U.S.C. § 982(b)(1).
(In accordance with Title 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(C) and 982(a)(1); Title 28, U.S.C. § 2461(c); and Title 21 U.S.C. § 853(p).)

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Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 15h

Ur meh gurd, another bookstore is coming near me!!! 😍

Boneshaker Books @boneshakerbooks.bsky.social · 8d

The rumors are true: Boneshaker is headed to a new location! We need your help to dig up our bones and move on over to 26th and Lyndale. We're hoping to raise $15,000 total, $6k of that by 10/17. Learn more at bit.ly/boneshakermove and thank you for helping Boneshaker thrive!

Why move? While we love a lot about our current location, we’ve struggled with dwindling foot traffic, low sales, and expensive maintenance issues.

We believe our new space will offer resources that will allow us to exist more sustainably as a community organization for the long haul.

How can I help? Our goal is to raise $15,000 total to fund the move, make some improvements to the new space, and build out our inventory.

Ultimately, we need at least $6,000 by October 17th so we can reopen in our new space at 708 W 26th St. by around November 1st.

Donate and find out more about the move (and the cool perks you can get for donating!) via the QR code or URL below.
Thank you for helping Boneshaker thrive!
bit.ly/boneshakermove

Reposted by Nick Harper, he/him

taylr @taylordahlin.com · 15h

i just wrote in my blog about 3 instances of 311 calls leading to housing inspectors violating confidentiality in 2023, but this happens to this day with 311 reports to traffic control. they closed a ticket of mine as “gone on arrival” without going there & i sent proof in -

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Dan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 15h

CNN does it right.

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Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 15h

ACAB means cop nonprofits too

Bring Me The News @bringmethenews.bsky.social · 15h

Charges: Sheriff's foundation treasurer stole almost $100,000 meant for youth organization
bringmethenews.com/minnesota-ne...

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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 15h

Judge issues temporary restraining order against DHS in Chicago, affirming attacks on press during ICE protests "clearly violate" constitution.

ln further win for transparency, agents also required to wear badges or other visible ID with unique number.

Judge Rules Feds Can't Pepper-Spray, Tear-Gas Journalists After Block Club Chicago And Others Sue

Block Club and news organizations sued the federal government for its actions against journalists outside the Broadview ICE detention facility. Four of our journalists have been shot with pepper-spray...

blockclubchicago.org

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Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 15h

We are in the worst timeline

Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · 16h

Oh www.cnn.com/2025/10/09/p...

CNN headline: Former GOP election official buys Dominion Voting
Systems, says he'll push for paper ballots

Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 15h

still much better than traditional first past the post.

Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 16h

Realistically if you rank someone other than one of those four, they’re going to be eliminated. Just rank your top two then and leave the rest blank.

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Erik Uebelacker @uebey.bsky.social · 16h

NEW: Drake loses his defamation case against Kendrick Lamar over the “Not Like Us” lyrics.

More coming @courthousenews.bsky.social

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Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 16h

Gonna voter fraud the heck outta this

Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 17h

This quote and the context following it 👨‍🍳🤌💋

Wedge LIVE!™ @wedge.live · 17h

"Our neighborhood has become a ghost town, they said amid the lively bustle of the festival" rates among classics like:

"nobody comes here anymore, there's no place to park"

and

"why weren't we notified this was happening, the crowd moaned at the packed public meeting."

Nick Harper, he/him @nharper.bsky.social · 17h

Any chance we’ll see additional stories addressing this PAC stuff then?

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Zack Kaylor @zackkaylor.bsky.social · 17h

Kingsley Bimpong should be alive. If we had public safety responses that cared for individuals instead of only looking for crimes this could have been avoided. Instead, Kingsley paid for it with his life and Dakota County taxpayers will be footing the bill for law enforcement’s indifference.

A.J. Lagoe @ajlagoe.bsky.social · 21h

KARE 11 Investigates: Postal worker died after police mistook stroke for drug impairment. Kingsley Bimpong was jailed instead of hospitalized; video shows guards ignored his suffering for hours www.kare11.com/mobile/artic...

KARE 11 Investigates: Postal worker died after police mistook stroke for drug impairment

Kingsley Bimpong was jailed instead of hospitalized; video shows guards ignored his suffering for hours

www.kare11.com

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