Paul Collins
@paulcollins.bsky.social
1.2K followers 200 following 500 posts
Author, Professor of English at PSU, bewildered radio guest. Personal account. www.pdx.edu/english/profile/paul-collins
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paulcollins.bsky.social
DeSantis gutted New College, stuffed it with political flunkies & jocks, & now spends *ten times* as much per student there - not a misprint - as at other Florida public colleges. And guess what? It's getting hammered on its outcomes.

That's what happens when you don't actually care about learning.
Spending Soars, Rankings Fall at New College of Florida
Student outcomes and rankings are slipping at the liberal arts college while spending is up. Critics believe the college is at risk of implosion, and some are calling for privatization.
www.insidehighered.com
Reposted by Paul Collins
aclu.org
ACLU @aclu.org · 3d
Whether you're in Chicago or any other U.S. city, remember federal agents and military troops are bound by the Constitution.

Know your rights if you're approached by federal forces.
aclu.org/deployment_kyr
White and blue text: "Know Your Rights when interacting with federal agents, local law enforcement, or military troops: If you get stopped, ask if you’re free to go. If they say yes, walk or drive away.
If you’re questioned, you can say, “I want to remain silent.” In some cases, you may be required to provide your name, address, immigration status, and/or ID.
If an official asks to search you or your belongings, you have the right to say no, but do not obstruct access. They may have authority to conduct the search anyway. If they begin searching you or your vehicle, say clearly: “I do not consent to a search.”
You do not have to unlock your phone or give government officials your password without a warrant. For additional security, turn off biometric identification such as Face ID.
If law enforcement officers arrest you, you have a right to ask why. Otherwise, say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don't sign, say, or agree to anything without a lawyer present.
If you believe your rights have been violated, when you can, write down everything you remember, get contact information for witnesses, and take photographs of any injuries."
Light blue ACLU logo. Blue arrow pointing to the right. Black background. White and blue text: "Know Your Rights when witnessing federal agents, local law enforcement, or military activity in public:
You have the right to talk about and publicize truthful information that you obtain lawfully, including about what law enforcement officers are doing and where they are doing it.
You have the right to tell people their legal rights. If you are a lawyer, make clear you are not giving legal advice.
You have the right to photograph or film anything in plain view, including federal buildings and law enforcement.
These officials can’t confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, nor can they delete data under any circumstances. However, they may order you to move a reasonable distance away. If you think a command is unlawful, it’s safest to follow the order, document the interaction, and challenge it later.
You can ask for officers’ names and badge numbers, as well as who to call if there are follow-up questions."
Light blue ACLU logo. Black background.
paulcollins.bsky.social
By way of contrast, a Times piece today set in Maine, *also* by an out-of-town reporter, but who didn't have a glib point to prove & bothered to talk to people on the ground. It begins, from the first line, w/ someone directly affected.

The Times can do great work -- when it chooses to.

Gift link:
A Freeze on Medicaid Payments Is Forcing Cuts to Rural Health Care
www.nytimes.com
paulcollins.bsky.social
Also - as @taylorgriggs.bsky.social notes - the timing's irresponsible. DHS is musing about using the 82nd Airborne, & the Times runs this?

Maybe lots got cut/reframed, who knows. Could be bad writing, bad editing, or both. But the story editor should & MUST know better. The buck stops there.
paulcollins.bsky.social
Where to begin.

*Reporter parachutes in

* Gimmick lede + dopey quote

*Hothouse sourcing: councilors, consultants, Jordan Schnitzer. No, you know... VOTERS

*No context on city's (mixed, yes) recovery

Textbook example of how a story may technically lack errors & yet functionally be wrong
What Happens When Socialists Are in Charge? Portland Offers a Glimpse.
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Paul Collins
alannawrites.bsky.social
The language of non-consent around AI is really telling. "It's too late to be scared." "It's here whether we want it or not." "You'll have to learn to work with it." "You can't fight the inevitable."

All just variations of "you're not allowed to say no." Creepy technology made by creepy people.
paulcollins.bsky.social
[Camera pan over a tintype of a uniformed soldier; faint banjos]

My dearest Clarabelle. How I miss you. Portland is a hell on earth. The water is disgustingly fresh, with only matcha-infused hardtack to eat. The land is devastated by greenery & the air filled with the awful cries of migrating birds
Reposted by Paul Collins
timdickinson.bsky.social
Live from "war ravaged" Portland
Reposted by Paul Collins
ryanjhaas.bsky.social
Currently a 25-minute wait for brunch in the crime-ridden hellhole of Portland.
paulcollins.bsky.social
Hey, authors: make sure your publisher filed copyright for your book. The Anthropic case is turning up multiple publishers (including majors) who blew it off. Do a title lookup in the Copyright Office database below - if it's not listed, ask your agent, b/c your publisher has some EXPLAINING to do.
publicrecords.copyright.gov
paulcollins.bsky.social
It was only recently that I ever saw a live clip of Thompson, with his sinewy bass part underneath Pentangle's "Light Flight." If you like Nick Drake or Fairport Convention, it's really worth checking out.
Pentangle - Light Flight (In Concert), 4th January 1971)
YouTube video by Pentangle
www.youtube.com
paulcollins.bsky.social
Not noted in the story: this is just a block from a steadily rising Biscayne Bay, so someday the Trump Library’s attractions may include snorkeling over it.
Florida Gov. DeSantis Proposes Giving Trump Miami Land for Library
Republicans in the state are expected to approve a plan next week.
www.wsj.com
Reposted by Paul Collins
alexzee.bsky.social
Yes, someone in a hot dog costume just hand-delivered Councilor Green a hot dog before starting today's council chat on sidewalk vending.
Screenshot of a council meeting, where a person in a hot dog costume is handing councilor green a plate.
paulcollins.bsky.social
Wow, this case has everything:

* Skeezy online learning deal that outsourced teaching to randos

* A tech firm with a terrible name

* A homophobic church

* Church elders scrambling to hide assets right before a bankruptcy.

Gift link:
$302M lawsuit over Concordia University’s abrupt closure settles
The Portland campus closed in 2020, and its former tech contractor HotChalk sought damages.
www.oregonlive.com
paulcollins.bsky.social
"Hold my potato chip bag." -- Tom Homan, apparently
Reposted by Paul Collins
cristianfarias.com
This is a Rule 8 dismissal, which is not common when you’re represented by a lawyer, but is very common when you’re a sovereign citizen suing without a lawyer.

This judge is treating the president of the United States as a pro se litigant.
bradheath.bsky.social
A federal judge has thrown out President Trump's lawsuit against The New York Times.

The suit, he says, "stands unmistakably and inexcusably athwart the requirements" of federal court rules.

It is "decidedly improper and impermissible."

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Reposted by Paul Collins
paulcollins.bsky.social
A great essay on Pennhurst, a huge asylum 10 miles from where I grew up. (A classmate's mom worked there; it tended to come up in hushed tones, or as a grim joke.) Now, largely staffed by people with disabilities, it exists in a very fraught space between museum & hell-house style spectacle.
The Haunting of Pennhurst - Believer Magazine
I arrived at Pennhurst on an unusually warm fall day. As I walked across the parking lot, the administration building was the first thing to greet me. An impressive redbrick monument of Jacobean reviv...
www.thebeliever.net
Reposted by Paul Collins
streetroots.bsky.social
Immigration advocates say if you see ICE targeting someone, knowing what to do in the moment is critical to protecting immigrants. It’s hard to know what to look for, but this guide can help you better understand how to be an effective bystander in Oregon, and your legal right to do so.
What to do if you spot ICE in your community
Amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown, local community networks are the first line of defense. Here’s what Oregon advocates say you should do if you see agents detaining someone.
www.streetroots.org