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Rebekah Tromble

@rebekahtromble.bsky.social

12K followers 2.7K following 580 posts

Dir. of Global Partnerships, Inst. for Information, the Internet & Democracy, NEU | Union of Concerned Scientists 2024 Defender of Science | Co-founder: https://researchersupport.org/ https://expertvoicestogether.org/ https://independenttechresearch.org/

researchersupport.org

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Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · May 13

The worst happened. We were DOGE’d. Our NSF funding is gone.

So now there’s nothing stopping me from sharing Expert Voices Together, a crisis response system for US-based researchers and journalists facing harassment.

It's a true passion project. 🧵 1/

expertvoicestogether.org

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Joel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 2d

I was told not to teach a class on the intellectual histories of Zionism and Anti-Zionism next year - not because they doubted I could teach it fairly, but because it would attract too many politicians scrutinizing the syllabus.

A society where that is a valid fear is no longer fully democratic.

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sarah jeong @sarahjeong.bsky.social · 1d

ok I didn't mention this in my piece on friday but one of the things the judge asked about was whether the guardsmen were going to get paid during the shutdown

the doj was like "idk"

the state of oregon was like "we looked into it and the answer is no"

Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 1d

I keep forgetting the government is shut down bc Trump admin is so focused on sending troops to US cities

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Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 1d

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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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 1d

It's a pretty big deal that the NYC Bar Association--one of the most prominent and respected bar associations in the country--is accusing the President of ordering the "unlawful summary execution," i.e. murder--of civilians in violation of US and international law. www.nycbar.org/press-releas...

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Kristina Cooke @kristinacooke.bsky.social · 3d

I spoke to a Venezuelan woman who was arrested in this raid and later released with her 4yo son. She said agents broke down their door, pointed guns at them and made sexualized remarks about Venezuelan women. When she returned to her apartment it was boarded up and all her possessions were gone.

Ted Hesson @tedhesson.bsky.social · 3d

US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies, w/ @reneehickman.bsky.social @kristinacooke.bsky.social www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies

U.S. Border Patrol agents deployed to Chicago led a late-night raid on an apartment building this week, rappelling from helicopters onto rooftops and breaking down doors in an operation authorities said targeted gang members but which swept up U.S. citizens and families.

www.reuters.com

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Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 3d

If you like yelling about misuse of the passive voice, THIS IS IT.

CNN @cnn.com · 4d

Adults and children alike were pulled from their Chicago apartments, crying and screaming, during a large overnight raid that has left tenants and neighbors shaken. https://cnn.it/4pPCXIt

37 people arrested and American kids separated from parents after ICE raid at Chicago apartments | CNN

Adults and children alike were pulled from their Chicago apartments, crying and screaming, during a large overnight raid that has left tenants and neighbors shaken.

www.cnn.com

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Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · 4d

Hand holding a frying pan with a fried egg in it, with the words “This is your university if you sign” at the top. Image is from the 1980s “This is your brain on drugs” campaign.

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Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · 4d

Message to university leaders considering signing—or negotiating—the extortion letter.

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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 5d

New from 404 Media: Apple just removed ICEBlock, the app for reporting sightings of ICE, from its App Store after DOJ pressure. ICEBlock's developer tells me "we are determined to fight this."

"Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move."

www.404media.co/iceblock-own...

ICEBlock Owner After Apple Removes App: ‘We Are Determined to Fight This’

Apple removed ICEBlock reportedly after direct pressure from Department of Justice officials. “I am incredibly disappointed by Apple's actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never t...

www.404media.co

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Curd Knüpfer @curdknupfer.bsky.social · 7d

Excellent Op-ed by @pastpunditry.bsky.social, on the history of the censorious right.
What she observes here for the US also goes for other national contexts, where formations on the far right often self-depict & are seen as free-speech absolutists, when they're anything but...

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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 7d

Very proud of my colleagues right now--especially @ramyakrishnan.bsky.social and @alexabdo.bsky.social. But we could not have got this far without the superb trial lawyers at Sher Tremonte. Grateful to them for all of the time and energy they put into this case. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/u...

Judge Rules Trump Unlawfully Targeted Noncitizens Over Pro-Palestinian Speech

www.nytimes.com

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Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 6d

2 hs before @mmasnick.bsky.social &I recorded, Ted Cruz dropped a mega-report on the Biden Censorship Regime of 2018. AS WE TALKED, YouTube settled a $25M lawsuit 💸

In this pod, we tackle: "Who was president in 2020?" and other hard questions ab content moderation.

www.techdirt.com/2025/09/30/t...

Techdirt Podcast Episode 432: The Fictional Censorship Cinematic Universe

Support us on Patreon » Last year, Renée DiResta joined us on an episode of the podcast to talk about her book, Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality, all about the peo…

www.techdirt.com

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Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 5d

Somebody actually sat down and wrote these two sentences, one after another. www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/u...

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Open Measures @openmeasures.bsky.social · 5d

American Eagle was dragged into an online outrage cycle after conservative media figures claimed that liberals were offended by the clothing company's ads featuring Sydney Sweeney and a denim-themed pun about her "great jeans."

We checked the data. That wasn't true.

openmeasures.io/american-eag...

Outrage Over American Eagle’s ‘Great Jeans’ Ad Was a Conservative Media Creation - Open Measures

Open Measures builds accessible and transparent products to contextualize the spread of harmful online information that impacts public discourse and global events.

openmeasures.io

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 5d

From my colleague @foxmike90.bsky.social: The Framers saw citizen juries as a bulwark against tyranny, and D.C. juries could do much to curb Jeanine Pirro’s penchant for pressing doubtful charges in politically charged cases.

The Home Team Advantage: How DC Jurors Can Become a Bulwark Against Government Oppression

When prosecutors overstep their bounds, the Framers tasked citizen jurors with exercising their widely recognized power to reject their advances through a verdict of acquittal.

www.cato.org

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 5d

Yes, New College is incredibly inefficient but it also dropped 60(!) spots on the US News & World Report rankings. Not easy!
Everytime Chris Rufo is introduced as an impt voice in higher ed, remember that the one time he had a hand in running an institution has been a disaster.
Competence matters.

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 6d

You'll be shocked to learn New College of Florida is on the brink of implosion just a couple of years after DeSantis engineered an extreme right-wing takeover

Fun fact: NCF's new overlords spend $134K per student (!!...the average at other FL publics is $10K) www.insidehighered.com/news/governa...

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

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Hakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · 24d

I have many thoughts about Charlie Kirk—and perhaps even more about the white elites, including some on the left, who insist we can’t hold multiple realities at once. We can. And we must.

A brief 🧵

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Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · 25d

And for anyone looking to understand the dynamics of morally motivated networked harassment, @alicetiara.bsky.social’s work is exceptional.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Rebekah Tromble @rebekahtromble.bsky.social · 25d

Very thoughtful thread about the networked harassment that has been unleashed since Kirk’s assassination. Nathan points to resources for institutional leaders seeking to prepare for and respond to such harassment, including our info and toolkit at researchersupport.org.

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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 27d

I encourage everyone to look out for their safety and practice good internet hygiene, of course. But some of the scolding posts I've read suggest we can change the awful aftermath of a fateful event by just holding our tongues and being quiet little mice, and that isn't my experience.

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Hakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · Sep 5

Authoritarianism often enters through crime policy & policing bc public so often demands more & tougher policing. Yanilda González shows this in Authoritarian Police in Democracy. A while back I was in conversation w/ her & other policing scholars for @annualreviews.bsky.social. Highly recommend.

Beyond the Ballot Box: A Conversation About Democracy and Policing in the United States | Annual Reviews

Political scientist Hakeem Jefferson (Stanford University) facilitated a discussion about race, policing, and the state of American democracy with fellow political scientists Cathy J. Cohen (Universit...

www.annualreviews.org

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Sheila Foster @sheilarose.bsky.social · Sep 4

Having taught at two Jesuit universities (Fordham and Georgetown), I am happy to see this Op-Ed that aligns DEI with Jesuit values. From my former Dean at both places, William Treanor.

www.americamagazine.org/faith-and-re...

At Jesuit universities, the government’s D.E.I. crackdown is an attack on religious freedom

Now more than ever, it is urgent to stand up for our university’s autonomy to make curricular decisions based on its Jesuit mission.

www.americamagazine.org

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Diaper Diplomacy Unofficial Mirror @diaperdiplomacy-m.bsky.social · Sep 4

“The dictators of the world have got nothing to fear from this hearing.” Jamie Raskin says as he performs Shakespearean democracy monologues while the GOP live-tweets Farage quotes.

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Mike Masnick @mmasnick.bsky.social · Sep 3

👀

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · Sep 3

enshittification | noun | when a digital platform is made worse for users, in order to increase profits

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Kate Klonick @klonick.bsky.social · Sep 3

I watched the DSA and OSA "Censorship" Hearing in the House Judiciary Committee today so you don't have to.

I have some questions.

A 🧵 of my internet lawyer, free speech expert, First Amendment scholar ponderings, to no no one in particular:

Why are we here?
1/

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